Feel the festival vibes... from garden theatre and jazz to horse-racing and Glasto
Illustration by Bath artist, Andy Goodman
50 AUSTEN-TATIOUS!
Topping & Co’s Kyla Ion tells us of the real meaning behind . . Jane Austen’s iconic novels
GAME, SET, BATH!
Meet
Andy Burden tells us how the
Don the best of beach-chic with
Meet Rio Williams, the
Composer Richard Mainwaring and conductor Francis Faux discuss
A
From
Discover the new exhibition all about tennis that’s arriving at The Museum of Bath at Work this month
58 ROCKET SCIENCE
Meet Richard Godfrey, CEO of innovative software developers Rocketmakers, part of the Bath Unlimited brand
68 GET BACK!
Take a trip down memory lane to the night The Beatles came to Bath, 62 years ago this month...
70 SOUL FOOD
The experts at Combe Grove teach us how to properly nourish our bodies and transform our health
74 WHAT JANE DID
Andrew Swift traces the steps of Jane Austen around the city
76 DRENCHED!
Discover how to colour drench your own home
80 GARDENS
Hedges can be so much more than meets the eye, says Elly West
brilliant Andy Goodman designed our
this month, featuring a selection of the festivities going on in the city over the next few months. Find out more on page 10! You can buy a print of the artwork at fivebargatestore.myshopify.com
Artwork by Nicolas Party (Holburne Museum, Bath)
• Naturally insulating • Hard-wearing • Easy to care for • Sustainable • Hypoallergenic
FROM THE EDITOR
Iheld a conversation with Barack Obama recently. Well, I asked him a question. In fact I asked a handsome avatar a question about his view of someone whose name begins with T and ends with P. He was thoughtful, hesitating for a while before giving a fairly general answer, which did seem to carry a level of cynicism and concern, and no detectable endorsement of the working operations of this person.
This was made possible by Bath software development company Rocketmakers who work in an area where things changes so fast that you can go away for a week’s holiday and return to a different tech landscape. I spoke to CEO Richard Godfrey on page 58, as part of our Unlimited Minds series.
Jane Austen is getting lots of attention this year, but what’s all the fuss about? We challenged Austen admirer Kyla Ion from Topping and Co. Booksellers to justify why everyone seems so obsessed by a writer whose books focus on the landed gentry, and are preoccupied with manners, marriage and money. Kyla defends Ms Austen with panache, telling us that her novels offer a vision of hope, and that love, when rooted in selfawareness, can overcome pride, misunderstanding and social obstacles. See page 50.
We also meet Rio Williams on page 20, the star of Burberry’s latest childrenswear campaign. Rio loves to dance and to sing, and he is partial to sweet treats – what’s more, his winning personality and uplifting smile are playing their part in breaking down barriers around those with disabilities and visible differences.
The design technique of colour drenching, which wasn’t a thing in the Georgian era (apart from actual drenching when Colin Firth is involved) is our interiors theme. It’s not hard to embrace –just choose your colour and get drenching – but, as ever, there are subtleties involved (see page 76).
We’re also celebrating the 62nd anniversary of the Beatles’ appearance in Bath (page 68), revelling in the power of a metabolic diet to set you on a path to physical and mental health and fitness (page 70), and exploring the high-energy garden theatre productions coming to the Holburne in July (see page 26).
It’s feeling most summery right now, reflected in our cover, and you’ll find plenty of outdoorsy, festivally, music-based and engaging things to do. Especially if you live near the Royal Crescent where on 13 and 14 June someone may be singing, quite loudly, about Angels.
Until next time, from someone whose name starts with a C and ends with a G.
Emma Clegg, Editor
Oooooooh let’s try an Eau de Parfum!
Embrace summer with Parterre’s Limited Edition Eau de Parfums –available in 50ml and 100ml sizes. Each fragrance is hand-numbered, wrapped in beautifully illustrated, recyclable packaging by Petra Dufkova, and is as unique as the person wearing it. Every order includes a year of ‘Scent Voyage’ with free scent boxes, plus complimentary 2ml samples to explore. A luxurious, thoughtful way to celebrate the season. Shown here is
A Tribute to Edith – Limited Edition Eau de Parfum, £5-£185
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City updates
A SENSATIONAL SCHEDULE OF SUMMER EVENTS IN BATH
Bath is set for a spectacular summer, packed with outdoor events, live music, cultural celebrations and family festivals. From pop icons and jazz to parades, trails and food fairs, the 2025 season offers something for everyone.
Bath on the Beach (bathonthebeach.co.uk), launches on 12 June, transforming Royal Victoria Park into the city’s largest beer garden, complete with deck chairs, bean bags and summer vibes until 10 August.
Robbie Williams takes the stage at the Royal Crescent on 13–14 June –tickets sold out fast, but get close enough and you’ll still feel the magic of Angels! On 14 June, Ladies Day at Bath Racecourse (bath-racecourse.co.uk) brings thrilling horses and amazing outfits, whereas if gin is more your thing World Gin Day (worldginday.com) on Queen Street, also on 14 June, offers a few timely botanical delights.
From 7–15 June, the Festival of Nature (bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature/) spans Bath to Bristol with 80+ events exploring water’s role in biodiversity. Cyclists can join Bike Bath (iconiccyclingevents.co.uk/bikebath) on 15 June, with scenic rides from The Rec into the Cotswolds.
Nearby, Glastonbury Festival (glastonburyfestivals.co.uk) returns on 27–29 June, with headline acts Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young and The 1975. You may not have tickets, but the vibe’s still in the air. For more music jazz fans can head to Iford Manor Jazz Festival (ifordmanor.co.uk) from 19–22 June, for world-class music in stunning surroundings.
Looking ahead, fitness meets purpose at the Dorothy House Midnight Walk on 5 July (dorothyhouse.org.uk) Then Bath Carnival (bathcarnival.co.uk) bursts into colour on 12 July, followed by the Bath Summer Fayre (visitbath.co.uk) on Milsom Street from 18–20 July, full of street food, crafts and fun. Finally, the Garden Theatre Festival (gardentheatrefest.com) visits the Holburne Museum’s gardens from 2-20 July with open-air performances, including Pride and Prejudice and Romeo and Juliet, in a magical setting.
Buone Vacanze Estive!
FASHION MUSEUM COLLECTIONS SHINE INTERNATIONALLY
A pair of gloves belonging to King James I and an exquisite silver and gold embroidered court dress designed at the dawn of Haute Couture are some of the extraordinary items from Fashion Museum Bath’s Collection to be seen around the world in leading exhibitions this summer. Though the Museum is currently closed to visitors while it undergoes an ambitious transformation and relocation to a new home in the centre of Bath, its global lending programme continues to connect this remarkable collection with audiences worldwide. Garments from the museum can currently be seen in prestigious exhibitions in Paris, London, Edinburgh, and across the UK.
ADJOA ANDOH VOICES
HOLBURNE’S NEW AUDIO TOUR
The Holburne Museum in Bath, known world-wide as the filming location for ‘Lady Danbury’s House’ in Bridgerton, has launched a new audio tour voiced by the actor Adjoa Andoh who plays Lady Danbury in the hit Netflix series. Andoh’s voice will guide visitors around the Holburne Museum, focusing on 12 objects in the museum’s collection which bring Georgian Bath to life. The objects include: a portrait of Queen Charlotte, then aged 21; an 18th-century snuffbox in the form of a lady’s shoe; and a miniature silhouette portrait by Danish artist Charles Christian Rosenberg. Visitors to the museum can download the audio tour from Bloomberg Connects, a free digital guide that makes it easy to engage with arts and culture from mobile devices. Chris Stephens, Director of the Holburne said: “Adjoa Andoh’s inimitable voice brings to life the remarkable history which surrounds us. We are proud of our association with Bridgerton which puts a 21st-century spin on 18th-century society.” holburne.org
UNIVERSITY OF BATH ACADEMIC HELPS TO DELIVER UK CLEAN ENERGY GOALS
A University of Bath academic is set to help the UK reach its clean power targets after being awarded a prestigious Research Chair position by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Professor Furong Li, a world-leading expert in electricity power networks based in the University’s Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, will work strategically with the UK’s largest distribution network, National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED).
In the role, Prof Li will develop a ‘whole energy system’ model for the UK’s power networks, improving access to open data, models and evidence to help NGED, its stakeholders and other operators collectively drive decarbonisation in the sector.
Professor Furong Li said: “Moving to a demand-driven decarbonisation model is crucial if the UK is to achieve its Clean Power 2030 and Net Zero 2050 commitments. Our research will help the UK’s network operators move to a new, more agile and flexible model fit for rapidly changing low carbon systems.” bath.ac.uk
NATURE MURAL TRANSFORMS BATH RIVERSIDE
Young artists have worked together to transform a graffiti covered wall on the path alongside the River Avon in Bath with a bright and colourful work of art. The mural is part of a series of improvements to the Bath River Line, a 10km stretch of the river corridor between Newbridge and Bathampton, which aims to better connect the river path to nearby green spaces. The mural project was a collaboration between Bath & North East Somerset Council and Little Lost Robot, an independent non-profit collective of artists working with social practice across Bath and North East Somerset. The design celebrates the unique wildlife found along the river and reflects the vision of the council’s Bath River Line in helping to connect the community and visitors to their natural environment. bathnes.gov.uk/bath-river-line
Professor Furong Li
5
THINGS TO DO IN JUNE
Jazz up your weekend
The Iford Manor Jazz Festival is an unmissable weekend in Bath’s musical calendar. Enjoy a picnic in the beautiful Iford Manor Gardens, where the stunning evening light highlights the garden’s charm. As night falls, the garden transforms into a magical wonder, specially illuminated for the festival. Performers include Tim Garland and Jason Rebello in Iford’s cloister on the Thursday and Shakatak in the casita on Saturday, among others. ifordmanor.co.uk
The UK’s biggest free nature festival returns this June, with a powerful new theme – all about water –designed to take audiences beyond the typical green spaces and discover the importance of an often overlooked vital life force. Running across Bristol and Bath, the festival features more than 80 events, most of them free. The theme of water literally runs through the heart of the festival, with the River Avon connecting events in Bristol Harbourside and along Bath’s waterfront, 7-15 June; across Bath and Bristol; festivalofnature.org.uk
Launched in 2012, Bike Bath returns to The Rec on 15 June to celebrate cycling in this famous city. Under the tower of the historic Bath Abbey and sharing the Rec with the illustrious Bath Rugby Club, it is an historic venue from which to cycle into the glorious southern Cotswolds. The charity partner for the 2025 Bike Bath event is Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity. 15 June, 5pm-8pm; The Recreation Ground, Pulteney Mews BA2 4DS; iconiccyclingevents.co.uk/bikebath
Get pedalling! Feel
Bath Philharmonia presents a musical journey across the natural world featuring award-winning British cellist Laura van der Heijden (winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year 2012) performing Dobrinka Tabakova’s hauntingly beautiful Cello Concerto and the world concert premiere of Rebecca Dale’s sumptuous There Will Come
The programme also includes Claude Debussy’s iconic symphonic poem
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Benji Bowers’ Terra Coda, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s 6th Symphony. “Van der Heijden does it all – from fragility to power, introversion to extroversion. Her playing is deeply thoughtful, personal and sincere” – BBC Music Magazine, July 2024
26 June, 7.30pm; Tickets from £28.50; The Forum, 1A Forum Buildings, Bath BA1 1UG
Play game, set and match!
An exciting exhibition revealing new research about the importance and popularity of tennis in Bath from Georgian times to the present day opens on 12 June in a building which is itself a Georgian Real Tennis court. Curated in collaboration with Bath Tennis and Museum of Bath at Work, the wide range of displays will illustrate the development of the game from Real to Lawn tennis, including unique tennis trophies, early rackets, original costumes, tennis balls, historic photographs and much more. And on 6 July, Bath Tennis is hosting a Wimbledon Weekend Strawberries and Cream Festival, a day to celebrate and soak up the Wimbledon atmosphere! 12 June – 31 October; Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, BA1 2RH; museumofbath.org; bathtc.co.uk
My Bath
HAMISH EVANS
Hamish Evans is co-founder of Middle Ground Growers, based at Weston Spring Farm, just below Kelston Roundhill in Weston, who deliver organic veg boxes to 180 local households by bike. Hamish is the current project lead and co-founder of the We Are Avon project to restore the river valley. Hamish has lived here his whole life, and for the last 11 years on a boat.
You have been living on a solar-powered narrowboat since you were 16. What led you in the narrowboat direction?
At the age of 16 I was finishing my GCSEs at Ralph Allen School in Bath close to where I grew up in Combe Down. My alternative mum suggested it, and and the idea of moving onto my own independent boat was a no-brainer. Initially motivated by freedom, boat parties and independence, it led me to unexpected places finding a love for nature and an enjoyment of a more sustainable lifestyle alongside a great appreciation of real life community in our beautiful valley of Avon.
How long have you been in Bath (and on its waterways) and why is it the place for you?
I’ve always lived in Bath, born at home in Combe Down and then living on the waterways. At the age of 18 I travelled and worked on sustainable farms worldwide for nearly two years, from rural village smallholdings in India to urban farms in the West Bank, Palestine. I never imagined I’d settle back in the home I was born in, but came back realising that this place is part of me and I belong to this valley, and through land work here on these soils I feel so rooted in Bath and on the River Avon that I could never imagine leaving.
What place in Bath makes you feel most connected and happy?
On or near the River Avon and on our farm, Middle Ground Growers. My life is just a daily movement from water to land and back again. Rising early with the sunrise reflected in the river from my mooring, cycling to the farm for a big harvest, planting day or veg box packing and then returning for a swim in the river totally exhausted but content. It’s a simple rhythm and keeps me not only sane but thriving, motivated and grounded – traits I never associated with myself before farming and land work. Kelston Roundhill is also very special to me, perched between the river and the farm, this is my place for perspective, renewal and spaciousness – and the best sunset spot for miles (don’t tell anyone!).
How did Middle Ground Growers and your regenerative farming practice come about?
After travelling and working on farms I was restless to begin my own farming journey. I volunteered on every land-based and community project I could find in Bath, growing a wide network and learning from inspiring people, farming mentors and wise elder growers and community gardeners, who took me under their wing despite my sometimes explosive energy and passion that resembled a bull in a china shop. But once this energy could be channelled into solutions and a land-based project, the stars began to align to form Middle Ground Growers, as fellow growers and friends joined this journey and over 550 local people donated to the start-up of this pioneering Ecological Farm for Bath.
You have recently founded the project We Are Avon, an emerging web of producers, farms, organisations and communities collaborating to build better local food systems for all. What is the inspiration behind this?
I’m eight years into my regenerative farming journey now, and with Middle Ground Growers achieving its original vision beyond our wildest imaginations, my energy is naturally shifting towards the wider food, land and water systems we are part of. As an environmental
activist at heart, and a lover of the River, I wanted to do something to give back to this life force of a river and valley that has gifted me and others so much. We Are Avon was born from this, and form a pragmatic desire to bring environmental solutions into our places through community-led joyful action.
Why is food resilience important, in our region and anywhere?
Only a small percentage of our food is produced in our places, which disconnects us as a society and fragments community, while eroding local economies and making us incredibly vulnerable to global commodity shifts out of our control. Regional resilience is the antidote to this, where we use water, nutrients, food and money in our localised circular economies. It wasn’t long ago Bath was mostly fed by market gardens, orchards and farms from the wider catchment valley, and it’s totally possible to get there again – this will have huge benefits for our health, rivers and soils if we get it right.
Look to Bath in 50 years and what do you see in your most optimistic projection?
We recently completed a 100-mile annual River pilgrimage from source to mouth. In 50 years I would like children and families to walk this beautiful river and experience a valley coming back to life, regenerating at every step with more species, cleaner waters, flourishing communities and resilient food systems for a healthy population connected to their place once again.
Give us an inspirational quote... “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Buckminster Fuller middlegroundgrowers.com; crowdfunder.co.uk/p/we-are-avon; instagram.com/weareavon1/
Enjoy a Touch of Elegance this Summer
To celebrate the launch of GROUND, our new holistic treatment collection, we invite you to enjoy a serene Touch of Elegance spa day for the special price of £84 per person (usually £105).
Unwind with two hours in our tranquil Spa & Bath House, followed by a two-course lunch or traditional afternoon tea, served with a glass of Taittinger Champagne and receive 20% off any GROUND rituals booked at the same time — a perfect way to enhance your wellbeing experience.
Available until 31st August when booked by 30th June.
Naturals blog...
by Andy Burden
Returning to Glastonbury in 2013 marked more than a homecoming for The Naturals. Andy Burden explains how the festival’s hippy spirit was reimagined, how the characters came into being and how they were re‐invented for the modern era.
When I first arrived as Director of the Naturals in 2013, one of my first priorities was to resecure our relationship with the iconic Glastonbury Festival. There had been a period of quite a few years when The Naturals did not perform at the festival. This ended when our Participation Manager, Mark Bishop, reconnected with the Theatre and Circus Fields and the Naturals created new wandering performances with disabled professional performers as a part of our ‘Diversions’ project.
The company had been a regular fixture at Worthy Farm in the ’80s and ’90s. I had been to Glastonbury Festival many times, sometimes performing with The Naturals, but also following my other love as a musician, playing on the fabulous Bandstand Stage. If you watch Glastonbury The Movie (1996), you will see the Natural Theatre Company appearing a number of times. It is a great film where the present day is cleverly interlaced with the hippy foundations of the festival.
As we returned to Glastonbury in 2013, after no festival happening in 2012 because of a pre-Olympic shortage of police officers and (more crucially) portable lavatories, we heard many voices bemoaning the fact that Glastonbury was “not the same”, that the roots of “peace and love” had been lost and it was now all set up for the TV. This wasn’t really borne out after a two-hour opening set (and first-ever appearance) by The Rolling Stones, with Mick Jagger joking that organisers had "finally got round to asking us to play”, and Michael Eavis describing their set as "the high spot of 43 years of Glastonbury”, but it did
indicate how the culture was changing. The Naturals, too, were keen for a reinvention in a new and memorable piece. The concept – recognising the shift from the festival’s free-spirited roots as a modest, countercultural gathering and its move towards being a significant commercial and televised event – was the idea behind the hippies appearing as Ghosts of Festivals Past.
While we had occasionally been asked to create brightly coloured, flowery ‘hippy’ characters for parties or special events, the piece had never really worked – was it a celebration or was it just embodying ‘Neil’ from The Young Ones? Looking at the costumes we had and the photos in the archives, I wondered if they should be ghostly white, or maybe monochrome, while the rest of the world was brightly coloured? I hit on the idea that I could photoshop one of the aforementioned photos, to see what worked… this saved a lot of R&D money! The greyed-out characters looked great. (Probably because we already perform fully chromatic characters, one of which is a rather subdued grey…). The hippies with the colour drained from them seemed to make the point. The image showed that the era of peace and love had faded. We set about dyeing hippy costumes to grey and creating greypainted versions of accessories like a guitar, tambourine and a banner saying ‘Make love not war’. We then worked on ideas for making the performance successful.
The first year we performed the piece was at Glastonbury 2016, the weekend of the Brexit vote. While it had rained and the ground was covered in mud, the piece really worked. This meant we went to perform it at Larmer Tree and Shambala Festivals. We have since tweaked and developed the piece. One lovely addition was that with a delicate ‘sleight of hand’ we got the hippies to hand out a grey carnation that turned red as it was handed over. This moment became an inspiration for a project we have just finished this year… We have just been working in Portugal cocreating street theatre with the fabulous Teatro Extremo and the carnation became a stimulus to celebrate that country’s famous ‘Carnation Revolution’ of 1974, but this time using white costumes, iconic Portuguese characters and white make-up – looking like ghosts from the revolution.
A memorable moment from that first year of the Ghosts of Festivals Past was when a member of the public rushed up to the grey hippies and said “We need you to be coloured-in again”. In 2025, as the world has accelerated into wars, hate-filled views and quick-fix political parties, this scenario seems more provocative than ever: we really do need a little more peace and love – we need the hippies to be colouredin again.
naturaltheatre.co.uk
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The new face of Burberry
Seven‐year‐ old Rio Williams, who lives in Bath with his family, shines in Burberry’s Summer 2025 campaign, beaming with joy as he enjoys the fun and attention he gets on set. Represented by inclusive agency Zebedee Talent, Rio is helping reshape perceptions of neurodivergence, and showing what children like him can do, not what they can’t.
Seven-year-old Rio loves to move to the rhythm. In the TV studio, surrounded by cameras and crew, he keeps the momentum on the rocking horse, beaming with joy and soaking up every bit of the attention being thrown his way. Because having fun is the primary objective here, he doesn’t realise that he is sporting some seriously stylish clothing and he is starring in the promotional video of Burberry’s Children’s Summer 2025 range.
Born with Down syndrome and facing significant health challenges early in life, Rio is a confident and sunny presence in front of the camera. Represented by Zebedee Talent, a leading inclusive talent agency supporting models with disabilities and visible differences, as well as the globally renowned British fashion house Burberry he’s appeared in national campaigns for Primark, CBeebies and Amazon’s Grand Appeal.
“He doesn’t really know what Burberry is”, his mother Kim says with a smile, “but he knows he’s having fun, that he needs to smile for the camera and that people are clapping and blowing bubbles and using balloons and making him laugh. That’s what he responds to – that warmth, that attention. He’s like many other children with Down syndrome – happy, dancing and in love with music And then afterwards, he gets a treat, sweets or chocolate or something. That’s the deal!”
Much of Rio’s early life was spent in and out of hospital in Bristol, dealing with serious medical complications that would test any family’s endurance. “It was an incredibly hard time,” Kim recalls. “We’re still living with the after-effects, really. Rio still has ongoing health concerns, and although things aren’t as intense now, there’s always that background worry. You never quite relax.”
During those hospital months, the family had to juggle everything –not just Rio’s needs, but also those of his older brother, Felix, who was very young at the time. “We’re lucky to have a close-knit circle of friends and family here in Bath and Bristol,” Kim says. “They stepped in when we needed them – especially to help with Felix, so he was cared for while we were in hospital with Rio.”
Despite the challenges, the experience also brought the family closer. “Felix has been incredible,” Kim says. “He’s like a young carer, really. He helps me get Rio dressed, keeps an eye on him when it’s just the two of us, and he’s always there for him.”
The bond between the brothers is incredibly strong. “Felix is so proud of Rio, and I think it’s shaping him into a really empathetic, grounded person. It’s the kind of experience that gives you a deep understanding of life early on.”
Rio’s modelling journey was not pre-planned. After seeing other children with Down syndrome featured in advertising campaigns, Kim began to wonder if Rio could do something like that too. “I didn’t expect much,” she says. “We applied to Zebedee Talent, just to see what might happen. Then out of the blue, they asked if Rio could attend a casting for Primark. He hadn’t even turned one.”
He got the job. Which isn’t so surprising because Rio is a very handsome young man who revels in the unsolicited attention that an advertising campaign brings. Since that first shoot, Rio has taken part in several Primark shoots and a CBeebies family advert, and the Burberry shoot marks a new level of exposure and prestige.
The film and camera team clearly invest in making the experience upbeat and enjoyable for the models, sweets and all. And at audition stage there is no pressure or anxiety. Since the pandemic, most casting sessions are done via smartphone, which suits Rio perfectly. “For modelling auditions I just film him at home,” Kim says. “It’s relaxed, it’s calm, and he’s in his own space. For kids with additional needs, it’s such a better process than being rushed around busy studios.”
Zebedee Talent also provide exceptional support. “They understand that things might take longer, that neurodiverse kids need a different kind of environment. And they make sure the brands they work with get that too. It takes the pressure off. Rio doesn’t really register that it’s ‘work.’ He just thinks we’re having fun together.”
And that’s exactly what comes across in the photos, and why they are so magical and touching.
For Kim and her family, Rio’s modelling is also a way of changing perceptions. “There is still this outdated idea of what Down syndrome is,” Kim says. “And I think seeing people like Rio, smiling back at you from a billboard or a magazine, really challenges that. It shows the world what children like Rio can do – not what they can’t.”
While high-street brands have made significant progress in becoming more inclusive, Kim sees Rio’s appearance in Burberry’s campaign as a major step forward. “It’s amazing to see high-end fashion opening up. It shows that inclusion isn’t just a trend; it’s
Rio and his brother Felix
Seeing Rio smiling back at you from a billboard or a magazine... shows the world what children like him can do – not what they can’t
becoming the norm and that’s powerful.”
Rio himself is starting to recognise others like him in the media. “He gets so excited when he sees someone else with Down syndrome on TV,” Kim says. “We’ll say, ‘Look, they’ve got Down syndrome too,’ and he just lights up. He gets it, in his own way. That kind of visibility matters, not just for him but for families like ours.”
Though he’s fronted major campaigns, Rio is still very much a sevenyear-old boy – full of energy, curiosity and a love of life’s simple joys. “His favourite thing is music,” Kim says. “He’s got his own little DJ set at home, and he’s always dancing. One minute it’s hip hop, then it’s reggae, and then it’s Baby Shark. His taste is... eclectic!”
He’s also a water baby. Every week, Rio takes part in hydrotherapy sessions at a local pool run by a charity. “He can’t swim yet, but he absolutely loves it,” Kim says. “He just lights up in the water.”
School is another big part of his routine. Rio attends a mainstream primary school in Bath, but will be transitioning to a special school in September. “He’s so sociable,” Kim says. “He doesn’t want to leave at the end of the day sometimes. He just loves being around people.”
And at the heart of it all is his bond with his brother, Felix. “They adore each other,” Kim says. “Playing football outside, getting messy in the mud… that’s their happy place. For the Primark ads, it was really nice because Felix was also involved and he got to have some of the excitement as well, seeing himself on TV.
Raising a child with complex needs brings its share of challenges, but for Kim, the impact of having Rio in her life goes far deeper than logistics or care. “The biggest thing he’s taught us is patience,” she says. “Everything happens in Rio’s time – getting dressed, leaving the house, reaching milestones. But we’ve learned to slow down and see the world a bit more like he does. He’ll stop and stare at a bird in the sky and say, ‘Wow, amazing!’, and with such wonder. He makes us all pause and appreciate things we’d normally rush past. He does change your outlook on life. And if you're having a bad day, he’ll do something that lifts you up and you think, here he is dancing and having a wonderful time, and I’m worrying about something insignificant.”
Rio’s medical history has also shifted Kim’s perspective in a profound way. “We’ve faced some terrifying moments with his health. So now, I don’t sweat the small stuff. He’s taught me what actually matters.”
As for the future, Kim says they’ll continue supporting Rio in whatever way that keeps him smiling – whether that’s in front of a camera, dancing to music in the kitchen or splashing in a swimming pool.
“We’re just proud of him for being who he is. And I hope that when people see his face in a campaign like Burberry’s, they don’t see his difference, but rather his warmth and his capacity for joy.”
Burberry’s selection of children’s summer clothing –as modelled by Rio from Bath – includes lightweight summer sets, and naturally the traditional Burberry check
Check Cashmere
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| Inspired by heritage style, a trench coat in shower‐resistant cotton gabardine.
Scarf/Straw | £260 | Burberry Check cashmere scarf, woven on traditional looms at a 200‐year‐old Scottish mill.
Checkerboard EKD Denim Shorts | £280 | A pair of shorts in Japanese denim, printed with a checkerboard pattern.
Check Cotton Shorts | £220 | Shorts made from Italian‐woven cotton patterned with the Burberry Check.
uk.burberry.com
Gabardine Trench Coat
£1050
Nylon jacket/Night (above) and Spring (right) | £380 | A lightweight hooded jacket in ripstop nylon.
Check and Leather Sneakers/Breeze | £310 | A pair of sneakers in Burberry Check and supple leather.
THE WATCH list
Mallory Jewellers review all the latest models as well as the most exciting trends from the world of fine watchmaking.
1. Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”
Paying homage to this important year in Tudor’s ever-evolving motorsport history. The 42mm case of the Black Bay Chronograph “Carbon 25’ is rendered entirely in black carbon fibre. Fetauring the Manufacture Caliber MT5813 self-winding movement and a dashing “Racing white” dial. Model: M79377KN-0001. £6,260
2. Omega Seamaster Railmaster
The timeless design and the easy-to-read display of the original 1957 Omega Railmaster, has been fully updated and modernised to feature a symmetrical 38 mm steel case, a beautiful brown dial and a classic leather strap. Reference: 235.12.38.20.13.001. £5,400
3. TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph
A tribute to Tag Heuer’s classic 80s original; this 38 mm watch, now has a solar-powered quartz movement and contemporary design. The range comes in a choice of modern materials and vibrant colors, offering a dynamic timepiece for the new generation. Model: WBY1111.BA0042. £1,650
4. Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase
This new model features a Moonphase date on a sunray beige dial in a 38.5mm stainless steel case on an Alligatir strap. Water resistant to 3 bar with a smooth self-winding movment and an 18 carat gold medallion with caravelle emblem on the caseback.
Model: L4.815.4.62.2. £2,950
5. Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time
Patek Philippe reinterprets the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time in a 42mm white gold case with an elegant ivory lacquered dial and a khaki green composite-material strap with fabric motif. The self-winding mechanical movement. Caliber 26-330 can be enjoyed through the sapphire crystal case back. Model: 5524G-010. £52.180
6. Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Datejust 31
A sparkling symphony - a 31mm, 18ct yellow gold case with a diamond set bezel, a deep red diamond-set ombré dial and an 18ct yellow gold President bracelet is a treasure to be cherished. Model: 278288RBR. £42,400
7. Rolex GMT-Master II
The Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in 18ct white gold with a green ceramic dial, a twocolour Cerachrom bezel insert in green and black ceramic and an 18ct white gold Oyster bracelet. Most noticeably, the crown and crown guard are on the left side of the watch case while the date aperture and the Cyclops lens are at 9 o’clock - perfect for wearing on the right wrist. Model: 126729VTNR. £40,900
8. Chopard Happy Sport
The Chopard Happy Sport collection now welcomes this turquoise edition, featuring a 33mm, 18-carat rose gold and stainless steel case with a turquoise textured mother-of-pearl dial - enlivened by a ballet of dancing , free floating diamonds. Self-winding movement, water resitant to 30m. Model: 278608-6013. £10,200
9. Patek Philippe Nautilus
A new version of the Ladies’ Nautilus with quartz movement, 32 mm-diameter white gold case with a 46 diamond bezel and white gold bracelet. The lacquered azure blue dial is adorned with the collection’s characteristic wave pattern. Model: 7010/1G-013. £51,370
10. Panerai Luminor
Marina Titanio
This rugged new model features a 44mm brushed titanium case, a polished titanium bezel, a green sun-brushed dial, dark green calf strap as well as the trademark Panerai crown protecting device. Model: PAM03325. £8,400
Epic tales in the garden
From slapstick beginnings to serious drama and back again, theatre‐maker Matthew Emeny now leads one of the south west’s most exciting theatrical forces, The Production Garden. From 2–20 July, the company’s flagship event, The Garden Theatre Festival, returns to Bath with bold, joyful outdoor theatre for all ages. Words by Emma Clegg.
Theatre-maker Matthew Emeny began his theatre journey exploring raw, provocative themes, influenced by the confrontational style of in-yer-face theatre. One of his earliest works, Back Page, tackled the realities of human trafficking – an intense, research-driven project that marked a period of his creative exploration into socially urgent and often brutal subject matter.
But then came a turning point. A comment from his mum – “Can’t you just do something funny again?” – made him stop and reflect. Mums always know best, and that nudge unlocked a long-buried instinct to make people laugh, just like he did as a child filming slapstick gags on VHS. It was a moment of realisation that his natural comedic voice had been sitting quietly in the background, waiting for its moment.
The shift wasn’t about playing it safe, reflects Matthew. It was about returning to something authentic, working within the physical boundaries of comedy. And in many ways, comedy and horror aren’t so different. “Both rely on rhythm, surprise and tension,” Matthew explains. “You need a bonkers brain to dream up dark stuff, so it’s not surprising that it lends itself to comedy.”
Now, as the Creative Producer of The Production Garden, Matthew channels that energy into outdoor theatre experiences that are joyful, imaginative and irresistibly funny. From large-scale summer festivals to immersive Christmas events, the company is quickly becoming one of the most exciting creative forces in the south west.
After studying a BA and an MA at Bath Spa University, Matthew had originally focused on street theatre. He conceived what later became The Garden Theatre Festival as a one-off during lockdown, with six outdoor performances when socially distanced seating – using bamboo canes to separate family ‘bubbles’ – was the only option. It had to be outdoors because of the regulations around the pandemic, so the concept of the Festival was simply the only choice. In 2022, producer Josh Beaumont joined the team, helping to evolve the concept. In the years since, the festival has changed year by year in its form, emphasis and culture. There was the introduction of a stretch tent for partial cover, redesigning the site in the gardens of the Holburne to create a more relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and shifting to exclusively in-house productions featuring local Bath
creatives, as opposed to commissioning external companies This year, the festival debuts a custom-designed marquee with 350 covered seats, along with a box office, and an outdoor bar and restaurant to complete the experience.
Despite originally feeling boxed in by being labelled an ‘outdoor theatre maker’, Matthew has found creative freedom through The Production Garden. The company now produces a wide range of work – indoor, outdoor, musical, and comedic. What sets the company apart is its flexibility and ambition. Produced by a core team of just three people, it operates more like a film production house, working across multiple genres, scales and formats. Their output is diverse, with productions ranging from a mid-scale touring comedy, Shoddy Detective, which pairs genre parody with high-octane physicality, echoing the physical traditions of Monty Python; to a Mumford & Sons tribute band currently on tour; to Parody of the Rings, a new Lord of the Rings comedy heading to Edinburgh Fringe; a new play Motorhome Marilyn starring Michelle Collins; and entertainment collaborations with Warner Hotels and Cunard Cruise Liners.
At the heart of it all remains the Garden Theatre Festival, the company’s flagship event with its creative home in Bath, in the Holburne Museum gardens. Looking ahead, the goal is simple: to keep growing, and to keep creating work that people want.
Each show is its own culture ecosystem, run from a master Excel spreadsheet. This is where the magic begins. Each tab in the spreadsheet holds meaning – performers, venues, travel logistics, meals, wages, ticket prices and prop costs. “It’s a bit like a lazy Susan in our brain – everything’s loaded up and spinning, but we can always see what’s on top”, says Matthew.
This chaos, however, is channelled. The team’s neurodiversity (Josh has ADHD and Matthew is dyslexic) is a superpower, enabling them to keep the plates spinning in their creative and production work. They embrace collaborative support and bring in detail-oriented colleagues as needed.
One of Matthew’s observations is about how theatre audiences have changed. Just like sharing restaurant meals on Instagram, today’s theatregoers want to see themselves, literally and figuratively, and phones are therefore often visible, indeed part of the experience. From social media engagement to capturing audience reactions, the marketing has adapted to reflect the current digital moment. “Some people hate phones out in shows, but for a lot of audiences filming is how they express joy”, says Matthew.
Some people hate phones out in shows, but for a lot of audiences
filming is how they express joy
Despite the company’s rapid growth, it hasn’t forgotten where it originates. Matthew has built everything from scratch. Now, he’s committed to making space for new theatre-makers to do the same. The company regularly take on interns, graduates and volunteers, and believe that the health of the theatre sector depends on that openness. “So many people pull up the ladder and close the door. We leave it down, because the people who are better than us need to find a way up. The next people that are better than Josh and I need to find somewhere to climb so they can be on their way.”
Summer productions at the Holburne
This summer, the Garden Theatre Festival returns to the gardens of the Holburne Museum for two weeks, with productions of Romeo & Juliet, Pride & Prejudice and the children’s touring show The Secret Garden
Following last year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the festival is returning to Shakespeare with Romeo & Juliet (2–10 July), a play beloved by audiences and perfectly suited to the company’s fast-paced, irreverent style. While often seen as a tragic love story, this production leans into the absurdity and youthful chaos of the plot, presenting it as a kind of ‘rom-com gone wrong’. With just four actors performing all the roles, the show features energetic multi-roleing, costume changes and a script trimmed down to two 45minute acts, essentially Romeo & Juliet on speed.
Adapted and directed by Ed Viney, with music by Sam Freeman and oversight from Matthew (‘the ‘jokesmith’), the production celebrates the foolishness of young love with humour, heart and just the right amount of theatrical chaos.
Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, Pride & Prejudice (11–20 July) is a playful tribute for Austen fans and Bath’s many literary tourists. The adaptation isn’t just a straightforward retelling – it’s framed as if Jane Austen herself is living across the street from the Holburne Museum, struggling to get her novel published. Encouraged to try playwriting, she
enlists a troupe of local players to stage her new work in the pleasure gardens.
This imaginative set-up gives the production licence to have fun with the material. Expect classic outdoor theatre tropes such as actors swapping hats to change characters, comic timing and fourth-wall-breaking antics, like ‘that scene’ from the 1995 BBC version of Pride & Prejudice where a lake is represented by a glass of water, gleefully thrown in an actor’s face by an audience member. While staying true to the story, the adaptation draws more from film versions than the novel, balancing wit and romance with lots of laughter. It’s designed to be fun, accessible and entertaining.
This year’s children’s show, The Secret Garden, a re-imagining of the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett book, will be touring as well as appearing at the festival on 13 July. Created by Elouise Hare of The Plaudits, it brings the beloved children’s novel to life in a way that ’s engaging for younger audiences while retaining the magic and heart of the original story. The production stays within the company’s trademark style: simple, inventive staging and strong storytelling. It promises to enchant children and adults alike.
This isn’t just a story about a theatre company. It’s about a way of seeing the world: where chaos is creative fuel, where physical comedy meets fearless emotion, where spreadsheets and slapstick live side by side. It’s about building something that’s modern, generous, messy and alive, and captivating for the whole family. I for one am booking my weatherproof place among the deckchairs. n
The Garden Theatre Festival, 2–20 July, Holburne Museum, Bath; gardentheatrefest.com
Above: Audience participation in The Secret Garden and (right) production shot from The Secret Garden
What’s on
LIVE MUSIC AT GREEN PARK BRASSERIE
n Green Park Brasserie, Green Park Road
Soak up live music alongside world class pizza, cocktails and craft beer every Weds, Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. Bookings and walk-ups available. greenparkbrasserie.com
FRINGE ARTS BATH FESTIVAL
Until 7 June
n Various venues across Bath Fringe Arts Bath Festival (FaB), brings curiosity and visual arts to the heart of the City of Bath, from occupying empty shops and unusual spaces for exhibitions, to performances and interventions spilling out onto the streets of the city. fringeartsbath.co.uk
QUEER BATH 2025
Until 30 June
n Various locations across Bath
The rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ lives, stories
EVENTS AT BRLSI EVENTS AT BRLSI
IN CONVERSATION WITH IN CONVERSATION WITH SAMANTHA HARVEY SAMAN THA HARVEY
16 June, 7.30pm-9.30pm Booker prize winning author and Bath Spa University Reader in Creative Writing, Samantha Harvey will be talking about her writing with Professor in Creative Enterprise, Lucy English. Samantha will also be giving a short reading from the Booker Prize winning novel, Orbital. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Tickets £5
LET’S TALK ABOUT LET’S TALK ABOUT FASHION AND FASHION AND SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY
19 June, 7.30pm-9pm
The fashion industry is the world’s second-largest consumer of water and accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Fashion also expresses individuality and shapes human connection. Can we rethink fashion to make it sustainable? This talk by Professor Dilys Williams FRSA explores fashion through nature, cultures, society, and economy, with a focus on both planetary and social justice. Tickets £3-£6 n BRLSI, 16 Queen Square, Bath brlsi.org
Bath Credit: Caitlin Damsell
and creativity in Bath will be celebrated during five weeks of activity in a citywide campaign as iconic venues and cultural institutions join forces for Queer Bath 2025. Highlights include the E.1027 Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea film screening at the Museum of Bath Architecture (18 June); Bad Gays Podcast Live Show at The Guildhall (21 June); and The Holburne Pride Party hosted by duo Cynthia and Spank at Holburne Museum (27 June). queerbath.co.uk
U3A: MAGNIFICENT WOMEN AND FLYING MACHINES
5 June, 10.15am–11.30am
n The Pavilion, North Parade
This talk by Sally Smith covers the entertaining and often exciting personal stories of British women who have achieved real firsts in aviation, including the first woman to fly over London in a balloon in 1785. Doors open at 9.45am for coffee. u3ainbath.uk
SUMMER STYLE WITH NATASHA MUSSON
5 June, 6pm-8pm
n Jigsaw, 14 Old Bond Street, Bath BA1
Join the Jigsaw Bath boutique team as they welcome fashion stylist and expert Natasha Musson. Enjoy complimentary fizz as Natasha showcases her favourite pieces from the newest collection, offering personalised styling advice to help you find the perfect additions to your wardrobe for the summer season. Tickets cost £10 and are redeemable against your purchase on the evening. tinyurl.com/pfkxsjzk
ALDRIDGES OF BATH AUCTION
10 June, 10am, (viewing Sat 7 June)
n Online
Decorative and household sale, including Victorian, Edwardian, 20th-century and modern household furniture and
furnishings, decorative china and glass, pictures and prints, mirrors and rugs. aldridgesofbath.com
HOTHOUSE FLOWERS
10 June, 7.30pm
n Komedia Bath, 22-23 Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EP
There is an unpredictable energy in the band that harks back to their "Risk" days playing on the dancefloors of Dublin’s late-night clubs. They call upon their grand repertoire to create a show that is unique to the time and place. Improvisation can come at any point and allows the band express their brightest and their darkest influences. £36. komediabath.co.uk
PLANTS INTO INK
10 June, 24 June
n Sandra Higgins Gallery, Unit 11 Milsom Place, 41 Milsom Street, BA1 1DN
Fiona McIntyre will be giving two separate workshops on the alchemy of ink-making, working with organic materials from trees and plants. You will take home painted samples on cotton-rag paper and printed recipes from the demonstration. Bring your favourite watercolour brushes and an apron. £40 for all materials and refreshments included. fiona.me.mcintyre@gmail.com; fionamcintyre.com
Queer
Hothouse Flowers
BATH & COUNTY CLUB
Join the Bath & County Club as a member and you and your guests will enjoy a relaxed, friendly ambiance and the opportunity to meet, eat and drink in the centre of Bath. bathandcountyclub.com.
QUIZ NIGHT
Tuesday 3 June
6pm for 6.30pm. 2 course dinner to follow at 7.30pm. £29
SUNDAY CARVERY
Sunday 8 June
12.30pm for 1pm. Choice of two succulent meats and three vegetables, two desserts/cheese, coffee & mints. £32
BEETHOVEN’S 9TH SYMPHONY
Friday 13 June
10.30am for 11am talk. 2 course lunch to follow. £29
FILM EVENING
Tuesday 17 June
5.30 for 6pm start.“Tea with Mussolini”, bar, interval finger buffet included. £23
WATERLOO DINNER
Thursday 19 June. 6.30 for 7pm. Black Tie. Enquire for price
QUIZ NIGHT
Friday 27 June, 6 for 6.30pm. Interval buffet. Bar available. £23.
Rooms also for hire. Event venue: Queens Parade, Bath BA1 2NJ. Booking essential, by email: secretary@bathandcountyclub.com or telephone 01225 423732.
MAKE YOUR OWN PERFUME FOR MIDSUMMER EVENINGS
20 June, 5.30pm-8pm
To celebrate the Summer Solstice and balmy summer evenings, Parterre Fragrances is running a special Perfume Making Workshop focusing on mystical, earthy and uplifting scents. You will blend your own midsummer inspired perfume, presented in a stylish 50ml bottle. Includes a glass of bubbly. Tickets £130.
MINI PERFUME MAKING WORKSHOPS
25 June, 9 July, 11.15am-12.30pm
This mini workshop is a fun, hands-on session, ideal for beginners. Learn the basics of perfume blending, choose from a selection of perfume oils and create your own simple perfume. By lunchtime you will have a 10ml bottle of fragrance to take home and enjoy! Tickets £38. Parterre Perfumery, 14 Margaret's Buildings BA1 2LP parterrefragrances.com
BATH DRAGONS FINAL
12 June, 5.30pm
n Apex Hotel, James Street West, BA1 2DA
The final for the inaugural Bath Dragons competition where four finalists compete for the £20,000 expert support package consisting of tax, finance, legal and PR and communications support. Each company will present their ideas and face questions from the Bath Dragons panel. The four finalists are Canned Wine Group, Easyphones, Untamed and Hanora Health. tinyurl.com/yev5a2pw
NSPCC BATH: SING FOR CHILDHOOD
13 June, 7pm-9pm
n The Roper Theatre, Bath BA2 3LA
An uplifting evening of choral music at “Sing for Childhood,” a special charity concert in aid of NSPCC Bath. This event unites three outstanding local choirs – the renowned Bath Community Gospel Choir, the talented young voices of Hayesfield Girls School Junior, and the beautiful harmonies of Viva Vocals Ladies Choir. Raffle tickets will be available. All proceeds supporting the NSPCC. £11-£16.50 tinyurl.com/2ey7wn4m
JO HARROP
13 June, 8pm-10.30pm
n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1QR
Jazz FM’s Nigel Williams Presents’ showcases the finest in jazz and soul talent: Jo Harrop. The award-winning recording artist and songwriter, who has multiple nominations for UK jazz singer of the year, will appear fresh off the back of supporting Gregory Porter’s 2025 tour. Tickets £18. chapelarts.org
LADIES DAY 2025 AT BATH RACECOURSE
14 June, 11.30am
n Bath Racecourse, Lansdown, BA1 9BU
Ladies Day at Bath Racecourse is where style, elegance and beautiful hats set the tone and become as important as the racing. Bath Racecourse looks forward to this popular event each year as it offers an atmosphere that can’t be beaten - there’ll be drama on and off the track as you experience a day like no other! £29-£79. bath-racecourse.co.uk
CHRIS HADFIELD: A JOURNEY INTO THE COSMOS
14 June, 7.30pm-9.20pm
n The Forum, 1a Forum Buildings
Join Colonel Chris Hadfield – acclaimed astronaut, test pilot, spacewalker, spaceship commander, and best-selling author – for a captivating journey into the majesty of our planet and the vast universe beyond.
In this visually stunning event, Chris will present never-before-seen space imagery of Earth, the Moon, Mars, and more, in an awe-inspiring exploration of discovery. fane.co.uk/chris-hadfield
BATH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
15 June, 7.30pm
n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DZ
Viv McLean makes a welcome return as soloist in Rachmaninov’s powerful and romantic Piano Concerto No. 2. Louise Farrenc was well known as a pianist in 19th century Paris. Her Overture No. 2 is a dramatic and colourful work. Brahms’s sunny and lyrical Symphony No. 2 completes the programme. wiltshiremusic.org.uk
Jo Harrop at Chapel Arts
Chris Hadield
WILLIAM DALRYMPLE: HOW ANCIENT INDIA TRANSFORMED THE WORLD
16 June, 7.30pm-9.20pm
n The Forum, 1a Forum Buildings
Join historian and co-host of the charttopping podcast Empire, William Dalrymple, as he shares the rarely told story of India's role as a cultural and scientific superpower of the ancient world. He’ll tell the story of how, from 250BC to 1200AD, India exported religion, art, science, medicine and language along a Golden Road, creating a vast and profoundly important empire of ideas. fane.co.uk/william-dalrymple
BRISTOL SOUNDS
25-29 June
n Bristol Harbourside
Celebrated as one of Bristol's leading music events and a staple on the UK festival calendar, Bristol Sounds delivers an eclectic mix of acts, drawing music lovers from across the country. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Bristol Amphitheatre, the open-air gigs offer a stellar summer festival experience. Supergrass; Kaiser; Texas; The Fratellis and Olly Murs will headline. bristolsounds.co.uk
MILES MORGAN TRAVEL: NEWMARKET TRAVEL
26 June, 2.30pm
n APEX Hotel, James Street West, Bath
Join Marie and her team when they welcome Claire from Newmarket Travel. Over 40 years, Newmarket Travel has provided escorted tours, resort-based stays, river cruises and cruise holidays that combine exceptional value for money and the highest standards of customer care. Whether you’re planning a holiday close to home or in one of the world’s far-flung corners, Newmarket Travel helps you get the
very most out of your visit. Availability limited, so reserve your space by calling 01225 486 800 or email bath@milesmorgantravel.co.uk
CAPPELLA NOVA: SONGS OF HOPE AND FAREWELL
28 June, 7.30pm-9.30pm
n St Luke’s Church, Wellsway, Bath
On 28 June Cappella Nova say farewell to Tony Shield, their conductor and musical director, who is retiring after 24 years. The programme includes Rachmaninov, Stanford, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Parry, and Britten’s celebration of Saint Ceciliathe patron saint of music. A charity concert in aid of the Genesis Trust. Tickets £15/£8 cappellanova.org.uk
METABOLIC RESET DAY
27 June, 8am-6.45pm
n Combe Grove
Resetting Metabolism. Transforming Lives. Poor metabolic health can manifest as fatigue, weight gain, sluggishness and inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Combe Grove, the National Centre for Metabolic Health, aims to change that. A single-day introduction to the principles of metabolic health for those curious to explore: £225. Other forthcoming dates for the Reset Day include 7 July, 6 and 22 August.
Book on 01225 838685, or email welcome@combegrove.com
GRACE PERVADES
27 June – 19 July
n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, BA1 1ET
The opening production of The Ralph Fiennes/Theatre Royal Bath Season sees Ralph Fiennes play opposite Miranda Raison in the world premiere of David Hare's new play, Grace Pervades. Tickets from £39.50. theatreroyal.org.uk
THE SCOTTISH CLEARANCES
3 July, 10.30am
n The Pavilion, North Parade, Bath
This talk by Moira Taylor will look at the Scottish Clearances, which occurred from as early as the 1690s and continued until the 1860s. Moira will give an overview of the history of the Clearances and look at their lasting legacy in Scotland today. u3ainbath.uk
BEYOND INFINITY: AMERICAN SPACE EXPLORATION
5 July-4 January 2026
n American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Manor, BA2 7BD
Discover the wonders of space at this new fantastic family exhibition which showcases innovation, collaboration, and the sublime magic of space that ignites awe in all of us. americanmuseum.org
THE MOST TIRESOME PLACE IN THE WORLD: JANE AUSTEN & BATH
5 July-2 November
n No.1 The Royal Crescent
Jane Austen had a complicated relationship with Bath. The scandals and shallowness of the city fuelled her cynicism and wit, and this exhibition exposes how turbulence and loss cast a long shadow over Jane Austen and Bath. no1royalcrescent.org.uk
DOROTHY HOUSE MIDNIGHT WALK
5 July, 9pm
n Bath Pavilion, North Parade Road, Bathwick, BA2 4EU
Join Dorothy House for a night of walking, talking and dancing to raise much-needed funds. There is the usual 5K walk plus a 10K route. Arrive from 9pm, with time to enjoy food and drinks, plus a fun warm-up. dorothyhouse.org.uk
MUCH ADO ABO U T NOTHING
7-12 July
n Cleeve House, Seend, Wiltshire, SN12 6PG
Beatrice and Benedic are determined not to give each other an inch, while the beautiful Hero and the handsome Claudio appear to make a perfect love match. A mixture of love, comedy, plotting, revenge, all from a scenic country garden. shakespearelive.com
Grace Pervades at Theatre Royal Bath
William Dalrymple
Scrabble
Children’s
The Four Seasons reimagined...
On 28 June, the world premiere of The Four Seasons: The Opera will be performed at Prior Park Chapel. Composer Richard Mainwaring and Lucis Choir conductor Francis Faux tell us about the reworking of the much‐loved classic concerto...
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) has remained one of the world’s most recognised pieces of classical music since its debut performance in 1725. The string concerto has been pulled, prodded at and reworked countless times, reappropriated for adverts, jingles and soundtracks. It’s so well loved that Nigel Kennedy’s 1989 recording became one of the bestselling classical recordings ever, spending a record 80 weeks in the pop charts.
It’s perhaps surprising, then, with all its reworkings, that on 28 June, at Prior Park Chapel, The Four Seasons will be performed, for the first time ever, reimagined into one of the most classic and respected musical forms, opera.
Composed by Richard Mainwaring, performed by Lucis Choir and the Bristol Ensemble and conducted by Francis Faux, The Four Seasons opera takes the original, ever-recognisable music of Vivaldi and reworks it to tell a new story of love, foreboding and finally, tragedy.
Richard Mainwaring first conceptualised the idea of an operatic rewriting about 15 years ago. “It came completely out of the blue. I realised: ‘Nobody’s done this as an opera.’ And so I slowly started to develop it, but then I worked out that this year is the tercentenary of the original publication. I thought, ‘This has to happen now.’ ”
Despite the 300-year lapse since the original publication, this reworking promises to be faithful to its Baroque roots. “This is ‘What if Vivaldi had written The Four Seasons as an opera?’” Richard says. “The whole thing is almost a historical timepiece. Vivaldi also wrote poems for each of these movements, so it’s not just a series of melodies; it all has a very specific narrative to it. Working with the brilliant writer Jo Yeaxlee-Batch, we've extended the idea of Vivaldi's original poems and taken the arc of the story from spring all the way across to winter.”
Conductor Francis Faux explains how the narrative is written into
this new version: “It’s almost akin to your jukebox musicals in the West End, where the plot gets put into the greatest hits of Queen or ABBA, and a narrative gets woven into music.”
The narrative follows two ill-fated lovers who are warned of their fate by Mother Nature. The couple, whose respective gods tell them that they are not supposed to meet, fall in love in spring. They ignore the teachings of their gods, and Mother Nature sends a warning through summer storms. Yet again, they ignore the warnings, and the couple get married and bear a child in autumn. After ignoring the signs of nature – and of climate change, as a poignant reference to today’s alarmingly changing seasonal rhythms – the story ends in tragedy, and the couple perish in the winter.
“The choir act, at times, like a Greek chorus, in that it’s commenting all the time, warning the couple and the audience” says Richard. “They say, if you don’t change your attitude to Mother Nature, if you don’t respect the climate, it'll end in tragedy.”
“The original is more like episodic pieces about the seasons, based on short poems. Whereas here we’ve got a narrative, a sort of Romeo & Juliet style, but with a clear climate message coming through.”
Though the reimagining seemed obvious given the storytelling, theatrical nature of Vivaldi’s composition, the writing hasn’t been a smooth process. “One of the toughest things the choir found during rehearsals were articulating the words clearly,” Francis explains. “In Summer, for example, there are a lot of words per bar. So we needed to do justice to those words and make sure they’re really crisp. So not only is the music coming through, but the imagery too.”
While the opera’s debut isn’t a staged performance (this is in the works for 2026), the performative and comedic elements naturally come through in the music.
“It isn’t all doom and gloom!”, says Richard. “The story is a tragedy, but there are some beautiful, quieter movements among the drama. The third movement of autumn is the wedding scene, and the wedding guests all get drunk – the original music sounds so much like a drinking song. So there’s a little bit of comedy in there as well. Our fantastic guest soloists won't just stand there with a book in front of them – they will act it out!!”
The Prior Park venue is a fitting setting for this worldpremier performance, says Richard. “I recently discovered that 1725, the year that Vivaldi published The Four Seasons, is the same year that John Wood the Elder returned to Bath. He started designing new plans for the city, including the beautiful building of Prior Park. So that's a lovely link.” n
The world premiere of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: The Opera will be performed at Prior Park Chapel and Grounds on Saturday 28 June. Gates open at 5.30pm, performance at 7.30pm. Tickets £35, including prosecco reception. bathboxoffice.org.uk
Richard Mainwaring
Francis Faux
Summer Exhibition
28th June - 31st August
Private View 28th June 4.30pm-7.30 pm
Tricia Crowther Oil Paint and Linseed Oil
Kayo Saito Jewellery
Arts & exhibitions
Summer Exhibition, Beaux Arts, 12-13 York Street, Bath
For their summer exhibition Beaux Arts offer up an eclectic mix of established names and some fresh faces. Landscapes by Andrew Crocker, Amelia Humber, Jenny Pockley. Still Lifes by Helen Simmonds, Linda Felcey, Jo Barrett, Sarah Spackman. There are figurative oils by multi award winning Mark Entwisle and the quirky otherworldliness of Scottish artist Alice McMurrough. Sculpture is by Beth Carter, Nicholas Theakston and Chrostopher Marvell. A collection of amazing thrown and lathe-turned ceramics are by Nicholas Lees. beauxartsbath.co.uk
Copper and Dust, until 31 August, The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath
An exhibition by Nicolas Party (b.1980, Lausanne, Switzerland), bringing together oil paintings on copper, works on linen and a new large-scale, site-specific mural, executed in soft pastels in the Holburne’s Picture Gallery. Steeped in art history research, Party’s cohesive and graceful style spans soft pastel works on paper and linen, intricate oil paintings on copper and site-specific murals and installations. His immersive works reflect his background in graffiti, graphic design, 3D animation and a passion for 18th-century pastels like those in the Holburne collection. holburne.org
An exhibition of combined work. Katie Mawson brings her one-off unique framed fine art pieces using vintage cloth-bound books. Tricia Crowther uses gestural mark-making and her paintings use subtle colours, surface and texture. Ceramicists include Jane Cairns – inspired by weathered surfaces, urban abandoned objects and traces of things gone – and Liz O’Dwyer – who makes functional yet bespoke blue-and-white ceramics. With jewellers Kayo Saito (precious metals) and Yvette Cannon (silver). A show not to be missed. gallerynine.co.uk
Magic & Medicine: An Alchemy of Art, Pigments, Trees
Using mineral pigments and raw graphite, artist Fiona McIntyre ARE, Royal Society Painter-Printmakers, explores concepts of deep time, the transformative power of feminine power in willow trees as mythologised in the Greek goddess Hecate. This body of work consists of plein air drawings, gesso panels, etchings and a delicate mineral watercolour installation. The pigments create a cohesive and touchingly emotional exhibition taking the viewer into a place of infinite knowing and stillness. Open Tues–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11am–4pm. A selection of artists’ work curated by Sandra can also be seen at The Empire, Grand Parade, Bath – with viewing by appointment only (email sandra@sandrahiggins.com). sandrahiggins.art
Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Sunday 8 June, 10am–5pm Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath
The award-winning monthly Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair (BCAF) is committed to bringing the best of contemporary art to the heart of Bath. It has created a regular space where artists can network, share ideas, connect with the public, and where the public can connect with art. Visitors can see the works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and much more, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. For updates and exhibiting artists visit bcaf.co.uk
Large Blue Orbit (25.13) by Nicholas Lees, Parian porcelain and soluble cobalt
Red Still Life, 2022, oil on copper, Photography Adam Reich. Courtesy of the Artist and The Modern Institute
Artwork by Suzie Simmons
Time Folding Back On Itself, Fiona McIntyre
Vintage book cloth on board by Katie Mawson
WHAT’S
In Bloom, until 20 December, Museum of East Asian Art (MEAA), 12 Bennett Street, Bath
Discover how flowers have inspired generations of artists from across East Asia. Featuring the work of artists Hiroko Imada, WenHsi Harman, Ieong Tong Pak, Lihong Bai, Kristen Kong and Chen Yuping. In Bloom will features a rotating selection of floralthemed objects from the museum’s collection. This is a celebration of the enduring influence and symbolism of flowers in East Asian art, offering visitors a chance to experience a diverse range of artwork from 11th-century ceramics to contemporary installations. meaa.org.uk
An intricately decorated wooden screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl magnolia flowers (BATEA 1889)
Widcombe Art Trail, 28–29 June, Seven venues in Widcombe, 10.30am-5pm
The Widcombe Art Trail is a Widcombe Association annual event and part of Bath Open Studios. The route round Widcombe links seven venues using roads and footpaths. The group of talented local artists’ works this year include Biddy Walcot’s wheelthrown functional stoneware; Angela Frith’s semi-abstract landscapes in water-mixable oils; Iasonas Bakas’ abstract minimalist works; Nicola Hyman’s landscapes and seascapes; Richard Ford’s photography; Carol Baines’ etchings, monotypes, drypoints and screenprints; Stephen Green’s architectural studies; and Jessica Palmer’s papercutting, collage, inks and watercolour.
, Jim
widcombearttrail.com
First Impressions: Printers’ Proofs of Works by Great 20th Century Artists, until 6 July, Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AT
In First Impressions: Printers’ Proofs of Works by Great 20th Century Artists, Victoria Art Gallery lifts the lid on the mysteries of printmaking and look at the painstaking process of creating etchings and screenprints. This new exhibition includes proofs by Lucian Freud, Bridget Riley, Peter Blake and Frank Auerbach among other 20th Century greats. It sheds light on the contribution made by the expert printers who work closely with artists and undertake the immensely skilled process of inking the printing plates and putting them through a printing press.
Quinary at Walcot – Monika Brueckner Marilyn Hall, Caroline Hibbs and Marian Murphy, 8-12 July, 11am–4pm, Walcot Chapel, Walcot Gate, Bath
Quinary, a group of four textile artists, returns to the Mortuary Chapel at Walcot Gate this July. Inspired by the Chapel’s ties to St. Swithin and the folklore of rain, mourning traditions and graveside flowers, their work in this exhibition explores memory, loss, mourning hair jewellery and the women buried in the Chapel. Graveside flowers, a practice dating back thousands of years, has also been inspirational with reference to the graves that remain.
Instagram: @quinary12
Works by Marilyn Hall (left) and Caroline Hibbs (right)
Frome Open Art Trail 2025, 5-13 July, 11am–5pm
Artists in Frome and surrounding villages open their studios to exhibit paintings, sculpture, weaving, ceramics, glass, photography, jewellery, textile and printed work. Meet the artists and learn something about their techniques; most artists have work for sale. A trail brochure with maps and listings of participating artists is available in Frome’s shops, cafés and in galleries such as The Black Swan Art Centre. All venues are open at the weekends. Refer to the online brochure at frome-open-art-trail.co.uk; Instagram and Facebook: @fromeopenarttrail or email fromeopenarttrail@gmail.com
The Wreck
Edmiston
Stag by Nicola Clark
Evening Egret, Jessica Palmer
A Rare Glimpse into Meiji-Era Japan
Every so often, an item arrives that feels like more than just an object, it carries a sense of history and atmosphere. This week, our ceramics expert Simon introduces a special piece: a rare and colourful 'Imperial' Satsuma vase, signed by the artist Kintozan.
The vase is 37.5cm tall and full of character. Leafy patterns decorate the top, middle, and base, with touches of gold still shining. The main section of the vase shows vases and incense burners (known as koro) in soft, raised detail, like a quiet invitation into a 19th-century Japanese setting.
Collectors often call this style “Imperial Satsuma” for its rich colours and detailed decoration. What makes this piece stand out is how it mixes bold design with peaceful, thoughtful symbols, a beautiful balance.
On the bottom, you’ll find Kintozan’s painted signature and an old handwritten label, an interesting detail on its own, alongside its original wooden stand. Signs of age like fine cracks in the glaze, some worn gold, and a gentle aged finish all add to its charm and authenticity.
This piece will be available in our upcoming June Fine Art Sales, taking place on the 10th and 11th June.
Estimate: £2,000-£3,000
Lawrences are welcoming consignments for their forthcoming Fine Art sales to include:
Two extraordinary exhibitions invite visitors to explore the vastness of space, both celestial and earthly. From NASA missions to Turner’s luminous skies, they celebrate humanity’s enduring fascination with awe, imagination and the infinite..
From the boundless frontier of outer space to the sweeping skies of the Romantic landscape, two exceptional exhibitions opening in Bath explore the awe, wonder and spiritual grandeur of vast spaces, both real and imagined.
Beyond Infinity: American Space Exploration, opening this July at the American Museum & Gardens, invites visitors of all ages to dream bigger than ever before. This immersive family exhibition celebrates the marvels of American space exploration, a journey powered not only by rocket fuel and science, but by an enduring human drive to reach beyond the visible and touch the sublime. Featuring interactive zones filled with rocket models, astronaut games, moon missions and NASA history, the exhibition captures how space exploration is both a technological achievement and a deeply imaginative pursuit.
That same sense of awe around looking up and being transformed pulses through Impressions in Watercolour: Turner and his Contemporaries, curated by Ian Warrell and already on view at the Holburne Museum. This rare gathering of works by J.M.W. Turner and his circle celebrates how 18th- and 19th-century British artists turned their gaze to the natural world, expressing its immensity and mystery through light, atmosphere and expressive colour. Turner’s sweeping watercolours, often sketched directly under vast skies across Europe, convey the emotional intensity of landscape as something cosmic – an Earthbound parallel to the galaxies above.
The imaginative leaps made by NASA engineers and astronauts find their artistic echo in the experimental brushwork and bold palettes of Turner, Thomas Girtin and John Sell Cotman. Just as Turner captured the ephemeral dance of clouds or the sudden brilliance of sunlight breaking over sea and mountains, NASA’s probes and telescopes reveal
celestial storms on distant planets and glowing nebulae light-years away. Both worlds, the physical and the painted, are united by their scale and mystery, calling us to look up, wonder and feel small in the best possible way.
Visitors to Beyond Infinity will step into the story of the Apollo programme, touch lunar rock and take a virtual tour of the International Space Station, all experiences that echo Turner’s own explorations, albeit through pigment and paper. In both, the act of ‘exploration’ is a profoundly imaginative and emotional one – a reach into the unknown that is as spiritual as it is scientific. Where Turner evokes the sublime power of storms and silence, Beyond Infinity shows how space itself has become a new theatre for those timeless themes.
From Turner’s tempestuous skies to NASA’s stormy Jovian moons, these two exhibitions trace a path between the eye and the infinite – one via brush and paper, the other through stars and spacecraft. They remind us that across centuries and disciplines, the desire to capture the majesty of big skies and the thrill of boundless space has remained a constant in human creativity.
Beyond Infinity: American Space Exploration, 5 July –4 January 2026, American Museum & Gardens, Bath
Impressions in Watercolour: Turner and his Contemporaries, 23 May–14 September, The Holburne Museum, Bath
hese days, many couples live together long before they say “I do,” which means they’ve already got the basics covered – things like sheets, plates, and kitchen appliances. The days of confidently gifting a toaster are behind us, and with fewer couples creating traditional registries, it can be hard to know what to give. We’ve all heard the stories – three identical blenders, piles of unused linens, or far too many dinner sets.
So, as wedding season rolls around, what makes a gift feel thoughtful, beautiful, and just right for today’s couple? After years of helping customers pick out meaningful pieces in our antique shops, here are a few go-to ideas that never disappoint:
Gifts they’ll actually want more of
Some things are so lovely and useful, it’s hard to have too many. Silver picture frames are a great example – simple, elegant, and perfect for wedding photos, travel snaps, or family moments. Silver bud vases are another charming choice; they look great just about anywhere, from bedside tables to bathroom shelves. Even something as practical as spoons can feel special. Whether it’s a boxed set of silver teaspoons or a handful of colourful enamel coffee spoons, they’ll get daily use. Large serving spoons are also a winner – perfect for family dinners or casual get-togethers.
Gifts that increase in value
High-quality silver pieces make a statement and often appreciate over time. A silver wine ewer or a pair of wine coasters, for instance, adds everyday elegance and could one day become a cherished heirloom. From sleek and modern to antique and ornate, silver offers plenty of style options – and with prices steadily climbing, these gifts can be as smart as they are stylish.
An interiors shopping experience
Furnishing a home is an ongoing journey. Even couples who’ve lived together for years often enjoy updating their space. Taking them on a shopping trip to pick out a new piece – like a lamp, mirror, side table, or artwork – can be a memorable gift. Can’t join them in person? A gift card to a favourite interiors shop is a thoughtful alternative.
Memories over things
Sometimes the best gifts are experiences: a wine tasting, cooking class, weekend getaway, or even a private art tour. These shared moments often mean more than any object ever could.
Whatever you choose, a thoughtful gift will always stand out – and be remembered long after the wedding
Four rare Chinese vases, long tucked away in a Bathampton home, have emerged to reveal their cultural significance –and captured impressive bids at Ma San Auction House.
For over 60 years, four remarkable Chinese porcelain vases rested quietly in a house in Bathampton, near Bath, hidden away from the public eye. Originally part of the private collection of George Duncombe Hunt (1869–1953), the vases were kept at The Old Rectory from 1922 until 1984, and were later passed down through his family. Their provenance, combined with their exquisite craftsmanship, recently captured the attention of collectors and connoisseurs alike.
Dating from the Kangxi period (1662–1722), the vases are exceptional examples of Qing dynasty porcelain. They include two finely painted blue and white Bottle Vases featuring the revered motif of Eighteen Scholars, each standing 31.5cm tall, which sold for £29,760 (including fees) at a recent auction, and a large Yen Yen Vase, 46cm in height, which sold for £13,640 (including fees), well above the combined estimate of £6000-10,000. These sales confirm the strength of the market for high-quality Chinese ceramics.
These pieces are not only beautiful but steeped in history, linking East Asian artistry with a quiet corner of Somerset. Their journey from the Jingdezhen kilns to a Bathampton rectory, and finally to the auction spotlight, is a testament to the enduring value of fine antiques. masanauction.com
Above: Blue and White Bottle Vases from the Kangxi period (1662-1722)
The house in Bath where the vases were stored from 1922–1984
Right: Large Yen Yen vase from the Kangxi period, 46cm in height
A Chinese Qianjiang Cai Porcelain Teapot, 18th Century.
Magic & Medicine
This month, from 4‐28 June, Fiona McIntyre brings her exhibition Magic & Medicine to Sandra Higgins Art in Milsom Place. The collection explores her interpretation of the spiritual nature of trees and water, their healing powers, and their connection to mythical goddesses. She speaks to Isabelle Blakeney about her work and her artistic and spiritual journey.
Every artist has their own way of seeing the world and of expressing it through their creative work. For Fiona McIntyre, her focus on the natural world, and trees in particular, is a highly spiritual experience.
Fiona’s artistic education has been eclectic: from a childhood in a creative family in Kenya to the traditional teachings of Edinburgh Art School, then on to a degree in Sweden where she was educated in Surrealism, then inspired by Expressionists Antoni Tàpies and Miró while studying for her Masters in Barcelona. She describes this alchemy of influence as a mix between the ordered and the intuitive – the latter specifically tuning into her feminine side. It’s this amalgamation that manifested itself in her new exhibition Magic & Medicine.
The work for the exhibition was developed during a residency where Fiona moved to a cottage in Clifford Chambers, a tiny hamlet outside Stratford upon Avon, and for seven weeks she spent day after day immersed in plein air painting. But she had no clear plan.
“I walked around for ages trying to find out what my subject would be. And I found this little walkway that took you along a river bank which is flanked by hundreds of these incredible willow trees. I just thought, ‘I’ve got to start drawing one of them’. And then I drew another, and another.”
Fiona sets up her structures for creativity, cleaning and preparing, but then lets her intuitive side take over. “That’s what I was doing when I was scouting along that river, waiting for a connection. It was the willow trees that were talking to me. I felt that the trees were
literally drawing me in as I was drawing them.”
This is quite some level of immersion. In this context, it’s no surprise to discover that one of the central themes of Fiona’s exhibition is healing. Not just in a physical sense, but mentally, in the way that her artwork had connected her to the healing powers of time and nature.
The willows have these very long, bendy tendrils, which drop into the beautiful glassy water, where you get little filigree patterns emanating out like magic...
“When I arrived in Clifford Chambers I was suffering from mild anxiety. And when I started researching willow trees, I discovered their healing properties. Aspirin, which we use to treat depression and anxiety and pain, is made from a chemical called salicin that comes from willow trees. For years people would brew it; they’d soak and cook the bark and make it into a tea and drink it. I’d been thinking, ‘why are they having this effect on me?’ And then I realised that they were healing me.”
This highly charged exhibition comprises drawings of the willows and the river in lump earth pigments and graphite, and ‘shadow paintings’ made by suspending foraged branches and painting their shadows into pools of pigmented water.
“I got the sense of time unfolding when I was sitting next to slow moving water. The willows have these very long, bendy tendrils. which drop into this beautiful glassy water, where you get little filigree patterns emanating out like magic, all the way to the edges of the river banks. So I became aware of that relationship between those trees and the water. There’s a sort of gentleness to them and a sort of extreme sensitivity.”
Also on display will be etchings of Creation Goddesses on two copperplates and smaller paintings on gesso panels working with mineral pigments in oil applied in thin layers, combined with graphite drawings. These are rooted in the symbiotic healing nature of the rivers and the trees, which revealed to Fiona a connection to Hecate: the Greek moon and willow goddess.
“It became so clear to me that it was about ancient goddesses
Continuum
connecting to me in my hour of need. There’s Venus, rising out of the water, and Cailleah Bheara, the Celtic Creation Goddess, who are these other-worldly figures emanating out of standing stones. It’s all about feminine energy, mythological creatures and goddesses who have a direct interaction with the willow trees and their ability to heal us. It’s about the time continuum.”
Fiona deepened her connection to the earth through the use of natural mineral pigments: paints made from natural elements like ochre, lapis lazuli and malachite.
“The natural pigment idea came about as I started work on a new exhibition focusing on a Sacred Earth theme. It struck me that using modern paint was no longer enough. How can you make sacred work with mass-manufactured paint?”
Fiona explains that this is something that audiences really resonated with when the show launched at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester. “The effect that it had on people was really profound, and part of that was the materials that I’m using. They’re also incredibly beautiful and sensitive, and as a result they carry their own spiritual value.”
“I think it’s just the experience of the unfolding of time, really. This is what changes your perception, your visual perception as an artist. That is the most profound thing to come out of this experience for me.”
Art consultant Sandra Higgins has long-espoused Fiona’s work and the pair have collaborated on several shows, including Shades of Green, exhibited at the RUH, and as co-curators on Paradise Found at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton, Devon.
“Sandra Higgins has a unique vision, inviting distinguished artists to exhibit in her gallery and providing dynamic venues for serious art collectors,” says Fiona. “The gallery is making Bath a real destination for authentic contemporary art outside of London.” n
Magic & Medicine will be at Sandra Higgins Art, Unit 11, Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1DN from 4–28 June. During the exhibition, Fiona will be giving workshops in the gallery called 'Plants Into Inks'. Book with sandra@sandrahiggins.com or via Eventbrite. sandrahiggins.art; fionamcintyre.com
Willow Sorceress
378 Years of Winemaking
Words by Tom Bleathman from The Great Wine Co.
Founded in 1647, Chivite is one of the oldest wine producers in Spain. Navarra (just east of Rioja) has historically held a reputation for producing bulk wines. Despite this, Chivite has managed to defy the stereotype and is now one of the most renowned winemaking families in the entirety of Spain. With knowledge being passed down through eleven generations, it produces an array of outstanding wines.
Throughout June, The Great Wine Co.’s monthly promotion is focusing on Spanish and Portuguese wines, making this the perfect time to try a Chivite wine or two! Here are a few of my favourites from the range...
Las Fincas Rosado 2023
This delicious rosé (in a beautiful bottle!) has intense aromas of strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry and rose petals. Created by Julián Chivite in collaboration with his great friend José María, the owner of 3 Michelin-starred Arzak in San Sebastian. This food-friendly wine is made from Garnacha and Tempranillo and has been leesaged for six months to add a creamy texture to its vibrant, fresh fruit character. This is also available in magnum, perfect for any summer parties!
From £17.75
Baluarte Roble 2021
Juicy, vibrant and lively, this is Spain's answer to Beaujolais. A lighter style of wine with ripe red cherries, blackcurrants and a touch of spice. There are good acidity levels here too, providing the wine with a nice structure. A great entry point for anyone looking to get into Spanish red wine. From £10.50
Le Gardeta Garnacha, 2019
This wine's appeal starts with its bright, vibrant cherry-juice appearance. Scents of ripe cherries and strawberries, seasoned with vanilla, pepper and dried herbs greet the nose. On the palate, the lovely, soft, juicy texture forms the first impression, along with the lively fruit. It is rounded and mellow, without any heaviness – the balance is sensational. It might age, but it's so delicious now, why wait? From £16.95
Bath
Supper? Sorted
Charlie Salter began his food career launching restaurants and bars in London, Prague and Yamaguchi (Japan). After 25 years in marketing and a stint on Masterchef 2024, he created SupperSub, born from a love of cooking, making people smile and sharing healthy, interesting suppers. His goal is stress-free, convivial home dining so you enjoy more time with loved ones. Every fortnight Charlie cooks a full supper menu, with collection
points in Bath and Colerne. Dishes are wholesome, eclectic, and made with fresh local ingredients, with absolutely no processed foods or UPF. Recipes from top chefs suit family meals, dinner parties or a freezer standby. Meals are delivered chilled, ready to reheat. Order what you need –larger portions cut packaging waste (all recyclable or compostable). Each meal includes toppings and sprinkles for easy presentation. Private catering also available. suppersub.com
Race Day dining
Dish up Dishoom
We’re loving the range of Dishoom chutneys and Chai now available from Anthropologie. This Chutney gift set (£28) would be perfect for the curry-loving Dad on Father’s Day.
anthropologie.com
Family-run Woods Restaurant which is celebrating 45 years in business is offering a special Ascot Ladies Day menu on 18 June. Dishes include Lamb Breast Rillette with rosemary and garlic, Toasted sourdough, gherkin and mustard pickle, Pan-fried fillet of sea bream, Creamed kale, pickled mussels & fresh dill and Tiramisù with chocolate sauce & toasted almonds. Book by 14 June to secure your reservation. woodsrestaurant.com
Gourmet notebook
Here are our June picks for delicious, must-try foodie treats in the city.
NATA & CO
Nata & Co in Bath brings you the true taste of Portugal with their famous, authentic, Pastéis de Nata - delicious Portuguese tarts baked fresh every day! Try the classic or explore new exciting flavours like pistachio, peanut butter, nutella, biscoff, blueberry tart and apple.
A Vegan option is also available. Pair your treat with a great coffee and enjoy warm, friendly service. You will also find a variety of traditional Portuguese dishes and soups on the menu.
If you are a Birthday Bus pass holder or you have a Discovery Card you get 15% off your combination order of coffee and pastel de nata.
Oak restaurant is an independent vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Bath’s historic Abbey quarter. Oak focuses on local seasonal cooking with a menu that is ever changing in response to what is available from local suppliers and their garden. As growers, grocers and cooks they sell, produce and serve food that is simple and thoughtful, with vegetables that not only look and taste great, but also come from land that has been farmed properly, without chemicals or over cultivation. The wine list is made of natural wines that tell a story, from growers that use low intervention methods. Oak serves lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Plant.Eat.Licious is a vibrant, independent vegan café located in the heart of Bath, offering wholesome, plant-based food made with passion and creativity. Established in 2023, the café has quickly become a local favorite, known for its diverse menu, house-made spreads, and nourishing meals that cater to both vegans and the health-conscious. Plant.Eat.Licious also offers bespoke platters, event catering, and ready meals. Committed to sustainability and innovation, the café is more than just a place to eat – it’s a movement toward conscious, compassionate living. Collaboration opportunities available.
Plant.Eat.Licious, Chapel Arts Centre basement, Bath BA1 1QR; Tel: 079616 05556; Web: planteatlicious.com
Believing in Jane Austen
Why is everyone so obsessed with Jane Austen? She only wrote six books, after all, so what’s the big deal? Because beneath the wit and romance is a radical, tender belief: that connection matters, that people can change, and that love – hard‐won, awkward, real – might just save us, says Kyla Ion from Topping & Co. Booksellers, who are running a week of events around Jane Austen this month.
Ithink it’s easy to see the roaring popularity Jane Austen has and judge it as undeserved. Maybe we’ve culturally, globally, fallen under a shared delusion – we’ve somehow been tricked into loving a woman born in 1775. As a bookseller in Bath, I have been asked countless times where to find the Jane Austen books, or what my favourite edition of her works is, or just to give my recommendation on where to start with Jane Austen. All this could breed cynicism in someone about Jane, but it hasn’t for me, and I don’t think I ever could be dismissive about her books for one simple reason: I’ve read them – and I love them too.
The fact is that Jane Austen has written fantastic works of literature, has made inspired contributions to the stylistic practices of novel writing, and wrote optimistically about the world while experiencing, in contrast to that, a lot of pain.
For any readers who never got a degree in English Literature, here’s a two-penny term to throw around at your next dinner party when the conversation inevitably turns towards the history of literature: free indirect discourse.
This is what, in practical terms, Jane Austen gave to the evolution of literature. It’s a mode of narration that her work is famous for, that seems so effortless it’s difficult to even acknowledge as a choice. Essentially, in Austen’s novels, the centre of narration moves freely between different characters in a scene. We’ll be with our heroine, and then we’ll move in the next sentence to her father, and then three sentences after that we’re seeing things through the perspective of polite society at large – it has the same effect as a roving camera, moving from subject to subject, giving the reader
a really subtle and un-intrusive sense of all-knowing power. It feeds a very specific fantasy – that you could stand in the centre of a room and really understand what everyone around you is thinking.
At the core of this fantasy is a truth universally acknowledged: we crave connection.
Free indirect discourse allows a reader to feel immersed within the social sphere of the book – in the middle of the gossip, comedy and heartbreak. I believe Persuasion is the most successful of all of Jane Austen’s novels in showcasing why we love Jane Austen, because the entire book is just about wanting to be able to read people, understand them, and have them understand you.
Everything in the world that Jane Austen crafts feels incredibly real, particularly her players – they are as desperate as you are, as moved to feeling as you, as awkward, as scared, as full of pride, as full of fear, as self-conscious as you…
If you haven’t read Persuasion, here is my quick, relatively spoiler-free, synopsis: Anne Elliot is 28, and, as such, is considered unmarriable. This is made worse because her family is terrible to her and has also become quite poor. Because of their risk of poverty, they’ve had to rent out their estate. Coincidentally, one of their tenants is the sister of a man called Captain Frederick Wentworth, who had proposed to Anne eight years prior. She had rejected him, despite loving him, because her family had deemed him unsuitable – at the time he had not been a Captain, and they had not been poor. Now, after eight years, Captain Frederick Wentworth has reappeared, and Anne’s family don’t even remember him, and Anne suspects Wentworth doesn’t remember her either. He does.
Nicholas Heideloff, ‘Morning Dresses and Half Dress ... [left to right] Lilac gloves... Jonquille- coloured gloves... Long silk gloves’, Gallery of Fashion, June 1798. Courtesy of Hilary Davidson, from Jane Austen’s Wardrobe (Yale University Press)
Illustration by C E Brock for Pride & Prejudice (Elizabeth to Mr Darcy), 1895
Anne is not the most beautiful girl in the world, Anne is just getting by, and this man she was supposed to marry eight years ago – back when her life still held potential – is suddenly back. Now he is respectable, wealthy and still handsome, and there is a very severe unfairness to that which transcends 200 years of history.
There is a gendered aspect which makes it doubly unfair. At 30, Wentworth is of marrying age, and Anne’s life is over. I think Persuasion very easily could have made it onto our shelves in the Horror section if Austen had decided that it was a story only about isolation, loneliness and this savage unfairness – except, Anne is not the only one in love. When Anne is sitting alone in a piano room thinking about this terrible unfairness she looks up and sees Wentworth is there, looking back at her.
Just like that it’s not Horror, it’s Romance, because the novel’s promise is not that we will be alone. It is that sometimes, if you’re lucky, you will be thinking of someone and they will be thinking of you too. It’s easy to believe that promise, because everything in the world that Jane Austen crafts feels incredibly real, particularly her players – they are as desperate as you are, as moved to feeling as you, as awkward, as scared, as full of pride, as full of fear, as self-conscious as you are – at least as self-conscious as I am.
And Jane Austen’s books are happy books – which is its own minor miracle. Austen writes optimistically about relationships in a time period when there wasn’t much to be optimistic about when it came to marriage, to being a woman, to being a woman who wanted good things for herself. Jane Austen never married. Her father died suddenly, and then she died young, fresh off from barely escaping total poverty.
My point is not that she lived a miserable life that was only suffering. She was incredibly close to her sister, she was proposed to once and rejected that proposal – she lived a life. My point is only that she could have written from a place of cynicism, of belief that life is fundamentally unkind, but she didn’t. Jane Austen chose with every word that she wrote to believe in love – to believe that there is constancy and trueness in romance and relationships. At its core, being a romantic can be a protective force – you believe in the best parts of people, and so they become a bit more real. It is also the sort of perspective you have to fight to protect, because life can be notoriously
Jane’s Things
Expanding Jane’s Stories
The Elopement, Gill Hornby
The week of Austen celebrations at Topping & Co. starts with Gill Hornby, an outstanding author who extends the life of Jane Austen with every new novel. In this fictional series, Gill Hornby introduces us to the different members of the Austen family and the lives and loves they experienced. Historical fiction with an Austen twist, The Elopement is set in 1820 and follows Mary Dorothea Knatchbull whose developing bond with Mr. Knight presents a wealth of complications. A novel that embraces love and faces a family saga of epic proportions – leap into a familiar world with this fresh tale.
Gill Hornby, 23 June, 7pm, St Swithin's Church, 37 The Paragon
Kathryn Sutherland, 26 June, 7pm, Topping & Co. Booksellers, York Street
Austen in 41 Objects, Kathryn Sutherland Kathryn Sutherland, a Senior Research Fellow at St. Anne’s College turns to the objects surrounding Jane Austen, both in life and legacy. The book Jane Austen in 41 Objects, is a unique and unmissable dive into both the everyday and exceptional objects that would have populated Jane Austen’s life. The book also engages with objects that Jane Austen has inspired, and demonstrates to us how we hold on to the works that we love in ways that extend past the text. From manuscript to writing table, from a lock of Jane Austen’s hair to a chapter dedicated to Mr. Darcy’s shirt, Kathryn Sutherland’s book captures a life through the memorabilia of one who is extraordinarily loved.
Jane’s Fashions
Jane Austen’s Wardrobe, Hilary Davidson Don your high skirts and white muslin for this incredibly exciting fashion event. Through diary entries and letters, historians have been able to form a comprehensive view of the day-to-day lives of people living hundreds of years ago. Jane Austen’s letters are not only full of wit, but also provide an incredibly comprehensive guide of her own fashions, as well as that of her sister and the rest of her family. Drawing from this resource, Hilary Davidson, chair of MA Fashion and Textile Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, has compiled a leading resource for the study of Jane Austen’s fashion. Step into the wardrobe of the beloved author and gain a glimpse into the cultural consciousness of her world.
Hilary Davidson, 24 June, 7pm, Topping & Co. Booksellers, York Street
Lithograph for Persuasion by Hugh Thomson, 1897, ch. 8: Captain Wentworth attended to her large fat sighings
unkind, unforgiving and unromantic. Jane Austen helps protect that part of yourself that believes in good things.
You will be disappointed in your life. You will be proposed to by strange men who you do not like. You will be courted by very charming men and it will be a mistake and you will be embarrassed but also, hopefully, saved from total destitution. You will argue with your parents, you will lose people that you love, you will lose yourself, you will find yourself, you will look at your life and worry that you have wasted it to some measure – that you have not become the person you were meant to be – but also, maybe, if you’re lucky you will get to dance with someone that you love. You will come back to yourself, and you will be changed, but maybe in some ways improved by change.
Why do we love Jane Austen? Because she invites us to be participants in her novels which are clever and funny and full of earnest, eccentric people trying to pay attention to each other and care for each other the best they can – which is usually pretty well. And because no one has bested her yet at convincing us of the validity and importance of big feelings. n
A biography for someone as revered and researched as Jane Austen is no easy undertaking, but Caroline Sanderson’s Jane Austen: The Life of a Literary Titan is an unquestionable success. This concise biography is a determined and encompassing work that manages to efficiently capture what it is that makes Jane Austen so eternally fascinating. Put simply, for anyone who’s engaged with Jane Austen, has loved the novels, the films, the TV shows, but needs to know more about the author who started it all and doesn’t know where to begin: here it is. An exceptional event also for anyone who is trying to convert a nonbeliever, grab a seat and indulge in an evening that takes us through the grit and the good of Jane Austen’s life.
Caroline Sanderson 27 June, 7pm, St Swithin's Church, 37 The Paragon
Jane’s Literary Themes
What Matters in Jane Austen?, John Mullan
There is something incredibly timeless about the work of Jane Austen – despite the outdated property laws, marriage laws, and lack of internet, her work still helps us answer questions about ourselves and the world 250 years later. No work better exemplifies that than John Mullan’s What Matters in Jane Austen. With a new edition published specially to celebrate the 250th year anniversary, each chapter asks a question that is shared between us and Jane Austen, and John Mullan helps show us the answers that Austen intended to provide us with. This book is a deeply intelligent insight into the understated cunning of Jane Austen, and the cultural background for struggles that are shared a semiquincentennial apart. The essays in this book are detailed, and like every great work of Jane Austen mix joyous, engaging writing with undeniable wit.
John Mullan, 25 June, 7pm, Topping & Co. Booksellers, York Street
In Jane’s Memory
Living with Jane Austen, Janet Todd
There could not be a better note on which to end the last of Topping & Co’s events celebrating Jane Austen than with this book. Be not deceived, in the end all reading is personal, and the best books are the ones that strike you somewhere severely in your heart. If you are reading this now it is likely because Jane Austen has found her place in your centre, has taught you something true about yourself, and you are not alone – among your ranks is Janet Todd. An internationally renowned scholar, her new book, Living with Jane Austen, was written to coincide with Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary. It serves as a celebration and a thank you, perfectly blending expert dives into Jane Austen’s letters, and personal essays which wholeheartedly embrace the impact living, reading and engaging with Jane Austen has had on her life and the lives of all who love her.
Janet Todd, 4 July, 7pm, Topping & Co. Booksellers, York Street
Right: Nicholas Heideloff, ‘Round dress of yellow muslin; trimming of narrow blue riband round the neck and sleeves’, Gallery of Fashion, June 1801. Courtesy of Hilary Davidson, from Jane Austen’s Wardrobe (Yale University Press)
Bath’s love affair with...
tenn i s
Bath’s long‐standing passion for tennis takes centre stage this summer in a new exhibition at the Museum of Bath at Work, revealing the city’s unique role in shaping the sport from its Georgian roots to today.
Awide range of displays will illustrate the development of the game from Real to Lawn tennis, including unique tennis trophies, early rackets, original costumes, tennis balls and manufacturing equipment, games and toys inspired by the sport along with historic photographs.
Running from 12 June to 31 October, From Indoors to Outdoors explores the sport’s rise in the city, from Georgian Real Tennis to modern-day innovations like Padel and Pickleball. The exhibition is particularly at home in its venue: the museum is housed in a former Real Tennis court, built in 1777 by Richard Scrace. A new visitor trail highlights surviving features from its original purpose, bringing the space’s rich sporting past to life.
While Real Tennis was once the preserve of the elite, it was Lawn Tennis, introduced in the 1870s, that truly captured the city's imagination. Bath quickly embraced the game, and by the 1880s it had become a city-wide obsession, especially among women. Central to this story is the West of
England Lawn Tennis Tournament, held at Lansdown Cricket Club from 1881 to 1895, part of the hugely popular Bath Tennis Week. One of the first major tournaments to include women, it attracted large crowds and international players – a kind of pre-Wimbledon proving ground.
Ann Sumner, trustee of the Museum of Bath at Work and curator of the exhibition, has long associations with Bath Tennis Club, which has been part of this story since its founding in 1880. “I have played tennis in Bath since I was seven years old, am a huge Lawn Tennis fan, and an art historian who specialises in tennis art. However, I was not aware of the breadth of tennis heritage in my home city
until undertaking research with my colleagues June Hannam and Sara Frears, for this groundbreaking exhibition.
Ann continues, “During our research I’ve learnt so much about the West of England Tournament. I was fascinated to discover that the young Lottie Dod won the ladies singles title at the West of England Championships in Bath in 1886 where in a memorable final she beat Maud Watson, the reigning Wimbledon champion, and went on to win Wimbledon five times, the first one when she was only 15 in 1887. She remains the youngest ladies’ singles champion.
While male champions received the ornate Bath Cup, women were typically awarded tea services. An intricately decorated silver trophy, the Bath Cup itself will be displayed for the first time since 1980. Notable winners of the cup include James Dwight, the American known as the father of US tennis.
Bath’s tennis story isn’t just about famous names – it’s about community. By the early 20th century, clubs had sprung up all over the city, from Combe Down to Southdown and Oldfield to Weston, and public courts were available in places such as Sydney Gardens, as well as at the Recreation Ground for practice and tournaments. It was a far more progressive sport than you might imagine. Clubs were organised by local employers such as department store Jolly’s and the engineering company Stothert and Pitt, as well as churches, schools and political parties.
One exhibition highlight is a display of historic women’s tenniswear, charting changes in clothing from the 1880s through to the 1960s. These illustrate how until the 1920s women were expected to wear corsets under their long and cumbersome clothing including hats and high heels, which restricted movement and sometimes even caused injury. Bayer made various sports
Right: Price of Bath Heritage Tennis Ball Tubes. American companies first produced pressurised metal tubes to preserve the shelf life of tennis balls in the 1920s. The air pressure in the can was increased to equal the pressure in the ball. As long as the can was sealed no gas escaped, guaranteeing freshness. The idea soon spread to England and early tubes were opened by winding a thin metal strip on a key, like a tin of sardines. Photo: Ann Sumner
Until the 1920s women were expected to wear corsets under their long and cumbersome clothing including hats and high heels, which restricted movement and sometimes even caused injury
corsets for riding, cycling and tennis, which were slightly shorter and gave a little more freedom of movement. Skirts were shortened after World War I, with more loose-fitting outfits in the 1930s, flatter more comfortable footwear and a growing enthusiasm for tennis jewellery.
Charles Bayer & Co. Ltd Corset manufacturer was established in the late 19th century in Bath by a German immigrant and the 1892 red brick building still stands beside the river on the Lower Bristol Road, and claims to be England’s first corset factory. An example of a sports corset made by them shows the evolution of women’s athletic wear. Bayer’s corsets, slightly shorter than everyday versions, offered a rare hint of flexibility for active women. The exhibition also features a 1960s Teddy Tinling dress – a bold shift to short skirts and sleeveless tops that signalled the arrival of truly modern tennis fashion.
The region’s role in tennis manufacturing is also explored. Both Spencer Moulton and Rex Rubber made tennis balls in nearby Bradford on Avon. While these companies are no more, this tradition will be celebrated with loans from Price of Bath, established in 1936, and now the UK’s only surviving tennis ball makers. Displays consider how tennis ball manufacture has developed over the years, their production today and the innovations developed by Price of Bath such as the Mini Red Tennis Ball 75 for junior players.
The exhibition will be brought up to the present day with information about Team Bath Tennis at Bath University, its contributions during the 1990s, the opening of the LTA
Tennis Academy by Tim Henman in 2003 and the hosting of the Fed Cup in 2019. It will conclude by looking at the rising popularity of Padel and Pickleball. (Padel is played on a smaller, enclosed court with walls, while pickleball is played on an open court similar to a badminton court.)
A programme of events will include lectures, in conversations, film screenings, a historic tennis match re-enactment, Heritage Day events with the tennis clubs, family activities including a children’s tennis trail and a section of the exhibition dedicated to games inspired by tennis. Meanwhile, Bath Tennis Club will host a Strawberries and Cream Festival on Sunday 6 July as part of its Wimbledon Weekend celebrations. The Bristol Real Tennis Club, Bath Tennis Club, Lansdown Tennis Squash and Croquet Club, Bloomfield Tennis Club, Price of Bath and generous private collectors have all supported the exhibition. Richard Turpin, Chair of Trustees at The Museum of Bath at Work says, “All our partners and collectors have lent so generously to help us tell this fascinating story for the first time, recognising that people will want to engage with our city’s rich tennis heritage, and we are so grateful to them. The fact is that you don’t have to be a tennis enthusiast to enjoy the breadth of social history illustrated through original loans and insightful interpretation in this exhibition – there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this fascinating hidden history of Bath.” bathatwork.org.uk; bathtc.co.uk
Above: West of England Lawn Tennis Championships silver original Men’s Trophy, 1881. This is the first time it has been seen in public since the 1980s. The trophy was awarded to James Dwight (1852 – 1917) of Boston, in 1886, the famous player who is said to have been the Founding Father of American Lawn Tennis. His name can be seen engraved on the trophy along with many other famous players of the day. From 1932 it was used for the Bath Open. This silver trophy is on loan to the exhibition from the Bath Tennis Club.
Below: Original postcard of two female competitors in the West of England Lawn Tennis Tournament, played at the Lansdown Cricket Club, 1885/6, Private Collection The photographer was F. C. Bird of 38, Milsom Street, Bath
Below: Historic costumes lent to the Museum of Bath at Work for the exhibition
Bath business
LOCAL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATION UPDATES
THERMAE BATH SPA NAMED FINALIST IN BEST CITY SPA COMPETITION
Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s original natural thermal spa, has announced that it has been selected as a finalist in the Good Spa Guide Awards 2025, in the category of ‘Best City Spa’. The spa welcomes many thousands of visitors each year from the loal area, region, nationally, and from around the world. The nomination recognises Thermae Bath Spa’s ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional and restorative experience, and is a testament to the team’s hard work and delivery of excellent service. The winner of the award will be announced this month. thermaebathspa.com
NEW SULIS ORTHOPAEDIC CENTRE OPEN
A new state-of-the-art specialist surgical centre located just outside of Bath is now open to NHS patients from Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire. The Sulis Orthopaedic Centre (SOC), based at Sulis Hospital in Peasedown St John, will perform an additional 3,000 planned orthopaedic operations on suitable NHS patients in BSW every year. This will help to significantly reduce waiting times for many patients awaiting such operations which will include life-changing hip and knee replacements. sulishospital.com
URBAN GARDEN AND PLANKBRIDGE CELEBRATE RHS CHELSEA SUCCESS
Dorset master hutmakers Plankbridge are delighted to announce that their 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show tradestand, created in partnership with the inspiring Bath-based social enterprise The Urban Garden, has been awarded an impressive four stars by the RHS judges. The tradestand, located in Ranelagh Gardens, was the result of a unique collaboration with seven trainees from The Urban Garden, many of whom are facing mental health challenges or long-term unemployment. Over a period of six weeks, the trainees helped design and implement the planting scheme – a naturalistic garden made from various plants. theurbangarden.org.uk; plankbridge.com
RICHARDSON SWIFT: NEW HEAD OF TAX
Bath-based accountants Richardson Swift has appointed director Calvin Healy as its new Head of Tax. A Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with over 20 years of experience, Calvin will lead both the personal and business tax teams at Richardson Swift, as well as continuing a hands on role with his own portfolio of clients. He said: “Our tax team has a wealth of experience and expertise. Our goal is to simplify the process for the client, making tax planning less stressful and more effective by taking a comprehensive approach.” richardsonswift.co.uk
BATH BID APPOINT NEW CHAIR
The Bath Business Improvement District (BID) has appointed Jess Merritt-Johns of Jolly’s Department Store as the new Chair of board. She replaces Michael Musgrave of The Apex City of Bath who is stepping down from the BID board to pursue a new position at Apex Hotels. Speaking of the appointment, Merritt-Johns said: "I am honoured and excited to have taken on the role of Chair of the Bath BID - I have worked in and around this city for the past 15 years and have seen much of the wonderful work and positive impact the BID has had, and am looking forward to supporting the continuation and development of this”. bathbid.co.uk
NEW APPOINTMENT AT STONE KING
Top-ranked Bath law firm Stone King has appointed a new Business Development and Marketing Director, Deborah Fleming. Deborah is a highly skilled business development and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in professional services. Of her appointment, Deborah said: “Stone King is a firm with strong values and a deep understanding of how to best engage with their clients and work with them to achieve results. I’m excited to build on the great work the team is already doing to help Stone King shine.” stoneking.co.uk
Unlimited minds
Richard Godfrey, CEO of Rocketmakers
What if you could talk to Barack Obama, Elizabeth Bennet or Isambard Kingdom Brunel? Thanks to Portrait – an AI‐powered app by Bath‐based Rocketmakers – that kind of lifelike, human‐feeling conversation is becoming a reality. Emma Clegg talks to the real‐life version of CEO Richard Godfrey (he also has an AI incarnation). Rocketmakers are part of the Bath Unlimited group, who represent world‐class businesses based in the region...
Imagine asking Barack Obama about how he feels about the Trump administration. Or Elizabeth Bennet about what her first impressions of Mr Darcy were, or Isambard Kingdom Brunel about how he felt when his design for Bristol’s Clifton Suspension Bridge was accepted, or William Wordsworth about the moment inspiration struck for his Daffodils poem.
Well, I heard Barack’s answer to the first question. Or rather an AI version of him on a mobile. He paused perhaps a millisecond longer than he might have done in real life, but his voice was Barack’s, his face was a close animated version, and his answer reflected his liberal perspective on the Trump administration. These sort of interactions will soon be open to all, courtesy of an app called Portrait, a system that creates lifelike 3D conversational characters. This is being developed by Rocketmakers in Bath, a software development company specialising in creating custom software, including apps and web applications.
At the helm of Rocketmakers, who are part of the Bath Unlimited brand, is Richard Godfrey, co-founder of the studio, whose journey from techie to AI trailblazer since the company launched in 2007 has been shaped by curiosity, ethics and an unwavering commitment to humancentred design.
“It’s not about creating deepfakes or tricking anyone,” he clarifies. “It’s about whether we can create something that feels human enough to engage with – to offer a meaningful interaction when no one else is there.”
Portrait is finding applications in education and entertainment. “For some learners – people with dyslexia, for instance – reading the material is hard. Talking to a character like Wordsworth or Isambard Kingdom Brunel instead opens up new ways of understanding.”
They’ve tested the idea with students and lecturers at Bath Spa University. “Creative writing students spoke with the characters. And we thought, what if authors could talk to the characters they’re writing, to see how they’d respond in different situations?”
Rocketmakers are also using the technology for brand development. “With Coventry Building Society, we created a character called Elizabeth, one of their core customer personas. Now they can test new ideas and campaigns by interacting with that character before anything goes to market.”
There’s even been an application within gaming. “We put a Portrait character on the front of a safe for Sage. You had to convince it to open, and one way to do that was to give it a compliment. That’s really hard to programme traditionally, but AI lets us do it quite easily.”
The philosophy of human engagement is evolving into a new product, Familiar, which aims to combat loneliness among the elderly. “There’s a well-known spiral in care,” Richard explains. “If you’re lonely, you become more lonely. You stop going out. You become more withdrawn, you might get ill, and then it all starts to decline. If you can break that cycle early, you can actually reverse it. That’s what we’re trying to do with Familiar.”
So how does it work? “You’d talk to the same digital person every day. Someone who understands what you like talking about, and who maybe
also understands what not to mention, because it might trigger bad memories. Families can configure that. It’s about creating guardrails for a safe, emotionally intelligent environment.”
It’s certainly an exceptionally fast-moving world. “We’ve always built systems expecting them to change quickly,” Richard says. “We’ve been lucky to have had that foresight – when something new comes out, we can plug it in within hours and benefit right away, instead of panicking about how to rebuild everything.”
It’s not about creating deepfakes or tricking anyone... it’s about whether we can create something that feels human enough to engage with
That flexibility has become a core strength as AI accelerates. But even with decades of experience, Richard admits: “It’s the first time in my career that I’m feeling like it’s running away a bit. It’s really hard to choose the right technologies because you just don’t know what’s coming next.”
Of course, the very nature of AI means its logic isn’t always traceable. “We call it non-deterministic,” Richard explains. “You can’t see how it arrives at a particular answer. And ask the same thing twice, you might get a different response.”
That might make it sound inconsistent, or like a system bug, but he doesn’t see it that way. “Ask a human the same question twice and you’ll probably get a different answer too. AI isn’t human, but it has similar idiosyncrasies.”
Still, there are challenges, especially for businesses that fear reputational risk. “A lot of companies won’t put an AI in front of customers because they are afraid it’ll say the wrong thing. But at the same time, they’re quite happy to put a 16-year-old in a shop with almost no training. We need to balance the perspectives.”
The company has grown pretty swiftly. The journey began with three co-founders, including Richard, all technical, all programmers. But they quickly realised that they were missing a crucial element. “We had no idea about design,” he laughs. “So I phoned Bath Spa University, spoke to the head of design and asked, ‘Who’s your best student?’ That’s how we hired Phil, our first employee. He’s still with us today, and he heads up our design practice.”
That was followed by Adam, a publishing student who became Chief Innovation Officer. And Danny, who started shadowing the team one afternoon a week, uninvited. “He came back every Wednesday for a year. So we gave him a job.”
Main photograph by Joe Short, an award-winning photographer based in Bath. joeshort.com
The team swelled to 50 in the post-COVID boom, then scaled back to 20 as AI transformed the start-up landscape. “It’s much harder to find investment now. And honestly, AI is letting people build prototypes themselves, which affects our business too. So we’ve adapted.”
Despite the market turbulence, start-ups remain central to the studio’s mission. “I jokingly call our start-up work the worst business model in the world,” Richard says. “You invest your time and expertise in start-ups where it’s a one-in-ten chance of success over ten years.”
So why do it? “Because it’s more meaningful. You’re not just a supplier; you’re in it with them. And when it works, the return can be much bigger.”
Their approach is similar to Dragons’ Den: in exchange for their help, the studio takes a small equity stake. It’s a high-risk, high-reward game and the desire to make it more accessible led to another project, a book.
Unlimited Minds
Rocketmakers: Richard Godfrey
What are your ambitions?
Our ten-year goal is to have the technology that we make part of 50-million people’s lives. We want to be creating scalable, engaging applications that truly make a difference. We like creating software for all sorts of applications, but an ideal project is one that brings together innovation, quality and purpose. Our ambition is to find projects that combine all three.
How do you innovate?
Innovation is truly at the core of our business, and we feel really lucky to be able to say that. Our innovation stems from applying insights from cutting-edge technology to the applications our customers are developing with us. We also do a lot of research. For the last two or three years we’ve been working to understand AI and how to use it to create some really fascinating and enabling technologies.
Published in April, it offers a roadmap for would-be founders. “I wrote it over Christmas,” Richard says. “We were having the same conversations over and over, so I thought, why not put it all in one place?”
The book, I’ve Got a Great Idea for an App – So What Next?, is aimed at non-tech readers. “It’s very accessible. It covers everything from concept to funding, prototyping, building, deploying and exiting. It’s like a selfhelp book for people with digital ideas.”
One of the team’s newest ventures is Your Room, a product that blends AI agents with market research. “You can create a room with any kind of persona, say, 20-somethings from the north of England who like running, and then talk to them as a focus group,” he says.
Another application is characters to create practice interviews and expert panels. “If you know who’s interviewing you, you can create mock versions of them and rehearse beforehand. It’s like role-playing, but smarter.”
Richard has even created a room for himself, complete with Steve Jobs and Barack Obama. “And yes, I’ve created myself. So I can talk to myself,” he laughs. “First sign of madness, right?”
Despite the dizzying pace of change, one concern remains constant for Richard, the quality of human connection. And it’s more than a passing worry, especially as he prepares to welcome his first grandchild.
“I do worry about that,” he says, “Massively, in fact. Social networking, the way we connect, or don’t connect, with each other. We’ve always liked working in the same space because in-person collaboration is just so much more effective. You lose a lot with remote work, even if it’s more efficient in other ways.”
And what of our connection to nature, the rhythms of the earth and the real world? “Exactly. My kids are in their mid- to late twenties and they’ve only ever known a digital world. So for their children, it’s going to be even more saturated. That’s why we try to make what we do feel human. It’s not about replacing people – it’s about what we can create when a real person just isn’t available.”
How do you connect with the local community?
It’s important to us to connect with the local community in-person. We attend local meet-ups, sponsor events, and take any opportunity to showcase our technology and engage with the people around us. We love to bring local people into our business as well, people who are passionate about technology. I sit on the board of Bath BID, and engage through that with the universities, the local council and others, to connect with how tech and businesses can contribute to the city.
How do you motivate your staff?
We motivate by working with people who want to change the world. Whether you're a designer, project manager or software engineer, being surrounded by passionate, engaging people makes all the difference.
For a company so embedded in the cutting edge, Richard is refreshingly humble about predicting the future. “We’re doing things now that we couldn’t have done a year ago. Who knows what two years from now looks like? So we don’t set huge fixed goals – we just stay flexible and try to build useful things, quickly.”
As AI reshapes everything from caregiving to customer service, education to storytelling, this studio is asking one central question: how do we keep real people at the heart of it all?
If they get the answer right, the future might feel more familiar. rocketmakers.com; bathunlimited.org
I’ve Got A Great Idea for an App – So Now What?
In this book, Richard shares his expert guidance on turning an app idea into a fully realised product. From concept to launch, it covers everything you need to know to make your vision a success. Get your copy, as a physical book or an e ‐book, at lulu.com
Barack Obama features in Portrait, a system that creates lifelike 3D conversational characters
KYLIE STEWART
COACHING & MENTORING
With an extensive teaching, mentoring, and child and sports psychology background, Kylie recognises that every child’s journey is unique. Her tailored mentoring program empowers each child, addressing their unique challenges such as anxiety, time management, and social dynamics. Kylie focuses on building resilience and fostering personal and academic growth. Using evidence-based strategies, she promotes self-esteem and equips children, with practical coping skills.
To discuss your child’s needs further and to schedule their first online session, please email kylie@aspirio.co.uk or call 07917 755744
Every month we produce two of the UK's finest, city lifestyle magazines: The Bristol Magazine and The Bath Magazine. In each city they are also the biggest monthly titles by print, circulation and readership.
We now have a rare, full-time opportunity for a talented, accomplished and enthusiastic editor and writer to take a fully immersive, lead role in helping us to continue our success at The Bath Magazine. Scan the code to see the position on our website.
Education matters
MONKTON COMBE SCHOOL WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR OF SPORT
NEWS FROM THE CITY’S LEARNERS AND LEADERS PAINTING BY PARAGON SCHOOL PUPIL TO BE DISPLAYED AT ROYAL ACADEMY
Monkton Combe School is delighted to announce the appointment of Alex Leach as its new Director of Sport; Alex will join the school in September after 16 successful years at Portsmouth Grammar School. He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and a deep-rooted passion for sport and education. He says: "I grew up playing against Monkton and I always left thinking of the facilities, the setting of the school—and it left an imprint on me. So when the opportunity came up to be the Director of Sport at a school like this, and have that responsibility, it was a boyhood dream.”
GIRVAN DEMPSEY
Alex’s philosophy centres on the powerful connection between sport and the classroom. “I’m a great believer that education and sport work hand in hand, I’ve been lucky to work with students who have achieved in both.
monktoncombeschool.com
APPOINTED NEW HEAD OF SPORT AT PRIOR PARK COLLEGE
Former Ireland international, Girvan Dempsey has been appointed as the new Head of Sport and Director of Rugby at Prior Park College. Girvan had a highly successful playing career, which included over 200 appearances for Leinster rugby and 82 international caps for Ireland. Headmaster, Ben Horan said: ‘We are thrilled to have been able to appoint Girvan to the positions of Head of Sport and Director of Rugby. Girvan’s passion for sport shone through during our interviews and he has a proven track record of developing young people’s love of sport and engagement with physical health and wellbeing’. priorparkcollege.com
George, a talented Year 1 pupil from The Paragon School, has received the exciting news that his fantastic painting –inspired by Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea – has been selected for display in the Royal Academy of Arts’ Young Artists’ Summer Show. George’s artwork, created during his Art lessons at The Paragon, was chosen from over 23,000 submissions nationwide! Now in its seventh year, the prestigious exhibition showcases work by young artists aged 4–18 and is judged by a panel of professional artists and arts educators. George’s piece will be displayed for the public at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in July, as well as featured online. paragonschool.co.uk
SHORT FILM SHOT AT PRIOR PARK COLLEGE
Prior Park College welcomed a professional film crew to their school for the production of a short film based on the Sherlock Holmes books. Produced and directed by industry professional Daniel Newman (who also stars in the film), the project gave students a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in the industry.
The short film brings the iconic detective story to a modern audience, blending classic storytelling with contemporary filming techniques. Students supported the crew across various departments, including lighting, props, costumes and set coordination, gaining invaluable, hands-on experience behind the scenes. priorparkcollege.com
SOMERSET SCHOOL TRANSFORMING AUTISM INCLUSION
Fosse Way School, a tiny Somerset school doing life-changing work supporting families, and The Partnership Trust have been awarded a four extension to continue running key autism support services accross Bath and North East Somerset. The multiacademy trust and its neighbouring special school will continue to oversee the Specialist
Autism Support Service (SASS) from September 2025. The Trust has managed the service since it began in the 1990s and expressed that it was "thrilled" to carry on supporting autistic children and young adults up to age 25, as well as their families and professionals within the community. fossewayschool.co.uk
Summer Adventures and Cookery Fun with The Paragon School
With the summer holidays fast approaching, parents in search of imaginative and enriching activities for children need look no further. The Paragon School in Bath is once again offering two exciting experiences set in the beautiful grounds of Prior Park College: Camp Teepee and Cookery Workshops, both ideal for children aged 6–11.
Camp Teepee: adventure and learning in the great outdoors
The stunning woodland and grounds of Prior Park College will be the setting for The Paragon School's Camp Teepee this summer. Think Swallows and Amazons-style adventures, where children can explore, make dens, learn to light fires safely and cook delicious concoctions or brew a hot chocolate to enjoy in the dappled shade. Amble through meadows, play team games with newly found friends, or make maps to lead your chums to buried treasure.
Now in its ninth year, Camp Teepee has gained a reputation locally and has many regulars keen to come and experience the hands-on, learning-inspired days in a natural environment. Tom Isherwood, Head of Outdoor Learning at The Paragon and Camp Teepee leader, says: “It’s always a joy to see how a child’s confidence grows during their time with us – our activities are engaging, practical and everyone wants to get involved. The end of the day always comes too soon!”
July 14th – 18th and August 26th – 28th
£45 per day I 9.30am – 4pm
Stirring Up Summer Fun at The Paragon
Looking for a fun and flavourful way to keep children entertained this summer? The Paragon’s much-loved cookery workshops are back, offering three days of culinary creativity for children aged 6 to 11.
Each day focuses on building kitchen confidence through practical skills and delicious recipes. Budding young chefs will try their hand at pasta-making from scratch, complete with a homemade sauce to share over lunch with their new friends. Other workshop days feature fruity favourites like lemon cheesecake with fruit kebabs, and a no-bake chocolate slice served with fresh fruit salad.
Designed to inspire a love of cooking while encouraging independence and teamwork, these workshops are as educational as they are fun.
July 9th – 11th | £55 per day | 9.30am – 3.00pm
Book at: www.paragonschool.co.uk/holiday-clubs
The Paragon is an independent school for children aged 3-11 years based in Bath Prior Park College is an independent day and boarding senior school in Bath. www.paragonschool.co.uk
Bath’s BEATLEMANIA!
This month marks 62 years since The Beatles came to Bath. Just as Beatlemania was reaching its peak, John, Paul, George and Ringo came to the city for one night and one night only. The concert at The Pavilion in June 1963 marked a turning point for youth culture in the city, and the gig continues to be considered a major event in the Bath’s history. Simon Hurford tells the story…
The Beatles on stage
In the 1960s, rock music was breaking out all over the UK, with clubs opening and new groups forming to cash in on the boom. American artists had been bossing the pop charts, but now the Brits were fighting back!
The beginning of 1963 saw John Paul, George and Ringo performing up in Glasgow for only £42 a night...
And on 10 June 1963, The Pavilion music booker Freddy Bannister presented for one night, and one night only, From Liverpool: The Beatles!
The capacity for a concert at the Bath Pavilion was about 1400 people, but the total number present on that hot June night was way in excess...
I remember walking down North Parade Road that night, and there must have been a thousand fans outside that venue, just trying to earn the bragging rights to say ‘I was there’.
Everyone was just listening to the sheer noise coming form the stage – it could be heard all the way from Bog Island on the Parade, and as you got nearer it got louder and louder, like a plane taking off.
The show was a triumph, and a major event in the history of the city.
As you got nearer [the noise from the stage] got louder and louder, like a plane taking off
After the concert finished, fans hung around outside, unwilling to go home. They knew they had witnessed something very special – everyone knew the Beatles would never come to Bath again, as first national fame, and then worldwide fame beckoned.
The Fab Four stayed overnight at the Francis Hotel on Queen Square. They left the hotel the following morning by getting into a police van which took them to Monmouth Street where they transferred to their own van. Beatlemania was beginning!
Freddy Bannister went on to promote shows by other top Sixties acts including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Ike and Tina Turner, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, and hundreds of others. You could watch Top of the Pops on a Thursday night on your television, and then see the same artists live on stage on a Monday night in Bath. Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?
This is an edited extract from Twist and Shout: The Beatles in Bath in 1963 by Simon Hurford. Available in person and online from Mr B’s Emporium 14/15 John Street Bath; mrbsemporium.com Simon is currently working on a new book about the “Top 40 pop gigs in Bath”, and invites pop fans to get in touch and nominate their personal favourite concerts via email: sphurford@yahoo.co.uk
Ringo Starr (left) with Chet (right)
The Beatles back stage at The Pavilion
George Harrison (left), Chet, lead singer of support act Chet and the Triumphs (centre), and John Lennon (right)
“We knew Ivybank House was perfect for Dad the moment we walked in”
It didn’t take Claire Harrison long to decide that Ivybank House would be perfect for her father, Ray Mutter, who at 87, was struggling with dementia and becoming increasingly unsafe at home.
Claire explains: “We looked around almost every care home in Bath to find the right one for Dad, but there was something about Ivybank that stood out from the start. The first member of the caring team we spoke to told us they’d come in on their day off to celebrate a resident’s special birthday. Seeing that level of passion and commitment amongst Ivybank’s team told me all l needed to know about the home. Three years later we haven’t regretted our decision for a second.”
Ray Mutter was born in Wales and his family moved to Birmingham before the outbreak of WW2. He was a graphic designer before becoming a Baptist community pastor, with a diverse and thriving congregation. Ray, who was doing a boxercise class well into his eighties, is a social and gregarious character despite his dementia, and Claire knew she was looking for a home with a special kind of family atmosphere for him.
“Dad really loves it here,” Claire continues. “Most importantly I know that he is safe and well cared for. He has made some really special friendships with both the caring team and other residents, and I think he’s very popular here. Sometimes I’ll go into his room and see a little gift one of the carers has brought him. His face really lights up when he interacts with them, which is wonderful to see.”
Although Ray has a lovely sunny room, decorated with all his familiar possessions, he is rarely to be found there. He prefers instead to enjoy the social areas of Ivybank House, sitting in the garden, or taking a trip out in the home’s minibus. He has a cooked breakfast every morning and the occasional tipple in the evening.
“Our hugely positive first impressions about Ivybank House were right,” says Claire. “I feel so lucky that Dad is safe, happy and being so well looked after in this lovely home.”
Ivybank House is a 43-bed care home in Bath which provides a range of high quality care services, including residential, dementia, respite and day care for residents. It has a 9.9/10 rating on carehome.co.uk, the leading care home review site.
To find out more call 01225 837 776, or pop in to Ivybank House –no appointment necessary!
Nourishing change
At Combe Grove, the Centre for Metabolic Health in Bath, guests come not just to unwind but to transform, and this begins with what’s on their plate. Central to the centre’s unique Metabolic Health Programme is a philosophy that places nutrition not just as one part of wellbeing, but as its ‘tap root’: the essential foundation from which all other aspects of health grow.
At Combe Grove’s Centre for Metabolic Health, food isn’t just fuel – it’s the foundation of a good life. Here, nutrition leads a transformative approach to wellbeing, guiding guests toward restored balance, energy and vitality through whole, nutrient‐dense meals. Emma Clegg, who has recently been following her own restorative metabolic journey after spending time at Combe Grove, talks to Practice Manager Rebecca Hiscutt.
acids essential for the production of neurotransmitters and hormones which support Metabolic Health,” Rebecca says. “A key example is serotonin which is involved in the regulation of sleep and mood.”
Prioritising protein also helps to maintain or increase muscle mass, which is an important marker of metabolic health and one of the ten markers in the centre’s 10 Markers of Metabolic Health™ framework.
“Nutrient-rich, whole foods provide the crucial ingredients needed by the body to drive metabolic pathways efficiently,” explains Dr Rebecca Hiscutt, the Practice Manager. The diets recommended on the retreats run by the centre are not about restriction, but restoration – giving the body the tools it needs to balance blood sugar, enhance energy, support hormonal health and optimise weight.
Combe Grove – seasonal dishes from the Map Room menu (which uses fresh produce sourced directly from the Kitchen Garden) include...
Kitchen Garden Minestrone
Organic roots, shoots, beans and tomatoes, served with a cheddar crisp and rye sourdough – £5.70
Pitchfork Cheddar Frittata
Pitchfork Cheddar, spinach, leek, and mint frittata, served with Estate apple and radish slaw and green tomato chutney – £8.10
Three Seed Tart
Gluten-free tart of slow-roasted heritage tomatoes on smoky aubergine, served with grilled courgette, fennel, White Lake feta, black olive and basil salad – £8.70
Eating for Metabolic Health
A diet tailored to metabolic health is not about calories going in and out, but about balance and quality. In the kitchen at Combe Grove, there’s an emphasis on protein, natural fats and nonstarchy vegetables, all chosen for their ability to fuel, repair and rebalance the body. Many of these are grown in Combe Grove’s Estate’s Kitchen Garden as well as produce sourced from local producers for food freshness and optimised nutrient content.
“Protein provides the amino
Natural fats, often demonised in mainstream dieting culture, are reframed as essential allies. “In their unprocessed form, fats are recognised by the body and support the production of vital hormones as well as helping brain function. Sixty percent of the brain is composed of fat,” Rebecca points out. Fat also contributes to feeling satisfied after eating and this is a simple yet powerful way to reduce cravings and cut reliance on processed snacks.
Perhaps most striking is the celebration of non-starchy vegetables, not just for their nutrient density but for their role in managing insulin response. “By focusing on non-starchy vegetables, carbohydrate intake is lower, which is important when optimising Metabolic Health. A key driver of Metabolic Health is insulin resistance,” says Rebecca. Vegetables like kale, courgette and celeriac add fibre and colour to the plate, while also easing the load on the body’s ability to manage glucose.
Reversing the cycle of insulin resistance
Many of the retreat’s guests come seeking a solution to the hidden but potent effects of insulin resistance. It’s a condition where cells become less responsive to insulin, impairing the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Left unchecked, this imbalance contributes to fatigue, inflammation and chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.
“A diet supporting Metabolic Health helps improve insulin resistance by focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods such as protein, natural fats and fibre-rich vegetables,” says Rebecca. The goal is to stabilise blood sugar levels, reduce visceral fat and re-sensitise the body to insulin.
Low-carbohydrate diets are often used as a therapeutic tool. “Adopting a lower carbohydrate diet has repeatedly been shown to be highly effective in helping to reduce insulin resistance,” she notes, referencing work by Dr David Unwin whose NHS study found that 51% of participants reversed their Type 2 diabetes after following a lowcarb approach for three years.
Time-restricted eating
In contrast to conventional three-meals-a-day thinking, Combe Grove introduces guests to time-restricted eating, typically through two nourishing meals served within a ten-hour window, a concept drawn from circadian biology and fasting research.
“Brunch is served at 11am. This extends the natural overnight fast which encourages the body to switch from running on glucose to using fat as a fuel, accelerating metabolic balance,” Rebecca explains. This approach isn’t prescriptive, but rather exploratory. During the retreat, participants are encouraged to tune into how different eating patterns affect their energy, mood and sleep.”
For many, reducing meal frequency comes with surprising benefits: “The body responds by producing less insulin, allowing it to shift from fat storage to fat burning and repair mode. The result is increased energy, better sleep, reduced aches and a more balanced mood”.
Nutritional kn0w-how
While Combe Grove’s Five Roots of Metabolic Health™ – nutrition, movement, sleep, environment and mindset – all work together, nutrition often acts as the catalyst. “Nutrition can act as the first domino, setting off a rally of choices and actions which expedite metabolic balance,” says Rebecca. A well-fed body is better equipped to exercise, rest deeply, think clearly and cope with stress.
The team does, however, resist a one-size-fits-all model. “For many people, nutrition can be more powerful individually, but this is not always the case,” she cautions. For some, a breakthrough comes from addressing sleep. For others, reducing stress or increasing movement is key. That’s why the Combe Grove programme addresses all five roots holistically.
Reconnecting with nature
One of the most compelling aspects of the Combe Grove philosophy is its grounding in nature. “A whole, unprocessed food diet personalised to each individual’s needs is readily recognised and utilised by the body,” Rebecca explains. These foods support efficient digestion, reduce inflammation and stabilise mood and energy, without the disruptive spikes caused by refined sugars and processed oils.
But it goes beyond the ingredients. “We are passionate about supporting every step of this process. It starts with carefully nurturing the soil to ensure the foods we grow are nutrient rich and mindfully grown,” Rebecca says. “At the table, our welcome team creates an optimal dining environment with beautifully arranged flowers and herbs that bring nature inside.”
This messaging, from soil to service, reflects a deeper philosophy: that health is not just what we eat, but how, where and why we eat it.
Post-retreat support
What happens after the retreat is as important as what happens during it. Combe Grove equips guests to continue their nutritional transformation with resources, planning tools and ongoing support. “Every client on our classic Metabolic Health Retreat has an individual nutrition consultation,” says Rebecca. Clients also participate in workshops, cooking demonstrations and even garden tours to understand the journey of their food. “We empower clients to create their personal plan for nutrition, alongside the other four roots, encouraging them to think about what needs to be in place to enable them to eat the way they want to.”
A return visit 12 weeks later offers accountability and connection.
“Together with our practice team it gives a chance to reflect and problem-solve,” she adds. For those needing additional help, a new nutrition support service is launching soon, offering consultations with dietitians and nutritionists beyond the retreat.
So, is a metabolic diet about being perfect? “There is no default answer,” Rebecca says. “The key is connecting with how different foods make you feel and understanding the drivers behind your food decisions.”
While some guests aim for complete dietary transformation, others start small. “For some this would be taking one gentle step at a time... For others, it’s seeking clear guidance on how to move the dial on their Metabolic Health as swiftly and dramatically as possible.”
Ultimately, Combe Grove’s approach to metabolic nutrition is about more than losing weight or following food trends. It’s about rebalancing the body’s inner systems so that people can thrive, whatever that looks like for them.
“Type 2 diabetes is just one of the indicators of poor metabolic health. For some people metabolic imbalance shows up as migraines, heart disease, fatigue or depression,” says Rebecca. “A lower carbohydrate, whole foods diet can support people to improve their health and wellbeing no matter how it shows up for them.”
I can attest to this because the results of my own journey to metabolic health, initiated at Combe Grove earlier this year, have been transformative. A type 1 diabetic, the low energy levels, low mood and the oppressive brain fog I’ve dealt with for more years than I want to track are gone. I thought it was my destiny to deal with that; now I now it’s not, and that feels, quite literally, life-changing.
Embracing a metabolic diet will hail a new relationship with food, one rooted in nature, science and care. And for many, it becomes the first step toward a profoundly healthier life. That’s me; and it could be you.
Combe Grove, Brassknocker Hill, Bath BA2 7HS; combegrove.com
Note: The recommendations and approaches shared in this article reflect the perspective and practices of Combe Grove, which emphasise a holistic approach to metabolic health. These strategies may not be suitable for everyone. We encourage readers to consult with their healthcare provider before making significant changes to their diet or lifestyle, especially if they have pre-existing health conditions.
Some of the nutritious meals served in The Map Room, and on the metabolic retreats at Combe Grove
Father’s Day
gifting
Father’s Day is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to treat Dad on 15 June than with something luxuriously smelly.
Here are our picks for fantastic Father’s Day gifts that you can pick up right here in Bath...
The Tragedy of Lord George, Penhaligon’s, £245
The patriarch of Penhaligon’s Portraits collection, this scent of ambrox, rum and tonka bean captures traditional masculinity and sophistication with a dash of mystery... penhaligons.com
Limited Edition Bleu de Chanel all-over fragrance balm, £60
Designed to prolong the aromaticwoody notes of Bleu de Chanel, this balm can be applied to the hands, hair, and beard on the go, delivering comfort and softness. chanel.com
Whisky & Cedarwood
Scented Candle, Jo Malone, £70
From the Huntsman collection, this daring scent of fine whiskey and enigmatic cedarwood sets a warming atmosphere, perfect for the small hours. jomalone.co.uk
Shine Hair & Beard Oil, Aesop, £27
Show off your luscious lustre with this hydrating oil that nourishes and softens hair, delivers essential fatty acids, and imparts a shiny smoothness without build-up or oily residue. aesop.com
Men’s Grooming Travel Kit, Jo Malone, £45
Ensure ultimate grooming wherever you are, with a kit promising to prep, treat, style, scent and cleanse on the go. jomalone.co.uk
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On the trail of Jane Austen
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, and Bath is gearing up to celebrate. While it’s no secret that the iconic writer had a certain disdain for the city in her few years living here, Andrew Swift trails her movements and discovers the paths she crossed...
James Joyce once said that if Dublin suddenly disappeared from the earth, it could be reconstructed out of Ulysses. For some, Jane Austen’s two Bath novels – Northanger Abbey and Persuasion –seem to hold a similar promise, the prospect of recreating the manners and mores of Regency Bath – so much so, that, every September, hordes of Janeites descend on the city to attempt to do just that. And this year, the 250th anniversary of her birth, the celebrations are starting early.
While the enduring appeal of Jane Austen’s novels may seem, to the casual observer, largely due to nostalgia for a more elegant age, a more likely reason is the vividness and immediacy of her immersive descriptions. This is not just because of the restless, mercurial energy of her writing. Her characters spend much of their time bustling about, bumping into each other in the street, catching sight of each other across crowded rooms or glimpsing each other through shop or carriage windows. When they do step into a drawing room, the conversation twists and turns at breakneck speed.
Jane Austen, it is sometimes claimed, hated Bath because all she wanted was a quiet life in the country, left to get on with her writing. But, while she undoubtedly needed time alone, she not only relished company – the livelier the better – she also loved dancing, followed the latest fashions and was never happier than when out shopping or walking in convivial company. So, while she would have hated the snobbery and pomposity so prevalent in Regency Bath, in so many other ways she would have revelled in it.
Her novels, it is true, are littered with characters happy to stay quietly at home, shunning company. This, though, is never portrayed as an admirable or enviable trait. The characters the reader is led to identify with – despite their flaws and foibles – yearn to get out into the world and make their mark. And that was very much what Jane wanted to do. In Bath, she loathed the ‘elegant stupidity of private parties’; her milieu was the Assembly Rooms, the theatre or Sydney Gardens.
Unfortunately, although she lived in Bath for almost five years and visited on other occasions, we know virtually nothing about what she did during her time here. The little we do know comes from letters she wrote to her sister Cassandra, and, as Cassandra was with her in Bath for most of the time, these cover only three very brief periods – a month or so in the spring of 1799, three weeks in the spring of 1801 and a couple of weeks in April 1805.
Although the 1799 visit was her first recorded visit to Bath, she had already written much of Northanger Abbey, which displays an intimate knowledge of the city, by this time. The letters she wrote to Cassandra on that visit, when she lodged with her mother and brother Edward at 13 Queen Square, also reveal a familiarity with several of the people she encounters.
On her next recorded visit, in May 1801, she and her mother stayed with James and Jane Leigh Perrot, her uncle and aunt, at 1 The Paragon. He was on the Assembly Rooms management committee, she was a Barbadian plantation heiress, and both were fond of the ‘stupid parties’ she so much despised. As the family had decided to move to Bath, she and her mother were house-hunting, and her letters describe houses viewed and deemed unsuitable, including one in Green Park (too damp) and one in New King Street (too small).
No 4 Sydney Place, where the family eventually settled, was the best of best worlds – one of the newest and most elegant addresses in Bath, yet on the edge of the country. The lack of surviving letters from this period, however, means that, to all intents and purposes, Jane disappears from view. How often she visited Sydney Gardens, which lay just across the road, is unknown, and, although her social life was undoubtedly as frenetic as that described in her earlier letters, it will forever remain a mystery.
When the lease of 4 Sydney Place ran out in 1804, the family moved to Green Park Buildings East, where her father died the following January. Deprived of his income as Rector of Steventon, the family were forced to downsize, moving first to 25 Gay Street and then to an unknown address in unfashionable Trim Street, which, in June 1806, they left, in Jane’s words, ‘for Clifton, with what happy feelings of escape!’
This remark is often taken to indicate her detestation of Bath, but seems more likely to reflect concern over her family’s reduced circumstances and uncertain future.
While we may regret the lack of information about Jane Austen’s time in Bath, in some ways it is an advantage. If she had left a detailed account of her sojourn in the city, we would inevitably read her Bath novels through the prism of that knowledge. As it is, we have little to go on but the novels themselves, in which she distilled her experience, coming up with such seemingly innocent but slyly sarcastic sallies as
Sydney Gardens from Sutton Street
Sydney Gardens from Sutton Street
this, from Northanger Abbey: ‘A fine Sunday in Bath empties every house of its inhabitants, and all the world appears on such an occasion to walk about and tell their acquaintance what a charming day it is.’ She also crafted many memorable evocations of the city, such as her description, in Persuasion, of a drive along Southgate and Stall Streets on a rainy afternoon, ‘amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays, the bawling of newspapermen, muffin-men and milkmen, and the ceaseless clink of pattens’.
She seems to have had something of a penchant for rain. Writing to Cassandra after arriving in Bath in May 1801, she complained that, ‘the first view of Bath in fine weather does not answer my expectations; I think I see more distinctly through rain. The sun was got behind everything, and the appearance of the place from the top of Kingsdown was all vapour, shadow, smoke and confusion.’
Although this may sound more like the observation of a general looking down on a battlefield than the remark of a young woman surveying the most fashionable city in England, it is consistent with the portrayal of Bath in her novels, where treachery and deceit abound, and the pursuit of pleasure needs always to be tempered by vigilance.
Today, we can still tread the streets which served as a backdrop to the
intrigues played out in Jane Austen’s novels. That these intrigues were set amid such glorious settings – and by characters clad in Regency costume – no doubt lends them an added piquancy. But, in the end, it is the novels themselves and their unflinching depiction of the cut and thrust of social interactions, betrayals and hard-won triumphs that really matter.
Andrew Swift and Kirsten Elliot are running a walk and talk through Bath, revealing some of the lesser-known corners of the city. Arrive: 10.30am, £16.99 with On Foot in Bath book; toppingbooks.co.uk
Milsom Street c.1820
Drenched!
Colour drenching throws out the interior design rulebook, inviting you to fully immerse your space in a single, sweeping shade. From soothing neutrals to bold brights, this transformative trend makes a striking statement – here’s how to take the plunge...
Peruvian Yellow and Pollen II from Paint & Paper Library
Your home should be a true reflection of you – a place where style meets comfort and personality. Creating a space that feels authentic is essential, and colour drenching is a striking but surprisingly simple way to do just that. This bold interior technique is the art of coating everything –walls, doors, skirting boards, ceilings, everything – in one shade or hue. Whether your vibe is eclectic and charming, moody and meditative or serene and tranquil, drenching can work for every mood, style and space.
The idea of swathing a room in colour can be a bit daunting; after all, colour drenching throws away all the age-old rules we’ve learnt about decorating. While we’ve been taught to never risk making a room look smaller, or that white is the only colour for creating a blank canvas, in reality, colour drenching broadens scope for creativity and creates a smooth but unique base. Gone are the days of feature walls – 2025 is all about going big, or going home. Or rather, going big at home. Drenching is a great way to put your unique mark on your abode, and it lets you showcase your own style from ceiling to skirting board.
Going big
The main aversion to colour drenching, it seems, is the fear that it will make a room feel closed in and ultimately look smaller. But contrary to popular belief, painting a room head to toe in colour can actually open up a space! By removing harsh lines, the eye can drift easily across a room,
making it feel more expansive. Walls, ceilings and corners are softened, blending into each other and blurring where a space begins and ends. In fact, ignoring size entirely can be really important when thinking creatively about a room: removing the obsession with making somewhere bigger allows you to instead create a room that feels right, distracting you from the square footage and turning your attention to its character and vibe.
A single-hued base can also add to the cohesion of a space. If white isn’t a purposeful point of reference elsewhere, a white ceiling or skirting board can feel a bit unloved. Drenching these, as well as radiators, doors and mouldings, can make them blend seamlessly into the walls and become an striking backdrop to all of your furnishings and decor.
Come-in colours
The shade you choose is key to the atmosphere you create. Lighter colours, like pale blues and greens, will give a sense of peaceful tranquility and calm, imbuing a space with a serene, sophisticated ambiance. Paler hues can also be a great way to test colour-drenching if you’re nervous about trying out the style, as they maintain an airy feel and are often more subtle. If you feel ready to pull out the stops, bright, rich greens, yellows, pinks, oranges and blues create a playful, energetic and utterly unique space. It allows you to really have fun with your interiors, and can open up a pathway to bold, statement pieces of
Hicks Blue, Etruria, and Bone China Blue from Little Greene
Red Earth No 64 in Dead Flat® from Farrow and Ball
Paper drenching by Sandra Baker @the_idle_hands
décor that weave in complementary pops of colour.
If you’re looking to make your home into an idyllic sanctuary, a Mediterranean colour scheme is a great option. We’re seeing raw, stripped-back plaster tones more and more, which give a rustic and earthy but grounding energy, allowing you to feel really connected to the space around you. Warm, muted pinks, oranges, and terracottas, like in this
Design notes:
Clair Strong interior designer
“I have embraced the colour-drenching trend in both my own home and some of my design projects. Painting a whole room in the same colour creates a wonderfully cohesive look, bringing both drama and calm to a space. My own living room is painted in a wonderfully joyful shade of pink which covers the ceiling, cornicing, moulding walls, builtin bookshelves, cupboards and even the radiators (not a fun job for my decorator!). I love the way it makes it feel sunny and light in the day, yet warm and cocooning at night. I think colour drenching is a timeless technique rather than a trend because it can be applied to any room and works with both light colours and neutrals to create a sophisticated elegant look or brighter shades to create a sense of occasion. Colour drenching involves painting every surface in your room the same colour, but if you feel that’s a bit too much, you can double drench, where you choose two harmonious paint colours to decorate a room. To double drench, choose colours with a similar tone or pick complementary shades on the colour wheel, so a soft blue and a sage green or a dark red and a deep pink would work well. If you are feeling adventurous, ignore the rules and choose two unexpected colours! clairstrong.co.uk
elegant interior from Little Green (see image on opposite page) make a space feel tranquil but lived-in.
Riskier yet, but entirely worth it in the reward, are the darker, bolder tones that are taking over the interiors world. Rich, deep hues, while daunting, ooze personality and sophistication, creating striking and captivating spaces. In this room painted in emerald hues from Little Greene, shown left, the deep, rich green that coats the walls and is reflected in the rug creates an immersive, cocoon-like feel. Corridors are a great place to work with this, as the style can really elongate the space, and work individuality into a room that is often overlooked.
All in the detail
If you want to give the trend an extra-unique twist, try paper-drenching. Covering a room from wall to ceiling in a wallpaper can add in a wonderful element of texture that you can coordinate with a paint palette for an all-encompassing finish. It works on both big and small spaces, giving a comforting and intimate feel, while maximising pattern and colour.
You can also incorporate your decor into the overall scheme. Bold colour contrasts make a strong statement, but pairing them with complementary elements – like curtains, bedding, or furniture – helps to balance the look and tie everything together with the walls, creating a cohesive and sophisticated atmosphere.
A vibrant base allows your pieces to shine without needing to dominate the space. By letting the walls carry much of the visual weight, your personal touches stand out naturally, without the pressure of having to take on a ‘feature’ role.
Colour-drenching in any colour will require a serious think about your own style. What kind of energy do you want to create in your space? What brings you joy? How do you want to feel when you return home? Once you’ve figured that out, this method can totally transform your abode in a way that is entirely unique to you. So go on – be bold, and journey into the land of sweeping technicolour. n
Dark Brunswick Green, Hopper, and Citrine from Little Greene
Etruscan Red from Craig & Rose
Design notes: Woodhouse & Law interior designers
The key to a successful colour drench is to avoid the easy trap of a one-colour flatness to the finished space, and to instil instead a greater sense of depth and variation. This is best achieved through using a range of paint finishes on the walls, woodwork and ceilings in that same colour; matt emulsion on the walls, complemented by a high gloss on the woodwork for example. Gloss needn’t be exclusively confined to the woodwork however; high gloss finishes to the walls can help reflect light back into a room, as well as creating a hugely durable finish for high-traffic areas. That said, there is a strong argument to save colour drenching for those smaller rooms that really embrace the cocooning effect that this drenched finish can create; in a guest bedroom, or snug for instance. Here, the colour of a wall will feel softer, helping it to recede – the result should be a cosy, inviting space that feels restful on the eye.
woodhouseandlaw.co.uk
Olive drench
Rumour has it olive oil is the shade of the summer. To us, it’s the shade of the millennia – as timeless as the food itself, the moody green hues bring a serene tranquility, perfect for bringing a Mediterranean vibe to your bedroom. Here are a few of our colour‐drench picks with this shade... 3 4
3 Piglet in Bed Botanical Green Gingham Linen Blend Duvet Cover
4 Anthropologie Harlequin x Henry Holland Ludaix Wallpaper
5 Oka Nimbus Stripe Pendant Lamp, Green
6 John Lewis x Laura Ashley Beaumaris Snuggler
5 6 7
7 Soho Home Murcell Coffee Table, Brazilian Green Marble
Hellebore from Little Greene
Wild Wonder from Dulux
Green screens
Hedges can form rooms within a garden, serve as a backdrop for flower borders, lend formality or wildness, screen our neighbours and frame views, writes Elly West. Boundaries don’t have to be expanses of fencing – a hedge offers so much more in terms of colour, interest and biodiversity…
My neighbours have just replaced their front hedge, digging up the dead and dying box that’s been there since I moved here eleven years ago and replacing it with tough-growing yew. Box tree caterpillars, along with box blight, have sadly devastated this evergreen favourite in recent years, reducing it to dry, pale-brown sticks, meaning we need to find alternatives if we want the clipped, formal look that box (Buxus sempervirens) offers. Yew is a good choice, as it responds well to hard pruning, and will grow in most locations, sun or shade. Other alternatives include varieties of Euonymus such as ‘Green Spire’ and ‘Jean Hughes’, and a type of smooth-leaved holly, Ilex crenata
My own front hedge is trusty privet, which replaced a viburnum hedge that was also susceptible to a caterpillar pest. It’s growing well and is semi-evergreen, keeping most of its leaves in mild winters, and is fast growing so a good choice for a medium-sized hedge.
Much more than a fence
Hedges have been used in domestic gardens for centuries, to mark out boundaries and as design features to break up a space, lead the eye and add height and structure. Hedges can form rooms within a garden, serve as a backdrop for flower borders, lend formality or wildness, screen our neighbours and frame views. As our awareness of the environment and sustainable living grows, so does our appreciation of these leafy walls. Boundaries don’t have to be expanses of fencing – a hedge offers so much more in terms of colour, interest and biodiversity.
For year-round structure and privacy, evergreen hedging such as holly, laurel and yew are popular choices, along with Lonicera nitida, Griselinia and Photinia. All of these give a uniform appearance, and are easy to maintain at their chosen size, their leaves forming a dense screen. Some hedging plants also offer summer flowers along with evergreen or semi-
evergreen leaves, such as escallonia, berberis and viburnum. I’ve also seen vibrant blue ceanothus, hardy fuchsias, hydrangeas and even magnolias trained as hedges.
However, the best type of hedge in terms of its benefit to wildlife is one that includes a mix of native species such as hawthorn, field maple, hornbeam, beech, hazel, spindle, dogwood and blackthorn. Many suppliers sell a ready-made mix by the linear metre, best planted in autumn through to late spring. Mixed native hedges attract a variety of wildlife, offering sources of food, and places to nest and shelter to birds, small mammals, bees and butterflies. They form green corridors, connecting pockets of habitat and allowing wildlife to move safely from place to place. They also bring year-round interest, with spring blossom, dense summer foliage, autumn berries and winter structure. Another huge advantage of choosing native plants is that they have adapted to our conditions, so will tolerate the changeable UK climate and a range of soil types.
Part of the landscape
I recently listened to an audiobook that really made me appreciate the importance of hedgerows in the countryside, along with their management. Of Thorn and Briar was published earlier this year and, month by month, describes a year in the life of the author Paul Lamb, a west-country hedgelayer. Hedgerows have been part of the British landscape for centuries, planted to mark boundaries, control livestock and protect crops from wind. However, since the second half of the 20th Century, Britain has lost more than half of its hedgerows, due to changes in farming practices, urban expansion and neglect.
Paul works year-round in various aspects of countryside management, living a simple life in his van, travelling from farm to farm, coppicing, pollarding and laying new hedges.
His book is a beautiful description of the changing of the seasons, the countryside around him, and the trials and tribulations of his work. But the underlying message is that these ancient hedgerows need skilled craftmanship both to lay and maintain them, and these traditional techniques need to be preserved for future generations. He asserts the value of hedgerow for the environment and for farmers, as lamb survival rates are so much higher when there are hedges for shelter and shade in summer.
Hedges have deep root systems that reduce soil erosion and help prevent flooding by slowing surface run-off, retaining the valuable topsoil that would otherwise be washed away and by storing water in their leaves. Paul also highlights their role in reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The remaining network of hedgerows is described as “an asset we can ill afford to be without”.
At times painting a bleak picture, he writes, “The final decades of the twentieth century saw a ruthless march forward that seemingly cared neither for craft nor tradition, for wildlife or heritage, and sought only an increased output that eventually saw the countryside run along similar lines to a similar business, overtaken by shortsighted greed: factory farming.”
Lamb is spreading the word through his book, his Instagram account (@westcountry_hedgelayer) and national media, and there are also organisations dedicated to the preservation of our hedgerows, such as the National Hedgelaying Society and Hedgelink.
The Woodland Trust offers help and funding for new hedging projects of 100m or more with its MOREhedges scheme. Visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees to see if you are eligible. n ellyswellies.co.uk
Plant of the month: Fuchsia
Hardy fuchsias earn their place in any garden for their sheer flower power and versatility. Although the big, blowsy bedding varieties often seen in hanging baskets aren’t for everyone, many of the tougher shrubby varieties that come back year after year fit well in most garden schemes, and can also be grown as a beautiful flowering hedge. ‘Hawkshead’ is one of my favourites, with its white or pale-pink flowers, and I also love the slender Fuchsia magellanica, which has pink tapering sepals and dark purple petals. This variety grows to around 1.5m, so is a good choice for a taller hedge. ‘Mrs Popple’ is another popular variety with more rounded flowers that bloom from early summer through to autumn. In mild regions, they can even flower into December.
Fuchsias will grow best in a sunny, sheltered spot and look good as part of a mixed or woodland border. They also do well in shade, particularly the paler varieties. Easy to care for, they respond well to hard pruning and can be cut back almost to the base if necessary, for example if they’ve suffered some frost damage. Otherwise a light prune in midspring will keep them in shape, and make sure that newly planted specimens are kept well watered in dry weather.
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Asympathetically extended 4 bedroom multi-functional property, offering spacious light filled accommodation arranged over 2 floors, with the benefit of a self contained one bedroom annexe, and 2 large studio’s in the grounds, all positioned beautifully in a large plot with lovely views.
The property is currently occupied by a well known artist, working in textiles, and has been used as a business showroom and family home and offers tastefully presented, light and airy accommodation with attractive strategically placed bespoke glass and textile installations.
On the ground floor there is a welcoming hallway with painted floorboards which leads through to a multiuse bay fronted room to the front and a generous double aspect kitchen and breakfast room to the rear. A pretty sitting room with wall to wall glass sliding doors leading to the gardens spans the width of the property to the rear. Accessed from the hallway to the right there is a self-contained onebedroom studio which enjoys both independent access to the front and rear. There are 2 further spacious double bedrooms on the 1st floor with plenty of built in storage, along with a family bathroom.
Externally to the front there is an in-out driveway with parking for several cars and to the rear there is a pretty paved landscaped sun terrace with steps that lead up to beautiful gardens, enjoying fine elevated views.
In addition, and significantly there is a large textile printing studio and pottery studio with phase one electrics along with 2 timber framed garden sheds. Both studios lend themselves to other uses
A beautifully presented 4 bedroom, former rectory steeped in history, offering versatile living space with an attached annexe and scope for further enhancement if desired.
• Detached Grade II listed former rectory
• Wealth of period features
• Wonderful walled garden
• Attached annex
• Garage and driveway parking
• Potential for further development STPP
Box, Near Bath
£1,650,000
An immaculately presented, period cottage set in the heart of the village, surrounded by manicured gardens. Comprising flexible accommodation set over 3 storeys, quality fitments throughout and offered for sale with a triple garage / carport, annexe potential and various outbuildings.
• 5 bedrooms, 3 reception areas
• Ensuite facilities
• Central village location
• Manicured gardens, garage barn and outbuildings
• Annexe potential
01225 333332 | 01225 866111
Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire
Leigh Road, Bradford on Avon
***AVAILABLE 15th June 2025*** · Beautiful one bedroom apartment offered unfurnished · Situated on the second floor · Overlooks park · Redecorated throughout · Residents parking via permit · EPC Rating D · Council Tax Band B
***AVAILABLE 30th June 2025*** · One double bedroom house · Immaculate throughout · Part Furnished · Garden & driveway parking · NO PETS · Very high specification · Sorry no students · EPC rating D · Council tax Band A
Henrietta Court
House Annex, North Stoke
How technology is changing the way we buy and sell homes
By Peter Greatorex, Managing Director, Peter Greatorex Unique Homes
Over the past 25 years, the property market has changed beyond recognition. Advances in technology have transformed not only how we market and sell homes, but also how buyers think, browse, and ultimately make decisions, and I believe we are still only at the beginning of what is possible. I wanted to share some of the ways I have found technology to be genuinely beneficial, because I think it tells an important story as to how we can embrace change without losing our core values.
One of the biggest shifts has been the rise of social media. Today, almost everyone is active on at least one platform, whether that is Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or LinkedIn. For us, it is not just about visibility, it is about finding the right buyer and getting the right property in front of them, sometimes before they even realise they are looking. This idea of a “chance purchase” is becoming increasingly common.
We have seen a significant rise in engagement and enquiries from social media platforms, far beyond what the traditional portals like Rightmove can achieve, which tend to cater to buyers already in active search mode. There is also a passive market out there: people who are not necessarily looking but are still open to inspiration. A recent paid social post we ran generated over 160,000 views, something that simply would not have been possible 25 years ago.
That said, I still believe in the value of print. Some high-quality publications remain trusted by our client base, and magazine advertising still plays a vital role for those who prefer to browse something tangible. In the same way, for many of our homes, we still create beautifully designed brochures, usually between 8 and 24 pages, printed in small batches and left at the property for viewings. There is something special about being able to take away a high-quality, physical reminder of a home you have just visited. It helps reflect the care and quality that has gone into both the marketing and the home itself and often helps in the decision-making process later on. In a world where so much is now digital, that kind of thoughtful detail really stands out and in my experience buyers still appreciate it.
Another shift has been the move away from relying on big-name agencies. Today, it is more about the individual behind the service, it is about trust, fit, and personal connection. I often meet sellers who consider large agencies out of habit or security, but increasingly, they realise that size is less important than the quality of service. Thanks to digital marketing and social platforms, there is now a level playing field when it comes to reaching buyers.
In fact, independent agencies like ours can often offer a more personal, tailored experience. With us, you deal with one close-knit team from start to finish, often directly with me. We offer everything from bespoke marketing and PR to professional home staging. Ultimately, when the business carries your name, there is every motivation to deliver the highest standard of service at every stage.
Technology has also changed the way we present properties. Drone photography, for instance, has made a huge difference, especially for homes with beautiful grounds or countryside settings. Aerial images can showcase the full scale and layout of a home in a way standard eye-level photos cannot.
I am also a big believer in video walk-throughs. These allow buyers to get a real sense of the home before they even step through the door, which means that by the time they come for a viewing, they are already seriously interested. That makes the process much more focused and productive. Finally, I cannot conclude a piece about technology without discussing the currently most talked-about topic, artificial intelligence (AI). We are now embracing the use of AI behind the scenes, particularly when it comes to getting homes ready for sale. AI helps us gather the necessary documents and information quickly, so properties are properly prepared from the outset. It saves time and can even speed up the entire transaction process. We also use a tool on our website that gives buyers practical insights before they visit, covering local schools, amenities, broadband speeds, and mobile coverage.
All of this makes the process smoother, quicker, and more informed. But even with all these tools, one thing has not changed: the importance of human connection. Especially in the premium market, buyers and sellers still want a trusted agent, someone who understands their needs, can guide negotiations with care, and has in-depth knowledge of the local area.
That is the part of the job I value most and it is why I believe technology should support great service, not replace it. At Peter Greatorex Unique Homes, we are proud to embrace the latest innovations, but always with one goal in mind: to deliver the very best experience for our clients.
• Exceptional living accommodation of 4,768 sq. ft
• EPC rating B
Shipham, Winscombe
OIEO £1,100,000
Occupying an enviable elevated position in the desirable village of Shipham, this exquisite five-bedroom detached family home offers panoramic views.
• Fully renovated to an exceptional standard with high-end finishes throughout (2024).
• Light-filled open-plan kitchen/ living area with vaulted ceiling
• 5 bedrooms including 2 with en suite shower rooms
• Somerset Council, Band G
• Energy-efficient with EPC rating
An immaculately presented four-bedroom family home, extensively modernised recently to an exceptional standard, with spacious west-facing garden in this sought-village.
• Stunning contemporary styled open-plan kitchen/living area with bi-fold doors
• Sitting room, library/snug and study, utility area and downstairs WC
OIEO £1,150,000
• Principal bedroom with en suite shower room and 3 further bedrooms
• Spacious luxury family bathroom and additional family shower room
• Bath & North East Somerset Council, Band F
• EPC rating E
Combe Down, Bath
Blagdon, Somerset
OIEO £1,650,000
An elegant period country residence in the heart of this popular village, with beautiful lawned gardens, an orchard and breathtaking views of Blagdon Lake and the hills beyond from all rooms at the rear.
• 5 bedrooms, open plan kitchen/dining/family room
• Two further reception rooms
• 4 bath/shower rooms
• Separate 2 storey annexe with kitchenette, WC and separate heating system
• Grounds of 1.34 acres including lawned gardens and orchard
• Somerset Council, Band B
• EPC rating D
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A beautifully presented three bedroom townhouse on the Riverside development in Bath, sympathetically enhanced with bespoke features, as well as allocated parking for two cars and enclosed garden, making it the ideal lock up and leave property. Freehold, Council tax band E, EPC rating B.
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A charming detached 3-bedroom family home, located in the desirable Upper Weston area of Bath, offers a garage and off-street parking. Mature southwest-facing garden with stunning views over the Cotswold Way. No onward chain. Freehold. Council tax band E. EPC rating D.
We know Bath.
A beautifully presented Grade II listed, three bedroom cottage showcasing a perfect blend of period features and contemporary design. The property boasts a pretty rear enclosed garden, on street parking and an electric car charging point. No onward chain. Freehold. Council tax band E.
