The Bath Magazine January 2018

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ISSUE 184  JANUARY 2018 thebathmag.co.uk £3.95 where sold

T H E C I T Y ’ S B I G G E S T M O NTHLY GUIDE TO LIFE AND LIVING IN BATH

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Contents January 2018 5 THINGS

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Historian Catherine Pitt looks at the men and women, all born in Bath, who have made an impact on the world throughout history

Your essential events to look forward to this month

MY BATH

30 GREAT BATHONIANS

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12 THE TALK OF THE TOWN

Cricketer Anya Shrubsole picks her favourite things to do in Bath

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THE 2018 HOTLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Matt Inwood visits Noya Palwyn’s much-awaited Vietnamese restaurant

20 new openings and events to keep on your radar this year

TREASURE HUNT ANSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

STRICTLY SPEAKING

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Melissa Blease talks to the bad boy of Strictly Brendan Cole as his new dance show comes to the south west

WHAT’S ON

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THE WHEELS OF CHANGE 28

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ART FOR ART’S SAKE

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Portrait of the month by photographer Neill Menneer

Sunday Times bestselling author Lucy Diamond .................................................

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Vishaka Robinson meets the artistic brains behind The Creative Collective in Bathford

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

HOT PROPERTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 The finest homes to buy or rent

FIVE MINUTES WITH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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

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Jane Moore picks her favourite structural shrubs for mid-winter

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THE NEW CREATIVES

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A round up of the top ways to improve your mindfulness

Original pieces from the city’s galleries

BATH AT WORK

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Kickstart your routine with a Bath-based fitness class

WELLNESS NEWS

Psychologist and scientist Michael Proulx talks illusions ahead of his lecture at The Holburne Museum

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How advances in E-bike technology might be the solution for Bath’s traffic problems

SEVEN DAYS OF FITNESS

Our guide to the best events happening around the city

A TRICK OF THE EYE

We reveal the answers to our Christmas treasure hunt

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

ON THE COVER

Leaves on a frosty morning courtesy of Matt Inwood; mattinwood.com

Like us: Facebook.com/ thebathmagazine

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

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MY MONTH IN PICTURES Girl-about-town, digital creative for Pixie app and Bath local, Sarah Ball shows us her month in photographs. You’ll find her on Instagram @lifesa_peach

from the EDITOR

The Cakery in Widcombe is one of the newcomers on our 2018 hotlist PHOTOGRAPH: Derryn Vranch

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t’s been such a pleasure guest editing your January issue. Having lived in Bath for a little over a year, I’m still learning the ropes of this beguiling city, which continues to knock me sideways on a regular basis – it’s just so beautiful. I’m informed that the mark of a true Bathonian is being on first name terms with Martin (AKA Mr Bennett who greets visitors at the Jane Austen Museum); knowing that Queen Square is most definitely not Queens Square; and being able to find a city centre parking spot on a Saturday afternoon in under 20 minutes. While I’m still grappling with that last one I’ve loved digging a little deeper for our round up of 2018’s hottest happenings. From a super-sized Bath Festival heading our way this spring to FLY, a 5,000-square-foot gym and café opening in the town centre, there’s so much in store for the coming year and this issue is all about celebrating that.

A place that exemplifies our current mood is newly opened Noya’s Kitchen, the long-awaited restaurant of a local chef who has wowed with her Vietnamese supper clubs for years and is finally putting down permanent roots. Turn to page 64 to read Matt Inwood’s review.

If you’re stuck in a post–Christmas rut, take a look at The Golden Rules of Getting Things Done (a helpful toolkit for procrastinators), before plotting your healthiest week ever with Seven Days of Fitness. Dreaming of an interiors revamp?

Then get clued-up on the new trends with our decorating pro Clair Strong – she’s betting big on bright colours and botanicals.

Our big read comes from historian Catherine Pitt, who has meticulously researched 30 Great Bathonians. There are the obvious contenders, like Mary Berry and Jeremy Guscott, but did you know that the creator of the world’s first stamp, Sir Henry Cole came from Bath, as did as the UK’s foremost theatre architect, CJ Phipps (he designed the Savoy– the first theatre in the world to be lit by electric lights).

We’ve just heard that Bath’s Cleveland Pools (the magnificent grade II listed lido in Bathwick) has not secured its final stage of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Hopefully plans to restore it will not fall by the wayside (and our dreams of lounging by the water, lemonade in hand on a sunny day with it). As the city changes around us year–by–year it’s so important that it reflects the community within it and every now and then there comes a project worth fighting for. We’ll keep you posted…

Vishaka Robinson Guest Editor PS. Strictly fans should turn immediately to page 26 for Melissa Blease’s one-toone with Brendan Cole, who is Bath-bound with his new show All Night Long in February.

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

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Newly opened Nam on New Bond Street is a treasure trove of interesting ceramics, incense and nature-inspired paper weights

Society Café is partnering with brilliant local charity Jamie’s Farm for the coming year

The shakshuka at Kingsmead Kitchen, served with a big hunk of sourdough bread, is one of the best lunches in town

Heaven is an afternoon of browsing in magazine emporium Magalleria which stocks more than 750 titles

With DJs, delicious food and dozens of quirky stalls, the monthly Frome Independent Market is not to be missed

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ZEITGEIST

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things to do in

January

Be fashion conscious

Relax Spa-lovers be warned; the Thermae Bath Spa will be closed from Monday 8 – Tuesday 23 January for planned maintenance and refurbishment of various key areas of the spa. But don’t despair, reservations will still be open during this time to take telephone bookings and enquires, so you can book a treatment in advance and see the refurbishment for yourself after the reopening. Tel: 01225 331234 or visit: thermaebathspa.com.

Sleep-out

The Fashion Museum in Bath has named a white cotton ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ print T-shirt, worn with a black wool jacket and black tulle skirt with black knitted underwear as the 2017 Dress of the Year. The ensemble is from Dior’s SpringSummer 2017 collection, and was chosen by Sarah Bailey from Red Magazine. The look is on display at the museum until 1 January 2019 and is the 100th object in the A History of Fashion in 100 Objects exhibition.

Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk.

Sign up General public entries for the Bath Half Marathon have sold out at lightening speed, but if you’d like to don your trainers and pound the streets on Sunday 4 March with the other runners, then you can still sign up by representing one of the official race charities. The likes of Alzeimer’s Society, CoppaFeel, Send a Cow and Cancer Research UK have charity places left – so you can pay a registration fee, do a bit of fundraising, and take part while raising some money for a good cause. Visit: bathhalf.co.uk to see the full list of charities and to find out more.

Could you spend just one night sleeping in Alice Park to help those who are forced to sleep outside every night? Charity Julian House is holding The Big Bath Sleep-out on Friday 9 March, where participants will sleep in the park for a night to raise funds and awareness for the charity. Sponsorship will help Julian House run various projects in and around Bath, supporting more than 1,000 homeless and excluded men and women every year. All ages can take part, under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is now open, to find out more visit: bigbathsleepout.julianhouse.org.uk.

Go back to your roots Head to Wiltshire Music Centre this month for the sixth annual Bradford Roots festival, which celebrates the very best in local musical talent. More than 40 performances and activities will take place on Saturday 20 – Sunday 21 January, where the festival will be packed with everything from folk to blues, and pop to rock. Saturday’s highlights include a mandolin and Cornish music workshop, Feral Beryl and rocksteady band TrainToSkaville. Sunday features top musical theatre choir Bristol Show Choir, and soul, folk and gospel group Homegrown Collective.

Weekend pass tickets: £22/£20, day passes: £17/£15 on Saturday, £12/£10 on Sunday. Under 12s get in for free with an adult. Tel: 01225 860 100, visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

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THE CITY Sign up Local charity Jessie May, which provides hospice and respite care for terminally ill children and their families in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Wiltshire, is celebrating after raising more than £2,600 at one of its newest fundraising events. More than 70 people took part in The People’s Grand Prix, which involved jogging, walking or pushing their way around the 3km wheelchair-friendly track at Odd Down Sports Ground. Due to the fantastic amount raised through sponsorship and donations, the event will take place again next year, this time being brought forward to July. The event will launch in January when people will be able to start signing up. To find out more, visit: jessiemay.org.uk.

My BATH We ask cricketer and BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominee Anya Shrubsole what she will be doing in January

What was it like growing up in Bath?

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Bath. It is such an amazing city with so much history and so many beautiful things to see, and has one of the best Christmas markets going. I went to primary school at St Stephens and secondary school at Hayesfield and enjoyed them both immensely. I also did a bit of work experience for a year at the school my dad teaches at, Kingswood, so I’ve had experience of a few different schools.

What are you reading at the moment?

I go through stages of reading a lot and stages of not reading that much. The last thing I read was The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. I almost exclusively read non-fiction books as I like to learn. The books I read are mainly about how people work or things I can use to improve myself as an athlete and a person.

What music are you listening to?

My music tastes are very varied, there’s not a lot I don’t like. I try and keep up with what’s in the charts where I can but I’m also a big fan of the likes of Stevie Wonder and Eminem who are quite different. I always have time for some cheesy pop as well.

Fix it

Repair Café is holding its next session on Saturday 20 January at The New Oriel Hall in Larkhall, Bath. The café is a free meeting place where people can pop in with their broken items from home and the team will see if they can fix them. Last year the team mended 70% of more than 200 items including clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery and toys. Visit: facebook.com/RepairCafeBath.

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What are your hobbies or interests?

Cricket takes up a lot of time but I’m a huge sports fan in general. I try to watch Portsmouth FC play football where I can and Bath play rugby. I’ve recently got a new black labrador puppy called Niko so he’s definitely

taking up all the spare time I have, but he’s worth it. And then I just try and spend as much time with my family as I can as we’re all pretty close.

Will you be going to see any films or theatre in January?

If I don’t get in to see Star Wars before the new year then I will definitely be going to see that. And The Greatest Showman is out just after Christmas and I’m keen to go and watch that. I love musicals so it looks like something I would really enjoy.

What’s your latest project?

December ended up being a pretty busy month for me. Having come back from the Ashes expecting to have some time to relax I ended up with quite the opposite, but for a really amazing reason – I was very fortunate to be named as one of 12 nominees for BBC Sports Personality of the Year. It has never been something that I expected to happen so it was a massive shock when I found out, but also a huge honour. To be on the list was slightly surreal. So December got filled with lots of interviews and then the awards night took place on 17 December.

On the night we (the England women’s cricket team) ended up taking the team of the year award which was a huge honour and great reward for what has been an amazing year for the team. The individual award deservedly went to Sir Mo Farah for what has been an unbelievable career.

2018 has plenty more in store for me with back-to-back tours in the UK followed by a T20 World Cup in the West Indies later on in the year. As is the case with cricket, there is no real off season anymore and there is always more tours around the corner and plenty of cricket to be played.

I struggled with an injury during the latter stages of the year so I will be busy trying to get that right so I am fit and firing for all that 2018 has in store for us as a team. n

We’re following @BathCityFarm – a community organisation located on 37 acres of farmland between Twerton and Whiteway. The farm is an important asset for the local community, being a place of engagement and learning, providing support and education to vulnerable adults and children from areas of Bath that are often overlooked.

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Which café or restaurant in Bath do you like to visit?

There’s too many to chose from to be honest.

Boston Tea Party is always a favourite for breakfast on a Sunday morning and then probably Hall and Woodhouse. The food is amazing and sitting up on the terrace and having a drink in summer is always enjoyable.

There have been some special occasions for my family in there as well. My sister got engaged in the private room you can hire out and my parents had a meal for their 25th wedding anniversary, so it will always be an important place for my family.

Image: Somerset County Cricket Club

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See more online www.thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us: Publisher Email:

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Editor Tel: Email:

Vishaka Robinson 01225 424592 vishaka@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk Š MC Publishing Ltd 2018 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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CITY | HAPPENINGS

THE 2018

HOT LIST

An unmissable festival, kaleidoscopic doughnuts and Bath’s version of Soho House... here are 20 new openings and events you need on your radar for the coming year. Compiled by Vishaka Robinson

1 FOR: CAKE ADDICTS This stylish Widcombe café is the handiwork of Ella Cooper, a Bath born-and-bred baker who cut her teeth selling her spectacular gooey cakes – think chocolate ganache and vertiginous victoria sponges – at Green Park Market. Her first bricks and mortar space is gorgeous, with bold gold signage, sleek pin-leg tables and painted Farrow and Ball, Plummett floors. She specialises in gluten-free bakes (that taste as good as the real thing) and does a roaring trade in bespoke birthday creations. Plans are afoot for kids’ baking and decorating classes.

The Cakery, 21 Claverton Buildings, Bath BA2 4LD Web: thecakerybath.co.uk

Photography by Derryn Vranch

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CITY | HAPPENINGS

2 FOR: STYLE-SEEKERS Ex-fashion designer Felicity Chuter had long dreamt of opening her own shop. So when she returned to her hometown of Bath five years ago, the search began for the perfect store space. She found it at 144 Walcot Street; a handsome Grade II listed building with original windows and stone fireplaces. Here she’s set about sourcing off-theradar brands that aren’t available elsewhere in the city. The curation is spot on: oversize Milena Silvana sheepskin bags; the softest organic cotton underwear from the Pico Project; and ING marbled lampshades. The unifying theme is that everything has an ethical, slow fashion bent. Buy something from here and you’ll still treasure it in ten years time East of Home, 144 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BL Web: eastofhome.com

3 FOR: THE COUNTRY SET

4 FOR: WINE CONNOISSEURS

Country Living Magazine, the bible of rural style, will be taking over our city centre for three days in May. It’s the magazine’s first ever city festival and is set to be unmissable. York and Milson Streets will be taken over by local artisans, pop-up demos and food markets and Parade Gardens festooned with colourful marquees. Over on Queen Square there’ll be a cocktail bar, dance floor and local bands providing a musical backdrop and venues like the Pump and Assembly Rooms will play host to supper clubs and networking events. Whether you want to learn how to set up your own business or whip up a perfect pavlova, you’ll find inspiration here.

The Country Living Festival runs from Thursday 10 – Sunday 13 May Web: countryliving.co.uk

Budding sommeliers will be in their element browsing the shelves of the new Bath outpost of Le Vignoble, set to open this spring in Milsom Place. This will be the second setting of this niche, independent wine merchant (the other is in the historic Plymouth harbour). It’ll offer more than 300 different wines, Champagnes and liqueurs from all over the world, with taster glasses starting from as little as 60p. Expect reams of classes too, from informal wine and cheese tastings to more serious qualifications in tandem with The Wine & Spirit Education Trust. The setting, which has been given a country-vibed interior by Falmouth-based design company 20/20, can squeeze in 60 people. So it’s set to be an in-demand meet spot for events and parties.

Le Vignoble, Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ Web: levignoble.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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CITY | HAPPENINGS

FOR: FESTIVAL GOERS

FOR: GAINSBOROUGH FANS

Last year’s Bath Festival saw a record 21,500 tickets sold, but 2018 is shaping-up to be even more of a success. In celebration of reaching its 70th anniversary, a super-sized version has been planned. Stretching over 17 days rather than 10 and encompassing a programme of 160 events it will culminate with a spectacular finale weekend at The Rec where Bath’s very own Tears for Fears will return to the city and headline with three times BRIT Award winner Alison Moyet. Rock legend Robert Plant will be headlining the grand finale on Sunday. Throughout the festival, there’s a great line up with Ben Folds & A Piano, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment already pencilled in for dates as well as a stellar list of authors like Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell – it’s worth clearing space in your diary for. Keep an eye on the festival website for updates.

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This powerful set of paintings, all covering Thomas Gainsborough’s close involvement with the theatre world is set to be a showstopper. Included will be some of his finest portraits of actors, managers, musicians, playwrights, designers, dancers painted through the 1760s to 1780s.

Gainsborough and the Theatre will run from Friday 5 October ‘18 – Sunday 20 January ‘19. The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB Web: holburne.org

The Bath Festival takes place from the Friday 11 – Monday 28 May. To book tickets visit: bathfestivals.org.uk

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FOR: THE SPA SET

Spread throughout a collection of stone-lined vaults, the newly opened Spa at the No.15 Great Pulteney hotel is as stylish and quirky as you’d expect. The vibe is cosy and intimate with just four treatment rooms, a barrel shaped sauna and fabulous cedar wood tub (that’ll soak six at a time). Don a robe and slippers and pad along hallways lit by ornate glass chandeliers for one of the 20 treatments on the menu. Go all out with a languorous two-hour ila ‘inner peace’; a marathon pamper, combining a Himalayan salt scrubbing, massage, marma therapy plus a facial. Keep your eyes peeled for the original artwork peppering the walls and surprising extras, like 3D coral on the ceiling of one of the treatment rooms.

No.15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4BR Web: no15greatpulteney.co.uk

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CITY | HAPPENINGS

8 FOR: BOOKWORMS Tucked up in the back streets of Larkhall this gem of a bookshop had an under-the-radar opening back in September and is fast drawing in a stack of fans. It’s the brainchild of James Thomas, an ex-head of English who’s created a brilliantly successful mix of conventional bookshop (there are more than 5,000 books to browse, most of them second-hand or vintage), events space and tutoring centre – most evenings you’ll find a dozen students toiling away at their studies. Book clubs have proved hugely popular. The next, on Thursday 18 January will discuss The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

The Beaufort Bookshop, 1 Beaufort Place, Bath BA1 6RP Web: beaufortbookshop.co.uk

9 FOR: ROYALISTS Fortuitously timed to open in February, just before the May wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Fashion Museum’s Royal Women exhibition is set to be a visual treat, offering up a sartorial history of generations of the British royal family. Highlights incide the Christian Dior ‘Rose Pompon’ strapless silk chiffon dress worn by Princess Margaret to Royal Ascot and a Tartan silk gown belonging to Alexandra, Princess of Wales: the gown dates back to 1870 and was discovered in the 1930s in a vintage shop called Baroque in Margaret Street in London, and from there made its way into the Fashion Museum collection. One of the most intricate offerings is a 1950s grey silk satin ballgown worn by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother made by Hartnell, whose clothes were hugely labour intensive – at this time he employed 400 staff, from cutters and seamstresses to embroiderers.

Royal Women runs from Saturday 3 February 2018 – Sunday 28 April 2019 at Fashion Museum, Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath BA1 2QH Web: fashionmuseum.co.uk

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CITY | HAPPENINGS

FOR: PARTY ANIMALS (AND GYM BUNNIES) The shell of what was once Club XL has been transformed into Walcot House, which finally opened, post a year of renovations, last month. The team behind it are promising a Soho House feel, but without the hefty £1000 plus membership. Spread over an entire Georgian town house with a cinema, gym, bar and restaurant it’s set to tick a lot of boxes. In the diary for the coming year are circus-style parties from Festival in a Box, cookery demos and seven fitness classes a day.

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Walcot House, 90b, Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Web: walcothousebath.com

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FOR: DOUGHNUT FANCIERS

Little Duck Doughnuts is the sugar baby of Canadian-born Olivia Garland who specialises in making beautiful, bespoke doughnuts in outrageously bright colours.

Her kaleidoscopic rings can be handdelivered anywhere in Bath and come in flavours like Somerset Cider with Canadian Maple and Pina Colada Pistachio. You’ll also find her at the Independent Market in Abbey Green and at The Habourside Market in Bristol. She makes everything – dough, glazes, icing, jam and custard fillings – in her sunny kitchen in Oldfield Park. n Web: littleduckdoughnuts.com

AND SHUSH...

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There’s a rumour that the team behind The Talbot Inn in Mells are planning to put a swish new cocktail bar in place of the old Bea’s Vintage Tea Rooms.

Dedicated kids café Fox and Kit is slated to open in the second half of 2018 and has already signed up local foodie brands like Little Blue House Snacks.

The ex-Sam’s Kitchen space on Walcot Street will soon be churning out lattes again. Contracts have been signed to open a new coffee shop there in the spring.

Three local mums have teamed together to open Kin, a new events space, play area and kids café. They are currently eyeing-up premises in the city centre with an opening set for the end of 2018.

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The Hobgoblin pub on St James’s Parade is set to become and nine-bed hotel and gastro pub.

A new fitness emporium called FLY is opening late this year, just a few doors away from the Thermae Spa. At more than 5,000 square foot it will combine a gym, studio, café and retail area.

Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge and his team are heading to Bath again for a Pub in the Park extravaganza on the Royal Crescent lawns in June.

The Gainsborough Hotel is running a series of five Phenomenal Women talks and networking events throughout 2018. The line-up includes Laura Marshall, MD Icon Films and Carole Mundell, head of physics at the University of Bath.

The American Museum is plotting a food festival for the end of September. We anticipate lots of delicious American-style eats like key lime pie and corndogs.

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MILLY VAUGHAN | SALE SHOPS

HOW TO ACE THE SALES Focus on fabrics, do your research and never, ever buy the wrong size. Fashion writer and self-confessed shopaholic Milly Vaughan tells us how to shop the sales like a pro.

M

ove over Christmas, January’s here waving its white sales flag. Some readers just hearing the 'S' word will immediately surrender, and would rather write umpteen thank you letters than navigate the myriad of sale piles.

I, on the other hand, will be sitting out Christmas patiently, so when it's wrapped up I’m ready to hit the shops as quickly as a tree drops its needles.

Traditionally sales would start on Boxing Day but with the recent surge in online shopping competing with shop sales, the high street has backlashed by strategically starting its first of many reductions before Christmas in a bid to shift flailing stock. So stalk your favourite haunts regularly. Here are my top tips on how to sail through the sales.

Be nosey Chat to staff about further reductions and stock availability. There’s nothing worse than losing out on a steal because you’re hankering after an extra 5%.

Set your alarm Shop first thing to avoid a rugby scrum of shoppers. Some large department stores actually buy in extra merchandise just for sales, so even by midday clothes rails will look messy and overwhelming.

Think classic

Ditch the crew

Make a beeline for wardrobe staples. Think classic colours and basic layers; the timeless trench coat or a black cashmere jumper.

Shop solo or with like-minded people and leave children at home.

There’s nothing worse than dragging my resentful husband and frustrated toddler around, ruining their day and my adrenaline rush.

Upgrade

Use cash

Sales are a great time to treat yourself to a fabric upgrade from what your budget normally allows. I only buy cashmere in a good markdown.

Have a budget in mind unless you want to be caught short eating turkey leftovers for the rest of an enforced dry January. Bringing a carefully counted wodge of cash rather than credit cards will make sure you don’t stray out of your limit.

Research Remember the shops and chains that always have good sales.

Whistles, House of Fraser and Jigsaw always do big reductions. But also look out for small independent shops like Maze and Found as they can have more leeway on how they stagger price reductions.

Play safe Avoid anything too trend-focused, as it will probably be at the end of its fashionable life – remember those fringed/pom-pom trainers still box-fresh under your bed? Also anything seasonable, unless you are realistic that it can be put on hold for a year.

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Size matters Golden rule. Never, however good the discount, buy something in the wrong size, be it big or small. It won't be a good deal if it sits in your wardrobe unworn with tags intact. We’ve all done it, but not this year. n

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BATH ON THE RUN

Our roving reporter on the spectacle of watching people training for the Bath Half Marathon

Y

ou can tell it’s a new year because half the Bath population has donned glow-in-the-dark Lycra to pound the city’s streets in training for the Bath Half Marathon in March, faces set in grim determination as they set off to burn that truckle of Cheddar and family tin of Quality Street that they’ve accidentally eaten over the 12 days of festive feastings. You’ll spot them out there, puffing along on Sunday mornings, on dark mid-week evenings, even at lunchtimes, they’re intent on training runs, boring their partners over the state of their feet, obsessing over splits, fartlek and whether their Fitbit is actually under-recording the distance run.

This period of training began back in the autumn when fellow runners started muttering to each other: “You got your place in the Bath Half?” and then, on finding that places in the race had sold out in record time, those who missed out first shrugged their shoulders in resignation before bowing to peer pressure and committing themselves to buying a charity place. That means tapping up friends, family and colleagues for sponsorship (open a JustGiving account, it’s the easiest way) to give cash so you meet the required target. You don’t want to find yourself on the day – Sunday 4 March – calculating that each mile of this 13-and-a-bit mile slog is costing you roughly £18.9333 recurring. That’s the sort of sum that saps your energy as you head back out to Newbridge for the second time on the big day.

You can spend an inordinate amount of cash on shiny new kit for running, but actually you only need a decent pair of shoes (replace every 500 miles is the general advice), socks that will protect your feet from blisters and, if gender appropriate, a sports bra to keep everything under control. If you’ve run half marathons and marathons previously it’s a badge of honour to be seen training in a commemorative t-shirt from a race you’re proudest of finishing. It’s also cool to wear a club shirt, it bestows a certain amount of kudos to be part of an official running gang, which might include elite runners – even if you’re actually in the slowest pack – often referred to more kindly as ‘the steady group’ or the concours d’elegance.

The organisers of the annual running fest that is the Bath Half have thoughtfully laid out a race route that doesn’t take in any major hills – only a slight slope in Charles Street, another round Queen Square, and up to The Weston pub (try not to dwell on the presence of the cemetery on the right as you will yourself to power up the incline, not once but twice during the race). But during training you don’t really want to be dragging your carcase up any of the city’s hills – Widcombe Hill? No thanks. Lansdown Hill? Sooner not. And as for Bathwick Hill, we can only marvel at the mountain goat types who leap up that longest of Bath’s hills with apparently effortless ease.

My top tip for a decent length training run which avoids those hills – and which we always swear is equivalent to running the distance of the half marathon – is to start at The George at Bathampton, head into the city along the towpath then, picking flat roads, head out to the bridge by The Boathouse in Newbridge, before returning along Lower Bristol Road. It’s only when you get to Widcombe and then to North Parade Road that you realise that what seem like flat as a pancake streets when you’re in a car, feel like huge mountains to your calf muscles. Running outside on the streets, or through the woods, is much better for your race on the day than relying on the gym treadmill to get you round.

If you manage your training schedule efficiently between now and the beginning of March, you’ll have done enough long runs to know you’ve got the distance in your legs – and more importantly, lodged in your mind as positively do-able. In the weeks leading up to the half marathon spend just as much time on bigging yourself up in your head – what a fantastic achievement when you cross that finishing line in Great Pulteney Street. Focus on how hard you’re working and the the kudos in being able to say afterwards: “I ran the Bath Half.” n

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Visit orientalrugsofbath.com or call 01761 451764 at Bookbarn International, Wells Rd, Hallatrow, Bristol, BS39 6EX

JANUARY SALE 50% OFF SELECTED ITEMS

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ALL NIGHT | LONG

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ALL NIGHT | LONG

STRICTLY SPEAKING BRENDAN Love him or hate him, Brendan Cole’s out-spoken nature has got him far. Melissa Blease speaks to the Marmite man ahead of his new show coming to the south west “There will, of course, be everything people know and love from Strictly in the mix, because Strictly has a unique magic about it, and I’ve aimed to recreate that magic on stage. But there’s a little bit more of something for everybody in it, and there’s an emotional side to it, too.

“For me, dancing is very emotional. While I’ve put together a big show that goes at 100 miles an hour for two hours, I like to take people’s feelings on a rollercoaster as well: one minute you’ll be up partying and dancing in the aisles, the next you'll be stunned by something really beautiful. You most definitely will not be seeing the same type of dances over and over again.”

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If a young boy gets a bit of stick from his mates for wanting to dance, then take that stick and use it to drive yourself to be even better at what you’re doing – that’s exactly what I did

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I

f we were to compare the most popular Strictly Come Dancing professionals to our favourite traditional British food (bear with me here, please), then Anton Du Beke is Angel Delight, Kevin Clifton is fish and chips and Brendan Cole is Marmite: tantalisingly controversial; adored and denounced in equal measure.

Brendan is as unafraid of fighting back when the judges get snarky as he is regarding illegal lifts. He’ll put the tease into the Tango, the wonder into the Waltz and the sensuality into the Salsa as he dances his way up and down the leader board with grace, attitude and style.

And very soon, the bad boy of Strictly will cha-cha-cha his way to Bath (February) and Bristol (March) with his brand new show All Night Long.

New Zealand-born Brendan has been a Strictly stalwart since the first series back in 2004, when he and his first dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky waltzed off with the glitterball trophy.

In his pre-Strictly days, his professional career revolved around the professional ballroom and Latin American dance scene (he was ranked within the top 12 professional dancers in the world). Becoming World Champion was always his goal.

But when the BBC approached him to participate in Strictly Come Dancing his life took a new route; he and Anton Du Beke are the only two professional Strictly dancers to have competed in every series since it first began.

And yet Brendan isn’t the kind of guy to put his dancing shoes away in a box inbetween series – far from it. His new live stage show follows on from his previous three hugely successful stage shows Live & Unjudged, Licence to Thrill and A Night to Remember, and marks his ninth nationwide tour of the UK. Does Brendan ever take a break?

Apparently not. “I love what I do, and in work terms, I’m a bit of a lunatic,” he says.

“I don’t like sitting still for a second. I love being busy, I love pressure, and I have a very strong desire to succeed in everything I do.

Having said that, although I don’t need that much time off for myself, family is my main priority; my daughter turned five on Christmas Day, and every moment I spend with her and my wife Zoe is very special to me, so I work very hard to make that time happen too.”

Meanwhile, he’s certainly been working hard on putting this year’s tour together as well. “You can expect a full-on night of entertainment from All Night Long.”

But if Brendan could choose just one dance to do over and over again, he has a clear favourite. “The Waltz has an emotional edge that really connects with a live audience, and the Waltz we do in the show is a really powerful piece of theatre. We’ve chosen a Michael Bublé track called At This Moment to accompany it, and it tells the story of an affair. The Waltz is usually a love story: romantic, and poetic. But because of the story behind ours, there’s an edge in the mix too.

“I can feel the audience coming on the journey of the story with me as I dance, and by the time it’s finished, we’ve all been carried off somewhere else, watching a tale unfold before our eyes.

“The high energy moments are really special as well, though. We do an extremely passionate Argentinian Tango, and a dramatic, forceful Pasa Double that literally brings flames to the stage. Every dance takes the audience in a different direction, but yes, I love the Waltz.”

While it might be easy to think that busy Brendan hasn’t got much time to reflect on his own personal journey to becoming the hugely successful dancer that his is today,

his dancing feet remain very firmly on the ground when it comes to considering how the next generation might follow in his footsteps.

Dancing from the age of six, he says he wasn’t so much bullied during his school years but certainly teased on occasion, which fuelled his feisty nature and pushed him to be the best he could be at everything he did.

“Every situation is very different for every child, and the fulfilment of early ambitions depends so much on opportunities, inspiration, support and ambition,” he says.

“If a young boy gets a bit of stick from his mates for wanting to dance, then take that stick and use it to drive yourself to be even better at what you’re doing – that’s exactly what I did.

“I’m not saying it was easy, but as you’ll know from Strictly, if somebody tells me I can’t do something, I do it. I’m aware that not everyone’s as bloody-minded as I am, and whatever age you are, negative people will always try and get to you.

“But with the right energy around you, those people disappear eventually. It’s hard at the time, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Do what you want to do because you want to do it.”

But if such a philosophy makes Brendan sound like a very determined man with a plan, he begs to differ. “I wish I had a bloody plan!” he says, laughing. “I just work with what life gives me, but I work incredibly hard too and I certainly don't plan to stop any time soon.”

And what about all those rumours at the end of the most recent Strictly series. Was that last speech really a farewell? “They were comments I made about ending that particular series,” he firmly proclaims.

“Every year I’m contracted by Strictly Come Dancing. If they want me back, which I hope they do, and if I want to be back, which I hope I do, then I’ll be back being a pain in the arse to everybody next year.

“I love being part of one of the biggest shows in TV history. I have my own touring theatre production. I have a wonderful family, and a wonderfully interesting life.

Nothing lasts forever, but I’ll just keep going the way I do for as long as I can.”

And all around the UK this spring, Brendan will be doing it the way he does All Night Long. n All Night Long will visit the Theatre Royal Bath on Sunday 4 February and the Bristol Hippodrome on Sunday 11 March. For tickets, visit: theatreroyal.org.uk and atgtickets.com/bristol.

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WHAT’S ON in January SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Until Sunday 7 January, performance times vary n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath Bath comedy favourite Jon Monie leads the fun in the theatre’s annual family-friendly pantomime. There’s still time to catch the last few days of the run. Tickets: from £18, plus one free adult ticket for every adult ticket bought for 3 – 5 January. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 448844.

TALK: WORKING WITH HODGKIN Friday 5 January, 6pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bath To coincide with the current Howard Hodgkin: India on Paper exhibition, master printer Andrew Smith will be talking about working with Hodgkin. Tickets: £6 / £5 concessions, from the gallery.

Tel: 01225 477233. Visit: victoriagal.org.

Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace are coming to Theatre Royal Bath Image: Manuel Harlan

A CEREMONY OF CAROLS BY BENJAMIN BRITTEN Saturday 6 January, 5.30pm n Bath Abbey The Abbey Girls’ Choir performs this glorious work with magical harp accompaniment. Conducted by Huw Williams, with harpist Ruth Faber. Free admission, no tickets required.

NEW YEAR’S RAMBLE Sunday 7 January, 9.30am – 2pm n Bath Skyline The Skyline ranger will be leading a brisk New Year walk around the Bath Skyline to burn some of those Christmas calories (but with a minor diversion to Prior Park for a sneaky hot drink and snack).

Booking essential, tel: 0344 249 1895, £10 per person.

Card Players by Thomas Rowlandson, 1798, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath and North East Somerset Council

In India by Howard Hodgkin, 2012

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH GOLDEN LECTURE Monday 8 January, 1.30pm n The Assembly Rooms, Bennet Street, Bath The Arts Society is marking its 50th anniversary in 2018 with a Golden Lecture: The Fall and Rise of British Painting 1968 – 2018 with lecturer James Russell. From its nadir in the 1970s through the Young British Artists years of the 1990s, painters and their supporters battled to keep alive an age old tradition. Visitors welcome, £10 at the door, no booking necessary.

TALK: HISTORY OF BATH RESEARCH GROUP Monday 8 January, 7.30pm n St Mary’s Church Hall, Bathwick, Bath Jon Benington, director of Victoria Art Gallery will give a talk on the late Clifford Ellis, printmaker, painter, designer and head of art at the Bath Academy of Art from 1937-1972, and his recent bequest to the gallery. Visitors are welcome, a donation of £2 is suggested.

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH EVENING TALK: SHAKEN BY AN EARTHQUAKE, STRAVINSKY AND THE RITE OF SPRING Monday 8 January, 7.15pm n BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath Lecturer Sandy Burnett tells the story of one of the greatest creative collaborations: Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and Stravinsky in creating the Rite of Spring, and the build up to the premiere in Paris 1913, which divided opinions of the first-night audience dramatically.

Non-members welcome, £8 per person. Visit: batheveningarts.co.uk.

JOIN SONGWAYS Wednesdays from 10 January, 7.15 – 9.15pm n St Swithin’s Church, The Paragon, Bath Discover vibrant songs from a wide range of harmony singing traditions. Develop your voice and singing styles. Adult singers of all ages welcome. Tel: 07894 205255 or visit: songways.co.uk.

Join Songways choir at St Swithin’s Church

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REDISCOVERING JOHN CABOT Wednesday 10 January, 7.30pm n BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath John Cabot’s discovery of the coast of North America in 1497 was the first European exploration of the mainland of North America since the 11th century. Dr Evan Jones from the University of Bristol will discuss the bizarre genesis of The Cabot Project and his team’s attempts to recover research that promised to revolutionise our understanding of Europe’s engagement with North America after the 1490s. Tickets: visitors £4, members/students £2. Visit: brlsi.org or tel: 01225 312084 to find out more.

Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution January Events: Rediscovering John Cabot 10th January ● 7.30pm

World Heritage & its Importance to Bath

BLUEGRASS AND COUNTRY SESSIONS Wednesday 10 January, 8pm n The Barley Mow, Bathwick Street, Bath The Barley Mow puts on a live music evening of bluegrass and country every second Wednesday of the month. Free admission.

Tel: 01225 464845. Visit: thebarleymowbath.co.uk / foxymusic.net.

BESSIE SMITH: EMPRESS OF THE BLUES Friday 12 January, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Bessie Smith was an American blues singer in the 1920s and 30s.

In this tribute evening Ma Bessie (Julia Titus) and her blues troupe (drummer Sam Kelly with musical director Paul Jobson on keyboards, Tony Qunta on acoustic guitar, Richard Sadler on upright bass, Chuck Lloyd on saxophone and Kevin Davy on trumpet) showcase many of Bessie’s songs. Tickets: £14 advance, £16 on the door. Tel: 01225 461700, visit: chapelarts.org.

EDITOR’S PICK ENTERTAINMENT IN BATH Saturday 13 January – Wednesday 14 March, open daily 10.30am – 5pm n Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street, Bath In the 18th century Bath was second only to London as party central, offering its fashionable visitors and residents all manner of entertainment and diversions. This exhibition tells the story of the actors, musicians and artists of Georgian Bath and the venues where they performed, covering everything from the sleazy to the sophisticated. It will also cover the Victorian period, leading up to the modern day.

Entry to the exhibition is free to residents with a Discovery card, £4.50 adults, £4.50 students and seniors.

16th January ● 7.30pm

BRLSI Young Adventurer Family Lecture: Do It Your Own Way Adventures 20th January ● 2.30pm—4pm Tickets from BRLSI website

Human Rights at Sea 23rd January ● 7.30pm

The Birth of Frankenstein

Come and join us for an exciting lecture on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by historian, writer and award winning broadcaster, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling on the 27th February, 7:30pm. Tickets: Bath Box Office.

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

SON YAMBU Saturday 13 January, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath The authentic sound of Cuba comes to Bath, sizzling hot as chilli and guaranteed to get even the most reluctant dancer moving.

Standing gig. Tickets: £13.50 advance, £15 on the door.

BATH ARTISAN MARKET Sunday 14 January at Green Park Station and Sunday 28 January, Queen Square, Bath, 10am – 4pm Tuck into freshly made food from stalls at the artisan market while shopping for original and locally made gifts, all under one weatherproof roof. Visit: bathartisanmarket.com.

WORLD HERITAGE: ITS IMPORTANCE TO BATH Tuesday 16 January, 7.30pm n BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath Professor Barry Gilbertson will discuss the history of World Heritage, and how Bath’s inclusion on the world list in 1987 makes it one of only two cities in Europe with a citywide World Heritage Site (WHS) designation. Professor Gilbertson, who is the new Chairman of the City of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site, will also explore why the inscription on the world list is so valuable to Bath’s future and its economy. Tickets: £4 visitors, £2 members/students. Visit: brlsi.org.

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WHAT’S | ON BLOOD BROTHERS Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 January, times vary n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath Willy Russell’s award-winning West End hit featuring hit numbers including Tell Me It’s Not True and Bright New Day, stars former New Seekers singer Lyn Paul.

VOLUNTEERING INFORMATION DAYS Wednesday 17 and Saturday 20 January, 11am – 2pm n No 1 Royal Crescent, Museum of Bath Architecture and the Herschel Museum Drop into one of these Bath Preservation Trust museums and find out more about becoming a volunteer. Meet current volunteers and discover about the different roles on offer. Visit: bath-preservationtrust.org.uk.

Fern Brady at Komedia

TREASURE ISLAND Wednesday 17 – Sunday 21 January, 7.30pm, matinees 2.30pm, Saturday and Sunday n The Rondo Theatre, Bath Bath Drama’s pantomime for 2018 is Treasure Island. Join Jim Hawkins, his extremely vivacious mother Harriet, and their friends, as they set out in search of Old Bones’ buried treasure in this fastpaced, family-friendly show. Tickets: £12 adults, £10 for concs, £8 for under 12s, visit: ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre.

THE ROYAL OPERA: RIGOLETTO LIVE Wednesday 17 January, 7.15pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon This lifestream opera, sung in Italian with English subtitles, tells the story of Rigoletto, court jester to the libertine Duke of Mantua, who is cursed by the father of one of the Duke’s victims for his irreverent laughter. When the Duke seduces Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, it seems that the curse is taking effect . . . Tickets: £15 adults, £7.50 concs.

Tel: 01225 860100, visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

Steven Pippin at The Edge

FERN BRADY: SUFFER FOOLS Thursday 18 January, 7.30pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Fern’s past two fringe shows sold out through word of mouth and now she’s ready for her debut tour. As seen on English comedian Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central, English comedian Stewart Lee’s Alternative Comedy Experience and Viceland’s new series Brexit Stage Left. Tickets: £10, £8 concs. Visit: komedia.co.uk/bath, tel: 0845 293 8480.

POSTING LETTERS TO THE MOON Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 January, 8pm, Saturday matinee at 2pm n The Ustinov Studio, Sawclose, Bath Actor and Daily Telegraph columnist Simon Williams and his wife Lucy Fleming will be reading wartime letters from the 1940s between Lucy’s mother actress Celia Johnson (who starred in Brief Encounter) and her husband Peter Fleming. They are full of love, humour and backstage gossip. Tickets: £15 / £12 concessions.

The Royal Opera: Rigoletto live at Wiltshire Music Centre

TOM KERRIDGE Wednesday 18 January, 8pm n Topping & Co bookshop, the Paragon, Bath Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge has been developing recipes for nearly three decades and knows how to make things taste good. He also understands how much willpower it takes to shift unhealthy excess weight, having lost more than 11 stone in the last four years.

He will be talking about realistic dieting for long-term weightloss and his new book Lose Weight for Good – showing how to lose weight, without compromising on flavour, enjoyment, or portion size. Tickets: from £8. Tel: 01225 428111.

BORN TO RUN: A BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RETROSPECTIVE Friday 19 January, 7pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Performed by world-touring band, The Boss UK, this production

Pupils from King Edward’s School will perform at The Holburne Museum

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WHAT’S | ON

Jazz vocalist Atila and his band will celebrate 20th century vocal icon Nat King Cole at Wiltshire Music Centre

brings Bruce Springsteen’s hits to the stage, from the global success of Born to Run – across the massive smash hits of the 80s with Dancing in the Dark, Born in the U.S.A and the Oscar-winning Streets of Philadelphia – right through to The Rising and My City of Ruins.

Tickets: £14.

YEAR OF THE DOG: ORIGAMI NETSUKE Friday 19 January, 6 – 7.30pm n The Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street, Bath To tie in with the Lunar New Year and the museum’s netsuke exhibition, visitors can learn how to make origami dogs in netsuke form. Admission: £8, £6 for friends of the museum and students, materials included. Booking required. Tel: 01225 464640 or visit: meaa.org.uk.

SINGING DAY WITH JOHN RUTTER Saturday 20 January, 10am – 3.30pm n Bath Abbey This is a rare opportunity to take part in a vocal workshop day led by one of the greatest British composers and conductors, John Rutter.

The music for the day will be a mixture of choral music, church and secular, old and new, with some of John's recent compositions. All ages and abilities are welcome. Tickets £20 (£11 concs), available from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463 362 or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

FOXY LIVE! Every Saturday in January, 9pm n The Barley Mow, Bathwick Street, Bath The Barley Mow will make your Saturday night one to remember with top live acts singing different genres, covers and originals.

Visit: thebarleymowbath.co.uk / foxymusic.net A HANDFUL OF SINGERS Saturday 20 January, 7.30pm n St Mary’s Church, Bathwick The first concert of the year of Bath’s acclaimed chamber choir, A Handful of Singers, provides a programme full of sumptuous textures and colours. Monteverdi’s Mass for six voices In illo tempore makes use of harmony and melodic imitation to create a unique, rich sound.

The quality of Allegri’s famous Miserere gives way to James MacMillan’s moving setting of Psalm 51, also called Miserere, which at times alludes to the Allegri. Eric Whitacre’s Sainte Chapelle portrays the different light through the stained-glass chapel in Paris, while Ola Gjeilo’s Northern Lights evokes the powerful beauty of the aurora borealis. Paul Mealor’s atmospheric setting of Ubi Caritas completes the programme. Directed by award-winning conductor Christopher Finch. Tickets £15 (£5 under 25s), available via Bath Box Office. Tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk / ahandfulofsingers.org.

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WHAT’S | ON centre of the atom to the cosmos, told in particles, waves and energy.

Features practical demonstrations using the science centre’s brand new paintball particle accelerator, to show how the really small stuff helps us to understand the really big stuff. All course fees include admission to the main venue, £9.70 per person. Tel: 0117 9517777 or visit: wethecurious.org to find out more.

Wander around the markets at Green Park Station on Saturdays before enjoying a bite to eat. Image: Alex Peters/Bath Pizza Co

CONCERT: PIANIST PHILLIP DYSON Saturday 20 January, 7.30pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Charismatic Phillip Dyson performs a programme that includes pieces by Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and George Gerschwin, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Scott Joplin, and Fats Waller.

This concert will also feature the first performance of Phillip’s latest composition, written and influenced by The Holburne exhibition, Seurat to Riley: The Art of Perception. Tickets: £15, tel: 01225 388569 or visit: holburne.org.uk.

WINTER WELLNESS WALK Sunday 21 January, 9 – 10.30am n Prior Park Landscape Garden A peaceful walk through the garden with head gardener Alice to take in the early morning atmosphere. Booking essential, tel: 0344 249 1895, £7 per person. Visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/ prior-park-landscape-garden.

THE KES HOLBURNE SOLOIST CONCERT Monday 22 January, doors 6.15pm, concert begins 7pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath The first of King Edward’s School’s spring music festival events.

Musicians from the school will perform in the beautiful setting of one of the galleries at The Holburne. Refreshments available in the café. Tickets: £8, visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388569.

IDLE PLAYTHINGS Monday 22 January 7.30pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Bath Spa Uni’s comedy society is one of Bath’s top comedy groups, putting on improv, sketches and stand-up. Its flagship comedy night, Idle Playthings, takes place monthly at Komedia. Entry: £3.

SHOW STOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL Monday 22 – Wednesday 24 January, times vary n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath Direct from the West End comes this new musical comedy, which is created anew each performance as the show is sparked by suggestions from the audience.

HUMAN RIGHTS AT SEA Tuesday 23 January, 7.30pm n BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath National naval forces and private armed security guards operate around the world for the purposes of enforcing maritime order. But what happens when these operations threaten the human rights of sea users and refugees? Dr Sofia Galani from the University of Bristol will consider human rights violations at sea. Tickets: £4 / £2.

ATOMS TO ASTROPHYSICS Wednesday 24 January, 10 – 11.30am n We The Curious, Harbourside, Bristol This workshop allows participants to go on a journey from the 34 TheBATHMagazine

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ABOVE AND BELOW TOURS Wednesday 24 January, 11am n Roman Baths This tour will take you through some of the tunnels under the Roman Baths and the adjacent streets, as well as give you an insight into the work being done to transform nearby buildings into a Learning Centre as part of the Archway Project. Suitable footwear and clothing is advised as the walkways are uneven. Included in admission price. Tel: 01225 477773 to book. Visit: romanbaths.co.uk.

GYPSY JAZZ Wednesday 24 January, 8pm n The Barley Mow, Bathwick Street, Bath Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Barley Mow puts on an evening of jazz. This includes Azhaar Safaar and friends. Free admission. Tel: 01225 464845, visit: thebarleymowbath.co.uk / foxymusic.net.

BONBON’S BONKERS BURNS NIGHT Thursday 25 January, 8pm n Widcombe Social Club, Widcombe Hill, Bath Bath Comedy presents a Burns supper with a difference. Enjoy a three-course supper featuring cullen skink, haggis (vegetarian option is available), neeps and tatties, followed by cranachan. Master of Ceremonies Ralph Le Bonbon will preside over entertainment including the piping in of the haggis, an emotional rendition of Willie’s Prayer by Glasgow actor Iain Wotherspoon and tunes from north of the border delivered by none other than Frome’s Miss Aggie McFaggot. Rumour has it that Lady Margaret’s Scottish cousin Morag may pay a flying visit to draw the grand whisky raffle.

Dress code: tartan (optional). To book tickets, £35 a head, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

KING FOR A DAY: THE NAT KING COLE STORY Saturday 27 January, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon King for a Day celebrates one of the defining voices of the 20th century. Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Atila and his stellar band, narration and archive images, this show takes a fresh look at the life and work of Nat King Cole. Tickets: £18 adults / £9 concs. Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

MEDITATION AND REFLECTION Sunday 28 January, 10am – 4.30pm n Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road Presented by Bath Sakya Buddhist Group. Enjoy four meditation sessions and contemplations on the four thoughts that turn the mind to dharma. 10am – Precious human birth, 11.30am – Impermanence and death, 2pm – Karma, 3.30pm – The shortcomings of worldly life. Just drop in for one or more sessions. Arrive at least 10 minutes before start time. £20 for the day / £6 per session, concs £15 / £4.

Disabled access. Bring your own lunch. Newcomers welcome.

Tel: 07747 633577 / 07842 855790, visit: sakyabristol.org/bath.

RAISE THE BAR Monday 29 January, 7.30pm n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Raise The Bar Spoken Word runs events across the south west, bringing performance poetry to life on stage with a mix of feature sets and open mic. This event will put the spotlight on Bath’s emerging talent pool, providing a relaxed environment in the arts café for newbies and veterans. Tickets: £3 on the door.

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Jenůfa

Julia O’Connor

Kostelnička Judy Davis

Laca Phillip Borge Števa Luke Daniel

This fine work by Leos Janáček is now recognised as a masterpiece, and its powerful and beautiful arias reflects the tragic but ultimately uplifting story. Bath Opera is proud to maintain its reputation for bringing forward special works with a great cast and orchestra.

“Julia O’Connor had the stillness and self-possession to set Ellen Orford apart from the crowd, and her warm voice and fluent acting made her fractured relationship with Grimes all the more poignant” - ‘Opera’ magazine on Bath Opera’s ‘Peter Grimes’

Thursday 15th Feb - £20 (students £10) Friday 16th Feb - £25 (free pre-show talk by directors 6.30pm) Saturday 17th Feb - £25 (*Gala tickets £40) *Gala: best seats, prosecco reception with canapés + 6.30pm talk by Isobel Buchanan (international soprano and our Honorary Patron)

BathOpera ticket hotline 01935 475219 Bath Box Office 01225 463362 Online - www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

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WHAT’S | ON

Leading violinist Tasmin Little joins Bath Philharmonia at The Forum

A Handful of Singers at St Mary’s Church

TANGO MODERNO FEATURING VINCENT SIMONE AND FLAVIA CACACE Monday 29 January – Saturday 3 February, times vary n Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath Former Strictly Come Dancing professionals bring their smouldering tango to the stage in a show that includes ten dancers and a string of classic numbers.

RUBY WAX Wednesday 31 January, 8pm n Topping & Co bookshop, the Paragon, Bath The fabulously perceptive Ruby Wax will be talking about her funny and compassionate new book, How to Be Human. From our relationships, to our bodies, our addictions, and our future, we always seem to be chasing what’s ‘better’. Fusing neurology, spirituality, and her wit, Ruby will show us how to transform our lives. Tickets from £9.99, redeemable against the book.

GREEN PARK MARKETS Every Saturday in January n Green Park Station, Bath A characterful mix of stall holders, independent shops and eateries all offering something original. Under cover browsing, brunching and feasting in unique style. For full listings visit: greenparkstation.co.uk.

ROYAL WOMEN Opens Saturday 3 February, continues until April 2019 n Fashion Museum A new exhibition exploring the fashions worn by successive generations of women in the royal family including Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret. The exhibition will feature exquisite items of dress from the Fashion Museum collection, as well as a major loan from the Royal Collection, generously lent by Her Majesty The Queen. Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk/royalwomen.

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

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

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NEXT MONTH...

NOW YOU SEE IT Thursday 1 February, 7.30pm n Bath Spa University Theatre, Newton St Loe, Bath Antonia Grove, artistic director of dance theatre company Probe, presents her brand new solo – a powerful work of dance theatre packed full of evocative imagery. Tickets: £6 – £12, via Bath Box Office, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

POP UP OPERA: HANSEL AND GRETEL Friday 2 February, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Innovative touring opera company Pop-up Opera performs Engelbert Humperdinck’s popular operatic fairy tale in a semistaged production. Hansel and Gretel are drawn into the idyllic yet dangerous world of the forest, where they encounter the Sandman, Dew Fairy and, most frightening of all, the Witch. Sung in German with English subtitles. Tickets: £20 adults, £10 concs.

Tel: 01225 860100 or visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk.

THE SCIENCE OF SCENT Tuesday 6 February, 2 – 3pm n We The Curious, Harbourside, Bristol How do we detect scents, what makes things smell and can perfume really make us more attractive? This workshop explores the ancient mixture of science, art and psychology that is perfumery. Consider the questions above and find out whether we can even tell the good from the bad of expensive high street fragrances. All course fees include admission to the main venue, £9.70 per person. Tel: 0117 9517777 or visit: wethecurious.org to find out more.

CENTENARY OF THE VOTE FOR WOMEN Tuesday 6 February, 7pm n St Michael’s Without Church, Broad Street, Bath A service of commemoration and reflection. Contact: sibath.soroptimists@gmail.com.

TAMSIN LITTLE AND BATH PHILHARMONIA Friday 9 February, 7.30pm n The Forum, Southgate, Bath Leading international violinist Tasmin Little joins Bath Philharmonia for a benefit concert in support of the city’s professional orchestra, to perform Britten’s Violin Concerto. The talents of the ensemble are also showcased in Britten’s virtuosic The Young Person’s Guide performed at this concert without narrator. Copland’s ballet music to Appalachian Spring forms the second half to this programme and is infused with the music of the people of the Appalachian Mountains including the Shaker hymn Lord of the Dance. Tickets from £20.

BATH OPERA’S JENUFA Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 February, times vary n Roper Theatre, Upper Oldfield Park, Bath Sung in English, Bath Opera’s next main production will be Jenufa

by Leos Janacek. Conducted by Peter Blackwood. Tickets from £25 adults, £10 students, available from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk.

PLANNING AHEAD...

BATH DECORATIVE ANTIQUES FAIR Friday 9 – Sunday 11 March n The Pavillion, Bath After 29 years, the Bath Decorative Antiques Fair is still the leading regional event to beat, where stylish English Country house pieces, mid-century design, industrial chic, Swedish period painted furniture, and period portraits will be on display. Perennially fashionable crusty iron garden furniture, huge farm tables, pub signs, re-upholstered antique sofas and chairs and large scale library furniture will be on show, re-imagined by a new generation of collectors. Visit: bathdecorativeantiquesfairs.co.uk. n

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ART | AND | SCIENCE

A TRICK OF THE EYE

From a blade of grass in the sunshine, to an abstract Bridget Riley painting: illusions are all around us says psychologist and scientist Michael Proulx, who will be giving a lecture on the subject this month at the Holburne Museum

A

re illusions just for children?

Just look at the number of books full of illusions available as Christmas presents for kids in science museum gift shops and in the children’s section of bookshops.

Why do illusions seem to lose their magic as we grow older? One reason might be that we start to think of illusions as just optical errors of the physical world, or silly tricks that are irrelevant when it comes to normal experience.

Yet there is something captivating about them for psychologists like me and my colleagues in the Crossmodal Cognition Lab at the University of Bath. Illusions might be tricks, but most are not optical, physical ones (like how a pencil in a glass of water looks bent) – most illusions in books for children are perceptual, psychological ones and reveal how the mind works. In fact, illusions are just as captivating for artists because they are directly relevant to daily life and reveal that even perceiving something as simple as this black pigment on a page is an illusion in a sense. We think we are experiencing the world through our eyes and other senses, but really we see with the brain, and illusions are one key to understanding how the brain works.

The current exhibition at The Holburne Museum, Seurat to Riley: The Art of Perception makes the role of illusion in art starkly apparent. Just approaching the curving lines in a painting by Bridget Riley is enough to convince someone that they are seeing more than what is just there on the canvas. The sense of motion, and maybe even a hint of colour, arising from just static black and white pigments is startling. As one moves through the exhibit it seems surprisingly dynamic. But a sceptical adult might think that these are no different than the books of illusions for children – simple tricks of the eye to be enjoyed and forgotten.

These artists from Seurat to Riley were not merely trying to trick the viewer, their work actually makes obvious what is taken for granted when looking at any painting in the main collection: all art is an illusion.

The skill required to realistically represent

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our three-dimensional world on a flat canvas is both in the hands and in the eye, and brain, of the artist. Many illusions are based on the ways we see size and distance, such as how lines that converge reveal how far away something is; the further an object is also tells us something about its size.

Once painters learned to use perspective cues the realistic depth we experience everyday became apparent in art as well.

There are a number of famous psychological illusions, such as the Ponzo Illusion (pictured below) with red lines on the path in front of the Holburne leading to Great Pulteney Street. Which line is longer? The top line looks longer than the lower one even though both are the same length. This is because the brain assumes the top one is further away, and therefore must be longer in real life even if it is measured as the same as the lower one.

We (and our brains) evolved in a threedimensional world, so seeing things like images on a flat surface can reveal how the brain calculates our perception of size.

Illusions like this have been the focus of many experiments to reveal how the brain uses this contextual information to quickly and accurately interact with the world.

Illusions have been the key to revealing the structure and function of the brain – and even human brain evolution. For example, my collaborator Dr Alexandra de Sousa at Bath Spa University and I studied the relationship between brain size and visual illusion strength in different primate species.

We found that the larger the primary visual area of the brain, the greater visual precision one has. Humans have larger brains than other primates, and it turns out that this means these illusions are even stronger for them than us.

As a psychological scientist and lecturer I hope that learning more about the senses and the brain changes the way people see and experience the world. Perhaps next time you see something like grass in a park; part sunlit part in shadow, you can look closely and realise that although you think of the grass having the same colour in both places, a close examination would reveal that the

brain is just correcting the differences in lighting without you realising it.

I think most of the artists whose work is exhibited in the Holburne wanted their art to do the same thing. These illusions are not just magic tricks, but the key to perceiving the world in a new way.n Michael Proulx is the Director of the Crossmodal Cognition Lab at the University of Bath. He is giving an evening lecture: Is Seeing Believing? The Psychology and Neuroscience of Illusion in Art at The Holburne Museum, Thursday 11th January, 7pm. Tickets, £10; holburne.org

PONZO ILLUSION Which line is longer, the top one or the bottom one? The lines are the same length but the upper one looks longer because it seems further away. Research has found that brain size predicts the strength of the illusion: we see with the brain, not the eyes.

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ART | AND | SCIENCE

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

A new year brings a pop of colour and a variety of new and continuing exhibitions to explore around the city AXLE ARTS Leighton Road, Weston, Bath Tel: 01225 461230 Web: axlearts.com Email: info@axlearts.com Open: Moday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm by appointment CHUCK ELLIOTT: NEW WORK Throughout January Chuck Elliott overlaps the precision and order of symmetrical geometry with mesmerising digitally drawn non-repeating patterns. He explores notions of contemporary drawing using a high-end computing system and the latest digital drawing tools. His vibrant prints are energetic yet rhythmically soothing; pools of colour ripple, while smooth chromatic ribbons flow with electronic clarity, shining like a lacquered metallic surface. There is reference to psychedelia in the visual indulgence of Elliott’s work, but it is rooted intellectually by his meticulous attention to detail and the mathematical application of numeric formulae and 3D simulation programmes. Elliott’s prints are all available in low edition runs.

Systematic Variation, ONE, pearlescent, by Chuck Elliott

THE GUILDHALL MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART Bennett Street, Bath Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm, Sunday, 12 – 5pm Web: meaa.org.uk DRESSED TO IMPRESS: NETSUKE AND JAPANESE MEN’S FASHION Until Saturday 22 April The museum has teamed up with the British Museum for this unusual exhibition of small but intricate netsuke from Japan. These tiny sculptural creations were made to fasten men’s clothing and tobacco pouches, before becoming highly collectable items. This fascinating museum has some exquisite and delicate pieces and, just inside the main door, there’s free access to the museum shop which is packed with unusual items for presents.

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High Street, Bath Open: Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm Email: jp_ramalho@yahoo.co.uk Web: saatchiart.com/Pedroart Facebook.com/Pedro-Ramalho PEDRO RAMALHO: RECENT WORK Until Thursday 18 January Portuguese born Pedro Ramalho is based in Bath, where he graduated from Bath Spa Universty with a degree in fine art. His work has a strong human element and he creates forms with an uncomfortable reality which test our emotional relationship with the world. He explores English archetypes and the distance of this symbolism from lived experience. Through his obsession, the artist communicates his feelings and emotions in a manner, which is both complex but comprehensible, with a deep sense of the lack of self. His work sells to regional and international clients and is represented in private collections.

After the Storm by Pedro Ramalho, oil on canvas, 2012

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH GOLDEN LECTURE The Assembly Rooms, Bennet Street, Bath Monday 8 January, 1.30pm The Arts Society, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2018, offers enjoyable opportunities to discover and support the arts with lectures, visits and study days for its 90,000 members nationwide. The Arts Society Bath is marking this special anniversary with a Golden Lecture – The Fall and Rise of British Painting 1968 – 2018 with lecturer James Russell. From its nadir in the 1970s through the Young British Artists years of the 1990s, painters and their supporters battled to keep alive an age old tradition. Against all the odds, painting is alive and well in Britain today and this lecture celebrates this remarkable achievement. Visitors are welcome, £10 at the door (no booking necessary). For membership information go to: theartssocietybath.com.

THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Open: daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays) Admission is free, but for special exhibitions there is a £10 entrance charge Web: holburne.org SEURAT TO RILEY: THE ART OF PERCEPTION Until Sunday 21 January The special exhibitions at the Holburne are always a pleasure and this carefully curated show highlights work from a 150 year history, exploring how the human eye sees and how the artist expresses that perception.

There’s work from pointillist Georges Seurat right through to the op and kinetic art of Bridget Riley, Jeffrey Steele and Peter Sedgeley. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks and events and there is a book of the same name by Penelope Sexton and Frances Follin, which explores the development of this art movement.

Queen with Pansies (Dots), 2016, © Rose Wylie. Courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner, London. Image: Soon-Hak Kwon

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at 78 Walcot Street, Bath (above Bath Sofa and Curtain Company) Visitors welcome Open: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm Tel: 07885235915 or 01225 424 424 Web: emmaroseartworks.com Throughout January Contemporary paintings, limited edition glicée prints and cards (some of which are on sale) sparkle in the January light. With a new emphasis on gold, copper and silver leaf, alongside the Indian inks and acrylics, being incorporated into the landscapes and abstract artwork.

Gilded Sea by Emma Rose, 40x40cm, £350

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London Street, top of Walcot Street, Bath Closed on Mondays Tel: 01225 445221 Web: nickcudworth.com

Throughout January On show this month at the gallery will be various paintings and prints from original paintings. They will reflect Nick’s interests in music, having been in the 1960s band Siren on John Peel’s Dandelion Label. The paintings will also take inspiration from his love of the blues and classical music.

Additionally on show will be images of Bath and its surrounding countryside.

Bridget Riley, Ecclesia, 1985. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Bridget Riley 2017, all rights reserved

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Steven Pippin at The Edge

Lady in Red by Mo Lancaster

THE EDGE The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY

Open: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm Tel: 01225 386777 Web: edgearts.org ENGINEERED EQUANIMITY: THE MACHINES OF STEVEN PIPPIN Wednesday 3 January – Saturday 3 February Ambitious experiments, playful exploits and hybrid machines. A major exhibition from one of Britain’s best and most inventive artists, Steven Pippin’s skill in technological manipulation reveals the inter-relationship between objects, mechanisms and the universe. Engineered Equanimity offers audiences new perspectives on everything from Newtonian mechanics to the production of renewable energy, re-framed with an autonomous spirit of inquiry.

VICTORIA ART GALLERY

By Pulteney Bridge Open: daily, 10.30am – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233 Web: victoriagal.org.uk HOWARD HODGKIN: INDIA ON PAPER Until Sunday 7 January Richly coloured images of India painted by a modern British painter over more than 40 years of visits to the country. He was an alumni of Bath Academy of Art, where he studied and taught. Some of the work here has never been shown before and some are from the publicly owned gallery’s own collection.

ENTERTAINMENT IN BATH Saturday 13 January – Wednesday 14 March Based on works in the gallery’s collection, as well as loans from the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Collection Trust. The exhibition depicts the creative stars of Georgian Bath and the venues where they performed, and touches upon some of the less obvious pastimes in the city, from gambling and prostitution to learned societies and fashionable chapels. The gallery will also bring the story right up to the present day, covering concerts at the Pavilion and Royal Victoria Park, WOMAD and the Bath International Music Festival. Portraits

by Gainsborough, Bath’s society painter at the time, and works by the Georgian comic artist, Thomas Rowlandson, feature.

SOCIETY CAFÉ 4 – 5 Kingsmead Square, Bath Open: Monday to Friday 7am – 6.30pm, Saturday, 7.30am – 6.30pm, Sunday 9am – 6pm PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: LIGHTS Until Wednesday 31 January

Through long exposure photography and mixed techniques of camera movement, mirror reflection and refraction of neon and LED objects, Chilean photographer Pepa Torres’s work subverts the mundane idea of light, transforming into an abstraction the original subject that now exists by its own colours and shapes. All this without image manipulation in post-production or computer-generated images.

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MO LANCASTER: LINOCUTS Saturday 13 January – Wednesday 14 March Mo has always been fascinated by printmaking and has specialised in reduction lino cut for several years, producing small hand-printed limited editions. She draws and observes women together and is amused by their camaraderie and the way they interact and form groups. She is interested in shape line and blocks of colour, the dresses giving an opportunity for overprinting and tone. n

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nick cudworth gallery

Lecture Series 2017/18

A Room for all Seasons 2 - Oil on canvas - 48 x 30 inches

JANUARY EXHIBITION 2 – 31 January An exhibition of paintings and prints reflecting Nick’s various interests

50th Anniversary Golden Lecture Lecturer: James Russell

The Fall and Rise of British Painting 1968-2018 at 1.30pm on

Monday 8th January 2018 at The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath visitors welcome £10 at the door (no booking required)

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

www.theartssocietybath.com

gallery@nickcudworth.com www.nickcudworth.com

Celebrating 50 years of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies

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BATH @ WORK

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

Nick Steel

Director of Bath Comedy Festival

I

grew up in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, attending a local middle school where I learned to play music; proudly winning a music prize at school and also at Wharfedale Music Festival playing in a recorder sextet. I then went to Ermysteds Grammar School in Skipton, which was an old-fashioned place focused on sciences. It was probably why I went down the computer route when I left; studying microelectronics and software engineering at Newcastle University. I escaped after two years to follow my passion for music at Leeds College of Music.

After that I moved around a mix of jobs including cleaning at a home for spina bifida sufferers, an underling chef at a successful bistro and as a courier for an advertising agency. One of my three brothers, Jonathan, eventually helped me out as he was starting up a business IT consultancy called The Bathwick Group.

I moved to Bath with him and we were based at 7 Great Pulteney Street, which had formerly been part of the impressive Connaught Hotel. Our offices were in the old ballroom so it was all rather grand and a good start to my life in Bath. I still followed my musical interests: playing in a psychedelic rock band called various names, including Electric Soup and Locust Recipe, and doing gigs at The Hat and Glastonbury Festival.

Another foray into the world of entertainment was DJing with wind-up gramophones (pictured left). I remember performing with them at Walcot Nation Day. This hugely successful festival had outgrown the street and moved to Kensington Meadows, morphing into Walcot Independence Day. There followed a series of cabarets at Widcombe Social Club which were designed as fundraisers for our street party, and by 2012 Widcombe Rising had become impressively large and incredibly popular, with 35 bands playing, walkabout theatre, a real Ferris wheel (The Widcombe Eye), a farmers market, kids area and many stalls.

My creative partnership with Ralph (aka Lady Margaret) spawned a variety of other events and I think our success was partly due to having no committee. We just got on with it. My modus operandi is just to say “yes” and then “do it!”. I’m not driven by money, which is possibly why I don’t seem to have any.

I took over the running of the Comedy Festival in 2010 and have built it up since then with great acts including Jon Richardson, Greg Davies, and later Arthur Smith and Barry Cryer. Every year the main festival in early April gets bigger and better. Bath Comedy also runs events throughout the year and adds special shows to other festivals such as Bath Fringe in late spring and The Great Bath Feast in October. Some of the shows we run are unique, like The Wine Arts Trail (or TWAT for short).

This bonkers mystery tour on a Routemaster bus involves visiting a number of surprising locations (like the Lovehoney warehouse), a series of wonderful comic interventions, with wine tastings as we go. It’s always enormous fun. There’s so much more to tell but, suffice to say, I wouldn’t swap any bit of my wonderfully varied life for a big bunch of cash, a failed marriage or a Ferrari.

PORTRAIT: Neil Menneer at Spirt Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151 THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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BOOKS | AND | CULTURE

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Sunday Times bestselling author, Lucy Diamond lives in Newbridge and is just about to publish her 13th book. She tells us why she moved to Bath, what she loves to read and where to find the best pies in the city.

A writing course can be incredibly helpful in terms of support and feedback, it certainly kick-started things for me. Read your work aloud, you’ll hear all sorts of mistakes and repetitions you might miss otherwise. And be brutal with the red pen – cut out anything that doesn’t keep the story moving along.

My advice to my 18 year-old self? Don’t get on that moped.

My real name is Sue Mongredien. I’d already had children’s books published when I wrote my first novel. My literary agent suggested taking a pseudonym in order to keep the genres separate. At the time I’d just written a children’s book called Lucy the Diamond Fairy as Daisy Meadows (another pseudonym) and so my pen name came from there.

I write while my children are at school. I aim for about 2,000 words a day. I take the dog out for a long walk in the morning, which really helps when I’m mulling over a plot point, or feel stuck. something totally different, and The Raven, who do the best pies.

If I weren’t an author I’d be a journalist. My last job was at the BBC and the buzz of working in a newsroom really appeals. Alternatively, I love being outdoors so maybe I’d be a gardener.

My three most cherished books are: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (I remember my mum giving me this when I was eleven, saying “I think you’re grown-up enough to read this now”); Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, she’s my favourite author, and this is my favourite of her books; and Little Women by Louisa M Alcott, I have an old hardback copy from my childhood, read so many times it’s practically falling apart.

The worst thing about being an author is that I do always reach a point, generally about a third of the way through a book, where I become convinced what I’m writing is absolute rubbish.

If I’m feeling stressed, I’ll take my dog for a long walk or have a gin and tonic with my husband.

I’ve had some great roast dinners at The Marlborough Tavern, and the garden is lovely on a summer evening. The Loft is a good spot for lunch (if you can tear yourself away from the shop), and the food at Clayton’s Kitchen is fantastic for a special treat.

In 2018 I’ll be working on the next novel, which is set in York, as well as two children’s books about a pirate crew. I’ve always wanted to write something for television too, so that’s my next goal.

My most treasured splurge was a brilliant family holiday to California, travelling from LA to Yosemite to San Francisco. It had everything – beaches, mountains, city life, wilderness, sunshine. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.

We moved here 10 years ago, and it was a ‘stick-a-pin-in-a-map’ kind of thing. We didn’t really know anyone in the city, but my dad discovered that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather actually built two houses in Bath, one of which still stands in Northampton Street, so I was delighted to find out that I have a genuine connection to the city.

For a drink it has to be The Old Crown in Weston which is so lovely, cosy in winter but great in summer too. I like The Opium Bar for

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Rossiters is my go-to shop for birthday and Christmas presents. Shannon on Walcot Street also has lots of gorgeous goodies. From bookshops I flit between Mr Bs, Toppings, The Oldfield Park Bookshop and Waterstones.

Rules to live by: Be kind, be brave and take a chance (apart from on mopeds).n

On a Beautiful Day by Lucy Diamond is published by Macmillan, £12.99

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Anna Bowkis

ARTS | AND | CRAFTS

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ARTS | AND | CRAFTS

THE NEW CREATIVES

With courses in printmaking, life drawing and pottery, the Creative Collective in Bathford has fast become a haven for budding artists in the city.

Vishaka Robinson went to meet them

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nside a revamped barn, on a cider farm along Box Road, The Creative Collective opened its doors last month. The duo behind the start-up are artists Amy Palmer-Fry and Hannah Southfield-Cook, who have transformed their corner of the barn into a bright, airy studio full of hanging plants and greenery. It’s a space that plays host to an ever-changing mix of inventive classes from ceramics to hand lettering to floristry.

The two, who both live on canal boats on the River Avon, met just 18 months ago when they struck up a conversation about their pets –bizarrely both have a cat and a rabbit a piece (if you’re lucky you might spy one of them roaming around in the studio). Amy is the fine arts side of the pair, an expert ceramist and weaver and Hannah is a jack-of-all-trades, a face and body painter, florist and a psychology seminar tutor at the University of Bath. They were both struck by the lack of dedicated arts spaces in the city. “Bath is brimming with creative and entrepreneurial types,” says 25-year-old Southfield-Cook.

“We wanted to carve out a place where people could throw themselves into all manner of artistic endeavours but not spend a fortune.”

It’s a formula that clearly works. They’ve hosted 20 workshops since they launched a month ago (all fully booked), with prices ranging from £10 for a kids lesson in snow globe-making, to £100 for ‘deck the halls’ – an all day extravaganza of wreath-making, table settings, linoprint Christmas cards and ceramic garlands.

The barn where The Creative Collective is based already plays host to an eclectic mix of other businesses with Broadlands Cider, Modern Massage and others clustered around a central café (there’s also a play area outside for little ones to let off steam). Waiting in the sidelines are a stellar line-up of new tenants. Hedgerow cordials who make natural cocktails and cordials will be moving their kitchen onsite this month and Haylee-Mai, a local acrobatics pro will be taking up residence and running courses throughout the year.

There are also plans for a monthly market in the style of a mini Frome Independent and regular weekly Thursday morning (10am–12pm), children’s crafting sessions, where parents can catch up over coffee whilst their little ones go wild with paint and macramé.

“We’ve been blown away by the positive response,” says Southfield-Cook who has more than 150 workshops planned for the next 12 months. “And if there’s something you want to learn, or teach that we aren’t doing it, let us know – our doors are open.” n

The Creative Collective Bath, The Barn, Box Road, Bathford, BA1 7LR; thecreativecollectivebath.com

FACING PAGE: Hannah and Amy both share a love of all things crafty. THIS PAGE FROM TOP: The studio runs courses in hand lettering and calligraphy; co-owner Amy is a professional face and body painter; clients can book one-to-one lessons on the pottery wheel

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ARTS | AND | CRAFTS

FIVE OTHER PLACES TO GET CRAFTY

From lampshade making to Tek Tek weaving, there is such a variety of arts and crafts workshops to get stuck into around Bath. Crystal Rose rounds up a few of the best

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1/ Crochet Camp Perfect for beginners, as you learn to weave with Tek Tek, a thick cloth-like material made from the waste products of fast fashion factories in Europe, that crochets quickly and easily. Learn the magic circle, double crochet and how to increase your stitches and change colour. You’ll go home with your own crocheted plant pot. Saturday 13 January, 2 – 5pm; £42. Visit: themakery.co.uk

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Shady Business Attend the heirloom lampshade workshop at V V Rouleaux and create your own unique lampshade. Use a selection of V V Rouleaux’s collection of beautiful ribbons, beads, flowers and tassels (you’re welcome to bring your own heirlooms, if you wish) to create a true one-off. Friday 19 January, 10am – 12.30pm; £65. Visit: vvrouleaux.com

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Personalised Pottery Pick your bisque (unpainted pottery) from the extensive range, choose from more than 50 underglaze paints and create original personalised pottery. Clay imprints and Decopatch supplies are also available. Drop in sessions are on weekdays or book your own group event and get creative. Adult studio fees: £5, child: £4.

Visit: crockadoodledo.co.uk

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Ready, Set, Posy Get prepared for Mother’s Day and take part in this Floristry for Mother’s Day evening course at Bath College. Learn to make a posy in a myriad of colours from spring flowers such as peonies, tulips and dahlias. All flowers, tools and equipment will be provided in the price. All you need to bring is a large bag to carry your handiwork home.

Tuesday 27 February, 6 – 8.30pm; £44.

Visit: bathcollege.ac.uk

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Modern Weaving Learn how to make your very own wall hanging with Suzanne Gattrell Hodshon from Nest & Burrow. In this workshop you’ll work with a mixture of wools, yarns, texture and colour. All materials are included and you’ll have the option to buy your loom at the end of the workshop. Suzanne (who teaches from her open-plan kitchen in Wiltshire) will have a latte waiting for you upon arrival and you’ll learn modern weaving techniques such as Rya knots and Soumak. Get 10% off your workshop with the code ‘BATHMAG’. Thursday 22 February, £55; 10.30am – 2.30pm.

Visit: nestandburrow.co.uk n

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WORK | AND | BUSINESS

THE GOLDEN RULES OF GETTING THINGS DONE There’s no better time than the start of a new year for making fresh plans and tackling your to-do list. Bath-based productivity expert, Claire Griffiths, tells us how to make 2018 our most constructive year yet.

Illustrations by Eleanor Hardiman

Start with a purge

Update your tools of the trade

A floor-to-ceiling declutter of your work space is worth doing every 12 months. Lose anything that isn’t necessary for working or aiding your productivity. Ditch out-of-date files, move all old emails into a 2017 folder, and clear out all the non-work related objects that accumulate around your desk: extra pairs of shoes, wilted pot plants, old printer cartridges etc.

There are so many apps and online tools now available to help you streamline work and save precious time and energy. Try Calendly, an online tool that helps to schedule meetings and appointments without endless email ping-pong. Project management tools such as Asana, Basecamp or Slack centralise the sharing of documents or plans with a group, keeping everyone on track with who’s doing what. Other favourites of mine are: FreshBooks (finance/accounting), Focus Keeper (time tracker for smart breaks), Zapier (to connect the web apps you use, making it easy to automate tedious tasks).

Enter email rehab Batch your tasks Effective multi-tasking is a myth. Flipping between different types of small tasks throughout the day can eat up your time and leave you feeling flustered. Try grouping similar tasks together when you plan your day/week, and collect everything you need in advance. For example, keep running errands to a minimum by getting organised and only making one trip out. Try keeping a bag by the front door with things that need to go out of the house – library books, dry cleaning, post – so you can just grab it when you leave. Make all phone calls in one session and get your numbers hat on and tackle your financial planning and budgeting together. This keeps you focused and less vulnerable to interruptions.

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Many of us find that we face a flood of incoming communication on a daily basis. The 24/7 nature of modern correspondence can render us stressed, distracted and ultimately unproductive. If you find yourself checking your inbox every hour (or more), then you should consider setting limits. Try designating three email check-ins each day

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instead of whenever you think about it or receive a notification.

You can set alerts for priority senders to ensure you don’t miss an urgent message and set an out-of-office auto-reply letting people know that you will only respond to email at certain times of the day. Try to avoid abandoning your carefully planned task list for the perceived priorities of others. Respect your schedule, and others will too.

Smart breaks, fewer mistakes Throughout the day, our energy moves up and down in waves, similar to when we sleep. Our bodies have predictable periods of alertness punctuated by shorter periods of sluggishness. Ride these waves for maximum productivity in the mornings by working for 90-minute chunks of time, and then breaking for at least 20 minutes.

The two minute rule If something can be done in two minutes or less, just do it. Don’t add it to your to-do list. Don’t put it aside for later. When dealing with more involved tasks, add them to a task management system such as Asana, Basecamp, or Podio. Once added to your preferred tool, you can assign it a due date, prioritise or delegate.

About Claire Griffiths: Having spent the last decade working at brands like Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apple, Claire moved to Bath and now runs thisisthedesk.com; a virtual assistant company that teams clients with assistants to streamline their lives and grow their businesses.

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CITY | HISTORY

30 GREAT BATHONIANS

Historian Catherine Pitt looks at the men and women, all born in Bath, who have made an impact on the world

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SUCCA PETRONIA Roman occupied Bath, c43-410AD This three-year-old girl, whose tombstone was uncovered in the city, represents all the un-identifiable children born in Bath of Roman or Romano-British parents during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain.

The descendants of those children, who, unlike Petronia, survived into adulthood, are within the DNA of Bathonians, Britons, and people all around the world today. If it hadn’t been for the Romans settling in Bath and continuing to live here over hundreds of years, the city would not have the very thing that makes it famous and gives it its World Heritage Status – The Roman Baths.

ADELARD OF BATH Monk and natural philosopher, c1080-1152 Adelard was a Benedictine monk of Bath Monastery (Bath Abbey stands on the site of this once great religious community). He travelled and studied widely in Europe and the Middle East; becoming an expert in the Arabic language and is renowned for translating various Arabic and Greek texts into Latin so that they were more accessible to scholars. Adelard translated Euclid’s Elements which remained the chief textbook of Mathematical schools of Western Europe until the 16th century. He is also recognised as introducing the Islamic ideas of algebra into Europe. Adelard died in the same city that he was born in, Bath.

ALYSON (OR ALYS), THE WIFE OF BATH 14th century cloth maker Although the Wife of Bath is a fictional character, created by author Geoffrey Chaucer for The Canterbury Tales; she can, like Petronia, be used as a representative of Bathonians of this medieval period. Alyson was a cloth-maker in the city and her husbands (five in total) had all been wealthy merchants in their own rights. Many Bathonians at this time were involved in the wool and cloth trade from which Bath’s wealth grew. Bath’s good transport links between London and the port of Bristol, its close proximity to the River Avon to power the mills, and being surrounded by fields in which sheep grazed, enabled the city’s success.

GREAT BATHONIANS : left to right from top, Harry Patch (image courtesy of Adrian Sherratt), paralympian Ben Rushgrove, Rear Admiral Sir William Edward Parry, Elizabeth and Mary Linley ( by Gainsborough), Claire Coombs with Prince Laurent of Belgium, cook, presenter Mary Berry, and musician, comedian and writer Bill Bailey

JOHN HALES Cleric, theologian and writer, 1584-1656 Dubbed the Ever-Memorable John Hales, this title has perhaps, until now, not rung true for many centuries. Hales was born in St James’ Parish and studied at Bath Grammar School, now King Edward’s School. He went on to study at Corpus Christi College, Oxford and became renowned as a lecturer in Greek. Later, while a cleric in the Netherlands, Hales was present at the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619) which attempted to resolve issues in the Dutch Reformed Church brought about by the rise in Aminianism. When he returned to England Hales wrote of his account at the Synod, and published a number of sermons. One collection called Golden Remains (published posthumously in 1659) is his best known work.

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He was seen as representing the ordinary men who went to fight in what was an extraordinary war – HARRY PATCH –

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new year is a time for new beginnings, but also to reflect on the past. We’ve selected 30 famous and interesting Bathonians (the only premise being that they must have been born in Bath itself to count as a Bathonian), who have had an impact on the wider world. Which are you familiar with?

JOHN WOOD THE YOUNGER Architect, 1728-1782 Baptised in Bath Abbey, Wood Junior followed in his equally famous father’s footsteps and became an architect under his father’s tuition. When Wood Senior died in 1754, the son completed the father’s vision for Bath, including The Circus and The Royal Crescent. He continued to extend his father’s ideas through further buildings in the city. Wood Junior also pioneered a new style of building in Bath, Neo-Classicism, which is reflected in such designs as The Upper Assembly Rooms. Wood will forever be remembered for transforming the city of his birth into the architectural wonder we see today.

JOHN PALMER Post office pioneer and theatre owner, 1742-1818 Eldest son of a prosperous Bath brewer and theatre owner, Palmer was instrumental in acquiring the first Royal Patent for a theatre outside of London in 1768. He also owned The Theatre Royal in Bristol and it was during one of the journeys, made between Bath and Bristol, that he noted the speed of the stagecoach compared to the mail coaches travelling the same route. It could take up to three days to deliver a letter along a route that would only be one day by stagecoach. In 1782 Palmer suggested using stagecoaches to the post office in London.

His idea was initially rejected, but he was

permitted an experimental run which was a resounding success. In 1785 Palmer became Surveyor and Comptroller General of The Post Office and his idea spread nationally, revolutionising the English postal service.

ELIZABETH LINLEY Singer (1754-1792) The sister of the composer Thomas Linley, Elizabeth was born in Pierrepont Street into a very talented musical family. She was considered one of the most gifted soprano singers in England, and regarded as one of the greatest beauties of the age, immortalised in works by Gainsborough and Reynolds.

Linley eloped to France with playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan in a scandalous manner that rocked fashionable society. Her marriage to Sheridan was a tempestuous one, ending on Linley’s death in 1792 from tuberculosis.

THOMAS LINLEY THE YOUNGER Composer, 1756-1778 Linley was regarded as the English Mozart, such was his talent. Although he came from a musical family, he surpassed even his father’s talents as a composer. In fact Linley Junior’s first public performance was at the tender age of seven in Bristol. Between 1768 and 1771 Linley studied violin and composition in Italy. It was here, in 1770, that he met and became friends with Amadeus Mozart. Returning to England Linley often performed both in Bath and at the Drury Lane Theatre in London.

Tragically he died in a boating accident aged 22. After his death Mozart himself praised his friend as a “true genius”.

SIR WILLIAM EDWARD PARRY Arctic Explorer, 1790-1855 Educated at King Edward’s School, Parry left Bath at the age of 13 to join the flagship of Admiral Cornwallis. In 1819 he led an Arctic expedition to find the Northwest Passage, one that was considered the most successful at that time. It was on this voyage that the Parry Channel was named after him. In 1827 he undertook one of the earliest expeditions to the North Pole, setting a record for the furthest travel North in human exploration, only broken by explorer Albert Markham in 1875-76. Due to his long Arctic voyages Parry pioneered the use of canning techniques for food preservation; he also made detailed astronomical and botanical notes during his travels which were later published.

SIR HENRY COLE Politician and inventor, 1808-1882 At the age of nine Cole was sent to the Bluecoat School in Horsham, West Sussex, which he left at 15 to become a clerk in London. By 1838 Cole was not only one of four senior assistant keepers at The Record Office, but he also worked as an assistant to Rowland Hill who was in the process of reforming the postal system. It is

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believed that Cole himself designed the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp. In 1843 Cole commissioned John Callcott Horsley to illustrate a festive greeting card he had invented for the public to send, thus producing the world’s first commercial Christmas card. In later life he developed the Victoria and Albert Museum, becoming its first director, and also helped develop the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music, and Imperial College London.

John Rudge, pioneer of the moving picture Piture courtesy of the Bath in Time archive Bathintime.co.uk

ABRAHAM MARCHANT Tailor and pioneering Mormon, 1816-1881 Marchant lived in Bath for 35 years, training and working as a merchant tailor.

In 1844 he and his wife converted to Mormonism, eventually becoming the Leader of the local church. Ten years, eight children and after a move to the Midlands, Marchant and his wife made the decision to emigrate to America where the family moved around until in 1862. They then settled in what is now known as Peoa.

Marchant became First Elder and later Bishop. As the area around Peoa grew, so did Marchant’s Bishopric, and he is still remembered today within the Mormon community of what is now Summit County.

Abes Lake in the Uintas is named after him.

THOMAS FULLER Architect, 1823-1898 Fuller trained as an architect in Bath, but left England in 1845 for Antigua, before emigrating to Canada in 1857. From 1881 to 1896 Fuller was the Chief Dominion architect for the Government of Canada.

He is known to have had an input on the design and construction of every major federal building of the country, including the Canadian Parliament buildings and military colleges. He not only leaves examples of his work abroad; but we can view his early efforts in and around Bath by visiting the Anglican Mortuary Chapel in Smallcombe Cemetery, Bathwick, or the old Stothert & Pitt building on South Quays.

CJ PHIPPS Theatre architect, 1835-1897 More often than not if you’ve visited London and gone to see a show you’ve sat in one of Phipps’ theatres. Renowned as a theatre architect throughout the UK, Phipps’ first major work was in his home city, restoring Bath’s Theatre Royal in 1862–3 after a devastating fire. In London Phipps built most of the West End’s theatres – the Queen’s, Gaiety, Olympic, Vaudeville, Strand, Prince’s, Lyric, Garrick, Tivoli, Dalys, and the original Shaftesbury. His Savoy Theatre was the first in the world to be lit entirely by electric light. He also built 40 provincial theatres including the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, and the Theatre Royal in Brighton.

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JOHN ARTHUR ROEBUCK RUDGE Inventor and cinematography pioneer, 1837-1903 Rudge was a scientific instrument maker by profession, but he also put on countless early moving picture shows using his Biophantic Lantern, earning him the nickname The Wizard of the Magic Lantern. In 1880 Rudge met William Friese-Greene who had a photographic shop in The Corridor, and the pair formed a close working association. In the mid-1880s film was still in its infancy, and although Rudge developed a much improved method of moving pictures he never completed the provisional patent he took out for it in 1884. It was through his work with Rudge that led to Friese-Greene realising glass plates would never be a practical medium for film, and eventually leading to the development of celluloid. A plaque to Rudge (and Friese-Greene) can be found at the entrance to New Bond Street Place.

HENRY STAFFORD SMITH Philatelist, 1843 – 1903 Smith began collecting stamps in childhood while recovering from measles. When he turned 18 Smith advertised some of his collection for sale in a national newspaper and much to his surprise he was inundated with replies. Realising there was a market for stamps, in 1862 he and his brother set up the first stamp dealership in Bath (although

not the first in the country – Stanley Gibbons pipped him to the post with that in 1856).

Smith’s first shop was at 13 George Street. In 1863 he published the pioneering philatetic journal The Stamp Collectors’ Magazine.

SIDNEY HORSTMANN Engineer and businessman, 1881-1962 The youngest son of a German clockmaker who moved to the city in the 1850s, Sidney founded Horstmann Gear in 1904 with his elder brothers. They became famous for producing a variable speed gear box for cars and motorcycles which Sidney himself had invented. In 1913 Horstmann cars was founded. The factory that opened at Newbridge in 1915 produced around 3,000 cars until its closure in 1929. In 1922 Sidney had patented a coil spring suspension system known as the Horstmann Bogie (nine years prior to Porsche’s similar system), which was used up until the 1960s in many western tanks such as the Chieftain and Centurion. Horstmann’s later became a general engineering company and today, although no longer family run, specialises in heating controls.

ARNOLD RIDLEY Actor and playwright, 1896 – 1984 Perhaps best known today as Private Godfrey in the popular 1970s TV series, Dad’s Army, Ridley began his career as a talented writer. His biggest success was his

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HARRY PATCH Last surviving First World War combat soldier, 1898 - 2009 At the time of his death Patch was not only the oldest man in Europe, but the last surviving First World War combat soldier from any country. He grew up at Combe Down and was a plumber by trade. He fought at the Battle of Passchendaele (1917) where he was wounded. During the Second World War he served as a firefighter during the Bath Blitz. Patch’s fame was coincidental – down to a twist of fate and his longevity.

He only began speaking of his first-hand experience when he turned 100. At the time of his death he was seen as representing the ordinary men who went to fight in what was an extraordinary war. More than 1,000 people attended his funeral at Wells Cathedral.

ALBERTO SEMPRINI Pianist, composer and conductor, 1908-1990 Semprini showed great talent for the piano and cello from an early age. Sent to Milan to study he graduated from the Verdi Conservatory in 1928. In 1938 he conducted his first radio orchestra in Italy. On returning to the UK Semprini was chosen to host a light music radio programme Semprini Serenades, which first aired in 1957 and continued for around 25 years. He also produced a prolific number of records for EMI. Perhaps his most unusual claim to fame is the fact that his name was used by the comedy team Monty Python as one of the prohibited words in their The Chemist Sketch (1971). In the sketch, anyone saying “Semprini” was arrested.

MAKING A MARK : from the top, ballet dancer Claire Calvert, runner Jason Gardener and former MP Ann Widdecombe

ERIC SNOOK Councillor, Mayor and toy master, 1921-2016 For generations of Bathonians Eric Snook was Mr Bath. He not only owned one of the longest running businesses in the city – his toy and pram emporium established in 1950 supplying generations of Bath’s parents and babies; but also served as a councillor. He later became Mayor of Bath from 19921993. Resplendent in a bow tie he continued working tirelessly well into his 90s. The popularity of Snooks was such that in 1980 he opened a branch in Covent Garden. Sadly after 67 years Snook’s toyshop shut its doors

in Bath for the final time in 2017. A vocal supporter of local independent traders Snook helped form the Bath Independent Group (BIG) in 2008. He also supported many local events and charities including Bath in Bloom and Fight for Sight.

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Resplendent in bow tie he continued working tirelessly well into his 90s – ERIC SNOOK –

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play The Ghost Train (1923) which became a popular West End production and was later turned into a film. Ridley went to school at Clarendon School and Bath Secondary; and saw action in both the First World War at the Battle of the Somme (1916), and the Second World War. His first foray into acting came soon after he was medically discharged from the army in 1916. When medically discharged again in 1940 Ridley not only joined ENSA but also the Home Guard. His acting legacy lives on in his great-niece, actress Daisy Ridley who starred in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017).

ALF (1921-2012), GEORGE (1924 – 2013), AND GORDON (1933-2016) SPARROW Crane hire specialists These three local brothers were influenced by their entrepreneurial father, GW Sparrow, who opened one of the most successful petrol stations in the south-west. The post-war building boom saw a rise in demand for cranes across the UK and in 1948 the brothers stepped into the breach and formed Sparrow’s, where they designed and built their own cranes, becoming international pioneers in lifting technology. Operations opened up in the Middle East and USA, as well as in other countries, and they would own and operate the first 1,000 tonne capacity truck in the world. The business was sold in 1986 but still holds the Sparrow name, still has its headquarters in Bath, and also still sports the familiar crane livery known throughout the world – the Sparrow red.

MARY BERRY Cook, TV presenter and writer, born 1935 A familiar face on our televisions today Berry first presented her baking skills following catering school at Bath College at the Bath Electricity Board showroom (Churchill House). There, and in customers’ homes, she would bake the perfect sponge to demonstrate the new electric ovens. Berry’s love for cooking was encouraged by her domestic science teacher at Bath High School.

After college and her stint in the electricity showroom, Berry moved to France to study at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu school. In 1966 she became editor of Housewife magazine, and her first cookery book was published in 1970. She’s gone on to become a household name, mainly as one of the judges on The Great British Bake Off (2010-2016).

ANN WIDDECOMBE Former Member of Parliament and author, born 1947 Although born in the city, Ann’s father’s job in the MOD meant that Widdecombe spent part of her childhood abroad. The family returned to Bath for her to complete her schooling, and she attended the since closed Roman Catholic Convent School,

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MADE IN BATH : left, Sparrows of Bath cranes, with, inset, Gordon Sparrow, one of the three brothers. Above, Alberto Semprini, host of Semprini Serenades long-running radio show, was born in Bath

La Sainte Union, on Pulteney Road. In 1987 Widdecombe was elected as Conservative MP for Maidstone, a seat she held until 2010. A controversial figure; even though she is now retired from politics she can still be seen on our stage and TV screens in various guises – whether tackling current affairs on panel shows and documentaries, or treading the boards in pantomime or on dance programmes.

CLAIRE CALVERT Ballet Dancer, born 1988 Today Calvert is First Soloist of The Royal Ballet; but her passion for ballet began in her home city of Bath when her mother enrolled her in local classes. Aged seven she was encouraged to audition for the Junior Associates of the Royal Ballet in Bristol where she was successful and trained for three years. At 11 she was taught by principal ballerina Darcey Bussell at the Royal Ballet Lower School in Richmond.

Calvert graduated from The Royal Ballet School in 2007. This winter Calvert plays the lead role of The Sugar Plum Fairy in the 2017-18 production of The Nutcracker at The Royal Opera House in London.

JEREMY GUSCOTT Bath and England rugby player, born 1965 The Prince of Centres was educated at Ralph Allen School where he excelled on the rugby pitch. He played for Bath Rugby during both the amateur era, holding down various jobs whilst also training, but also when Bath became a professional side.

Renowned as one of the greatest centres in Rugby Union history, Guscott made his England debut in May 1989, winning with a hat trick of tries against Romania. He continued to play for England for ten years and also toured with the British and Irish Lions in 1989, 1993 and 1997. Today Guscott works as a rugby pundit on television.

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CLAIRE COOMBS Princess of Belgium, born 1974 Her Royal Highness was born in the city to a Bathonian father and Belgian mother. She lived in the city for the first three years of her life before moving to Belgium with her family in 1977. She trained as a land surveyor, qualifying in 1999, before meeting Prince Laurent, the younger brother of King Philippe of Belgium, at a mutual friend’s home in 2000. The couple married in 2003 and have three children. Although Princess Claire has no official role, she and her husband support many animal and environmental causes. She also serves as Patron of the Brussels Choral Society and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the British School in Brussels. Princess Claire also became the first member of the Belgian Royal family to take on a public job, as an assessor at a polling station in the 2004 regional and European elections.

BILL BAILEY Musician, comedian, actor and writer, born 1964 The multi-talented Bailey grew up in nearby Keynsham and was educated at King Edward’s School in the city centre. Trained at the London College of Music, Bailey’s musical talents are reflected in his comedy routines. After years of playing in bands and various in-between jobs Bailey began to make waves in the comedy circuit and in 1996 he narrowly missed out on winning the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival. His leftfield, often dystopian, style of humour did win him Best Live Stand-up at the British Comedy Awards in 1999. He tours regularly as well as acting and is a panellist on television comedy shows.

JASON GARDENER Athlete and Olympic gold medallist, born 1975 Nicknamed The Bath Bullet, Gardener was educated at Beechen Cliff school then studied at Bath College and the University of Bath.

His first success on the track was at the World Junior Championships in 1994, later taking European gold medals in 60m sprint in 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2007, as well as gold in the 2004 World Indoor Championships in Budapest. This success was topped off in Athens in 2004 with his Olympic gold medal win in the 4x100 Relay. Today Gardener is a motivational speaker and sports consultant.

He was given the Freedom of the City of Bath in 2004 and awarded a MBE in 2005. In June 2017 he was also awarded an honorary degree from the University of Bath in recognition of his contribution to not only athletics but in raising the international profile of the university.

BEN RUSHGROVE Paralympian, silver medallist, and world record holder, born 1988 Rushgrove has had a need for speed ever since he was a teenager. Born with cerebral palsy he was not meant to survive the night, let alone into his 20s. It was at school in Hampshire that Rushgrove’s love of running was developed. He returned to study sports performance at the University of Bath and is today part of Team Bath. He competes in the T36 100 and 200 metres. Rushgrove set a world record for T36 200 metres in the 2007 Paralympic World Cup and won a bronze and a silver medal in the Paralympic Games in London 2012 and Beijing 2008 respectively.

CHARLIE MCDONNELL Musician and vlogger, born 1990 McDonnell attended Beechen Cliff school and in 2007, while still a student, he began broadcasting on YouTube.Today he presents Fun Science vlogs and has written a corresponding book on the subject. In June 2011 he became the first YouTuber in the UK to reach 1 million subscribers.

McDonnell has diversified into film making and writing and continues with his music which is frequently featured on his channel.

He recently moved to Canada. n

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FOOD | AND DRINK

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE: One of the delicious dishes available at Noya’s Kitchen

VEGETARIAN DELIGHT: Beetroot quinoa, goats curd, apple and sorrel at Dan Moon at the Gainsborough Restaurant

FOOD RESOLUTIONS

If one of your New Year promises is to ditch the rich food there’s no need to cancel your dinner reservation, says Melissa Blease. Bath is packed with wholesome alternatives

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substantially cutting back on the amount of meat they eat) and trend-forecasters predict that flexitarianism is set to rise drastically in 2018.

There’s plenty of places for meat-avoiders to have a tasty meal in Bath from Beyond the Kale and Green Rocket Café to Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen and The Chapel Arts Café. And now The Beaufort – formerly one of Bath’s most popular Sunday roast hotspots – underwent a total revamp at the end of 2017, rebranding as Nourish, a vegan pub serving up tasty dishes like walnut, red pepper and cashew lasagna.

❝

Our preoccupation with fad diets is finally on the wane and being replaced with an everything in moderation mantra . . .

❝

I

f you’re dashing headlong into January with a resolution to lead a healthier lifestyle, then you’re not alone – far from it. A recent NHS survey found that more than 80% of us will start 2018 resolving to eat less food, drink less alcohol and do more exercise.

But, of course, those classic resolutions are hardly news. Whether its Atkins or Dukan, Weight Watchers or the F-plan there's always a new diet lurking just around the corner.

Years ago going on a diet meant saying goodbye to restaurant meals until the requisite number of pounds had been shed.

At which point, one’s new shape could be celebrated with a double portion of lasagna and three slices of Black Forest gateau, after which the whole soul-destroying feast or famine cycle began again. But our preoccupation with fad diets is finally on the wane and being replaced with an everything in moderation mantra. Suddenly no food really is off-limits.

Blazing the trail in Bath, Dough Pizza has revolutionized our pizza perceptions, offering base options like gluten-free, seaweed, multi grain, turmeric and Venus black rice and representing a selection that’s not only tasty, but brings all manner of easyto-digest health benefits to the party too. The multigrain, for example, combines the sweetness of natural grains with the crunch of sesame and pumpkin seeds; the seaweed contains spirulina; the hemp is laden with omega-3 and omega-6.

More than ever before, meat is no longer an everyday menu must-have, nor considered a treat to indulge in when eating out. While 12% of us do indeed eschew meat and fish altogether, thousands more identify themselves as flexitarian (those who are

Bath’s coolest chefs in more traditional kitchens are increasingly putting plant-based options on their social media feeds. Topping Bath’s Instagram charts last month was the vegan bread selection available at Dan Moon at the Gainsborough Restaurant and the King William’s vegan falafel.

Cutting down on food waste is increasingly as much of a priority as cutting down on waist size. Every year we throw away a shocking 13 billion pounds of food in the UK. New Vietnamese restaurant, Noya’s on St James Parade is championing the supper club format in part because it’s so

effective in reducing the amount of food thrown in the bin.

We’re also becoming far more aware of exactly what’s in our food. The National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence estimates that 45% of us have developed intolerances to certain foods over the past decade. A range of hypotheses abound about why these figures are so high, but in the main, it seems that environmental pollutants, intensive farming practices and over-use of additives all have an impact.

Deciphering the ingredients on the menu was once an almost impossible task, but post 2014, restaurants are required by law to list any ingredients used in their kitchens that are known to trigger allergies, including nuts, gluten, milk and soya. As a result, restaurants today, from fast food outlets to fine dining emporiums, use simple shorthand to let us all know exactly what we can – and can’t – expect to find on our plate.

And that is what healthy eating should really be all about: intelligent choices, eschewing restaurants that don’t offer a clear outline of their sourcing policies and an awareness of the impact our food has on both ourselves and the world around us.

A healthy diet is for life after all, not just for the New Year. n LEARN THE LINGO V: vegetarian VG: vegan GF: gluten-free (but not necessarily prepared in a gluten-free environment) C: suitable for coeliacs.

DF: dairy-free N: contains nuts GMO: genetically modified organism

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

TALK OF THE TOWN Noya’s brilliant Vietnamese supper clubs have been wowing the city’s foodie set for years. But her days of pop-ups are over with the longawaited opening of her own bricks and mortar space. Matt Inwood went along to be converted.

I

t starts with a crystal-clear cup of jasmine tea as fragrant as having the very blossoms from that flower wafted under your nose. Since I’m similarly ignorant to the delights of Vietnamese slow-drip coffee, my server recommends I try that drink too, suggesting I don’t skimp with the accompanying condensed milk. I pour it all in and knock-back this wonderfully caramelly concoction almost in one hit. I’m already two flavour sensations in and I haven’t yet got to the food.

Indeed, I’m a little late all round to the food of Noya Palwyn, whose newly opened restaurant this is. Prior to setting up in the center of Bath, she was running a muchloved supper club from a café in Bear Flat. While I never got to make it to one of those evenings, I’d say she’s looked to recreate that easy going, stylish informality in her new restaurant space. For it’s a homely quality that marks so much of what is so good here, starting with the warm 64 TheBATHMagazine

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greeting from knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff and peppering through everything from the decor to the dishes: that’s Noya’s curated Vietnamese tableware; those are her brush marks on the petrol-blue paint on the walls; the hand-written chalkboard menu; the fairy light garlands – it’s all the vision of one person, and there’s much of her rather large heart and soul here, too.

Vietnamese food hasn’t yet cemented itself in the UK as securely as many of its sister Asian cuisines, but the flavours are ones we all love and many of the staple ingredients are ones which we have been enjoying at home for an age. It’s a cuisine founded on five fundamentals of taste – sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty – and Noya celebrates each element in full.

With teapots and coffee filters cleared from the table, the food begins to arrive. First up is summer rolls: four delicate rice-paper-wrapped bundles of loveliness with a nuoc cham

ABOVE: Noya relaxing before the rush. FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The interiors are stylish and cosy; your meal begins with Jasmine tea; puddings have an English influence; summer rolls are one of Noya’s signature dishes; coffee is served in glass cups; the menu changes daily.

PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT INWOOD

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

(dipping sauce) alongside. I bite in and reveal a colourful array of wafer-thin batons of mango and carrot, together with parsley, vermicelli noodles and umami-rich chicken (tofu and prawn were the other menu options of the day).

The hot and sweet sauce complements them beautifully and each one is packed with such finesse, they’re very nearly too pretty to eat. I scoff four of them and mourn their loss almost immediately.

Here, summer is followed by spring: deep-fried spring rolls to be exact. The frying means that the flavours are less well-defined, but the pork inside is rich and moreish and given a boost of savoury depth by wood-ear mushroom. Once again, the magic of a clean and punchy dipping sauce balances everything so well.

A mother and daughter enter excitedly and take the table next to me. I overhear that they are seasoned fans of Noya’s supper clubs. They cast an eye at the last of my spring rolls and gripped by a minor territorial panic I quickly despatch them.

Chicken sticks with a peanut and lemongrass sauce are next. Chicken satay is my wife’s favourite and I can’t resist texting a quick picture to her. The envious reply was not complimentary. But the chicken is tender and the sauce is a mix of smooth and crunchy and packs a devilish little kick. The restaurant is now almost full buzzing with chatter, thoughtful chewing, slurping and appreciative noises.

A chicken curry provides the gentlest savory hug of the entire lunch, which is not to say that it underwhelms at all, simply that it is gentle and comforting, Katsu-ey in flavour.

There's a lovely warmth that starts at the back of my throat and emanates all the way to my stomach.

Dessert is a curious thing. I was hoping for something of Vietnam, but instead it’s the most English of things – a lemon posset. It’s impossible to fault, light and sweet with grated zest and syrupy clementine pieces on top and an almond and coconut biscuit to soften the sharpness and bring balance. It may well be Noya’s nod to the country she has made home, to show us something of our own food culture while so generously sharing hers. It works.

And I’m left full without feeling so; thoroughly content without having expended any real effort.

My advice? Give it a go before all of her supper club devotees grab every available table and arrive very hungry, there’s not a mouthful you’ll want to skip. n Noya’s Kitchen, 7 St James Parade, Bath, BA1 1UL; 01225 684439. Visit: noyaskitchen.co.uk.

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

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The former Georgian House has recently enjoyed a refurbishment to make it the wedding venue of dreams, with lavish bedrooms and bathrooms, award winning chefs, a tranquil spa and photographic backdrops all year round which will ensure that you fall in the love with the memories for years to come.

Many of our historic suites and rooms are licensed for civil ceremonies as well as our outside venue, ‘The Temple’. The Bath Spa Hotel offers a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere ideal for a special occasion.

MACDONALDS BATH SPA HOTEL Sydney Road, Bath BA2 6JF

CALL 08439 020462

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

THAT’S A MAZDA An exceptionally good drive and a beautifully built SUV. The Mazda CX-5 is getting so many good reviews it’s beating most expectations. Our motoring correspondent Chris Lilly takes one for a spin.

M

azda doesn’t have a large line-up, but it must be said that each model is a good one; certainly a case of quality over quantity. The Mazda CX-5 was one of the models that set the Japanese firm on its way to this highclass portfolio, but now there’s a new one.

With big boots to fill, it will be interesting to see how the new CX-5 measures up.

There will be few who disagree with me when I say that things bode well from the outset, since the Mazda CX-5 is a stylish machine. Making good use of its Kodo design language, Mazda has created one of the best looking cars in its class. Narrow light clusters help the CX-5 look low despite its relatively high ride height, and the car has an athletic stance to it rarely found in the SUV market. It certainly looks like an SUV, and a sporty one at that.

The interior complements the exterior design nicely, using similar themes to help visually stretch the car and make it look wider than it is. The dashboard is a nicely set-up and cleanly designed affair, with a grouping of three dials telling the driver what’s going on, and a decent-sized infotainment screen dealing with other systems. Mazda’s control for said infotainment system might not be the most sophisticated around, but it works well and is intuitive in its operation, aided by some shortcut buttons surrounding the main dial.

It means that the only elements to remain fitted to the centre console are airconditioning controls, keeping the whole affair fuss-free.

Build quality feels solid, and the materials used are high quality, confirming the feeling that Mazda sits somewhere between mainstream and premium – the sort of territory held by VW. The CX-5 won’t challenge the likes of BMW and Jaguar, but it feels a much nicer machine than those offered by Renault and Nissan.

The driver in particular will be happy with the state of affairs inside, since the driving position is good, and the controls are well laid out around them. Other passengers will have few complaints either, as head, leg, and shoulder space is good throughout, and you can easily cart three adults as passengers without any problems. Load space at the rear is good, though not class leading. You will have to be looking for a real family

workhorse to complain about the boot space, but rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq offer more.

It is behind the wheel where the CX-5 excels though, with a fine choice of naturally aspirated petrol and diesel engines, and a well sorted chassis. Mazda’s use of nondownsized engines has gone against the trend for some time now, but few have complained at the logic of fitting an engine that has enough about it to deal with the vehicle’s size easily. This is in contrast to downsized units that that work well most of the time, but struggle when the going gets tough.

As such, Mazda offers one 2.0 litre Skyactiv-G petrol unit which produces 165hp powering the front wheels via a sixspeed manual gearbox. It’s a good powertrain, but one unlikely to sell in big numbers in the UK. Instead, it’s probable that the diesels will prove more popular, with Mazda’s 2.2 litre Skyactiv-D engine providing either 150hp or 175hp. Both are available with manual or automatic transmissions, but the higher powered version is only available with four-wheel drive – the 150hp offering has an option for front or all-wheel drive.

Performance figures range between 9.0 seconds and 10.4 seconds in the 0-62mph dash – the petrol being the slowest in the line-up – while fuel economy figures available stretch from 44.1mpg for the petrol to 56.5mpg for the 150hp diesel with a manual gearbox.

The engines are just part of the package

though. Mazda’s engineers are good at creating a well balanced car – one that handles well but is comfortable too. They’ve pulled off the same trick here, offering well controlled body roll and precise steering with a good level of feedback when undertaking some enthusiastic cornering. Keep everything at a more sedate pace though, and the CX-5 settles down to a relaxing and refined cruise at motorway speeds, and will shrug off all but the worst of any potholes you might encounter thanks to the SUV’s high ride height.

My pick of the range would be the CX-5 Skyactiv-D 2.2 150hp, which will cover 062mph in 9.4 seconds, and has the highest fuel economy figure. It’s plenty powerful enough for the CX-5, with any more oomph a luxury rather than a necessity, and it will prove the cheapest to run too. Out of the two trim levels – SE-L Nav and Sport Nav, the former is better value with plenty of equipment, while the latter would simply be nice to have. Standard equipment is good across both trim levels, and though the CX-5 is slightly higher priced than some rivals, it feels good value for it. Again, it comes down to that middle space between mainstream and premium, and the Mazda is priced to match.

The CX-5 is one of the best driver’s cars in its class then, and a good pick for a practical SUV too. There are more economical, faster, and more practical rivals, but none can offer similar driving dynamics, and few are as well rounded a package as the Mazda. ■

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CITY | PEOPLE

CITYNEWS Do you remember...

Bath City Laundry was built in 1889 by architect Major Charles Davis, as part of the Victorian programme of improvements to the area around the Roman Baths. As well as washing towels for the spa, the laundry was used to wash all kinds of things for the council, from roller towels in washrooms to overalls for Parks Department staff and napkins for the Pump Room. In the 1950s it was washing nearly half a million items a year. Now students are asking for memories and images of the laundry in York Street and Swallow Street during the 1950s to 1970s as part of a fascinating Bath Spa University project. The memories collected will be made available to the public as a digital resource for residents and visitors to explore.

To contribute: write to The Roman Baths Museum Office, The Pump Room, Stall Street, Bath BA1 1LZ; email Vicky_Young@bathnes.gov.uk or tweet @RomanBathsBath

Did you Know?

In 2016 the BID trade waste scheme diverted

5265 tonnes

One of the many homes available through Airready

Hassle-free Airbnb Want to rent out your home through Airbnb but dread the reality of greeting guests, prepping your property and organising bookings? Cue Bath-based Airready, a property management company started by ex-primary teacher Rebecca Kemp and project manager Deborah Goodchild. Having looked after their own self-catering properties, the duo decided there was a gap for those keen to make money out of their home during the holidays but needing to offload the logistics onto someone else. After just a year in business they now look after 30 properties in and around Bath. From a two-bed maisonette on The Royal Crescent to a 17-bed country pile in Freshford. Commission starts at 20% but gets you a service that goes the extra mile. Homes are prepped with blooms from local florist Nanneke Kingston-de Ru and fresh bread comes via The Galleries Shop in Freshford. Even better all the cleaning, key handovers and those middle of the night calls from guests who can’t find the boiler go through to someone else.

To find out more: call or email Rebecca on 07906 507228; rebecca@airready.co.uk, web: airready.co.uk

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2017

High Street Footfall

provided by

from landfill

n Throughout November there was a steady footfall increase, with the end of the month dominated by Black Friday (24th November) and the hunt for bargains. Black Friday was less significant across the UK, although in Bath, November 24th coincided with the first weekend of the city’s annual Christmas Market and a Bath Rugby fixture at home to Harlequins. The city bucked the national trend and for that Friday alone, showed a 39% week on week footfall increase.

The layout of the stalls improved the flow in the city for visitors to enjoy a more leisurely shop and over the whole weekend, Bath saw a 54% increase in footfall in comparison with the previous week. Results for Christmas as a whole will be available once all the survey work is complete.

(Month on month % change)

Bath

+2.7%

South West UK

-4.0%

-1.1% Springboard Research Ltd.

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ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

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

www.oclaccountancy.com

Claiming business set up costs against tax Most businesses incur costs before they start trading & there are rules to determine when and if they are tax deductible. These can include finding premises, equipment and stock and for tax purposes none of these are tax deductible unless or until the business starts to trade.

Companies and unincorporated businesses have similar rules saying that pretrading expenditure is treated as if incurred on the first day of trading; the normal rules then apply so that typical trading expenses like travel, telephone and insurance are deducted from the business income, while capital allowances are given for equipment. The fundamental rule is that all expenses must be wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business.

When you are starting up, finding customers and suppliers, selecting staff and similar, it’s entirely proper for your company to pay you a salary; so long as it’s reasonable for the time spent and at a fair rate, it can be included as a deductible pre-trading expense. (This doesn’t apply if your business is unincorporated, because you’re taxed on the profit the business makes rather than what you draw from it).

The good news: pre-trading expenditure rules apply to expenses paid up to seven years before trading starts.

Some pre-trading expenditure is outside the special rules; stock & advance rental payments for a period after trading commences, although incurred “pretrading”, are applied to the period to which they relate for tax purposes.

Where you borrow for your new business and incur interest & related charges before trade starts, these are also pre-trading costs, treated in the same way as other expenses, provided you are unincorporated.

For companies, these costs can only be deducted from non-trade income received, such as interest on savings. However, a company can elect for these pre-trading ‘loan relationship’ costs (such as interest paid) to be treated alongside other expenses, subject to meeting conditions; a two-year time limit for the election and, of course, the costs must meet the wholly and exclusively test.

For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Maggs, Hannah Pettifer or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 for a no-obligation meeting.

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

What our clients say:

“Thank you for your excellent customer service, OCL is one of the best things we have done as a business”

“We couldn't have reached this stage without the help of OCL. I would thoroughly recommend OCL accountants to any small to medium sized business”.

Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Pettifer on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 72 TheBATHMagazine

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TREASURE | HUNT

HOW MANY DID YOU SPOT?

In our Christmas issue we launched a treasure hunt which challenged readers to identify ten pubs and ten places of worship in Bath, with a first prize of afternoon tea for four at The Pump Room. And here are the answers . . .

5

3

2

4

1

6

7

9

10

8 14

12

11

15

16

13 17

20

18

19 HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW BATH? 1. Bonus question: Name the architect of this building, who is also buried in the surrounding graveyard?

Answer: St Mary’s Mortuary Chapel. Bonus answer: Thomas Pinch

11. Bonus question: Can you name the 19th century female playwright and novelist whose memorial stone was moved to this church and can now be seen inside?

Answer: St Swithin’s Church. Bonus answer: Fanny Burney (also called Madame D’Arblay)

2. On which street can you find this church?

Bonus question: What was the name of the company which used to occupy this building and whose ghost sign can still be seen?

12. Bonus question: In what year did this church open in its current guise?

Answer: Bath Central United Reformed Church. Bonus answer: Opened as the Central United Reformed Church in 1981 – an amalgamation of two existing churches

Answer: New King Street. Bonus question: Marvel Cycle Co

13. Bonus question: What is the name of the infamous bench at this hostelry?

Answer: The Star Inn. Bonus answer: Death Row

3. Bonus Question: This church was built over the site of a much older church, can you name it?

Answer: Hay Hill Baptist Church. Bonus answer: St Werburgh’s Church 4. Can you identify this building and the street? Bonus question: it was built in 1817 for Bath’s Freemasons lodge but acquired by the current occupants in which year?

Answer: the Friends Meeting House, York Street. Bonus answer: 1866 5. Bonus question: What is unusual about the interior of this church?

Answer: St Stephen’s Church, Lansdown. Bonus answer: it has no pillars 6. Bonus question: How many memorials in total are there in this building?

Answer: Bath Abbey. Bonus answer: 1,508 memorials in total 7. Bonus question: The organ in this church was originally built for Bath’s Assembly Rooms, but in what year?

Answer: Walcot Methodist Church. Bonus answer: 1771 8. Bonus question: Name the street that this pub is on Answer: Volunteer Rifleman’s Arms. Bonus answer: New Bond Street Place 9. Bonus question: In what particular architectural style is this church designed?

Answer: Holy Trinity Church. Bonus answer: French Gothic 10. Bonus question: What night is the popular pub quiz held here?

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14. Bonus question: What was the name of the business that also purveyed liquid refreshment, but of a different sort, from this building during the 18th century?

Answer: The Huntsman. Bonus answer: The Parade Coffee House 15. Bonus question: Which nearby building, destroyed during the Bath Blitz, gave this pub its name?

Answer: The Trinity. Bonus answer: Holy Trinity Church 16. Bonus question: What was this pub originally built as?

Answer: The Curfew. Bonus answer: A bookshop 17. Bonus question: What is the unusual pub game called that you can find and play here?

Answer: The New Inn. Bonus answer: Ring/Ringing the Bull 18. Bonus question: This pub has been recently renamed, what was the original name that it was known by, since at least 1776?

Answer: The Thief. Bonus answer: The King’s Arms 19. Bonus question: Which now obsolete brewery from Weymouth is immortalised on the public bar window of this pub?

Answer: Coeur de Lion. Bonus answer: Devenish Brewery 20. Bonus question: This pub was a wine and spirit merchants in the 19th century, can you name the owner?

Answer: The Boater. Bonus answer: Henry Morrish

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FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILY DIARY IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH BATH ON ICE Open daily until Tuesday 2 January, 10.30am – 9.30pm n Royal Victoria Park Make the most of your last chance to grab your skates, wrap up warm and have a go at staying on your feet on the ice. Plus Bath’s adventure golf course next door will be illuminated, so you can try your hand at playing glow in the dark mini golf. There’s also plenty of delicious refreshments on offer after a workout on the ice. Visit: bathonice.com or tel: 01225 436888.

AFTERNOON TODDLEALONGS Every Friday from 5 January – 16 March, 1 – 2.30pm n The Holburne Museum This weekly workshop helps parents and preschool children to play and learn together through songs, stories, and creative activities inspired by the museum’s collection and exhibitions. £60 for six weeks, block bookings only. Suitable for two – five years.

Visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388568.

CURTAIN UP THEATRE SCHOOLS SPRING TERM Saturday mornings during term time, starting from 6 January n Curtain Up Theatre Schools, St Gregory’s Catholic College, Combe Hay Lane, Bath Independent theatre school Curtain Up allows children aged four to 18 to develop their acting, dancing and singing skills, while gaining confidence and making new friends.

Classes take place during term time every Saturday, and the students work towards putting on a performance for family and friends at the end of term. Tel: 01225 448050 or visit: curtainup.org.uk.

SATURDAY SKETCHING Saturday 6 January, 10.30am – 12.30pm n Fashion Museum Children and adults can sketch the beautiful objects on display in the museum’s A History of Fashion in 100 Objects exhibition. Free with normal museum entry. Visit: fashionmuseum.co.uk.

ARTY BABIES Every Monday from 8 January – 5 February, 1 – 2.30pm n The Holburne Museum This group provides a relaxed, creative space for parents to meet other parents over a cuppa and make something different each week while their babies enjoy sensory play.

Suitable for up to nine months. £50 for five weeks, block bookings only. If you wish to

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Phoebe Thomas as Hetty Feather Credit: Helen Murray

do a trial session on 8 January (£10) ahead of booking the rest of a block, visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388568.

TUESDAY YEARLINGS Every Tuesday from 9 January – 6 February, 10.30am – 12pm n The Holburne Museum Celebrate the changing seasons with songs, sensory exploration and creative activities.

Sessions designed for both adults and children to enjoy, suitable for 12 – 24 months. £50 for five weeks, block bookings only. Visit: holburne.org or tel: 01225 388568.

BRING YOUR OWN BABY Tuesday 9 January, doors 11.15am, show 12pm n Komedia Back by popular demand, Bring Your Own Baby Comedy is the UK’s premier baby friendly comedy club – featuring the funniest comedy stars from the circuit and TV. Komedia provides soft flooring, toys, buggy parking and baby changing, so that your baby is happy and you can relax, have a drink and be entertained. Suitable for babies up to 12 months. Tickets: £5 – £10. Visit: komedia.co.uk/bath or tel: 01225 489070.

HETTY FEATHER Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 January, times vary n Theatre Royal Bath Having enjoyed a sold out run in the West End, where it delighted critics and audiences alike with its beautiful story-telling, original live music, circus skills and huge heart, Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather returns to Bath. Suitable for ages seven and above.

Tickets from £15.50 – £24.50. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 448844.

RONDO DRAMA CLUB Mondays from 15 January, 5 – 6pm n St Saviour’s School A creative theatre club for ages eight – 15.

Each week young actors will work with youth director Paulo Baigent to devise their own play and perform it in front of friends and family at the end of term in March.

Children can get involved in every aspect of theatre, helping to develop the staging, and planning the costumes and props. £75 per child, per term. Visit: rondotheatre.co.uk.

BRLSI YOUNG ADVENTURER FAMILY LECTURE Saturday 20 January, 2.30 – 4pm n BRLSI, Queen Square, Bath Join Amy (14) and Ella (12) plus their taxi-

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FAMILY | EVENTS driving parents for an afternoon of tips, stories and ideas that will help you have exciting and fun family adventures of your own. They’ll also talk about being environmental activists and why they are interested in tackling plastic pollution. An afternoon of adventure for ages eight and over and their families. Tickets: £4 adults, £2 children. Visit: brlsi.org.

SNOW MOUSE Wednesday 24 January – Sunday 11 February, times vary n The egg An enchanting winter’s tale of a child who meets a mouse buried among the snow flakes outside. Sliding, tumbling and laughing, they explore the winter wonderland together, while keeping each other safe and warm from the winter freeze. Suitable for up to four years old. Tickets: £8.50 adults, £7.50 children. Visit: theatreroyal.org.uk or tel: 01225 823409.

CREATE: ART Saturday 27 January, 10.30am – 12.30pm n The Edge, University of Bath Spend some quality time together developing your artistic skills and learning some top tips for making art at home. Takes place in the Fine Art Studio. £5 per child, £3 per adult, children must be accompanied by an adult.

Suitable for five – 11 year olds. Pre-booking advised, limited spaces. Visit: edgearts.org.

Create art at The Edge

CREATE: TALES FOR TOTS Saturday 27 January, 10.30 – 11.15am and 11.30am – 12.15pm n The Edge, University of Bath Bring stories to life through dance, arts and crafts in this interactive workshop, where little ones will be introduced to new books or celebrate their much-loved favourite characters. Suitable for three – four year olds. £7.50 for parent and child (additional children or adult £4). Takes place in the Ensemble Room. Pre-booking advised.

SATURDAY CLUB Every Saturday, 10 – 11.45am n Bath City Farm Children can explore every corner of the farm, take part in treasure hunts, candle making, firecraft, painting, games, and jam making, as well as feeding the animals.

Suitable for five – 11 years. £5 per session, siblings £4, bookable in termly blocks of about six weeks. To book, tel: 01225 481 269 or email info@bathcityfarm.org.uk.

Visit: bathcityfarm.org.uk.

ROCKETSHIP ADVENTURE Saturdays and Sundays until 31 March, 2pm n We the Curious, Harbourside, Bristol Legend has it that there was once a great bear named Ursa who was far too big to live in the forest. Join Stella the bear on an adventure around the earth and out into space to find Ursa’s new starry home. Hurtle out to the moon, fly past the sun, and shoot out into the stars to discover what lies beyond our little planet, all within the Planetarium. Suitable for four – six years.

Visit: wethecurious.org.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5.30pm in term time n Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park, Pixash Lane, Bath Road, Keynsham Children can explore more than 90 acres at Avon Valley. They can climb to the top of the adventure play area and check out the massive towers, all via rope bridges, zip wires, a tunnel slide, tyre bridges and much more. And if the weather is rubbish, there’s an indoor play barn with slides, rope swings, and a toddler village. Tel: 0117 9864929 or visit: avonvalley.co.uk. n

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LITTLE | BATH

FIVE BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPOTS Kate Austin, the co-founder of Spotty Herberts, moved to Bath from Shoreditch seven years ago. She lives in Lansdown with her husband Paul and two children Zillah, 12 and Fenn, 9. Here she dishes the places that never fail to impress the whole family . . .

1/

On Sunday mornings we’ll often head to Rye Bakery (a cool converted church in Frome) for their Beats for Breakfast. A recent favourite has been DJ Atsushi Hasegawa playing vintage French vinyl.

The brunches are spot-on: mushrooms on sourdough toast; perfectly cooked eggs and soldiers; oven-fresh croissants that are the best you’ve ever tasted plus excellent coffee served in delicate ceramic cups. There’s also an open-plan kids play area to one side and a lush little garden out back.

1

2

2/ Just nine miles from Bath, Farleigh Castle is an excellent backdrop for epic battles and hours of hide and seek. We combo a morning there with an afternoon of wild swimming and cream teas at Stowford Manor Farm, which is just 15 minutes walk away.

3/

Life doesn’t get much better than eating pizza atop a straw bale at The Walled Garden at Mells. The place is a gem; a rural café meets garden nursery set in the heart of the gobsmackingly pretty village of Mells.

The view from the rear wall is pictureperfect English countryside and the garden made for exploring – don’t miss a rummage in the old toy box and the greenhouse.

4/

Our new discovery is evening roller skating at the Bath Pavilion. It’s slap-bang in the middle of the leisure centre car park but somehow we’d never been until Fenn got invited to a birthday party there earlier in the year. It was an instant hit. What kid doesn’t love whizzing round and round beneath a big disco ball to pumping music, then gorging on hot dogs and ketchupcovered chips. Plus it’s not too expensive (£5.50 for kids and £7 for adults, plus £1 skate hire), and the 4:30 til 7 family skating sessions on a Monday and Thursday afternoon are a fabulous post-school treat.

3

5/

For a failsafe lunch or dinner spot it has to be Dough in the Corridor. It’s a buzzy pizza place that’s unfailingly child-friendly and big enough that it’s rarely fully booked (because who wants to wait for a table with kids in tow). The twist is that you can pick your own dough from a host of scrummy flavors like hemp, turmeric and kamut. Our go-to is a Margarita on a seaweed dough base. Just as importantly the Italian beer is icy cold, the service quick and they don’t flinch at a few noisy children. n

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PARTIS COLLEGE

ALMSHOUSES BATH

APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES Have you thought about volunteering? Do you find that you have some free time which you would be happy to devote to a worthwhile cause? Would you like to give something back to your community?

If you have a managerial or consultancy background that enables you to contribute strategically to the development and success of a project and you share a concern for older people, then you may be just the sort of person we are looking for to join our Board of Trustees.

The almshouses, known as Partis College, were founded in 1825 by Ann Partis, a local philanthropist, in order to provide affordable accommodation for single women over 50 years of age and in financial need. She built her almhouses in Newbridge on the outskirts of Bath. Today the charity consists of 31 Grade I Listed Georgian houses comprising 3 terraces set around a grass lawn and 3 apartments.

In the central terrace there is a classical portico behind which is the Chapel.

The charity is governed by a Board of 12 volunteer trustees together with an Administration Officer, who is a full time employee, and a part-time Chaplain.

The Board meets 4 times a year, and in addition, trustees are appointed to a subcommittee and come into College as necessary to direct and oversee management of the charity and the welfare of residents.

To request an application form please contact the office on 01225 421532 (between 8.00 am - 4.00 pm) or email admin@partiscollege.org.uk. Closing date 17th January 2018.

www.partiscollege.com

Regd. Charity No.200606

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

dyslexia and other specific learning/language difficulties.

• Located in Wiltshire between Bath and Chippenham.

CReSTeD approved.

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

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

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Photography: Brompton Bikes

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TRENDS | AND | FITNESS

THE WHEELS OF CHANGE Huge advances in E-bike technology mean that this odd-ball of the cycling world is having a moment.

Vishaka Robinson finds out why they might be a key part of the solution for Bath’s traffic problems and meets the city’s early adopters Norwegian research found that E-bikers are working out far harder than you’d imagine: The study discovered that E-bikers are 8.5 times as active as when resting; normal cyclists are only a little more active at 10.9.

For Stephen Paul, who runs a local food delivery business and is often seen peddling elegantly through town on his Urban Arrow cargo bike, having an electric bike was the cornerstone of his business. He bought his

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I think people have really twigged that an electric bike is a genuinely viable alternative to a car, which is brillaint for Bath with it’s chronic air pollution and congestion problems

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B

ath is infamous for its bowl shape: flat in the centre but quickly sweeping into the limestone hills that surround it. For those trying to forego a car and commute to the centre by foot or bike, the hills around Camden, Bear Flat and the University of Bath can be more exercise than you bargained for, especially if you live in Lansdown, the city’s highest point at almost 800 feet.

But now the next generation of electric bikes, lighter, cheaper and even more energy efficient, are making the idea of biking through Somerset – even up its steepest hills – achievable whatever your fitness level.

“We’ve had an average 30% increase in sales every single year since we opened seven years ago,” says David Tod, owner of E-bike specialist, Take Charge Bikes on Lower Bristol Road. He stocks more than 70 models and can order in most brands.

He’s sold battery-powered cycles to everyone from the Mayor of Bath to Richard Wyatt and thinks the city is set to embrace the new technology in a big way.

“We’ve had more than 100 people taking part in the trial scheme this year,” says Tod, who’s the go-to provider for the free, twoweek electric bike trials offered through the council and the University of Bath.

In exchange for a deposit of £100 you can borrow an E-bike for a fortnight, along with locks, panniers and lights (you’ll just need your own helmet), at the end of your stint you’re under no pressure to buy – although of course many do.

Finding alternatives to using the car in our city centre is something we need to tackle head-on. Last year’s Government Air Quality Plan singled out B&NES as one of the 29 local authorities with excessive levels of roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution.

“We are currently looking at options for supporting roll-out on street E-bike hire, which will overcome issues of maintenance, storage and security, which put off many potential e-bike users,” says a spokesperson from B&NES. Also pushing for change is transport minister Jesse Norman. He’s contemplating an E-bike version of the incentive given to those who buy electric cars; at present people buying electric cars receive up to £4,500 off the purchase price.

But many locals are already converted, citing health benefits as being just as key as ecological ones. E-bikers will burn on average 350 calories an hour and recent

during a trip to the International Cargo bike Festival in the Netherlands and will tell you it’s not just able to carry groceries, but comes with an interchangeable family box (complete with seat belts, a windscreen and a roof) that’ll carry up to three children.

“I do see more and more electric bikes around which is great. I think people have really twigged that an electric bike is a genuinely viable alternative to a car, which is brilliant for Bath with its chronic air pollution and congestion problems,” says Paul. Adding that even Bath’s notorious hills are no match for a combo of peddle and electric power: “I can easily get up all the main hills like Bathwick, Lansdown and Ralph Allen. There’s a killer one where Frankley Buildings is near our base in Larkhall, which some cars struggle with, thankfully I’ve never had a delivery there but think the bike could manage it.”

Going via peddle also means you don’t have to negotiate the city’s expensive parking quagmire (B&NES collects an average of six million pounds in parking charges each year). “Once people try them the benefits are so huge that they never look back,” says Tod. “Who knows, in five years time with some infrastructure changes Bath could give Amsterdam a run for its money.” n

NEED TO KNOW...

1/

As a rule, the more you pay for your E-bike the longer your battery will last. So a full charge will take you between 25 and 70 miles. Of course, how you use your bike (ie how much you peddle, your weight and how many hills you encounter) will impact the number of miles a fully charged battery will do.

2/

You can buy an electric bike for as little as £600 for a no-frills commuter bike (expect a 25 mile run on a sixhour charge) to a to a limited edition Blacktrail BT-01 for a touch under £60,000.

3/

Riding an E-bike costs 0.4p per mile, while a medium-sized diesel car costs 34p per mile. They can travel at up to 15.5mph with the motor on, and some bikes can cover 70 miles on a single charge.

4/

E-bikes are like a normal bike with the addition of a built-in electric motor and battery. Riders still have to pedal, but the motor will kick in to help. The new generation of E-bikes are far lighter thanks to the introduction of lithium batteries.

5/

With the modern systems on Ebikes you can choose how hard you want to work yourself and how much assistance you want from the bike. The electric motor won’t assist you when you’re travelling more than 25km (15.5 mph) making it no more dangerous speed-wise than a conventional bike.

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TRENDS | AND | FITNESS

THE ANATOMY OF AN E-BIKE 1/ Weight Most E-bikes are heavier than traditional pedal bikes due to the added weight of the motor and the battery.

On the road this is not a problem as the motor assists your ride. However it may be worth spending more on a lighter bike if you need to lift it regularly. e.g. if you live in an apartment.

2/ Controller Sensors constantly communicate ride data to a built in computer that calculates how and when torque is required, and then activates the motor to assist the rider.

3/ LCD Display, and power indication Depending on the bike, the power options, digital displays and switching will vary. Most now have a digital dashboard that will display things like speed, distance, power and battery life.

5/ Lights Many e-bikes now come with lights as standard built in equipment, powered directly by the main battery.

4/ Battery Top of the range E-bikes are now incorporating the latest Li-ion battery technology housed into the frame. Some can be charged in under two hours, and will have a range of 75Km on a single charge.

7/ Gears Most E-bikes have gears.

These are either traditional manual pedal bike gears operated by a gearshift on the handlebars, or fully automatic.

6/ Brakes Like traditional bikes, the braking options are generally disc or calliper.

The latest in E-bike technology senses when the brakes are engaged and will cut the E-bike motor motor to increase safety.

Model shown is the KTM Macina Lycan, one of the next generation of E-Bikes. The new Bosch PowerTube battery and powerful CX motor are both fully integrated into the frame, RRP: ÂŁ4,799.99. For details visit: Take Charge Bikes, 1 Victoria Buildings, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, BA2 3EH. Web: takechargebikes.co.uk

8/ Motor There are two main types of motor: hubdrive and crank-drive. Hub driven motors deliver power to the front or back wheel. Crank driven motors are housed in the frame and deliver power to the pedal crank.

9/ Connectivity The trend is now for integrated connectivity with built in GPS or Bluetooth chips, smartphone apps can now allow you to both track your bike and lock it remotely.

up to ÂŁ500 off

ELECTRIC BIKE SPECIALISTS - SALES AND SERVICE

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Bike Sale Now On Whichever your riding style, Take Charge Bikes have the electric bike to suit you

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Puncture proof tyres by Gecko Rubber

T

here are many benefits to having your own e-bike whether it’s touring the hills around Bath and Bristol, commuting to work without sweating! or simply out with the family around the cycle routes or canal and forest tracks. However, even if you rarely get a puncture they are always inconvenient, particularly on an ebike where changing the wheels has added problems.

Even with the most puncture resistant tyre, you never know when disaster might strike. You also need to keep your tyres pumped up to ensure good and consistent battery range. And if pneumatic tyres are left to go flat this may lead you to needing a replacement as the tyre sidewalls might have also cracked.

For complete peace of mind, with 100% puncture proof and low maintenance why not try the new airless bicycle tyre – the Gecko Rubber Bicycle Tyre. There have been airless/solid tyres in the past but they have mostly been manufactured from foamed plastic type materials and often come with the penalty of poor ride quality and grip, both in the dry and particularly in cold and wet conditions. With the new Gecko Tyre you can have puncture proof and low maintenance but with true ride quality and excellent grip in all conditions. The reason for this is that Gecko is using a patented real cellular rubber technology based on similar materials used in a good quality rubber pneumatic tyre. Now you can commute to work, tour or just go out with your family and not have to worry about punctures or having to pump tyres up beforehand and with a comfortable true ride quality and a consistent battery range. What’s more Gecko tyres are British made (in Wiltshire) and come from a company with over 30 years of experience in tyre manufacture.

Most importantly, they are a made from a sustainable material which can be recycled back into the making of a new tyre.

Why not call into to one of the following local dealers with your e-bike (or new e-bike purchase) and ask for the Gecko Rubber puncture proof tyre option.

Gary Harris Cycles (North Bristol) www.garyharriscycles.com (parking right outside) Take Charge Bikes (Bath) www.takechargebikes.co.uk Avon Valley Cyclery (Bath) www.avonvalleycyclery.co.uk Tyres are currently £49.20 (including VAT) plus fitting.

Thinking of advertising your business Our 2018 media pack can be viewed online

FOR A COPY OF OUR 2018 MEDIA PACK EITHER VISIT THE BATH MAGAZINE WEBSITE THEBATHMAG.CO.UK OR CONTACT US ON 01225 424499 or EMAIL: SALES @ THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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HEALTH | AND | FITNESS

SEVEN DAYS OF FITNESS

Yoga, Pilates, running...whatever your fitness-fix it’s time to kickstart your routine with one (or more) of these brilliant, Bath-based classes. By Vishaka Robinson

AN INSPIRING SETTING: Numerous classes take place in Royal Victoria Park and around the Royal Crescent. PHOTOGRAPHY: Alexander Polis

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HEALTH | AND | FITNESS

Monday WHAT: Dynamic Pilates TIME: 7pm LOCATION: The Dojo, Old Orchard, Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5AX With 17 years of experience and stints spent working in high-end gyms like the Third Space in London, Laura Louise Thomas has already cemented her reputation as one of the best Pilates teachers in the city. For those grappling with problem backs or bad posture her hour-long classes, which she describes as “progressively challenging but never competitive,” will be a tonic. She’s also known for her popular Baby and Me classes, which are designed to help new mothers sort pelvic floor problems and regain strength.

There’s even a baby zone at the side of the studio (kitted out with toys) so babes can roll around playing while mum perfects her glute bridges and leg circles.

BOOK IT: Classes start at £8; lauralouisethomas.com

Tuesday WHAT: Bath Running Club TIME: 7pm LOCATION: The Sports Training Village at Bath University, Claverton Down Rd, Combe Down, Bath BA2 7AY One of two weekly running clubs held by the Bath Running Club. Meets are a mix of coached track training, trail and road runs and anyone can join – you don’t have to be a pro athlete. It’s an eclectic mix, with more than 700 members in all, from 8-years-old to 60 and beyond. Another plus is the fact that runners are split into different training groups, so you’ll be pounding the ground alongside those of a similar fitness level.

With trails taking you everywhere from Rainbow Woods to Tucking Mill it’s also a wonderful way to see the local countryside in all weathers.

BOOK IT: You won’t be expected to pay anything for your first few meets. If you decide to join an annual subscription is £120; teambathac.org

Wednesday WHAT: Workout of the day TIME: 7am LOCATION: CrossFit Bath, Wansdyke Business Centre, Oldfield Lane, Bath, BA2 3LY The antithesis of a swish gym with flat screen TV’s and running machines: CrossFit is the place to come for serious, no-frills

workouts. The Californian-born exercise fad combines elements of gymnastics, weightlifting, running and rowing for highintensity workouts. The Bath outpost is hugely popular and housed in an unassuming warehouse in Oldfield Park. Inside it’s fitted with Olympic bars, gymnastic rings, huge medicine balls and state of the art rowing machines.

The 60-minute ‘work out of the day’ classes are notoriously adrenaline-fuelled.

And remember, don’t feel intimated; this is an incredibly welcoming space, with classes for all ages (kids can start junior classes at five years old), plus the option of womenonly workouts and open gym sessions.

BOOK IT: Classes start at £10; crossfitbath.com/bath

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Friday WHAT: Zest Bootcamp TIME: 6.30am LOCATION: Alexandra Park For those who lack motivation, the boot camp classes of Zita Alves are a brilliant way to shoehorn exercise into your day. This crack-of-dawn meet is just one of the 12 you’ll be expected to cram into a month-long fitness stint. All classes are held in the leafy surroundings of Alexandra Park in Bear Flat (although the team occasionally decamp to Beechen Cliff School if the weather is truly horrendous). Each session in different, utilizing everything from medicine balls to resistance bands to boxing. The camps are now in their seventh year with many ‘Zesties’ returning time and time again to do multiple boot camps over the years.

BOOK IT: Newcomers can sign up for a taster week of three sessions for £10. A fourweek boot camp of 12 classes is £117; zestbootcamp.co.uk

“It’s all about working yourself as hard as you can for the duration of the class, that’s Saturday all that matters. So if the WHAT: Women’s workout & treatment instructor asks the group to do WHAT: Space Gym 2 – 5pm eight sit-ups and you can only TIME: LOCATION: Space Premier Fitness, manage one, then do one.

7 Hayesfield Park, Bath, BA2 4QE For those who want to pack in a mani Perhaps next week you’ll alongside their workout the new women-only Saturday sessions at Space Gym are the manage two and the perfect option. The gym, known for it’s following week three” brilliant personal trainers, will be hosting

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W

ith its spectacular parks, miles of picturesque running trails and a legion of top fitness gurus, Bath is the perfect setting for getting fit. So whether you need a boot camp over-haul or to de-stress and stretch we’ve tracked down the best classes in the city.

Thursday WHAT: British Military Fitness TIME: 7pm LOCATION: Royal Victoria Park For a no-nonsense military-style experience head to Royal Victoria Park for 60 minutes of burpees, bench presses and sprints. The Bath outpost of ‘Brit Mil Fit’ (as you’ll start calling it) has now swelled to 120 members and five instructors – testament to the fact that these results-driven circuits are addictive and fun. Meets happen in all weathers and always start near the Monument at the center of the park. A backdrop of The Royal Crescent and Marlborough Buildings make for a welcome distraction from the task of burning some serious calories (the average per class is 650). Head trainer is affable, exRoyal Navy man Colin Clarke. He advises newcomers to go at their own pace: “It’s all about working yourself as hard as you can for the duration of the class, that’s all that matters. So if the instructor asks the group to do eight sit-ups and you can only manage one, then do one. Perhaps next week you’ll manage two and the following week three.”

Book it: £37 a month for unlimited classes.

Your first class is free; britmilfit.com

group training every Saturday and teaming up with a local beauty therapist who’ll be on hand for treatments. So you can do a gruelling class of circuits then nip off to have your eyebrows threaded all under one roof.

BOOK IT: £6 members / £10 non-members, treatments extra; space-gym.co.uk

Sunday WHAT: 60-Minute Relax and Restore Yoga TIME: 8pm LOCATION: Yoga Bodhi, Studio 1, 8a Bartlett Street, Bath, BA1 2QZ This blissful, hour-long, candle-lit restorative class will clear your head for the week and help to realign problem postures. You’re in the capable hands of Donna Mcloughlin, a soulful teacher who has over a decade of experience and specializes in Vinyasa Flow and Yin yoga.

Expect lots of slow and satisfying stretches held for three to five minutes at a time as well as plenty of time factored in for mediation.

The setting, in one of the two penthouse studios at Yoga Bodhi on Bartlett Street, is equally calming. The venue had a sleek revamp last year, doubling in size, adding an extra studio and a communal tea space. If you get hooked on Mcloughlin’s classes she also runs weekend retreats at Lower Rudloe Farm in Corsham.

Book it: Classes start at £11; yogabodhi.co.uk n

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B Hairdressing Love Animals? So do we!

All of the Paul Mitchell hair products we sell and all the PM hair colourants are cruelty-free, even down to our cleaning products. ‘B’ is also a vegan salon.

B Hairdressing is situated in the Artisan quarter of Bath that is Widcombe, only a stone’s throw from Bath Spa train station.

We think outside the lines in every way. We are a gender-neutral salon we base our prices on your hair length. We pride ourselves on being one of the most fashion forward and creative salons. We personalise every service to you. Anything goes!

B Hairdressing 11 Claverton Buildings, Bath, BA2 4LD Tel: 01225 311332 Web: bhairdressing.co.uk

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Thinking of advertising your business Our 2018 media pack can be viewed online

Jaime Brain Dip CDT RCS (Eng)

FOR A COPY OF OUR 2018 MEDIA PACK EITHER VISIT THE BATH MAGAZINE WEBSITE THEBATHMAG.CO.UK OR CONTACT US ON 01225 424499 or EMAIL: SALES @ THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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WE OFFER FREE Consultation • New Dentures direct • Flexible dentures Denture repairs • Saturday appointments

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www.jbdentureclinic.co.uk

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It can be used to target fine lines, wrinkles, dry skin, scarring, rosacea, sun damage and pigmentation as well as problematic skins.

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BEAUTY | AND | SPA

BEYOND THE BROWS

Spearheading the trend for statement eyes The Brow Place has up-sized to a bigger space and doubled the number of treatments on offer. Vishaka Robinson reports

PHOTOGRAPHY: Derryn Ranch for Pixie App

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n an elegant two-floor beauty studio off Abbey Green the brows of Bath are threaded, dyed and microbladed into arched perfection. “We do more than 1,000 a month,” says Freshfordbased browologist, Amy Adams, who started the studio in 2013 when she was just 21-years-old.

The young entrepreneur, who split her training between The Academy at Bath College and HD Brows Training Academy in London, saw a gap for a place that specialised in the high-tech treatments which go way beyond tweezers and pencils.

It’s proved an instant success, chiming in perfectly with an uptick in consumer interest and the abundance of statement brow-wielding celebrities like Cara Delevingne. According to market researchers Mintel, eyebrow products have grown from three per cent to 14 per cent of global eye make-up launches in the past five years, and 14 per cent of women in the UK have bought an eyebrow definer in the past 12 months.

Depending on the look you want and your level of commitment you can opt for a sliding scale of transformation. From a quick 15 minute threading which can be squeezed into a lunch break to microblading, which uses a micropigmentation process to deposit ink in tiny brushstrokes on the top layer of dermis - the resulting tattoo will last up to three years.

A brilliant halfway house is HD Brows. An hour-long treatment which combines threading, waxing and trimming the brows with tinting (this makes fine hairs look bolder and accentuates the shape) before finishing with a brow make-up lesson. Expect a toolkit of

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high-tech clear mascaras, waxes, shadows and highlighters to complete the transformation.

“The ideal is to have a defined, full arch that still looks natural. It’s the polar opposite of the sparse pencil-line that was once desirable,” says Adams singling out the likes of Helen Mirren and Meghan Markle as having brows her customers aspire to.

Decades of over-tweezing mean most of us have to cheat a little (or a lot) to nail a modern look. “The growth cycle of brow hairs is four to six weeks,” advises Adams who will put clients suffering from a sparse arch on a ‘tweezer detox’ of six weeks before they come in.

After outgrowing their original home on Abbey Gate Street, The Brow Place upped sticks three months ago to the other side of Abbey Green. The new place has been given a Beverly Hills-style makeover with velvet-covered Louis XV-style chairs, mirrored dressers and vases of pink blooms. The bigger space means a staff of ten and a treatment list that now includes lash extensions plus OPI and Gelish manicures and pedicures.

This winter, OPI’s An Affair in Red (a deep scarlet shade) has been their most requested polish along with artful glitter fades. “I always say: if your brows and nails look great then you look like you have your life together,” says Adams. “They’ll make even the most dishevelled hair and random outfit look like an intentional fashion statement.”

The Brow Place, 1 Abbey Street, Bath, BA1 1NN 01225 443821; thebrowplace.co.uk

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Ashtanga Yoga Bath ‘real yoga for everyone’

www.ashtangayogabath.co.uk

sheridan@ashtangayogabath.co.uk 07810254160

BREAK FREE, ACCELERATE CHANGE

Andrea Kelly

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Solution Focused Hypnotherapy in Central Bath Viv Kenchington

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Free Initial Consultation 07949 240190 www.andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk andrea@andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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HEALTH | AND | WELLNESS

WELLNESS NEWS A feel good journal, a crash course in Ashtanga yoga and a place to go to clear your mind . . .

SPA TIME Spread over six floors and covering more than 3,000square-foot, the Thermae Bath Spa ticks all the pampering boxes. Saunter from its spectacular roof top pool to one of the 24 treatment rooms; relax in a Roman steam room or chill in the ice chamber. In fact the only problem with Bath’s most popular spa is that one session is never enough – there’s simply too much to do. Which is why we love the idea of the Thermae Ten: a preloaded card, which gives you ten Monday to Friday spa sessions for £250. Even better, up to two sessions can be redeemed on each visit, so you can take a friend.

To buy: Visit one of Thermae’s two shops. Call reservations: 01225 331 234 or buy online.

Web: thermaebathspa.com

The Happy Diary The Positive Planner is a traditional journal meets DIY therapist, with sections dedicated to daily reflections, a weekly mood tracker and mindfulness activities as well as everyday organisational extras such as meal planners and shopping lists. It’s designed to be a one-stop-shop for organising yourself and most importantly improving your mental wellbeing.

Bath mother, Ali Mcdowall and Cambridge-based, Finn Prevett are the team behind the lemon yellow journal and opted for crowdfunding to get their start-up off the ground, raising more than double their £1000 target in a little over a month. “One in five people suffer from some from of depression,” says Mcdowall. “We just wanted to make a practical, positive tool to help.”

Journals are £23 each Web: thepositiveplanner.co.uk

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HEALTH | AND | WELLNESS

ALL IN THE MIND SIX THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MYSORE STYLE ASHTANGA YOGA 1/ It’s authentic: Mysore is the traditional way Ashtanga Yoga is taught in India. It is a self practice which will feel more like a personalised session (minus the high price tag of a private lesson) as classes are far smaller and more intimate than a normal yoga class.

We can get so focused on looking after our physical selves that we forget to give our brain the TLC it needs. Hypnosis can be used for everything from quitting smoking and loosing weight to gaining confidence and overcoming a phobia. “There are many misconceptions surrounding hypnotherapy,” says Andrea Kelly, a clinical hypnotherapist and psychotherapist who trained at the renowned Clifton Practice in Bristol and is based on Bathwick Hill. “But essentially hypnotherapy is a natural state of deep relaxation, where the powerful sub-conscious mind is open to beneficial suggestions. You remain conscious and in control of everything you say and do.”

For a free initial consultation, tel: 07949 240190; andreakellyhypnotherapy.co.uk

2/ It has a more bespoke vibe: The teacher will address you by name and classes are quiet; that means no music and teacher standing at the front, just minimal individual whispered instructions. The small class sizes mean you are able to learn each and every posture individually with the teacher.

3/ You go at your own pace: Total beginners are first taught how to breathe, then sun salutations before adding in the first few postures of the standing sequence.

After that more and more postures are added as the teacher feels you have become competent in each one, but there is no pressure to progress at a certain pace.

4/ You’ll learn the ujjayi breath: Commonly translated to victorious or oceanic breath, this is a deep rhythmic breathing. It’s known to be an excellent stress-buster and forms the backbone of this style of yoga.

5/ You can be late: Mysore yoga classes are long (up to two hours) but you can arrive at anytime and leave whenever you wish. The idea is that people dropin. Beginners might just stay for half an hour and the more advanced an hour and a half.

6/ You’ll learn the tools for a self practice yoga: The cue to begin the next posture is your own breath, instead of a teacher's instructions. So you begin to form the basis of self-practice you can confidently do at home.

To book: Two-hour Mysore classes take place five days a week and cost £75 for eight classes or £15 per class. Ashtanga Yoga Bath, The Scout HQ, 7 Grove Street, Bath, BA2 6PJ; ashtangayogabath.co.uk.

Buddhism for beginners Join the Bath Sakya Buddhist Group for a day of communal mediation. Everyone is welcome, whether you are new to Buddhism or have some experience. Cushions, mats and chairs will be provided, along with tea and coffee in the breaks.

The details: There’s no need to book, you can just drop in for one or more of the four sessions: 10am, 11.30am, 2pm and 3.30pm. Cost: £20 for the day or £6 per session. Please arrive 15 minutes before each session. Location: Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath, BA1 2RH. Web: sakyabristol.org/bath

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THE GREAT | OUTDOORS

MURMURATIONS OF AVALON January is the best time to see the balletic midwinter spectacle of the starlings, says Andrew Swift

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very winter, the Avalon Marshes near Glastonbury play host to one of Britain’s most spectacular natural phenomena as, late each afternoon, the sky darkens with tens of thousands of starlings coming into roost. Far from being a decorous settlingdown for the night, this is one of the most cacophonous and breathtaking sights you are ever likely to encounter, as flock after flock sweep in, merging into the mass of birds wheeling about the sky.

The sheer audacity of it takes your breath away. That something so sublime can be generated out of activity so frenetic, with never a mid-air collision, seems incredible.

You may, if you’ve ever encountered one, be put in mind of a whirlwind, albeit a whirlwind of infinite beauty and grace, accompanied by the whispering rush of countless wings.

The setting for these twilight murmurations is a landscape of strange and haunting beauty.

Some 6,000 years ago, it was a vast expanse of open water and reed beds, but over time the reed beds silted up, forming raised peat bogs.

In the 1960s, demand for horticultural peat led to industrial-scale excavation. After the worked-out land had flooded once again, large tracts were acquired by conservation bodies and became nature reserves.

Today, the Avalon Marshes are one of the

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largest lowland wetlands in Britain and an internationally important wildlife site. The starlings use the reed beds only to roost, heading off at daybreak to forage in small flocks miles away, leaving the marshes to their other inhabitants and to seasonal visitors.

On a visit in mid-December, goldcrests, long-tailed tits, lapwings, shovelers, widgeon and teal were spotted, along with a kestrel, a cormorant, a great white egret, and an elusive glossy ibis. Marsh harriers and bitterns were also said to be around, as well as otters, but these proved yet more elusive.

As the light begins to fade, though, all attention turns to the starlings. Eyes scan the distant horizon, and, as the minutes tick by, the thought that tonight will be the night they abandon their accustomed roost and go elsewhere starts to nag, until a few trailblazers – a flock of no more than a couple of dozen – sweep past. Then, in the distance, you spy a larger flock performing desultory aerobatics, before another, having swept in low and unseen across the levels, brushes past, slicing through the air as a prelude to the murmuration to come.

These aeronautical displays have been called murmurations since the 15th century, and it is an apt term, for their sound is twofold – a vast sibilant, sweeping rustle, accompanied by a deeper muttering grumble. You may also, if

the starlings wheel directly overhead, detect another sound – of soft drops pattering down – which is why it is advisable to wear a hat.

The sound, though, is cast into the shade by the balletic groupings and regroupings, at breakneck speed, and with sudden changes of direction, above. WH Auden wrote of the ‘patterns a murmuration of starlings rising in joy over wolds unwittingly weave’. It is like watching waves or eddies swirling around the sky – not so much a vast assemblage of individual creatures as a single organism controlled by a vast and infinitely playful intelligence.

That is, of course, if you turn up in the right place at the right time. Having witnessed spectacular murmurations – including one which felt like being in the eye of a starling storm, with the sky all but blotted out – I also know what it is like to watch the birds drop down to roost with hardly a by-your-leave.

And there is always the chance that tonight is the night they may decide to roost elsewhere.

With a bit of planning, though, the chances are you will end up witnessing something spectacular – but don’t delay. The murmurations are a midwinter spectacle, with the greatest number of starlings roosting in December and January.

The most striking displays take place on dry, bright, still and relatively mild days. If it is

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THE GREAT | OUTDOORS

MESMERISING: Main image: the aeronautical displays are currently best witnessed from Ham Wall Reserve and Shapwick Heath Reserve SPOTTED: above right, the elusive, glossy ibis takes to the air at Ham Wall

raining, windy or bitterly cold, the starlings still come in to roost but any aeronautical displays happen just above the reed beds before the birds drop down for an early night.

Before setting off, a call to the Starling Hotline on 07866 554142 will tell you where the starlings roosted on the previous evening. Although they do not always return to the same site, this is the best indication of where you are likely to see them.

So far this winter – at least up to mid-December – the starlings have roosted in two locations: Ham Wall Reserve, administered by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Shapwick Heath Reserve, administered by Natural England. These reserves are adjacent, and the main paths through them follow the trackbed of the old Somerset & Dorset Railway, running alongside the Glastonbury Canal.

For Ham Wall Reserve, turn south off the B3151 CheddarGlastonbury road in the village of Meare, and follow Ashcott Road for one mile. Just past the Railway Inn, turn left into a car park which has an information kiosk where you can pick up a map of the reserve.

There is another car park on the right just past the Railway Inn, with access to Shapwick Heath Reserve.

However, this is some distance from the roosting sites, so for Shapwick Heath it is better to turn south off the B3151 in Westhay, following signs for Shapwick. After one mile, you will see the Avalon Marshes Centre, with a cafe and information centre, on your left. You can park here, although the entrance to the reserve is 350m further on, where there is limited roadside parking.

The car parks can get full, especially at weekends, so it is advisable to arrive no later than 2pm, which gives time to look round before the starlings arrive between 3.30pm and

4pm. It’s worth noting that dogs are allowed on the main paths through Ham Wall Reserve but not on Shapwick Heath Reserve. Finally, be sure to wrap up warm, because the temperature on the marshes soon drops as the light fades, and you may find a torch handy when heading back to your car after sunset. ■

INFORMATION ■ Avalon Marshes Centre, Shapwick Road, Westhay, BA6 9TT; avalonmarshes.org

■ Ham Wall National Nature Reserve, Ashcott Road, Meare, BA6 9SX, tel: 01458 860494

■ Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve, Shapwick Road, Westhay, BA6 9TT, tel: 01458 860120 ■ Railway Inn, Ashcott Road, Meare, tel: 01458 860223. Open from 4.30pm Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri; from noon Wed, Sat and Sun. Beer, local cider and filled rolls available.

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the directory

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Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

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INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

SIX OF THE BEST

2018 looks set to be a year of daring, dramatic interiors. Prepare to go wild with eclectic kitchens, bold colour and jungle greenery says interior designer Clair Strong

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INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

1/ Mixed-up kitchens This is the total opposite of an all-white kitchen with identikit cupboards. Instead throw together clashing textures and colours. For example: base cabinets in matt black and wall cabinets in gloss white paired with natural timber worktops. I love this trend because it encourages creativity in the design process, and the final result is one that few other people will have. There’s such a great variety of materials, colours and hardware it’s now possible to create a bespoke look without a big budget.

2/ Brighten up Colour pros Pantone have honed in on vibrant colours as a major trend, naming Ultra Violet, a punchy, cosmic shade of purple, as their colour of the year. Also make room in your home for hot pink, turquoise, coral, ‘minion yellow’, lime green and ruby. These shades can be hard to carry off on a wall but look incredible emblazoned on accessories, cushions and art.

3/ Plant power One of the year’s most uplifting trends is Biophilic design (biophilia means a ‘love of nature’). At its most basic it can just mean a few pot plants but increasingly people are decorating with plants via indoor gardens and living walls. Seek out the Chinese Money Plant (beloved by instagrammers for its pretty round leaves) and spiky leafed mother-in-law’s-tongue – which is known as an excellent air purifier. Botanical prints are a great way to get the look for those not gifted with green fingers.

4/ Go Wabi Sabi The ancient Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection, Wabi Sabi is having a moment. In interiors this translates to naturally worn surfaces, cracked edges and oxidized materials. Seek out materials like wood and wool and style them alongside warm earth tones such as sand, taupe, mocha and moss.

5/ Maximalism

Clockwise from opposite page: Rich colours of claret red and royal blue add drama to this grand living room – hogging the limelight is a Duresta Carnaby chair with goldtipped legs from John Lewis, johnlewis.com; muted colours in different textures complete this deVOL shaker-style kitchen, devolkitchens.co.uk; The Forest Bathing wallpaper series from Pixer is a great way to add a bold botanical look, pixers.uk; natural materials like polished walnut, leather and hessian sooth the effect of this modern living room with accessories from H&M Home, 2.hm.com

Get ready for clashing prints, bright colours and plenty of knick-knacks. Whatever your style; bohemian, retro, rustic or Scandinavian, you can embrace the principles of maximalism to up the ante in your space. Just layer on pattern, colour and texture until you’re happy with the finished look. The only difficult thing is creating a space that’s more luxurious chaos than hoarder’s paradise, but you’ll get there with practice and experimentation.

6/ Handcrafted design From the smallest needle-felted ornament to the largest king size bed, artisan-made will be in the forefront this year. Ceramics in particular will be key as people look to update their tableware with bespoke pieces. Handmade items hold so much appeal because they offer something different to the mass-produced pieces found on the high street and are often made with sustainable materials.

Clair Strong Interior Design has offices in Bath and London, visit: clairstrong.co.uk

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THROW SOME SHAPES FOR WINTER Jane Moore picks her favourite structural shrubs for interest in mid-winter

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sweet or chimonanthus praecox with its sturdy wax-like flowers of sunny spring-yellow. The fragrance is simply delicious, surprisingly strong and it flowers in January, just when you need it most. It’s a big grower eventually and you will wait a few years for it to flower so it’s not for the faint-hearted or impatient gardener but oh it’s so worth the wait.

Those that need a speedier fix of scent should pick a daphne and my favourite is daphne bholua Jacqueline Postill as not only is it one of the best of all fragrant flowering shrubs, but it also has a nice rather upright habit to about 2m (6ft), which is ideal for small gardens. Add to that rosy red buds opening to large white flowers and you have an impressive winter display among the evergreen foliage.

Oh and then there’s the fragrance, which can be almost intoxicating.

Last but by no means least is the humble honeysuckle. The winter honeysuckles are not great lookers, in fact they’re a bit plain and shrubby but they are reliably fragrant and flower unfailingly, attracting bumble bees and gardeners to their scent every January. My favourite is the lonicera fragrantissima which is good for a spot by the back door where it can be kept clipped into shape all summer ready to knock your socks off in winter.

t is a mistake often made in gardening circles to think that a good looking winter garden should be stuffed full of evergreens. Not so, dear reader, making your garden look good through the long dark days of winter does not mean you need to furiously plant those ever unchanging dark green blobs of evergreens.

While it’s true that a garden full of evergreens is highly architectural it is also a bit boring. That’s not to say that evergreens don’t have their place but it’s important not to go too overboard.

So let’s not beat about the proverbial bush, evergreen or otherwise. What we’re looking for in the winter garden shrub is fragrance, shape and colour plus a liberal helping of fortitude, strength and sturdiness. We’ll be lucky to find all of that in a humble shrub but we will find some of it, fear not. Of course it’s entirely up to you to decide what are the most important attributes for your garden; all I can do is extol their virtues in much the same way as a green-fingered Cilla Black suggesting your prospective blind dates or, for younger readers, a gardening version of Tinder.

FRAGRANT BEAUTIES There is nothing that beats a lovely whiff as you waltz about the winter garden. Scent transports you to another place as you close your eyes and breathe it in, helping to sweeten the freezing, dark and short days. My favourite all-time plant is the winter 100 TheBATHMagazine

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winter. To give you just a handful of my favourites is downright difficult but one shrub I would never be without is good old cornus alba Westonbirt with its brilliant red stems lighting up the whole garden.

Plant boldly in stands of several shrubs if you have space. You won’t regret it. In the smaller garden go for single plants combined with hellebores and snowdrops. Other cornus are also good value, especially Midwinter Fire and its kin, but if you only have room for one, take my advice and make it Westonbirt.

A close second on my must-have list is the lovely witch hazel or hamamelis, an ethereal lovely with strange ribbon-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange or fiery red depending on the variety. It’s elegantly slow growing, making 12ft (4m) eventually, often has spectacular autumn colour and there are lots to choose from, many with Awards of Garden Merit from the RHS. I love the pale yellow Pallida as well as the widely available Arnold Promise. For orange flowers choose Jelena or Diane.

Mahonia, while not a favourite of my assistant Anna, definitely does it for me with its sunny winter flowers and strong evergreen leaves. I also love the somewhat Japanese looks with twisted branches and shiny holly-like leaflets.

Again there are lots to choose from including many with AGMs such as Buckland, Lionel Fortescue and Winter Sun which describes itself perfectly.

THE VIEW FROM HERE: main picture, topiary yew makes a striking addition, if you have the space Opposite page, winter flowering honeysuckle, lonicera fragrantissima, red dogwood stems against the snow and the yellow flame shade of witchhazel hamamelis

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WINTER | GARDENING

EVERGREEN HUNKS For all that I have decried the evergreen blobs earlier on; no garden is complete without a blob or two to set other things off against. Dark globes of clipped yew and the brighter greens of box hedging and topiary are invaluable for providing a backdrop to winter colours such as red dogwoods, hellebores, snowdrops and so on. But there are more to evergreens than these. I have a soft spot for the Christmas box or sarcococca which comes in various varieties, all of them evergreen, all of them with fragrant winter flowers and all of them a

perfect mound of shiny evergreenery.

Second on the list is another Daphne D. laureola or the spurge laurel has rich evergreen leaves a lovely mounded habit and small but bright lime green flowers in the depths of winter. Perhaps best of all it will happily grow in the shadiest corner and in dry soil. Yes it’s a must have.

Finally, having been a bit sniffy about heathers for perhaps the best part of two decades, I have come to appreciate them lately. In the right spot the gentle hummocks of evergreen foliage topped with soft purple, pink or white flowers are just the thing to

brighten the winter garden. Heathers also look great with the greys and golds of paving and walling which makes them perfect for courtyard gardens and container gardening.

Granted you have more choice if your soil is light sandy and acidic which Bath is decidedly not, but you can still grow some good varieties. Look for erica carnea and erica x darleyensis as these are the most tolerant and run the shears or hedge trimmer over them every spring to keep things neat. n Jane Moore is the award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel. Twitter: @janethegardener.

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Pritchard PIF Jan18.qxp_PIF Full Page 19/12/2017 11:46 Page 85

PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

C

ombe Park is an undeniably popular location due to its proximity to the Royal United Hospital, the shops at Chelsea Road and the excellent nearby schools. It’s also ideal for those commuting via the M4 or into Bristol. Number eight is an impressive and particularly substantial semi detached period house and in common with houses of this vintage, the rooms have excellent proportions and in this case, much of the period charm and features have been retained. There are numerous decorative fireplaces, cornicing and sash windows and the house has been decorated with a bright contemporary feel perfect for a modern family. The accommodation is over 3 floors and includes: Ground floor: Elegant reception hall, sitting room, music room, dining room, well fitted kitchen, breakfast room. First floor: Four good sized bedrooms, family bathroom.

Second floor: Two bedrooms, shower room. Mezzanine: Shower room. In addition to the main accommodation there is a ground floor annex comprising three rooms and a shower room, making it ideal for a dependent relative or nanny/au pair or for use as an office. The house also has large, useful cellar space. There is an attractive walled garden and plenty of driveway parking. This house is sure to be many purchasers’ idea of a forever home. Viewing is by appointment with agents Pritchards.

8 COMBE PARK WESTON, BATH • A substantial, period property • 6 bedrooms • 4 spacious reception rooms • Ground floor annexe • Convenient location • Garden and parking

Guide price: £1,125,000

Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Tellisford Lane, Norton St Philip

Mount View, Lansdown

A beautifully presented 3 bed bungalow set in good sized level grounds within a quiet tucked away village. Parking and large garage. Manicured landscaped level garden. EPC C. Internal floor area approximately 1583 sq ft (147 sq.m)

A charming 2 double bed Victorian house overlooking the Green at Richmond Place in the desirable residential area of Lansdown, just over a mile from the city centre. Sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room & large bathroom. Potential for conversion of roof space (subject to the necessary consents). Delightful SW facing garden. No onward chain. Floor area approximately: 1060 sq ft (98.4 sq.m)

Guide Price: £550,000

Guide Price: £445,000

Gillingham Terrace

Prior Park Road, Widcombe

Guide Price: £445,000

Guide Price: £395,000

A charming and particularly well presented 3 bedroom late Victorian house in a quiet, popular and most convenient no through road, less than a mile from the centre of Bath. Delightful and easy to maintain decked and enclosed level south facing garden. Unrestricted street parking. EPC D. Internal floor area approx: 1065 sq.ft (98 sq.m)

A charming 2 bed Grade II Listed semi detached cottage retaining a wealth of character in a most convenient and desirable road within just a short walk from Widcombe Parade, Bath Spa Station and the centre of Bath.

Delightful walled courtyard garden. Internal area: 914 sq.ft (84.9 sq.m)

With very best wishes for 2018 from all of us at Pritchards, Pritchards Lettings and Pritchards Apartments

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB Pritchards January.indd 1

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Brunel Crescent

Cavendish Crescent An exceptional 4 bed upper maisonette in this commanding & delightful Crescent enjoying spectacular city views. Particularly elegant & well proportioned accommodation over 2 floors. Residents parking permits.

Internal area 176.5 sq.ft (1900 sq.m)

An impressive and particularly spacious penthouse apartment enjoying wonderful far reaching views and forming part of an exclusive development for the over 55s. The beautifully presented and versatile accommodation has been finished to a high standard with secure parking for 2 cars. Internal area approximately 1755 sq.ft (163 sq.m)

Guide Price: £995,000

Guide Price: £800,000

Northanger Court, Grove Street

Wood Street, Off Queen Square

A delightful ground floor 2 bedroom purpose built apartment forms part of a most successful development of apartments located in the heart of Bath. Secure underground parking space. No onward chain. EPC D. Internal area approximately 775 sq.ft (72 sq.m). Lift access to parking and street level.

A top floor 2 bedroom elegant apartment with views over Queen Square in a new development of 5 apartments within a historic Grade I Listed building on the edge of the Square, designed by John Wood the Elder in 1734. High quality contemporary finishes, blending sympathetically within the original Georgian features creating a unique environment in a central location. Holiday lets are permitted. Internal area: 742 sq.ft (68 sq.m)

Guide Price: £465,000

Guide Price: £369,950

With very best wishes for 2018 from all of us at Pritchards, Pritchards Lettings and Pritchards Apartments

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB Pritchards January.indd 2

Tel: 01225 466 225

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12/12/2017 20:31

Magdalen Avenue A beautiful three bedroom Victorian home, arranged over four floors, with breath-taking panoramic views over Bath. The property benefits from a small enclosed rear garden and three good-sized reception rooms. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, the house is within easy walking distance of Bath city centre, Bath Spa railway station and several excellent schools.

Rent: ÂŁ1,800 pcm* spacious living room | beautiful open-plan dining room | contemporary kitchen | stainless steel appliances | snug / play room | double bedrooms (1 en-suite) | contemporary bathroom | rear garden with decked area | stunning panoramic views

Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

*An administration fee of ÂŁ420.00 inc. VAT applies.

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Choosing the right solicitor for your move

I

f you look at almost any survey asking about life’s most stressful experiences, moving house is almost guaranteed to feature near the top. Usually, it sits just behind the death of a family member and divorce.

The stress can come at you from many sides: the fear that the whole deal will fall through at the last minute; that your buyers will for some reason change their mind; that the financing for your mortgage could fall through; that a legal problem will arise; the whole question of arranging the actual removal and packing up your belongings…the list goes on.

This is why it’s so important to instruct a good solicitor for your conveyancing. Having an experienced solicitor who really knows what they are doing and who will guide you and keep you informed throughout can make all the difference and make the process much smoother. It might not remove all of the stress factors, but it will certainly help.

So, what should you look for when considering who to instruct?

Do they know the market?

Just by getting into conversation with them, you should be able to gauge how experienced they are, whether they know the market and in particular the market local to you. For example, in historic cities such as Bath, understanding the potential implications of listed buildings is often key. It’s worth seeing if they have a particular focus or specialism – if they specialise in serviced apartments and you are selling a four-bedroom detached house, they might not be a good fit.

Are they local?

Linked to this, where are they based? Yes, conveyancing can be done from anywhere but I really do think it’s advantageous to instruct someone reasonably close by. Not only does this mean that they’ll have a better knowledge of the local market as per the above, but quite simply it also means that life will be easier if you need drop off or pick up documents, or go in and see them in person if a particular issue arises. That won’t be an option if they’re based hundreds of miles away!

Are they recommended?

The proof of a good solicitor is in their clients’ experiences. So ask around – if you know people who have recently moved, who did they use? How good a service did they receive? Don’t just take a firm’s word for it.

Are their fees fair and transparent?

The cost of the conveyancing is an important consideration too, of course.

Make sure you get at least a couple of quotes so you can compare. Also make sure that the conveyancing costs are written down and whether there are any circumstances that might mean that the costs could rise.

Is the chemistry right?

Finally, ask yourself: Do I feel like I can work with this person? You’re going to be in quite a lot of communication with them over the weeks or months the sale takes, so you need to feel comfortable dealing with them.

Alison Treble, partner and head of residential conveyancing in Bath at Mogers Drewett. Tel: 01225 750 000 www.mogersdrewett.com

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Tenants, make sure your home is ready for winter Peter Greatorex, managing director of The Apartment Company

H

appy New Year everybody. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

As it’s still very cold, we recommend all tenants prepare their homes for the chillier weather. It’s a time of year where people tend to go away in search of some heat or to slide down the ski slopes too, so to help prevent disasters such as burst water pipes, fires, a broken boiler or no heating at all – measures your landlord will greatly appreciate - here are a few things to think about…

[SOUTH WESTERN] LIMITED

Protect your pipes – As temperatures drop below zero, your pipes will expand and contract – especially at night. Frozen pipes prevent water flow, and can eventually burst causing damage. If you go away for a long weekend or perhaps are heading off to the Alps on your annual skiing holiday or soaking up the sun in the Caribbean, please do keep your heating on low to ensure a constant heat.

Report problems now – If you notice anything wrong, now is the time to report it, before they get worse and therefore more expensive to repair.

Find out where your stopcock is – In an emergency, you will need to shut off the water supply, so make sure you know where the stopcock is.

Bleed your radiators – Your radiator needs to be the same temperature at the top and bottom to ensure your boiler works safely and properly. If they’re not, you need to bleed them.

Emergency numbers – Find out the contact details of who you need to call in case of an emergency.

Boiler service – Make sure your boiler has had its annual service.

Your landlord or managing agent will know when it needs to be done.

Ventilate – The last thing you want to do is open a window when it’s cold, but occasionally rooms such as your kitchen and bathrooms need to be ventilated to prevent the build up of mould.

Crafting beautiful homes Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswolds | Dorset

EVELYN CLOSE BATHFORD

Four luxury homes with unrivalled specification and exceptional quality From £595,000

Clean open fireplaces – If you have an open fire, you need to have it professionally cleaned once a year to prevent chimney fires. This should be in your contract anyway.

Be careful with candles – It’s tempting when its chilly to light some candles to add a touch of cosiness. Be careful where you place them so that you don’t set anything alight.

Responsible letting agents should make sure that their tenants are safe and warm over the winter. Do have a chat with your landlord or managing agent for any concerns you may have. They will be very grateful that you’re being so responsible.

The Apartment Company Pg@theapartmentcompany.co.uk or call 01225 471144.

01225 791155 ashford-homes.co.uk

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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JANUARY 2018

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TheBATHMAgAziNe 109

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Bloomfield Avenue, BA2 ÂŁ1,250,000

A fabulous family home located on a prestigious avenue in the heart of Bear Flat offering scenic views.

Five/six bedrooms, three receptions rooms, bath and shower rooms, basement with store rooms, treatment room, double garage and shared drive.

Energy Efficiency Rating: F

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

High Street, Bathford, BA1 ÂŁ725,000

Watford Cottage is a prime example of a grade II listed Georgian home set in picturesque Bathford. This particular home has been extensively renovated from top to bottom offering fine period features but with all the latest modern appliances.

Energy Efficiency Rating: N/A

01225 809 571 central@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews January.indd 1

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

19/12/2017 10:42

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Highbury Terrace, BA1 Offers in excess of ÂŁ600,000

A beautifully presented, end-terrace Georgian house with three double bedrooms, off-street parking and a stunning home office/studio. The current vendors have made numerous improvements to the property to create a stylish home, which combines period features and a contemporary finish.

Energy Efficiency Rating: N/A

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk SOLD STC

St. Johns Road, Lower Weston, BA1 ÂŁ325,000

This Victorian home is situated in a popular location close to Victoria Park and the Botanical gardens. The accommodation benefits from a separate sitting room and dining room. There is also a modern kitchen and useful utility area /sun room leading to the garden. Two double bedrooms, bathroom suite with shower. Rear garden mainly laid to lawn.

Energy Efficiency Rating: N/A

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews January.indd 2

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

19/12/2017 10:42

THE ROCKS, Ashwicke

Guide Price ÂŁ1,400,000

A superb detached five bedroom country house with a two bedroom annexe and triple garage. Comprises entrance hall, three reception rooms, kitchen breakfast room, cloakroom, utility room, two bathrooms, shower room, gardens and parking.

EPC: D

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WELLSWAY, Bath

Guide Price ÂŁ750,000

Substantial Edwardian home in one of Bath’s most popular locations. This elegant family home offers six bedrooms, sitting room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, utility room, study, two bathrooms and garden.

EPC: E

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EW

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Great Pulteney Street

£1600 pcm

Unfurnished · Master bedroom with en suite · Second bedroom · Luxury Bathroom · Balcony · Private parking space · Council Tax Band C · Agency fees £420inc VAT · Available now

N

EW

£900 pcm

Unfurnished · Double Bedroom · High Specification · Fortnightly clean and free Wi-Fi included within the rent · Central Location · NO PARKING AVAILABLE · Council Tax Band C · Agency fees £420 inc vat · Available now

SALES

01225 471 14 4 The Apartment Company January.indd 1

Park Street

LETTINGS

01225 303 870

£1,250 pcm

Furnished · Two bedrooms · Gas central heating · Short walk to the city centre · Ground floor · Resident Permit parking - Zone 7 · Council Tax Band C · Agency fees £420 inc VAT · Available soon

N

Northampton Street

EW

EW

Station Road

£750 pcm

Unfurnished · One Double Bedroom · Good Size Sitting Room · On Road Parking · No Students · No Pets · Council Tax Band: B · Agency Fees £420 including VAT · Available 31st January 2018

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

21/12/2017 12:49

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Park Street Mews

N

O.I.E.O

£400,000

Modern Apartment · Three double bedroom · Private outside space · Central location · Garage space · Newly refurbished bathroom · Gas central heating · 809 Sq Ft

N

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Kensington Place

New Marchants Passage

O.I.E.O

£280,000

O.I.E.O

£345,000

Modern Build · Two bedrooms · Central location · 769 Sq ft ·

Close to transport links · Open living space · Lift access · Bike Storage

N

Grade II listed · Georgian Apartment · Second floor · One Bedroom · Open Plan living · Period Features · Stunning views · 632 Sq ft

EW

EW

Daniel Street

O.I.E.O

£200,000

Grade II Listed · Georgian apartment · First floor apartment · Second floor apartment · Ideal first time purchase or investment · Close to transport links

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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