The Bath Magazine November 2021

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ISSUE 225 | NOVEMBER 2021 | thebathmag.co.uk | £3.95

where sold

Happiness is... getting to know your houseplants well

A STORY IN DANCE

Matthew Bourne's Midnight Bell

PICTURES IN TIME

Geoff Ellis' evocative press shots of 1960s Bath

SPARKLING IN CORSTON

Eddie Sauvao and his enterprising local vineyard

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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THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFTS EXPLORE THE FULL RANGE OF SMEG APPLIANCES AT OUR SHOWROOM

P R E M I O

P A R T N E R

SUPPLYING APPLIANCES TO HOUSHOLDS FOR OVER 70 YEARS

COOPERS HOME APPLIANCES AT AFFORDABLE PRICES WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE Why not visit us to see our fantastic range of kitchen appliances in our new look store.

If you’re looking for advice or have any queries, you can of course also reach us by phone, email or via the website.

01225 311811 | enquiries@coopers-stores.com | coopers-stores.com Coopers Stores, 13/15 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BN X X

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22

Contents 5 THINGS

78 November 2021

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10

Great things to look forward to this month

THE CITYIST

12

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Our Extra Delicious food section starts here

FOOD AND DRINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

We chat to landscape artist Peter Chmiel about his award-winning show garden and his life in Bath

NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

STORYLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Amy Jeffs reimagines the myths of Britain in her charming and enlightening new book

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MINERVA MAN

54

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Bringing the fizz to Corston, we talk to winemaker Eddie Sauvao

Richard Wyatt’s mind works overtime when he should be sleeping

HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR NEWSLETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Some choice snippets that have been a big hit with our email newsletter subscribers

Ahead of his new theatre production The Midnight Bell, Melissa Blease interviews dance supremo Sir Matthew Bourne

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This month we explore Odd Down’s open spaces

Simon Horsford visits The Roman Boxing Club at Bath City FC

CAPTURING THE MOMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Geoff Ellis, Bath Evening Chronicle photographer in the 1950s and 60s, has produced a collection of lost images from his time at the paper

EXPERTS IN ENGAGEMENT

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Diaries at the ready for our monthly guide to what’s happening in and around the city

HOW TO HOUSE YOUR HOUSEPLANT

34

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46

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Richard Wendorf reflects on his 12-year tenure as he steps down as director of the American Museum & Gardens

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

More content and updates discover: thebathmag.co.uk

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Biophilia is big – discover nine great houseplants, the best place to keep them and how they’ll thrive

To admire, inspire and delight – here’s our monthly round-up

LEAVING A LEGACY

64

Meet Network N, a global media business based in Bath

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ARTS AND EXHIBITIONS

56

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Millie Bruce-Watt talks to conductor and artistic director Charles Hazlewood ahead of Paraorchestra’s performance at Bath Abbey

WHAT’S ON

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PULLING PUNCHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

ORCHESTRA UNDER THE MOON

WALKING WITH ANDREW SWIFT

ON THE COVER Fill your house with houseplants. Special thanks to Chapter 22 Roots and Records, Broad Street, Bath for helping us with our photoshoot. See page 78

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

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FROM THE EDITOR

Editor photograph by TBM

T

his month we’re taking you on a magical mystery tour. ‘Where are we going?’ I hear you ask. Well, the first stop is a dance experience with choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne. His new world première The Midnight Bell at Theatre Royal Bath is a dance theatre production exploring the underbelly of 1930s London where people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs of fog-bound Soho and Fitzrovia. Melissa Blease talks to Sir Matthew on page 22.

Our next stop is a trip back in time – on page 48 Millie Bruce-Watt chats to art historian and printmaker Amy Jeffs about her new book Storyland. Reimagining the myths of Britain through a modern lens, it’s set in some of our country’s wildest landscapes, remembering legends such as Bladud of Bath and Merlin in Stonehenge, and illustrated with Amy’s intricate linocut artwork.

Then we fast forward to the 1950s and 60s on page 60 as Geoff Ellis treats us to a selection of photographs from his new book From Bath to Fleet Street. Having worked as a young press photographer at The Bath Evening Chronicle from 1957–1968, we see some of the pictorial highlights of his time there, including the great floods of Bath in 1962 and the time he took Earl Hines to The Bell to sample the local jazz scene.

I was taken right up to date when I met Tim Edwards of games media group Network N, which as a local company with a world-class business has recently been welcomed into the Bath Unlimited fold. I found out that Fortnite, which Network N helped launch in 2017, has a player count most games can only dream of; that e-sports soared in popularity in lockdown; and that time spent on gaming enhances memory and concentration and helps children create strong social networks. Boom – Playstation investment validated! See page 64.

The magical mystery tour continues with Simon Horsford’s trip to a local boxing club who welcome children and adults with all levels of fitness and ability (see page 58); Melissa Blease’s chat to Eddie Sauvao who is making a special type of sparkling wine in Corsham (see page 54); Richard Wendorf’s thoughts on the journey of the American Museum & Gardens during his time as director (see page 46); and we look forward on page 26 with conductor Charles Hazlewood to the Paraorchestra’s performance of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs at Bath Abbey in December – cathartic and hauntingly beautiful, this meditation on loss and transcendence will be performed under a seven-metre internally lit moon art installation.

Roll up. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Emma Clegg Editor

Sir Matthew Bourne’s new dance theatre production of The Midnight Bell comes to Theatre Royal Bath from 23–27 November.

We talk to Sir Matthew on page 22.

SYDNEY GARDENS TREE WEEKENDER EVENT

The Tree Weekender on 27–28 November will celebrate the National Lottery Heritage funded restoration of Sydney Gardens and the trees and associated ecosystems in the park. There will be two days of online and on-the-ground activities and events including tree meditation, guided tree walks and arts and crafts activities.

ReThinking Cities, the organisation behind the Urban Tree Festival, is working with the Sydney Gardens team on the Tree Weekender. Councillor Jess David, Member Advocate for Biodiversity, said: “We know how important it is to have trees in parks and gardens close to where we live. This event allows us to celebrate the trees in the park, some of which were planted soon after its opening in 1795.”

Poems and stories about trees written by residents will also be published on the website ahead of the event. bathnes.gov.uk

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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5

ZEITGEIST

things to do this

November

Be thrilled

Buy gifts Get started on your Christmas shopping at The Trowbridge Christmas Market, which takes place from 19–21 November at Innox Mills. Set in the historic buildings at the site, the market will offer a wide selection of products including artisan gifts, local ales and spirits and decorations. There’s mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and children’s entertainment to get you in the festive mood.

The market runs on 19th and 20th from 9am–6pm and on 21st from 9am–4pm.

Innox Mills Buildings Stallard Street, Trowbridge BA14 8HH. innoxmills.co.uk

Led by talented musical director Anthony Brown, The Fulltone Orchestra are coming to The Bath Abbey on 4 November. To coincide with Bonfire Night they will treat the audience to an explosive and massively exciting evening of classical music. Commanding huge success whatever they turn their hand to, this orchestra will leave you feeling totally blown away. They are big and bold and on the night they will be playing the world’s most combustive musical treats from Holst to Barber and Bernstein to Tchaikovsky, all fireworkesque, full of light and shade and there are even some boom sound effects in the final number! It will be the most fantastic evening from this massive 65-piece orchestra. Huge sounds! There are no actual fireworks, just massive, blustering pieces of music to excite and enthral – it’s just not to be missed!

4 November, 7.30pm. fto.org.uk. Tickets: bathboxoffice.org.uk

Hop genres In their 26-year career, the band Ezio have made a habit of dabbling in any style of music that takes their fancy; their album Daylight Moon is no different. From the crunching blues-rock guitars of Crushed to the jazz rhythms of The Gypsy Song, there’s plenty of genre hopping. The album was recorded in the company of house-trained rabbits on an industrial estate in Cambridge, and is their most personal yet.

Chapel Arts, Lower Borough Walls, Bath. 19 November, 8pm, £17.00, £16.50 in advance. chapelarts.org

Revel in art Get festive From 17 November to 18 December, immerse yourself in Christmas cheer and enjoy a festive day out with family, friends and colleagues as Highgrove Gardens in Tetbury host exclusive dining and seasonal shopping experiences. The splendid surroundings of the Orchard Room will be sure to put you in joyful spirits. The estate shop will also be open during your visit, offering Christmas favourites, gifts and food. highgrovegardens.com

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Vale of the White Horse

by Eric Ravilious

Visit the Wiltshire Museum to see the major exhibition Eric Ravilious: Downland Man. The show explores for the first time the artist’s lifelong fascination for the chalk hills of southern England and features more than 20 works borrowed from national and private collections including iconic watercolours such as The Westbury Horse and The Wilmington Giant.

Included watercolours and wood engravings show subjects such as dew ponds and farmyards, modern military fortifications and ancient monuments. Wiltshire Museum, 41 Long Street, Devizes. wiltshiremuseum.org.uk ■

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My BATH

Peter Chmiel, a director at Grant Associates, is a Landscape Architect with over 30 years’ experience. He is interested in the promotion of design quality and technical innovation through the synergy of landscape, architecture, nature, community and place. His Guangzou show garden for Chelsea Flower Show this year, co-designed with Chin-Jung Chen, won Best Show Garden I’ve worked in Bath for 25 years but I live in Bratton, just below the White Horse. I love the journey into the city each day; the arrival landscape is simply stunning and the seasonal changes never fail to move me. My wife and I had our honeymoon in Bath many years ago; it made such an impression on us that we moved to live close to Bath shortly after.

I love the water landscapes and green walks along the River Avon; equally enjoyable are the spectacular views from Prior Park – they certainly lift the spirit.

If I could meet someone from Bath’s history, it’s a close call between Sir William Parry and Mary Berry. I’d like to meet Sir William for his pioneering exploration and botanical records, while meeting Mary Berry would be a chance to explore my love of lemon drizzle cake. On balance, Sir William wins, just to save the calories and have in-depth conversation about the wild and extreme places.

I started out in an architectural practice but soon moved to landscape architecture.

Growing up on the edge of Dartmoor nurtured my deep interest and connection with the natural world; this has steered my direction in life from hobbies (hill-walking, fishing and gardening), where to live (on the edge of Salisbury Plain) and ultimately my choice of career.

In my profession I am fortunate to collaborate with like-minded individuals across many disciplines who all care about environmental topics. As landscape architects, we have the opportunity to truly inform and help shape such a diverse range of spaces and places: one week I might be helping to inform the green infrastructure and urban masterplan for a new city quarter, the next it could be a country park and the following a show garden for an international expo or flower show. Whatever the project, a couple of core values underpin our work at Grant Associates: the drive to make sure we enhance biodiversity and mitigate climate change whilst creating beautiful places which people love and cherish.

I have been with Grant Associates for 25 years – and that has flown by. It’s been fantastic to see the business grow from just three of us to over 45 staff now in Bath with another 25 working in our Singapore office.

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I love the energy and determination within our practice; across all staff there’s the desire and passion to champion environmental causes and drive forward creative and meaningful design that lasts the test of time. I also love the diversity within, and the dynamics of our office.

Our Chelsea Flower Show which was co-designed with Chin-Jung Chen (senior associate at Grant Associates) was inspired by a study tour of Guangzhou, the City between Mountain and Water, in 2019: Creativersal, a Guangzhou-based project management company, invited us to meet the Guangzhou government and pitch our case to design a garden for Chelsea. Although it’s known as the flower city, it was Guangzhou’s environmental planning and stewardship projects that really caught our attention. The Baiyun Mountain in the north, the Haizhu wetland in the south and Flower City square all inspired the concept of the Green Lung, Blue Kidney and Social Heart in our show garden – so it was fitting that the RHS judges felt it was a garden with real heart and soul!

The woodland dell, social garden and wetland are all underpinned by a strong sustainability agenda while being visually subtle. The garden’s green serene beauty captured the public’s attention, and many were keen to find out more about the technical aspects of the garden such as the prototype green active air wall, the 3D printed wildlife feature and laminated shelters for use by wildlife and people.

We explored the three-dimensionality of the garden to make sure we maximised the experience and spatial composition. We needed to have lots of mature trees, vertical greens, extensive planting cover, accessible routes, places for people to sit and snugs for wildlife – plus the 20,000 litres of water! That was a big challenge on such a small plot.

Through careful laying and interweaving of elements such as distinctive tree forms and shapes, the use of topography, visually elegant light structures and maximising the reflective qualities of water, we managed to fit it all in without compromising the spatial qualities.

We also had an excellent team and our water specialist Bamber Wallis managed to get the clear water promised just one day before judging took place. Water adds another dimension to space; I knew if we could make it work then we would be in a strong position

issue 225

for a good result – but I was simply ecstatic to win Best Show Garden!

Bath is in a great position to take on Guangzhou’s philosophy of equal consideration to the needs of people and wildlife through sustainable city planning strategies, particularly given its wider context and support and love for the surrounding landscape. There is much more opportunity along the River Avon and canalside network to bring wildlife into the city and even introduce rewilding into areas of the more formal parks. Any future development parcels or pockets of land in Bath, whether it be residential or commercial, should ideally also be supported by wider and integrated city wildlife biodiversity strategies.

We all need to champion Bath’s transition from a World Heritage City to becoming a Landscape City through creative dialogues and supporting well-considered environmental strategies as and when future opportunities for such landscape interventions arise. There’s already a great network within the city discussing key topics on sustainable cities; momentum is building.

Tenacious, curious and crepuscular are three words that describe my approach to life...

I’ve been very fortunate that my job has taken me to a few dream destinations that are biodiverse-rich and on the edge including Madagascar and Borneo. The Artic Circle would be equally interesting – and a slight climate contrast would be nice too! ■ grant-associates.uk.com

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CITY | NOTEBOOK

Richard Wyatt: Notes on a small city Columnist Richard Wyatt starts thinking about night-time disturbances and his thoughts wend their way all around the houses before they arrive back just where he began...

S

Lower Swainswick’s Speed Gate

❝

My attempt at launching a rocket shot off to one side, cracking the milk bottle I had used to keep it upright...

❝

omeone living in our street is doing their bit to support a local milkman with a regular home delivery. The trouble is this usually happens at some point between midnight and three in the morning and the bottles are loaded onto a motorised van and not the old-fashioned, battery-driven milk float that I remember from pre-supermarket days. It sounds like the product couldn’t be fresher – the only problem is the engine is not switched off when the delivery is made and I, having been woken by its arrival, wait in the dark for the sound of the collected ‘empty’ to be plopped into place when I know the vehicle will finally move on.

Now I am wide awake and looking for something pleasant to think about, which might encourage me to return to the Land of Nod. But it’s too late, as my mind is off on the trail of a noise theme and with 5 November in mind I was remembering the young boy who, while appreciating all the pretty and colourful pyrotechnic effects of your typical Guy Fawkes Night, only lived for the bangs. Whether they were from exploding missiles overhead or from ground-placed bangers, that ear-shattering burst of gunpowder was all that mattered.

Now I had thoughts about several careers before settling on journalism, and scientist/inventor was one I briefly considered after having being given a chemistry kit. I secured enough chemicals and test tubes to produce an agreeable stink bomb and eventually enough knowledge to produce a passable firework with plenty of fizz and flare. However, my attempt at launching a rocket shot off to one side, cracking the milk bottle I had used to keep it upright. It must be financial hell for NASA if something goes wrong with a satellite launch, but in my case it was only my pride that got burnt.

Once upon a primary school time, headmistress Miss Packer had said she could see me in the pulpit as I was lifted onto a table to be weighed by the school doctor, but as thoughts of a real career developed I was more interested in another type of dog collar as I considered becoming a vet. I even briefly considered – having savoured the delights of the TV soap Emergency Ward 10 (which ran until 1967) – becoming a human medic, but all this evaporated into the ether when I won a school essay competition and my future was then destined to be in a world full of words.

So, lying awake in the dark I wondered what I might have achieved if I had followed a more scientific road. Is it too late to offer a couple of inventions that might benefit humanity? There’s this business of trying to get motorists to adhere to the different speed limits set on our roads. I speak from experience as one who exceeded a set limit by a couple of miles per hour and, as my ‘crime’ was considered more careless than criminal, was sent to ‘Speed School’. You spend a day here coming to grips with how speeding is dangerous and are taught many ways in which you will emerge a safer motorist. This is where I learned that when you pass into a town or village between two signs declaring the speed at which you should enter, that is known as a Speed Gate. So with our now computer-aided cars, couldn’t there be some electronic pick-up from the sign which locks our car’s speed at the required limit? That’s not much good though if you’re trying to make way for a siren-blaring ambulance or fire tender, however.

Maybe I would have better luck pushing another idea involving solar roof panels. These ARE likely to be the future but I find them ugly to look at. Surely someone, somewhere can come up with a roof tile that slots together to form a surface capable of gathering energy from the sun, but with a finish that blends in. There’s nothing stopping the building of houses with a much greener edge – you can get wind turbines that look like chimneys and these might produce enough energy on a gusty day to re-charge your electric bike if not your car.

This sort of brings me back to milk floats, although I don’t suppose there would be much demand for battery-powered delivery vans these days. It’s more of a rarity for someone to get milk delivered to their doorstep! Next morning I remember my last waking thought before finally dropping off: ‘Thank God for the person who invented ear plugs’. I think l will buy a pair. n Richard Wyatt runs the Bath Newseum: bathnewseum.com

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online www.thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us:

ANTIQUE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editor Tel: Email:

Emma Clegg 01225 424592 emma@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor/Web Editor Daisy Game Email: daisy@thebathmagazine.co.uk Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team tel: 01225 424499 CLAVA DINE UMAGE, DENMARK

Advertising Sales Email:

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine are published by MC Publishing Ltd. We are an independent of all other local publications

The Bath Magazine is delivered free, every month to more than 15,000 residential addresses as well as businesses throughout Bath and the surrounding area. We also have special distribution units in many of Bath’s supermarkets

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk

LIGHTING SPECIALIST 8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK

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© MC Publishing Ltd 2021 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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Picks from our e-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter by email and never miss out on enjoyable and interactive extra content.

Here’s some of the highlights that have been very popular over the last 4 weeks. Sign up on: thebathmagazine.co.uk

The Panerai Submersible 42mm

RECIPE

Giovanni Panerai opened his first shop in Florence in 1860, serving not only as a watch shop and workshop, but also as the city's first watchmaking school and one of the finest outside of Switzerland. With a specialty for diving watches, Panerai is well known for its timepieces used by the Italian Navy. One of the company’s most groundbreaking inventions is a luminous substance, called Radiomir, used for improved legibility under the water. Only since 1993, has Panarai’s watches been on sale to the public but it has enjoyed a huge celebrity following and become more and more popular every year as a cool alternative to the better known luxury brands. The Panerai Submersible (shown here) is one of the most coveted recent editions to the range.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE Aubergine, Tomato and Coconut Curry (vegan) This luxurious but satisfyingly simple curry is one of those dishes that, once made, you'll return to again and again... ... and again.

Aubergines (which are at the peak of their season right now) tend to soak up a lot of oil during any cooking process; this is, in part, what gives this dish its silky texture. But if you'd prefer to cut the oil content by half (to 3 tbsp), salt the sliced aubergines for 30 minutes, give them a good rinse and pat dry before cooking.

On the spice front: the gentle heat in this dish comes largely comes from the ginger, but if you want to turn the heat up use a medium or hot curry powder, and/or add fresh red chillies with the garlic and ginger.

Leftovers? Unlikely! But if you happen to be left with a surplus, use as a filling for samosas or spicy vegetarian pasties.

Ingredients (serves 3–4 as a main course, with rice; 6 as a side dish.)

2 large onions, peeled and chopped 2–3 medium aubergines, sliced 6 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tbsp finely-chopped (or grated) fresh ginger 2 level tbsp mild curry powder 700g ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk (reduced fat is fine) 1 tbsp garam masala To serve: fresh coriander; thick yogurt (or vegan alternative) Method.

1. Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan and gently sauté the onions and aubergines for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the aubergines are silky soft, adding the garlic and ginger for the last 3–5 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes and all the lovely tomato juices. Allow the tomatoes to gently stew for 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for around 25–30 minutes or until the curry has thickened (if it starts to look a bit too thick, add the odd splash of boiling water).

3. Season well with salt, pepper and 1 tbsp of garam masala and serve hot, topped with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled with fresh coriander.

• Recipe by Melissa Blease

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Featuring a unidirectional rotating bezel it enables the dive times to be calculated with confidence, while legibility in the dark is ensured by Super-LumiNova® (a strontium aluminate–based nonradioactive) coating applied to the markers and the large skeleton hands. The case is a 42mm satin brushed steel with a black ceramic bezel on a black rubber strap which is perfect for diving and very tough. The iconic crown guard is a unique feature to Panerai’s action watches. It has an automatic self-winding movement and is water resistant to 300 metres. A lovely, all action timepiece. £8,500 Available from: Mallory-Jewellers.com

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Image © Danjaq, Universal, MGM, United Artists.

SPOTTED ON SCREEN

Ian Fleming created the James Bond character while enjoying a semi-retired life in Jamaica, so it’s more than a fitting salute that James Bond (Daniel Craig ) in his last outing as 007 in No Time to Die has given up his MI6 duties and retired to Jamaica to sail, fish, cook and catch up on his reading with a pile of meaningful books... (spoiler alert) ...that was the plan.

Early in the film, at his idyllic beach cabin, filmed in Cocoa Walk Bay in Port Antonio, we see his coffee table and sideboard stacked with books. On the sideboard, and in clear view are three great reads: Time’s Arrow by Martin Amis. The compelling, reverse chronology of doctor Tod T. Friendly who dies only to discover that tradegy makes him feel so much better and therefore sets about deliberately jilting lovers before seducing them, and delights in torturing patients before curing them. His life races backward toward the one terrible moment in modern history when these reversals make sense.

A Brilliant Darkness by Joao Magueijo.

The true story of the extraordinary life of Ettore Majorana, a tormented genius who discovered a key element of atomic fission but mysteriously disappeared and was never seen again.

Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945, written by British historian and scholar Tony Judt. The book examines six decades of European history from the end of World War II in 1945 up to 2005.

18ct White Gold and Diamond Earrings £2,150

The James Bond’s retirement reading

Christmas orders and commissions now being taken visit us instore or online for ideas: jodycory.co.uk

ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING RINGS HANDMADE BESPOKE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

Also, as the camera turns towards the coffee table, there is a collection of other great looking reads but most noticeably we see The Complete Zaha Hadid

by Thames and Hudson.

Celebrating the work of one of our most innovative architects, this comprehensive volume details over two hundred of her most successful (and not so successful) projects from her early experiments to groundbreaking final accomplishments.

9 Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LY 01225 460072

jody@jodycory.co.uk | www.jodycory.co.uk

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ELLIS & KILLPARTRICK

Styling Opticians

18 New Bond Street Bath BA1 1BA T. 01225 466954 www.ellisandkillpartrick.com

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CITY | THEATRE INTERIORS

Theatre without words

British choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne has been creating and directing dance for musicals, theatre and film as well as his own award-winning companies for 30 years. Melissa Blease uncovers the man behind the magic.

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richly textured, super-sensual zone where creativity, imagination, love, humanity, wit and beauty are all celebrated, all the time: that’s the world that choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne has created for all who enter his orbit. And yet...

“When people talk about Matthew Bourne in that way, it’s my shows that they like, not me personally, or me as a personality,” he says. “And that’s what’s lovely, to me; what I do is definitely not all about me.”

But Matthew – without you, there’d be nothing like that to say about what you do, would there? And we’ve been offered the opportunity to say a lot about you for a very long time.

Established in 1987, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures is a ground-breaking, multiple award-winning British dance-theatre company, renowned for telling stories with a unique theatrical twist.

This month, the world première tour of New Adventures’ latest production The Midnight Bell visits the Theatre Royal Bath – and we are, of course, poised to discuss those ‘intoxicated tales from darkest Soho’ in full here. But before all that... can we focus on the man behind the magic?

“I’ve been doing this for a long time now,” he says (still slightly, I’m feeling, keen to take the spotlight off himself and onto his company). “I suppose our original Swan Lake [a dark but shimmeringly beautiful contortion of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, featuring a repressed, depressed prince deprived of love by his mother and an overtly macho, all-male cast of swans, which premiered in 1995] is always going to be a highlight of the past three decades. It took dance to places dance wouldn’t normally go, and took us abroad for the first time and into the West End. It was such an unusual, unexpected thing to have happened; we were – and still are – quite a small company, and Swan Lake was originally just another small project. But it ended up creating a loyal audience for dance on a much bigger level, and perhaps encouraged other companies to think outside the box a little bit bit more too? It was a life-changing experience for everybody involved in it, and for dance in general, not just me.”

Sir Matthew Bourne

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No no, Matthew: for now, this really is all about you; there’s no wriggling out of the fact, for example, that in 2016, you were knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours in recognition of Outstanding Services to the Art of Ballet.

“Okay, I can’t be overly modest about that!” he says; “That was great, I loved it, it was just fantastic. It hasn’t made a real change to my life in a literal way, but it offered me a wonderful opportunity to be more of a spokesperson for my profession, and that’s where recognition like that becomes important; you become a figurehead, in some ways, and dance needs figureheads, because there aren’t that many of them. And so, I’ve taken that responsibility seriously. But on a personal note, I grew up loving that honours list, waiting to see who’d got the CBEs, the OBEs; it felt so fabulous, and glamorous, and very special. Now, having been there and shared that experience with a lot of people, I support the honours list even more. The names we mostly hear about are the famous ones, or the ones you feel may not deserve it – politicians, and all that. But the vast majority of the people on that list are special people, doing amazing work in their communities, and being recognised for it; it’s like our country saying thank you to them. And it’s such a wonderful day out!”

So... I got Sir Matthew to talk about himself for a moment. But in the next scene, we got our dancing feet back on the ground again to talk about The Midnight Bell.

“Before we start on that, you have to know that I don’t even believe in publishing scene scenarios in programmes,” he warns.

“You don’t need to have a whole show explained to you before you watch it; that’s just crazy. That’s what I set out not to do, with dance; I actively don’t want the audience to know too much before the lights even go down.” So, here we go... sans spoilers.

“The Midnight Bell is specifically designed for mid-scale venues so we can visit places that we can’t visit with our big shows without compromising the production or the experience in any way at all,” he says. “Big theatres aren’t right for this production, which is largely about intimacy; you need to be close to the action and to be able to see the faces of the amazing actor/dancers that I work with, so the Theatre Royal Bath is going to be perfect for us.”

Are we allowed any back story at all? “Well, it’s based on the novels of Patrick Hamilton who most people think they don’t know, but two of his plays – Rope, and Gaslight – were made into quite famous films; Hamilton originally coined the phrase ‘gaslighting’. But his lesser-known novels are wonderful. They were very much about the lives of real, working-class people in the late 1920s, the 1930s, the 1940s, in pubs – as a major alcoholic, Hamilton knew pub life all too well; he was never part of literary circles, and spent a lot of time drinking with ordinary people. He captured the authentic voices of those people and captured a whole world, full of people who are simply trying to connect with other people. One of the reasons that people first went to pubs was to just get out of the boarding houses they lived in, or their cheap hotels, or their digs. And that thing about lonely people coming together, wanting to be around other people, and the connections that form in that situation – that’s what our stories in The Midnight Bell are all about: the relationships within a group of people who are all connected by going to the same pub.”

Given that context, is it likely that we’ll connect more easily than ever before with The Midnight Bell in the post-lockdown world? “I didn’t mind lockdown too much,” says Matthew. “When the pandemic started, we’d been touring non-stop for quite a long time so it was good, on a personal level, to break that pattern, be at home a bit more and have some time to do things that you wouldn’t normally find time to do. But I was acutely aware that not

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Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell (above); Bryony Wood and Paris Fitzpatrick (right); photographs by Johan Persson

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Wordless theatre is basic storytelling, really; we can all connect with it, we all understand wordless language whether we know it or not

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everybody’s situation was as good as mine – where I live is a nice place to be, but if you were in a single room somewhere, it was terrible. And my company are basically all freelancers, so lockdown certainly wasn’t great for them; I was more concerned for them than I was for me. I was actually quite pleased to have a rest, even though I don’t do new pieces very regularly – maybe every two or three years, sometimes longer. I need a lot of time with a piece, and I need to keep working on it once it’s in front of an audience – that’s the beginning of a second journey for me, and it happens quite slowly.”

So, regardless of the impact of lockdown, The Midnight Bell has, it seems, been waiting to ring for quite a while. “It’s a very devised piece – there’s no beginning/middle/end,” Matthew explains, still carefully choreographing his way around spoilers. “My big fear was that it’d be difficult to follow, with too many characters and too many stories going on. But when we first did it, nobody had a problem with that at all, it was quite clear. That’s a great relief to me, because I always want to be as clear as possible in a wordless media.

But wordless theatre is basic storytelling, really; we can all connect

with it, we all understand wordless language whether we know it or not. And you certainly don’t have to ‘understand’ dance – whatever that means! – to get drawn in to The Midnight Bell; just come along, you don’t need any prior knowledge.”

So there we have it: The Midnight Bell, no spoilers... and so, we shimmy back to Bourne-centric world again, for a bit of end-of-chat fun: who is Matthew Bourne, in three words? “Oh goodness! Well, I’d say questioning; I always, always question everything. And lazy!

Everyone thinks I’m a workaholic, so that’s a funny juxtaposition, isn’t it? But I’m not very prolific with the amount of new pieces I put out there. Maybe that’s linked to my next word: I’m cautious, in some ways, but I’d like to think I’m a good collaborator. Oh, this is so hard, talking about myself!”

But oh, Sir Matthew Bourne: your magical world of wordless media speaks volumes on your behalf. n The Midnight Bell, Theatre Royal Bath, 23–27 November theatreroyal.org.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | november 2021

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16 Pierrepont St, Bath BA1 1LA | Tel: 01225 464433 www.kathrynanthony.co.uk

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A spiritual lament

Paraorchestra – a large-scale orchestra of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians – is performing in Bath Abbey on 8 December, an event rescheduled from its original date at The Bath Festival last year.

Millie Bruce-Watt finds out more from conductor and artistic director Charles Hazlewood.

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bright shining light in the music industry today is Paraorchestra – the world’s only integrated orchestra of professional disabled and non-disabled musicians.

Founded in 2012 by award-winning international conductor and musical revolutionary Charles Hazlewood, the Paraorchestra made its debut performance at the Paralympics’ closing ceremony in London. As the world’s eyes watched an orchestra of 18 world-class musicians play alongside Coldplay, a dream was born, a ripple of hope was sent across the world and a powerful message played out – music is a birthright not a luxury.

Almost a decade later and the Paraorchestra has grown into a 90-piece ensemble with around 40 musicians identifying as disabled.

From Glastonbury Festival to Carlyon Bay, the orchestra has been spreading the word, encouraging musicians to stand up and be counted. They are a shining example of the joy and the brilliance that emerges when positive change is achieved.

The musical event at the Abbey On 8 December Paraorchestra, conducted by Charles Hazlewood, is performing Henryk Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs alongside acclaimed soprano Victoria Oruwari in the deep, vast, and dark splendour of Bath Abbey. Cathartic and hauntingly beautiful, this harmonic ‘spiritual minimalist’ composition is an astonishing meditation on loss and transcendence.

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Deep within this astonishing and magical space the orchestra will be placed right in the centre of the nave, in a circle, facing inwards

Charles Hazlewood and the Paraorchestra.

Photograph by Kirsten McTernan

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Each of the three movements of Symphony of Sorrowful Songs features a Polish lament, including a message inscribed on the wall of a Gestapo prison cell from a teenage girl to her mother, and a mother’s folk song about her son lost in the Silesian civil war. Sung in Polish, it’s an evocative work that brings both tears and joy, taking audiences on an uplifting journey through grief and solace. The power of the piece has not gone unrecognised – a recording by soprano Dawn Upshaw and David Zinman with the London Sinfonietta in 2016 topped the classical music charts and reached number six on the mainstream UK album chart, selling over a million copies.

Charles Hazelwood explains the passion and purpose of this musical installation. “What better place to share this work than Bath Abbey? Deep within this astonishing and magical space the orchestra will be placed right in the centre of the nave, in a circle, facing inwards. Like all our projects, making orchestral music accessible and presenting it in new and unexpected ways is fundamental.”

This style and performance set-up encourages you to move around the orchestra and explore the abbey, observing and listening to the music from different perspectives for a fully immersive experience.

Enhancing the performance will be Luke Jerram’s incredible touring exhibition, Museum of the Moon, which will be centre stage at Bath Abbey, and on display from 20 November – 24 December. The touring piece of artwork by Luke Jerram has been making an impact all over the world. The internally lit moon measures seven metres in diameter and features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface.

Viola player Tilly Chester who has been a member of Paraorchestra since its inception Photograph by Kirsten McTernan

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An innovative musical vision In his 30-year career, Hazlewood has conducted some of the greatest in the classical repertoire with some of the best orchestras in the world. He’s been a significant presence on British television and radio for decades, and his innovations continue to attract new audiences to orchestral music as he reimagines what an orchestra is. The Paraorchestra, however, clearly holds a special place in his heart.

His mission is clear and concise – he wants to bring the ever-more modern joy of orchestral music to the 21st-century audience and, in doing so, change lives and communities for the better.

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“Sung in Polish, it’s an evocative work that brings both tears and joy, taking audiences on an uplifting journey through grief and solace”

Museum of the Moon by Luke Jerram, photograph by James Billings

“Paraorchestra is the only orchestra in the world that is a reflection of modern society. The starting point came for it when my youngest daughter was born with cerebral palsy. Very quickly it got me thinking, I’ve had a 30-year career conducting orchestras around the world and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of musicians who are disabled that I’ve encountered – it’s absurd, you can’t tell me that there aren’t millions of prodigiously gifted musicians who happen to identify as disabled. Where is their platform? Where is their voice? It’s not just that – of course it’s about equity – but it’s also about not missing out on talent. At the moment, we’re missing out on millions of talented people because we haven’t got a system in place which allows them to take part.”

Hazlewood has carved a reputation as quite the maverick when it comes to mixing musical genres – pushing the creative boundaries in every way possible, to serve as a template for generations of forwardthinking artists, and inspiring elation. “The orchestral industry, as it currently is, is very much about the custodians of a tradition – and there’s nothing wrong with that – we all need our Brahms and our Beethoven – but at the same time there needs to be more forward thinking and forward moving. You show me any other kind of aspect of human experience that hasn’t continued to evolve with current technologies, and why would you want to miss out on the wonder of analogue synthesisers or digital instruments? It makes no sense.

“The orchestra is alive and well in everyone’s living rooms if you think about it – all video games invariably have big orchestral backing, and all those movie scores. It’s just that people having a live experience of it is rare and there aren’t that many, perhaps – if you look at the population as whole – that will darken the door of the Royal Festival Hall and that’s a shame. We really hope we can bring about change.”

In January of this year, Hazlewood became Sky Arts’ ambassador for music – one of five ambassadors appointed – which now marks Paraorchestra as the channel’s flagship orchestra. As part of this, Sky Arts will invest £60,000 over two years into the musicians. This has created a musicians-in-residence scheme that, under Hazlewood’s support and mentoring, enables Paraorchestra to cultivate some of the extraordinary D/deaf and disabled talent within the ensemble.

“Sky Arts are doing what they can out in the communities,

catalysing change and inspiration and fresh possibilities so it seemed like a natural fit for me to take on an ambassadorial role, taking Paraorchestra with me. It will also give us an opportunity to reach out to people who may never come to one of our gigs.”

Paraorchestra is always on the look-out for emerging talent and it is of utmost importance to support those joining the family. “Every 18 months to two years we do a musicians call-out, which is specifically for musicians who identify as disabled. Our most recent call gave us 12 new musicians so each time we’re adding more to our flock.”

Charles Hazlewood will also be fronting a new series in 2022 exploring the 21st-century orchestra. “It will look at all the innovations that we have discovered are possible in terms of placing an orchestra front and centre, in real people’s lives, normal people’s lives, every person’s life,” says Hazlewood. n Symphony of Sorrowful Songs with Paraorchestra takes place on 8 December at 7.30pm at Bath Abbey; paraorchestra.com; tickets £25; book through bathfestivals.org.uk

Charles Hazlewood

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LOCAL | EVENTS

What’s on in November Clara Sola at the Little Theatre Cinema

Natural Theatre Company’s Theatre School

ARTISTS’ SHOWCASE Throughout November n Out of the Blue Gallery A beautiful new gallery right in the heart of Bath is showcasing some of the best British artists and ceramicists. Set across two floors, the gallery is packed with great pieces. Look out for must-see exhibitions arriving at the gallery soon. outofthebluegallery.com JAZZ FACTORY: LEARN TO IMPROVISE Every Monday throughout November n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon Jazz Factory is a weekly jazz workshop for instrumentalists and vocalists. It welcomes and caters for players of all levels, experience and ability. Go along and give it a try! You will work in small groups led by professional musicians in a supportive atmosphere. The workshop meets every Monday evening in term time at Wiltshire Music Centre. jazzfactory.co.uk FILM BATH FESTIVAL Until 4 November, various times n Little Theatre Cinema, St Michaels Place, Bath This is the 31st FilmBath Festival and for the first time the whole of Screen One at The Little Theatre Cinema is being hired for a week. So come and revel in festival films, including Tomboy on 2 Nov at 1.30pm, a sensitive and moving film about a 10-year old French girl who starts to identify as a boy to her friends; Whip It on 3 November at 4pm, a witty exciting and fun directorial debut from Drew Barrymore; and Clara Sola on 4 November at 11am, a Costa Rican film about a woman whose acute connection with her white horse transcends human contact, until a man appears to steal her attention. filmbath.org.uk PRIVATE LIVES Until 6 November n Theatre Royal Bath

Theatre Royal Bath is hosting a new production of Private Lives, the inaugural show from Nigel Havers’ new theatre company which will be touring the country with a line-up of theatrical gems. The Olivier Award-winning Patricia Hodge, one of the country’s most loved actresses, plays Amanda. Nigel Havers, ever suave and thoroughly charming, plays Elyot, the role taken by Noël Coward himself in the original production in 1930. theatreroyal.org.uk BLUE/ORANGE Until 13 November n Ustinov Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Sawclose In a London psychiatric hospital, a mysterious patient wants out. The problem is that, to him, oranges are bright blue and Muhammed Ali is a whole lot more than just a boxer. As his doctor and senior consultant debate whether to section or release him, their power struggle escalates into a startling and provocative exploration of power and privilege, revealing uncomfortable truths about all three men.

A collaboration between Joe Penhall, Giles Terera and Michael Balogun. theatreroyal.org.uk THE WINTER TESTICULAR BALL 20 November, 7pm n Apex City of Bath Hotel, James Street West, Bath Every other year, It’s in the Bag Cancer Support organise an event to celebrate the work of the charity and showcase the way they support men with testicular cancer.

Every year 2,400 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer and of those 240 are in the south west of England. It’s in the Bag began in 2009 with the aims of supporting men and their families at diagnosis and through and after treatment, raising awareness to ensure early detection and celebrating the

98% cure rate of the disease. Black Tie. Tickets £35 each or £300 for a table of ten.

Includes welcome drink, 3 course dinner and live entertainment. itsinthebag.org.uk/events THE NATURAL THEATRE COMPANY’S THEATRE SCHOOL Until 24 November n Widcombe Institute, Widcombe Hill Learn performance skills from professional actors and directors in fun and stressrelieving evening drama classes. The Natural Theatre Company’s Adult Performance and Theatre Skills classes are best for beginners or those who want to brush up on their skills, whilst its Creating and Devising classes are great for those with more experience. If you’re 18 and under then its 11–18 Theatre School is the place for you! naturaltheatre.co.uk/theatreschool FULLTONE ORCHESTRA 4 November n Bath Abbey Led by the brilliantly talented musical director Anthony Brown, The Fulltone Orchestra is coming to Bath Abbey on 4 November, to coincide with Bonfire Night, with an explosive and massively exciting evening of classical music. Commanding huge success whatever they turn their hand to, this orchestra will leave you feeling totally blown away. They are big and bold and on the night they will be playing the world’s most combustive musical treats from Holst to Barber and Bernstein to Tchaikovsky, all fireworkesque, full of light and shade and even some boom sound effects in the final number. fto.org.uk MAGIC GOES WRONG 9–21 November n Bath Theatre Royal, Sawclose Multi award-winning Mischief return to Continued page 30

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Come and join the u3a in Bath ‘the youth club for older people’ We offer a wide variety of interest groups and a reguar monthly coffee and talk to keep your mind and body active For more information see our website: www.u3ainbath.org.uk (*The Third Age - Beyond having to work for a living)

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Widcombe Christmas Market

The Craft4Crafters Show

the stage with their hilarious new show created with magic legends, Penn & Teller.

A hapless gang of magicians are staging an evening of grand illusion to raise cash for charity. But as the magic turns to mayhem, accidents spiral out of control and so does their fundraising target! Magic Goes Wrong comes to Theatre Royal Bath direct from the West End. theatreroyal.org.uk RONDO THEATRE: TEZ ILYAS 11 November, 8pm n Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Road, Bath The brand-new stand-up show from the star of The Tez O’Clock Show (Channel 4), TEZ Talks (BBC Radio 4) and the multiaward-winning Man Like Mobeen (BBC Three). Tez uses his trademark silly, smart and subversive approach to pit ordinary people against the establishment. Expect huge laughs, groans and shocks as Tez confronts the state of the world with his cheeky, provocative flair. Presented by Live Nation in association with UTC Artist Management. ticketsource.co.uk/rondotheatre AN EVENING WITH MIRIAM MARGOLYES 12 November, 7.30pm n Bath Pavilion Spend an evening in the company of one of Britain's favourite (and naughtiest) national treasures, as she shares stories from her remarkable life. BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury’s Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam is one of the most recognisable actresses working today. Now, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her life story in her long-awaited memoir, This Much Is True. fane.co.uk WIDCOMBE CHRISTMAS MARKET 13–14 November n Widcombe Social Club Come and do some Christmas shopping in a relaxed and friendly environment while supporting local creatives and small

Mothering Sunday at the Little Theatre Cinema

FILM SCREENINGS n Throughout November, The Little Theatre Cinema, Bath Films to watch out for this month include Mothering Sunday starring Odessa Young, Josh O’Connor, Olivia Coleman and Colin Firth, where a maid living in post-World War I England secretly plans to meet with the man she loves before he leaves to marry another woman.

Another newcomer this month is Japanese drama film Drive My Car, where a widower drives to Hiroshima with his chauffeur and confronts the mystery of his wife that quietly haunts him. This winner of the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes is based on a short

businesses in the 15th annual Widcombe Christmas Market. Around 40 exhibitors will be displaying their own beautiful work for sale – choose from ceramics, jewellery, textiles, paintings, prints, cards, candles, mosaics and glass and enamel work. To enable greater social distancing routes will be marked round the event and stewards will be on hand. 10.30am–5pm Saturday and 10.30am–4pm Sunday. widcombechristmasmarket.com ROBIN INCE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING INTERESTED 15 November, 7.30pm n Topping & Co Booksellers, The Paragon, Bath Comedian Robin Ince shares why scientific wonder isn’t just for the professionals. He explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the stars above to why scientific curiosity can encourage much needed intellectual humility, Robin’s optimistic and profound outlook on life will make you laugh, and leave you filled with a thirst for intellectual adventure. toppingbooks.co.uk

story and is co-written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

The film Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín, takes us back to the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles where while rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. Spencer is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days.

See the full programme online: picturehouses.com/cinema/little-theatrecinema

AN EVENING WITH GIOVANNA FLETCHER 23 November, 7.30pm n Bath Pavilion Join the number-one bestselling author and I'm A Celebrity’s Queen of the Castle for a conversation about writing and her brand new book, Walking On Sunshine. Hear Giovanna discuss her heart-warming and uplifting new novel about loss, friendship and unrequited love, and take the chance to ask her the questions you’ve always wanted to ask in the audience Q&A. fane.co.uk THE MIDNIGHT BELL 23–27 November n Bath Theatre Royal, Sawclose Sir Matthew Bourne’s new world premiere for New Adventures explores the underbelly of 1930s London life where ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and bars of fog-bound Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption.

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Made in Bristol Gift Fair (photo by Jo Hounsome)

Rachel Parris

THE CRAFT4CRAFTERS SHOW 25–27 November, 10am – 5pm n The Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset The Craft4Crafters Show returns to the Bath & West Showground – perfect for great Christmas crafting supplies, learning a new crafting skill or finding Christmas gifts. There will be textile and craft displays, workshops, live demonstrations, and make and takes for inspiration and ideas. Leading local and national exhibitors will offer products for card-making, papercrafts, stamping, scrapbooking, sewing, cross-stitch, embroidery, beading, painting, patchwork, quilting, knitting and more. Admission: £10, £9 concessions. concessions. craft4crafters.co.uk AN EVENING WITH NIGELLA LAWSON 25 November, 7.30pm n Bath Pavilion Spend an evening with the renowned food writer and TV cook as she shares the rhythms and rituals of her kitchen to celebrate her latest book Cook, Eat, Repeat – a delicious and delightful combination of recipes intertwined with narrative essays about food. fane.co.uk LAWRENCES AUCTIONEERS 26 November, 9am–5pm n Throughout Bath and Bristol Lawrences Auctioneers are running free home visits on 29 October from 9am–5pm.

Valuer Andy Sagar will be available to value your objects and antiques throughout Bath and Bristol. lawrences.co.uk RACHEL PARRIS 27 November, 2pm (doors open 1.30pm) n Komedia, 22–23 Westgate Street Join the Bafta-nominated comedian, viral sensation and star of BBC’s The Mash Report for a matinee show as she performs stand-up and songs about sudden love, relationships, family, going viral, and going mental. Tickets £16, from: bathfestivals.org.uk or from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

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One of the UK’s most exciting young violinists, Braimah Kanneh-Mason, stretches his wings in Vivaldi’s evergreen masterpiece, The Four Seasons. You can also listen to the beautiful and relaxing music of Paul Carr at this world-premiere performance of his Four New Seasons, an affectionate homage to the timeless beauties of Vivaldi, in a choralorchestral setting. With Bath Philharmonia and conductor Gavin Carr. Tickets available from Bath Box Office on 01225 463362. bathminervachoir.co.uk MADE IN BRISTOL GIFT FAIR 27–28 November n Bristol Beacon, Colston Street, Bristol Made in Bristol once again present up to 200 designer-makers as they take over the foyer of Bristol Beacon this Christmas with three bumper weekends packed full of local talent. The free family-friendly gift fairs offer the chance to support designermakers, including carpenters, potters, weavers, leather-workers, jewellers and printmakers.Visitors can shop local to find truly individual, handmade gifts. Meet the maker and buy direct from the artist.

You’re sure to find a gift to give someone you love this Christmas. Open Sat from 10am–5pm and Sunday from 10am–4pm. madeinbristolgiftfair.co.uk FINE ART AND ANTIQUES SALE 30 November n Aldridges of Bath, Lower Bristol Road, Twerton, Bath Aldridges of Bath is running a fine art and antiques sale which will include silver, jewellery, porcelain and glass, oil paintings, watercolours and prints, works-of-art, clocks, furniture and more. For more information, visit: aldridgesofbath.com FLORENCE GIVEN IN BATH 30 November, 7.30pm n Topping & Co Booksellers, The Paragon, Bath Bestselling author Florence Given discusses and celebrates the phenomenon which is Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, a guide and support to help you to embrace feminism in all its messy glory, explain that you are the love of your own life, and remind you that you owe men nothing, least of all pretty. toppingbooks.co.uk

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LOOKING AHEAD

Heart by Loreli Hunt (Bear Flat Artists)

BEAR FLAT ARTISTS CHRISTMAS ART FAIR & MARKET 4 December, 10am – 5pm n Methodist Church Hall, Bruton Avenue, Bear Flat, Bath Bath’s Bear Flat Artists present a newlook festive event with the best of local art and craft, offering the opportunity to buy art and original hand-made gifts direct from the artists. This brings together work from across all artforms made in Bear Flat. Participants include painters, ceramicists, illustrators, jewellers, textile artists, printmakers and photographers. Free entry, all welcome. bearflatartists.co.uk SERENITY: SONGS OF BLESSING AND REFLECTION 4 December, 7.30pm n St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick The 2021/22 season brings new hope and fresh opportunities, including an exciting partnership for The Handful with their new musical director Vicente Chavarría. Join them in a contemplative yet joyful evening as the choir weaves its way through a rich tapestry of music.

From Stanford to Schoenberg, Guillaume to Gjeilo, the programme includes UK premieres from two hugely talented young composers Sydney Guillaume and J. Michael Saunders, and a few jolly drinking songs to welcome the festive season! thehandful.org

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LOOKING AHEAD continued NOWELL, NOWELL: TUDOR CHRISTMAS SONGS AND CAROLS 4 December, 7.30pm n Picture Gallery, Holburne Museum A concert to herald the Christmas season and the special exhibition opening on 28 January 2022 of Tudor portraits. The Dowland Youth Works Choir was founded to encourage talented young singers, specifically lute players, with an interest in early music. The music is focused around the work of John Dowland, and composers such as William Byrd and Thomas Tallis. The choir of around eight voices will be students who attend the regular courses set up by Dowland Works, accompanied by Sam Brown on the lute, and conducted by musical director Laurence Williams. Tickets £18. holburne.org/events LIGHT AND LOVE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE 6 December, 11am – 6pm n Virtual ceremony The Forever Friends Appeal, the charity for the Royal United Hospitals Bath, invites the local community to come together for its annual remembrance service. The virtual ceremony will be streamed through The Forever Friends Appeal website and will allow people to reflect together and celebrate the lives of loved ones who they have lost. The event will help support the hospital’s RUH Palliative Care and End of Life Butterfly Fund and there will be an opportunity to remember loved ones names on a compassionate heart or star placed on a tree of ‘Light and Love’ and displayed throughout December. foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk/light-and-love SYMPHONY OF SORROWFUL SONGS 8 December, 7.30pm n Bath Abbey Paraorchestra, conducted by Charles Hazlewood, is performing Henryk Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs alongside acclaimed soprano Victoria Oruwari in the splendour of Bath Abbey. Cathartic and hauntingly beautiful, this harmonic composition is an astonishing meditation on loss and transcendence. Tickets £25; bathfestivals.org.uk ENCHANTED GARDEN OF LIGHT ILLUMINATION TRAIL 9–31 December n American Museum & Gardens, Claverton Down A spectacular Christmas trail will illuminate the dramatic hillside setting of the American Museum & Gardens, with a route winding through the gardens and parkland. Visitors will embark on an after-dark adventure through glittering displays that will emblazon the house, gardens, and woodland. The hour-long trail has been designed with lighting designers SLX and will include a series of site-specific installations set to sound and music. Also on offer will be festive food and drink stalls, featuring the best of the American Christmas: chestnuts roasting, gourmet hotdogs and burgers, spiced apple, hot chocolate, and other warming drinks. americanmuseum.org/Christmas n

Enchanted Garden of Light at the American Museum & Gardens

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ARTS & EXHIBITIONS Image: Orchard by Tim Carroll

Rebecca Campbell, Akiko Hirai and Linda Felcey, Beaux Arts Bath, 12-13 York Street, Bath BA1 1NG throughout November

Victoria Art Gallery, Bath BA2 4AT Bath Society of Artists 116th Annual Exhibition, until 20 November Now in its 116th year, this popular exhibition showcases the best of the region’s artistic talent. Any artist aged 18 or over was able to submit work for selection, and all the artworks are for sale. Exhibits include paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and mixed media.

During November, Beaux Arts are showing Still • Life, a new collection of oil paintings by Rebecca Campbell. These lifeenhancing paintings burst with iridescent colour and life, and are an homage to Persian miniature paintings, with their reverence for nature, architecture and gardens. Also on show will be new still lifes

by Linda Felcey. Her delicate oils celebrate the prosaic but transient qualities of objects – seasonal blossom, or ceramic vessels, captured in changing light.

Ceramics are by the renowned London-based Japanese artist Akiko Hirai.

Image: Finding Paradise by Rebecca Campbell

Myths and Monsters, 27 November – 27 February 2022 This colourful celebration of children’s book illustration is a follow-up to 2017’s blockbuster Here Be Dragons exhibition, Visitors will meet characters, from the Gruffalo to the Iron Man and fearsome dragons to the Little Ogre. victoriagal.org.uk

Shooting Stars: Carinthia West, Britain and America in the 1970s, American Museum & Gardens, Bath BA2 7BD, until 31 December Carinthia West’s intimate photographs of rock and film stars of the 1970s in America – and in particular on the glorious beaches of Malibu in California – present an upbeat and buoyant view of the decade that should remind us of the outstanding music and the great design of this much-maligned period. Carinthia West’s fascinating photographs demonstrate that the 1970s was a decade of bright colours, fun, and self-expression. americanmuseum.org Image: Pink Floyd Animals shoot, 1976

beauxartsbath.co.uk

Christmas Exhibition, Gallery Nine, 9B Margaret’s Buildings, Bath, 8 November – 31 December Gallery Nine’s winter exhibition brings together the work of British contemporary artists, ceramicists and jewellers.

Carolyn Genders creates bold, asymmetric sculptural vessels and forms; ceramicist William Papworth’s work is hand thrown, one-off and repeated forms that reflect an appreciation of simple, ergonomic design; and Paul Catherall is known for his clean, sharp linocuts of architectural London landmarks.

Carolyn Genders will also be showing alongside Paul with her relief prints.

Featured jewellers are Cara Tonkin who works mostly in silver, with finishes such as gold vermeil and oxidised silver and Ann Katrin Evans, whose work is like that of an alchemist where the ‘non precious’ becomes precious. galleryninebath.com Image: Southbank Steps Yellow by Paul Catherall

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ART | EXHIBITIONS Emma Rose Artworks, Bath Contemporary Artists Fair, Green Park Station. 14 November Emma Rose is a contemporary artist specialising in semi-abstract and impressionistic painting with an emphasis on colour and texture. She has developed an original style melding Indian and French inks with acrylic paints, producing vibrant and arresting work with a fluidity and passion for life. Emma will be exhibiting her original contemporary paintings, limited edition giclée prints, art cushions and cards at the Bath Contemporary Artists Fair on Sunday 14 November, 10am–5pm. She will be available to chat to about commissions, her interior design service, and colourful creative ideas.

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Green Park Station, 14 November Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair is delighted to welcome everyone back to its November fair. The fair is committed to bringing the best of contemporary art from the city and beyond right to the heart of Bath. Following on from the successful and popular fairs last year, visitors can browse the brilliant works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture and textiles, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. For exhibiting artists visit the website. See also page 40. bcaf.co.uk

Image: Peony Haze

by Emma Rose

emmaroseartworks.com

Image by Georgia Cox

This major exhibition explores for the first time Eric Ravilious’ lifelong fascination for the chalk hills of southern England, particularly Wiltshire and Sussex.

Featuring more than 20 works borrowed from national collections and private collectors, including iconic watercolours such as The Westbury Horse and The Wilmington Giant, alongside other rarely seen works. From his student days until the last year of his life, Ravilious returned again and again to the Downs, inspired particularly by the relationship between landscape and people. Watercolours and wood engravings included in the exhibition show dew ponds and farmyards, a cement works and a field roller, modern military fortifications and ancient monuments.

The exhibition is supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.

Tickets can be prebooked online.

Image: The Causeway, Wiltshire Downs, 1937 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

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The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Hornet, Hailstone, Crab Eye, Aerodrome…(etc), until 3 January This exhibition presents the fruits of a recent anagama kiln firing by Aaron Angell and Steven Claydon.

These two leading British artists share an anachronistic approach to historical influence, in this instance in the vernacular of ceramics from late-medieval rural Japan from where anagama kilns originate.

Eric Ravilious: Downland Man, Wiltshire Museum, 41 Long Street, Devizes, 25 September – 30 January

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Image: The Blue Bower by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Rossetti’s Portraits, until 9 January A unique show devoted to the portaits of Dante Gabriel Rossetti including some of his most iconic artworks, which reveal the artist at the height of his creative powers, alongside his less well-known, but equally compelling early drawings of friends, family and fellow PreRaphaelite artists.

Sunil Gupta: The New Pre-Raphaelites, until 19 January A display of photographs by Sunil Gupta that explore the legacy of the Pre-Raphaelites and their influence on contemporary art. Gupta’s photographs allude to works by members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an artistic movement founded in 1848, only a few years before Section 377 (which was used to prosecute homosexual activity) was introduced.

Thomas Lawrence Coming of Age, throughout November This virtual exhibition gives fresh insight into the first 25 years of one of Britain’s greatest portrait painters. holburne.org

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

David Ringsell: Pandemic City Bath Painter David Ringsell’s most recent work is inspired by the pandemic, with his latest series entitled Pandemic City Bath.

David’s work is currently being exhibited at The Woolverton Gallery (see below), The Artery Art Café in Richmond Place (where he has a meet the artist event on 18 November at 7.30pm) and Conscious Café in Northumberland Place.

David loves to share his artistic impressions of Bath, his home city. His unique and contemporary art prints of Bath show a different and sometimes darker side of the city and his paintings of Bath architecture don’t shy away from the stained stonework and peeling paint that are part of many buildings.

Custom prints are also available in a range of sizes – visit the wesbite for more details. real-images.com

Image: Northumberland Place Looking Towards Abbey Green by David Ringsell

Gold, 20–28 November, Waller&Wood, One Two Five Box Road, Bath BA1 7LR A seasonal exhibition of ceramics by Gary Wood, jewellery by Annie Beardsley and painted clothes and scarves by Carole Waller.

You’ll also find a host of smaller pieces for Christmas gifts.

11am–5pm daily at Waller&Wood. Call 07803 033629 for more information. wallerandwood.co.uk

Image: Hand-painted modal shawl by Carole Waller

Pop Up Exhibitions at Milsom Place, Bath Rostra Gallery’s Winter Wonderland, 6–20 November Rostra Gallery is returning to Milsom Place for the run up to Christmas to showcase new works from some of their artists in this exclusive gallery pop-up. Limited edition prints, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, jewellery, craft and mosaics will be on show just in time for the gift-giving season.

From Figurative to Abstract, Woolverton Gallery, Bath BA2 7RH, 20–28 November A special exhibition featuring the work of three talented local artists. Filling three of the gallery’s exhibition rooms, the show will feature a large number of new works by Kate Cochrane, Lynn Baxter and Brian Baxter.

Kate Cochrane’s paintings are about landscape and her latest works consist of a series on the spaces between branches including catkins and new spring leaves.

Lynn Baxter is an abstract painter and sculptor with fascination with the architecture of the picture plane.

Brian Baxter specialises in painting wildlife and domestic animals, aiming to capture the essence of living things, creating vibrancy and energy. bathartsales.com

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Image below: by Maria Rivans

Pop Up Gallery with Modern ArtBuyer, 23 November – 5 December This contemporary, online art gallery will be showcasing their talented and hard-working artists’ recent pieces. They have curated an exceptional selection of original paintings and prints for the show, and bearing in mind that the Christmas season is upon us they’re making sure to show some perfect gift pieces too.

Both shows open from 10am–5pm Monday to Saturday and 11–4pm Sunday. milsomplace.co.uk

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Malachi Bogdanov on the Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair

Time, 44AD Gallery, 4 Abbey Street, Bath 8–13 November Stephen Morris is a selftaught artist, working and living on the Isles of Scilly, selling work at his beachside gallery, The Glandore Gallery. He paints entirely en plein air using traditional watercolours and inks.

With the latter he doesn’t pre-draw and only uses a dropper and waterspray, mixing the ink mostly on the paper.

This exhibition is about our perception of time.

“Sometimes we perceive time as passing slowly, occasionally it appears to stop or vanish in a blink of an eye.

It depends on one’s viewpoint. Geological time is slow, a star’s lifetime is long, but a mayfly’s is short to us. Time is both precious and the enemy. There never seems to be enough. It’s gone too soon and we don’t necessarily appreciate it in the moment.”

Image: by Stephen Morris

glandorescilly.info/gallery

Romi Behrens: A Lively Vision, David Simon Contemporary, 37 High Street, Castle Cary BA7 7AW, 5–27 October An exhibition of paintings from 1984–2004 providing an overview of Romi Behrens’ painting. Her passion for exploring working in oils is evident in this collection of paintings that include raw interpretations of the coast of Cornwall to the hotter climes of Cadaqués and a wonderful series of still lifes. Romi Behrens was born in Wiltshire in 1939, and moved to Cornwall in 1959 where she lived for the rest of her life. A violinist as well as a talented visual artist, Romi was described by critic Frank Ruhrmund as ‘both a speedy and a spontaneous artist’ and she was great friends with many leading contemporary artists in the St Ives Colony. Her work was exhibited at the Arnolfini, Bristol, private galleries in London and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions.

Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 10am–5.30pm (closed Wednesday and Sunday). davidsimoncontemporary.com

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Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair started in October 2020, so just over a year ago.

Obviously lockdown made the launch slightly problematic!

The idea behind the fair was that art fairs can be expensive (for the artist and the public) and tend to be annual. This can make the exposure limited and the costs prohibitive. BCAF brings quality, original art to the heart of the community on a monthly basis, free for the public while promoting the city of Bath and above all promoting the artists.

The main objective is to gather the huge talent which exists in and around Bath on a regular basis and showcase their work in the beautiful space and atmosphere that is Green Park Station.

The artists We select artists based on quality, originality, technical proficiency and use of materials. We have 40 exhibiting artists each month on average and 60 artists have been the largest number – we could exhibit more if the space permitted!

During lockdown we continued to promote BCAF and its artists, including exhibiting their art online and through social media. This kept the fair fresh in people’s minds so when we came out of lockdown people were more than happy to come along.

Many of the BCAF artists turned to the internet during lockdown to plan exhibitions or be in exhibitions. There were literally thousands of online virtual fairs and galleries where artists/creators could continue to connect with the public and create an income stream. This was not ideal but it was the only real option at the time – many artists struggled.

Successful exhibitors One exhibitor who has done particularly well with sales and attention is 19-year-old Meghan Josephine who joined BCAF this year (it was her first ever art fair) and she sold this amazing oil painting for £1500. Megan has now been accepted to study at the Glasgow School of Art. Another of our artists is Tom Davey who has exhibited at every BCAF and has started to make a real name for himself. He now regularly sells his oil Painting by Megan Josephine paintings of Bath and made £1800 at the most recent fair.

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair is now booking for 2022. bcaf.co.uk

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Winner . BEST CREATIVE BUSINESS . Bath Life Awards COMMISSIONS . ORIGINAL CONTEMPORARY PAINTINGS LIMITED EDITION GICLÉE PRINTS . CARDS

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ART EXHIBITIONS

Bath Society of Artists’ open exhibition

Founded in 1904, the Bath Society of Artists is well known for its annual exhibition which is open to members and non-members and held at the Victoria Art Gallery. This year the exhibition is back in physical form, running until 20 November. Here we share some of the prize-winning artworks for 2021.

CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: Show Girl by Nicky Knowles, collage on board (£4,500); Bath Society of Artists Runner Up Prize Mary Anne’s Back, Pulteney Bridge by Ele Nash, collage (£500), Minerva Art Supplies Prize Urban Archaeology V by Peter Ford, cast paperwork and relief printing (£2,400), Pegasus Art Prize Thicket by Gail Mason, silkscreen monotype (£1,300); St Cuthberts Mill Work on Paper Prize Nothing But Plant by Ed Chudleigh, potato starch (£1,750); Bath Society of Artists 3D Prize

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Discover the best of the region’s artistic talent at the Bath Society of Artists 116th Annual Exhibition. The 368 artworks, which can be seen in the gallery until 20 November, are all for sale and can also be seen online: victoriagal.org.uk/bathsociety-artists-2021

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HISTORICAL RINGS PUT BIDDERS IN TOUCH WITH HISTORY…

No Panic

Lawrences in Crewkerne began a busy week of sales on October 12th with nearly 500 lots of silver and vertu.

There was predictably reassuring strength in traditional areas of the market: a pair of George III entrée dishes and covers from 1805 made £2250; an engraved Victorian salver with Irish interest, 1842, made £3000.

However, in a sale of silver, it is the rare or more unusual lots that attract the greater curiosity from collectors. A rare late 17th Century small flask from Malta, dating from c.1690, was in the form of a `pilgrim flask` and bore a grotesque mask on each side with scrollwork and a tulip design. This 9.5cm flask drew keen bidding from Maltese collectors and made £4500, five times its estimate.

A collection of unusual and distinctive rings made the sale’s strongest prices and showed how the demand for history, rarity and quality of design seems to remain high. A gold and enamlled ring set with a portrait of Prince Albert tripled hopes of £250 to make £750; a gold signet ring with a sardonyx stone engraved with a coat of arms made £1250 against an estimate of £150-250; a gold ring set with a miniature portrait of the Duke of Marlborough (or possibly The Young Pretender) also raced beyond its estimate of £400-600 to take £3000 and a Jacobite memorial ring from the late 17th Century made £2375.

Two big surprises in this academic field were paid for medieval jewellery. A gold signet ring, set with a foiled glass intaglio, came from the collection of a medieval Earl of Buchan and might have been worn by his Countess, Mary Stewart in the 1430s . This soared to £11,250. Another gold signet ring, with a pink tourmaline stone, was engraved with Royal Arms and a motto, possibly for Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1436-1464). This also made £11,250.

“Jewellery has such intimate and personal associations,” observed specialist Alex Butcher. “Rings with a distinguished history and clear aristocratic connections carry an association that few other items could ever hope to match. With treasures such as this, one is truly in touch with history. We are delighted with the results that we achieved for all our vendors in this remarkable auction.” Entries for the next sale in January 2020 are invited until late November.

Our supply lines are unaffected

FREE VALUATIONS AVAILABLE: In Person | Online | Email | Phone | WhatsApp Home visits available on request.

T: 01460 73041 E: enquiries@lawrences.co.uk

Lawrences AUCTIONEERS The Linen Yard, South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8AB. T 01460 73041

lawrences.co.uk

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How to win at Auctions DUNCAN CAMPBELL

And stay solvent Antique silver specialist

O

n the rare occasions when cost is a secondary consideration, say a dream house in a choice location, or a charity auction, your bank balance may be the only limit. However, most things up for auction are far from unique and so a cold heart is required.

I hate to be a killjoy, but the first page to be looked at in the auction catalogue is the one detailing commission charges. Most salerooms charge 30% buyers commission on the hammer price, some more, few less.

Auction lots will usually each have a brief description and an estimate. The description has to be factual because goods can be returned if they turn out to be not “as described”, so look out for what the description omits. There is no requirement for an estimate to be accurate, but there are rules. The lower estimate cannot be less than the item has been reserved for. When there is no reserve, a probate sale for example, then the estimates will typically be pitched very low in order that the ‘trade’ should know that the lots will definitely sell.

Since we have no way to tell what reserves have been left, any auctioneer's estimates must be treated with a degree of skepticism.

Most people, including me, when looking through auction catalogues, subtly start to form an attachment to the objects coming up for sale. Be it a house or just a trifle on Ebay, we are tempted to start to assume ownership before the auction is even over. This emotional draw can become a dangerous and expensive enemy.

I ignore estimates completely and base my bids on a rather boring formula. There is almost always a maximum price in mind - even for the dream cottage - which must be used to work backwards from.

Max Price - less commission = Hammer Price.

I can’t emphasise enough how vital it is to do this calculation before the sale begins. Attempting the mental arithmetic while the gavel is raised, in the hot blood of a saleroom, is a feat far beyond my slow brain. n beaunashbath.com; 01225 334234

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CITY | MUSEUMS

An American abroad

Richard Wendorf will step down in December after serving as director of the American Museum & Gardens for the past 12 years. He tells us about what has been achieved during this period – and where he and the museum are headed

Claverton Manor, the home of the museum

process. We held meetings in Bath, London, and New York, and it was Edward Bayntun-Coward, now our deputy chair, who made the argument that our greatest opportunity was to expand our offer in the grounds of Claverton Manor. This new strategic plan led to the second phase of my tenure as we began to consider the creation of new gardens on the estate, a process that began in 2012 and came to full fruition six years later. With the help of several colleagues and friends, I appointed a new head gardener (Andrew Cannell) and engaged the architectural landscape firm of Oehme, van Sweden in Washington DC to design what eventually became the New American Garden.

❝

The new garden has brought the museum a larger and much more diverse audience... and we now have an extensive, awardwinning horticultural offering

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I

think of my work at the American Museum as unfolding in three distinct but overlapping phases. The first phase began before I arrived here in January 2010, for I had been asked to produce a programme of events for the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2011.

This seemed like triple jeopardy! I had already taken Harvard’s Houghton Library through its 50th celebrations, and more recently I had orchestrated an ambitious programme for the Boston Athenaeum’s 200th birthday. Anniversaries generate opportunities, however, so once I was on the ground, the team and I began the process of finalising plans for the refurbishment of the Coach House and the extention of the Stables, thus giving us ample space for educational events, lectures, small exhibitions, corporate meetings, concerts, dinners, and even weddings. The museum’s world-class collection of American folk art, meanwhile, needed to be transferred to the newly renovated gallery on the side of the Manor House. Gluttons for punishment that we were, we also decided to issue three publications and mount three exhibitions, including Marilyn in Bath and a sample of our collection at Christie’s in London. We hosted five parties at Christie’s in a single week, and I’m told that I hold the record for shaking the largest number of hands at the top of that handsome staircase.

At the close of each of the anniversaries I’ve presided over, I’ve engaged staff members and trustees in a forward-planning

Raising the funds for this £2.5 million project was relatively easy, given the keen American gardeners we have on our board of trustees; pushing the plans through the Council’s planning process was extremely

Richard Wendorf

difficult, however. Although Claverton Manor had been the home of an American museum for over 50 years – and already had an American garden replicating George Washington’s at Mount Vernon in Virginia – we found stiff resistance to any further ‘Americanisation’ of the grounds, including Ted Nash’s brilliant design for the new ticket pavilions. As our landscape architect Eric Groft later commented, it’s hard to sell something ‘American’ and ‘new’ in Georgian Bath. I have learned to be patient and persistent, however, and with the warm support of our local councillors, our plan was eventually approved 24 months later.

We finally opened the New American

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The New American Garden designed by Washington DC-based landscape architects Oehme, van Sweden and the Limpley Stoke Valley beyond

Garden in September 2018 and renamed and relaunched the museum, with Alan Titchmarsh cutting the ribbon.

This is the accomplishment of which I’m most proud, not just because of the beauty and distinctiveness of the new garden, but because it has brought the museum a larger and much more diverse audience.

Supporting this growth in visitation was the complete redesign of the Mount Vernon Garden in 2017 and the creation of a Children’s Garden in 2020. We now have an extensive, award-winning horticultural offering at the museum, and we have received generous coverage in The English Garden, Gardens Illustrated, Veranda, The Secret Gardens of Somerset, Country Life – and The Bath Magazine. We have also fulfilled the three criteria that I set out for the new garden almost a decade ago: it must be American in design and planting, it must be completely accessible, and it must enhance our marvellous views into the Limpley Stoke Valley.

During the past two years I have entered into the third and final stage of my directorship as the trustees and I have steered our institution through the

The Enchanted Garden of Light takes place this Christmas at the American Museum & Gardens

difficulties and unpredictability of the pandemic. This has not simply been a waiting game, however, for I took this as an opportunity to rebuild the senior leadership of the museum by appointing a new collections and public engagement director (Jan English), a new business and development director (Fritha Costain), a new estate manager (Matthew Amos) – and made various adjustments within the rest of the team. Later this year I will appoint a new head gardener. And as these shifts in leadership have been taking place, we have – particularly through the new gardens – provided a safe haven for tens of thousands of friends in the community. Our visitation is running 50% higher than in 2019 even though we were locked down at the beginning of the year; and our membership is at a historic high, with a record number of family members taking advantage of the new Children’s Garden. In December, moreover, we are introducing an ambitious Christmas light show.

So what lies ahead? That rests in the hands of Gareth Thomas (our current chair, who will become executive chair in January), the other trustees, and our new

senior leadership team. But I think it is safe to say that the plans outlined below will be among their desiderata.

I, for my part, will continue to support the museum as a consulting ambassador on our behalf, working closely with our American supporters even as Bath continues to be very much my home. n • The Enchanted Garden of Light is a trail of illuminations taking place this Christmas at the American Museum & Gardens.

• Richard Wendorf’s next book, Printing History and Cultural Change, will be published in March by Oxford University Press. He is currently working on a critical study of the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE • Renovation of our Exhibition Gallery so that we have the climate control we need to mount blockbuster shows from the US and elsewhere • Creation of new period rooms within the Manor House so that we can tell compelling stories about modern and contemporary America • Sensitive and imaginative redevelopment of our current period rooms • Continuing development of our gardens and other aspects of the estate, including an expansion of the Children’s Garden into the woodlands • Extended festivities around our distinctly American holidays, such as the Fourth of July and Halloween, with music, food, theatre, and comedy reinforcing our commitment to showcase the very best in American culture americanmuseum.org THEBATHMAG.CO.UK THEBATHMAG.CO.UK| november 2010 | january 2020

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BOOKS

The stories of old

In her debut novel, Amy Jeffs reimagines the myths of Britain that once served a more profound purpose in ancient cultures. Millie Bruce-Watt escapes through the mists of time to discover a world steeped in magic and mystery.

A

my Jeffs’ novel, Storyland, has captivated the hearts of readers across the nation. Steeped in magic and mystery and grounded in meticulous research in manuscripts and our ancient landscape, Amy’s mythical world is movingly articulated.

Set between the Creation and Noah’s Flood and embellished with a series of linocut illustrations, Storyland reimagines the myths of Britain through a modern lens.

Remembering legends including Bladud of Bath, Merlin in Stonehenge and Joseph of Arimathea in Glastonbury, Amy pays close attention to the weight these characters once carried in our societies; how they still speak to the modern world; and through themes of belonging and homeland, how compellingly consistent we are as human beings in our fundamental desires. As I sat down with the author, printmaker and art historian this month, it was a delight to slip away through the mists of time.

Having studied Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge University, before completing an MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art and gaining a PhD in Art History from Corpus Christi College, Amy has a wealth of knowledge in medieval art and literature; one that she is effortlessly able to access when reciting lines at length.

“It was as I was studying Britain’s medieval origin myth, the Brut, and completing my thesis for my PhD that I came across so many things that made my heart leap,” Amy tells me. “They weren’t

necessarily of deep academic interest but I felt that not enough people appreciated the hilarity and drama and beauty of these origin myths of Britain.”

As we visit every corner of the nation from Orkney to Cornwall, from Snowdon to Stonehenge, Amy creatively peers through the eyes of characters who have only ever been given supporting roles, allowing us as readers to appreciate the stories from a different perspective. In a commentary that follows each retelling, Amy expands on the historical references and hidden meanings buried within the original source materials – a fascinating and much-welcome addition to the novel.

“Many of these stories were really dominant in Britain until the mid-16th century when we would see more modern techniques of historical inquiry take over and tales of goddesses and giants fall by the wayside slightly, but some of these stories were taken so seriously that they really did inform political decision-making.

“I think when we forget the histories we once believed, we can’t appreciate the motivations that led to events and decisions that had a real material impact on the future.

Just because we no longer believe in giants and goddesses doesn’t mean we should dismiss them as whimsy.”

Where it began Storyland is adorned with intricate linocut artwork, created by Amy herself, who only took up the art form in recent years. Under the guidance of Chris Pig of The Black Pig

A linocut illustration by Amy Jeffs depicting the ancient story that saw Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian legend, create Stonehenge. From the chapter titled Stonehenge

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Amy Jeffs

Printmaking Studio in Frome – and inspired by the manuscripts that she was living and breathing at the time of her PhD – Amy started to create illustrations for each story.

From there, Storyland grew into a novel.

“A desire to share the stories and get people excited about them was the beginning of it all. I was fascinated by how the illustrations in the Brut legend followed the narrative action but they were very concise illustrations and communicated so many elements of an episode so efficiently. I really enjoyed that challenge of persuading people through pictures that these were stories to pay attention to and to enjoy.”

The legends of Bath Most interestingly to us in Bath, Amy retells the ancient story of Bladud of Bath – a legendary king of the Britons. Supposedly, he ruled for 20 years several hundred centuries BC, and is credited as the architect of Bath, channelling the hot springs by the use of magic and building temples dedicated to the goddess Minerva. Practising necromancy and communicating with the dead, he was a genius, a magician and respected by all.

“One interesting thing about Bladud is the resemblance between the story of Icarus and Daedalus. Bladud commits the same crime of desiring to fly – to achieve the ultimate,” Amy hints. “And just as Daedalus is in some ways punished to achieve human flight, there is a punishment in store for Bladud.”

What is most remarkable about Amy’s

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I talk about Bath in a great pool of mist and that mistiness – the hot waters, the steam, the cloud, the valley – is just so chillingly beautiful

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meaning is an eternal journey; one that will always tether us to our past and our future.

A linocut illustration, created by Amy Jeffs, from the chapter Bath and Bladud’s Fall

Titled Columba and the Ness, Amy Jeffs looks back at the earliest written reference to a monster in Loch Ness

reimagining of this particular story is that it is depicted through the eyes of Bladud’s son, Prince Leir – Shakespeare’s King Lear – which adds another layer of complexity to the narrative as we think about what and who ‘Leir’ became in later life.

“I suppose with choosing to tell it through the eyes of Prince Leir – I was interested in what parental pride looks like through the eyes of a child because, of course, children trust and believe their parents, and so maybe there is a disjunct between what Leir sees and what the reader sees.

“I was also interested in how you might extrapolate from that something of his behaviour – thinking how that childhood trauma might have impacted his actions as an adult and his own approach to parenting.”

Beyond Bladud, Bath itself provided Amy with the inspiration to create this world of mythical wonders. “When I imagine the

world of Storyland, it’s a misty one in the sense that it is in the mists of time. At one point in the commentary I talk about Bath in a great pool of mist and that mistiness – the hot waters, the steam, the cloud, the valley – is just so chillingly beautiful and sometimes you can hardly tell that there is a city there at all. There are places in Storyland that when I visited them, I thought ‘I’m so not surprised that this was a setting for a story, for a marvellous event’ in the same way you look at Bath on an autumn morning and you think ‘yeah, I get it’.”

Themes of parenthood, homeland, migration, defiance, love and loss are woven through the novel from the outset and it is lost on neither the writer nor the reader that these issues are ones that we still grapple with today in modern society. Despite technology now pervading every moment of our waking lives, Storyland points out that the human quest for true belonging and

The power of music A life-long lover of music, Amy turned to the medium in an attempt to help her complete the final stages of illustrating the novel.

Through song-writing, she hoped to find the emotion in each story so that her illustrations would become a motif, comprehensively depicting the overall plot line in one piece.

“Coming to the end of illustrating Storyland I was feeling myself getting complacent in producing the images. When I started off, there was this adrenaline to it and it was fading as I got 45 illustrations in and having to do a lot of other things at the same time.

And then one day I sat down at the piano and I thought, ‘well maybe I could think through some of the emotions in the scene that I’ve got to illustrate by coming up with songs about them’, so I wrote several songs – five of which we have put as an EP on Spotify – they’re called Songs for Albion.”

With her musical creations equally as enchanting as her other work, there is no doubt that Amy is a multi-talented artist and author with plenty more to come.

Ultimately, Amy’s retellings open up a remarkable world brimming with wonderous tales of giants, legends and magical myths; one that is hard to put down and everenthralling to explore. ■

Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain, published by Quercus Publishing, £25, Topping & Co. Booksellers; toppingbooks.co.uk

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EXTRA DELICIOUS

THE DELICIOUS GUIDE TO BATH 2021

New additions and featured favourites from our 2021 guide to all the best places to eat, drink and enjoy in Bath. See our website or search ‘Delicious Guide to Bath’

CONSCIOUS CAFÉ BAR

NEW AND ALL ORGANIC

14 Northumberland Place, BATH BA1 5AR Tel: 01225 571860 www.consciouscafebar.co.uk Eat better, drink mindfully, shop sustainably: that’s the ethos of the Conscious Café Bar, a new, independently run venue in the heart of Bath where you can do just that. The menu, created entirely from organic ingredients includes sandwiches, salads and soups as well as range of cakes with vegetarian and vegans catered for. There’s a range of organic coffees, teas, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.

The sharing boards are a great way to sample a variety of organic charcuterie and local cheeses, any time of the day. A children’s menu and breakfast menu have recently been added and along with a gallery of local artists work on the first floor and organic products from balsamic vinegar to aromatherapy candles for sale, in a relaxed, friendly environment, this is definitely somewhere to visit.

THE CAFÉ WITH A SPECTACULAR VIEW

THE BRIDGE COFFEE SHOP 15–16 and 17 Pulteney Bridge, Bath BA2 4AY This wonderful little coffee shop compromising of two shops adjacent to each other is situated right on the World Heritage site that is Pulteney Bridge. There are incredible views (especially on sunny days) over Pulteney Weir and the cosy interiors complement the Georgian architecture. This family business offers a warm welcome with eat-in and takeaway menus which include very popular homemade cakes and bakery treats. There are options for breakfast, lunch and afternoon cream teas. The homemade scones, baked upstairs, with a pot of their loose leaf tea is a perfect interlude during a visit around the city. Open 8.30am–5.30pm Monday–Friday, 9–6pm Saturday and 9.30–5.30pm on Sundays.

BY THE FURNACE CAFÉ AT BATH AQUA GLASS 105-107 Walcot St, Bath BA1 5BW Tel: 01225 319606 Web: bathaquaglass.com Exciting news that the Bath Aqua Glass will soon have a brand new café and bar at their studio on Walcot Street. As of 1st November you will be able to enjoy wine, coffee and cake whilst watching the glassblowers at work as they craft the unique pieces that Bath Aqua Glass are known for. You can also book to gets ‘hands on’ while you are there, creating your own bauble or learning the art of glassblowing in 1-2-1 session with one of their skilled artisans.

Warmed by the heat of the furnaces, it will be the cosiest place to catch up with friends and family this Christmas!

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THIS NEW CAFÉ IS A BLAST

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FOOD | & | DRINK CITY | INTERIORS

Minerva man

Champagne in the northeast of France is best known for the production of Champagne, the sparkling white wine that bears the region’s name. Let’s bring the grape-infused sparkle closer to home, though, because Eddie Sauvao has found a mini Champagne in Corston. Melissa Blease gets the low-down...

A

D43: The Romans arrive in Bath and name the city Aquae Sulis, after the goddess Sulis Minerva. Scroll forward some 1978 years and, high on a plateau around four miles west of Bath (in Corston, to be precise), New Zealand born Samoan Eddie Addicott-Sauvao is poised to reintroduce Bathonians to their powerful deity – and we’ll all be popping several corks by way of a celebration.

“The story of Minerva Wine, which produces Bath’s very first luxury sparkling wine, began when my wife Emily and I were looking at the succession of taking over the farm from her parents,” Eddie recalls. “We knew that we had to look at sustainability, as a priority.

Emily started growing quinoa [which is another wonderful story in its own right – see corstonfieldsfarm.com] around five years ago. But on from that... Emily’s grandmother is French, and she took me over to meet the French side of the family. They took us on a wine-tasting day while we there, and I happened to look at the soil; it was very similar to the soil type on our farm. We joked about establishing our own vineyard, but when we came back we invited Vine-Works – one of the biggest established vineyard services in the county – over to take a look, just to see if my instincts were right. The ensuing report was really positive; apparently we had the ideal site, and ideal conditions for a vineyard. So basically, we started planting back in 2016.”

But there’s much, much more to a successful viticulture project than even the perfect site and hard work. “A lot of people plant vineyards in the UK but they just don’t work,” says Eddie. “So much of it is down to the site – you’ve got to be south-facing; you’ve got to be free-draining; you’ve got to be above sea level because you don’t want too much frost, but you don’t want to be too high because it’s going to be too windy. There are all those aspects to wrestle with and consider and even then, nobody can guarantee that the vines will actually establish a root system able to produce anything of real quality. But our dream was to produce an end result that aligned with premium quality at the luxury end of the market, so we planted the premium, flagship grape varieties used in the Champagne region: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier... we just went for it!”

Aiming high? Yes indeed. But unbeknown to Eddie, the venture had ancient forces supporting it. “I only found out after we planted that the Romans had vineyards in this area, and established one just a couple of fields away,” says Eddie. “That remarkable story loaded me with confidence that we were doing the right thing and just needed to be patient; as time went on the vines backed our instincts up.”

Eddie Sauvao with his wife Emily and children Rosa and Charlotte

The first vintage In 2019, those instincts were proved right yet again when Eddie harvested his very first vintage, ready for bottling. “It was the first time that we’d asked the vines to produce something of quality that meets the criteria of sugar and acidity for a premium sparkling wine,” says Eddie. “We’d had the same quantity of grapes in 2018, but if you compare the grapes to humans, they were only babies at that stage, just about learning to walk. When our wine-maker Emma Rice invited us for the very first tasting in May 2019, way before the bubbles arrived, she described it as really exciting, interesting and attractive. Up until that point, we still didn’t know whether or not we’d be able to continue what we were doing, so it was one of the the happiest days of my life!”

The Minerva brand The corks are set to pop on the very first bottles of Minerva Wine towards the end of this year. But Eddie: why Minerva?

“Roman goddess Minerva stood for three key areas: the arts and creativity, wisdom, and strategic warfare – those three elements are all part of our story, and our branding. Part of our mission is to look at the power of the next generation, and the power of women; my wife Emily is the first female farmer in this area since documented times and our daughters Rosa and Charlotte look up to their mum like that’s normal! I love that. Then there’s the cycle of life: no two years in the vineyard can ever be exactly the same; as a result, every year our wine is going to be different. We’re going to tell that story through a concept called Vine-Art, where the wine labels will feature the work of a globally renowned artist to interpret what Minerva means to them as they come along on our journey through the year with us. Our first artist is Victoria Topping – and here’s another

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We planted the premium, flagship grape varieties used in the Champagne region... we just went for it! wonderful coincidence: I didn’t know, when I sat down with Victoria in 2019 to discuss our plans, that she’d just published her children’s book Mythologica, a unique encyclopedia of Greek mythology like no other. How’s that for synergy? So the Romans had vineyards next door to ours, and then this; I firmly believe that the universe is supporting us!”

So it comes as no surprise that, when it comes to how we mere mortals can support this sparkling venture too, there are strong elements of equitable symbiosis in that plan as well.

The forward strategy “We’re launching a countdown on our mailing list and our Instagram feed at the end of November, so you have to watch this space very closely!” says Eddie. “We’ve developed a tiered system of how you can become a Founding Member of Minerva with our very first vintage. Tier one: you buy a bottle. Tier two: you buy a bottle and a piece of art. And on you go, through the tiers, each of which offers more benefits and rewards... and every penny of the funding raised will go into development: more hectares, more vines. We’re forging strong links with selected hotels in and around Bath too; last year, we ran a handful of vineyard tour packages with the Royal Crescent Hotel which went really well and we’re working on more tour dates for next year too, and I’m hoping to put a couple of hundred bottles behind their bar. We’ve loosely partnered with The Pig Hotel as well, but our main aim is to focus on Bathonian individuals because I don’t want the locals to miss out. This is not my vineyard – this is their vineyard too; I want them to have full access to feel this place, feel the vibe and really enjoy this – their – special space. That’s why we’ve developed the tier system for Founding Members, so we can all be a part of Minerva.”

And the part of Minerva that we’re privileged to have the opportunity to own today will last way, way longer than the superinviting bottle of English fizz in your fridge. “This the beginning of a lot of plans that I’ve been working on for 10 years,” says Eddie. “We want to develop a multi-functional Tasting Centre, and we’re already planning on working with local chefs such as James Harris at Beckford Bottle Shop and the amazing Dan Moon, looking at dining events in the vineyard itself next year. We’re going to build a few luxury cabins too, so people can feel the land, get their hands dirty, taste the wine and stay overnight. By becoming a Founding Member, you get access to all of this, but after 3000 bottles of Founding Members, we’re not opening that up again; that’s it. But there are a lot of plans further down the line for us; I want to create a Learning Centre for young people, to get the next generation into viticulture.

I’m already talking to vineyards in Australia, New Zealand and Chile

with a view to encouraging young people from this area to follow the sun for the summer seasons, then come back here to further develop their career in wine: a sort of conveyor belt of learning about culture, viticulture and business. And that really ties into the strength around Minerva – wisdom, creativity and being battle-hardened, going out there when you’re young and being supported to build foundations for life. In everything that we do, you will see the Minerva theme intertwined, embracing and supporting us all.”

And who wouldn’t say cheers to that? n www.minervawine.com

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THE | WALK

Entry Hill Open Space

Moorlands

Odd Down’s open spaces

For November’s walk, Andrew Swift stays in Bath for a far from unchallenging urban ramble, taking in some of the many open spaces in Odd Down and the south-eastern part of Bath

A

lthough most of Odd Down and the south east of the city has only been built up in the last hundred years, quarrying has gone on here for centuries, and, as well as scores of abandoned quarries, many old houses – once the homes of quarrymen and quarry masters – survive among later developments. En route, we also pass the site of the lost village of Berewyke, walk through the ruinous ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort and along a section of the Somerset & Dorset Railway – now converted to the Two Tunnels Greenway – as well as enjoying a succession of views over the city.

Start by crossing the footbridge over the river at the back of Bath Spa station, continue over two sets of pedestrian lights, turn right and then left up Lyncombe Hill.

After 500m, at the crossroads, carry straight on along Lyncombe Vale Road. At the bottom, turn right to continue along Lyncombe Vale Road.

At the end, turn left under a railway bridge and bear right to follow a path through an overgrown meadow.

At the end, carry on between fences, with the Lyn Brook on your right. Ignoring a path branching off to the right, carry on in the same direction and, when you come to a lane, turn left.

Take the footpath beside the gate to Combe House and after 75m, by the entrance to Beechlands, bear right. At the end, turn right past Granville House, one of whose carvings came from the Granville Monument on Lansdown when it was restored in 1829. Turn left at the road and after 125m, just before a bench, turn left up steps.

At the top, turn left and follow the road as it curves right. Turn left up more steps, right at the top and after 200m look along the second turning on the left to see the entrance to Springfield Quarry. Once the largest open quarry on the down, but abandoned for well over a century, it is well worth exploring.

Carrying on along the road, turn left up Entry Hill. Opposite is a gate leading into Entry Hill Open Space – also well worth a diversion. This was once a farm, but in 1969 the council began using the land as a municipal tip, and culverted the Lyn Brook which ran through it.

Topsoil was later laid on top of the rubble to turn it into a golf course.

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This has now closed and it has been transformed into a much-loved green space, a smaller and more intimate version of Prior Park. After a bid by Avon Wildlife Trust to create a wildlife-rich Nature Park here was turned down, it is now proposed to convert much of this green space into a network of mountain bike trails.

Carry on up Entry Hill and turn left along Hawthorn Grove. After 115m go through a gate on the right into an open space. At the road turn left, cross at the zebra crossing and turn down Pioneer Avenue.

Turn right at the end along Shepherds Walk and at the road turn left.

At the end is the Cross Keys, one of Bath’s oldest pubs, being described as ‘new erected’ in 1718. Cross the main road, turn right, go up steps by the bus stop and through a squeeze stile to follow a path between fences along the course of the ancient earthwork known as the Wansdyke.

After 700m, when the fence ends, carry on into an open space. After another 125m, turn right down steps to follow a path between houses.

When you come to a road, cross and carry on along another path. At the next road, follow the path to the right of the house ahead and turn left along a road. At the end, bear right to follow a path which curves left through a kissing gate into an open space. Here, between 1858 and 1899, over 3,000 people who ended their days in the nearby workhouse were laid to rest in unmarked graves.

At the road, cross the zebra crossing, turn left and then right along Oolite Road. At the end, turn right and after 150m you come to the remains of one of Bath’s lost coaching inns, the Red Lion, which now forms the back part of the pharmacy on the corner.

Cross the road ahead and continue along Bloomfield Road. After 125m, turn right into Chelwood Drive and left through a gate into Odd Down Sports Ground. Bear right across the grass and at the hedge bear left to walk the length of the playing field. Once there, turn left alongside the fence, and, after passing a litter bin, follow a track which curves through the fence and, a little further on, heads down through undergrowth to emerge on the hillside. Across the valley is Entry Hill Open Space, while the site of the lost village of Berewyke lies somewhere below you.

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THE | WALK

The track is well walked, but rough and slippery as it meanders across the hillside. As you near the end of the field, follow it as it curves left through the hedgerow, where it turns even rougher. Bear right and you will soon find yourself walking alongside a green fence. On the other side – far below – is a bungalow in an old quarry. After passing a gate in the fence, follow a path bearing off to the left.

Carry on in the same direction and, when you come to steps leading down to a hoggin path, carry on along it. These shelving woods, known as the Tumps, are said to have been ramparts protecting an encampment on the plateau above, but they have been so scoured by quarrying it is impossible to be sure.

Follow the path as it heads down steps and at the end carry on down to squeeze past a gate onto the road. Cross and turn left uphill. Carry on past the beehive-topped gateposts of Bloomfield Crescent and turn right along Bloomfield Drive. After 40m, bear right to follow a rough track alongside the wall.

At the end, a kissing gate leads into Corston View Open Space. Carry on in the same direction, go past a 7-bar gate at the end, cross a drive and head down a steep, slippery track curving past a quarry face.

When you emerge in Rush Hill Open Space, head across to a gap in the fence, go down steps and turn right along the road. Take the second right along Ambleside, and at the end turn left along Kingsway. When you reach Englishcombe Lane, turn right. The Orangery, which you pass on the right, is the old Englishcombe Inn – opened 1934, closed 2008.

After another 350m, turn left through a gateway into Englishcombe Lane Open Space. Follow a path diagonally downhill and after passing a play area, look to the left to see the Moorlands, with its six-storey tower, once home to Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty.

After crossing a drive, turn left down a footpath. Follow it as it curves left beside a fence, and turn right when the fence ends. Turn right along the road, and then left through Willow Green. At the end, cross and head along Hillside Road opposite.

Go under the railway bridge ahead, bear right, head right up steps and

THE

KI TC HEN PAR TNER S DESIGN STUDIO

turn left along the Two Tunnels Greenway. Carry on under a bridge, but before you come to the tunnel turn left into Bloomfield Green. Head diagonally uphill and at the road turn left.

Cross at the pedestrian lights by the Bear Inn, turn left across the bottom of Bruton Avenue and follow the pavement as it curves into Beechen Cliff Road.

After 175m, just past Stanley House, turn left along a footpath and right at the end. After another 75m, turn left down a flight of steps.

When you come to a signpost, turn right through woods. At the end, head down steps and bear left past a play area. Cross the road, go down steps to Calton Walk, and at the bottom turn right along St Mark’s Place to return to the starting point. n

Fact file

n Distance: 8 miles

n Level of challenge: Several flights of steps and rough and slippery paths n Refreshment stops: Cross Keys Inn, Midford Road BA2 5RZ (www.crosskeysbath.co.uk) n Map: The OS map includes few of the footpaths mentioned; a better option for checking out the route can be found at www.openstreetmap.org.

More on the details of this and many more walks can be found in Andrew Swift’s Country Walks from Bath, published by Akeman Press; akemanpress.com.

www.thekitchenpartners.co.uk 102 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2QY 01179 466433

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LOCAL | SPORTS CITY | INTERIORS

The boxing club

Simon Horsford visits a boxing club that is providing an important outlet for kids and young men and women from all around the city and speaks to club manager Darren Sullivan at their new premises at Bath City FC. environment for young boxers and gives them something to focus on. It’s good for their mental health and [being in the gym] can give them a sense of achievement. I like taking the first little 11-year-old in the ring and seeing the smile on their face afterwards.”

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The resident boxing club has become the very hub of the community...

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he recently deposed heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has often highlighted the debt he owes to the boxing club in Finchley, London, where he began to learn his craft.

Speaking on a boxing podcast on BBC Sounds, he said: “That’s why I give a lot back to that amateur club. When you’re on a journey and focused on a goal, sometimes it’s easy to forget where we came from and the people we leave behind. Good people will help you spread your wings.”

We are all aware of how such clubs can help steer young minds away from trouble.

Britain’s boxing clubs also played their part in the UK’s remarkable success at the Tokyo Olympics with six medals, including two gold – the best haul since 1920.

It’s for reasons such as these that I’m talking to Darren Sullivan, who runs the Roman Boxing Gym in Bath – the only boxing club in the city – to discover how the club is providing an important outlet for kids and young men and women in Bath.

Now based at Bath City Football Club in Twerton, the gym is located in one of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK. “We want to reach out to those types of kids,” says Sullivan. “It provides a safe

Sullivan adds that some of these kids do have very difficult lives. “You don’t ask too much, or what’s going on behind the scenes, but you do try and help and guide them. If you can keep a lad of 14 or 15 in the gym before he goes off the rails, then you’ve got them for quite a long time.”

I wonder why boxing is such an attractive and rewarding routine for these kids? “It’s not just a discipline thing,” says Sullivan.

“It’s about respect for each other’s ability, especially when you put a pair of gloves on

Club coaches, from left, Craig Ryder and Darren Sullivan together with trainee coach, Luke Bamsey

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them and put them in a ring. It’s also about building their self-esteem and raising their level.”

Boxing clubs can be a great leveller too where it’s all about being part of a group and everyone is on the same playing field.

This is apparent at the gym on a Wednesday evening where around 20 young lads plus one 15-year-old girl are being put through their paces in a full-on training session at the club, amid punchbags, speed balls and a 12foot training ring. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and from all around the city with some travelling from Radstock and Midsomer Norton.

All are focused on their gym work as Sullivan and fellow trainer Craig Ryder get them doing footwork drills that help with balance and agility in the ring. Burpees, pressups and running on the spot are added before they do pad work with a partner. Luke Bamsey, who is being trained to join the coaching staff, says “It’s the only sport I’ve ever really liked and it’s good for channeling aggression,” he adds with a smile. Luke is full of admiration for the passion that Sullivan brings to the club, a view evident from the others by the respect in which he is held.

Sullivan mentions Cain Rogers, 17, as one he has high hopes for – and seeing him hitting the pads I can see why. Similarly Liam Greenfield, who is studying sports performance at Bath University and has been with the club for two and a half years – he’s had two amateur contests and stopped both opponents.

Last year England Boxing, the governing body of amateur boxing clubs, and Sheffield Hallam University produced a report that identified how and why member clubs have been so successful in engaging with people in deprived areas. Ron Tulley, England Boxing’s Head of Development explains how, “the resident boxing club has become the very hub of the community. Even those outside the sport frequently reflect that boxing is good for young people because ‘it keeps them off the streets’, and it’s what clubs do with the young people when they are off the streets that really matters.”

Sullivan and his small team say that their new premises at Bath City FC has given them a significant boost. The gym itself has been going since 2018, initially in a room at Bath Sports Centre two nights a week and then when the pandemic hit, they trained outdoors at the Odd Down Sports Ground.

“I couldn’t wait to get up there (during lockdown),” says Sullivan. “I’ve got a couple of lads with ADHD and they were buzzing when they got there and that’s what

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LOCAL | SPORTS

A training session at Twerton Park

I feel community boxing can do and can really benefit the city.”

The gym is a completely separate operation from the club, with Sullivan securing space in a room there back in August. A carpenter by trade during the day, he certainly puts in a proper shift throughout the week to run the place, which operates three nights as a boxing gym, with junior (eight-14-year-olds) and senior sessions (15–36), and two nights as a fitness club; there’s also an open training session on Saturday mornings.

It’s hard work, but Sullivan’s dedication is slowly paying off – “we have a good solid base and it’s been a big jump (moving to Twerton Park)” – but he admits funding is always an issue. Although the gym gets some sponsorship from two local businesses, S&J Roofing and the Trinity Inn, and has had grants from the sports charity Sported and England Boxing, “The biggest stumbling

Darren Sullivan spars with Daisy Allinson, who enjoys the competitive nature of the sport

block is affordability,” says Sullivan” – both to keep the club going and to ensure that members can afford the fees, which are impressively low: £2.50 for kids for an hour’s session and a fiver for the older boxers for an hour and a half.

Proof that funding can work at the highest level is in the fact that since being funded by UK Sport at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the medal haul in the sport has improved. But it’s at grassroots level that the need for funding is greatest. The boxing promoter Eddie Hearn last year lamented the fact that boxing was excluded from a £300-million government rescue package for spectator sports. “At an elite level we have had to overcome great difficulties during the pandemic but we will ride it out – the local community clubs simply cannot.”

Sullivan has been in the game a long time and clearly loves the sport. He started boxing

aged eight and more so when he became increasingly independent around 16. He finished boxing as a lightweight when he was 29 – he’s now 54 – and in 2004 began coaching at the Frome Amateur Boxing Club before moving to Paddy John’s Gym in Bristol seven years later where he spent a further seven as an amateur and professional boxing coach; he received his pro license eight years ago.

I ask which coaches he has looked up to over the years and he cites Cus D’Amto (who trained Mike Tyson) and Emanuel Steward (trainer of Thomas Hearns and Lennox Lewis) as among the best. As for the boxers at the club, Sullivan is clearly someone they admire, a mentor, known for being firm but fair, “I think most of them when they walk into a boxing gym will behave and I won’t have no messing,” he adds.

The Roman Boxing Gym makes a good fit at Twerton Park, a relationship which Sullivan hopes will continue whenever the redevelopment of the ground is given the green light. More than that, though, the club performs an important and much-needed role in the city. Who knows, one day it might produce a future Olympic medalist, or even a world champion? n romanboxing.co.uk

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CITY | HISTORY

Getting the picture

Geoff Ellis thinks back to his time as a photographer at the Bath Evening Chronicle from 1957 to 1968 and treats us to a few of his memorable pictures, including ones of the floods of 1962 and meeting jazz pianist Earl Hines in 1965. The pictures are supported with excerpts from his book From Bath to Fleet Street.

I

was three weeks away from my 17th birthday, and this was my first job after leaving school in Middlesex and moving west with my family. Things were quite different in those far off days of 1957. I had virtually no experience of using a telephone – the only one in our family was my grandmother’s but she guarded it as if the minutes were gold.

Leisure wear did not exist. Men used to change out of their work clothes for sports jackets with open-neck shirts, although in a few racy places, gangs of marauding Teddy Boys were causing moral panics in the media – or newspapers, as we used to call

them. The late 50s were a bit of an interlude between wartime restrictions and the liberated Sixties. Remember, food rationing had only ended three years earlier in 1954.

My dad had found the job advert for a junior photographer in the Bath Evening Chronicle and I applied. I got a quick response from the editor and an interview was fixed for the following week.

Unbelievable today, but my Dad took me to the interview – he did not actually sit in, but he met Roy Helling, the editor. I was hired and started the following week on 1 July 1957 at a starting salary, as I recall, of £1-176d a week.

Geoff Ellis with his Speed Graphic in 1957

MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT It was when I got to around 150 feet off the ground, almost to the top of the beautiful Bath Abbey tower, that I realised my new job was not going to be mundane.

It was Monday 1 July 1957 and it was my first day as a junior photographer with the local daily newspaper. After a cursory conversation with the chief photographer, he thrust a small folding Zeiss Ikonta into my hands and sent me on my first assignment. Ron Pearce was not a man to mess with – he had been a young Marine in the first wave in the 1944 Normandy invasion and it was an order, rather than a request, that as the Abbey was under

renovation and the scaffolding was in place, he had arranged for one of his team to use it and do some pictures.

It wasn’t scaffolding as we know it today, with Health and Safety rules dictating safety helmets, belts, clips and protection – in those days it was just endless ladders roped together. And as for safety clothing, it was my sports jacket and smart ‘new job’ shoes.

I managed to get to the top...enjoyed the view, did a selection of shots and cautiously retraced my steps down and along the road to the office. Ron, quite unperturbed by my safe return, gave me a

ABOVE: The Beau Nash cinema in Westgate Street with a queue for Doctor Zhivago, 1965. A few doors away from The Bath Evening Chronicle, in those days many of the businesses tried to help each other – Clive the cinema manager occasionally asked me to do a picture for publicity and in return, when I had a few hours off in the afternoon, he’d open the Upper Circle so I could watch films in splendid isolation.

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quick briefing in one of the darkrooms and left me to process and print my results.

Geoff Ellis’ pictures form a unique record of the era, as the old picture library and negatives for The Bath Evening Chronicle were dumped during one of the changes in ownership. The few pictures that Geoff has, now shown in his book, were archived by him over more than 60 years.

From Bath to Fleet Street by Geoff Ellis is available from Dorothy House Bookshop, 37 Broad Street, Bath, £18.50. Also mail order from frombathtofleetstreet.com

ABOVE: Tranquil scene in Southgate Street, a main shopping street during the Bath floods in 1962. I spent hours in a Fire Brigade rubber dingy during the floods, having unique views of the city underwater.

The swans seemed quite unperturbed by our activities, continuing to enjoy their new surroundings.

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CITY | HISTORY

BELOW: A smile from the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton Horse Trials, 1964. I covered the Badminton Horse trials a few times and my pictures included a shot of a young Anne on a horse with the Queen. I also got sworn at by Prince Phillip at Badminton, which I consider to be a Badge of Honour.

BELOW: Rehearsals for the Roman Rendezvous in the Roman

Baths, part of the Bath Festival celebrations in June 1962.

It was only when I looked at the neg in the darkroom that I noticed a woman in normal coat and hat sitting on the side of the Baths... she should not have been there. A quick lick of white paint soon turned her outfit into a toga though!

ABOVE: Firemen fight the huge tyre fire in Melksham at Avon Tyres – the 1966 blaze was the biggest in Wiltshire’s history and cost in excess of £1 million.

The fire destroyed almost the entire stock of tyres and caused road closures and an urgent need for rehousing. The Bath Evening Chronicle ran a double page spread of pictures and sold many photo reprints of the incident.

RIGHT: Bryan Forbes’ film The Wrong Box featured a host of stars including Michael Caine and Cicely Courtneidge and filming was in the Royal Crescent.

Bryan was a popular director and I was amused at his efforts to get a little Instamatic camera to work – he was grateful when I showed him. Here is Bryan with Cicely Courtneidge relaxing on the Royal Crescent set of the film in 1965.

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ABOVE: Cilla Black at the Pavilion with the Colin Anthony Group, c.1964. One of my regular assignments was photographing all the pop groups at the Pav each Monday night. I did loads, including Ike and Tina Turner, The Animals, Georgie Fame and Freddie and the Dreamers.

ABOVE RIGHT: Cleo Laine put her wonderful voice to use in a production of the vocal ballet Lysistrata in June 1964 at the Theatre Royal Bath. I met so many jazz legends, such as Henry Red Allen, Nat Gonella, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Duke Ellington, George Melly, Acker Bilk, Brownie McGhee and Nina Simone.

RIGHT: Young fans outside a Bath boutique opened by singer Cat Stevens in 1967. He was a nice young guy who seemed bemused at the effect he had on his fans. I came away with a signed copy of Matthew and Son, his 1967 debut single.

LEFT: Earl Hines with Bath jazzers at the Bell in Walcot Street. Hines, whose piano style influenced most later jazz pianists, was famous for his mould-breaking playing with Louis Armstrong on the 1928 recording of the duet Weather Bird.

In 1965 he appeared at the Regency, backed by the Alex Welsh band, providing a sparkling performance of his creative playing. At the end of the evening we were chatting to the band and Hines asked what sort of jazz scene there was in Bath. We offered to show him and he leapt at the chance, so the five of us bundled into the office Hillman Husky and drove to The Bell in Walcot Street, Bath’s leading jazz club.

Later that evening we ended up eating omelette and chips at Biddy’s Café at Fountain Buildings and Hines regaled us with stories of his days with Louis. n

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CITY | BUSINESS

Experts in engagement

Network N is a global media business focusing on gamers, gear and e-sports. Emma Clegg talks to co-founder Tim Edwards about how quickly the company has grown and what is driving their success.

N

etwork N have had a threefold increase in staff since that March date in 2020 when the world shifted into a different gear.

That’s because they are in the business of entertainment gaming and that’s what we all needed back then. Network N are a games media business funded by digital web advertising, set up by Tim Edwards and James Binns in 2012. Both had previously worked at Future Publishing – James previously ran Future’s entire gaming portfolio, including launching sites like GamesRadar and Tim was previously the editor in chief of PCGamer and launched the global brand PCGamer.com.

Network N reaches over 60m+ unique users per month across its network of websites, has a turnover of £5.4 million and the company has recently joined Bath Unlimited’s group of local world-class businesses. Network N is divided into three parts, covering all areas of the gaming market. First there is a publishing business which owns and operates websites, running the editorial and video production. The second part is an agency where either games or services are marketed to gamers – one of their significant customers being Amazon, marketing its games division. The final part is to do with helping people monetise their websites through advertising.

The growth of the gaming industry The industry has changed apace over the last few decades, Tim explains. “The first 20–30 years of gaming (starting in the 1970s) were controlled by the gatekeepers, like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft where you’d have to pay to create a game for their consoles. But today anyone can rock up and make a game for a PC and start selling it

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Tim Edwards, with his Dune style avatar

James Binns, with his Dune style avatar

themselves. There are millions of ways you can make money from it.”

The growth of the business since lockdown has been focused on the publishing and website aspects because these have been the areas of natural growth. “Web traffic went through the roof in lockdown, so we leant into the ad sales opportunity there and the business has grown significantly as a result.

Publishing has shot off too because of the web traffic. Agency was harder because the first thing to go in any form of recession is your marketing budget,” explains Tim. “It’s been very opportunistic and the pace where new work has come from hasn’t necessarily been as expected. Every year the balance changes about where the opportunities lie. This year it’s definitely in the advertising network, next year it will be in our owner operating sites.”

E-sports have been another significant growth area in the last 18 months.

“Competitive gaming has grown massively through the pandemic because there was a

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time when there was no opportunity to play competitive sports. And the e-sports industry is bound up with companies in the hardware business who see it as one of their core marketing channels for reaching gamers. So in the same way Nike might be sponsoring athletes, a mouse manufacturer might be sponsoring e-sports players.”

Mobile gaming is another area that’s been on the ascendant: “Mobile gaming is the biggest market for games and that’s not just for kids – adults play them all the time when they are watching television. We see these weird spikes around 7 or 8pm where people start googling games. So we launched a website about mobile games and it went from 200,000 visitors a month to 8 million in about 4–5 months. And that’s because of smart content, a great editorial team and seeing the market opportunity.”

BELOW LEFT: Since Fortnite’s launch in 2017 millions of players have downloaded the game. BELOW: Le Mans Virtual Series is a world e-sports series consisting of five rounds

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Visualisation of Network N’s new office fit, by Interaction

includes two massive gaming consoles, and gaming PCs set up so staff can play during their breaks.

The lure of gaming “Where I love this industry is when you find pockets of independent people who have made a cool thing and it’s grown to be this super big company. And if you are a young person in the games industry I’d recommend thinking about doing it in a team because the opportunities are ridiculous.”

❝

Any professional skill you have, there is a place in the games industry for you

❝

Career opportunities Speaking for young graduates who might be looking for work in this booming industry, I wonder what sort of roles are available at Network N? And is it crucial to have a good knowledge of gaming? Tim maintains not: “We have a bunch of core values and one of them is ‘geeky’. That doesn’t mean you are just into computer games or Lord of the Rings, but that you are into something – it can be pottery or sport or a football team.

All we want is to be able to talk to you about something that you are passionate about, and then we know that you are a good match. It’s not just all games, games games. And I think that is a much healthier way to be than having just a load of super nerds.”

The company welcomes different skills: “Any professional skill you have, there is a place in the industry for you. The industry is essentially a combination of all the creative arts and mathematics: there is beautiful art and design; if you want to be an architect, games involve buildings and spaces so you’ll find a place in the games industry; if you are a great writer, you can use your skills.”

Network N's agency has worked on and been close to some of the biggest games businesses in the world, including producing the in-store magazine for high street retailer GAME and running the launch campaign for the massive title Fortnite. Set in a postapocalyptic, zombie-infested world and allowing up to 100 players to compete individually or in teams, Fortnite is one of the most played games on the planet. So it seems likely that Network N don’t have difficulties recruiting staff. Tim says, “We have an advantage because we work in video games and if you like video games it’s cool and fun.”

The company has invested thought in its culture and its equipment, making sure that working for Network N is the best experience possible. Part of this is an office refit, being carried out in preparation for staff returning to the workplace, which

As I regret the fact that I’m not a young person in the games industry, I think about the potential career opportunities for the younger generation who love video games, one of whom I’ve harangued endlessly for playing too much Overwatch and Fifa 21.

I grill Tim about how he manages his own children’s time playing games.

“We do a lot of work with a trade body helping parents understand the options available for them to control gaming habits, and there are amazing controls inside consoles, limiting length of play.”

Tim says that over the past five years the most popular games have been those designed for kids and young adults like Minecraft, Fortnite, League of Legends and Pokemon Go. “The games are really good and kids will want to play them more than the limits set so that becomes a hard conversation.

“Personally I would prefer my child to play games and enjoy his time playing them, where he’s absolutely actively engaged rather than just zoning out watching the TV.

When he is playing with his friends, he’s having a cool time. His brain is engaged and he’s doing pattern recognition and learning stuff and there is an active connection there.

If you ban them outright you end up excluding them from crucial friendship circles. But it’s a question of balance, and I also want him to be able to go and see his friends in person.”

The business of online advertising Certain terms on Network N’s website were alien to me, so I ask for clarification. I can now confirm that a ‘programmatic stack’ is the series of companies and technologies on the internet that gets an advertiser’s message in front of the right consumer at the right time, and ‘header bidding’ offers publishers a way to simultaneously offer ad space out to ad exchanges. It’s all connected with the information that online companies hold about us all. You know those ads that pop up while you are looking at a website, advertising something that you’ve recently been looking at online? That’s the company that won the header bidding auction.

“Facebook knows everything about you because they know every website you’ve ever visited,” says Tim. “So companies can buy an ad through Facebook’s information on the web. Amazon and Google also run their own advertising stack. And Apple are trying to destroy everyone else’s advertising stack. So those big four tech companies own all the information. So how we interact with them and make them compete with each other is the heart of the business.

“That’s why we can go to a website and say work with us and we’ll help monetise it.

There has been a very big shift to that form of online advertising in the last two years.

It’s all based on the cookies that you’re holding.” Now understanding the complex issues involved in a programmatic stack, I know that these cookies are not of the chocolate chip variety. n network-n.com; bathunlimited.org

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CITY | NEWS

CITYNEWS INNOVATIVE PURCHASE TCN UK have completed the purchase of Camden Mill and Charles Bayer Buildings in the heart of Bath for £9.5 million. Comprising 33,000 sq ft of warehouse-style office accommodation overlooking the river, the buildings are located next to TCN’s current development known as Newark Works, at the heart of Bath Quays regeneration zone.

“At Newark Works, we are well on the way to delivering this vision and Camden Mills will contribute greatly to the overall environment and community we are building there”, said Richard Pearce, Founder of TCN UK. “For all its Georgian beauty, Bath has suffered from a lack of industrial vibe which is so often the catalyst for creativity, irreverence and innovation. Our activities at Bath Quays will solve this with a 70,000 sq ft Creative Campus.

It’s very exciting for us and the city.”

Camden Mill and Charles Bayer will be TCN’s 10th acquisition project across the UK, building on the workspace portfolio of over 300 creative industry businesses. The combination of TCN buildings in Bath Quays aims to deliver the leading Creative Quarter for the south west. tcnuk.co.uk

BODACIOUS WINE IN BATH Bath Aqua Glass has a wine supplier for its new Walcot Street Café, the awardwinning Chilled and Tannin. Based in South Wales, this is an independent wine merchant which has just been named as one of Harpers 50 Best Indies for 2021.

Chilled and Tannin was launched during the pandemic by coowners Dominic Doherty, Alex Griem and Rob Cooper. Their approach is summarised by their quirky tag line, ‘bodacious wine with a conscience’. Wines are sourced from lesser-known but wellrespected vintners from around the world ensuring they can always offer something remarkable. They work with sustainable producers and have partnered with Bristol-based Ecologi to plant a tree for every sale. Every bottle is authentic, a little different and guilt free.

The recently opened café at the Bath Aqua Glass studio on Walcot Street is the hottest place in town to enjoy coffee, cake and wine while watching the glassblowers at work. Courtesy of Chilled and Tannin the café will be offering some of the world’s most exciting wines, served in its very own handblown glassware. bathaquaglass.com

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LEGAL EAGLES Law firm Mogers Drewett has announced that a record number of its lawyers have been featured in the new Legal 500 UK 2022 Guide for their standout contribution in their respective practices. Tom Webb, David Hill, Maeve England, Frank Collins, Rebecca Beresford, Victoria Darvell, Cara Burr and Emily Eccles have all been recognised in the new guide, with Jonathan Cheal of the Agriculture and Estates team being named in the elite ‘Hall of Fame’ again this year.

The law firm which has offices in Bath, Frome, Sherborne, and Wells has also been ranked as a top tier firm in the M4 Corridor and Gloucestershire region for five practice areas; Corporate and Commercial; Agriculture and Estates; Personal tax, trust and probate and Commercial Litigation. mogersdrewett.com

CHAMBERS RANKINGS FOR STONE KING Bath-headquartered law firm Stone King has again been ranked as a top law firm by independent guide Chambers. Charities, education and crime have all received Band 1 ratings and 18 lawyers have been recognised, as have eight of the firm’s other teams. Other areas ranked

by Chambers are higher and further education, family and matrimonial, transport, corporate M&A (mergers and aquisitions) and real estate.

The latest guide has also increased the number of the firm’s lawyers ranked. Newly recognised are Tom Morrison, head of further education, and Tracey Smith, head of family and mediation. Nine lawyers have maintained their rankings in the charities category. In the education team Roger Inman is named a Senior Statesperson, with Helen Tucker and Stephen Ravenscroft also ranked. Caroline Fell and Meg Moss are recognised for their work in family and matrimonial, while Hugh Pearce is ranked in real estate. Andrew Banks and Peter Woodhouse are both ranked in the category of transport. stoneking.co.uk Managing partner Steven Greenwood

PROBATE SERVICE LAUNCH Head of inheritance tax planning at Richardson Swift accountants Calvin Healy has announced that the firm will be adding probate to its range of services.

Usually considered the domain of the legal profession, a change in the law means that specially qualified accountants can now offer the service if the will is not contested.

Calvin, who is also a director of the chartered accountants and tax advisers, said the new service would not put the firm in competition with the city’s solicitors: “We work collaboratively with law firms recommending and introducing clients when their needs go beyond our remit and vice versa. So, there’s no reason why adding this service shouldn’t benefit both Richardson Swift and the firms we work closely with.” richardsonswift.co.uk

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Looking to meet new people and try new things in Bath?

Mind the Cap

The Crescent Club is for you

The £86,000 cap on care liabilities is the centrepiece of the government’s long-awaited reform of adult social care funding in England, due to come into force in October 2023.

This cap looks generous; however, it is not as simple as it looks, and a lot of people now incorrectly believe that they will not pay more than £86,000 for their later life care.

The cap only relates to ‘personal care’ costs and not costs for ‘hotel’ costs such as accommodation and meals. In addition, the care costs relate to the costs based on what the local authority believes is an appropriate fee, meaning if anyone selects a care home that charges above the average, then the extra costs will not count towards the cap.

L

aunching on 11th November at Circo and with exceptional events, activities and experiences at the heart of what we do, the Crescent Club is bringing the best of Bath together.

“Bath is brimming with so many incredible businesses and people; our members will benefit from unique, interesting and entertaining opportunities. After everything we’ve all been through, it is time to look forward and celebrate our city.” John Irving, Founder.

What does this mean?

Someone in care paying £800 per week, where the ‘hotel’ costs amount to £250 and the local authority has deemed the appropriate weekly fee to be £600, the amount that counts towards the care cap is £350.

How is this calculated?

The actual figure used against care cap would be the local authority care budget figure – in this case £600, less hotel cost – in this case £250, which would mean that only £350 per week will count towards the care cap. Based on the figure of £350 per week this means that the care cap would be reached in 245 weeks or 4.7 years.

While many may never reach the care cap limit as average life expectancy for someone going into a residential care home is 2 years it is important to highlight that regardless of whether someone reaches the care cap or not there will be costs associated with a relative’s care.

Using the example above, someone paying £800 per week for care who does remain in care and reaches the care cap, the person in care will have contributed approximately £196,000 to their care to reach the cap.

So, in summary while the care cap may reduce the amount you pay in the long term it is important to understand that there will still be costs associated with a relatives care that they and/or their family will need to fund.

For more information or guidance on how the cap care will affect you please speak to Chartered Financial Planner Sean McCabe 07739 344702 or email sean.mccabe@mogersdrewett.com.

The Crescent Club members can expect over 200 social, professional, active and experiential events every year including: • • • • • • •

Weekly after work social meetups Monthly professional talks and networking drinks Fortnightly curated walks around Bath and the countryside Guest speaker events and socialising Regular, unique experiences hosted by our partners Monthly parties and bar socials Annual Summer Party & Winter Ball

From leisure to luxe, retailers to restaurants, wellbeing to adventure, 30 businesses have signed up to become Crescent Club Partners including to name only a few; Cumberwell Park Golf Club, Makery Kate, Bath Yoga Studio, Pixie App, Elder Restaurant, Lodestar Adventure, Flowers by Blomme, Beckford Bottle Shop, John Moore Sports and Rengen Clubhouse.

Through its events and benefits, the Crescent Club aims to offer its members the chance to: 1. Meet new people 2. Do more in Bath 3. Access exclusive Health & Wellbeing benefits 4. Network and learn professionally 5. Give back to Bath via Julian House – official charity partner “I’ve lived the expat life and I know what it’s like to feel isolated.

Now I’m home, for me the Crescent Club is an opportunity to bring people closer together and to share the best of our beautiful city of Bath.”

Want to know more? Visit us at the Crescent Club.

www.thecrescent.club Apply for membership before our official launch on November 11, 2021 and receive an early bird membership discount.

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CITY | INTERIORS

CITYNEWS

1ST QR CODE PAYMENT SHOP

NEW MEMBERSHIP CLUB Research carried out

by The Crescent Club shows that three quarters of Bath professionals are seeking to meet new people in their city. Launching on 11 November at Circo, The Crescent Club promises to fill that gap and it seems that with more than 300 early registrations over the course of only 5 weeks, there is an appetite to reward.

“We have been overwhelmed by the number of member registrations and businesses coming forward to create bespoke events for our growing community”, says Crescent Club founder John Irving. From leisure to luxe, retailers to restaurants, wellbeing to adventure, 25 businesses have so far signed up to become Crescent Club Partners including Cumberwell Park Golf Club, Bath Yoga Studio and Rengen Clubhouse. The Crescent Club will offer the Bath community over 200 unique events where they can connect, learn and try new experiences. thecrescent.club/about

PIZZA PANACHE The Bath Pizza Co. has been announced as a shortlisted pizzeria for the National Pizza Awards 2021, making the food venue one of the top 16 pizzerias in the UK. “Ater a hugely challenging 18 months through the pandemic we are over the moon, as you can probably imagine,” said director Alex Peters.

The competition takes place in London on 22 November. The national event will see chefs from restaurants, pubs and pop-ups battle one another to see if their signature pizza has the power to be judged as the best in the UK. The 16 finalists will compete in the live cook-off at Islington Metal Works. Bath Pizza Co. made the final for their ‘spinaci with a cheeky egg pizza’ which has been in high demand this year. Bath Pizza Co., Green Park Station, Bath. bathpizzaco.com

GREEN FLAGS FOR BATH For the third year Hedgemead Park running five of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s parks have been officially recognised as being among the best green spaces in the country.

Alexandra Park, Bloomfield Green, Hedgemead Park, Henrietta Park and Royal Victoria Park have all won Green Flags, the international mark of quality for being well-managed.

Green Flags are awarded by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to parks and green spaces that boast the highest environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities. This year marks the award’s Silver Jubilee. greenflagaward.org

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Bullfrog owner Jon Brown

Sustainable leisure brand Bullfrog has seen its signature bright water bottles and range of leisure products weave a rainbow of style across Bath and beyond since the launch of its website in January this year. Bullfrog’s vibrant range of stainless-steel water bottles, reusable coffee cups, yoga accessories and recycled apparel is in hot demand and now the company has opened a physical store at 10 Kingsmead Square in Bath.

In a bid to save time for the customer and reduce waste, Bullfrog has incorporated a QR code system for payment as well as the usual cash and debit card payments. Customers simply scan the QR code on any item to find all the product information, and they can either pay on their phone via the code, or through a more traditional method. bullfrogbottles.com

ROBUN PRIVATE DINING Robun, the Bathbased restaurant that specialises in sharing plates of robata grilled meats, seafood and vegetables fused with elements from across Asia, is introducing its firstfloor private dining room and cocktail bar as the perfect place to host any upcoming celebration.

Robun will assist you in designing a fun, stress-free and bespoke event, honouring birthdays, anniversaries and other special events with thought and exceptional service.

The private dining room hosts a maximum of 40 seated and 50 standing. Set menus are available for parties of eight or more and must be booked in advance. Robun, 4 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath; 01225 614424; robun.co.uk

NEW TEDX BATH EVENT TEDxBath is running a new two-day event on 18 and 19 November called TEDxBath Inter-Connected 2021, offering inspiring evening talks from 12 speakers. Speakers include former Chief Interpreter for the UN, Ewandro Magalhaes, international economist and best-selling author, Kate Raworth, and Dr Andy Dr Andy Georgiou Georgiou, the former Director of the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal United Hospital, the event is set to lift the lid on global and local issues that affect us all.

TEDxBath, an independently organised TED event, will bring an outstanding range of speakers to Bath to hear inspiring ‘ideas worth sharing’. This year’s theme: Inter-Connected, is all about how local and global inter-connections have the power to improve our global society through shared ideas and innovations, unlocking new possibilities. The talks will unveil truths relating to every faction of our world, explaining and exploring how everything we do triggers a reaction in our local and global communities. tedxbath.co.uk

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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 tax relief for your losses Since 2013 there’s been a limit to using trading losses against other income. It is known as the cap and it depends on how you use the losses. If used to reduce tax on other income the limit is the greater of 25% of your adjusted total income, and £50,000.

Relief for trading losses from your business can be used to reduce tax paid or a liability, for example, arising on income from employment, property or savings. It can be used for the same year or the tax year before the loss occurred and is called sideways loss relief.

However you aren’t able to choose how much of the loss to use for sideways relief - it’s all or nothing - so careful planning is vital to get the best result and not waste your personal allowance or another exemption.

The government has made a temporary pandemic concession on carrying claims back for a longer period than usual. These rules allow you use the losses made in 2020/21 and 2021/22 against income of the three previous tax years rather than just the same or previous year.

In addition, you can choose to claim only against the current year or the previous year, rather than both. The special coronavirus rules mean that relief is against trading income only for years two and three, so if you have other income in these years, you can avoid losing your tax-free personal allowance. If you can’t claim sideways loss relief because you haven’t any other income, you can still claim the new coronavirus carry back relief.

For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Sheldrake, Tom Hulett or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507

Call Marie Sheldrake, Tom Hulett or Mike Wilcox on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting

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EDUCATION

EDUCATION NEWS WELLS SCHOLARS Every year Wells Cathedral School awards scholarships to recognise current talent. In addition to a financial award, scholars receive enhanced educational opportunities and privileges. Wells offers Academic, All Rounder, Art, Drama, Specialist Mathematics, General Music and Sport scholarships for pupils looking to join in Years 7, 9, 10 and Lower Sixth. General Music scholarships are open to pupils going into Years 7 and 9. Most applicants will be awarded 10% of their day fees. Scholarship Day for Sport and All Rounder is on 24 January 2022 and for Academic, Art, Drama, Specialist Mathematics and General Music on 25 January 2022. Registration deadline for both days is 7 January. The school is holding an online Q&A on 27 November at 10am to provide information about scholarships and the application process. wells.cathedral.school

GIRLS ON TRACK One hundred girls from Monkton Combe and surrounding local primary schools – Farleigh, Hanford, Combe Down, Pinewood and St Martins Garden – recently enjoyed a rare opportunity to spend time getting up close to a Williams F1 racing car as part of an event organized by female motorsport initiative, Girls on Track UK. As well as learning about the ins and outs of a Formula One car, thanks to Kat Newbery, Composites Design Engineer and Chloe Ward, Parts Usage Manager from Williams Racing, the schoolgirls – all aged between 8 and 11 years-old – also had their eyes opened to the wealth of future opportunities available to them within the world of professional motorsport and other STEM related industries. Girls on Track UK (formerly known as Dare To Be Different), an initiative started by Susie Wolff and now managed by Motorsport UK, focuses on inspiring, connecting and showcasing females in motorsport as well as through Science, Technology and Maths (STEM) subjects. monktoncombeschool.com

KES RECOGNITION The new Good Schools Guide review of King Edward’s School, Bath has reiterated the school’s academic strength, praised its pastoral programme’s approach to student wellbeing and mental health and confirmed that the school’s arts offer is ‘right up there with the best of them’, ahead of concluding that ‘KES turns out young people who are not merely hard-working and well-educated but compassionate and thoughtful to boot.’

The new review follows a visit to King Edward’s by an independent assessor and meetings with staff, pupils and parents. The School’s pastoral system and inclusivity also earn praise, with Senior School tutors rated for their ability to support pupils through the helter skelter of school life. kesbath.com 72 TheBATHMagazine

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BOOKS

Books for all the family

Here are five books chosen and reviewed by bookseller Saskia Hayward at Topping & Co. as ideas for seasonal gifts for all the family – they range from a book about a boy with a very long name to a city that is defined by its air conditioning.

The Female Chef by Clare Finney and Liz Seabrook Focusing on ‘30 Women Redefining the British Food Scene,’ this offers a glimpse of some of the women challenging and transforming what remains a highly male-dominated industry. From restaurants in cities across the UK, the book features interviews with each chef alongside their most special recipe and gorgeous portraits by photographer Liz Seabrook. From London to Glasgow, it features a range of culinary experts like the food writer Anna Jones and punk singer turned chef Andi Oliver.

It proves an insightful glimpse into each woman’s experience working and establishing themselves within hospitality, and contains valuable advice on how to set up restaurants and support other women within the industry. Overall, it’s an expansive and optimistic look at the changing face of a defining British industry that celebrates the women who have helped pave the way for female chefs. Hoxton Mini Press, £28 Slime: A Natural History by Susanne Wedlich “Slime is a biological substance with physical properties and biological functions. But it is also a phenomenon or an idea which repels and excludes.”

So begins Wedlich’s journey into the history of one of the most biologically fascinating and culturally charged substances on our planet: slime.

Through Wedlich’s wit and insight, slime is unveiled as a substance that exists in a unique state of liminality; neither solid nor liquid, it uneasily traverses boundaries upon which we ground much of our understanding of self and otherness. No wonder, then, that the associations it triggers are so emotionally charged, often conjuring profound feelings of disgust – be that from its use as the kitsch ectoplasm found in horror films, or from its more bodily origins.

Wedlich’s history – spanning three billion years – encompasses all these nuances: from literary and cinematic references, to underlining the integral biological role slime has played in the evolution of life on Earth. Perfect for fans of Merlin Sheldrake’s mycological sensation, Entangled Life. Granta, 4 November, £20 The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukkaran This tells the story of Zimdalamashkermishkada, a young boy starting at a new school who begins to feel incredibly self-conscious about his long name. Compared to some of the other children, his name seems to explode “like a crack of thunder” in the classroom and “springs back to life like a scared pufferfish at sea” when spoken on the 74 TheBATHMagazine

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bus. To try to avoid embarrassment, he resorts to ‘Zim’ – but it’s a name that doesn’t feel quite right. Slowly, gradually, and with the help of his friends, Zimdalamashkermishkada becomes more confident, and starts to unveil his full name.

This is a short, uplifting story of courage, self-belief and friendship perfectly accompanied by gorgeous illustrations by Michelle Pereira. A powerful tale that encourages children to embrace every aspect of who they are. Bright Light Books, £11.99 Lion City: Singapore and the Invention of Modern Asia

by Jeevan Vasagar “Singapore is a city built in defiance of its climate.”

From Jeevan Vasagar, formerly the Malaysian and Singaporean correspondent for the Financial Times, comes an intricate history of the world’s most successful city-state. Vasagar charts the immense and rapid growth Singapore has undergone in the last half century, exploring the causes and consequences that such an unprecedentedly fast urban growth spurt has upon the face of a city.

It contains fascinating and unexpected gems, such as the profundity of the citystate’s reliance on air conditioning, which Vasagar sees as an integral factor in its development. Singapore’s understanding of air conditioning as necessary to progress and efficiency was such that the founding Prime Minister’s first act in 1959 was to order the installation of air conditioning in civil service offices.

Vasagar writes brilliantly on how the architectural skeleton of Singapore has emerged, shaping itself around industry and commerce in a manner that separated communities from traditional ways of life. But there are positives too. In the face of the climate crisis, Vasagar views Singapore as a city that “must adapt to survive,” yet captures a sense of optimism amongst Singaporeans regarding our technological ability to help prevent climate change. A fascinating portrayal of a shifting city, perpetually caught between past and future. Little Brown; £18.99 Second-Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta “Most dreams, as all dreamers know quite well, do have setbacks.

Adah’s dream was no exception, for hers had many.”

Buchi Emecheta has been described by Bernardine Evaristo as “the foremother of black British women’s writing.” Republished last month as a Penguin Modern Classic, Second-Class Citizen tells the story of Adah, known as the fearless ‘Igbo tigress’ back home in Ibuza, Nigeria, who moves to London in the 1960s with her children to be with her husband and pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer.

What unfurls is a story of a woman defiant and determined to find success in the face of cold hostility, and a brilliantly insightful glimpse into the experiences of Black motherhood in 1960s England.

Penguin Classics, £9.99 n toppingbooks.co.uk

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Dr. Zoe Haines FRESH FACED MEDICAL AESTHETICS • TREATMENTS: • Specialising in anti-wrinkle injections with a range of brands available.

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• SKIN CARE ASSESMENT: Book in with Dr Zoe for an assessment to find out what your skin needs.

• PRODUCTS: A range of gorgeous, medical-grade products by Alumier MD to maintain your skin between treatments, exclusively available through professional clinics.

For those of you that haven’t heard of Alumier MD, they are a true professionally dispensed, medical-grade skin care brand dedicated to the latest advancements in Clean science and delivering therapeutic outcomes for an array of skin conditions and concerns and boosting healthy skin.

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drzoe@freshfacedmedicalaesthetics.co.uk

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

“The College of Naturopathic Medicine changed my life and health dramatically!”

Natasha Draycott, CNM Nutritional Therapy Graduate Juggling study with full-time work was a challenge but it taught me how much I can achieve if I put my mind to something. CNM is a wonderful place to study. The lecturers are truly amazing and fountains of knowledge!

My health struggles led me to studying at CNM. Before studying nutrition, I always felt like there was something missing and that my job lacked passion. I wanted to help people but didn't know how. I quit my job and went travelling in India for six months to find my feet and discover what I truly desired in life.

Upon my return, I had a eureka moment and the answer came to me.

My own health struggles led me on a journey. After healing myself naturally, I became fascinated by the impact that food has on the body and the science behind nutrition.

I wanted to manage my PCOS naturally, not rely on medication. From aged sixteen onwards, I suffered from painful stomach cramps and amenorrhoea. I was referred to a

specialist who diagnosed me with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and prescribed me Metformin (a type 2 diabetes drug) and birth control pills. I was also offered surgery to remove the cysts and a series of laser hair removal sessions. Living on medication and birth control wasn’t the long-term solution I wanted. So, after lots of research and with the help of my mum (who is a nurse), I looked into alternative remedies. However, as I was very young, nothing changed until after I came back to the UK from living abroad.

Changing my diet and lifestyle transformed my health. Whilst living abroad I developed an unhealthy lifestyle of binge drinking and poor eating habits; both of which made me put on weight. This led to me developing more painful cysts. Medical professionals were hesitant to do further surgery so I had to figure out a way of coping with PCOS without needing constant medical assistance.

After returning to the UK at 23, I decided to enrol at CNM. During my studies I gradually began to sort out my diet, supplement with specific nutrients and exercise regularly.

Within a few years, my periods came back which was amazing.

My cycle is now regular and I have clear skin!

I loved learning about biomedicine in the first year before getting stuck into nutrition as it helped me understand what is happening in the body and why. The emphasis on science and evidence-based nutrition was fascinating.

My whole outlook on food and illness has changed completely, and without CNM, I wouldn’t have had the knowledge and experience I do now to support my own health condition. Implementing what I’ve learnt at CNM has transformed my health.

After suffering with irregular periods for 10 years, I now have a regular cycle and my skin has completely cleared up.

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Studying at CNM has been a life-changing journey. Since graduating, I’ve set up my own clinical practice from a private medical centre; however, I also offer virtual consultation from home so I can help clients around the world.

What I enjoy most is getting to the root cause of a client’s health issue. The moment my clients start to see a change is so rewarding, especially if their health issues have been ongoing for years.

Studying at CNM has been such an incredible life-changing journey, and it’s not only impacted my health, but others too. I truly believe the more nutritionists there are with the knowledge taught by CNM, the more it could change the way our world sees health, food and medicine. I’m now in peak health and feel amazing. The most incredible thing is that I’m at my ideal weight and I have a healthy menstrual cycle.

Free CNM Lecture Scan the QR code No 1 training provider for Natural Therapies

Visit www.cnmcourses.com or call 01342 777 747

Geoff Don

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, so here, Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital breaks down the five key health issues and their symptoms which you simply can’t afford to ignore.

M

en have a poor reputation when it comes to looking after their own health. On average, they see a GP half as often as women do, but British men are paying the price for neglecting their health, as more than 100,000 die prematurely every year.

It’s important to be aware of changes to your health, and see your GP immediately if you notice something that’s not right.

Here are the top 5 things men need to look out for:

A lump on your testicle Testicular cancer is unusual in the fact that it most commonly affects younger people, aged 15 to 44. Over 2,000 cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK, and regular self-examination is recommended. If you notice a lump or swelling in your testicles, or feel a heaviness or dull ache in your scrotum, see your GP. Most testicular lumps are not cancer, but it is essential to have any abnormalities checked. Early detection gives you a much higher chance of a positive outcome.

Moles Check your moles regularly and be aware of any change in colour or shape, or if they start bleeding. Most changes are harmless and are due to a non-cancerous increase in pigment cells in the skin. See your GP if a mole looks unusual or becomes itchy. It can then be checked and removed if necessary. To minimise your risk of skin cancer, during the summer

months, avoid exposure to the sun between 11am and 3pm. Cover up, and when you're in the sun, use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15.

Feeling depressed If you’re depressed, you may lose interest in things you used to enjoy. Depression is a real illness with real effects on your work, social and family life. Treatment usually involves a combination of self-help, talking therapies and drugs. Depression is more common in women, but men are far more likely to commit suicide.

This may be because they are more reluctant to seek help. Financial stress, job insecurity and debt – not to mention the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 18 months – can all affect your mental wellbeing, but the simple act of talking to someone face-to-face about how you feel can be an enormous help.

Trouble urinating

Impotence Most men encounter problems getting or keeping an erection (impotence) at some point, but you should see your GP if your erection problems last for several weeks. It’s not just your sexual health that could be at risk. Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, can be a sign of more serious conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure. Generally, lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and exercise, can correct the problem, although some men may need medication such as Sidenafil (more commonly known as Viagra).

If you’ve been experiencing any of these symptoms, the Consultant team at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital includes Urologists, Dermatologists and Clinical Psychologists, who can help. If you would like to book an appointment, call 0117 911 5339, or visit our website: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

When the prostate is enlarged, it can press on the tube that carries urine from the bladder.

This can make it hard to pass urine, which can be a sign of prostate disease, including cancer.

In the UK, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with more than 30,000 diagnosed with it every year. Other symptoms include pain or burning when you pass urine and frequently waking up in the night to visit the bathroom. If you have any of these symptoms, see your GP. The prostate gland is crucial to your sex life, so get to know your prostate and what can go wrong with it.

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital 3 Clifton Hill, Bristol BS8 1BN nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol

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CITY | INTERIORS

How to house houseplants

Our homes are becoming greener than ever and houseplants have become style accessories as much as exuberant celebrations of the natural world. A new store in Broad Street, Chapter 22 Roots and Records, has taken this chillingout-among-the-greenery vibe to heart, with a visionary retailing combination of houseplants and rock and roll. We asked plant expert Nicola Taylor to recommend a selection of houseplants that will suit different rooms in the house...

KALANCHOE THYRSIFLORA (PADDLE PLANT)

ALOCASIA (RED SECRET)

Eye-catching succulent with a fantastic form and large paddle-like leaves growing vertically.

Care: needs little water, bright light and some direct sunlight.

What room: bedroom, conservatory

The Red Secret has extraordinary foliage, large leathery leaves of rust and metallic colours with almost translucent stems.

Care: indirect light and regular watering, very light misting. Dry out between watering. What room: living room

CALATHEA MEDALLION (ROSE PAINTED PRAYER PLANT)

CALATHEA NETWORK (PRAYER PLANT)

NEPHROLEPIS EXALTATA (BOSTON FERN)

Arguably one of the most beautiful low-light plants with medallion-like leaves with a brilliant green pattern on top and deep burgundy underneath.

Care: water once a week, allowing the top two inches of soil to dry out partially.

What room: bedroom

The Prayer Plant has a distinctive cross-hatch pattern on its bright green leaves, resembling a mosaic or stained glass.

Care: very simple to look after, water once a week and will tolerate low light.

What room: garden flat or basement

This fern has broad green flowing fronds and grows up to 4ft long and 6in wide.

Care: maintain evenly moist soil, allowing the top quarter to dry out in between watering.

Avoid overwatering. What room: any southfacing or north-facing window, away from direct light or deep shade.

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FICUS LYRATA (FIDDLE LEAF FIG)

This hanging plant is known as the lipstick plant because of the tubular scarlet flowers which sprout out from the ends of the bright green fleshy twisted leaves.

Care: water regularly with tepid kettle water, reducing in the winter.

Mist regularly and dislikes temperatures below 13 degrees celcius.

What room: steamy kitchen

Has huge glossy fiddle-shaped leaves with prominent veins.

It packs a punch with its amazing flamboyant foliage and has serious air-cleansing benefits.

Care: bright filtered light, keep soil evenly moist but do not overwater, essential to mist.

What room: brightly lit sitting room

ANTHURIUM (BLACK LOVE)

ALOCASIA ZEBRINA (ELEPHANT’S EAR)

Images by TBM. Special thanks to Chapter 22 Roots and Records

AESCHYNANTHUS (LIPSTICK PLANT)

An unusual variety with glossy, dark waxy leaves and long-lasting striking flowers which can stay on the plant for many months.

Care: they do best when the soil has a chance to dry out between watering. Water with just six ice cubes a week!

What room: bathroom but out of direct sunlight

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Stunning plant with dark green arrow-shaped leaves and unique black and white striped stem.

Care: keep lightly moist and mist frequently.

What room: bright sunny bathroom or warm conservatory

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Image shows Ulster Carpets Watercolours

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Marmalade House

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Marmalade House is an award-winning, professional furniture painting and design company, based in Bath. It specialises in French and Gustavian finishes that include the layering of colours, distressed paintwork and lime-washing as well as gilding, colour-washing for ageing and waxing services. The focus is all about colour and style and how that fits into a customer’s home. The team of trained interior designers also offer a design and styling service that brings together the client’s style and aspirations for change. For those who prefer to do everything themselves, the company also offers popular training courses on how to paint furniture to professional standards and the use of colour within your home.

Run by Vanessa Sayce, Marmalade House is an established, friendly company that has its clients’ interests at heart, whatever changes they would like to make, and at whatever scale.

We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family, we offer a magazine mailing service.

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GARDENING

Alliums do best in a sunny spot. Dot this onion relative through the border and wait for its round, starry globes to appear on strong stems

A bulb for every location

In this period of garden dormancy, it’s time to hunker down with the mail-order bulb catalogues and plan for a colourful and exuberant 2022, says Elly West, as she recommends some of her favourites.

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❝

You just pop them in the ground in autumn, forget about them, and then there they are in a few short months, pushing up through the soil, full of promise

❝

I

t’s a quiet time right now, when the majority of the garden is going to sleep for the winter, dying back and needing little attention apart from some clearing and sweeping up of dead leaves. Days are shorter, not to mention colder and wetter, so it’s a great time to hunker down with the mail-order bulb catalogues and plan for next year. Autumn is prime time for bulb planting and it’s one of the easiest and most reliable ways to guarantee a spring that’s full of exuberant colour.

One of the best things about bulbs is their versatility. Whatever the size, aspect, style or soil type of your garden, there are bulbs to suit.

And there’s very little effort involved. I love the fact that you just pop them in the ground in autumn, forget about them, and then there they are in in a few short months, pushing up through the soil, full of promise. Choose carefully and these harbingers of spring will brighten every corner of your plot, whether it’s a shady area under a tree, or a container by a sunny front door. There are bulbs that suit shade, sun, meadow, woodland, sandy or damp and heavy soils. They can provide scent, colour, attract wildlife and make a statement. And if you plant them now, a pack of dry bulbs is a fraction of the cost of the same plants potted up and growing in spring. Plus there is a lot more choice when you buy them in autumn.

Dry shade is one of the trickiest spots in a garden – areas at the base of a wall, or under trees. However, there are many bulbs that originally hail from woodland zones and can cope well with these conditions. Aconites, snowdrops, anemones, cyclamen and erythroniums are all well-adapted to gloomier spots where they are protected from summer sun. Grow them in groups and let them naturalise under trees and shrubs. Don’t be stingy with your planting – the more the better – then sit back and wait for them to go forth and multiply, creating a carpet of colour.

At the other end of the spectrum are hot, sunny borders where the options are wide. By its very nature, a bulb is well-adapted to deal with summer drought, storing all the starches, proteins and energy safely inside in a dormant state until conditions are right for growing. Most daffodil, tulip, crocus and hyacinth species are native to areas with a Mediterranean climate where they have wet winters and hot, dry summers. Alliums are among my favourite for latespring blooms, and these onion relatives do best in a sunny spot.

Dot them through the border and wait for their round, starry globes to appear on strong stems, pushing up through the new, fresh growth of perennials such as geraniums and Alchemilla mollis.

Some bulbs will rot over winter in damp soils. I never have high expectations for my tulips, and plant new ones each year as they don’t seem to come back reliably on my clay soil. Any extras surviving from previous years are then a bonus. However, there are others to choose from that grow naturally on the edges of rivers and streams, or in damp meadowland, so look to these if you have poor

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GARDENING drainage. Bluebells, camassias, martagon lilies and snake’s-head fritillaries will thrive on moist soil. Narcissus ‘Tete-a-tete’ is a cheery yellow miniature daffodil that will grow just about anywhere and doesn’t mind some damp, or shade for that matter.

If you’re planting up containers of spring bulbs, then it’s much easier to create the conditions that they like. These moveable feasts can be tucked away until they start to flower, then placed in a prominent spot where you can see and enjoy them, such as next to a front door or a flight of steps. Miniature irises (Iris reticulata), en masse in shallow bowls, are always a winner for me with their jewel-bright purple-blue flowers, but again I treat them like annuals as they don’t seem to come back reliably year on year. I also like growing tulips in containers, particularly if I’m trying new, interesting varieties, and there are certainly plenty to choose from, with frilled, parrot, goblet and double peonyflowered cultivars in nearly every colour imaginable. (Except for blue – not sure why!) I want them where I can see them and where they’ll have the most impact.

Bulbs are also a great way to experiment with colour. While we might favour a calmer and more refined palette later in the year, somehow the first splash of cheery yellow with a swathe of daffodils is more than welcome after a dull winter. Red is another colour that’s not for everyone, but a pot full of red tulips makes an elegant statement and provides warmth and brightness that is guaranteed to lift the spirits.

So, if you haven’t bought any bulbs yet, there’s still time to treat yourself and get some in the ground before winter. There’s always room for these parcels of promise in any garden and when they start to flower next spring, and hopefully for many springs to come, you’ll be pleased you made the time and (minimal!) effort. n

Plant of the month: Colchicums Also known as autumn crocus or naked ladies, these beautiful autumn-flowering corms offer sturdy goblet-shaped blooms in shades of white, pink and purple, from September onwards and into November. The flowers appear on bare stems with no leaves, hence the common name, giving them an unusual yet elegant appearance that’s a foretaste of spring (which is when the leaves appear). Colchicums naturally occur in damp meadows, and suit fertile, moisture-retaining soil and a sheltered spot that gets sun for at least half the day. As with other bulbs and corms, avoid cutting the leaves off – as the foliage dies back it will feed up the corm for the following year. ‘Waterlily’ is a stunning variety with double purple-pink flowers that look similar to water lilies.

Colchicum autumnale is native to the UK and has pale lavender-pink flowers. All look good under deciduous trees or naturalised through a lawn.

Note, Colchiums are highly toxic if ingested.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

The Old Church House is a handsome period property believed to date back to the 16th century and is not listed by English Heritage. The current vendors have lovingly renovated and extended the property to offer comfortable accommodation arranged over 2 floors.

The property is approached via a 5-bar gate to a spacious gravelled area providing parking for numerous vehicles.

The ground floor accommodation comprises a spacious, open plan kitchen/dining/family room with contemporary bespoke burr elm units and island with marble work surfaces offering a wow factor and 5 sets of glazed French doors creating a continental feel and comfortable space for modern living.

There are 3 reception rooms including; a formal sitting room with triple aspect, sash windows, working shutters and a handsome stone fireplace; a dining room with a grand stone fireplace and family room/study with a range of bespoke bookshelves. To complete the ground floor accommodation there is a practical utility room and cloakroom.

The wealth of period features continue on the first floor. The principle and guest bedrooms benefit from luxury en suite facilities, in addition there are 4 further double bedrooms and 2 luxury shower rooms.

Externally the gardens have been beautifully landscaped and provide secluded areas to enjoy the sun, manicured lawns and a bountiful array of mature shrubs and planting.

This is a very special property and to fully appreciate it a viewing is recommended by the sole agents Cobb Farr.

Church Hill, Beckington • Substantial period property • Contemporary burr elm kitchen with Aga • Principle bedroom suite with luxury shower room and walk-in wardrobe • 5 further bedrooms • 3 flexible reception rooms with a wealth of period features • Beautiful, professionally landscaped garden totalling 0.42 acres

£1,850,000

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

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Belvedere, Bath £325,000

A smart generously proportioned Grade II listed one bedroom ground floor city apartment, centrally located in a sought-after position and enjoying beautiful far reaching views to the rear.

• Large double bedroom

• Attractive drawing room

• Generous well fitted kitchen/breakfast room • Well-appointed bathroom • Ideal central location

Hortsmann Close, Bath £375,000

A well-proportioned purpose built 3 bedroom apartment with the benefit of a lift and private parking space and set within this high quality development on the Weston side of Bath.

• 3 bedrooms, 1 en suite •

Spacious living room

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Attractive communal gardens

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Private parking space Lift access

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

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Entry Hill - OIEO £1,000,000

Lansdown - OIEO £1,350,000

Thinking of selling your home?

The property market remains buoyant and the demand for lovely family homes like these is still high.

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Park Street Mews - £825,000

Mount View - OIEO £700,000

01225 333332 | 01225 866111

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MARDAN, BATH’S BESPOKE REMOVALS AND STORAGE COMPANY, DEVELOPS NEW TALENT

Mardan have a wealth of experience within the removals and storage industry, spanning over 30 years, ensuring customers have a stress-free and seamless move. Mardan are family run and bespoke with the experience, knowledge, skills, equipment and capacity to complete removals of any size; locally, nationally for domestic or commercial customers.

Marcus, Mardan’s founder, has always held fast, with confidence, to his belief that he can deliver a high standard of removals, exceeding that of his competitors. Marcus knows to do this he must have trust and confidence in the skills of his staff, which he does. So when a new office position was required within Mardan instead of recruiting externally Marcus looked to develop a team member which he already had extreme confidence in and who he knew would develop into the role seamlessly, Nik. The role would include; liaising with customers, completing quotes, emailing quotes, planning the removals diary, logistics and managing the storage yard. Nik, had worked with Marcus within removals for over 10 years having a strong knowledge of all aspects of removals and with the skills necessary to lead a team from Mardan on removals.

Nik has risen to the challenge and is thriving. Marcus and Nik work extremely well as a team thus ensuring all customers have a personalised service and a positive move experience.

Both Marcus and Nik enjoy completing the physical removal and Marcus truly believes that to do the ‘office’ role well it’s important to continue to complete removals, thus maintaining

St Peters, Devizes 25 highly specified homes with stunning views of the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Show home open.

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the in depth knowledge developed throughout their earlier careers. Marcus and Nik are able to be flexible with their roles and keep their ‘hand in’ the hard physical work of removals.

Mardan continue to grow their self-storage facility, offering safe, secure and reasonable storage to upward of 100 domestic and commercial customers.

“We used Mardan following a recommendation from a friend.

They moved us in and out of storage and then into our renovated house. I would highly recommend them. The service was super efficient and the guys were quick, polite and courteous. Nothing was too much trouble and all of our possessions arrived safe and sound” Emma Webster, Moon Client

Mob: 07899 847857 Tel: 01225 317645 www.mardanremovals.co.uk

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • packers • STORERS • SHIPPERS

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Introducing Peter Greatorex Unique Homes great success with video content across our other brands, particularly via social media where we have discovered new ways of reaching new focussed audiences. Our results have been incredible, and we are really excited about sharing our strategies with new clients.

Thirdly, our marketing presentation. We believe in producing beautifully crafted brochures to enhance a property’s appeal.

Although the brochure won’t sell a property on its own, it does allow us to showcase the lifestyle and give a sense of what it’s like to live in a particular property. With high-quality images, floor plans and professionally written copy, including a seller’s insight, it does give our property marketing a natural uplift.

What makes a unique home?

A

nother estate agency in the area? Before you pass judgement, why not discover what makes this one as unique as the properties it sells.

We speak to the founder of Peter Greatorex Unique Homes, owner of The Apartment Company and Fine & Country Chew Valley, and a familiar face in the local property market, Peter Greatorex.

Why start another estate agency and now?

Over the seventeen years since launching The Apartment Company and selling only apartments, past clients would often ask if we could sell their houses. We stayed true to the niche concept of The Apartment Company but over the years we have run out of reasons to say no. As with all successful businesses, they take time to evolve and become established. The Apartment Company and Fine & Country Chew Valley are both in a great place, with our teams doing exceptionally well growing both businesses at a terrific rate. I therefore couldn’t resist the temptation to bring something new, unique and bespoke to the Bath market where I’ve operated for the last 27 years.

It could be a cottage that has such an amazing and rare view that you are in awe; a period home with the most stunning original features that brings the past to life; or a contemporary build that is intriguing, where you don’t know what you will see next. We then share the story of that home in a way that immerses a buyer in the specific lifestyle the property has to offer.

Has the property market changed?

The market has changed massively throughout the pandemic, people have been re-evaluating their lives, they are wanting space, some are downsizing, many now need extra space to work from home or simply want to be closer to family. Priorities have been redefined, and buyers are looking not just for a home that works on a practical level but one that is that extra bit special.

Why use you?

Having my name above the door means I have something to prove, and I am determined to make this agency a huge success.

Our highly motivated team has over 50 years of local agency experience and a proven track record, selling within the premium and niche property markets.

There is no bad time to launch a business if you have the passion, the right people and the right approach. We have longevity within our teams that gives our clients confidence; we provide exceptional service, marketing, and branding, and we are always exploring new opportunities and strategies.

We are all committed and driven to providing a supportive service, with exceptional marketing, great communication and also the required experience in negotiation to achieve the best possible results for our clients.

Why is this estate agency unique?

Above all, we understand what it takes to sell unique and beautiful homes, so if you’d like to find out more, please call Peter or Sharon on 01225 904999 today.

Firstly, the way we operate. We will be very selective with properties we list and the buyers we register, and rather than taking a blanket approach, we’ll work with fewer quality homes and only qualified buyers which will help us maintain the very best level of customer service.

We know that buyers are always eager to hear about those properties before they appear online, and we also are acutely aware that not all sellers wish for their home to be listed publicly so we will be adopting and offering a more discreet form of selling our clients’ homes.

Secondly, we will be heavily investing in professional high-quality videos of our homes, hosted by Sharon and myself. We have had

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www.petergreatorex.co.uk

Winkworth fp November.qxp_Layout 1 20/10/2021 12:01 Page 1

winkworth.co.uk/bath for every step...

SALES R DE R UN FFE O

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LANSDOWN - GUIDE £650,000

Kitchen | 2 receptions | 2 bedrooms bathroom | parking | gardens R FO LE SA

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GREAT PULTENEY ST - GUIDE £2,300,000

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COMBE DOWN - GUIDE £500,000

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COMBE DOWN - GUIDE £500,000

Kitchen | 1 reception | 3 bedrooms bathroom | parking | garden

Kitchen | 2 receptions | 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms | garage | garden

BATHAMPTON - GUIDE £550,000

Kitchen | 2 receptions | 2 bedrooms bathroom | garage

Kitchen | 2 receptions | 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms | parking | garden

R FO LE SA

R FO LE SA

NEWBRIDGE - GUIDE £695,000

Kitchen | 1 reception | 3 bedrooms bathroom

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HENRIETTA STREET - GUIDE £895,000

Kitchen | 5 receptions | 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms | garage | garden

WALCOT - GUIDE £550,000

Kitchen | 2 receptions | 2 bedrooms bathroom | garage | garden

LANSDOWN - GUIDE £525,000 Kitchen | 2 receptions | 2 bedrooms bathroom | garage | garden

For Sales or Letting Properties contact us on 01225 829000 bath@winkworth.co.uk WINKWORTH BATH bath@winkworth.co.uk 13 Argyle Street, Bath, Somerset BA2 4BQ Follow us on

Matthew Leonard

Lucy McIlroy

Denise Latham

Director

Director

Lettings Manager

Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Waller Gardens, Lansdown, Bath, BA1 OIEO £465,000

A modern, end of terrace home is situated in the new Ensleigh development in Lansdown. Featuring a spacious through lounge, a kitchen/dining room with French doors opening on to a patio. There are three bedrooms – en suite to master, and a separate family bathroom. Outside a rear garden and there are two allocated parking spaces.

Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

01225 809 571 central@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Portland Terrace, Bath, Somerset, BA1 £550,000

This beautifully presented period home is situated on a pretty Victorian terrace close to the city centre, just behind The Royal Crescent. The accommodation is across three floors and briefly comprises of a spacious through lounge leading to stylish kitchen which leads to the rear garden, three double bedrooms and a bathroom as well as shower room.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

The Barton, Corston, Bath, BA2 £825,000

This is a delightful property in Cortson on the outskirts of Bath. Featuring fabulous kitchen/dining/living area which opens out onto the patio, four bedrooms, a bathroom and separate shower room. There’s an integral garage with garden room and lovely south facing garden.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Midford Road, Bath ,BA2 £525,000

This property is a gardeners delight with a 114ft rear garden and plenty of space to the front to enjoy. Inside a living room with sliding doors opens through to an open plan kitchen /dining room, there’s a conservatory, utility, three bedrooms and shower room. At the bottom of the garden is a garage and parking space.

Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

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West Harptree, Somerset - OIEO £1,250,000 Bellhorse Cottage is a 17th century, rural property which has been completely refurbished and extended with many original features retained or recycled to form a stunning, light, and bright, 3/4-bedroom, open plan, contemporary home with breath-taking views over Chew Valley Lake and beyond. On a clear day, the house has 180-degree views from Bath across Gloucestershire to the Welsh Hills. This beautifully presented contemporary style home is sure to attract a high level of interest so early viewing is highly recommended.

Peter Greatorex Unique Homes 01225 904999

www.petergreatorex.co.uk Peter Greatorex Managing Director

Sharon Clesham Head of Sales

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Chapel Allerton, Somerset - OIEO £1,750,000 Moorland Farm is an elegant period farmhouse situated in the village of Chapel Allerton, south of Cheddar in the English county of Somerset.

This stunning family home has been fully renovated by the present owners and offers over 4000 sq ft beautifully proportioned accommodation over two floors that includes 6 bedroom, 3 bathrooms and 6 reception rooms. Externally, the grounds extend to over 2 acres with lawned garden and field and include parking for multiple cars, a double garage, milking parlour, barn, and further log barn. A super farmhouse property that is sure to attract considerable interest so early viewing is highly recommended.

Peter Greatorex Unique Homes 01225 904999

www.petergreatorex.co.uk Peter Greatorex Managing Director

Sharon Clesham Head of Sales

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