The Bath Magazine October 2018

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ISSUE 193 | OCTOBER 2018 thebathmag.co.uk £3.95 where sold

IN VOGUE

The Arts & Galleries of Bath PLUS THE AUTUMN HOMES & INTERIOR SPECIAL

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

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Contents October 2018 5 THINGS

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Essential events to look forward to this month

FASHION

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Get into the autumn vibe with tweed, checks and leather ................................................

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COVER FEATURE THE ART GUIDE TO BATH

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Finn Dean’s new illustrations of familiar figures for VisitBath

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A HISTORY OF LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 MOUNTAIN LOW

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SPECIAL FEATURE AUTUMN INTERIORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

IN THE GARDEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 HOT PROPERTY

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Keep abreast of the latest colourful movements in the local arts and gallery scene

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Jane Moore explains how to use sculpture in your garden

The latest Gainsborough exhibition at the Holburne Museum reflects a new naturalistic style, discovers Emma Clegg

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

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Golden interior products, a modern apartment case study, the psychology of decoration and our local interiors specialists

Georgette McCready finds stories from the past within the cemeteries of Bath

FACES OF THE CITY

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Andrew Swift finds a not-too-steep mountain to climb

Our guide to the top events happening around the city

THE ART OF THE THEATRE

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Catherine Pitt traces the last 150 years at Monkton Combe School

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WALKING WITH THE DEAD

FOOD LIFE

Emma Clegg dines at The Ivy Bath Brasserie

Ahead of the Bath Digital Festival, Jessica Hope profiles the innovations and challenges facing the tech world

WHAT’S ON

PARADISE LODGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Melissa Blease questions some students about their eating habits

Jessica Hope visits The American Museum’s new gardens

GO DIGITAL

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Revel in the natural landscapes of New Zealand

Imogen Windsor meets the trio of musicians at The Pump Room

AMERICAN BEAUTY

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Neill Menneer’s portrait of window cleaner Josh Pine

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THE SOUND OF MUSIC

BATH AT WORK

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The finest homes to buy or rent

ON THE COVER

Gouache and watercolour on paper by René Gruau, from the Gray MCA show Drawing on Style

Follow us on Instagram @thebathmagazine

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Editors Letter October.qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2018 17:31 Page 1

EDITOR’S PICKS SCULPTURE EN PLEIN AIR “There’s a flamingo in my garden.” Not a phrase you’d imagine hearing often in our locality. Well, things could change as flamingos may now become a regular feature of the garden community. Jane Moore’s sculpture in the garden feature on page 124 sees three flamingos, a robin, an abstract head and a massive sculptural pea pod taking their place in the grass and beds of our private outdoor spaces. Here’s to that.

from the

EDITOR Editor photograph by Matthew Sterling

A

s you can see from our cover image, we’re not taking things too seriously this October. We are positively in the pink as we drape ourselves over the curves of our stylish sofa and contemplate how best to update our interior. If you fancy doing the same, turn to page 110 and beyond where you’ll find some glorious golden products, an inspiring modern apartment case study by interior designer Clair Strong, and a fascinating insight into the psychology of decoration from textile historian Mary Schoeser. We have also treated you to a bustling section of local interior suppliers from page 66.

In order to luxuriate so stylishly on said sofa, we felt some autumn chic was in order. We think the clingy white all-in-one of the luxurious cover lady could be comfortably replaced with a snazzy tweed number with some eyecatching leather accessories – so check out our fashion spread on page 20.

You’ll find another seated lady on page 49, this time 18th-century actress Mrs Siddons in a painting by Thomas Gainsborough. She came to Bath to hone her craft in 1777 as regional theatres were becoming established. The new exhibition at the Holburne Museum includes this and other portraits of theatrical figures by Gainsborough when he was in Bath, in a period when both art and theatre were moving towards naturalism.

Our special art guide to Bath from page 51 reflects what’s happening in the arts and galleries scene and features an interview with artist Nick Cudworth ahead of his exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery in December. Once a blues-rock musician, Nick has a few stories to tell.

Jessica Hope visits the American Museum and Gardens to enjoy their newly designed gardens and is struck by the uplifting new view of the surrounding landscape, the natural amphitheatre, the monumental sculptures

by Angela Conner, as well as the US plant species that have been chosen to fit with the climate – see page 30.

Georgette McCready discovers some stories from the past as she investigates those buried in Bath’s cemeteries on page 46, coinciding with an exhibition at the Museum of Bath Architecture on the architecture of death and burial. Isobel Windsor heads down to the Pump Room to interview the Pump Room Trio of musicians, two of whom are new faces. Melissa Blease talks to students on page 74 about their eating routines and is duly impressed.

And don’t miss her diatribe on page 80 about certain types of dieter.

Let’s all get in the pink for October.

Emma Clegg Editor

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

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ART TO WEAR

Photograph by Egle Vasi

Carole Waller has launched her autumn collection of painted clothing called Scaffolding. The imagery is inspired by Bath, including Minerva’s golden face, the scaffolding around the old Barclays Bank and the grills and floors of the Roman Baths.

Carole has perfected the art of painting directly onto silk, making a wearable and washable painting with incredible richness of mark and colour.

See her new collection at Waller & Wood gallery at 4 Abbey Green; carolewaller.co.uk SHANNON IS BACK

This picture of Carl Hansen & Søn’s Signature Chair brings some exciting news – Sue Shannon is back in Bath with her fabulous collection of Scandinavian designer products. Christmas at Shannon is a pop-up shop at 7 Broad Street, which will have a range of Sue’s trademark Scandi delights, from designer furniture to fabrics, lighting and crockery. shannon-uk.com

Art is standing with one hand extended into the ❝universe and one hand extended into the world, and letting ourselves be a conduit for passing energy. ❞ ALBERT EINSTEIN (1879–1896)

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ZEITGEIST

things to do in

October

Get technical

© Matthew Sterling

An angel at Lansdown Cemetery

Be spooked The nights are getting longer and the evenings colder, meaning one thing – Halloween is in the air.

If dressing up in a makeshift vampire costume isn’t your thing, then there are plenty of eerie stories to discover in Bath’s cemeteries. You can read more about how death rituals have changed in this city from page 46. To coincide with this, Building Memory – The architecture of death and burial in Bath is on at the Museum of Bath Architecture until 25 November; museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk

After the phenomenal success of last year’s event, the Bath Digital Festival is back this month showcasing the pioneering technology being developed in and around Bath, and encouraging more conversations about the advances in the digital sector. From artificial intelligence to social media marketing, LEGO Robot Wars to drone technology, some of the biggest names in the industry will be hosting workshops, talks and seminars about all sorts of digital advancements that all ages can enjoy. Taking place from 23–27 October at venues around the city centre. Read more about the festival speakers and their take on the innovations and challenges for the digital industry from page 32; bathdigitalfestival.co.uk

Showjump Are you a confident horse-rider, but want to hone your skills? Join equestrian analyst and BBC commentator Stephen Hadley for a show jumping session at the equestrian centre at Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa. The clinics from 29–31 October will concentrate on striding, related distances and jumping a course. £75 per person. Participants can bring their own horse, or can hire one from Lucknam Park’s stables at an additional cost. Call 01225 742777 for more information; lucknampark.co.uk

By bringing together some of artist Thomas Gainsborough’s finest portraits of his friends in the theatre, the Holburne Museum’s latest exhibition will showcase some of the leading actors, musicians, playwrights, dancers and critics of the 1760s–80s. Gainsborough and the Theatre explores themes of 'True but every goose can...’, celebrity, naturalism, Nathaniel Dance c1781, by performance and friendship Thomas Gainsborough through 37 objects, including 15 oil portraits by Gainsborough, works on paper (including satires, views of theatres and playbills) and items from public and private collections from across the UK. Open from 5 October – 20 January.

Tickets: £10. For a preview of the exhibition, turn to page 48. And if you’re interested in seeing what else is featuring on the art scene this autumn, turn to our comprehensive guide on the best galleries, artists and exhibitions from around the city from page 51; holburne.org

Learn Discover something new this month as Museums Week celebrates the unique collections and activities on offer at local museums around Bath and North East Somerset with events and activities for all ages from 27 October – 4 November.

Adults can mark the Museum of Bath at Work’s 40th birthday with two films celebrating the contribution women made to the war effort and NHS in the 1940s, or learn how to weave tartan patterns at the Fashion Museum. While the kids can create the perfect pot using wax resist techniques design at Victoria Art Gallery, or listen to ghost stories and have some Halloween fun at the Museum of East Asian Art. Standard entry applies to museums, free to Discovery Card holders. See the full programme of events online; bathmuseumsweek.co.uk 10 TheBATHMagazine

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© The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Explore

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THE CITY THE BUZZ THE BUZZ

YOGA ACTION MEN

My BATH

Award-winning ecologist and author Professor David Goode, formerly head of environment for London, brings his passion for nature to the local scene as president of Bath Natural History Society

Manshaped Moon

A new men’s yoga class has started at John Moore Sports on Argyle Street, running every Wednesday from 8–9am.

Jan Lunt teaches hatha yoga, which focuses on stretching the whole body and working with the breath throughout each movement. The class is suitable for all levels of experience and all mats and equipment are provided. You can pay £10 on the day, but participants are asked to book their place in advance and commit to it. Email: jan@janlunt.co.uk; johnmooresports.co.uk

DRESS FIT FOR A QUEEN An exhibition at the Fashion Museum Bath has led to the discovery of a missing dress worn by Queen Alexandra.

Royal Women, which runs until 28 April, features fashions worn by four successive generations of women in the royal family.

The evening gown worn by Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII, lay hidden away in a private collection and is now on show as an addition to the Royal Women exhibition.

The dress is a black silk and velvet evening gown embellished with beads and sequins and dates to around 1908–10. It was designed for the queen by Parisianstyled London dressmaker Barolet of Knightsbridge and has Alexandra’s signature black and gold name tag sewn into the waist tape. fashionmuseum.co.uk

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I live in Widcombe, a rather special part of Bath between the city and the countryside.

I love it here. A few minutes walk takes me to the city centre, or into the woods and meadows of the skyline.

Birds of wild wetlands, especially greenshank, give me great pleasure. I was also very fond of the robin that came to eat on my hand every morning for several years. Listening to the dawn chorus in early May is very evocative.

When I came to Bath 12 years ago I was struck by its small size. I soon found that I kept meeting people I knew, whether at the farmer’s market, in town centre shops or at music events in the Assembly Rooms. Socially it feels more like a big village than a small city. But what a place! Mellow Georgian architecture combined with the extraordinary backdrop of wooded hills gives it such special appeal.

As a youngster I had much encouragement and sound advice from Peter Scott and my zoology teacher, the indomitable Miss Crackles, had a great impact. I have been fortunate to know David Attenborough, who has always been a great inspiration. My late wife Diana had the most profound influence through her wisdom, integrity and fun.

From my window at home where I work I look up the Widcombe valley towards Prior Park Landscape Garden and the limestone hills beyond, with buzzards and ravens wheeling in the sky. I love to see the changing colours with the seasons. It’s a view that has become part of me.

Eating out in Bath provides somewhere for every occasion, traditional Turkish at Marmaris, formal at Brasserie Blanc, live jazz in the Ring o’ Bells, and many more.

I have been reading Wilding by Isabella Tree, describing the remarkably successful conversion of intensively managed farmland to a wild landscape that restores nature and makes money. Also Max Porter’s Grief is the thing with Feathers, a compelling and extraordinary book about bereavement. And a delightful children’s book with a strong message by local author Julia Amos called The Memory Detectives.

My personal journey in ecology started with a chance encounter when I was 14. Off school with chickenpox in mid-winter exploring snow-covered fields I came across parties of snipe feeding along my local stream. They were strange birds with immensely long beaks. I was instantly hooked and have retained my passion for the natural world ever since.

Providing new opportunities for people living in towns and cities to connect more closely with nature has been at the core of my work.

That means protecting existing natural areas so that people have access to nature on their doorstep; creating new natural parks and nature centres where needed; and encouraging appreciation of nature among all age groups.

I work in nature conservation because the current rate of loss of biodiversity on a world scale poses one of the greatest challenges that we face. We are living through an unprecedented period of extinction brought about by humanity. The earth needs ecologists.

Britain faces some urgent ecological challenges: taking action on climate change; improving air quality in cities; reducing the impact of agricultural chemicals on wildlife; and encouraging greater understanding of ecological issues among politicians. They are all tough nuts to crack.

I am proud of what I achieved workwise and am delighted to have received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Ecology. I am a very proud father and grandfather.

I used the natural history of Bath to introduce my book Nature in Towns and Cities and am currently writing a popular guide for the people of Bath. n bathnats.org.uk

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

See more online thebathmag.co.uk

Contact us:

The definition of LINDBERG’s timeless and minimalist design

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

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Health & Beauty Editor Email:

Crystal Rose crystal@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor Email:

Jessica Hope jessica@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Jake Horwood jake@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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

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

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BOYS AND GIRLS GO OUT TO PLAY

ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING RINGS HANDMADE BESPOKE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

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Clogau Welsh Gold wedding and engagement rings now available in store

Our roving reporter wonders whether women-only events and organisations are sexist

I gave a big cheer when I heard that Dorothy House, our local hospice charity, had widened its Moonlight Walk sponsored event to include men for the first time this year. It used to be an all-female event, but maybe someone decided they had a male friend or relative who’d love to take part in the fun and friendship this walk always engenders.

I’ve been banging on for years (with apologies to everyone whose ear I have bent!) about us not needing women-only clubs and institutions. Why do we still have women in business organisations a whole generation after we elected a woman Prime Minister, and while we still have a woman leading the country? Mrs May doesn’t have to cosy up with women-only colleagues to flex her muscles or air her views. Do we join these women-only groups because we fear that we’re secretly not as good as men? Is that why women require a special category of awards? What’s wrong with networking with men as well as women? We’re all human beings and it’s certainly not the case that men are tougher in a competitive environment. I’ve known some fairly confident and high-flying women.

As a mother of a son and a daughter, I would hate to have to say to one or the other: “I’m sorry, but you’re excluded from this event or that club, simply because of your gender.” And as women we wouldn’t be very happy if we were told by the gatekeepers of a club or institution that we were barred entry because we weren’t male.

I’m not knocking the value of a close group of women friends. I’m as partial to the next woman to a female-only weekend away, enjoying the chance to shriek with laughter, safe in the company of friends we know and trust. I also put my hands up to having found my two years in a girls-only grammar school the best years of my education – with the assumption from our teachers that we were like Jean Brodie’s crème de la crème and that we would apply to university. But balance this sequestered girls-only life with the reality that in the every day world we have dads, brothers, sons, colleagues and male friends that we rub along with just fine. Real life is not a cloistered refuge but a free-for-all where you can find kindness or malice from either gender.

When I first started out in journalism there were still women’s pages (a laughable idea now) and ladies sports, as they were known then, barely made the back pages of newspapers, more often found as a soft focus human interest story in which the photographers were more interested in the short-shorts and the cut of the t-shirts than the women’s sporting achievements. Women in the newsroom were often sent out ‘doorstepping’ – that’s when a reporter and photographer bowl up on a bereaved family’s doorstep to get the inside story on the recently departed. It’s a particularly unpleasant task but we were taught it’s better to get the facts directly from the family as the school or local vicar is liable to mix up the wrong teenage road victim. The women reporters were generally considered more able to squeeze a heart-tugging drama from these encounters.

While some things have improved for women in this country, others seem to have got worse. The daughter of a friend left a copy of a magazine in my car the other day and I had a nosy flick through it.

Aside from my not having heard of most of the celebrities featured, my chief concern that most of the stories seemed to be mocking these young women for either the way they look – ‘worryingly slim’, has piled on the pounds’, ‘a lip fill gone horribly wrong’ – or exposing their personal relationships and partners’ alleged infidelities in lurid double-page spreads featuring out of focus photographs of people kissing in doorways. What happened to the Sisterhood when this kind of public treatment of women’s lives, based on appearance and relationships rather than on any actual achievements, is what passes for mass entertainment?

On the plus side The Great British Bake Off is back, with men and women competing on an even baking tray. Good to see they’re all equal under one bun. n

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BATH | PEOPLE

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Anna Wilson is a successful children’s author and has published more than 35 books, including some which have been chosen for World Book Day, the Richard and Judy Book Club, and the Summer Reading Challenge. She has presented author talks and writing workshops in many local schools.

She also teaches on the Bath Spa University BA and MA creative writing courses I live just outside Bradford on Avon in the village of Turleigh. The house is Georgian and looks like a traditional square doll’s house from the front. We chose to live here because it is peaceful and has easy access to the countryside and the city.

I love the beauty of the valley, canal and river. I have a dog and go out with her first thing every day, either to run or walk. No matter what the season or the weather, the landscape is always breathtaking.

I go into Bath at least once a week to meet friends or to go shopping.

My son is at school in Bath so I sometimes come in before school pick-up and walk down from Sydney Gardens, which is my favourite route into the city.

I have very fond memories of my early childhood. I lived in a small market town in Kent and all my close friends were within walking or cycling distance. In the holidays we would meet up on our bikes and only come home for meals. There was a patch of scrubland which we grandly named ‘The Woods’ where we would build camps and play.

My first book was a murder mystery which I wrote for a school project when I was 13. It borrowed heavily from Agatha Christie whose books I was devouring at the time. It wasn’t until I had my own children that I had my first book published. Having children helped me gain a new perspective on the world and gave me lots of ideas for writing.

I am a coffee person. My favourite café in Bath is Boston Tea Party and I love Gilou’s in Bradford on Avon, and The Doghouse which is a fantastic pet shop. The team are so chatty and welcoming and run a gorgeous dog-friendly café.

The Diary of Anne Frank haunted me when I was a child. I went to see the house in Amsterdam a few years ago and re-read the diary again afterwards. Another book I have re-read since childhood is I’m The King of the Castle by Susan Hill. It’s about an intense, bullying relationship, but it is so insightful about the workings of a young boy’s mind. A book that moved me recently was A Little Life

by Hanya Yanagihara, a beautiful, tender, harrowing novel about a man living his life in the aftermath of horrific childhood abuse.

Warleigh Weir is one of the most gorgeous places for wild swimming, but this year it was ruined by people leaving litter. I try and seek out places where I know that I will see no humans. They are the best places to spot wildlife and find peace and quiet. I belong to a swimming club in Holt called Glovedippers.

We’ve seen herons, a white egret, swans, a family of ducklings, herons, cormorants, swallows, martins and kingfishers.

I have had 35 books published for children as well as short stories and poems. Some books are picture books, some are series fiction for young independent readers and some for young teens.

I love going into schools to run workshops. It’s wonderful to see a child who says “I can’t write” get enthused by a workshop and want to show you their work afterwards.

I think children are becoming disconnected from the natural world and it worries me. It is all too easy to stay indoors and get hooked into something on a screen and we tend to drive our kids everywhere.

There’s a lot to learn from getting messy outdoors, whatever the weather. It is also so good for our mental health to get outside and connect with nature. I always think it’s better to look out and up rather than in and down.

I was fortunate in many ways to be a child of the 1970s. There were few cars about and I lived at the end of a cul-de-sac with a wild space at the end. We probably should not have been playing on what was essentially a building site, but our parents knew where we were. We learnt how to look out for one another and were not afraid of getting messy or falling over. It is unusual today to have so much freedom.

I love the view across to Bradford on Avon from the field above Avoncliff. It’s where I walk or run most days – I never get tired of it.

My latest book, The National Trust Children’s Almanac 2019 is the first non-fiction book I have ever written. Once I got into the swing of researching what I could put into each month, I realised that I was writing a book about all the things I am most passionate about: wildlife, cooking, making things and wild swimming.

My favourite activity in the book is making miniature gardens.

I used to do this with my grandmother on a rainy day. We would dash outside and gather wildflowers and berries and things from the garden, then she would give me and my sister a biscuit tin lid each and a couple of spoonfuls of soil or sand and we would spend hours planting our gardens and making up stories about who lived there. n The National Trust Children’s Almanac 2019 is published by Nosy Crow on 4 October, £9.99, hardback

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Bath Fashion October 18.qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2018 19:10 Page 1

TWEED, CHECKS & LEATHER The Clandar Classic Harris Tweed Coat, an exclusive design made solely for Clandar, Bath, £585 clandar.co.uk

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FASHION

COUNTRYSIDE STAPLES set the confident tone for our fashion pages this month. It’s time to embrace tweed, you see – a rough, naturally waterproof woollen fabric that is warm, versatile and practical. We’ve pushed the boundaries of the tweed theme, pairing it with checks and leather to complete the breezy country house weekend look. These pieces will provide a helping hand this autumn as we bluster stylishly into October

Annis Tweed Blazer, £148, Anthropologie anthropologie.com

Aquascutum lambswool scarf, £95, John Anthony, High Street john-anthony.com

Naho outdoor jacket, £399, Oska, Upper Borough Wallt oska.com

Elea Dress, £159, Hobbs, Milsom Place Moscot Tess, olive tortoise glasses, £285, Kathryn Anthony, Pierrepont Street

hobbs.co.uk

kathrynanthony.co.uk

Santos de Cartier sunglasses, £610, Ellis and Killpartrick, New Bond Street

Real leather Italian rucksack, £64.50, Portman, Milsom Street nickieportman.co.uk

ellisandkillpartrick.com

June Tweed Pumps, £55, Flock, The Corridor flockbath.co.uk

Darwin khaki green suede boots, £110, Duo Boots, Milsom Street

Montblanc Leather Document Case, £655, Mallory, Bridge Street mallory-jewellers.com

duoboots.com

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DESIGNER COLLECTIONS HANDMADE BESPOKE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

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18ct Gold Vermeil Pink Tourmaline & Blue Topaz Bead Orissa Bracelet. £98

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9ct rose gold ring set with citrine, smokey quartz and blue tourmaline (the birthstone for October). £195

vintage furniture contemporar y styling

verveliving.uk

07785 332536

15 WALCOT BUILDINGS. LONDON RD. BA1 6AD

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CHRISTMAS AT

S annon Back by popular demand...

Moomin Biscuit Barrel

Our Scandinavian gift range is perfect for christmas presents and includes the beautiful Taika tableware, Marimekko mugs, bags and gifts, stunning iittala glassware, and fabulous table and tree decorations... and so much more... Oh, and everything ‘Moomin’!

ALSO ON DISPLAY Iconic Danish furniture

by Carl Hansen & Søn

THE POP-UP SHOP 7 B R O A D S T R E E T. B AT H B A 1 5 L J 01225 684458

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SHANNON-UK.COM

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Jewellers OPENING OFFER

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BATH | JEWELLERY

JEWEL VISION

Diamonds are forever, an emerald shines even if its worth is not spoken of and a pure sapphire may melt into the sea. What is your precious stone of choice? S.P. Green & Co will have the answer in their new jewellery store

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here’s a new jewellers on the block: S.P. Green & Co Jewellers have just arrived in Green Street.

Inside this new jewellery emporium there’s more green in the form of emeralds, but the precious jewellery offering is well balanced out by unique designs in gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, sapphire and tanzanite.

Established in 1979, S.P. Green began as a small jewellery manufacturer based in Birmingham’s famous jewellery quarter.

Started by Mr Stephen Green, who began working in the jewellery industry as a skilled diamond setter, S.P. Green began creating fine diamond set jewellery.

S.P. Green became one of the first manufacturers to open its doors to the public when Mr Green opened his first shop in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter arcade in 1981. Following its success a second shop was opened on Warstone Lane in Birmingham in 1989 – this is still there, as a boutique shop specialising in bespoke jewellery designs. A third shop in Birmingham arrived in 1992. The company, which has a private workshop and factory, still operates as an independent, family-run business.

Founded as a manufacturer and operating within a highly competitive market at the heart of Europe's largest jewellery manufacturing area, competitive pricing has always been at the centre of what S.P. Green has to offer.

With the largest presence in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter, S.P. Green always seek to offer their customers value for money when buying diamonds and jewellery. Everything made by S.P. Green bares the company’s hallmark and the SPG logo and their brand

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is recognised as a mark of quality.

While a brand is important, S.P. Green also understands that jewellery has an intrinsic value that goes beyond the brand.

Gold, platinum and diamonds are all worth something and can be bought and sold all over the world. Customers want to know what they are buying is worth what they are paying and that the price of a diamond isn’t overinflated.

S.P. Green sell diamonds graded by the Gemological Institute of America’ (GIA), a not-for-profit organisation leading the way in gemmological education and diamond certification. Diamond certification is something that many customers look for to give them confidence when purchasing diamonds. S.P. Green use GIA as a ‘certificate brand’ to help customers

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understand the characteristics of the diamonds they are buying so they can be sure they are getting exceptional quality for the price they pay.

“Our customers are simply looking for quality at the best price. Quality being an extremely important word because our customers are not looking for ‘cheap’ jewellery – they are looking for the highest quality diamonds and gemstones. But they are savvy and they want to buy quality jewellery at the best price. By manufacturing the jewellery ourselves that is exactly what we offer.”

So when in Green Street, take time out to peruse these precious wares. n S.P. Green & Co Jewellers, 7 Green Street, Bath; spgreen.com

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BATH | BEER

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CITY | LIFE

MUSICAL CHAIRS

Musicians have entertained visitors to the Pump Room since it opened in 1706. The Pump Room Trio, who nowadays do the musical honours, have just gained two new members, and all are welcome to enjoy their music, says Imogen Windsor don’t have live music. The better the experience in the Pump Room, the more people will use the Pump Room.”

It’s a win-win situation: the popularity of the Trio brings more customers to the Pump Room for tea and a slice of Georgian charm.

This generates more revenue for this councilrun attraction and adjacent Roman Baths, and for Searcy’s, which provides the catering.

Looking to the future, Penny’s vision is to make the Pump Room’s live music more inclusive, by inviting other accomplished local musicians to perform in a handful of sessions throughout the year: “[It] felt like a good time to refresh how we went about the Pump Room Trio. It was really important to me that we kept that quality of playing, and that type of playing. That’s my passion: preserving the old, and the tradition, but just allowing a little bit of opportunity for other people.”

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People want to come in because it’s a visual experience as well as an audio experience; so we have to look right as well as sound right

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t a time when Bath was known as the “premier resort of frivolity and fashion”, the Pump Room and baths were at its centre. Nowadays, when you enter this grand building through the familiar revolving door, you can still sense the essence of Beau Nash’s Georgian society.

As you watch Pump Room restaurant staff weave their way expertly between tables, almost dancing in time with the waltzes performed live by the Pump Room Trio, all that’s really missing is the finery.

On first glimpse, the Pump Room can leave you awe-struck and slightly hesitant, questioning whether you’re really allowed to be there. When you get beyond the grandeur and opulence of the room, you realise that what you’re actually seeing is just a busy restaurant. But of course it’s more than that – it’s a special room that’s steeped in history.

Once inside this elegant space, you see that there are real musicians playing on stage, going about their business of entertaining the customers. The juxtaposition between the calm serenity of the music and the noisy chatter and clatter of crockery is how the Pump Room has been for 300 years. If you close your eyes and listen, a heavenly Georgian picture emerges.

Beau Nash first brought musicians into the Pump Room when it opened in 1706. Since then, resident ensembles have existed in the guises of the Pump Room Band, Pump Room Orchestra, and currently, Pump Room Trio.

Patrons are entertained with live music every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day; anyone is welcome to go in to listen and enjoy the atmosphere.

Derek Stuart-Clark has been the trio’s pianist since 1991, alongside cellist Keith Tempest, in situ from 1987, and violinists Lorna Osbon and Robert Hyman, who have shared the role from 1993. On 1 September violinist Matthew Everett and cellist Tim Gilbert became the two new string players.

Fortunately this transition has been pretty seamless, and the new line-up gelled together musically straight away. Matthew, the new leader, confirms that there are no immediate plans for any kind of shake-up: “In the short term it will pretty much remain the same; there are little things I’d like to look into, but I don’t feel there’s an urgency to do that”.

Penny Jenkins, commercial manager for the Council’s Heritage Services, feels strongly about preserving the tradition of live music in the Pump Room: “It’s so much a Bath institution now, that I think there would be uproar if anyone were to suggest that we

This means customers may be entertained by small jazz groups in the summer, or by talented youngsters fresh from the Bath Young Musician competition. Though Penny is quick to point out that there won’t be teatime rock bands shaking the building’s foundations any time soon. There’s a common understanding between musicians and management: the Pump Room presents a Georgian ‘package’, and the Trio, elegantly turned out in their formal attire, are part of the theatre. “People want to come in because it’s a visual experience as well as an audio experience; so I think we have to look right as well as sound right”, says Derek.

“It’s a retrospective – People are buying into that Georgian experience,” Tim adds.

This probably encourages customers – the ‘audience’ – to engage with the Trio. People will often make musical requests; there are some regulars who are so familiar to the musicians that they don’t even have to approach the stage any more: “You clock them, you get the repertoire out, and start

playing,” says Derek. One elderly couple came in at the same time every week for several years, and the Trio always obliged with Eric Coates’ ‘By the Sleepy Lagoon’ as soon as they caught sight of this appreciative pair. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the job, Derek says: “People come up and say ‘we used to dance to this…we used to come here in the 1960s [and] you brought back memories for us’. For me, that’s what the job’s about. That’s the power of music.”

Of course, the Pump Room is a restaurant first and foremost, and the Trio supports that in a particularly high-profile way, from centre stage. “They’re vital to the restaurant [as] background music”, Penny says. “We do have hen parties in, and they do get quite jolly – they’re there for their afternoon tea, not necessarily the music. Other times it can be quiet, and people are listening.”

When people applaud, it’s lovely for the musicians to have this feedback. They gladly oblige with ‘Happy Birthday’ requests, and beam warmly with the applause. It can suddenly change the whole atmosphere in the room, when people realise that they are allowed to show their appreciation.

“That is quite a British thing; the British are quite reserved, and they’re not always comfortable, especially if there’s just a few of them; there might just be a smattering of applause,” says Tim. “I don’t think that’s an indication that they’re not appreciating – they’re nodding away, and enjoying it.”

“You might think that there’s no-one listening, but there’s always somebody listening,” Derek adds.

Taking tea in the Pump Room while listening to live chamber music is a must-do experience for tourists. There’s a concern that some locals believe it isn’t for them; thinking that it’s exclusive and perhaps a bit intimidating, but the trio and management alike want everyone to feel welcome.

The new musicians are mulling over ways in which they could use the trio’s wellestablished name to reach out and promote music. Showcasing the vast array of music that the trio plays – from waltzes to opera, and from tangos to show songs – could tempt more Bathonians into the Pump Room to enjoy this “little gem”, as Derek describes it, “right here on their doorstep.”

It’s a special place and a special experience.

And it really is for everyone. n The Pump Room Trio play daily from 2.30 to 4.30pm and on Saturday from 10.30am to 12.30pm; romanbaths.co.uk/pump-roomrestaurant

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GARDENS

AMERICAN BEAUTY

With a natural amphitheatre, monumental sculptures, and swathes of flora from the United States, The American Museum’s new gardens offer a fresh perspective on horticulture from across the pond. Words by Jessica Hope

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Sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln by Angela Conner

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A side view of the main house from The New American Garden

there were some disputes around the cutting down of trees to build the new ticket gates, these trees are currently being recycled and dried out to make new floor panelling for the pavilions, so everything has been creatively incorporated.

Inspired by the circular pathway around the gardens of the home of Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third President of the United States, in Monticello, Virginia, the museum has established its own Winding Way around the vicinity. The new path connects the gardens, arboretum, house, exhibition space and café with a wheelchair and buggy friendly path, encouraging visitors to see everything that the American Museum and Gardens has to offer.

After securing planning permission late last year, the museum has moved quickly to create Oehme van Sweden’s vision. Under the guidance of the museum’s gardening team, headed by Andrew Cannell, and with the help of local craftspeople and businesses, horticultural placement students, and even members of the museum’s office staff, The New American Garden beside the main house is now in full bloom after planting 16,000 native American plants in the spring.

With large swathes of long grasses that dance in the wind, and the beautiful hues of the purple, green and yellow flowers and shrubs,

this garden has been designed in a free-form style that was made famous by the designer’s founders Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden. This also means that the grounds now possess the largest collection of American horticultural features in the UK.

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The New American Garden is now in full bloom after planting 16,000 native American plants in the spring

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ith its spectacular views over the Limpley Stoke Valley and tranquil setting, the newly named American Museum and Gardens has attracted floods of visitors since it first opened in 1961. As well as exhibiting a bountiful collection of remarkable folk art, quilts, maps and furnishings from American history, the museum also boasts beautiful gardens within the 30 acres surrounding the main house. Following an extensive six-year project, the museum has now completely transformed the gardens using plants and expert landscaping from the United States to create a green haven for visitors to explore.

It has for a long time been the initiative of the museum’s director, Richard Wendorf, to develop the gardens into an accessible space for all, linking its various gardens and attractions together, while celebrating the flora and fauna of the United States by bringing in native plants from across the Atlantic that visitors may never have seen.

Speaking about the gardens’ changes, Richard said: “As the only museum outside of the US dedicated to celebrating American culture, we’re constantly seeking new and inspiring ways to showcase American history. Thanks to the generosity of our friends in the UK and US, the New American Garden will extend the experience beyond the doors of our period rooms and galleries.”

With donations from the supporters of the museum, £2 million has been injected into the redesign of the gardens under the guidance of the Washington DC-based landscape architecture firm Oehme van Sweden, making this the company’s first European commission.

Visitors will now arrive via the newly built pavilions in the gardens, meaning the incredible views over the rolling hills of the valley below will be the first thing that they will see after purchasing their tickets. While

Owing to Claverton’s steep terrain, part of the lawn has been levelled so that marquees can be erected, allowing the museum more opportunities to host events and weddings in such a picturesque location. Just below the house, an impressive natural amphitheatre has been carved into the lawn, creating more space for open-air theatre, concerts, reenactments and events, as well as a great place where adventurous children will enjoy the challenge of climbing up the grassy steps, or where visitors can soak up the summer

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TOP EVENTS AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM AND GARDENS

sunshine on the lawn. There’s also an American Rose Garden being planted that will be abuzz with bees in the future.

Also featuring around the gardens are six larger-than-life bust sculptures of key figures from American history, including President Abraham Lincoln and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, created by internationally renowned British sculptor Angela Conner. As a more personal nod to the museum, there is a sculpture of Winston Churchill is also on show, who made his first political speech at the site of the museum in 1897, aged 23, at a summer fête for the Primrose League. To coincide with the launch of the gardens, there will be an additional exhibition, titled Face to Face with Angela Conner, of 14 portrait busts reflecting the museum’s Anglo-American connections, on show until 28 October.

Since the museum first opened, its Mount Vernon Garden – a replica of George Washington’s 18th-century colonial garden at the Mount Vernon estate in Virginia – has always been a popular attraction for visitors.

n The Sir Winston Churchill Memorial lecture: Paris 1919, and the big two 17 October, 7–9pm This talk will explore the relationship between Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson, and discover how they shaped Europe and the modern world. £15.

n Week of the Dead Fiesta: family fun trail 20–28 October, 10am–5pm Celebrate the Day of the Dead all week, and journey around the gardens on this fun family trail. £2.50 per trail includes prize, normal admission applies.

n Charlie Chaplin film screening: Shoulder Arms 20 October, 6pm doors, 7.30pm film 100 years ago, Charlie Chaplin’s wartime silent comedy Shoulder Arms was released. Join this unique film screening, before visiting the Side by Side: America and World War I exhibition. £10.

n Day of the Dead ball 27 October, 7.30–10.30pm Señores, time to don your skulls and sombreros to celebrate the Day of the Dead at this Mexican inspired evening. There will be cocktails from The Abbey Hotel, plus music by Mariachi Tequila, and JC Jones and the Lake City Coolers. 18+, £20.

Following new research into how Washington’s garden looked during his lifetime, head gardener Andrew Cannell has implemented extensive changes to the garden. The seed house has been completely rebuilt by craftsman Matt Cannell with a beautiful cedar shingle roof made to look like stone using a process Washington termed ‘rustication’, and bright Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’, delicate Linum perenne, and pretty pink Physostegia virginiana ‘Vivid’, among others, have been planted to add waves of colour and texture to the garden.

A recent discovery found that Washington grew agricultural crops in his garden, and therefore Andrew has plans to grow 18thcentury varieties of beans, peas, asparagus and potatoes, which can then be used for dishes served in the museum’s café. Currently the garden is full of colour as 140 Jack-oLantern pumpkins are growing plump just in time for Halloween.

To top it off, the Parterre in Mount Vernon now features 2,100 Buxus microphylla ‘Herrenhausen’ plants laid out

as an enormous fleur-de-lis, paying homage to the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who led American troops in the Continental Army during the War of Independence, and who became a lifelong friend of Washington.

In addition, the new pathways between the colonial gardens and the contemporary style of Oehme van Sweden’s New American Garden allow visitors to move through different ages of garden design and style with ease.

With 50,000 bulbs still to be planted this autumn, and talks of more accessible paths and a natural play area, the American Museum and Gardens is stepping into a new floral era, which is a delight to the senses. n

The American Museum and Gardens, Claverton Manor, Bath is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–5pm. Face to Face with Angela Conner is on until 28 October; americanmuseum.org

Beautiful perennials and shrubs fill The New American Garden

The rebuilt seed house in the Mount Vernon Garden

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FESTIVAL

See new technology at Bath Digital Festival and try it out for yourself

THE DIGITAL LEAP

Bath Digital Festival is back this month, showcasing the pioneering work of local companies which are having a big influence on the digital scene. Jessica Hope finds out about the innovations and challenges facing the tech world, and discovers why this historic city is being put on the digital map

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he ever-developing digital world has seen colossal challenges in recent years. We’ve become accustomed to headlines about personal data breaches, statesponsored cyber assaults, and online banking fraud. With shocking reports regarding Cambridge Analytica’s involvement in the US presidential election, or how an Uber selfdriving car killed a pedestrian in March, the tech industry is under constant scrutiny.

Whether you love it or loathe it, we are turning to digital at a rapid rate. Social media continues to grow and dominate our lives, with Facebook now worth $541.5 billion, and Twitter $24.6 billion.

There has also been a significant growth in eSports – video game competitions streamed online, such as popular team shooter video game Overwatch which now has its own league of professional teams with players who can expect a salary of at least $50,000.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Here in Bath, the city’s economy may depend heavily on tourism, but there is a thriving digital industry bubbling away under its historic surface. With digital marketing firms, social media specialists, web agencies, innovators 32 TheBATHMagazine

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and inventors finding their feet on the city’s cobbles, we’ve got a lot more to shout about in the tech sector.

Now in its sixth year, the Bath Digital Festival returns from 23–27 October, bringing some of the biggest names in the industry for talks, seminars and workshops that will have attendees thinking outside the box. Fancy having a go at coding? Or how about building your own AI Chat Bot? Do you need some digital marketing advice?

Or want some tips on web design? You can learn from the experts, find out about the pioneering technology being developed, and even try some of it out.

We caught up with some of the speakers for an insight into their work and what’s on offer at this year’s festival.

NATALIE SHERMAN – FOUNDER AND CEO AT NATURALLY SOCIAL After working as a social media manager in local government, Natalie saw how much influence social media can have as a communications tool. “Because social is so

accessible and many of us use it personally there’s often little recognition or understanding for the differences of using it well in business,” she says.

That’s why Natalie founded Naturally Social – an agency that offers social media consultancy, training and management for clients that want to build their businesses, reach more customers and gain a stronger following online. “Social media gives all businesses, no matter what size, a level playing field to market themselves,” she says.

And while some businesses use social media to promote their products and encourage visitors to their websites, the power of platforms such as Instagram and Facebook now mean that some businesses can thrive simply through social. Natalie makes a nod to her clients The Secret Crocheter and Fromie who don’t even have websites, and yet have built a significant following on social media because of engaging online content they’re producing.

However we’re all aware of the dangers that come with social media, especially in areas such as cyber bullying and explicit content.

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FESTIVAL

Yet Natalie is a strong promoter of how it can be used as a force for good. “Social has the power to connect people around the world in an instant and gives voices to people and causes who may not usually be heard; from the #IceBucketChallenge to the #MeToo campaign.”

Natalie will be speaking at The Secrets of Social Media event at the festival on 23 October, where visitors can get tips on how to use social to enhance their business.

ROB MCGOWAN – GROUP STRATEGY DIRECTOR AT EDIT Working for marketing agency Edit, Rob uses data, technology and creativity to help clients build their businesses and customers.

With clients such as Jaguar Land Rover, Vue Cinemas, Shell, and Sainsbury’s, the agency has picked up plenty of accolades over the years including ‘Best SEO agency in Europe’ and an IBM award for its use of AI in humanitarian aid efforts in Tanzania.

At the festival, Rob will be exploring whether artificial intelligence can be used to build connections in society, as well as debating the growing use of AI in our lives.

Using AI in everyday life doesn’t mean robots will be soon taking over the world as depicted in science fiction films. “I think AI will be a part of an ongoing sea-change in how society views the role of technology in general. We need to think in terms of the behavioural change that this technology offers, not the technology itself,” says Rob. The implementation of certain robotic processes and algorithms in some areas has allowed businesses more scope for focusing on creativity, rather than time-consuming data tasks. “I firmly believe that by allowing us to focus on what makes us human and letting the robots focus on the repeatable tasks we have the chance to add significantly more nuance, emotion and feeling to our work,” says Rob. While there are still some who are dubious or fearful of using AI in everyday life, Rob is excited by the idea of using it among society.

“The challenges and opportunities are both pretty immense – I hope that some of these come out in the debate we will have as part of the festival.”

One of Rob’s proudest moments using AI at Edit was using a computer system called IBM Watson, where the team trained the tech to analyse satellite photographs to classify villages, homesteads, roads etc to create a detailed map of a country.

Consequently this has been used by the Red Cross and other aid organisations to significantly speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid to areas of a country that were missing from traditional maps.

Rob will be at Bath Digital Festival on 23 October for AI vs Human Creativity.

MICHELLE BARKER – FRONT-END DEVELOPER AT MUD You might assume that the worlds of an illustrator and someone who builds websites couldn’t be futher apart. But not in the case for Michelle. After studying illustration at university, she began learning how to code so she could build a website to promote her illustration work.

“I found myself working as an event producer for Future of Web Design.

My job involved researching the latest web design and development technologies, so I spent more of my spare time learning web development. I was soon hooked, and my interest in web development even surpassed my interest in design and illustration,” she says.

Now working as a front-end developer at Bath digital agency Mud, she builds websites and digital platforms for clients.

“It’s a really exciting time for web development right now,” says Michelle. For years the tools for building website layouts have been rather restrictive, but the advent of the system CSS Grid means that developers can create bespoke design layouts. “With properties like clip-path and filters, we can now produce Photoshop-like effects right in the browser. I think we’ll witness a new era of web design, which isn’t tied to the old familiar set of responsive design patterns,” she says.

As the digital world develops, there have been debates about whether programming should feature more in schools to engage young people in this subject. “I feel cautious about the idea that coding should be part of the curriculum. In my opinion the best way to get young people into coding is to give them the tools and space to experiment, play and have fun,” says Michelle. “The danger with teaching coding at school is that it could become dry and target-driven, rather than a creative, fun process… I think afterschool clubs and collaborative projects could be a better way to go.”

And while Michelle comes from an artistic background, don’t go thinking you need to be good with a paintbrush to become a programmer. Coding is a much more creative process than you might think. “The possibilities are endless. The Codepen community is a great source of creative inspiration – go to the homepage on any given day and you’ll immediately be greeted by a dozen examples of innovative creative coding, done just for fun.”

Michelle will be at the All Dayer for Web Makers event on 26 October, giving an introduction to new creative possibilities of CSS Grid and CSS variables for the web. n Bath Digital Festival is from 23–27 October at venues around Bath. The full programme is available online. Sign up to your festival pass for £15 and register your interest in events at: bathdigitalfestival.co.uk

Step into the world of VR at the festival

THE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS n LEGO Robot Club presents LEGO Robot Wars 24 October, 6.30–8.30pm and 27 October, 10.30am–12.30pm, location tbc Join fellow LEGO enthusiasts to assemble and program your own fearsome bots. Battle against other teams to see who will be crowned the champion. But beware of the House Bots! All equipment provided. n Beyond Satire: Cartooning as a Force for Good 23 October, 12.30–1.30pm, location tbc Join this workshop to discuss the issue, as well as underlying questions involving the future of advertising as a business model for media publishers. n All Dayer for Web Makers 26 October, 9am–5pm, The Guildhall A full day of practical and inspiring talks exploring a range of best practices and cutting-edge techniques in the web design and development world, with speakers from Google, Big Lottery Fund, Lovehoney, Mud and Kultur Design. All welcome, but particularly aimed at web and UX designers, frontend developers, and product managers. n Decisions and Disruptions: Interactive Cyber Security Workshop 26 October, 11am–1pm, location tbc In this immersive table-top exercise, groups of business professionals will work in teams to manage the cyber security of a fictional organisation, all while competing against each other. n The Drone Experience 27 October, 1–2pm, Royal Victoria Park Learn all about drone technology and see them in action. Ask the experts anything you want to know about the benefits, safety and dangers of drones.

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WHAT’S ON in October Boyzlife at Komedia

Pop-Up Opera’s La Tragedie De Carmen

TWIGS WAY: MARY DELANY AND HER PAPER MOSAICS Monday 1 October, 7.15pm n BRLSI, Queen Square Scandal, politics, botany, art and wit – this lecture has it all. Hosted by The Arts Society Bath, the talk follows the life of the grotto nymph and creator of botanic paper mosaics, Mary Delany. Feted by Erasmus Darwin, acclaimed by Sir Joseph Banks and was a personal friend of Queen Charlotte. After a life of gardening and shell work she embarked, aged 72, on a fabulous flora of paper portrayals of exotic plants. Nonmembers welcome, £8; batheveningarts.co.uk BEL MOONEY: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS AND OUR WORLD Tuesday 2 October 7.30pm n Christ Church, Julian Road What are the Seven Deadly Sins? Are the old categories as valid today? Do other cultures have similar ideas of sin? A talk by Bel Mooney followed by a panel discussion featuring Ernie Rea, Martin Palmer and the Rev Lore Chumbley, priest-in-charge at Christ Church. £10, includes glass of wine, available from: bathboxoffice.org.uk OKTOBERFEST BEER AND FOOD MATCHING NIGHT Wednesday 3 October, 7pm n Bath Brew House, James Street West Get a taste of Oktoberfest with a night of celebration with delicious German food, matching beers, and traditional oompah music, hosted by the Bath Brew House’s brewer Max and sous chef Steve. The five course menu includes hickory smoked sausage, rabbit Wellington and dark chocolate gateaux. £27.50 per person.

Call: 01225 805609 or email: info@thebathbrewhouse.com; thebathbrewhouse.com 36 TheBATHMagazine

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AN ARTIST’S ADVENTURE IN RURAL CHINA CHINESE FOLK MEDICINE Friday 5 October, 7–8pm n BRLSI, Queen Square In this illustrated talk, Caroline FrancesKing will explain how her interest in botanical art took her to China, some of the challenges she faced there, and how she became involved in a medicinal plant garden project in Shaxi, a rural village on the ancient tea horse trade route through Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Tickets: £6/Friends of the Museum of East Asian Art £4; meaa.org.uk EMILY MAE WINTERS Friday 5 October, doors 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls Fast rising star on the UK AltAmericana/country scene, Emily Mae Winters. Described as having a voice that “stops you in your tracks” by Folk Radio UK, Emily combines straight-to-the-heart bittersweetness with drama in her performance. £12; chapelarts.org BATH PHILHARMONIA WITH MELVYN TAN Friday 5 October, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Celebrated international pianist Melvyn Tan, performs Mozart’s dark Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor. Bath Philharmonia performs Mendelssohn’s picture postcard description of his travels to Italy in the early 19th century in Symphony No. 4. £28/£10; wiltshiremusic.org.uk THE HISTORY OF CROSS MANUFACTURING Monday 8 October, 7.30pm n St Mary’s Church Hall, Bathwick Rodney Cross gives a talk on the history of the Bath-based family firm of engineers.

Suggested donation £2; historyofbath.org

Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra at The Forum, Bath

BATH CITYSCAPES WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP Wednesday 10 October, 10.30am–3pm n 44AD Gallery, 4 Abbey Street Develop your favourite view of Bath in watercolours with award-winning Bathbased painter Catherine Beale at 44AD, where she is exhibiting her latest works in a show titled Atmospherics. £80, includes tuition, tea and coffee, and all materials.

Bring your own lunch; catherinebeale.com CLIFFORD & ROSEMARY ELLIS: ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS TALK Wednesday 10 October, 1.10–1.45pm n The Guildhall The manager of Victoria Art Gallery, Jon Benington, will explore the lives and work of artists Clifford and Rosemary Ellis to coincide with the gallery’s current exhibition. Free drop-in session, no need to book; victoriagal.org.uk THE POETRY OF SYLVIA PLATH Wednesday 10 October, 7.30pm n BRLSI, Queen Square Sylvia Plath published only one volume of poetry (The Colossus) in her life, with three more published posthumously. This talk will approach her work chronologically focusing on a selection of poems from the main phases of her life from 1956 when she met Ted Hughes until her death. £4/£2; brlsi.org KING EDWARD’S SCHOOL ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH Wednesday 10 October, 7.30pm n Topping and Company Booksellers, The Paragon The Anthology 2018 is the sixth annual collection of poetry, short stories and artwork from the young writers and artists of King Edward’s School in Bath, with Anna Wilson as the guest editor. £5; toppingbooks.co.uk

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U3A IN BATH OPEN MORNING Thursday 11 October, 10am–12.30pm n The Pavilion, North Parade U3A in Bath is an organisation for retired people who want to try a range of activities including learning languages or history, playing tennis, or going on country walks. Get the chance to see what the organisation has to offer at this open morning. All welcome, free admission. U3A in Bath also holds regular lectures. Admission is free for members, but there’s a donation of £2 for non-members.

On 4 October, the topic of discussion is Corn Law Repeal: Echoes of today? and on 1 November the theme will focus on public transport around Bath; u3ainbath.org.uk ROYAL WOMEN: HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Thursday 11 October, 6.15–7.15pm n Fashion Museum Caroline de Guitaut, senior curator at The Royal Collection, will look back on the life and fashion style of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900-2002). £10/£8, includes a glass of wine; fashionmuseum.co.uk

October Events Beagle 2 – Mars via Kazakhstan 5 October

• 7.30pm

Plight of the Huguenots 8 October

• 7.30pm

Sylvia Plath’s Poetry Room Hire Our premises in the heart of Bath offer four rooms of different sizes. The largest can accommodate up to 100 people.

All rooms are supplied with tea and coffee, laptop and projector, audio equipment and flipcharts, at no extra cost.

Contact roomhire@brlsi.org

10 October

• 7:30pm

Shipping Forecasts 11 October

• 7:30pm

Wealth & the Super Rich 16 October

• 7:30pm

Type 45 Destroyer 16 October

• 7:30pm

Further events listed on our website: www.brlsi.org Tickets sold on the door

AN EVENING WITH LINDA ROBSON Thursday 11 October, 7pm n The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel, Beau Street British actress and Loose Women presenter will be speaking about her life and career, plus there will be a Q&A where you can submit your questions beforehand if you like. £20, includes prosecco and canapés.

All proceeds donated to the British Lung Foundation.

Limited tickets available, call: 01225 355329; thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

TANGOMOTION Friday 12 October, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon A brilliant fusion of classical, tango, jazz and roots. From virtuoso displays of traditional tango dance to the exquisite sounds of 1930s Buenos Aires, the Tango Siempre Quartet are acclaimed as one of the greatest Argentina bands. £20/£10; wiltshiremusic.org.uk SING WITH SASSPARELLA: THE MAGIC OF THE BEATLES Saturday 13 October, 10.30am–3.30pm (workshop), 7.30pm (concert) n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Sassparella returns for a day workshop and magical Beatles evening concert. Spend the day singing with the choir, learning classics from the Fab Four songbook, such as Help!, Here Comes the Sun, Paperback Writer and Hey Jude. Then take part in the evening concert backed by your very own rock band, or simply come to the concert and listen to the fun. £48/£42 for workshop and concert, £15/£10 concert; wiltshiremusic.org.uk WEDDING OPEN DAY Sunday 14 October, 11am–3pm n Grittleton House, Wiltshire Brides and grooms-to-be can explore the privately owned, Grade II listed Grittleton House at this wedding open day. With its beautiful interiors, sweeping double staircase and impressive Italian sunken gardens, this beautiful Victorian mansion could be the perfect setting for an elegant day to remember. Wander through the grounds and speak to the venue’s recommended suppliers who will be displaying their work on the day; grittletonhouse.co.uk Continued page 38

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Tangomotion at Wiltshire Music Centre

From the Jam at Komedia

SAUERKRAUTATHON Sunday 14 October, 10am–4pm n Wells Food Festival, Wells town centre Be part of a Guinness World Record attempt in making the largest ever recorded dish of bacterially fermented sauerkraut. Help chop cabbage into the record books, and learn about gut health from various speakers. Sign up online; sauerkrautathon.com FROM THE JAM Sunday 14 October, doors 7pm n Komedia Following the band’s sold-out show in 2017, original The Jam bassist Bruce Foxton, accompanied by a full band, brings classic British rock anthems to Komedia. Icons of British music history, The Jam saw incredible success in the 1970s and 80s, reaching the UK Top 40 charts with seven albums.

Throughout their 11 years of touring, From the Jam have earned a reputation for the kind of incendiary live performances that sealed the reputation of The Jam all those years ago. 14+. £21; komedia.co.uk FASCINATION, ENVY AND JEALOUSY: LITERATURE AND DRAMA IN PARIS AND LONDON Monday 15 October, 7.30pm n BRLSI, Queen Square Romantic era theatre in London was a deeply national phenomenon, but with many foreign texts, genres and performers. It was in constant competition with the lively Parisian stage. This talk looks at the exchanges, parallels and general antagonism between these two theatrical worlds in two intense phases – the 1780s/1790s and the post-Waterloo years. £4/£2; brlsi.org AN EVENING WITH ROSEMARY SHRAGER Tuesday 16 October, 8pm n Topping and Company Booksellers, The Paragon With her cooking stripes earned in Pierre Koffman’s kitchen at La Tante Claire, her new book, Rosemary Shrager’s Cookery

Course, is aimed at beginners and those who want to become more accomplished in the kitchen. £10; toppingbooks.co.uk

Don José’s Flower Song Together with powerful new passages. £22/£19; bathvenues.co.uk/popupopera

MINERVA’S OWLS AUCTION Wednesday 17 October, 6.30–10.30pm n The Apex Hotel, Bath 62 of the Owls of Bath trail will be sold to raise money for four local charities – Royal United Hospital Cancer Centre, Bath Young Carers Centre, Roman Baths Archway Project and UK Little Owl Project. Work by artists including Inkie, Richard Twose, Brian Grimwood, and Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown will be featured and are tipped to be of particular interest to collectors. Auction tickets: £45, includes a Champagne reception, five-course taster menu and auction catalogue. Bids are expected to start in the region of £2,000; minervasowls.org

CORSHAM STORYTOWN Friday 19 – Sunday 21 October n Corsham town centre A festival to celebrate the town’s tale-telling talent. There will be fun activities and performances for children, including The Library Lion prowling the shelves, writing workshops for adults, author Q&As story slams, an exhibition of book illustrations by war-time artist Eric Ravilious and much more. Mostly free events, no need to book.

See the full programme online: corsham.gov.uk

THE CRAFT4CRAFTERS SHOW Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 October, 10am–5pm n Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet Having run large craft and textiles shows in the south west for more than 18 years, The Craft4Crafters Show has more than 100 of the finest craft suppliers on display, as well as more than 70 workshops and demonstrations. The Mendip Hall will house the beautiful Quilt and Textile Exhibition with over 100 quilt and textile displays, and lots of local quilt groups will be present including Bath Quilters, South West Quilters, and the UK Quilters. The amazing BrisWool Woollen City will also be exhibited. £9/£8, £2 off advance tickets, under 16s free; craft4crafters.co.uk LA TRAGEDIE DE CARMEN Thursday 18 October, doors 7pm n The Assembly Rooms Pop-Up Opera presents La Tragedie De Carmen – a reworking of Bizet’s masterpiece

by Peter Brook including favourites such as Habanera, Escamillo’s Toreador Song and

HIMAL: SIXTH ANNUAL AUTUMN EVENT Friday 19 and Saturday 20 October, 10.30am–4.30pm n Health & Beauty Centre and Bath Chiropody Clinic, Old King Street, Bath Raising funds for The Charitable Foundation for the Education of Nepalese Children, this hugely successful annual autumn event features an array of beautiful fashion and accessories from the Himalayas.

Grab a glass of prosecco and browse the pure cashmere shawls, silk handprinted scarves, pure wool rugs, beautiful embroidered cushions, handbags and many more items; nepalchildrenseducation.org

SHAKESPEARE MASTERCLASS: ACTING WORKSHOP WITH MARK MCGANN Saturday 20 October, 10.30am–4.30pm n Holburne Museum Join two-time Olivier Award nominee Mark McGann for this one-day intensive Shakespeare masterclass. Popular throughout the UK, the workshop offers actors an opportunity to enhance their acting skills.

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Enjoy family portrait sessions at the Holburne

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at Wiltshire Music Centre

Learn how to paint cityscapes at Catherine Beale’s watercolour workshop

£120, includes entry to Gainsborough and the Theatre exhibition; holburne.org THE BOWIE COLLECTIVE Saturday 20 October, 7.30pm n The Forum, Bath Get ready to be wowed as The Bowie Collective premieres its new, visually dazzling stage show featuring 22 Bowie classics. An unmissable multimedia rock ’n’ roll event spanning four decades in the most authentic Bowie show on the planet. £25; bathforum.co.uk FAMILY PORTRAIT SESSIONS Sunday 21 October, 18 November and 2 December, 9.45am–3.15pm n Holburne Museum For beautiful photographs of you and your children, book a 45-minute photo session with Roz Collins Photography on these photography days. An opportunity to capture some natural images in a beautiful location and at no initial cost to you. Roz’s normal session fee is waived for the Portrait Days but booking is essential; rozcollins.co.uk/portrait-days BOYZLIFE Sunday 21 October, doors 7pm n Komedia Two the biggest boybands in history, Boyzone and Westlife, merge forces to bring their biggest chart hits to Bath. During his time in Westlife, Brian McFadden enjoyed 12 UK and Ireland number ones, including a record-breaking seven top spots in a row.

While with Boyzone, Keith Duffy gained six UK number one singles and lots of top 5 singles. The unmissable Boyzlife show has already been performed to more than 20,000 adoring fans since the pair came together in 2016. With two completely sold-out tours, get the chance to hear your favourite hits.

14+. £28.50/£60 VIP; komedia.co.uk STEPHEN JAMES SMITH Sunday 21 October, doors 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls Irish poet and playwright Stephen James

Smith has been central to the rise of the vibrant spoken word scene in Ireland today, and his poetry videos have amassed more than 2.5 million views. With the forthcoming release of his debut book of poetry entitled Fear Not, this performance features in part of his 29 date My Ireland tour with special guest Enda Reilly. £12; chapelarts.org WESTONBIRT CHARITIES FAIR Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 October, 10am–5pm n Westonbirt School More than 120 stallholders will be selling fashion, homeware and other goods that cannot be found on the high street or online to raise funds for Marie Curie and local charities including Home-Start, Longfield Hospice, the Gloucester Royal Intensive Care Unit, Gloucester Wildlife Trust and the Door.

Coffee and light refreshments will be served throughout the day and there will be activities for children. Westonbirt School gardens will be blooming, and there is free parking. Tickets: £8 on the door, £7.50 prebooked online; westonbirtfair.org

MENTORING PLUS CHARITY FASHION SHOW Wednesday 24 October, 6.45pm n Boston Tea Party, Alfred Street A charity fashion show co-hosted by the young people of Mentoring Plus, raising awareness of the significant challenges faced by many of them and the brilliant work of community mentors supporting them. £8/£5, tickets: tinyurl.com/MPFashionShow, includes a drink on arrival; mentoringplus.net

GAINSBOROUGH AND THE THEATRE: NATURALISM AND NATIONALISM Wednesday 24 October, 1–2pm n Holburne Museum Explore Gainsborough’s remarkable portraits of theatrical stars in this engaging talk with

curator Susan Sloman. Discover the hidden patriotic undercurrents in these works and learn about how the naturalism of Gainsborough’s way of painting, and Garrick’s style of acting, differed from what had previously passed for ‘normal’ in artistic and theatrical standards. £7; holburne.org UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN Wednesday 24 October, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon Commemorating the centenary of The Great War, When This Lousy War is Over is a funny, musically rewarding, touching, irreverent and thought-provoking evening for all ages, giving us a window on the world in 1914-18 through the popular music of the time. This inspirational show carries the Ukulele Orchestra’s trademark humour, originality and passion through stomping marches, early jazz, poignant ballads and catchy melodies. £32/£16; wiltshiremusic.org.uk JOOLS HOLLAND AND SPECIAL GUESTS Friday 26 October, 7.30pm n The Forum, Bath Musical master of ceremonies Jools Holland and his acclaimed Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have announced their annual musical excursion on a 35-date tour. Special guests include Marc Almond, Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall. £29.50–£41; bathforum.co.uk THE VINTAGE BAZAAR Saturday 27 October, 9am–3pm n The Cheese and Grain, Frome Explore the beautiful gifts, elegant decorations and fabulous vintage party dresses on offer at this vintage event. With stallholders chosen for their unique stock, sourced from the UK and from French brocantes, this is the perfect place to find handmade presents, antiques, toys, fashion, fabrics and jewellery. £2 admission. Follow on Instragram: @thevintagebazaarevents; thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com Continued page 42

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Bath Bach Choir will perform David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus this month

BATH BACH CHOIR: AFRICAN SANCTUS Saturday 27 October, 7.30pm n Kingswood School Theatre, Lansdown Road While overlooking the Nile in 1969, composer David Fanshawe heard the Islamic call to prayer and wondered how it would sound accompanied by a western choir. Feeling inspired, he created with a mix of recordings from his travels across Africa to make his own setting of the Latin Mass titled African Sanctus (Holy Africa). At this concert, Bath Bach Choir will perform with percussion group BackBeat. £20; bathboxoffice.org.uk BAKA BEYOND Sunday 28 October, 7.30pm n Komedia Baka Beyond are inspired by the Baka. The rhythms of these forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers resonate with musical styles from all over the world. £12.50; komedia.co.uk EAST ASIAN GHOST STORY READING Tuesday 30 October, 2–3.30pm n Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street Part of the museum’s autumn festival and the citywide Museums Week, the whole family can listen to East Asian ghost stories and have some Halloween fun. Free, booking required; meaa.org.uk PADDY ASHDOWN Tuesday 30 October, 8pm n Christ Church, Julian Road Prize-winning historian Paddy Ashdown discusses his revelatory new history of German opposition to Hitler during the Second World War. £7; toppingbooks.co.uk PLANNING AHEAD...

BERKELEY ENSEMBLE Saturday 3 November, 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford on Avon This leading ensemble celebrates ten years with an expansive programme including Schubert’s Octet. £18/free for under 25s; wiltshiremusic.org.uk THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH LECTURE: THE CHAIR – 2,000 YEARS OF SITTING DOWN Monday 5 November, 1.30pm n The Assembly Rooms Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum takes a fascinating look at the humble chair and investigates how an object tasked with such a simple purpose has been reinvented by some of the greatest minds in history. Visitors welcome, £10 on the door, no booking required; bathdfas.com BATH PHILHARMONIA AND NICOLA BENEDETTI Friday 30 November, 7.30pm n The Forum, Bath Head north for the misty glens, islands and highlands of Scotland with violinist Nicola Benedetti at a true St Andrew’s Day celebration. The programme features Mendelssohn’s Overture to The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave), Strauss’ Macbeth, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2, and Maxwell Davies’s An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise. £5–£35; bathphil.co.uk n 42 TheBATHMagazine

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The Masai Girl, Kenya, 1973, photography by David Fanshawe

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U3A in Bath

A positive and creative approach to retirement

You are invited to the

U3A in Bath Open Morning on Thursday 11th October 2018 from 10.00am – 12.30pm in the Pavilion, North Parade, Bath BA2 4EU The U3A in Bath Open Morning is our annual exhibition open to the public.

Come and see what we do and what we have to offer. All are welcome.

Free admission.

About U3A in Bath There are 340,000 of us in England and 1,500 in Bath.

We are in “U3A in Bath” and our members are all retired or working part-time. We take part in a range of activities – from History to Languages, from Tennis to Country Walks.

See the complete list of our 100-plus interest groups on our website www.u3ainbath.org.uk

Our Public Lectures

Public lectures are usually held on the first Thursday in the month (except in August) and start at 10.30 a.m. Doors open at 9.45 a.m. for coffee. Admission is free for members but a donation of £2 for non-members. You can join U3A in Bath at the meeting.

Lectures take place at: The Pavilion, North Parade, Bath BA2 4EU

Lecture Program 4th October 2018

CORN LAW REPEAL: ECHOES OF TODAY?

1st November 2018

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN BATH, THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

6th December 2018

WHENCE FROM? NUMBERS AND CALENDARS (A TALK IN TWO PARTS)

3rd January 2019

RICHELIEU: THE CARDINAL AND HIS “CITY”

The Vintage Bazaar Vintage, antique and handmade fair Saturday Oct 27th at The Cheese and Grain, Frome • 9-3pm

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BATH | HERITAGE

WALKING WITH THE DEAD Bath’s cemeteries provide a chance for visitors to discover stories from the past and to see how rituals surrounding death have changed, as Georgette McCready discovers. Pictures by Matthew Sterling

T

ombstone tourists, or taphophiles to give them their Greek title, will find themselves in their element in Bath – a city rich in fascinating gravestones, unusual cemeteries and much of historic and social interest.

Some people like visiting churchyards and cemeteries because they are tranquil places, silent apart from birdsong. Others enjoy reading the epitaphs which tell so many stories, about love, loss, suffering and of remarkable lives recorded and set down in stone. To study graves is to learn a great deal about the human condition, as well as the changes in how our society views death and its rituals.

A good place to begin an exploration of Bath’s dead community is at an exhibition, Building Memory: the Architecture of Death and Burial in Bath, which runs at the Museum of Bath Architecture on the Paragon, until Sunday 25 November. Here the Bath Preservation Trust’s head historian Dr Amy Frost has curated a tantalising introduction to the city’s historic approach to memorials.

Before you head off to Bath Abbey – which has more memorial plaques than any other church outside London – learn the story behind the 17th-century splendidly ornate tomb of Lady Jane Waller, which shows her lying in repose, her husband William Waller, a general in the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War, watching over her. But if you look at the twin memorial plaques above the effigies you’ll see the right hand one, meant for Sir William, is blank.

After his wife died following the birth of his child, William went on to marry twice more and he was not laid to rest by his first wife, but is buried in Westminster. William is best known in Bath for leading Cromwell’s army in the Battle of Lansdown in 1643.

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LANSDOWN CEMETERY Enter under Henry Goodridge’s splendidly imposing stone archways. The entrance to the left has The Gates of Death engraved over it in suitably Gothic fashion. The cemetery was opened in in 1848. One of its principal occupants is William Beckford himself, who originally arranged to be buried here, but after his death his body was removed to Bath Abbey. His daughter later brought his remains back to Lansdown where he now lies under an enormous tomb on a grassy island, separated from its neighbours by a walled moat.

The ruined chapel at St Mary’s Churchyard in Bathwick The cemetery has been allowed to go back to nature in the older areas, giving birds, deer and rabbits the chance to roam, and rampant blackberry bushes obscure some of the tombs. The cemetery has a very high proportion of professional people, ex-military and clergymen. Among the great and the good you can find the graves of: David Harrel (d.1939), former commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and Under Secretary for Ireland, 1893–1902; Forbes Fraser (d.1924), surgeon and founding father of the Royal United Private Hospital, later renamed in his honour and now the Royal United Hospital, Bath; Mary Pitman (d.1857) wife of Sir Isaac Pitman who developed shorthand, so her grave’s inscription is spelled phonetically, and Henry Goodridge, architect, who designed Beckford’s Tower, Cleveland Bridge with its distinctive temple-like lodges and The Corridor, one of the earliest examples of a shopping arcade.

The Gates of Death inscription on the stone archways of Lansdown Cemetery

Lady Jane Waller’s tomb in Bath Abbey

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Dr Amy Frost has found examples of memorials for events and battles, heavily influenced by classical architecture. But the Victorian period is the most ostentatious time for a grand celebration of death, giving the wealthy a chance to show their social status with large, ornately designed tombs, monuments to their success in the world.

The exhibition highlights the era when Bath’s parish churches could no longer house the growing numbers of graves on their land and the city became a forerunner in the development of cemeteries. These cities of the dead were laid out with driveways, paths, vistas and plantings of trees and shrubs, where an urban population could not only pay their respects to the dead but enjoy a green space away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Dr Frost said: “If you want an overview of how memorial architecture has changed, take a walk through Lansdown Cemetery.

The graves nearest to Beckford’s Tower are the oldest and the most elaborate, but as the decades move on, and you get further away from the tower to the newer graves, you’ll notice the designs getting much simpler.”

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BATH | HERITAGE Lansdown Cemetery is worth a visit for the views alone, looking out over sloping meadows down over the western side of Bath.

ST MARY’S CHURCHYARD AND CEMETERY The current St Mary’s Church, Bathwick, stands at the foot of Bathwick Hill, the original 12th-century church having been demolished for road widening along Bathwick Road in the early 19th century.

At that time a mortuary chapel was built off Henrietta Road, now a picturesque near ruin, standing in a delightful tree-fringed secluded churchyard. Although this was only used as a burial ground for a relatively short time it contains what may be Bath’s oldest coffin, that of a Roman citizen, which was unearthed in the 19th century and placed respectfully by the wall of St Mary’s.

Standing in here in leafy seclusion, it’s a strange sensation to think the constant traffic on Bathwick Street is just a few yards away.

The second, larger St Mary’s Cemetery lies in a beautiful grassy valley reached by footpath from Horseshoe Walk, Widcombe.

In summer this is an idyllic spot to find butterflies and wildflowers. Graves include that of barrister Frederick Edward Weatherly (d.1929), composer of Danny Boy, and Charles Edward Davis (d.1902), the Victorian Bath architect responsible for overseeing the excavation of the Roman Baths, on which so much of the city’s tourist economy now relies. Charles Dickens enthusiasts will also be pleased to find the tomb of Moses Pickwick, one of the Pickwicks of Corsham who lent their name to the author’s novel The Pickwick Papers.

LOCKSBROOK CEMETERY This late 19th century cemetery, opened off Upper Bristol Road, Weston in 1877, is a great example of Bath’s willingness to tolerate different faiths and belief systems.

A large area of the cemetery was dedicated to dissenters, those who do not follow Church of England doctrine. A great athlete lies here, Horace Ford, the 12-times British champion archer, much feted in Victorian times for his skills. The family of the painter Lord Frederic Leighton are also buried here and his name is recorded on the memorial.

The graves of Brenda Goddard and Cicely Batstone in Locksbrook Cemetery

A Victorian family tomb in Lansdown Cemetery

Sadly this is also the resting place of two little Bath girls, murdered by a stranger, John Straffen in 1951. The graves of five-year-old Brenda Goddard and nine-year-old Cicely Batstone are marked by a pair of small stone angels. There is also a grave festooned in the bright red, gold and green ribbons of the Rastafarian faith. These mark the grave of one of the Emperor Haile Selassie’s servants, Blatain Gueth Neroy, who died in 1938, during the years when the Emperor of Ethiopia sought refuge in Newbridge.

BATH ABBEY CEMETERY This magnificent cemetery, on the slopes of Ralph Allen Drive and with views of the abbey, was designed by one of the leaders in the garden cemetery movement, Scotsman John Claudius Loudon, and opened in 1844.

This design movement wanted to give visitors a pleasant park-like environment to explore while at the same time paying their respects to the dead.

You’ll find one of the earliest examples of a war memorial in the cemetery. It’s a Greek Revival style obelisk, unveiled in 1856, bearing the names of all the men with Bath connections who died fighting in the Crimean War. Also buried here is William Cuninghame (d.1900) former bodyguard to Queen Victoria and actor/playwright W. Arnold Ridley, (d.1984) best known for playing Sgt Godfrey in the TV series Dad’s Army. Visitors with a New Zealand connection may also be interested in the grave of Walter Allen Sheppard (d.1915), whose wife, Kate Sheppard, was the leader of the New Zealand women’s suffrage movement and instrumental in obtaining votes for women in 1893, making the country the first to grant female suffrage.

HAYCOMBE CEMETERY This is Bath’s major cemetery in current use.

The cemetery and crematorium on Whiteway Road were opened in 1937. It has a large section dedicated to those who died in the Second World War, including a mass burial

William Beckford’s tomb in Lansdown Cemetery

site for the civilian victims of the Bath Blitz bombing raids of April 1942.

OCCASIONALLY OPEN BURIAL GROUNDS Southcot Burial Ground, a small walled cemetery at the foot of Lyncombe Hill is open regularly for visitors. The next open day will be in April, check the Bath Preservation Trust’s listings for details nearer the time: no1royalcrescent.org.uk/events.

The Jewish Burial Ground, Bradford Road, Combe Down, is hidden away behind a wall.

There are around 40 Jewish memorials here from the second half of the 19th century when there was a synagogue in Kingsmead Street in central Bath. This fascinating burial ground is usually open to visitors during Bath and North East Somerset Council Heritage open days.

WAR GRAVES Whenever you visit a cemetery you’ll see serried ranks of small, simple stones, or sometimes an individual one, always easy to spot, carved as they are from almost white Portland stone. These war graves, such a familiar sight in Bath’s cemeteries and those around the country, are a design classic.

They were created by what was then known as the Imperial War Graves Commission with a view to creating gravestones for those who had died in the First World War, but without distinguishing between rank or religion. Rudyard Kipling was invited to choose the wording used and the architects Edwin Lutyens, Herbert Baker and Reginald Blomfield came up with the simple design.

All the stones are uniform, rendering all men and women equal in death. It is only when the viewer gets closer that they can read the name, age and rank and see a symbol such as a battalion badge or a Star of David. n Building Memory: The Architecture of Death and Burial in Bath is at the Museum of Bath Architecture until 25 November; museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk

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EXHIBITION

THE ART OF THEATRE

A new exhibition at the Holburne Museum showcases portraits of theatrical figures by Thomas Gainsborough, reflecting a time when theatre was taking on a more serious mantle, says Emma Clegg

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portraits among Bath’s well-heeled visitors.

His friendship with David Garrick and James Quin, from a new breed of wealthy leading actors, helped him to make the contacts he needed for securing commissions.

Amina Wright, senior curator at the Holburne, explains Gainsborough’s link with the theatre: “The theatre was a very interesting aspect of Gainsborough’s life, which revolved around the entertainment industry – he himself was an entertainer of sorts. And a lot of his closest friends were musicians and actors. Socially they had a lot in common because they were neither one thing or the other, neither gentry nor landowners, not wealthy. But they were not working class either; they were in between, aspiring to be gentlemen, and working creatively at a higher level than just artisans.”

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In Bath, actors would have a more select, discerning audience than in London and a greater proportion of influential people

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G

oing to the theatre is most often considered a refined, thoughtprovoking cultural experience.

Watching a live theatrical production – whether a dark Shakespearean tragedy or an uplifting Mamma Mia style musical – can be thrilling.

It restores the soul, somehow. But modern day theatre has a distinctive etiquette. We know what time to arrive, where to get refreshments, how to behave, when to applaud. The cast of actors do not have to deal with raucous audience heckling or expect to be pelted with rotten fruit or eggs.

Theatre in the 18th century had none of these sureties. Members of the audience could pay more to sit on the stage, and were able to interfere with the performance. When on stage, it was customary for actors to strike a pose and speak their lines formally.

Once they had finished, actors would cease to pay attention to what was happening on stage. It was quite normal for them to extend one arm and, literally, spring off the stage.

The Gainsborough and the Theatre exhibition at the Holburne Museum hails a time when this stylisation was being questioned. Following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, theatre had grown rapidly. By the 18th century it was moving away from the peripatetic, massentertainment productions that had been the norm. Existing playhouses were enlarged and others were newly commissioned throughout London and the provinces. Regional theatres, such as the ones in Bath, were becoming established and received official patents from the king. Many theatres were only licensed for a season, so when theatres were not open, players came out to the regions, and the tracks from London to the fashionable spa resort of Bath would have been well-worn. Coming to Bath was an opportunity for actors to try out productions and to develop their confidence.

Actors would have a more select, discerning audience in Bath than in London and there would be a greater proportion of influential people in their audience.

Sarah Siddons, for example, used Bath for about six years, from 1777, to build up her reputation. While she later became a wellknown theatre tragedienne, she was then a young actress, and her initial years on the London stage hadn’t brought the success she desired. She had been in competition with established leading ladies who did not welcome a new rival. So she came to the provinces to hone her trade.

Gainsborough arrived in Bath in 1759, and found there a keen clientele for his

The exhibition at the Holburne Museum features 37 pieces, including 15 oil portraits

by Thomas Gainsborough, works on paper such as satires and playbills and theatrical ephemera. The exhibition tells the story of how some of Gainsborough’s most important relationships were with the major figures of the theatre in London and Bath. The portraits include those of actors Sarah Siddons, David Garrick, Samuel Foote and Mary Robinson.

There are also portraits of those with other connections to the theatre, such as James Lacy who owned a share in Drury Lane Theatre; dancer August Vestris; and stage scenery designer Philip James de Loutherbourg. The non-painted exhibits, including a theatre bill for The Merchant of Venice, an etching of Bath’s Orchard Theatre and a souvenir handkerchief for the Shakespeare Jubilee, provide a harmonious context.

Many of the portraits shown were offered as ‘friendship portraits,’ namely gifts. It was also, clearly, a really useful marketing technique – someone admiring a portrait on display in an actor’s home could soon commission one. Actors were also the recognisable celebrities of their day and portraits of them connected with people, so they had considerable power and influence.

‘True, but every goose can...’, Nathaniel Dance, c.1781, © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge “You can tell with Gainsborough when he liked somebody,” says Amina. “These portraits show an intimacy and a strong sense of character.” His theatrical portraits also include added artistic bonuses that would not be offered in his standard commissions, featuring a particular gesture or a particular object in the subject’s hand.

Gainsborough was known at the time for his naturalistic use of paint. While seeing him as a naturalistic painter is more challenging today – used as we are to the looser brushstrokes of John Constable and the more expressive use of paint that followed – it was a clean and significant move away from the highly stylised formal paintings that went before.

John Garrick, a close friend of Gainsborough, applied the same naturalistic style to his acting, controversially challenging the highly affected mannerisms that were used in the theatre at that time.

He was credited with ‘rediscovering’ Shakespeare, and bringing back many of the original lines from his plays that had been dropped. He also brought more honesty, warmth and sympathy to the actor’s performance, understanding the character’s perspective and passions in a way that was revolutionary at the time.

The work of Gainsborough and Garrick identifies a new sensibility with reference to the use of paint and the art of the theatre.

Gainsborough’s portraits, from Mrs Robinson with her Pomeranian dog, to actor John Henderson with his gently instructional pointing finger, are a document of a time of friendship and of cultural change. n Gainsborough and the Theatre, 5 October – 20 January at the Holburne Museum; holburne.org

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Mrs Siddons, Thomas Gainsborough, 1785 Š National Gallery, London

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Woman with a Red Plaid Throw by Iryna Yermolova, represented by Axle Arts

THE ART GUIDE TO BATH With Bath being a creative hub for artists, sculptors and curators, the city’s galleries, museums and artists present what’s on offer this autumn

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e’re exceptionally lucky in Bath to have so many public and independent galleries as well as wonderfully talented working artists and craftspeople. We are, simply, spoilt for choice. We can choose to scrutinise the collection of stumpwork embroidery at the Holburne Museum, or survey their range of 18thcentury portraits from Gainsborough to Zoffany. We can revel in pieces of cloisonné metalwork from the Qing Dynasty in the rarified atmosphere of The Museum of East Asian Art, or visit Beaux Arts gallery and be astounded by the anguished figures of contemporary plaster and mixed media by sculptor Anna Gillespie. We can study

the original artworks of fashion illustrators Carl ‘Eric’ Erickson and René Bouché at Gray MCA, or take a step back in time and get a glimpse of what Bath once looked like with John Nixon’s 18thcentury caricatures of the city’s public baths at Victoria Art Gallery.

We can also visit the galleries of those contemporary artists who combine a studio with a gallery space, such as painter Nick Cudworth or textile artist Carole Waller and ceramicist Gary Wood and talk directly to the artists. We love to celebrate the active arts in our city and this guide is the latest enriching overview of what’s on offer artistically in the city.

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ARTIST | INTERVIEW

A VIBRANT VIEW

Artist Nick Cudworth has been part of Bath’s artistic landscape for over 20 years. Ahead of his exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery, Emma Clegg finds out about the strands that have influenced his brand of painted artistry exhibiting regularly in London with the Nicholas Treadwell gallery, Superhumanism, while also working as a postman, which gave him time to draw. Then, in the ’80s he worked as an artist producing commercial work for advertising. Realist art was much in demand at the time, but the commissions were pressurised, with short turnaround times. “Then I began to do my own sort of work,” Nick explains. “From that point I was gradually pulling away from the advertising world.”

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I am like a hybrid that is outside of the system.

I am actually an outsider.

I like that

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Main image by Derryn Vranch

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“In the late ’80s I wanted to do some big paintings,” says Nick. “I like to have a project to start a new technique. And the technique comes along to make that happen.

You can’t force that in life – it evolves naturally.”

After years in Stroud, Nick and his wife Jenny moved to Bath in 1998. “I had always thought Bath was way out of our league, to be honest. I loved it, I’d always loved it.”

At the time Nick was selling his work Photograph by Peter Stone

raphics student, postman, blues/rock musician, a stint working in a geriatric hospital and years creating artwork for advertising – Bath artist Nick Cudworth has had a colourful working life. The colours remain, but now it’s about oil paint on canvas.

Nick’s style of artistic realism has wide perameters, incorporating portraits, landscapes and still life. He opened his own gallery in Bath in 1999 as an exhibition space and studio and has shown in galleries throughout the world, including London, Milan, Winnipeg and New York.

Nick comes from a working class town in Derby, and his family had strong artistic roots.

“My dad worked as a commercial artist at a local printers,” he explains. “He was always using brushes and paint and he would go to work and conjure up these images of pots of vegetables and fruit and he’d design the lettering around them. It was all done with a brush. That was the way it was then. I always loved that technical side of it. So a massive part of what I do comes from my father.”

Nick studied graphics at Chelsea School of Art in the mid-60s, a heady time and place to be an art student. “I went from Derby to Chelsea, and it was a brilliant move,” says Nick. As a student, he met and became friends with fellow art student and singer/ songwriter Kevin Coyne. “Kevin was a great mentor to me. He was a driving force – it was a wonderful, wild time, and Kevin and I got on because I could play piano and guitar. He was this phenomenally gifted singer, the first real musician that I met. It felt real. He was doing painting and he knew so much about music. And painting and music are so connected.”

With Nick on keyboard and guitar, they formed a blues-rock quartet called Siren – the band, encouraged by John Peel, was contracted to Peel’s Dandelion record company and the group brought out two singles and two albums.

This was a definitive time, but after graduating Nick changed focus, using a scholarship to travel to America where he visited a number of art schools. “That’s when I noticed, going around America, all these realist painters and drawers, pencil drawings. That locked into what I was doing. The subject matter was very in tune with the American realist period of the late ’60s and early ’70s. So I got into highly proficient, technical realist drawing.”

In the early ’70s, after several years working in a geriatric hospital (“I felt it was like paying your dues somehow”), Nick was

Through the Looking Glass, Nick Cudworth

principally in London and describes himself as “a London artist living in Bath,” but the Bath effect was inevitably going to make itself felt. “I wasn’t doing anything to do with Bath for a while. But you are going to get influenced by your environment – it will become part of your vision.”

And so it has turned out. Nick’s work in Bath includes linear graphic statements focusing on subjects from Walcot Steps to Bath Abbey and local landscapes with resonant, velvety statements of sky often puntuated with transformative sheets of light. Nick never wanted to be just another painter painting in Bath, and he absolutely isn’t. One of his techniques is to play with planes and layers, often painting pictures of paintings in an interior where it’s hard to pin down what is a flat surface and what is three-dimensional. He takes liberties, using real places and reinventing them, compiling features from different historial periods in a view of Pulteney Bridge, changing the height of the colonnades around the Roman Baths to give edge to his image of Bath Abbey. It is a reinvention, a repurposing, with a familiar core.

Nick’s forthcoming exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery, from 1 December to 17 February, focuses on a subject that has fascinated him for years – night paintings.

The show includes more than 20 of his Bath night paintings, produced as giclée prints on stretched canvas. “It all started with an idea I had with Walcot Parade,” he explains. “It was a great façade, but it wasn’t enough. So I thought it would be great to do it at night.

I developed that idea using techniques within the oil painting tradition that were quite unique – glazing in such a way that the whole thing becomes really vibrant.”

“My work with oil paints is constantly changing, because skies are involved. The definition of the buildings against the sky sets the pattern for the sky. The windows are put on last with pure, transparent Indian yellows which are really vibrant. The only way you can do that is by glazing, not painting.”

“I didn’t come to art from a fine art background,” says Nick, “and having been involved with it from many different kinds of areas, I am like a hybrid that is outside of the system. I am actually an outsider. I like that.” n Nick Cudworth: Bath Night Paintings 2003–18, Victoria Art Gallery, 1 December – 17 February. victoriagal.org.uk Nick Cudworth Gallery, 5 London Street,

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GRAY M.C.A 5 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP T: 01225 422117 W: graymca.com Gray M.C.A celebrates and promotes the beauty, innovation and style of fashion illustration, artist’s textiles and design. After almost 10 years exhibiting in London, New York and Palm Beach, Gray M.C.A opened its first permanent gallery in Bath in 2018. Specialising in sourcing the rarest and most important examples of textiles designed by the Modern British masters working at the forefront of the art world in post war Europe, Gray M.C.A is recognised as being the international leader in the specialist field of original fashion illustration from the post-war 1940s to the present day.

The team sources works of art from modernist and contemporary painting, and sculpture and design from the mid-20th century to the modern day.

Each work is unique in style. Gray M.C.A’s showcase Drawing on Style and Styled by Design exhibitions have been received in London and New York to great acclaim.

HOLBURNE MUSEUM

Ambrosia by Andy Waite

Great Pulteney Street, Bath T: 01225 388569 W: holburne.org This autumn the Holburne is hosting a celebration of the stars of the Georgian stage captured by Thomas Gainsborough including James Quin, David Garrick and Sarah Siddons as well as musicians, theatre managers and dramatists. The exhibition, Gainsborough and the Theatre, brings together some of Gainsborough’s most intimate and immediate portraits of his many creative friends and celebrity colleagues.

In November the museum is delighted to welcome a visiting masterpiece, David Hockney’s Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy as well as the iconic sculpture by Rodin, The Thinker. As always there are creative art workshops, lectures, concerts and events for all ages to enjoy. Plus the Garden Café’s delicious menu (and fantastic hot chocolate) are the perfect seasonal treat.

AXLE ARTS Leighton Road, Bath T: 01225 461230 W: axlearts.com Axle Arts is a new style of gallery, which exhibits from the comfort and informality of a home. With a constantly changing calendar of exhibitions throughout the year, clients can enjoy viewing artwork by appointment in a relaxed and comfortable setting and with the personal attention of director Bridget Sterling. The gallery also has a strong e-commerce website for clients who prefer purchasing online with the option either to collect or ship worldwide. With more than 60 established and emerging artists to choose from, work is selected for its talent, inquisitiveness and originality. Axle Arts also exhibits collaboratively and currently has work showing at The Royal Crescent Hotel.

In October, Axle Arts will be exhibiting the work of impressionist artist Andy Waite. Inspired by the Romanticists, Waite’s abstracted landscapes have emotionally powerful sub texts which reference the awe and almost religious power of mother nature. Working intuitively from both memory and imagination, his canvases also capture vast, inspirational cloudscapes.

Marie Jean Augustin Vestris by Thomas Gainsborough, c1781-2 © Tate, London, 2017

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Marianne by Maria Rivans

MODERN ARTBUYER T: 01225 839 834 W: modernartbuyer.com Modern ArtBuyer is a Bath-based art gallery and consultancy. Run by gallery director Jessica Lloyd-Smith, the gallery sells contemporary artworks via its website (modernartbuyer.com) as well as through numerous show opportunities throughout the year including large art fairs, pop-up galleries in central Bath and London, and local open house events. In addition, Jessica works closely with interior designers, private buyers, and property developers, as well as art lovers looking for the perfect piece for their home, helping them to source artworks, simplify the art selection process and consolidate existing collections.

Modern ArtBuyer represents around 50 contemporary artists, selected for their quality and fit with the gallery portfolio. These artists include painters, printmakers, digital and paper artists, predominantly either emerging or midcareer, making them an appealing investment.

This autumn, Modern ArtBuyer will be taking an exhibition stand at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, London showing work by a collection of artists including Bath-based Kelly O’Brien and Paul Minott, and recent Bath Spa graduate Hatty Butler.

VICTORIA ART GALLERY Bridge Street, Bath T: 01225 477233 W: victoriagal.org.uk The Victoria Art Gallery is Bath and North East Somerset's most popular art gallery with more than 160,000 visitors heading through its doors every year. Spread over two floors, the council-owned collection covers three centuries of British paintings and sculptures, from Gainsborough to Sickert and The first floor of Peter Blake to Turner.

Victoria Art Gallery Marvel at the display of 1,500 decorative art treasures, including sparkling Bohemian glass and ceramics. Browse the collection of Bath images, look at paintings restored under the Adopt a Picture Scheme or relax with a cup of coffee or tea in the beautiful upstairs rotunda. In the smaller, first floor gallery you can enjoy hundreds of glittering Georgian glasses and many other beautiful items.

THE EDGE

The Andrew Brownsword Gallery is based at the University of Bath’s arts centre, The Edge. The contemporary galleries are influenced by the university’s leading work and often bring together art and research in their presentations. Here, mechanical engineers meet sculptors, architects work with artists to shed new light on the nature of play and artists bring together science, social science and research to create artworks based on scientific complexity. Currently showing is the Visions of Science Art Prize where artists depict scientific phenomena in fascinating ways. All the exhibitions are free of charge and all are welcome. The Edge’s light, airy café also sells hot drinks, homemade cakes and delicious snacks.

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Andrew Brownsword Gallery, The Edge, University of Bath T: 01225 38677 W: edgearts.org

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nick cudworth gallery

Down To The Water’s Edge

OCTOBER EXHIBITION 2 – 31 October An exhibition of paintings and prints by Nick that reflect his interest in a variety of subjects including waterways in and around Bath

5 London Street (top end of Walcot Street), Bath BA1 5BU • tel 01225 445221 / 07968 047639 gallery@nickcudworth.com www.nickcudworth.com

CAROLE WALLER New Collection: ‘Scaffolding’AW18 Ceramics GARY WOOD + Contemporary Jewellery

2018/19 Lecture Series

“The Chair - 2000 Years of Sitting Down”

Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum takes a fascinating look at the humble chair-reinvented by some of the some of the greatest minds in history!

Lecturer: Marc Allum at

Open Wednesday to Sunday and by appointment: 07803 033629

1.30pm on Monday 5th November 2018 in The Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street Bath Visitors welcome £10 at the door (No Booking required)

carolewaller.co.uk wallerandwood.co.uk

www.theartssocietybath.com Celebrating 50 years of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies

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WALLER&WOOD

Items from Carole Waller’s new collection Scaffolding available at Waller&Wood

Abbey Green, Bath W: wallerandwood.co.uk T: 07803 033629 Often inspired by the city, the work by artists Carole Waller and Gary Wood reflects the textures and history of this remarkable place.

Find images of the Roman Baths, Georgian architecture, scaffolding, stone, manhole covers and quotes from Jane Austen reflected in beautiful silk scarves, jackets, shirts and dresses. Find hand-bound books and canvas and leather bags all using Carole’s painted cloth.

Carole’s paintings are unframed wallhangings and she also makes glass panels which encapsulate the paintings transforming them into free-standing panels for indoor or outdoor locations. Gary makes distinctive stoneware and porcelain ceramics including one-off sculpture, wall pieces, bowls for food and drinking vessels.

The gallery invites guest British designers to show original and contemporary jewellery in unusual materials such as lino, recycled plastics, aluminium and perspex.

Carole’s work is found in the V&A and was stocked by Harvey Nichols and Liberty in London for many years before she and Gary decided to open this unique shop in 2015.

During October Waller&Wood will feature Carole’s autumn collection Scaffolding, and a selection of small sculptures inspired by the human form by Gary Wood.

THE ARTS SOCIETY BATH W: theartssocietybath.com Photography by Egle Vasi

THE MUSEUM OF EAST ASIAN ART Bennett Street, Bath T: 01225 464640 W: meaa.org.uk Just a stone’s throw from two of Bath’s iconic attractions, The Circus and The Royal Crescent, is a hidden gem of a museum. The Museum of East Asian Art is the only museum in the UK solely dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of East and Southeast Asian arts and cultures.

Its collections represent more than 7,000 years of artistry and craftsmanship: ceremonial jade objects as luminous today as they were over thousands of years ago sit alongside imperial household items, Ming vases, bronze Buddhas, Chinese blue and white porcelain and many more other artefacts.

The museum’s latest exhibition, on until 12 November, is The Quest for Wellness – where artist Zhang Yanzi explores common frailties and shared humanity, investigating the nature and meaning of wellness in China, its history, and its modern counterpoints from a Chinese perspective.

Works on display include Excess, a silk robe covered in pill capsules which portrays pills as a kind of physical and psychological armour in the modern world; Inhalation, a Chinese painting on analgesic plasters that explores the ability of beautiful objects to provide humans with psychological comfort; and Pure Land, an ink painting of Buddha’s portrait in the ancient Chinese Buddhist mural style that alludes to the concept of well-being from a spiritual angle.

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The Arts Society Bath begins its 2018/19 season of lectures on Monday 1 October, 1.30pm in the Assembly Rooms, Bath. A Passion for Fashion traces the history of dress design and is the first of nine monthly lectures (usually on the first Monday of the month), covering all aspects of the arts including paintings, sculpture, music and architecture from the historical to the post modern. Arts Society lecturers go through a rigorous selection process and are all experts in their chosen fields.

New members are always welcome. There’s lecture details and a membership application form online, or just turn up before the lectures start. Visitors are also welcome, no booking necessary, £10 at the door.

The Breathable, 2016, ink and cinnabar on gauze, on display at The Museum of East Asian Art

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ADAM GALLERY 13 John Street, Bath T: 01225 480406 W: adamgallery.com

Looking through the Camera, self portrait, 1982, by Nick Cudworth

Adam Gallery supports internationally renowned 20thcentury and contemporary artists, as well as well-established and upcoming British artists. The gallery promotes artists who give the medium of painting a new and contemporary perspective. Contemporary artists’ work on display include Dan Parry-Jones, who produces expressive mixed media landscapes and townscapes, taking inspiration from the gritty urban surroundings of the city, as well as the beauty of the south-west coastline.

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London Street, Bath T: 01225 445221 W: nickcudworth.co.uk

GALLERY AND BARROW

For more than 20 years Nick has owned his own gallery and studio at the top of Walcot Street, known by many as the artisan quarter of the city, which has allowed him to build a sound reputation for his oil paintings and limited edition giclee prints. Nick’s work has also been shown in many national and international galleries, and his chosen subjects include portraits, still lifes and landscapes predominantly of Bath and the local area. His painting of film director Ken Loach was purchased by The National Portrait Gallery in London, and several years ago he was asked to design a set of stamps by the Royal Mail which represented aspects of The Commonwealth.

In October Nick will be showing images ranging from prints of originals that were painted from the 1980s onwards, as well as a variety of recent works mainly of Bath and the surrounding areas.

118A Walcot Street, Bath T: 01225 311379 W: galleryandbarrow.com Gallery and Barrow is a contemporary art gallery, based in Bath that sells original art with a special emphasis on innovative processes. The artworks include limited edition screen prints, paintings, sculpture and one-of-a-kind mixedmedia. Established and emerging artists are carefully chosen for their unique talents and their work is showcased at art fairs and exhibitions during the year. The gallery aims to follow changing interior design trends and sources artwork to suit residential and commercial spaces, to bring walls to life. Many of the artists are also available for commissions.

GALLERY NINE 9B Margarets Buildings, Bath T: 01225 319197 W: galleryninebath.com Founded by Sarah Denholm in 2005, whose gallery experience spans 30 years, Gallery Nine specialises in studio ceramics, jewellery, textiles paintings and original artist prints. Pieces are selected for their quality, originality and craftsmanship and the gallery is frequented by collectors, tourists, and local customers alike, many as a port of call when visiting Bath. The gallery curates an exciting exhibition programme three times a year in spring, summer and at Christmas that focuses on unique and affordable original British craft and contemporary works of art.

Nestled between the famous Circus and the Royal Crescent, Gallery Nine can be found in Margaret’s Buildings, a charming Georgian pedestrian street with independent shops and galleries. The gallery supports the future of its artists, established artists and the wideranging potential of emerging and new talents.

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EMMA ROSE 78 Walcot Street W: emmaroseartworks.com Emma will soon be celebrating five years in her gem of a gallery on Walcot Street. Her semi-abstract and figurative paintings and limited-edition giclée prints, as well as cards, are an ever-changing feature in her charming first floor art space.

Using Indian inks and acrylics she produces vibrant and arresting work, the style of which is distinctive, evocative and original. Recently the use of gold/silver/copper leaf has become a wow factor in certain pieces.

Landscapes – sky, sea, nature and memory are the inspirational core, often reflecting her interest in the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi – the process and beauty of ageing which creates irregularity and imperfection.

Emma will welcome you warmly when visiting her gallery, so do pop along to see her award-winning work. She also accepts commissions, which are a mainstay of her work, and is happy to visit you at home and discuss colours, decor, light and ideas.

BATH SOCIETY OF ARTISTS’ MEMBERS EXHIBITION

Somerset Garden by Suzanna Lisle

SOURCE Thursday 18 October – Saturday 3 November 44AD, Abbey Street, Bath W: bsartists.co.uk Founded in 1904, Bath Society of Artists has showcased the work of artists such as Walter Sickert and John Singer Sargent. It is an active society that continues to expand and diversify with award-winning member artists working in a broad range of media and artistic styles. This includes its popular annual members’ exhibition, which this year takes its lead from The Badminton Game, a painting by its current president David Inshaw RWA. Source explores the materials and ideas artists draw upon as inspiration for their work and will exhibit members’ developmental materials along with final works created from these sources. With a curatorial contribution by Katie O’Brien, director of 44AD, an award-winning gallery and artspace located in the heart of the city, Source offers the visitor a fascinating insight into what inspires artists, the artistic process and its varied and contrasting artistic outcomes. Private view on Friday 19 October, 6–9pm. Follow @bathsocietyofartists on Instagram.

BEAUX ARTS 12–13 York Street, Bath T: 01225 464850 W: beauxartsbath.co.uk Founded in 1979, Beaux Arts is the longest established commercial gallery in Bath and is the sister gallery to Beaux Arts in Mayfair. You can find it in a small street adjacent to Bath Abbey in a listed Georgian building, and the gallery specialises in the very best in contemporary painting, sculpture and studio ceramics.

Works by well-known artists of the 20th century such as Dame Elisabeth Frink and Sir Terry Frost rub shoulders with new luminaries like Nathan Ford, Helen Simmonds and Anna Gillespie.

Beaux Arts has a reputation for curating exciting exhibitions. Artists’ work is given plenty of wall-space, and with its high ceilings and numerous rooms and alcoves to explore, the gallery is light, airy and an ideal environment to enjoy beautiful and thought-provoking works of art.

The line-up for autumn features Wiltshire painter Helen Simmonds. Her exquisite still-life paintings are eagerly awaited following two previous completely sold-out exhibitions with Beaux Arts. Christopher Marvell’s naive bronze sculptures also make a welcome return. In addition, and for the first time, the gallery features the brilliant peat-inspired ceramics of Patricia Shone.

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44AD ARTSPACE

Illumination by Catherine Beale

Abbey Street, Bath T: 07753 378325 W: 44ad.net 44AD artspace is a gallery and artist studio specialising in modern contemporary exhibitions and visual arts events. The gallery regularly hosts thought-provoking and colourful exhibitions, and collaborates with local educational organisations such as Bath College, Bath Spa University and the University of Bath to support homegrown talent, as well as local charities including Dorothy House Hospice Care and BRLSI. In October, award-winning Bath-based painter Catherine Beale will be showcasing her bright watercolours in Atmospherics at 44AD, on from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 October. Celebrating the power of modern pigments and dramatic weather over Bath, Catherine has created a series of paintings of some of her favourite views of the city. Also on show are Catherine’s new portraits fresh from the Society of Women Artists exhibition at London’s Mall Galleries.

ART AT THE HEART OF THE RUH Royal United Hospitals Bath, Combe Park, Bath T: 01225 824987 W: artatruh.org Art at the Heart supports the Royal United Hospital Bath with an awardwinning art and design programme that stimulates healing and well-being and creates an uplifting environment for patients, visitors and staff. The initiative reaches on average 200,000 people per year through exhibitions, workshops, performances and design. As well as offering Bath’s largest and most accessible gallery space, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Art at the Heart runs patient-led art workshops on the children’s and older patient wards, and a live music programme.

From 1 October – 17 January, in the hospital’s central gallery, artists and makers from five Bath art trails will be showing their works in Bath Open Studios At The RUH, demonstrating creative variety and expertise from across the city. Paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics and mosaic will be available to view, and with a third of all sales going towards the Art at the Heart programme, this is a great opportunity not only to buy those lastminute Christmas presents but also to support the vital works of Art at the Heart.

Bath Open Studios (BOS) is proud to represent and promote all art and craft makers residing in the city. While fostering a greater The Fisher Kings by awareness of the Sarah Targett Bath Open Studios, Larkhall individual artist and allowing for each trail to retain its particular style, BOS is committed to supporting their practice and to raising the profile of art trails as a recognised outlet for the presentation of art and craft.

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BRLSI 16–18 Queen Square, Bath T: 01225 312084 W: brlsi.org BATH ARTIST PRINTMAKERS – IMPRESSIONS OF WATER Wednesday 10 – Monday 22 October An exhibition in images and words by Bath Artist Printmakers with Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar. Bath Artist Printmakers (BAP) enjoys good relationships and joint ventures with similar artists’ studios in Bath’s twin towns, including Grafisch Atelier Alkmaar (GAA) in the Netherlands. The landscapes of Alkmaar and Bath respectively feature waterways so the theme of water was a natural choice for this joint exhibition in October. Each artist will interpret the theme of Impressions of Water in their own way, choosing from a range of printmaking methods. The display of prints will be enhanced by illustrative quotations, in poetry and prose.

GAA exhibited a collection of BAP prints and hosted three artists in residence during their 40th anniversary events in 2015. BAP now look forward to returning their hospitality in this latest collaboration which is supported by the Bath-Alkmaar Twinning Association. Free entry, all welcome.

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GRANNY SAID SHE WANTED ME TO HAVE THAT. Duncan Campbell HAS BEEN DEALING IN ANTIQUE SILVER SINCE 1986, AND A BBC1 ANTIQUES ROADSHOW REGULAR

Don’t assume she knew what she had

I

t is always good to remember when valuing other people’s “family treasures” that you risk treading on their dreams. Over and again, particularly on Antiques Roadshow days, I hear stories about how the Duke of Suchandsuch gave this (say, 1950s reproduction teapot) to his great-greatgreat grandfather. I have to be so careful with my words in explaining that the long-believed family tale is just plain nonsense.

These awkward situations can become turbo charged when looking at the heirlooms of a deceased estate. I recently walked into seriously deep water on a probate valuation involving just such a wrongful “truth”.

Last week I was called to a house by three siblings – who had always got along famously – to help divide their late grandfather’s estate equally. There wasn’t much in the way of paintings or furniture, but he had been fond of silver and so his collection was spread out on the dining room table when I arrived.

I saw straight away that an equitable split wasn’t going to be an option. There were the usual useful items of domestic silver, candlesticks, salts and peppers, sauce boats etc., but right there in the centre of the table was grandpa’s, clearly well used, ashtray, only it wasn’t. Grandpa had in fact been stubbing his fags out into a gorgeous early 18th century wine taster, made in Bordeaux in 1734, worth about five times the combined value of the rest of the table top.

To make matters worse, one sibling promptly announced that, since he smoked, he would like to have the “ashtray” as a momento. The other two, while I was still gazing incredulously at the wine taster, began selecting their preferred choices.

I quickly reeled off values so as to ensure fair division but left the wine taster until last, foolishly thinking that its big four figure value would be a high quality problem to sort out.

After a deeply unedifying row, with accusations flying and me cringing in the middle, it was eventually resolved that the grandpa’s ashtray should be sold and only the balance of the silver shared out.

If only grandpa had asked me first! n www.beaunashbath.com, 01225 334234

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CHECK YOUR WATER TANK FOR TREASURE! Auctioneers learn to expect the unexpected, even when scrambling around in an Aberdeenshire attic. Whilst assisting a client of long standing at The House of Glennie near Huntly, Lawrences’ valuer Anthony Kilroy was a long way from home as well as a good distance from the house’s ground floor when – stashed alongside a water tank in a dark and cold attic - he found a manuscript map, meticulously coloured and remarkably well preserved on a 25 x 31in (68 x 80cm) sheet of vellum, depicting `North West America and Canada from Hudson's Straights [sic] south through Labrador and Newfoundland to New England and New York`. It dated from 1699 and was signed by John Thornton, a distinguished London `plattmaker` or cartographer. Its curious re-appearance in a Highland attic was explained by the owner’s late father having had trade associations with Canada but Platt is known to have made nearly a dozen maps for the Hudson’s Bay Company between 1680 and 1702 and his work has exceptional scarcity. Thornton had been paid £3 for two maps in 1700 and his survey was vital in enabling the Hudson’s Bay Company to assert its dominion in Canada. Over three hundred years later, Thornton might have been surprised to see his map get snapped up for just over £200,000. It is thought that the substantial proceeds paid to the vendor were banked somewhere more secure than a dark attic but, appropriately, the map had taken the auctioneers on a long journey of research and discovery before its significance was unearthed at auction. Why not have a look alongside your water tank when you are next up in your attic?

Lawrences Auctioneers have 10 specialists and will be holding monthly valuations at The Clifton Club in Bristol and the Holburne Museum in Bath. Contact Andy.sagar@lawrences.co.uk

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

lawrences.co.uk

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF

HOMES, INTERIORS AND GARDENS our guide to the best businesses and services

autumn

/winter 2018 PROMOTED CONTENT

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

FIAT LUX 8 Bath Street, Frome BA11 1DH Tel: 01373 473555 Web: fiatlux.co.uk Let there be light... Fiat Lux opened its Frome showroom in 2003, and since then it has been the go-to place to see a huge range of superb lighting, from traditional fittings and shades to the most up-to-date trends in contemporary lighting designs. For interior lighting projects there are fixtures and fittings, bulbs, coloured cords and cables in every possible combination as well as a full display of exterior lighting ideas. Fiat Lux work with leading manufacturers such as Vita, Original BTC, and many more and are an established favourite with property developers, architects, interior designers and all lighting aficionados, professional and domestic. Whatever your style, mood or interior desire then a trip to Fiat Lux will really light up your ideas.

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN Old Orchard, 88a Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD. Meetings by appointment.

Tel: 01225 426905, Mob: 07855 797311 Web: clairstrong.co.uk Clair Strong Interior Design Ltd is a small, friendly and creative business based in Bath that provides a wide range of services for residential and commercial projects in the UK and abroad. Its portfolio includes projects of all sizes, from smaller-scale jobs, such as staging a property for sale, to complete interior solutions for homes and businesses. Recent projects have included the interior design of an advertising agency's office in a former industrial building in Bristol, the design of an upcoming spinning studio in Bath, and design services for a number of local residential properties and developments. The team enjoys a collaborative approach with clients, working with them to create spaces that meet their needs, improve their home or work life and exceed their expectations.

FIRED EARTH 11 Broad St, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 471212 Web: firedearth.com The Fired Earth story began in 1983 selling Terracotta floor tiles from a farm in Oxfordshire. Demand for other stylish tiles grew and so wall tiles were added alongside stones and slates, followed by beautiful bathrooms and the unique 120 colour paint collection, made with the environment in mind. The aim is always to offer products produced with authenticity, creativity, style and where possible handmade. Fired Earth feel that improving your home should always be exciting and rewarding, but also understand it can seem daunting, which is why they have a dedicated Design Service team. Their Designers have a wealth of knowledge at every step, and will guide you throughout your project, exploring options using award winning technology to help you visualise, plan and tweak the design.

Taking the stress out of finding the perfect interior for you.

TOTAL BATHROOMS Unit 2, Brassmill Lane Trading Estate, Bath BA1 3JF Tel: 01225 462727 Web: totalbathrooms.co.uk Total Bathrooms has been a showroom and supplier of bathrooms, wetrooms and steamrooms since the millennium. Its team of experienced designers can help plan layouts with CAD 3D visualisation software. It has a large showroom with roomsets displaying Matki, Laura Ashley, Laufen, Hansgrohe, Ted Baker tiles, Thomas Crapper and more. Total Bathrooms also offers a unique range of exdisplay and end-of-line products with stock available to take away. It can offer a one-stop shop with tiles, flooring, wall panelling, lighting, and extractor fans to complete the project. Site surveys and an installation service are also available.

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TR HAYES 15-18 London Street, Walcot, Bath BA1 5BX Tel: 01225 465757 Web: www.trhayes.co.uk TR Hayes has been selling furniture in Bath for over 100 years now, and has a reputation for good quality and good service. The large store features many well respected brands, with an amazing array of furniture of all types on display – you can browse Hypnos beds, Parker Knoll Sofas and Ercol dining room ranges amongst others, and never one to rest on its laurels, there is always something a bit different to catch the eye. The trend for velvet upholstery is still very much of the moment, and the Jules sofa on display in the Contemporary Showroom is worth a look. This fabulous collection is available in a range of fabrics, including sumptuous plush velvets in all sorts of colours. Jules chairs and scatter cushions are also available in fabric from Harlequin’s colourful Floreale range.

BONITI

DIMENSION 22

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA Tel: 01225 892200 Web: boniti.com

Tel: 07872 016350 Web: dimension22.co.uk

Run by Giles and Simon Lunt, Boniti is a high-quality interiors (and exteriors) business. The showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring, as well as decorative tiles, stoneware, Kadai firebowls, garden furniture, homeware accessories and the highly desirable Everhot range cookers. Boniti has an impressive client list of property developers and offers a specialist bespoke service that will supply and fit worldwide. For large, small, and all projects, the Boniti team are masters of their profession and it shows in every detail. The showroom is easily reached from junction 18 of the M4.

Dimension 22 is small local business providing construction, design and planning consultancy services in the Bath, Bristol and surrounding areas. Its services are targeted at the domestic housing market, including home owners, property managers and building contractors looking to modernise and extend their property with an extension, loft conversion or refurbishment.

They can design and produce plans ready for a planning application and building regulation submission as well as building contractor use. Dimension 22 is a customer focused business, tailoring its services and accessibility to deliver a flexible hands-on approach for its customers. They are pleased to offer appointments and consultations during evenings and weekends.

KELLY MARIE KITCHEN INTERIORS 8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath BA2 4HJ Tel: 01225 481881 (Mobile: 07796554466) Web: kellymariekitchens.com Kelly Marie has more than 15 years of experience in the kitchen design industry. She has had the pleasure of working on many luxury kitchen projects in the Bath area and now owns her own unique and creative business from an continual list of 'word of mouth' recommendations. Her technical aspects of design with an intrinsic creativity, allow spaces that are functional yet beautiful. With a vast portfolio of luxury German kitchen projects, Kelly works with each client’s particular budget, providing personalised attention throughout the design process. Kelly tells us; “it’s all about the little details” and her approach combines purposeful variations of colour, textures and finishes. Her careful selection of these elements enhance the home with a sense of harmony, all while reflecting the individual style of the client she is working with.

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WOODHOUSE & LAW 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath BA2 4EN Tel: 01225 428072 Web: woodhouseandlaw.co.uk Woodhouse and Law is a well-established full service interior and garden design partnership. From the showroom and studio on Bathwick Hill, the company offers every component necessary in the delivery of a project from concept to completion, ensuring the highest quality throughout. The unique service combines the expertise of in-house interior and garden designers with that of a highly skilled team of local craftsmen and technicians. So, whether your project is residential or commercial, the team at W&L can help with a wide range of services to transform your space.

From making up soft furnishings to a full design service and project coordination, everything is delivered with exceptional attention to detail. To arrange an initial consultation, get in touch or pop in to meet the team.

PAINTWORKS

HOUSE OF RADIATORS

DECORATING AND REFURBISHMENT 1 East Lea Road, Bath BA1 3RP Tel: 01225 466237/07970 541989 Web: paintworksdecorating.co.uk Paintworks is a small painting and decorating business in Bath run

by Dan Pix. Dan has built up a reputation as one of the city’s most conscientious tradespeople with excellent customer service, taking every care while all work is done efficiently and on time and with competitive pricing. As well as domestic and commercial decorating works, Paintworks offers a full maintenance, refurbishment and property management service, co-ordinating work with carpenters, plumbers and electricians. So any project, from a simple kitchen or bathroom refit to full periodproperty renovation, can be completed with the same level of professional care and attention to detail.

Call Dan for a quote.

22 Wellsway, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 2AA Tel: 01225 424199 Web: houseofradiators.co.uk House of Radiators sell traditional and designer radiators that can be off-theshelf sizes/finishes, or bespoke sizes and colours. This popular, family-run business opened its Bear Flat showroom in 2011 and not only sells to Bath areas but throughout the UK and overseas.

Following a recent re-fit there are over 100 radiators on display and due to increasing popularity the traditional cast iron and column radiator range has also expanded. With over 45 years’ experience in the heating and radiator industry they offer a friendly and high level of customer service. This is key in helping customers choose the right radiator for their home that will not only look amazing but will heat their room and do its job. Because they work with 20 of the leading manufacturers and distributors in the radiator industry, there’s always something to suit all budgets and styles.

Locally they offer a free, at home consultation where they’ll measure up and work out the correct heat requirements and size up radiators accordingly.

AVENIDA HOME 27 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BN Tel: 01225 571718 Web: avenidahome.com Avenida Home is part gallery, part showroom. Step through the wrought iron gate and discover the wall-to-wall display of exclusive home accessories including wooden serving trays, unique placemats, designer dinnerware and luxury table linens, wallpapers and fabric. The designs are eclectic, contemporary and quirky – the antithesis of mass-produced homeware. It is a riot of colour, texture and pattern. The team selects bright and beautiful items of unique homeware that will work every day or create an exquisitely set table for special occasions. The home décor pieces make amazing gifts, particularly if you are looking for unique and stylish wedding presents. This is a local family business which offers a very personal service.

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VERVE LIVING 15 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD Tel: 07785 332536 Web: verveliving.uk

SOFA WORKSHOP 21 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DE Tel: 01225 442586 Web: sofaworkshop.com Sofa Workshop has been at the top of Milsom Street in Bath for 20 years and is Bath’s first port of call for anyone in search of a very comfortable sofa. All the sofas are handmade in Britain and are available in the greatest choice of fabrics on the high street, including all the best known design houses.

Visitors can find a wide choice in the spacious showroom with sofa styles ranging from contemporary to traditional.

The experienced team at Sofa Workshop are there to help customers through the process ensuring that they choose the sofa that’s right for them.

Located on London Road in Bath’s artisan quarter, Verve is an interiors store with a difference. This creative hub is all about mixing it up: an ever-changing collection of one-off character pieces sits alongside carefully chosen contemporary accessories – ceramics, lighting, textiles, glassware and more. Verve is also proud to showcase artwork by local artists, from beautiful framed prints to original oils. It offers affordable style at its best and the ranges on offer here are not available anywhere else in Bath. Styling ideas and advice plus regular free events complete Verve’s approach to creativity which is all about sharing. Pop in – a warm welcome awaits and coffee is on the house. Open Weds to Sat, 11am – 5pm or by appointment.

BEN ARGENT KITCHENS Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA Tel: 01225 892270 Web: benargentkitchens.co.uk Creators of bespoke contemporary kitchens that successfully combine functional design with elegant simplicity. Ben has a background as a designer/maker and has extensive experience in the specialist furniture industry. He launched the company in 2007 with a clear understanding of the subtleties and technicalities required to achieve sophisticated and highly individual contemporary kitchens. Their beautiful new showroom is conveniently located near M4 J18 with plenty of free parking. Please contact them to arrange a viewing.

THE BATH FRAMER 6 & 7 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath BA1 6AD Tel: 01225 920210 Web: thebathpictureframer.co.uk The Bath Framer has recently expanded to accommodate a smart new shop space next door to their newly renovated framing studio. This friendly boutique picture framers offers a bespoke framing service with a strong emphasis on interior design. In the shop you will also find stationery from local and international design brands, including hand-printed cards, wrap, tags, journals and notebooks, alongside many more beautiful and useful items for the desk and the home.

Based in the London Road since 2015, the business, owned

by Kelly, has gone from strength to strength, building a client list of local residents and businesses based in Bath, Bristol and beyond.

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AVONVALE CARPETS 37 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Tel: 01225 427057 Web: avonvalecarpets.co.uk The choice of flooring is vital in transforming any room and the range of options can sometimes overwhelm. Luckily Avonvale Carpets is on hand to assist. It has served homeowners and businesses throughout the city of Bath and Wiltshire for 46 years now, providing an excellent choice of flooring, in-depth expertise and perfect fitting. An independent, family-run business, Avonvale Carpets employs its own professionally trained fitters, and deals directly with major manufacturers, offering customers a great selection of quality flooring that’s truly second to none – woollens, naturals, stain resistant, vinyls and tailor made options, too. You will be amazed at the variety on offer in the shop, located just off Kingsmead Square.

CHRISTMAS AT SHANNON 7 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 684458 Web: shannon-uk.com It’s great to see Sue Shannon opening again with a fantastic pop-up shop - albeit briefly, as it is only there until Christmas. As always though, Shannon still has (probably) the best collection of the most coveted Scandinavian designer furniture and lighting outside London, and her new Broad Street store presents the perfect chance to take advantage of some great offers. Explore the impressive lineup of products from acclaimed designers such as Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Henningsen. The shop is also jampacked with furniture, fabrics, lighting and wonderful finds from the likes of Marimekko, Klippan, Moomin and Iittala and is an endless source of interesting and unusual homeware and Christmas gifts at affordable prices.

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DAVIES OF BATH 19A Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AY Tel: 01225 423749 Web: rabart.co.uk Davies of Bath, a family-run business, is a long-established decorating institution. The company has supplied highquality painting and decorating materials to the city of Bath for over 80 years, to both trade and retail customers. The company is the premier stockist of Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint Library, Colourtrend, Zoffany, Mylands, and Earthborn, together with its other trade brands Dulux, Crown, Armstead and Macpherson. Davies of Bath offer a huge variety of decorating materials and specialist problem-solving products, ranging from wood finishes for flooring to French polishing. Customers have a huge choice of products and finishes, and specialist technical advice from the experienced. The store has a designer area offering a range of wallpaper and fabric books. There is a specific focus on colour consultancy and a made-to-measure service. The team can help you get the look you want – book a home consultation or visit the store for inspiration.

COOPERS ELECTRICAL SUPERSTORE 13 – 15 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BN Tel: 01225 311811 Web: coopers-stores.com Coopers is a family-owned business that has been trading since 1948.

Back then, founder Harry Cooper ran a small shop in south London.

His son Paul joined the business in 1973 and now operates from a large showroom right in the centre of Bath.

In that era Coopers sold (and repaired) lots of small appliances as well as TVs, radiograms (remember them?), washing machines and cookers. In the early days no-one even dreamt of owning a dishwasher or tumble drier. Today Coopers specialises in all kitchen appliances, built in and free-standing, top-end luxury as well as basic, catering for every taste... even white goods are now multi-colour. Over the years Coopers has built a strong reputation – great products; fantastic, friendly knowledgeable staff; and highly competitive, fair prices. This is independent retailing at its best; it is values-driven and customer focused, and is a real antidote to the soulless online shopping experience.

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NEPTUNE

PAUL GREEN HI-FI

One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 465301 Web: neptune.com/bath

Unit 8, Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3JN Tel: 01225 316197 / 337955 Web: paulgreenhifi.co.uk

Founded in 1996 by friends John Sims-Hilditch and Giles Redman, Neptune is an interiors retailer recognised for its exacting standards, design-led aesthetic and expert craftsmanship. Perhaps most wellknown for its kitchens, every Neptune piece is designed for a lifetime of use, with its trademark ‘look’ rooted in British heritage. The just opened Bath branch displays a large number of Neptune’s designs, including all four kitchens and a vast array of living and dining collections. Additionally, visitors to the store will also see a bedroom area complete with a beautiful solid oak washstand, as well as a large accessories area. It also features a section dedicated to Neptune Tailored, where customers can get up close to its house-blended paints and the extensive selection of textiles that make up its lovely fabric library. The recently opened Bath showroom completely transformed the old Tramshed into a space that’s open and airy. It’s a refreshing mix of crumbly red brick and oversized, iron-edged glass windows which allow light to flood into the store.

The Green family has served the Bath area with quality audio and visual goods since Ken and Gordon Green opened Green Brothers on Walcot Street in 1946. In 1977, Paul branched out and for more than 40 years has offered an unrivalled service. In these days of cheap internet sales, service has tended to become a thing of the past. But not at Paul Green Hi-Fi. Now based at the Brassmill Enterprise Centre and still a family business, the team offers unbiased advice on the system to suit you. The expert staff can undertake a complete audio and visual equipment installation and there is a full after-sales service including repairs.

Products range from OLED TV and LED TV screens to docking stations, wireless hi-fi and headphones through to high-end stereo and surround-sound separates and speakers. Paul Green Hi-Fi stocks most major brands from Audiolab to Yamaha and everything in between. There is free parking, disabled access and ground-floor viewing and listening facilities, and competitive pricing is a priority. Come and relax in the friendly atmosphere in the knowledge that you will receive quality advice and service.

ELMORE KITCHENS 5 Saracen Street, Bath BA1 5BT Tel: 01225 335600 Web: elmorekitchens.com Elmore Kitchens work with some of the best German and British makers of kitchen furniture, which have been personally chosen because of their high product quality and the level of service offered. Elmore Kitchens firmly believes that getting the design right, however long it takes, is paramount to a successful kitchen installation. Its spacious design studio in Bath (formerly in-toto), has five fantastic displays over two floors that encapsulate the very latest in kitchen design and product innovation. The philosophy of Elmore Kitchens is to make exquisite kitchens affordable.

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INSIDE KNOWLEDGE

THE SALCOMBE TRADING COMPANY 9 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 334281 Web: salcombetrading.co.uk With strong West Country and maritime roots and showcasing Skagerak Denmark, Salcombe Trading combines simple and innovative solutions built on practice and tradition to create a range that encompasses all things wholesome and homely. Offering a distinctive and eclectic mix of high quality furniture along with all you need to eat, drink, cook and enjoy your home and garden.

Scandinavian design can be found in amongst timeless hand crafted pieces from Britain's most skilled craftsman.

MOSS OF BATH 45 St James's Parade, Bath BA1 1UQ Tel: 01225 331441 Web: mossofbath.co.uk Interior design is not just about wallpaper, fabrics and scatter cushions. One of the most prominent pieces of ‘furniture’ in the living room is, quite possibly, your television, and Moss of Bath think it should look absolutely fabulous!

Many televisions today are wall mounted and the dedicated custom installation teams are highly trained and professional, undertaking all aspects of installations with Moss’s ‘signature finish’ ensuring that no ugly cables are visible once the job is completed.

When wall mounting a television is not an option Moss of Bath stock a range of ‘smart’ furniture including bespoke cabinets from Spectral, available in a wide range of colours and finishes.

For an ‘off the peg’ solution to a freestanding or wall mounted television they recommend Vogel's NEXT OP1 television floor stand.

The NEXT OP1 is a modern, free-standing floor stand made from light oak. Its Scandinavian design is characterised by functional simplicity and it stylishly conceals all your cables.

Moss also regularly collaborate with local furniture makers such as Bath Bespoke who can create an individual piece of furniture to suit your taste and space.

The outstanding range of Loewe designer televisions is now available at Moss of Bath. Loewe products are characterised by clean, precise and elegant shapes and the quality of finish is retained throughout the product lifetime. Loewe have already won more than 200 international design awards for their products.

Moss of Bath is one of only 50 independent consumer electronic dealers in the UK who can sell the Loewe brand.

Moss are also really looking forward to the arrival of the latest OLED television from Sony. The AF9 OLED HDR 4K Master Series television includes some intriguing new tech and its minimalist design allows you to bask in the picture without distraction.

So, thank goodness that those bulky, ugly CRT televisions are long gone and that the latest range of televisions are sleek and stylish with a chic aesthetic, becoming more a piece of interior design to enhance the room rather than dominate it. Just make sure that however you decide to install your television you choose the experts from Moss of Bath to do it for you!

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SOFA.COM Unit 5/6 The Corridor, Bath BA1 5AP Tel: 0333 006 3262 Web: sofa.com Forget everything you already know about buying furniture.

Shopping with sofa.com in Bath is a fun, relaxed and welcoming experience with showroom staff that are passionate and knowledgeable about interiors. Head to the showroom in The Corridor, to find your perfect sofa among the range of traditional, contemporary and mid-century styles.

Feel the luxurious selection of 150 fabrics and envisage the completed look of your room with complementing home accessories in a friendly, stress-free environment.

Everyone is welcome – bring the whole family, including the dog, and don’t worry about the children; the entertaining kid’s corner will keep them occupied while you browse and enjoy a barista-style coffee or a glass of prosecco.

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FARROW & BALL 124 – 126 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Tel: 01225 466700 Web: farrow-ball.com Located in a beautiful Grade II listed building of classic Bath stone, the spacious showroom occupies a prominent position in Walcot Street, famed for its Bohemian art and fashion scene. The showroom showcases the entire collection of Farrow & Ball richly pigmented paint colours and artisanal wallpaper designs. Customers can experiment with colour, texture and finish and browse the entire collection of wallpapers alongside Farrow & Ball's edited palette of 132 paint colours in a range of interior and exterior eco-friendly paint finishes. The experienced showroom team are always available to offer complimentary colour advice and decorating schemes. If you’re hoping for a little more guidance, expert Colour Consultants are on hand to help you create your unique look with Farrow & Ball. Considering up to four rooms in an hour, they can also share tailored design advice and suggest a cohesive scheme all from the comfort of your own home.

HOMEFRONT INTERIORS 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Tel: 01225 571711 Web: homefrontinteriors.co.uk Now in its third year, the eclectic Homefront Interiors has continued to grow with an ever-changing selection of homewares, gifts and cards. This little independent store may be small but it has a wide range and regularly updated stock of new and vintage homewares and follows a simple ethos of sustainability.

This could mean recycled materials, fair trade origin, small-scale production or simply showing a little love and care to vintage finds. It is the clever mix of vintage and contemporary alongside an ever-growing selection of handmade pieces from local artists including textiles, ceramics, jewellery, art prints and cards that makes Homefront such a great destination. Perfect for gifts and unique finds for your own home. Homefront is also the Bath stockist for Grand Illusions chalk paints, which are perfect for upcycling furniture.

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY 7–9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS Tel: 01225 312003 Web: bathkitchencompany.co.uk Established in 1987, Bath Kitchen Company is a well regarded, family business based in Bath. With vast experience, it takes great pride in its understanding, close attention to detail and what each client requires; whether individual tastes, home or lifestyle, the team will find a bespoke kitchen that strikes a perfect balance between aesthetic and practical requirements.

Consequently every kitchen is unique, beautifully designed and perfectly functional. Handmade, using premium materials and to the highest standards a beautiful kitchen can be carefully crafted to make the most of available space, existing features and the latest technology. Whether designing for Bath’s oldest private homes or cutting-edge city apartments, the principle is same – Bath Kitchen Company will create a place that enhances the lifestyle.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

STEPHEN GRAVER Elmsgate, Edington Road, Steeple Ashton, BA14 6HP Tel: 01380 871746 Web: stephengraver.com Stephen Graver Ltd. specialise in creating stunning interiors for each of their clients. From bespoke kitchens and beautiful bathrooms to commissioned pieces of handmade furniture, they offer a solution for everything. The design is the starting point and the foundation from which the project grows: taking time and care over every project, ensuring that the functional requirements are met, while always looking for features to make every project personal and unique. Stephen Graver like to think that the end result of what they do is beautiful to look at, completely original and totally designed around your needs. But, unlike other companies, they feel that what separates them and makes them stand out is the journey you go on to reach that end result. Everything is designed and manufactured at the workshop in Steeple Ashton, and whilst their craftsmen work on your kitchen, you can arrange a time to come and see your project taking shape. Stephen Graver Ltd put their heart and soul into providing you with your dream project, delivered to perfection.

COMBE PARK INTERIORS Tel: 01225 425099 / 07971 234777 Web: combeparkinteriors.co.uk Trained as a professional curtain maker and interior designer, Claire has run Combe Park Interiors for over 10 years. Offering a range of services in the interior world, Claire can help to make your house into the home you’ve been looking for. She specialises in offering a fabric consultancy service and by listening to and understanding each client, she uses her knowledge of fabrics and experience to help guide you through dressing that allimportant window or space.

With all items lovingly made by Claire herself, you can be assured of the utmost attention to detail and quality craftmanship and she works with a number of pole and track manufacturers and suppliers to help provide that all-important finish to a project. With her knowledge of colours and fabrics, Combe Park Interiors can really help to provide those essential finishing touches.

CATRIONA ARCHER Tel: 07823 884945

Web: catrionaarcher.com

Catriona Archer provides professional, affordable interior styling that is designed to make the most of your existing items, storage and space. Whether you are downsizing, upsizing or just looking to refresh your space, Catriona brings hands-on practical and creative solutions to help celebrate your personal style and better reflect the way you want to live.

With over 25 years styling experience, an extensive range of skills are offered: From half or full day consultations to springboard you into making the changes yourself through to a more in-depth design approach. Simply contact Catriona to discuss which service works best for you.

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JOHN BOYCE PLASTERWORK Unit 5, Channel View Farm, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6US Tel: 07970 278028 Web: john-boyce.co.uk John Boyce Plasterwork Ltd is a locally based company with over 30 years’ experience in the plastering trade, tackling any size of job from a simple repair to a complete restoration project. The team has a large range of moulds built up over the last three decades and is capable of matching and reproducing any type of plasterwork.

The company also has a large range of stock cornices and ceiling roses to pick from, with something to suit most tastes and budgets. They carry out ceiling surveys and repairs, lime plastering and rendering and bespoke one-off pieces; offering free no-obligation quotes and advice. Visit the website for a small taste of what John Boyce Plasterwork can offer.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

KNEES HOME AND ELECTRICAL Spitfire Retail Park, Trowbridge BA14 0AZ & High Street, Malmesbury SN16 9AA Tel: 01225 754161 Web: knees.co.uk Knees is well worth a visit if you are looking to update your kitchen. They sell the top appliance brands and pride themselves on spending time with their customers to help find the right product for their needs (and in their budget). Knees regularly have great offers as well as a price-match promise so that you can be sure you will receive the best deal available. At their fabulous flagship store in Trowbridge you can see a wide range of appliances. You can also drop by for one of their free regular cooking demonstrations where professionals are on hand to show the latest product features and provide expert advice. Plus buying from a local family business means that it takes customer care seriously. You may not know it but Knees have been local home experts since 1879 and they have just launched a brand new range of beautiful home furniture so don’t forget to check it out when you are in the area.

ROBSON STAIR JOINERY Unit 1, Hillside Industrial Units, Manor Road, Landkey EX32 0JW; Tel: 01271 831002 Web: robsonstairjoinery.co.uk Robson Stair Joinery is owned by Darren Robson, a craftsmen with nearly 30 years experience in the trade.

In this time Darren has created many bespoke solid wood staircases and handrails for straight, curved, or any shape staircase plan. Darren started his trade with a four year apprenticeship with the renowned handrailing company F. J. Lewis in Kilburn, London. During this time Darren spent a great deal of time developing a understanding of the traditional tools and methods needed to create bespoke handrails and staircases. His expertise lends itself to building and renovating traditional staircases using many different types of wood including oak, utile, walnut, poplar, tulip, cherry and red pine. However in recent times Darren has worked on many projects involving contemporary materials such as stainless steel and glass. Whatever shape or form your project requires, Darren is able to find the best solution for your home, making the best use of the space available in order to create a visually stunning staircase to make the statement you desire.

MANDARIN STONE 15–16 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ Tel: 01225 460033 Web: mandarinstone.com Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, Mandarin Stone has gained quite a reputation for its on-trend and beautifully designed porcelains. Ranging from those that cleverly mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned tiles, the collection has endless surface design possibilities. Established for over 25 years and with 10 inspirational UK showrooms, its offers dependability for specialist knowledge as well as technical expertise. Almost the entire natural stone and porcelain collection is held in stock in the UK, so lead times are short.

PANORAMIC WINDOWS 2 Richmond Road, Bristol, BS16 9HB Tel: 0117 956 321 Web: panoramicwindows.co.uk Steve Evans, owner of Panoramic Ltd, one of Bristol’s longest established window installation companies believes that when you’re making a significant investment in your home, you’ll want to touch the product before you buy. With over 40 window styles, 20 door styles and five complete conservatories and Sky Rooms to explore, and a full suite of furniture options on show, customers can compare bespoke PVCu solutions with industry-leading finishes directly with ranges in aluminium, steel, composite and solid timber to achieve the perfect balance between design, style and efficiency. Panoramic consultants have almost 100 years of experience between them and consultants, fitters and remedial teams all have expert knowledge of every window and door on display. So if you are planning to change your windows or doors any time soon, or perhaps you desire a new internal screen or a luxurious Sky Room, then a visit to Panoramic is a must; it might be the best home improvement decision you make this year.

Award-winning “Ultimate Rose” arched sliding sash windows in timber alternative, perfect for use in conservation areas.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

ARCHITECT YOUR HOME Tel: 0800 849 8505 Web: architect-yourhome.com Architect Your Home’s service kicks off with an initial design consultation – this is where your project starts. The consultation will include an in-depth discussion to fully establish your requirements and aspirations. You will also be provided with sketch drawings of a properly considered and collaborative design proposal. The practical implications of your design will be explained in detail and you will be equipped with the necessary tools so that you can move your project forward confidently to the next stage. You will also receive advice on issues with planning permission, listed building consents and structures. At the end of the session you will have an agreed proposal and recommendations on the next steps and on how to move the project forward.

ITALIAN KITCHEN STUDIO 20a Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucester, GL8 8AQ Tel: 01666 239301 Web: cocteau.co.uk

FRAMING WORKSHOP 80 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 Web: theframingworkshop.com In 28 years of trading on Walcot Street, The Framing Workshop has framed many weird, wonderful, beautiful and fascinating objects and collections, all of which have their own story to tell. What do you have tucked away that you could have framed and displayed to tell it’s own story?

Paper, canvas, fabric, objects, memorabilia, – go and be inspired!

Find The Italian Kitchen Studio, Tetbury, in the heart of the Cotswolds, featuring Torchetti luxury kitchens from southern Italy. It’s a family-run company with over 100 years of quality and design. You can visit the showroom to see the quality of the manufacturing as well as ranges offering kitchens from the very modern, with porcelain doors in marble effect, to traditional hand-painted solid wood fronts. Italian kitchens are manufactured with many design features that add to the typical Italian flair and originality associated with good design. They try hard, as a company, to fulfil the dreams of those wanting not only to have an aesthetically designed kitchen but one with the personal touch. They understand a new kitchen is a big investment in one’s home and appreciate this with economically attractive designs. They can supply granite and quartz worktops shaped to any specification and marble for bathrooms. They also design and install bathrooms of any shape or size and can also include Torchetti bathroom cabinets.

INTERIORS.FAMILY Devonshire Buildings, Bath BA2 4SU Tel: 01225 445710 Web: interiors.family interiors.family specialises in helping families create contemporary, stylish homes which not only look great but also work for everyday family life. interiors.family is passionate about what it does and treats every project as if it’s their own home, whether that’s an entire home renovation or a single room revamp. Each project large or small is carefully planned with meticulous attention to detail to maximise the potential of your home. It develops every design with imagination and creativity whilst focussing on quality and practicality to create a unique design tailored to your family’s individual tastes. The aim is to deliver beautifully finished yet practical interiors which improve the way we use our homes and make a positive impact on family life. interiors.family offers a flexible personally tailored range of design services for any size of project.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

PIETRA WOOD AND STONE The Old Filling Station, 400 Ham Green, Holt BA14 6PX Tel: 01225 783527/782408 Web: pietrawoodandstone.com Experts in both supply and installation, Pietra has over 25 years of experience in providing surfacing solutions to retail and professional clients. Their knowledgeable and helpful staff can help advise you on the best option for your home, as well as expert estimates using architect's drawings and site measuring. Their strength is that they offer the full range of wood, stone or porcelain flooring options which saves time and money and allows them to specialise in new build and refurbishment projects. With strategic partnerships with quarries and factories across Europe and the UK, Pietra ensures quality materials and competitive pricing.

GARDEN AFFAIRS Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT Tel: 01225 774566 Web: gardenaffairs.co.uk Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure high quality garden buildings. The extensive display of top-notch garden offices, posh sheds, summerhouses and gazebos can all be made to the size and style you require – flexibility is what it’s all about.

Take a look at their range of garden rooms which feature a contemporary concept that solves the problem of space constraints, especially in city gardens. The Linea range of modern Scandi style cabins are perfect for all uses, and comply with most planning guidelines, and look great too. Garden Affairs offers a fixed price installation service throughout the UK, or choose a DIY kit delivered to your door.

ETONS OF BATH 108 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Tel: 01225 639002 Web: etonsofbath.com Etons of Bath are the UK’s only specialist interior design practice focused on refurbishing, renovating and reinvigorating Georgian & Regency homes and hotels. Their team of 12 interior designers, planners and project managers can help you plan, design and deliver classically inspired interiors. Their showroom and studio are packed with ideas, inspiration, know-how and experience. They cover projects of all shapes and sizes from large country homes to Bath townhouses, boutique hotels to bijou boltholes combining creative flair with solid experience together with a passionate and friendly team.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BATH GUIDE 2018

ORIENTAL RUGS OF BATH Bookbarn International, Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol, BS39 6EX Tel: 01761 451764 Web: orientalrugsofbath.com Rugs and textiles brought to the heart of the West Country. Show off the soul of your home through one of Oriental Rugs’s incredible pieces. They selectively source their rugs from all over the Middle and Far East: Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. All rugs are handmade from entirely natural fibres and use mostly vegetable dyes, following centuries-old traditions and designs.

You can discover more through the website but for a more hands-on approach, visit the shop nestled in the countryside between Bath and Bristol and explore a huge selection of colours and sizes to suit everyone as well as furniture and furnishing fabrics.

SCHMIDT KITCHENS

GARDINER HASKINS

1 Park Road, Bath BA1 3EE Tel: 01225 337276 Web: schmidt-kitchens.com

Broad Plain, Bristol BS2 0JP Tel: 0117 929 2288 Web: gardinerhaskins.co.uk

Schmidt Kitchens is one of Europe’s leading brands and is rapidly expanding in the UK. It offers luxurios kitchens at affordable prices. Headed up locally by Leroy McKenzie and Peter Brunsdon (Interior Harmony), together they have a combined knowledge and experience in the Kitchen Industry of over 50 years. Schmidt offers a wide range of colours and finishes with units that look good in both kitchens and living spaces, which suits the current trend for blending the two into one functional environment.

Customisation is key to the Schmidt design philosophy, focussing on dimensions, aesthetics and function. Schmidt reports that the company is also seeing a demand for stylish, elegant designs which converge with technology that is revolutionising the way our kitchens integrate with our busy lives.

One of Bristol’s most established businesses, and its largest independent homecentre, Gardiner Haskins has everything you need to make your home your own – all under one roof. Whether your place is undergoing a revamp or you’re starting from scratch, Gardiner Haskins has all the elements to turn your unique vision into a reality for less. From big-brand appliances to classic, contemporary furniture, you can overhaul entire rooms at their fitted kitchens and bathroom departments or enhance your home using their range of DIY and decorating essentials.

The luxury home furnishings department, with designer brands and made-to-measure curtain service, will add all the style and the finishing touches to turning a house into a beautiful home. Well worth the visit.

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THE BATH MAGAZINE – to advertise tel: 01225 424499 email: sales@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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CITY | LIFE

TEN OF THE BEST

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After graduating in 2004, Finn went to Brighton Film School and then worked in post-production for a number of years.

“During that time I also kept creating my own work,” says Finn. “I joined a London gallery and we exhibited together. I then trained my focus back to illustration, winning the Folio and House of illustration book prize in 2013 for my illustrations for Brave New World, which was also shortlisted in the V&A Illustration Awards.

VisitBath gave Finn the list of famous Bath residents when they commissioned him to do the illustrations. “They wanted the characterisations to be quite simple,” Finn says, “using my style to show the famous figures in a fun and engaging way and bring the city’s history to life.”

“It was fun researching some of the lesserknown but somehow more intriguing stories, such as the one about Beau Nash whose wife went and lived in a tree after his death.”

Being a freelance illustrator requires a certain amount of focus, says Finn. “I think you need to be very single-minded in your pursuit of illustration, and that you have to make sacrifices in relation to time and

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friends. I used to work long into the night on projects but I’m better these days at keeping to a regular time and I try not to beat myself up about the work as much. I think you can be too critical. I’ve also learnt to feel less attached to the work, to be more malleable, less precious.”

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I am developing a handdrawn, more children’s-book style of illustration, which has been freeing as it means I can be more playful with my illustrations Finn works in a log cabin at the end of his garden: “It gets a bit cold in the winter but it’s nice to have as a quiet place to think, relax and work. I often listen to podcasts as I work or put on some Phillip Glass, burn some incense and get into a focused state where I get absorbed into the work.” n Visit the Remarkable Bath landing page on VisitBath.co.uk

Map by Finn Dean showing mystical and magic locations for VisitBritain

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They wanted the characterisations to be quite simple, using my style to show the famous figures in a fun and engaging way

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A

new set of faces has hit the city of Bath. Their names are familiar, but they appear in a new guise – revived, reinvented and rebranded. It’s the brainchild of VisitBath, which has commissioned a set of illustrations of figures associated with the historic city to support the launch of its Remarkable Bath marketing campaign.

The specially created artworks depict ten of the characters that have helped shape the city, designed by illustrator Finn Dean. The cast of images – including Jane Austen, Ralph Allen, King Bladud, Beau Nash and William and Caroline Herschel – re-imagine the heritage and history of Bath in a contemporary, colourful and playful way and aim to capture the imagination of new national and international audiences. The images will appear through social media and on the VisitBath website.

Finn Dean draws digitally on a Wacom Cintiq, which is a tablet-like desktop monitor, using Photoshop, and also uses Illustrator and scans in painted elements. He uses two main styles: “My longer established style I spent over a decade working on, atmospheric landscapes and cityscapes with a 20th-century aesthetic,” says Finn. “For example, a Hopper-inspired street scene in Cuba or a vintage travel-poster style featuring a West End theatre. Now I am developing a hand-drawn, more children’sbook style of illustration, which has been a freeing direction to take as it means I can be more playful with my illustrations, and create warm and characterful work.”

Finn studied graphic design, specialising in illustration, at Bath Spa University, graduating in 2004. “When I first visited

Bath, I was taken by how scenic the city is and it just felt just right, so I was really excited to get into uni there. It is a great place to study as it’s a good-sized, compact city and so not too overwhelming for a wideeyed student!”

While at univeristy Finn won gold in the student category at the SAA illustration awards. “I have fond memories of my time living and studying in the city. I had a couple of fantastic tutors that gave me the support I needed at the time, and who I haven’t forgotten: Tim Vyner (who is still there) and Mike McInnerney (who illustrated The Who’s Tommy album, and worked for other ’60s icons).”

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Illustrator Finn Dean in his studio

Bath is known for its ancient history. But how can we encourage new visitors to come and see the buildings and landmarks that tell its story? VisitBath’s latest idea is to breath new life into some familiar faces

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CITY | LIFE

IMAGES clockwise, from top left: The Goddess Sulis Minerva who was worshipped by the Romano British at the thermal spring of Bath; 18th-century dandy Beau Nash, master of ceremonies in Bath; King Bladud, the legendary king of the Britons who was supposed to have founded Bath; Astronomy pioneers William and Caroline Hershel; Novelist Jane Austen who lived in Bath from 1801–1806; King Edgar who was crowned in Bath Abbey in 973; Entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph Allen who reformed the postal service; John Wood the Younger, who designed The Royal Crescent, the Assembly Rooms and Gay Street, and John Wood the Elder who designed The Circus, Queen Square and Prior Park

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BATH @ WORK

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

Josh Pine

Window cleaner

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n this day and age, with all the distractions, challenges and negatives that can surround us, we can spend too much time worrying about how people view us and where we are heading. We forget to stop, look out and enjoy the view.

I’d initially enjoyed working in a library. Along with the usual book-related tasks, I was heavily involved in IT training for ‘Silver Surfers’, storytime sessions and craft projects across many South Gloucestershire libraries. It allowed me to be creative, mix with different people and learn a lot of skills. It wasn’t, however, a role I’d ever before imagined myself in, so when an opportunity arose to work in a gym environment I took it with enthusiasm.

While initially I had to work in reception and sales in the leisure centre, the promise of further training was there. I’ve always loved sports and was planning to go down either the strength and conditioning route or the personal training one.

After a couple of months, I completed my fitness assistant and aqua aerobics certificates, which opened up much more engaging work. I really liked my colleagues, but I found I wasn’t enjoying the environment.

When my aunt passed away suddenly one Monday evening in July 2012, I resigned from my job the next day. I felt life was too important and too fragile to waste time being uninterested or generally dissatisfied. This allowed me to pursue things I’d once been passionate about but hadn’t been free to do so before. I started travelling, learning other languages and experiencing different cultures.

Listening to great bands in underground Manhattan bars, leaning against a broken-down 4x4 right next to lions in Uganda, taking in the fresh Icelandic air, and chilling with red wine in the Tuscan countryside are some of the many experiences I had.

When I came back to reality and the UK I did several temp jobs, none of which promised to lead anywhere promising. So when one day in 2014 a friend gave me the opportunity to start cleaning windows in Bath, after an initial hesitation I took the plunge, and I haven’t looked back since.

The city’s rich history affects our present. It certainly makes window cleaning in Bath interesting as it offers a great variety of work. It also provides the opportunity to meet a mix of people with different backgrounds and interests. I thrive on this. In fact, my wife and I have been learning Mandarin Chinese, which has given us some really funny and enjoyable experiences, and the chance to meet even more incredible people.

My job also means I can be really nerdy, using the latest equipment or practising new techniques. I strive to do as professional a job as possible, yet the work lets me enjoy life as well. I have fantastic customers and I meet amazing people daily, often sharing coffee with them and having fascinating conversations. At the same time I feel satisfaction in working hard and trying to provide the best service I can. This makes my job a lot more fun.

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

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

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TRAVEL

LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD Dreaming of paradise? Then head to New Zealand where elemental nature plays a starring role. From panoramic lake views and marine-life trails to bush walking and natural thermal springs, base yourself at any one of these five lodges

T

here are few places in the world that can be deemed to be a paradise to all who visit, but New Zealand is a top contender.

The enormous national parks, for example, which are perfect for hiking trails and scenic walks in summer, turn into a skier’s playground in winter. Then there are the wine regions stretching from north to south on both the North and South Islands and the extensive wildlife that can be found with such variation in almost every region.

This country really does offer something for everyone.

You can also find superb accommodation that matches your surroundings. Tucked away in magnificent, scenic locations all over New Zealand lie a selection of luxury lodges offering unique experiences and outstanding Kiwi hospitality. Here are five of the best.

SOLITAIRE LODGE, LAKE TARAWERA Located just outside beautiful Rotorua, Lake Tarawera is the largest of the lakes that surround the volcano Mount Tarawera and

THIS PAGE: Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses, Kaikoura

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one of the largest in all New Zealand.

Known for its great hiking trails and geothermal springs at both the northern and southern shores, it is the perfect place to stay for those looking for something a little bit different to the usual tourist haunts.

Solitaire Lodge is blessed with a spectacular location on the shores of the lake and provides panoramic views from the floorto-ceiling windows. In addition to the jaw-dropping views, you can enjoy renowned fine dining where gourmet food is served using the finest home-grown ingredients, accompanied by delicious wines selected from local vineyards.

You can explore the tranquil waters by kayak, or seek out secluded hot water beaches and the natural thermal hot springs.

BAY OF MANY COVES, MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS Taking up 150km of New Zealand’s coastline, Marlborough Sounds is a collection of sunken river valleys located at the northern end of New Zealand’s South Island.

The area is renowned for its breathtaking scenery, amazing walks and some of the country’s best wines.

Just a 30-minute water taxi from Picton – an incredible sight-seeing experience in its own right – lies the beautiful Bay of Many Coves. This exclusive retreat lies at the western end of the Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand’s finest wine-growing country.

There is a host of outdoor activities in the area ranging from bush walking to kayaking and fishing. In the evening take a short walk to see glow-worms in their natural habitat or simply relax and enjoy the spectacular views of this unspoilt natural environment.

HAPUKU LODGE & TREE HOUSES, KAIKOURA Just three hours north of Christchurch, you’ll find the picturesque town of Kaikoura.

Well-known internationally for its whale watching, this is a haven of marine life. The area also offers uplifting coastal walks, and the chance to tuck into fresh local crayfish.

The beautiful Hapuku Lodge & Tree

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TRAVEL

Houses is a luxurious retreat boasting stunning contemporary accommodation created entirely from natural products. At the heart of the lodge experience is a passion for good food and wine, with home-grown and locally sourced produce as well as an extensive, exclusively from New Zealand wine list. The one-of-a-kind accommodation offers true Kiwi hospitality for the discerning traveller.

THE SANCTUARY @ BAY OF ISLANDS If you are looking for pristine beaches and water activities, then Bay of Islands will deliver. Explore the 144 islands by sea, taking to kayaks or using the passenger ferry between the larger towns.

Alternatively, enjoy the beautiful seaside walks and revel in the beauty of the region.

Overlooking the Veronica Channel running between Paihia and Russell, and set in a private, native bush reserve, The Sanctuary @ Bay of Islands is a beautiful luxury lodge. Dining at the lodge offers delicious contemporary cuisine using the freshest local produce paired with superb New Zealand wines. To work all that off, you can walk through the rainforest, take a boat trip, go dolphin watching or simply explore pretty Paihia and Russell.

LAKESTONE LODGE, LAKE PUKAKI Lake Pukaki is known as the most beautiful in New Zealand because of its vibrant blue. The largest of the three alpine lakes in the central South Island region, it is fed by glacier water, which endows it with its outstanding colour. Surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Southern Alps, including the famous Mount Cook, standing on the shores of the lake is a sublime experience.

Poised on a hillside overlooking the shimmering waters of the lake, you’ll find Lakestone Lodge, a property with just six rooms, boasting understated luxury and breath-taking views of the snow-tipped Mount Cook. Stroll through the beautiful gardens, planted with over 1,000 native trees and shrubs, spot the resident birdlife or enjoy a bike ride alongside the crystal clear lake. n

The Vancouver skyline; inset, Hotel de Glace in Quebec

RIGHT: top to bottom, Lakestone Lodge, Lake Pukaki; Solitaire Lodge, Lake Tarawera; Bay of Many Coves, Marlborough Sounds; and The Sanctuary @ Bay of Islands

These top spots and tips were compiled with the help of the team of travel experts at Trailfinders. The travel centre is at 5 Union Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 724 000; trailfinders.com THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

BURGERS OR BOURGUIGNON? We all know that students live on burgers, kebabs, take-outs and baked beans when not in the student bar, right?

Think again, as Melissa Blease questions some students who seriously challenge the stereotype

“

I

’m a big fan of Japanese food; I love the different flavours and textures of each dish, and I like watching the Itamae at work – sushi making is a craft I can really appreciate.”

“The shops in my neighbourhood sell loads of interesting produce like dragonfruit and plantain, which is great when you’re looking for new recipe inspiration.”

“Valentino’s Bellissimo in Twickenham do an amazing ravioli via condotti – it’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten.”

Reading thus far, you’d be forgiven for thinking that these are all random quotes taken from an interview with one of Bath’s best chefs, or a seasoned food writer, or the latest food-based social media influencer. But in fact, this is 20-year-old Matthew Locker – a sport management student who was born and raised in Bath – talking to us about life in the day-to-day student kitchen. Contrary to popular belief and multiple, weary urban myths, Matt – like many thousands of young people in his situation (time- and cash-poor, living away from home, etc) most definitely does not take the pizza delivery/Pot Noodle/late-night kebab route to satiation when it comes to pondering what to eat on any given day of his student year.

According to a survey conducted late last year by the National Union of Students (NUS), students spend an average of just

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£24.32 per week (£3.47 per day) on food to eat at home – so not a penny of it can be allowed to go to waste. “Most students I know learnt to cook a few dishes pretty quickly when starting at university because the novelty of eating fast food every day wears off pretty fast,” says Matt, who shares a house with a group of fellow students.

“But a good pasta dish is so quick and easy to throw together when you’re between lectures and can be customised to make a meal out of whatever is lurking in the back of the cupboard, so there’s very little waste.”

So, has pasta taken over where baked beans on toast left off? Nope – we’re only at the start of the modern student food story.

“Like many of our friends, we regularly cook for and with each other in our house,” says Matt. “A big favourite is a family recipe I have for chorizo bean stew – it can be made during the day and left to cook for a few hours, so we finally get some use out of the slow cookers we were all gifted with at the start of university. We make lots of curries, and the occasional Sunday lunch when we have the time.

“We recently invested in a barbecue for the garden, which has been good fun – it’s also great when we have friends over and want to eat and drink before a night out without wrecking the house. But even when we’re not cooking for one another we like to all make food at the same time and eat together – it’s

Matthew Locker

much more sociable than sitting in your room alone, and helps us all maintain pretty good friendships with one another... even if we do all still fight over who has control of the TV remote!”

Those of us who can still remember 1980s Britcom The Young Ones will be thinking at this point that this is a very different scenario to the kind of hilariously bad ‘student life snapshot’ that we expect to encounter. The really funny thing is, though, that The Young Ones generation turned into the middle-aged ones who taught young people like Matt

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FOOD | AND | DRINK

❝

Being able to cook has helped me build relationships with my flatmates as well as helping me impress a girlfriend or two

STUDENTS IN BATH: HOW AND WHERE THE COOL KIDS EAT

how to avoid turning into a Rick, a Neil or a Vyvyan.

“I was encouraged to ‘help’ in the kitchen as soon as I was able to walk and talk, but I really started cooking regularly at around the start of secondary school when my parents divorced and it became a way of connecting with my family as well as a necessity when my parents were out at work,” Matt recalls.

“My dad Nigel has always loved cooking, and often, cooking for my sister and I was the only time he had free in the evening between trying to launch and run his own company and taking us to our various clubs and sports commitments. It was a really good way to connect with dad when he was so busy, and I loved learning about new dishes each week.

“For my sister and I, our love of cooking evolved from those days; we’ve inherited the same passion for cooking that dad has – and it comes as no surprise to us that his partner used to be a chef! But those early experiences with food impacted me massively; I feel very independent and able to look after myself, and being able to cook has helped me build

n “We get all our fresh veg from the Community Farm shop at Green Park Station market, and big meat deals from Tunley Farm Butchers, just next door – both work out much, much cheaper than shopping for the same kind of thing at the supermarket, and it’s much nicer quality produce too.”

Adrian, 21-year-old social sciences student, University of Bath

❝

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n “I absolutely love The Peking on Kingsmead Square. I always eat in rather than getting a takeaway as it’s really good value for money for really good, fresh food – and we don’t have to do any dishes!”

Georgie, 21-year-old conservation biology student, Bath Spa University

n “I don’t really like takeaways or fast food from the big high street chains, but I love freshly cooked grab’n’go grub from

relationships with my flatmates as well as helping me impress a girlfriend or two...”

Not all of Matt’s friends had the same experiences around food when they were growing up, and he can easily spot the difference between those that did, and those that didn’t. “Pav and Andrew make a lot of family dishes, with Pav’s samosas being a firm favourite, and Andrew’s Russian stews

Chai Walla or Phat Yaks (Kingsmead Square), LJ Hugs (SouthGate) or the Thai Hut at Green Park Station.”

Emma, 22-year-old chemistry student, University of Bath n “We have a Riverford Veg box delivered to our shared student house once a week, and it’s a lifeline.” Grace, 22-year-old Norland diploma student, Norland College n “Students who sign up for offers from YO! Sushi in Milsom Place get 25% off menu prices most days of the week – I could live on the chicken katsu, nigiri maki, kimchi squid or Dynamite Rolls” Toby, 20-year-old business studies student, Bath College n “You can’t possibly say you’ve been a student in Bath until you’ve eaten a Schwartz Bros burger on your way home from a night out!”

Dan, 20-year-old drama student, Bath Spa University.

help us get through the winter and the last few days before our next student loan drops.

At the other end of the scale, we have Neil who tried to microwave cans of soup on several occasions, and Perry who visited the chip shop for lunch every day during our first year until we taught him how to make tuna mayo pasta.”

All in all, however, they’re a very organised group who jointly pay for a supermarket grocery delivery once a week and instigated a shared ‘beer and burger’ fund for barbecue season. “We’re pretty good at sharing out the cost of ingredients equally, but there’ll always be one of us who’s ‘borrowed’ everyone else's milk or left their dirty dishes in the sink for a fortnight,” says Matt. “Most of my flatmates play a regular sport for university and are hitting the gym a few times a week, so there’s usually plenty of grilled chicken, rice and peas to share. But we cook a whole host of dishes in between the more mundane meals that you rely on when you’re in a rush, or tired after a long day.”

As a result of all the at-home kitchen activity, Matt and his friends don’t eat out very often. If, however, he was in a position to blow the budget on something really special, the option of an endless buffet at Nando’s isn’t even in the running. “I’d love to have a truly special dining experience at one of the Michelin starred restaurants in London; The Araki in Mayfair, for example, is somewhere I’ve dreamt of visiting for a long time.”

At the start of another academic year, many adults could learn a lot from today’s students. n

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TRISTAN DARBY Columnist Tristan Darby

provides some ginspiration for October

L

ike many others, I’m a perennial gin drinker. But it’s always nice to choose one to fit the mood, weather or occasion. This month I’ve chosen a few that are perfect for autumnal enjoyment from Great Western Wine’s enviable in-store range of more than 150 gins.

My first choice is Malfy Gin (£27 at Great Western Wine), a modern, fruit-forward Piedmontese gin as bright, vivid and attention-grabbing as its bottle’s snappy design. Produced by the Vergnano family in Turin it’s supercharged with the citrussy vim of sun-kissed Sicilian and Amalfi lemons. Their peels are soaked in the base spirit prior to a vacuum distillation with juniper, coriander, cassia bark, liquorice, grapefruit and orange peel.

Tasted neat it’s reminiscent of sherbet lemons and limoncello, with a touch of spice underneath. Add in ice and splash of tonic, and more piney-juniper notes open up. Garnishing with a sprig of fresh coriander, basil or thyme offsets the citrus and pulls everything into balance for a lusciously lemony, refreshing and distinctive G&T bellissimo.

Next up is a super-stylish gin where tradition meets technology. Made in the wild and remote Northumbrian Moors, Hepple Gin (£37 at GWW) is a collaboration between Hepple estate owner Walter Riddell, chef Valentine Warner, Sipsmith’s former head distiller Chris Garden and top barman Nick Strangeway.

Hepple takes inspiration from its windswept nature-rich surroundings, with most of the key botanicals foraged from the estate, including green juniper, douglas fir, bog myrtle, lovage, blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf. The botanicals are divided to be used in one of three different distillation approaches involving a traditional copper pot still, a glass vacuum still and a highpressure CO2 extractor.

Hepple won a double gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and it’s clear why. It’s elegant, classic, beautifully aromatic and invigorating – with juniper singing loud and clear at the front of the choir, with citrus, melon, woody-spice and herbal notes harmonising behind it. Hepple is lovely to sniff and sip neat, and it makes a killer martini. In a G&T it’s dry, classic and juniper-forward. My preference is to serve it with light tonic and a lemon peel twist.

Finally we have Junipero Gin (£42 at GWW), made using a tiny copper pot still, first installed in the Anchor Steam Brewery on Potrero Hill in San Francisco in 1993. Three years later the first craft gin distilled in America since Prohibition was launched. Made with a dozen or more botanicals going into the still, this has a clear juniper profile.

Bottled at 98.6 proof (49.3% abv) Junipero has the extra strength required for cocktails. This is a bold gin, the kind that gives your mouth a firm handshake. Juniper bursts onto the palate, laying down a smooth bed, as citrus and floral notes saunter in like they own the place. The end resolves to a tidy finish, with a clean and crisp bite that invites another sip. n Tristan hosts regular wine courses and events at Great Western Wine, visit greatwesternwine.co.uk/events for more information

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THE US DELICIO GUIDE LOOKING FOR RESTAURANT INSPIRATION? The Delicious Guide to Bath 2018 featuring all our favourite eateries is available online at our website thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

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RESTAURANT | REVIEW

THE IVY BATH BRASSERIE The Ivy Bath Brasserie, 39 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DS. Tel: 01225 307100; theivybathbrasserie

R E V I EW

ALCHEMY UNDER THE ROSES

H

ave you noticed how a cascading swathe of garden roses, honeysuckle, coronillas and moss has draped itself abundantly over The Ivy Bath Brasserie’s restaurant’s entrance in Milsom Street? Is it in honour of a royal visit? An A-list wedding? A statement of enduring summer?

No, silly, it’s a first birthday party and Ivy is the birthday girl. And what better birthday treat than to celebrate with an alliance with perfume and scented candle brand Jo Malone who have just launched their new Honeysuckle & Davana collection.

Jo Malone claims there is alchemy in davana, an aromatic herb from southern India, the delicate fragrance of which adapts around each person in their cologne. Does The Ivy herself have this alchemy? And, to mix foliage metaphors, are there any hidden thorns? Like intrepid journalists we fought our way through the florals to investigate, in order to put pay to all the question marks.

Heads bowed (metaphorically), we passed beneath the rose arch. The atmosphere slows and subdues within the darkened hallway where the waiting welcomers dwell, a sombre in-between pocket that allowed us to breathe deeply in expectation of the next step. Once inside, we discovered an onslaught of glistening gold, mirrored reflections, geometric floor tiles, pastel blue paintwork, button-tufted leather-style banquettes, glistening bottles and glasses and a reverberating thrum of conversation.

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A cacophony of framed vintage and decorative colourful artwork had stolen every available flat vertical surface, like veritable artistic divas, from the broad expanses of wall to the deep inset window frames. We saw swinging Hollywood in the scale and fabric of this place, but there was also edgy statement, plush wit, an easy style.

Had we taken the first step to alchemy?

Not quite. This came moments later with the arrival of two honeysuckle daiquiris, a cocktail in clear homage to Jo Malone’s new collection. (Cast your eyes top right, uncork the rum keg in the cellar and try it out for yourself at home.) The three Hs – honeysuckle plus honey plus Havana Club three-year old rum certainly did the trick.

The design of the all-day menu flows like clambering foliage (now a recurrent theme).

Banish any idea of a prohibitively expensive offering à la London Ivy with its rarified celebrity clientele. Here it comes brasserie style and anyone’s welcome. It majors on fish, from grilled whole lobster to blackened cod fillet, but there’s some hearty red meat options and delectable sounding chicken dishes plus a separate vegetarian menu.

Choose, for example, from a white onion soup starter with truffle mascarpone, truffled orzo pasta with girolle mushrooms or warm Asian salad with watermelon, to mains of slow-cooked lamb shoulder, chicken milanese, sirloin steak, an Ivy hamburger or vegan sweet potato Keralan curry.

My starter of tuna carpaccio with

iSSUe 193

yellowfin tuna was served with a ponzu (a Japanese citrus-based sauce) dressing, scattered daubs of avocado purée, toasted sesame and coriander shoots. The zesty sauce infused the tuna, softening its texture delicately for avid consumption. The duck liver parfait with caramelised hazelnuts, truffle and tamarind glaze with pear and ginger compote was served with toasted brioche. ‘Sensational’ was the verdict, although there was a danger (I did warn) of not leaving enough space for the next course.

The main courses brought Asian bass with mash and roasted butternut squash with grains served with thick cut sweet potato chips. The latter – with buckwheat, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate – was moist, grainy, fresh and butternut sweet. It certainly put me firmly in the five-aday and seeds and nuts for maximum health category, which I feel sure more than compensated for the rum imbibed earlier.

The bass was smooth and clean, framed luxuriously with lemon-infused tenderstem broccoli and a piquant brown sauce.

Dessert choices were an apple tart fine, with vanilla ice cream and Calvados flambé for those who like to make a spectacle of themselves and a grand finale fruit, cheese and nut board for those who do not.

We did find alchemy under the roses. The roses are only there and the honeysuckle daiquiri is only available until 14 October, but we suspect the experience will not be EC dimmed by their departure. n

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HONEYSUCKLE DAQUIRI FOR ONE SERVING: • • • •

60ml Havana Club three-year old rum 4 tablespoons runny honey 30ml fresh lemon juice 30ml fresh orange juice

Shake and fine strain the ingredients and pour into a Martini glass or coupe.

Garnish with a mint leaf and white and yellow edible flowers.

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FOOD | OPINION

THE INTOLERANT DIETER Low-calorie dieters, once the norm, appear to have been replaced by a new brand of dieters intolerant to certain foods. Fair dos, but there are clear imposters, declares Melissa Blease, on a mission to expose them all

M

y on/off friend Harriet tells me that she’s ‘acutely intolerant’ to wheat, dairy, mushrooms and tomatoes and can’t eat food from a kitchen that doesn’t have a separate glutenfree prep room. I was therefore perplexed when we both recently attended a pizza and beer pairing event, where Harriet helped herself generously to everything on offer and food sensitivity was not mentioned. After the event Harriet left, merry with beer and pizza, and suffered no negative impact at all.

I understand that many people struggle with severe food intolerances and an exempt ion diet is for them a sensible or essential remedy. However, it does seems odd that Harriet’s dietary allegiances can be turned on and off like a tap. People with food intolerances are undoubtedly a growing phenomenon. So has having an intolerance now become a trend? In a time when eating healthily is most people’s mantra, perhaps it’s just a little step further to become convinced that you have a severe sensitivity to a certain kind of food, allowing you to join a fashionable dietary clique.

Harriet, you see, is not the only one. Molly once declared to me that cocoa mass was the devil’s own work... until Easter came around, and she started banging on about the benefits of antioxidants in dark chocolate. Glucose syrup, palm oil and EE442 used to make Ross ‘seriously lethargic’, but his symptoms mysteriously moved along when he got seriously bored with analysing ingredient labels. Patricia once claimed she couldn't walk past the local Chinese takeaway in case she inadvertently inhaled MSG, and goji berries were once added to Ben’s ‘avoid’ list because they triggered hyperactivity.

Right now, the Carnivore Diet is trending (we know this for sure because there are currently more than 40,000 posts under the #carnivorediet hashtag on Instagram) – cue an army of Harriets rolling their eyes at the very mention of the presence of a vegetarian in our midst, while vegans can expect to be subjected to a misinformed torrent of abuse about the harm they do to themselves and the environment by not eating meat.

Most of us have met a Harriet, Molly, Ross, Patricia or Ben – heck, you might have even joined their gang yourself at some point 80 TheBATHMagazine

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in your life. I know I had a brief flirtation with the Paleo Diet (don’t do it!). But it’s ironic that, while the pressure on UK Food Banks continues to rise and around 795 million people across the globe are at risk of literally starving to death, the first world selfie generation are becoming more and more obsessed with self-diagnosing What Not To Eat This Week – lucky, lucky them to be able to indulge in such a luxurious pastime.

Now I’m well aware that I’m straying on controversial territory here, putting myself at risk of accusations of being glib, or uninformed, or intolerant (of people, at least).

But none of those allegations are true. I’m fully aware of (and sympathetic to) the grim realities of coping with being coeliac, or diabetic, or an IBS sufferer. I know that severereactions to nuts, wheat, eggs, seafood and more can make life almost unbearable for many, and can even be life-threatening. But the increase of self-diagnosed food intolerances doesn’t do anybody any favours, not least of all to those with genuine, medically diagnosed conditions caused by diet.

When somebody like Harriet empathises with, say, a coeliac, claiming that gluten has “ruined her life too”, only to happily binge on gluten-loaded bagels, buns and baguettes a couple of weeks later with absolutely no side effects at all, they’re only making life even, even harder for those who really, seriously have to avoid gluten, or sugar, or shellfish, et al. Last year, Jennifer Lawrence called gluten-intolerance “the new cool eating disorder,” while a New York Times journalist wrote a column in which he said that “the gluten-free fad is merely a trend for the rich, the white and the political left.”

And whose fault is that? People like Harriet, that’s who.

Choosing healthy alternatives to food that can do you harm can only ever be A Really Good Thing. But am I intolerant of people whose ‘intolerances’ change faster than Jasmine Hemsley can whip up a kale and cold-pressed beetroot smoothie? Yes I am – I’m sick of them. n

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CITY | NEWS

CITYNEWS 10 YEARS OF GOLD Danish goldsmith Tina Engell is about to celebrate ten years in her Belvedere site where she has built up a loyal fanbase of customers. Tina opened her workshop and precious jewellery retail space in 2008, just weeks before the crash of Lehman Brothers sent financial shockwaves around the world. Through hard work and a clear understanding of what her customers want, her business survived and thrived.

Highlights include being made a Freeman of the City of London and being invited year after year to show at Goldsmiths’ Fair in the capital. Customers old and new are invited to celebrate with her on 26 October, 4–7pm, and 27–28 October, 10–5pm, at 29 Ainslie’s Belvedere, Bath, when all her precious jewellery will have a discount of 20%. tinaengell.com

TOP HOTEL AWARDS Two of Bath’s hotels have received awards in the 21st Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards. The five-star Gainsborough Bath Spa was placed second in Top UK Hotel Spas, ninth in Top UK Holiday Hotels and was included in The World’s Top 100. The 99-room hotel includes the award-winning Spa Village Bath and the Dan Moon at The Gainsborough Restaurant, which has received three AA Rosettes and was featured in the Tatler Restaurant Guide.

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa was voted fourth Best UK Holiday Hotel. Just six miles outside Bath and set in 500 acres of parkland, Lucknam Park is a former Palladian mansion, now a five-star hotel. It has a Michelin-starred restaurant under Hywel Jones and boasts a formidable cookery school, a world-class ESPA Spa and an equestrian centre.

The annual Condé Nast Readers’ Travel Awards are one of the most prestigious recognitions of excellence in the travel industry. thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk; lucknampark.co.uk The Spa Village at the Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel

Lucknam Park grounds

AND THEY WALKED 26 MILES A team from OCL Accountancy, Bath took part in a MacMillan Cancer Support Walk recently. The team of eleven comprised members of staff with a few partners accompanying them.

The walkers raised an impressive £6,000. The walk was 26 miles from Monmouth to Chepstow.

More than 800 people took part and everyone from the OCL team finished the course within the top third of the event, all within 15 minutes of each other at around 101⁄2 hours. Some donations came from friends and family as well as a generous number of donations from clients. oclaccountancy.com

FUN FACT s Did you know that visitor to Bath prefer coffee?

6.63% of all visits involved time spent at a café, at compared to only 2.8% fast food outlets.

NEW CITY GIFT CARD The Bath Gift Card has been launched by Bath Business Improvement District, and can be redeemed at a huge range of outlets across Bath. It can also be used for an employee or corporate incentive scheme, or to fulfil a wedding gift list.

The card can be purchased online from bathgiftcard.com and from designated sales points in the city.

BATH BUSINESS BAROMETER UPDATE: AUGUST 2018

provided by

High Street Footfall

om Credit: placedashboard.c

(Month on month % change)

-2.5%

n Footfall across the UK dropped by 2.3% in August, the lowest footfall counted since April. People have been enjoying the hottest summer on record so it is perhaps not surprising that visits to city streets declined with consumers making the most of the weather elsewhere. n Bath compares favourably with the rest of the South West which experienced a 4.3% decrease. Bath was in line with UK average fall of 2.5%. While it was cooler later in August, most summer purchases are likely to have been made in June and July and visits to the high street were not a consumer priority. The new school year started in September so any uplift from the back-to-school trading period is expected to be reflected in September’s results. With university freshers hitting the city in September we are hopeful of a positive impact on footfall and sales.

Bath

South West UK

-4.3%

-2.3% Springboard Research Ltd.

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ocl

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

www.oclaccountancy.com

Planned changes to “Rent-a-room relief ” rules

A C C O U N TA N C Y

Rent-a-room relief (RARR) allows anyone letting all or part of their home to receive the lower of £7,500 or £3,750 for each joint owner of the property free of tax each year. This covers rent and related payments such as cleaning / laundry.

HMRC now plan to restrict the relief; whereas it was intended for people who took in lodgers, it is increasingly being claimed by those letting their homes while temporarily absent from them (e.g. homes near to a major sporting venue or people living elsewhere for work purposes).

The RARR change would mean that from 6 April 2019 it will only be available where occupation of the property as “sleeping accommodation” overlaps “wholly or partly” with the letting period e.g. it will still be available for Airbnb type letting if you stay in part of your home for some of the time a tenant is in occupation.

If RARR doesn’t apply because of these changes, you will be entitled to claim the property allowance (PA) which allows a maximum of £1,000 tax-free income each year.

Draft legislation with the new rules was subject to consultation until the end of August and the outcome won’t be known until the Finance Bill 2019 is published in December 2018; however we anticipate the main points above will be adopted.

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

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

What our clients say:

“We are a small, but very busy, independent restaurant in Bath…We couldn't have reached this stage without the help of OCL. I would thoroughly recommend OCL accountants to any small to medium sized business.”

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

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

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CITY | NEWS

CITYNEWS TIE THE KNOT AT GRITTLETON

NEW AMBASSADOR

Grittleton House, a privately owned manor house on the edge of the Cotswolds, is opening its doors to the public on Sunday 14 October. The event will allow couples to explore the grade II listed building and experience the house styled for a wedding day. With its beautiful interiors, sweeping double staircase and stunning Italian sunken gardens, this Victorian mansion offers elegance and grandeur, the perfect backdrop for a special occasion.

The Shipp family, who own the house, are excited to welcome future brides and grooms to their home. The house is open between 11am and 3pm on 14 October. grittletonhouse.co.uk

Stage and TV actress and media personality Sherrie Hewson has been appointed as an ambassador for The Hawthorns independent retirement communities and brand of allinclusive rental senior living. Sherrie is passionately concerned about the senior living sector, conscious that “We are all going there,” in her terms regarding later life; she is now a prominent voice in the quest for better choice and improved standards for those seeking a certain style of retirement. Sherrie is one of the key characters in Benidorm on ITV. Sherrie will be visiting the Hawthorns communities around the country, including the one in Clevedon. hawthornsretirement.co.uk BELOW: Sandra Stark (left) and Sherrie Hewson (right)

TAXING RECRUITS

SPACE FOR MORE

Chartered accountants Richardson Swift has strengthened its tax and audit teams with two senior appointments. Deborah Sawyer joins as a personal tax manager, while Catherine Edwards has been promoted to director of audit services.

The firm has reported a strong year of client growth and increased compliance for businesses as part of Making Tax Digital. Deborah, who has more than 28 years’ experience, will be working with Richardson Swift’s growing number of private clients, providing specialist tax planning advice and managing tax compliance. Catherine joined Richardson Swift as an audit manager in 2014 and has played a key role in overseeing the auditing processes for the firm’s business clients. richardsonswift.co.uk

Mardan Removals and Storage has increased its self-storage facility by more than 200%. This was done in response to an increasing demand for self-storage facilities.

The need for storage can be due to a variety of reasons: for times between house moves, home renovations, business storage and customers requiring extra space. The new self-storage facilities will allow Mardan to continue to provide storage to a substantial customer base seven days a week.

The containers are available at competitive rates and are offered with flexible rental and vacation periods. Customers can feel safe in the knowledge that their items are stored in a secure, clean yard, which is monitored by 24-hour CCTV. Mardan will also continue to offer warehouse storage, if access is not required. mardanremovals.co.uk

BELOW: Catherine Edwards (left) and Deborah Sawyer (right) with director, Jon Miles

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COFFEE BY THE RIVER A new coffee shop, Coffee #1 is now serving freshly brewed beverages at Bath Riverside, the major regeneration project located on the south side of Image: Hundven Clements the River Avon, the site of the former Stothert & Pitt, Engineers and Founders. The new coffee shop is located in the highly acclaimed Royal View building and provides customers with stunning views of the River Avon and new riverside park.

It is the first café to open on the £600 million mixed use site.

Marcus Evans, sales and marketing director at Crest Nicholson said: “It’s great to see Coffee #1 open and trading.

The new riverside park has made a fantastic backdrop to the new café.” crestnicholson.com

NEW PROPERTY SPECIALIST Bath law firm Mowbray Woodwards has made an appointment to their Commercial Law team.

Janette Woodland joins as associate and head of commercial property. She brings a wealth of experience having practised for more than 30 years throughout the south west.

Specialising in commercial property, Janette offers advice on issues including acquisitions and disposals, commercial and mixed-use developments, landlord and tenant transactions, property investment matters and secured lending.

Mowbray Woodwards’ managing partner, Tracey Smith, said “Janette’s experience in commercial property fits well with the needs of our clients and, alongside our property litigation expert, means we can provide our private and commercial property clients with joined-up advice for all of their legal needs.” To contact Janette email: jw@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

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Common divorce misconceptions

W

ith information now but a click away for most, we all like to think we’re more informed about everything than ever before.

But when it comes to divorce, clients are often surprised at the realities when they talk to us about proceedings. Here we take a look at some of the most common divorce misconceptions:

Commission a portrait in oils Robert Highton 07939 224598; rhighton@mail.com; robhightonart.com

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“The quickie divorce” It’s confusing when newspapers report on celebrities like Cheryl Fernandez-Versini being granted a Decree Nisi of Divorce in as little as 14 seconds. But the whole process takes several months and, for matters where one or both parties have businesses, trusts, pensions or several properties, the process can take years especially if court hearings are required.

“Assets will be split 50/50” Generally speaking, when dividing assets, the process starts with an equal share assumption. Consideration may then need to be given to assets each person entered the marriage with, as well as contributions, health, age and incomes, and the balance shifted appropriately.

But this can produce uncertain and surprising outcomes. A landmark judgement in 2018 indicated that there was no such thing as a ‘meal ticket for life’ when the court ruled that an ex-husband should not have to increase maintenance payments to his ex-wife after she mismanaged her finances. In 2014 Jamie Cooper-Hohn was awarded £337 million (the biggest divorce settlement in British history at the time), due to her successful contribution to the partnership while her husband was working. Since then further cases have also recognised non-financial contributions and the asset balance adjusted.

“Staying separated for a while before divorcing will be easier” Sometimes couples start new lives apart and decide to get divorced further down the line, delaying the costs, paperwork and emotional stress of a divorce. But when divorce proceedings begin years later, assets acquired post-separation must be disclosed. These assets will be taken into account and, although they could be ringfenced and kept out of the marriage pot, there is still the chance that these assets may be divided.

For these reasons it’s important to seek expert legal guidance as soon as possible, so that the process can be as surprise and stress-free as possible. www.mogersdrewett.com Rebecca Silcock, Partner - Family at Mogers Drewett

Verόnica Ramirez Personal Spanish Tutor M 07455 560177

Learn Spanish with Vero in Bath UK

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GUEST | COLUMNIST

FARMING IN THE CITY

Have we lost touch with our green spaces? Helen Fisher, general manager of Bath City Farm, explains how their small farm in the heart of the city is making a world of difference

Young visitors feeding the chickens

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the hustle and bustle of the goats or watch the pigs lazing in a mud bath. From our hens, who have had a hard life on intensive poultry farms, to the constantly munching Dexter cattle acting as handy lawnmowers, it’s lovely to see livestock on a productive farm within sight of the Royal Crescent.

Despite Bath being surrounded by farmland, many of us have little connection with the way that food is produced, something which would in other eras have been common knowledge. The important debate about how and where our food is produced and the wider discussion about food waste for me demonstrates the importance of city farms to modern life.

They allow you to get a sense of how farming works from food to fork, peering into a world unfamiliar to many of us.

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Working with the animals can help to create a sense of calm and give back a sense of purpose

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local community united 23 years ago to save a much-loved green space from being developed and Bath City Farm was born. This small organisation joined a growing movement of city farms dotted across the UK, helping to connect people with food and farming, offering places where communities came together.

Sandwiched in between Twerton and Southdown, the farm, which is a charity, consists of 35 acres of farmland on a steepsided, north-facing hillside, looking out across the dramatic sweep from Weston to Royal Victoria Park and up towards the University of Bath. Archaeological evidence has shown that this land has been farmed for centuries, giving it an extra special link to our past.

I’ve been lucky enough to have worked here for the last 15 years. In that time the farm has changed beyond recognition, thanks to th e dedication of the staff and volunteers, the connection that local people have to this much-valued green space, and the thousands of people that visit every year.

Seeing families having a wonderful time on the farm, with children feeding the hens, or volunteers enjoying a communal lunch, makes me very proud of this special place.

Whenever I get the time to escape from the desk and walk around the farm I ’m amazed how rural it feels, despite being surrounded by housing on all sides. It’s a place where you can lose yourself, wandering through a nature-rich meadow with a background soundtrack of birdsong, or strolling down the 180-year old beech avenue as the autumn leaves begin to turn golden.

The animals have always been at the heart of farm life. It’s the main reason that many people visit, bringing their excited kids to see

When local school groups come to spend time on the farm we talk with the children about where our food comes from and how farming works. We don’t want to sanitise the way our food is produced. Meat from the farm is sold direct to our visitors, eggs from the hens can be bought from our shop and we grow vegetables and herbs to use in our café and for making and baking with one of our many voluntary groups.

There is a strong body of evidence that demonstrates how spending more time in green space is good for you. At the farm we have a major focus on mental health and well-being. Around one in four people in the UK is affected by mental health issues. We work closely with healthcare professionals to provide a diverse range of opportunities on the farm for nearly 700 people. Through one of our seven targeted projects, volunteers are supported to gain confidence and improve their quality of life. Working with the animals, known as animal therapy, can help create a sense of calm and give back a sense of purpose. They become part of a community where no one is judged and this can be a stepping stone for them to go back into work or to be able to live independently.

Our Feathered Friends project is another great example of how care and attention to

Dexter cattle enjoying the view over Bath individual needs can produce amazing results. Set up a couple of years ago, people who live on their own or in residential care come to the farm and spend quality time with our hens. This can involve collecting eggs and tidying up the coop and getting to cuddle the chickens. The feedback that we have had from this bespoke project has been very heart-warming.

When the charity began life in the 1990s, at its heart was the need to have free access for everyone. This remains fundamental to the farm and vital to the relationship and connection that we have with local people.

Whenever we run our popular summer fayres or orchard days in the autumn there is a real buzz, and conversations with local visitors show how much they value the farm.

There is an exciting future ahead and we have ambitious plans for a new indoor café and an outdoor education centre and hatchery unit. A small charity, we rely on the generous support of individuals and businesses donating and grant-giving trusts to keep us going. It costs nearly £300,000 a year to run this free community resource and we are constantly striving for ways to secure our future, keep our existing projects running and develop the site.

This October Bath City Farm is launching a new membership scheme to help support the farm’s work. Part of the scheme will give children the opportunity to become Young City Farmers, giving them an extra special view of farm life. n

Bath City Farm, Kelston View, Whiteway, Bath. Keep in touch with life on the farm via Twitter @bathcityfarm and on Facebook.

Donate through the farm’s Local Giving page: localgiving.org/charity/bathcityfarm

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Calling all Mamas who would like to make Music!

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MAMA’S MUSIC This Autumn, “Mama’s Music” offers you the perfect opportunity to take private lessons on the flute and/or piano: either to rediscover and develop the passion for music that you never had time to pursue, or to try something new and to begin the exciting and fulfilling journey of learning music now... for it’s never to late! Alex brings the skill and experience of a highly qualified professional musician with a reputation as an international performer, together with 35 years of teaching experience, as well as the empathy and humour of a working mother; so you will find your musical confidence grows in a fun, relaxed, and colourful environment. This is a special chance to take an hour out of your week to enjoy some musical “Me time”. You will explore your creativity and self-expression through music, which is so vitally important in an increasingly technological world. Also, the opportunity to connect and play in ensembles with other Mamas is an added source of enjoyment, as is, so they say, the experience of performing in our annual concert, if you would like to?!

We provide all the equipment you might need so you can create your own little home from home that’s safe and comfortable for little ones, leaving you to focus on enjoying your time together.

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For further information please contact:

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FAMILY | EVENTS

FAMILY DIARY IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN THIS MONTH MAKE AND PLAY Thursday 4 October, 10–11.30am n Wiltshire Scrapstore Enter an imaginative world and create whatever comes to mind. Different materials are provided to ensure creativity, exploration and messy play. A free goodie bag of scrap is available to carry on the fun at home.

Suitable for ages 18 months – four years, but younger children are also welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Tickets £5.50. Tel: 01249 730011; wiltshirescrapstore.co.uk

Go on an autumn animal trail at Bowood House and Gardens

LET’S VISIT THE OLOBOBS Saturday 6 October, 1–1.45pm n Bath Cricket Club Join the world of CBeebies favourite, Olobob Top and discover the magical world of shapes, colours and patterns with creator Leigh Hodgkinson. Say hello to Tib, Lalloo, Bobble and all their friends as you celebrate all things Olobob. Suitable for ages two plus.

Tickets £6.50; bathfestivals.org.uk SUPER STRINGS Saturday 6 October, 3–4pm n St Bartholomew’s Church To bow or to pluck, that is the question.

Explore the world of the string family with a professional string quartet who will play music, demonstrate and answer all questions.

Don’t miss the hands-on session afer the concert and discover a whole new side to music. Adults £5, children £4; crescendoconcerts.co.uk DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE Tuesday 9 and 10 October, times vary n The Forum, Bath Dare to experience the dangers and delights of dinosaurs? Grab your compass and join the intrepid explorers across uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing dinosaurs. Meet a host of impressive creatures, including the flesheating giant! Includes a special meet and greet after the show to offer all brave explorers a chance to make a new friend.

Tickets £12.50. Suitable for ages three plus; bathforum.co.uk SATURDAY ART CLUB: AUTUMN INSPIRATION Saturday 13 October, 10.30am–12.30pm n The Holburne Museum As part of the fortnightly workshops for aspiring young artists, gather design ideas in the galleries for enjoyable printmaking activities on an autumn theme. Tickets £10.

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Suitable for five–11 years. Booking is essential. Drop off session.

Tel: 01225 388568; holburne.org ADULT AND CHILD COOKERY CLASS Tuesday 23 October, 9.30am–2pm n Lucknam Park Get to grips with the basics of cooking and understand the importance of fresh seasonal produce. This is a great way to spend time together as you learn fun new skills and cookery techniques. Includes a tea or coffee on arrival, pastries, lunch, a recipe folder, all ingredients, cookery school bag and the use of a chef’s jacket and apron. £95 per child with one accompanying adult. Suitable for ages six – 13. Tel: 01225 742777; lucknampark.co.uk DRAGONBIRD: MR CLEMENT AND THE WEATHER Tuesday 23 and 24 October, 10am and 11.15am n The egg Mr Clement’s feelings change the weather.

Learning how to label our emotions and understand how they fluctuate through the day, this show is all about showing simple techniques of how to weather those human feelings. Then, get ready to play. Following the short performance everyone gets to play and explore in the homemade sets. Suitable for six months – four years. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets £4, lap seats £1.50. Tel: 01225 823409; theatreroyal.org.uk

BOWOOD’S AUTUMN ANIMAL TRAIL Thurday 25 – 29 October, 11am–4pm n Bowood House and Gardens Explore Bowood House and Gardens and take part in the autumn animal trail.

Discover the different animals that can be seen around the estate. Normal admissions apply; complimentary to season ticket holders. Tel: 01249 812102; bowood.org YANA AND YETI Thursday 25, 26, 27 and 28 October, 11.30am and 3pm n The egg Imagine being far, far from home and all alone in a snow-bound village. Watch as Yana faces teasing children and tales of mythical mountain monsters as she discovers that friends can come in the most unexpected shapes and sizes. Suitable for ages five plus.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults £9, children £8, lap seats £1.50. Tel: 01225 823409; theatreroyal.org.uk CODING FOR KIDS: BATH DIGITAL FESTIVAL Saturday 27 October, 10am–12pm and 3–5pm n Location TBC KS1 and 2 kids can make their own interactive Halloween digital story in Scratch. Add a few heroes, some real action and interaction and before you know it, your stories will come alive. Fancy making your own interactive emoji? KS3 and 4 children

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FAMILY | EVENTS

Yana and Yeti at The egg

Enjoy an adult and child cookery class at Lucknam Park

will make their own Halloween emoji in HTML and javascript. Please bring your own laptops; bathdigitalfestival.co.uk BIG DRAW – IT’S A COVER UP Saturday 27 October, 10.30am–3pm n Victoria Art Gallery Create book covers using pencil and oil pastel with ideas from the gallery’s new exhibition: Clifford and Rosemary Ellis.

Suitable for all the family. Free entry; children must be accompanied by an adult; bathmuseumsweek.co.uk

FOOTPRINT PROJECT DISCOVERY DAY Saturday 27, 29 and 30 October, 10am–1pm and 2–4pm n Bath Abbey Discover more about the archaeology and conservation work at Bath Abbey. Find out what’s happening with the Footprint Project and take part in hands-on activities. Plus, you’ll get to see some of the things that are found beneath the abbey’s floor as it’s being repaired. Suitable for ages seven – 11 years.

Free for Discovery Card holders; bathmuseumsweek.co.uk

KOREAN DRUM AND STORYTELLING Wednesday 31 October, 2–3.30pm n Museum of East Asian Art Roll up those sleeves, get stuck in and enjoy an afternoon of crafts as Korean drama teacher, Jeiun Lee guides you through drum and prop making. Made from recycled materials, your creations will be used to accompany the beautiful story of the Good Brothers, a Korean harvest story. Free for Discovery Card holders. Booking is essential.

Tel: 01225 464640; bathmuseumsweek.co.uk

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EDUCATION

EDUCATION NEWS WRITING FOR WAR AND PEACE Prior Park College is running a new writing competition. On the 100-year anniversary of the guns falling silent in the First World War, the college wants participants to consider the social, political and economic changes that the war brought. The college is providing a range of stimulus material to help spark an idea for a piece of creative writing.

The entries can be prose, letters, poetry, screenplay, monologue, cartoon/ graphic novel and spoken word entries. The competition is open to anyone, with a suggested number of words depending on your age: under 10 years, 500 words; 10–13 years, 500–800 words; 14–16 years, 1,500 words; 17–18 years, 3,000 words; over 18s, limitless. The deadline is Wednesday 24 October. Submissions that best embody the themes will be invited to attend a creative writing celebration evening in November at Prior Park College, to read and hear excerpts from the best works. An anthology of many of the entries will be published later in the year. priorparkcollege.com

SCIENCE PURCHASE The University of Bath and South Gloucestershire Council have teamed up to purchase Bristol & Bath Science Park in Emersons Green, Bristol in a joint £18-million bid. The science park will be a place where science and technology will enable innovation to prosper, business to grow and people to thrive. The new owners want to realise the park’s potential as a centre of excellence for research and development. It will provide an innovative space for businesses, strengthening the south west’s position as a hub for sustainable economic growth. Plans for the 36-acre site will complement existing businesses and exploit regional science and engineering strengths. The park will also be home to the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS). The University of Bath was awarded £38.9 million to develop this £60-million facility which will be a world-leading centre of excellence for research into future advanced propulsion systems. The institute will exploit the engineering expertise of the University of Bath for the benefit of the UK’s automotive industry. bbsp.co.uk

ECO WARRIORS

BETJEMAN APPLAUSE Following success earlier this year in the Live Canon Children’s Poetry Competition, young writers from Saint Gregory’s Catholic College have once again had their written work praised, this time by judges in this year’s highly esteemed Betjeman Prize.

Poems by Year 8 students, Bonnie and Eevie and Year 9 student, Kieran are among the final 50 poets, out of over 2,500, to be featured in the 2018 anthology to be launched on National Poetry Day. Their poems will feature in a school-produced anthology to celebrate the work carried out under the guidance of the school’s writer in residence, Josephine Corcoran.

The students commented: “We really enjoyed working with Josephine last year and can’t believe that our poems have been shortlisted to the top 50 in the country. We didn’t study poetry at primary school so, when we came to secondary, it was a bit daunting and we didn’t really understand how they worked or how to compose a good poem. Josephine made it really fun and encouraged us to have a go.” This year, the students’ work was judged

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Young eco warriors at St Margaret’s Prepatory School in Calne, who are leading the battle against damage to the environment and fighting for healthy living and outdoor learning, have been rewarded with Green Flag status.

Pupils put on an impressive display of knowledge and enthusiasm when an assessor from Eco Schools visited to decide if it should keep its coveted award for a fourth successive time.

After a tense wait of several weeks, the school was told it had kept its top grading. Teacher and outdoor learning co-ordinator Kim Callaway said: “On the day of the visit children from Year 6, who are our eco drivers, took the assessor on a visit around the whole school. They were able to talk about outdoor learning and aspects such as valuing our planet and sustainability, while also demonstrating how clubs such as gardening and a range of lessons also have an ‘eco’ theme.”

The assessor from Eco Schools wrote a glowing letter of praise. It said: “St Margaret’s Preparatory School is an excellent example of whole school commitment to outdoor learning, sustainability and environmental activities.” stmargaretsprep.org.uk

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STRONG FOR READING A new library has been opened at All Hallows School, opening up a brilliant new world of reading and a new teaching resource for pupils and teachers. There was huge excitement as children’s author Jeremy Strong arrived to open the library as pupils and staff gathered around to watch the ribbon being cut and the door to the library being officially opened.

Jeremy Strong is a Bath based author credited with writing over 100 children’s books. He has won several awards including the prestigious Children’s Book Award 1997 for The Hundred Mile an Hour Dog; the Manchester Book Award for his teen novel Stuff, and the Sheffield Book Award for Beware, Killer Tomatoes.

After cutting the ribbon, Jeremy spent time chatting with different year groups and captivating them with stories of how he was inspired to become an author. The new facility has over 3,000 books lining the new shelves, colourful furniture and 16 iPads. As Jeremy told the children, every one of those books opens up a new world – that is over 3,000 new worlds to explore!

The school has also introduced the acclaimed Accelerated Reader system where pupils take online tests to determine their optimal reading level and quizzes to monitor their comprehension. Teachers and parents will be able to follow their progress in real time and offer support and encouragement accordingly. allhallowsschool.co.uk

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Sarah Wringer KIE Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502 Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

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Beechen Cliff An exceptional and traditional all-round education for boys

A vibant, unpretentiously academic mixed Sixth Form Open Morning Thursday 27th September 6.00pm - 8.30pm

Sixth Form Open Morning Saturday 13th October 9.00am - 1.00pm

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SCHOOL | HISTORY

THAT MONKTON MAGIC

Described as a “genuine and beguiling one-off” by The Good Schools Guide, Monkton Combe School is currently celebrating its 150th year. Historian Catherine Pitt visits the school to find out more about its past

W

hat connects MI6, the Victorian explorer David Livingstone, and the 1953 Ealing Comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt?

Answer: Monkton Combe School.

Nestled in the luscious Midford Valley a few miles outside Bath, Monkton Combe School is a boarding school with a difference. It may be celebrating its 150th anniversary, but it isn’t the austere and intimidating Victorian establishment that you may imagine.

The senior school was established in 1868

by Reverend Francis Pocock, who had been a missionary in Africa, a curate to the Bishop of Sierra Leone. While he was abroad he had met the explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873), and it was Pocock who, in 1874, was called upon to identify Livingstone’s badly decomposed body when it was returned to England after being carried 1000 miles through Africa.

In May 1858, due to his growing ill health, Pocock and his wife returned to England. Their ship, the Candace, collided with a Dutch ship in the middle of the night, sinking with the loss of seven lives. If Pocock hadn’t survived, Monkton may never have been founded.

In 1863 Reverend Pocock moved to Bath in the hope that the waters would help his health. He became Vicar of Monkton Combe and in 1867 purchased the first few

1920, First VIII, with coach on horseback

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Tennis court in quad outside the school, 1898

buildings and some land in the village, which would become the basis of his school. It is said that the social worker and religious author Maria Charlesworth encouraged Pocock to establish a school, just as she had done in London, to educate the children of clergy and missionaries.

Despite an inauspicious start with the death of his first pupil in January 1868 due to illness, the next intake of boys in the summer proved more successful, and gradually more pupils joined. Further land and buildings were purchased in 1869 to accommodate the pupils and to create classrooms. In 1874 however, Pocock came close to closing the school due to a number of staff departures.

The Reverend Reginald Bryan, who was teaching boys near Marlborough, heard of Monkton’s plight and came to the rescue, becoming principal in 1875. He was affectionately known as The Governor and in 1888 during his tenure, he established the junior school in nearby Combe Down.

From its modest beginnings the Monkton school community now boasts more than 700 pupils, with around 400 in the senior school (over 260 of which are boarders). In 1971 the school welcomed its first two female pupils into the sixth form, and in 1992 the school merged with Clarendon School to become fully co-educational.

Alongside the senior and prep schools there is also a pre-prep school, which was established in 1937.

Pupils come from as far afield as Hong Kong, Russia and Africa. There are now six

boarding houses that pupils are allocated to, where they are cared for by live-in-staff known as house parents. From its missionary leanings in the 1860s to today, the school has encouraged connections with educational establishments around the world.

Looking through A Delightful Inheritance, the new book about the school, which has been published in time for the 150th anniversary, you get a sense that many of those who led the school, along with supporting and teaching staff, were inspirational and fondly remembered.

After the Second World War, Derek Wigram (headmaster from 1946–68) is remembered for introducing the tutor system while his successor Dick Knight (1968–1978) met the challenge of the more liberal youth of the 1970s with more flexible and open-minded policies. Today’s principal Chris Wheeler is equally enthusiastic in his role, abseiling down Bath Abbey in full academic gown for charity this year.

Not all staff were popular however. In March 1900 there was a rebellion by the boys against the school bursar (who remains nameless in the records). The pupils felt he had manipulated the school fees and was unfairly influencing the vice principal. The students “rose in revolt and…took (the bursar) to the pump, and pumped upon him until…he was very wet.” The bursar was then shut into the local lock-up. Further hijacks were attempted that month but the boys were finally quelled by April 1900.

Pupils and teachers killed during the First and Second World Wars as well as conflicts

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SCHOOL | HISTORY

The school and railway line, early 1900s

Whole school photograph, early 1900s since are commemorated in the school chapel, which was built in 1925. Monkton also boasts a Victoria Cross holder as a past pupil – Lt Col Richard Annesley West who died in September 1918. During the First World War 60 pupils and teachers died and in the Second World War the death toll was 77.

During the Baedecker Raids on Bath in April 1942 a number of bombs fell nearby in Brassknocker Woods. There was some residual damage to the school but luckily the raids were during the school holidays. The pupils had enthusiastically taken up roles in the Local Defence Volunteers from 1938 onwards, digging trenches around the valley and manning posts, including on the biology lab roof.

One evening in 1938 the pupils’ KES A level drama performance enthusiasm as volunteers almost went too far when a boy on night exercises, dressed in women’s clothing (the ‘damsel in distress’ if you like), was discovered by two local youths. The youths made advances to the damsel, and the boy was forced to explain, “But I’m from the college.” What happened next is not recorded, but one presumes that the damsel was left alone.

The school rules have changed somewhat over the past 150 years. Long gone is the ban on reading novels in the boarding houses, corporal punishment for misdemeanours, and the partaking of “intoxicating liquor at meal times,” which was permitted in the 19th century, according to the 1883 school rules.

The school has always been a pioneer in education. In 1968 Monkton fostered an interest in computing, joining with the University of Bath, which allowed pupils access to the university computers. In 1978 the school installed its first computer and by the 1980s Monkton had become the national

Senior school dining hall, 1899

centre for inputting and analysing data from 1,300 independent schools in the country.

Today the school has well-equipped art and design blocks and a brand new music centre with a recording studio on site.

Sports have had a significant profile at Monkton, and 13 Olympians have been nurtured here including double Olympic gold rowing medallist Steve Williams OBE. The River Avon in the valley below the school has enabled rowing to flourish.

Cricket is played on the grounds known as Longmead at the bottom of the valley. This has been described in Wisden, the cricket almanac, as one of the top three most picturesque cricket grounds in the country.

The school today has links with nearby Team Bath at the University of Bath and the school courts and playing fields have been used by sports stars such as English international netball player Ama Agbeze.

Monkton has even been captured in film.

In 1952 Ealing Studios came to Midford Valley to film their comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt, about a group of villagers trying to prevent their branch line from closing. The studios chose Monkton Combe railway halt (ironically itself closed in the 1960s) to be the fictional Titfield Station, and Monkton pupils were drafted in as enthusiastic extras.

A few pupils over the past 150 years have tested teachers’ resolve. Old Monktonians (known as OMs) have recalled their japes with relish online and at annual reunions.

These range from releasing a live bat into the chapel during a service to removing every item of furniture from a classroom and recreating its setting at the bottom of the school pool. Many OMs also recall fondly the landlord of the now closed Viaduct Inn who would ring a bell in the back bar where

Chapel consecration, 1925

pupils were drinking, warning them of the impending arrival of a teacher.

For a small school the list of OMs’ achievements is vast. Included is Eric Marshall, doctor on the Shackleton expedition to the South Pole, Sharpe author Bernard Cornwell, TED talk founder Chris Anderson, TV presenter and journalist Seyi Rhodes; and Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6 (from 1999–2004), a role popularised as ‘M’ in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels.

Reflecting on the school’s anniversary, principal Chris Wheeler said, “In this our 150th anniversary year Monkton Combe School continues to stand out as a place which thinks differently. Aside from the stunning views, academic results and the passionate teachers, Monkton focuses on the journey of each individual in a way that is tangibly different.

“The thing I am most proud of is the difference you feel whenever you meet a Monktonian; at all ages our young people show a confident humility which is very special. I think our predecessors would see a school of which they would be immensely proud.”

The school fosters a family atmosphere, teachers remain at the school for decades, and many pupils come from a long line of OMs. As the school looks ahead, it is certain that Monkton will continue to nurture its pupils and adhere to its vision of inspiring young people to become confident, kind and ambitious adults who lead fulfilling lives. n • A Delightful Inheritance: 150 Years of Monkton Combe School by Peter Leroy is available via the school shop: monktoncombeschool.com/om-club/ memorabilia.html

Present-day pupils in the grounds

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For you and your home Enjoy a sense of peace

Reiki treatments and Feng Shui Bath, Bristol and London Interested in discovering more?

You’re invited to a free evening of reiki and feng shui on Thursday September 20th 6:30 to 8pm at Nourish Centre in Gay Street, Bath RSVP to book your place and for more information on sessions 07776 255875 heidi@heidireiki.com heidireiki.com Heidi Rearden

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HEATH & WELLNESS

MEDICAL problem solving Being hard of hearing, having facial thread veins and keeping your mouth safe might not be glamorous issues but they do need addressing. Here’s a few local health services that can provide some solutions

THREAD VEINS NO MORE

HEAR HEAR Hearing is one of our most precious senses. It connects us to the people we love and is vital to our general health and wellbeing. Did you know that hearing difficulties increase the risk of developing dementia? They are also linked to other problems like social isolation and depression.

Taking control of your hearing puts your life back on track, and the team at Holistic Hearing Excellence find nothing more rewarding than seeing their clients’ lives transformed by good hearing.

It’s crucial to find the right professional to walk with you on the journey to better hearing. So, whether you’re daunted by the prospect of taking the first step, or disillusioned by a poor experience with hearing aids, Holistic Hearing Excellence is there to help you find the solution that’s right for you and put you back in control.

Anthony Stone HAD MSHAA, Director, Holistic Hearing Excellence

2nd floor, Spaces building, Barton Court, Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG; 07421 368051

The thin vessels (called telangiectasias) that can often be found around your nose or on your cheeks are small blood vessels near the surface of the skin. There are many different reasons why these appear. It could be due to outdoor sports, skiing, medication or it could be hereditary, the list goes on. Thread veins can also occur in a more general area of redness.

Frontlinestyle offers the latest I²PL (intense pulsed light technology) by Ellipse. Thread vein removal is a popular treatment with the I²PL. The Ellipse I²PL uses square pulses and a dual mode filtering system to achieve results. This treatment is less painful than many laser treatments that are solid lights, and will not harm the skin or cause any underlying damage.

Short safe bursts of IPL are directed at the skin and the system filters the light to ensure the wavelengths are absorbed by haemoglobin in the blood in your problem vessels. The light is converted to heat, which destroys the protein in the wall of the thread vein, causing the veins to gradually disappear after treatment.

Sessions usually last between 15–30 minutes. Prices start from £75.

Frontlinestyle also offers I²PL to treat acne and create permanent hair reduction. Available for men and women.

To book your free consultation with highly trained IPL specialist Fran, call: 01225 478 478 and quote ‘The Bath Magazine’; frontlinestyle.co.uk

EN GARDE YOUR MOUTH

SIGNING UP TO SAFETY BMI Bath Clinic staff have renewed their vows to patient care. Doctors, nurses, healthcare teams and support staff are re-affirming their commitment to patient safety by adding their signatures to a giant pledge.

The signing at the hospital is part of a BMI Healthcare-wide focus on continual improvement in patient care, with teams considering what changes they can make to further enhance the service they provide.

As the first private hospital group nationally to join the NHS’s Sign Up To Safety campaign in 2016, BMI Healthcare pledged to put safety first, to continually learn, be honest, collaborative and supportive.

Michael Katsimihas, consultant spinal surgeon at the clinic said “As a consultant here in the hospital, my duty is to make sure that our patients receive the very best health outcomes and the very best care. This hospitalwide pledge is more than just names on a piece of paper, it’s the culmination of a whole series of discussions about how we rely on each other and work together for the benefit of our patients.”

Claverton Down Road, Bath BA2 7BR; 01225 835 555; bmihealthcare.co.uk 102 TheBATHMagazine

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JB Denture Clinic doesn’t just make and repair dentures; it also makes mouth guards (also known as sports or gum guards). Wearing a mouth guard is essential when taking part in contact sports, to protect against injury to the mouth and jaw. Different sports involve different levels of risk and potential injury. Therefore, it is important to select a mouth guard that will protect, fit comfortably and stay in place.

Wearing a custom-made mouth guard is usually recommended for sports such as boxing, ice and field hockey, rugby, skiing, martial arts and lacrosse.

Mouth guards are made by taking an accurate impression of your mouth and making the mouth guard fit your own teeth.

JB Denture Clinic are experts in making custom fit and designed mouth guards that are unique to you. Prices: junior mouth guard (up to 14 years) £55, senior mouth guard £75.

JB Denture Clinic, 27 Walcot Buildings, Bath BA1 6AD; 01225 311 681; jbdentureclinic.co.uk

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style Boutique Salons & Spa Winner of Best Hair Salon & Best Day Spa in Somerset 2016

INTRODUCING *NEW* WELLNESS MASSAGES BY CLARINS

Book online www.frontlinestyle.co.uk

With unique sensorial experiences, tension-relieving massage movements and plant-powered products,our *NEW* CLARINS Wellness Treatments promote a feeling of infinite well-being for the body and mind, leaving your skin looking more radiant and soothed.

Beauty Sleep 4/5 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2AJ 01225 478478

11 Broad Street, Wells, BA5 2DJ 01749 672225

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Rise & Shine

70 mins £70 + FREE Clarins gifts to take home

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BEAUTY

Keeping up THE GLOW

Crystal Rose reveals how to maintain that summer radiance into the autumn

Press reset The recently launched Overnight Reset Oil-InSerum from L’Occitane promises to revitalise the skin. Enriched with essential oils, you’ll wake up looking visibly rested with fine lines reduced and skin more youthful. £49 for 30ml; uk.loccitane.com

Devilish hues The 5 Couleurs Dior en Diable palette from Dior is back again with an explosion of colour.

With red-hot shades of autumn and illuminating monochrome shades, you wil have an endless choice of looks. £48.50, 5 Couleurs Rouge en Diable, 087 Volcanic Limited Edition; dior.com

Bronzed glow Leaving the summer behind can be hard but seeing your gorgeous tan slowly fade away can make the colder months even worse.

Developing in just one hour, there’s no need to say goodbye to your summer glow when you have Cocoa Brown. Drying in seconds, this self-tanner promises not to have the biscuit-scent and to give you a gorgeous tan to tackle all your post summer blues. £7.99; superdrug.co.uk

Auto-correct This transforming, colour-correcting CC Creme is all about an ultra-even complexion. Combining makeup with moisturising benefits, redness is reduced and radiance brought forth.

Luscious lips

£38 for 45ml; spacenk.com/uk; erborian.co.uk

Va-va-volume Perfectly sculpt those lashes and look as vibrant as can be with the Supra Volume mascara from Clarins. As part of the Joli Rouge and Black Autumn Make-up Collection, this limited edition packaging is super cute and quirky. Made with cassia flower wax for more volume and intense colouring. £22; frontlinestyle.co.uk

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Bring on the bold lips and feel as colourful as the season. The Le Rouge Crayon De Couleur Matte stick from Chanel is perfect for creating a bright and powerful look. We love this dark pink shade and think it’ll be the showstopper in your autumn attire. £31, shade Excess; chanel.com

Hello, honey Think sunny yellow and soft peachy shades of untamed honeysuckle throughout the English countryside.

The new Honeysuckle and Davana cologne from Jo Malone gives you an extra hit of sunshine and is sure to keep you glowing. £94 for 100ml; jomalone.co.uk

The Orangery fp October.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2018 10:20 Page 1

the orangery l a s e r

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b e a u t y

c l i n i c

Established for over 25 years we are the experts in skin health, aesthetics and advanced beauty treatments in Bath.

Specialists in Ellipse IPL Permanent Hair Reduction Treatments

Hydra Peel Infusion

• Permanent Hair Reduction •

This treatment combines exfoliation, hydration, chemical peeling and non-needle mesotherapy to infuse different vitamins into the skin.

Treatments have no down time and are suitable for all skin types. It can be used to target fine lines, wrinkles, dry skin, scarring, rosacea, sun damage and pigmentation as well as problematic skins.

• No more shaving, waxing or depilatory creams • • Safe and effective, even on fragile or delicate areas • • FREE CONSULTATIONS AND PATCH TEST •

Contact us for your FREE consultation Treatments performed by one of the medical team from the Dr Rita Rakus cosmetic award winning Clinic as featured in Tatler www.drritarakus.com

No.2 Kingsmead St. Bath • Tel: 01225 466851 www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

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CJ Beauty Offering a wide range of treatments massage manicure pedicure waxing tinting facials spray tanning hopi ear candles microdermabrasion

Owner Michelle previously Senior Therapist at Green Street House

15% off for new clients on their first treatment 19a Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EQ 07840 864829

cjbeauty.uk

style Boutique Salons & Spa Winner of Best Hair Salon & Best Day Spa in Somerset 2016

Footlogix Pediceuticals is a revolutionary and innovative foot-care line formulated to provide effective, transformational care for a variety of skin conditions affecting the feet – from simple dryness to more severe conditions resulting from Diabetes

Now available at Frontlinestyle

4/5 Monmouth Street Bath, BA1 2AJ 01225 478478

11 Broad Street Wells, BA5 2DJ 01749 672225

Book online www.frontlinestyle.co.uk

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Aero-tone-ilates www.aero-tone-ilates.com

Step class

£6

St Mark’s School, Larkhall MONDAY 6pm -7pm St Luke’s Church Hall, Wellsway TUESDAY 10am -11am St Stephen’s Church Hall, Lansdown WEDNESDAY 9.15am -10.15am St. Stephen’s Church Hall, Lansdown THURSDAY 9.15am -10.15am

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We can help regain your confidence and your smile

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

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27 Walcot Buildings (Weymouth Street), Bath, BA1 6AD

www.jbdentureclinic.co.uk

Lansdown Golf Club, Lansdown MONDAY 9.30am -10.30am St Luke’s Church Hall, Wellsway TUESDAY 9am -10am St Stephen’s Church, Lansdown WEDNESDAY 10.25am -11.25am

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Walking Fit Club & Nordic Walking Classes 50 nt differe 1 hour walks

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07866604341 • jane_braham@hotmail.com Register of Exercise Professionals R0048007

THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

TROPIC AMBASSADOR

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THE | WALK

OVER THE MOUNTAIN

Andrew Swift goes in search of a mountain to climb and discovers one with enough craggy slopes and expansive views to dispel any gloomy throughts about the approaching winter months

T

he mountain in question is not particularly high, and doesn’t require serious climbing gear. High above Abergavenny, Sugar Loaf Mountain is a mere 90 minutes from Bath by car or train. There is a choice of a relatively short walk of around four miles and one more than twice that length.

THE SHORT WALK The shorter option involves driving part way up the mountain and walking the rest of the way. Even this, though, is no gentle stroll.

The final assault on the summit is a scramble up rocky crags. Robust footwear is essential, and extreme care needs to be taken, especially on the way down.

If you are up for the challenge, head for Abergavenny and drive through the town along the A40. After leaving the 30mph zone, take the first right along Pentre Road 250m further on (SO283150). Turn left after 200m, left again at a T junction and after a mile and a half park in a National Trust car park (SO 268167; NP7 7LA).

Having parked, continue walking along the lane. Just before it curves left through a gate to Llyweddrog Farm (SO266169), carry on up a grassy track beside a wall, and, as you climb, the Sugar Loaf will come into 108 TheBATHMagazine

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view ahead. When the wall ends, bear left along a grassy track. When this forks, fork right to carry straight on. Carry on at a crosstrack, but, when you come to another broad track crossing at an oblique angle, bear left (SO265178). The track soon divides, but take either route to climb to the rocky slopes leading to the summit. After climbing steeply, bear right along a gentler track for the final few metres, to be rewarded by incomparable views in every direction (SO272187).

From here, retrace your steps for the quickest way back, although other routes to the car park can be identified from an OS map.

THE LONGER WALK For the longer walk, either drive to Abergavenny or take the train. One word of warning – it starts by following a wellwalked path, popular with dog walkers, alongside the River Usk. However, this goes through fields where you may encounter a bull and longhorn cattle. I experienced no problems, and none seem to have been reported, but it is something to bear in mind.

If driving to Abergavenny, park in Byefield Lane Car Park (SO297141; NP7 5DL), which is free except on Tuesdays. Follow a footpath from the south-west corner of the

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car park across Castle Meadows and turn right alongside the river to Llanfoist Bridge.

If arriving by train, turn left out of the station and right at the end of the road. After 250m, when you come to Fosterville Crescent, cross the road and go down a footpath to the left of Mill Close. Go through a kissing gate (KG) into Castle Meadows. After 50m, bear right through a gate, cross a footbridge, bear left and follow a path alongside the river to Llanfoist Bridge.

At Llanfoist Bridge (SO291139), climb steps to the road, cross over (easier if you head down to the roundabout), go down steps and through a gate to carry on alongside the river.

After crossing a stile, carry on along a narrow path and turn left over a footbridge.

A little further on, cross a narrow footbridge, continue over three more stiles, and after crossing a fourth, turn right alongside the fence (SO273145).

Carry on across three more stiles and turn left along a lane. Carry on for 1200m, ignoring a turning on the right, and at the main road, cross and head up a lane with a sign forbidding vehicular access to the Sugar Loaf (SO267155).

Follow the lane as it winds steeply uphill for 900m, and when you come to a gate, go

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THE | WALK

through it and head straight on between barns to go through another gate. Carry on beside a fence and through a gate into woodland. After going through another gate, the lane – now little more than a track – steepens again.

As you leave the woods, continue uphill, but, after going through a gate at Pen-yGraig Farm (SO259168), turn right past the farmhouse and on through gateways along a metalled track.

After 800m, go through a gate past Llyweddrog Farm and turn left up a grassy track alongside a wall. As you climb, you pass the treeline and the Sugar Loaf comes into view ahead.

When the wall ends, bear left along a grassy track. When it forks, fork right to carry straight on. Carry on at a crosstrack, but, when you come to another broad track crossing at an oblique angle, bear left

(SO265178). When the track divides, take either route leading to the rocky slopes below the summit. After climbing steeply, bear right along a gentler track for the final few metres to the trig point (SO272187).

Nothing prepares you for the views that break upon you in every direction, and the thought that you have climbed all the way from that distant town huddled in a cleft of the hills should be a source of some satisfaction. All that remains is to scramble down the boulder-strewn slopes at the southern end of the ridge and head back towards it, following the track winding across the moorland.

After 750m, carry straight on at a crosstrack, and shortly afterwards, when the path forks, fork right (SO277178). Soon the views disappear as you enter oak woodland on the steep slopes of St Mary’s Vale. When the track meets a lane, carry on along it, but, after 500m, when it swings left, cross a stile to the left of a gateway and head through a field (SO287159). A stile at the end leads on to a path, which after 200m drops down to a lane. Carry on along it in the same direction, ignoring turnings to right and left, and after 1000m turn left at the main road.

For refreshment of the liquid variety, the Station Hotel, a little way along on the left, is an unspoilt gem, with well-kept beer and comfortable seats (SO295145).

Unfortunately, the station it served closed

60 years ago, so there is no option but to carry on along the main road and after 250m turn right by the war memorial along Frogmore Street.

For the car park, turn first right along Baker Street. For the station, carry straight on through the town for 1100m before turning left up Station Road. n Andrew Swift is the author of On Foot in Bath: Fifteen Walks Around a World Heritage City and co-author, with Kirsten Elliot, of Ghost Signs of Bath.

FACT FILE Short walk (from NT car park): 4 miles Approximate time: 2.5 hours Long walk (from Abergavenny): 10 miles Approximate time: 5.5 hours Essential items: Robust footwear, water, packed lunch, OS map OL13 Rail services: details of the journey from Bath to Abergavenny, involving a change at Newport, can be found at nationalrail.co.uk Refreshments: Station Hotel, Brecon Road, Abergavenny NP7 5UH: open from 5pm on Mon and Tue, and from 2pm on other days

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INTERIORS

A GOLDEN TOUCH Gold is back. In fact, it never went away. It has a classic opulence that will always find its place in an elegant interior. Whether gilding or paint, shimmering brass or the pure 24 carat deal, a statement of gold endows any room with luxury, abundance and warmth Delicato Oro and Delicato Oro Noir tiles, £142.77 per square metre, Mandarin Stone, 15–16 Broad Street, Bath mandarinstone.com

Dando blue and brass tray, £59.95, Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath

Hawk in the Sun by Simon Allen, 22ct gold on carved obeche wood, 118 x 118 x 12cm, £14,750, Beaux Arts, 12–13 York Street, Bath

homefrontinteriors.co.uk

beauxartsbath.co.uk

Golden Girl framed giclée print, 56 x 42cm, £150, by Rob Highton

Floral embossed bedside table £548, Anthropologie, 1–4 New Bond Street, Bath

robhightonart.com

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INTERIORS

Hand-painted de Gournay ‘Badminton’ Chinoiserie wallpaper on gilded paper, from £674 per panel (915mm width), Etons of Bath, 108 Walcot Street, Bath etonsofbath.com

Kana marble and brass table lamp, £130, Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath homefrontinteriors.co.uk

Chrysanthemum Garden Chinoiserie wallpaper, 3 x 2 metres, £1,080, Allyson McDermott, 8 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath allysonmcdermott.com

Fleming round mirror, from £125, Neptune, One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath neptune.com

Hand-finished gilt frames, from £98, The Bath Framer, 7 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath

Art Deco Idele leather faux Side table, 77 x 70cm, £375, £45 Verve Living, 15 Walcot fur cuff gloves, Buildings, London Road, Bath dunelondon.com verveliving.uk

thebathframer.co.uk

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

UPSTYLING FURNITURE

I

f you have a favourite chair or cabinet that could do with a revamp, or fancy buying a vintage ‘character’ piece and getting it customised but are not sure whether it’s worth it, then read on.

In this age of repurposing rather than replacing, it’s generally accepted that ‘Upstyling’ can add real value: to your home, to the environment and to your soul.

There is real joy in the transformation of a vintage piece from worn to wonderful. Not just joy that the piece has a new lease of lifAe in a guise that suits your current style, but also joy that it hasn’t joined the flat-pack mountain clogging up our landfill sites.

The use of chalk paint to refresh a chest of drawers, cabinet, table et al remains a firm favourite. Choose a piece that is shapely and structurally sound, and it’s an inexpensive way to hide stains, gaps and chips and bring a piece up to date easily and quickly. If you don’t fancy the DIY options, there are several local restorers who can help. Give Verve a call and thy can put you in touch.

For those who prefer a sleeker look, à la Neptune, a new service is now available locally: spray painting. It’s a more expensive option than chalk paint, but gives a beautiful, longlasting, more contemporary finish. Available through Collins & Collins Design, the service includes revamping previously painted pieces – modern as well as vintage – as well as preparing and spraying nude

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wood. There’s a huge array of colours to choose from, so if you want to update a piece but don’t want the distressed look, this could be for you.

Collins & Collins can also do any repairs to ensure the piece looks as pristine as that Neptune larder you may be lusting after.

Both routes have the added benefit of being totally customisable. For example, using a mix of colours or materials, changing hardware, adjusting height, changing wood colour, altering leg style … almost anything is possible with a bit of creativity.

With dark, rich woods now back in favour, stripping paint from a solid wood piece is also worth considering. It’s obviously easiest if the wood is naturally dark, but a good restorer can usually find a stain or wax to match your scheme.

When it comes to upholstery, the time has never been better for revamping a vintage piece – classic, shapely styles in deep, rich shades of velvet remain the must-have look for A/W18. Or mix it up with a funky fabric on the back and a plain on the front. If your piece just needs a new top cover it needn’t be that costly either. Buying the best-quality fabric you can afford is always a good bet, but if budget is tight and it’s a simple shape, there are a lot of well-priced velvets around that will work well.

For inspiration check out multi-awarding-winning design studio, Timorous Beasties. Their work illustrates how a piece can be brought bang up to date by choosing a distinctive fabric to create a beautiful, totally unique piece.

If your piece needs work, the cost of restoring the upholstery can be balanced by choosing a well-priced fabric – either way it’s often no more expensive than buying new and has the priceless benefit of being uniquely yours.

• Verve, 15 Walcot Buildings, London Road, BA1 6AD. Tel: 07785 332536, www.verveliving.uk

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interiors CLAIR STRONG september.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2018 10:31 Page 1

INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

APARTMENT OF LIGHT

Interior designer Clair Strong recently completed work on a beautiful Georgian apartment in the centre of Bath. Here she shares the brief, the design evolution and the final interior

THE PROJECT BRIEF The client was a professional couple who had bought a twobedroom flat in Bath. The brief was to provide a full design service for the flat’s interior refurbishment and furnishing. The couple didn’t have the time or local knowledge to manage the changes themselves, but had a strong sense of personal style, so it was very much a collaborative effort.

The challenge for me as a designer was to recommend local tradesmen and to coordinate the work. This involved sourcing flooring, tiles, sanitary ware, lighting and fabrics to complement the owners’ existing pieces; supplying curtains and blinds with the help of Sally Jarman Interiors; and providing design consultation throughout.

THE PROJECT Working with the apartment’s existing character features, the design was planned to create a vibrant, modern city home.

The project began with an issue of Anthropologie magazine.

A couple of images from the magazine had really captured the attention of the owners, and so inspiration was drawn from these ideas for the living room and guest bedroom, which also doubles as a study area. The owners had also selected a selection of wallpapers that they liked, and these choices were narrowed down to two from Cole & Son. These wallpapers were the starting point for the dining room and master bedroom.

The dining room wallpaper, in shades of dark blue, light blue and off-white, is bold and dramatic. It contrasts against the room’s contemporary white dining table and chairs – these were re-covered in blue to match the walls. The sparkle of the gilded mirrors and raw silk cobalt blue curtains pooling onto the parquet herringbone wooden floor gives the room a touch of theatre.

In the living room, the neutral and blue colour palette continues with pale warm grey walls, ikat patterned blue blinds and a deep blue velvet sofa. In this room the beautiful

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parquet flooring is a central feature. Bespoke shelving was fitted in one corner, which is now filled with piles of books, and the space is liberally decorated with plants.

The walls and existing cabinets of the galley-shaped kitchen were painted in two shades of pale grey from the Paint and Paper Library. Decorative ceramic tiles from Fired Earth were used for the flooring, and an abstract framed print provides a pop of colour in the serene space.

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INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

The master bedroom is a generously sized room with plenty of natural light. In this room the second Cole & Son wallpaper was used on one wall, complemented with raw silk curtains in oyster, an eclectic mix of furniture and a contemporary wooden framed bed.

The guest room is painted in Farrow and Ball’s striking Stone Blue. The clients chose artwork, cushions and flowers in pinks, greens and blues that deliberately clash, in a vibrant and uplifting celebration of colour. The room is finished with an antique sunburst mirror and Roman blinds in fabric from Manuel Canovas.

The bathroom is a classic and crisp space with Carrara marble tiles, pale grey painted walls and a botanical green and white blind. In here it’s the little details – such as marble handles on the basin and bath taps and the carefully placed succulents and candles in recessed alcoves – that add a touch of opulence.

T H E E N D R E S U LT The finished apartment is a polished interior but one that is full of character and personality. I was delighted by the collaborative process, and by the fact that the home is a clear expression of the owners’ interests and the things that give them pleasure.

When asked what they loved most about the home, one of the owners said, “Home is my happy place and I love being surrounded by the things I love, such as my grandmother’s mineral and gem stone collection and our books. I also love living in a Georgian building with high ceilings, lots of natural light and a fantastic location in the centre of Bath.” n

RESOURCES • • • •

Wallpaper – Cole & Son Paint – Paint and Paper Library, Farrow & Ball Marble and ceramic tiles – Fired Earth Fabric – Colefax & Fowler, Nina Campbell and Manuel Canovas, Clarke & Clarke, Pongees Silk • Furniture – bespoke, client’s own, Sofa.com, Graham & Green, The White Company and various antique shops • Lighting – Astro Lighting • Bathroom – Duravit, Crosswater, VADO Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, friendly, creative business based in Bath and London, providing services for residential and commercial clients. Visit: clairstrong.co.uk or contact: clair@clairstrong.co.uk THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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Pietra wood and stone fp.qxp_Layout 22 17/09/2018 16:26 Page 1

The Old Filling Station 400 Ham Green, Holt BA14 6PX t 01225 783527 / 782408 e info@pwasltd.com

Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 9am – 5.30pm Sat 9am – 5pm

www.pwasltd.com Fulham Showroom 196

– 198 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, London SW6 2UE

Tel 0207 610 6111

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BATH | BEER

THIS PAGE: The choices we make about decoration say much about who we are OPPOSITE: left, a moody statement wall expresses the character of its owner; right, a light, minimal style is more than a trend, it’s a statement of personal values 56 TheBATHMagazine

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INTERIORS | AND | STYLE

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN Why do we feel the need to decorate our homes? The use of an exotic paint shade, the creative upcycling of an antique chair and the choice of a black quartz kitchen countertop must be about expressing who you are as well as following interior trends. Textile historian Mary Schoeser says it’s all a matter of gossip and grooming on. Everywhere our small world numbers about 150 people, which is also, interestingly, the average size of a fourgenerational family. But without kinship links of this quantity, how do we form our clans? What if objects also play a part in creating and remembering bonds? Then how we decorate takes on new significance.

❝

There is an urge to create highly individual, even eccentric interiors. It is as if we are looking for an interior reality to tame the alarming effects of globalisation

❝

F

ashions come and go in interiors.

However while interiors are full of objects, they differ from what we wear, eat or read in generally existing over a much longer period of time. Few are created ‘from scratch’ and even these seldom remain unchanged.

Evolving with us, they are places of both privacy and sharing, solace and celebration.

They offer a chronicle of our lives.

The desire to decorate is found around the world and through time, as is the ability to take something intended for one purpose and use it for another. These human traits would have less value if we were unable to remember and share our inventiveness. This is, in part, what interiors do for us; they carry memories of our own activities, as well as the evidence of previous lives, both known to us and far distant and past.

The furniture we live with varies from culture to culture, but in each instance it has changed little in the past 500 years. The basic ingredients of today’s interiors are recognisable by the 1550s. What has changed since then is the styling of interiors, but more in the matter of details than of function. The major changes occurred slowly – it was not until the late 17th century, for example, that seating developed fixed padding and upholstery. Fabric and blinds first supplemented and then began to replace wooden shutters only 150–200 years ago.

This gradual process suggests not disinterest but rather satisfaction, tempered by the inventiveness of human nature. The slow pace of change also suggests that the rooms we inhabit today cannot be radically new. Yet there is an urge to create highly individual, even eccentric, interiors. It is as if we are looking for an interior reality to tame the alarming effects of globalization. ‘No’, our interiors say, ‘we are not all the same’.

This impulse, though, again has roots in the far-distant past.

The universal message of interiors is that they are places to meet and create in. They also offer safety beyond the obvious physical barriers of walls and doors. Robin Dunbar is a developmental geneticist who argues that language emerged in humans to replace the grooming activity of our nearest relatives, the great apes. Grooming is their way of establishing bonds. Dunbar believes we use language in the same way, to develop the relationships and loyalties that bind together the ‘small world’ of people that we depend

The importance of the table and the visible signs of individuality in our interiors provide direct links to those important activities of gossip and grooming. The gossip, or informal, personal conversation about persons or incidents that forms alliances, seems to be more confidential when shared inside around dining room or restaurant tables. The grooming, a sensuous, touch-

based form of bonding, is offered to family and friends in a ritual event each time they enter your home. After the warm greeting, the multitiude of interior textures and colours take over, sending their clues to the senses. Friends and allies will respond positively. If you point out a new vase or a newly painted wall, their response will be to touch it. If others are content amid the contents of our homes, they are likely to be content with us, too.

Decorating, then, is not a trivial pursuit.

Representing the anthropologist’s point of view, Mary Douglas declared that ‘good taste’ is an index of social connections, reproductive fitness and our ability to mobilise resources. My own view is that the way the index of ‘good taste’ varies from place to place all over the globe is explained by the small-world theory. We need only understand and partake in the tastes of our own ‘clan’; in decorating our homes we participate in preserving and adjusting that style. Doing so declares our allegiances.

Doing nothing sends a message of disinterest in worldly connections, which is why the bare interior is rightly associated with hermits and religious orders. Clearly the common urge to make a room one’s own is more than a decorative indulgence; it may be a matter or survival. n With thanks to Mary Schoeser for her permission to use this text.

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SINE FELT PENDANT WHITE / GREY

BY VITA COPENHAGEN

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

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Are you thinking of extending your home with a loft conversion or extension? Do you also need help and support through the planning and building control processes along with the production of plans?

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or already know what you want, the first step to transforming your home is a consultation with Dimension 22. Tap into our experience to develop a bespoke solution that you’ll love.

Our services are targeted at home owners, property managers and local contractors in the domestic housing market and include; • Property Surveys • • Design & Construction Plans • • Agents for Planning Applications • • Plans For Planning & Building Control Applications • • Schedule of Works & Specifications • • Contract Tendering & Contract Administration • • Maintenance & Compliance Management •

71 Rush Hill, Bath BA2 2QT • 07872 016350 jeremy.lear@dimension22.co.uk • www.dimension22.co.uk

The Framing Workshop has been trading as an independent family run business on Walcot Street for over 28 years. We treasure you, our client, and spend time helping you to find the best way to display and protect your cherished objects, artworks and memorabilia. Creativity and respect for each artwork are core to what we do.

Every picture tells a story. Come and share yours.

80 Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BD Tel: 01225 482748 www.theframingworkshop.com framing@theframingworkshop.com

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GARDENING

ARTISTIC LEANINGS

Sculpture in a garden needs careful positioning, but while there are some basic things to consider, pretty much any style goes as long as it gives you pleasure, says Jane Moore

W

hile one person’s great work is another’s objet horrible, I’m very inclusive when it comes to matters of art. I like to think I have a good eye, but then don’t we all? At the end of the day as long as you like it, it gives you joy when you look at it and the rest of the family can live with it, you go ahead and treat yourself to that piece of art.

Having said that, art adorning walls is a given in most households, but art, especially sculpture, in the garden, is another beast entirely. While I’m rather fond of the monumental Henry Moore sculptures, they would simply not work in the average domestic setting. So while I won’t presume to influence your own artistic leanings, I can perhaps give a few pointers towards selection of pieces and their positioning in the garden.

CHOOSING A SCULPTURE Pick something you really love. Don’t get swayed by what’s trendy or what you think you should like – go with your heart. Modern, 124 TheBATHMagazine

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classical, an ancient old farm implement – if you love it, it will have a place.

THINK ABOUT STYLE Selection of pieces can be so easy if your garden has a particular style. Japanese gardens call for stone lanterns, bamboo water features, buddhas and so on. Classic English gardens will suit cherubs, sundials and urns, whereas a contemporary garden can accommodate a more abstract piece.

Don’t get too bogged down in these themes though. There are no rules – a starkly contemporary statue could look wonderful set against the billowing borders of a classic garden, just as a more formal statue may find a niche among the grasses and perennials of a modern garden.

MATERIALS Practicality matters in the rough and tumble of the English weather and sculptures need to be robust. Bronze, fibreglass, resin, metal, stone and concrete will all stand the test of time reasonably well although you have to expect some weathering. I positively welcome

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some aging – I really don’t like new and shiny in the garden and can’t wait for pots and benches to get that ‘lived-in’ look.

Over the years we have had some ‘ephemeral’ sculptures in the garden at The Bath Priory – meaning those that only last a few years – and these are usually wooden items. I was fond of the pair of woven willow gambolling deer that made their way into the garden after Christmas one year and spent several happy seasons frolicking in the spring bulbs of our little glade.

PLACEMENT Placing a piece is crucial. With smaller artworks you can simply move them about until you find a good spot, but not so with granite or bronze, where the setting needs to be agreed from the outset.

Large sculptures are always going to be a focal point, so position them accordingly.

You want a large piece to look good from several angles, from the house, the bottom of the garden, the entrance and so on. But remember an artwork will also look bolder and more imposing in the winter months

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GARDENING ADDING WOW A lone sculpture is lovely, but siting it so it is reflected in a pond or in a pool as a water feature adds something special. Lighting, too, can transform a small sculpture into something very atmospheric.

PLANTING Besides placement, planting is the most important thing. A good garden sculpture in the centre of sympathetic planting is a sure-fire winner. Choose plants that will act as an effective backdrop to show off the piece – stately shrubs or small trees, either evergreen or with Stachys dramatic foliage tints. In the foreground go for softer, shorter planting so the statue is nestled in its space. Take into account flowering times and winter interest – it may be that the red stems of dogwood would be just the thing with that stone sculpture or perhaps the mounds of box balls could echo the curves…

when it’s not softened by foliage and plants. A friend of mine creates plywood faux sculptures to try out various positions in the garden for the owner. You could easily do this with a couple of cardboard boxes.

Smaller sculptures look lovely nestled in the border, ready to surprise and delight. We use our Victorian cherubs at The Bath Priory in this way, tucked away with the hellebores growing at their feet like the Babes in the Wood fairy story. Remember that these will stand out more in winter.

SIZE MATTERS The size of a sculpture can make your garden feel smaller or larger.

Don’t go for some gargantuan behemoth in your tiny town garden but likewise don’t opt for a little pimple if you have rolling acres. Use the cardboard box trick to get the scale right before you buy.

GET INSPIRED Make the most of an autumnal day out at The Courts Garden, Holt, near Bradford on Avon. Not only can you enjoy the lovely gardens but there is the Coexistence Sculpture Exhibition which is nestled in the arboretum until mid-October. There is also a striking collection of highly finished metal and glass sculptures by artist Ruth Moilliet, inspired by the plant kingdom and set amid the glorious autumn colours of The Courts Garden. Take a look at the website for more details: thenationaltrust.org.uk/the-courts-garden Closer to home, Helen Hughesdon often hosts sculpture events in her garden at Newbridge Hill. This year’s events are over now, but next year’s Sculpture to Enhance a Garden is on 6 and 7 July with In Celebration of the Arts following in September. Take a look at the website for more details: thehiddengardensofbath.co.uk n Jane Moore is an award-winning gardening columnist and head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel. Twitter: @janethegardener

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

KEIKO KISHIMOTO Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Holistic Treatments for Wellbeing

Aromatherapy • Reflexology/Facial reflexology Japanese Cosmo Facelift • Deep Tissue Massage For more information, please visit:

www.keikokishimoto.co.uk 07739 827186 contact@keikokishimoto.co.uk

Trowbridge & Neal’s Yard Bath

Chauffeur/Private Hire

We provide Bath Airport transfers to and from all major airports in the uk. We use only Hi spec vehicles and give a near on chauffeur experience at less than regular taxi prices.

Airport transfers • City to city travel • Hi spec vehicles 1-8 seat vehicles available • Account work considered • Free Wifi in selected vehicles Card payments taken with Izettle • Prices start from as little as £39 Call or email us for a quote now!

@Romanbathprivatehire

Web: romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Email: Info@romanbathprivatehire.co.uk Tel: 01225 484346

Holiday Rental

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

60+ luxury properties for lets 2 nights to 5 months Holidays – For business – Friends & family – Temporary accommodation during renovation/relocation Contact: 01225 482 225 alexa@bathholidayrentals.com www.bathholidayrentals.com Providing 4 & 5 star self-catering properties since 2006

House & Home

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he Hawthorns independent retirement community in Clevedon is delighted to announce that stage and TV actress and media personality Sherrie Hewson has been appointed as an Ambassador for its brand of all-inclusive rental senior living.

Sherrie is passionately concerned about the senior living sector, conscious that “We are all going there”, in her terms regarding retirement. Now a prominent voice in the quest for better choice and improved standards for those seeking a certain style of retirement, she is very interested in the unique Hawthorns quality approach to independent living through its low commitment and truly all-inclusive rental model. She is also a great admirer of the community spirit and friendship within the Hawthorns residencies, and that this is combined with the privacy of one’s own front door. On a recent visit to one of the communities her first reaction was “Where’s my room?” as she was so impressed with what she saw.

RETIRE IN

style

Sherrie is currently one of the key characters in Benidorm on ITV, as character Joyce Temple-Savage, which is soon to tour UK theatres as a stage show from September. Amongst many career highlights to date she appeared for 14 years on Loose Women, had two stints in Coronation Street as Maureen Webster, appeared as Lesley Meredith in Emmerdale, spent ten years on the Russ Abbot Show, and appeared on Crossroads and In Loving Memory. She also appeared in Z Cars and Carry On Behind and Carry On Laughing.

Sherrie is seen pictured chatting and enjoying a drink with Audrey on her garden patio at a Hawthorns community in Northamptonshire.

She will be visiting the Hawthorns Clevedon community on the morning of Friday 23rd November.

For more information call 01275 790060 or search ‘Hawthorns Clevedon’ on-line or on Facebook.

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PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

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his highly individual, newly built family home has been designed by highly regarded local developers with a great deal of care and attention given to the planning and construction. The house is set within approximately a third of an acre of land in a conservation area and backs onto and overlooks an area of outstanding natural beauty. The interior is light and bright with natural wood flooring and decorative accents adding warmth and character and there is under floor heating on both the ground and first floors. Quality specification abounds, including a bespoke kitchen by Kingston By Design and bathrooms featuring Hudsen Reed ware and Pocelanosa tiles. In brief the accommodation offers: Kitchen/breakfast room leading onto a balcony, living room, utility and cloakroom, four bedrooms, two en suite bath/shower rooms and a family bathroom. The house is approached via a gravel drive providing ample parking and the rear gardens have been laid to lawn providing a blank canvas for the new owners to make their own. Walnut House is a superb, contemporary home in a delightful setting which will appeal to lovers of the new and stylish. For further details contact agents Pritchards.

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

WALNUT HOUSE LYNBROOK LANE ENTRY HILL, BATH • Contemporary architect designed home • 4 bedrooms • 2 en suite & family bathroom • Approximately 1/3 of an acre • Close to countryside with easy access to city centre

Guide price: £1,000,000

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Batheaston

Combe Hay

Tenants fees apply (£350 + VAT)

A spacious 5 bed detached 1960’s house in the picturesque village of Combe Hay, just 4 miles south of the City of Bath with large pretty gardens and separate double garage. Available October. Unfurnished or part furnished.

Tenants fees apply (£350 + VAT)

£2,000 pcm

£1,900 pcm

AG LE RE T ED

AG LE RE T ED

A charming 5 bed end of terrace period cottage in a quiet no-through road in the village of Batheaston, close to the village amenities and with easy access into Bath and to the M4. Available immediately. Unfurnished.

Norton St Philip

Great Pulteney Street

An immaculate 3 year old detached House to rent in a quiet tucked away position on this attractive development in the desirable village of Norton St Philip a few miles south of Bath. Available September.

A light and spacious, recently redecorated apartment on the second floor of a prestigious townhouse in the historic centre of Bath.

Available September.

Tenants fees apply (£350 + VAT)

Tenants fees apply (£350 + VAT)

£1400 pcm

£1500 pcm

lettings@pritchards-bath.co.uk Pritchards October.indd 1

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 618 860 Follow us on 19/09/2018 12:33

pritchards-bath.co.uk

Camden Crescent

The Wharf, Box, Corsham

An impressive ground & lower ground floor 2 - 3 bed garden maisonette forming part of a fine Grade I Listed Georgian Crescent house in just a few minutes from the centre of Bath. Attractive courtyard garden leading to: DOUBLE GARAGE. No onward chain.

Int area 2301 sq ft/213 sq m (excl garage)

An impressive and particularly spacious penthouse apartment enjoying wonderful far reaching views and including delightful gardens. Part of an exclusive development for the over 55s. Secure parking for 2 cars.

EPC C. Int area approx 1755 sq ft/163 sq m.

Guide Price: £850,000

Guide Price: £700,000

St Patricks Court, Bathwick Hill

Beckford Court, Bathwick

A well presented purpose built 2 double bed, 3rd floor apartment enjoying outstanding city views close to city centre/local amenities.

Balcony, ample storage. Attractive communal lawned gardens. Integral garage with workshop/store area & additional visitors parking. EPC C. Floor area approximately 721 sq ft (67 sq m)

A very well presented, light and spacious 2 double bedroom ground floor apartment convenient for bus services and city centre. Private balcony with city views. Large integral garage & visitor parking.

Communal gardens. Int area approx 718 sq ft/66.7 sq m (excl garage).

EPC E. No onward chain.

Price: £375,000

Price: £335,000

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

Tel: 01225 466 225

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“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

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • PACKERS • STORERS • SHIPPERS

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THE LANSDOWN RENAISSANCE Anna Fairman, a Director in the Residential Development Sales team for Savills Bath, discusses how the new development in Lansdown is helping to shape Bath’s newest quarter

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he face of Bath has evolved considerably in recent years, as the city, known for its great architectural and industrial heritage, has taken an impressive step forward to embrace its future. It has been said that the decision for the Ministry of Defence to move out of the city was a catalyst for the change we are seeing today; undoubtedly it created an opportunity within the city to open a new chapter in its development.

An area that has seen perhaps the greatest change is Lansdown.

Traditionally a suburb of two halves, the area boasts some of the most fantastic landscape in the city, however had arguably been left on the sidelines in terms of any significant development over a number of decades. The availability of large and impressively located plots of land as a result of the MOD sale unlocked considerable investment in the area, which is now coming to fruition. The residential development is bringing with it investment in community services, for example the £4 million primary school, Abbot Alphege Academy, which opened last September to serve the newly shaped area.

Quite apart from availability of land for development, Lansdown has a great deal going for it in terms of location. Following the slopes to the north of the city centre, the suburb is one of the main routes into and out of Bath, so both city and country are easily accessible.

And, being set as it is on the slopes, the leafy suburb isn’t short of an expansive countryside vista.

Lansdown Square West is one of a number of developments breathing new life into the local community. Part of a wider housebuilding scheme across 4 acres of land, beautifully located on the upper slopes of Lansdown, the site benefits from some of the best views over the city and into the Somerset countryside. That local developers, Kersfield, are behind the scheme will be a draw to those 134 TheBATHMagazine

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who are aware of the company’s incredible reputation in Bath.

The scheme of four bedroom townhouses and five bedroom villas takes its architectural cues from the classic residences of Georgian Bath, with a modern day interpretation. So you can expect handsome facades finished in honey-coloured Bath stone with good-sized proportions and plenty of light. The houses are designed for contemporary living, every aspect of which has been carefully considered, and finished to an incredibly high standard.

Indeed, the finish is considered to be the highest specification of any new build development in Bath. From the zoned underfloor heating under engineered oak flooring to the extra tall doors and limestone bathroom tiles, it is clear that every design detail has been thought about.

The first phase of Lansdown Square West sold out last year and we have already reserved a number of homes in phase two, which includes a total of ten townhouses and three villas. Next year we look forward to launching the final piece in the puzzle – a small selection of apartments. A lot of the interest we have seen so far has been from local couples and families, some who will be moving from within Lansdown and others are being drawn in from other areas of Bath.

There is a real buzz in Lansdown at the moment, as new residents move in – from down the road, across the city and from further afield.

Together they will shape a new community in what is destined to become a vibrant new quarter of the city.

• Savills Bath, Edgar House, 17 George St, Bath BA1 2EN Tel: 01225 474500, www.savills.co.uk

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Upper Farm, Upper North Wraxall, Chippenham £2,100,000 • • • • • •

Delightful period country house 6 bedrooms 4 reception rooms and study Gardens and paddocks of 1.8 acres Stone outbuildings Chippenham station 8 miles

01225 3333332 | 01225 866111

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The landlords rejuvenating our lettings landscape Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company

[SOUTH WESTERN] LIMITED

T

he lettings landscape continues to change and evolve, and the market today is vastly different to that of only a few years ago. Yet through all the doom and gloom shared in the press, we are seeing new life being breathed into what has been a tough period in the buy-to-let scene. The growth in one type of landlord is providing a much-needed property injection in the demanding and growing Bath lettings market.

According to a YouGov survey conducted last year, nearly one in four households in the UK by the end of 2021 will be in private rented accommodation. Meeting such demand across the country is proving increasingly difficult. For young professionals, the quality of the rental is just as important as the location. With tenants increasingly lettings aware, how the property is managed is a critical factor affecting their choice of property. They need to know that the property will be maintained and cared for during their tenancy.

Who are these landlords rejuvenating our lettings landscape?

Crafting beautiful homes

Bath | Somerset | Wiltshire | Cotswolds | Dorset

01225 791155 ashford-homes.co.uk

136 TheBATHMagazine | OCTOBeR 2018 | issue 193

Although the sales market is robust, it isn’t as strong as we have seen in recent years. We would go as far as to say that some homeowners are still reluctant to put their properties on the market. This reluctance has seen them seek alternative solutions such as letting their property, thus becoming what is known as ‘accidental landlords’.

On the whole, accidental landlords enter the lettings market due to a change of circumstance, work could require them to move, or they may be looking to move in with a partner. Their unwillingness to sell means they choose to let out of necessity, which is why the term ‘accidental’ is used.

One of the major problems faced by these landlords is understanding their responsibilities. This is not surprising, with new legislation being introduced, changed, and amended every year, it’s hard to keep abreast of what you need to do. It is therefore understandable that accidental landlords can feel completely overwhelmed when they enter the lettings market.

At The Apartment Company, we’re finding that our lettings department is as busy as ever, as landlords seek management of their properties from a local agent who truly understands the eccentricities of this sometimes complex market.

It’s great to see such rejuvenation and beautiful apartments becoming available for our many tenants seeking a new home. We’re currently supporting a number of accidental landlords to ensure they are best placed to secure a successful tenancy.

Legislative advice is not the only way we can support you as a landlord; we can provide guidance on finding the right tenant, and explain all those nitty gritty details that sometimes get overlooked, as well as simply being there to listen and advise when needed.

Choosing the right letting agent to support you when you decide to dip your toe into the lettings market is essential. Should learning more about becoming an accidental landlord be of interest to you, our lettings team are always available to talk through the process, helping you to decide whether it is the right choice for you and your property.

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

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Johnstone Street A smart and stylish two bedroom apartment commanding unrivalled views over The Recreation Ground, the home of Bath Rugby. Located in a sought-after area in the heart of Bath city centre, the property benefits from immediate access to the wide range of restaurants, shops and attractions that Bath has to offer, and is also within easy walking distance of Bath Spa railway station.

Rent: ÂŁ1,300 pcm* substantial entrance hall | beautiful dual aspect living room | feature fireplace | modern kitchen with dining area | 2 good sized double bedrooms | stylish bathroom | fantastic central location | stunning views of The Recreation Ground | fitted storage

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

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

RESIDE October.indd 1

19/09/2018 12:34

Bear Flat

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Oldfield Road, BA2 ÂŁ950,000

A classic, semi detached Victorian Villa with over 3,000 sq ft of accommodation arranged over four floors in a prestigious location. Viewings from Saturday 22 September.

Energy Efficiency Rating: G

01225 805 680 bearflat@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Central

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Granville Road, BA1 ÂŁ850,000

01225 809 571

Andrews October.indd 1

Equus House is a purpose-built block of stylish apartments in the popular Lansdown location and is equipped with electronic gates and lift access. The accommodation spans approx. 1930 sqft and is comprised of an open-plan living/dining area with stylish kitchen, three double bedrooms - two with en-suites - and a further bathroom. The glazed sliding doors from the living area lead out to a south-east facing terrace that spans the length of the living space. Energy Efficiency Rating: B

central@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

18/09/2018 09:29

Camden

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Malvern Terrace, BA1 Guide Price ÂŁ600,000

Malvern Terrace is a delightful location on the Camden Road with elevated views. This end terrace property is set over three floors with additional unconverted vaults. There is a separate entrance to the lower floor.

The property comes with off road parking. Terrace garden to the rear and a triangular garden to the side. The property require modernisation and this interesting project will surely be very popular.

Energy Efficiency Rating: TBC

01225 809 868 camden@andrewsonline.co.uk

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

Newbridge Andrewsonline.co.uk

Lark Place, BA1 ÂŁ425,000

Beautiful Light and Bright Victorian end terraced home just 20 metres from Victoria Park . This lovely home is full of period character and charm. The sitting room has a lovely bay window which is south facing opening to the dining room, modern kitchen, three bedrooms and a garden.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01225 809 685 newbridge@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews October.indd 2

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

18/09/2018 09:30

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ATCOMBE, Midford

Price ÂŁ1,350,000

A five bedroom, three reception room, three bathroom detached house with lovely walled gardens in desirable Midford offering 1.8 acres, garaging and parking as well as stunning country views, yet within four miles of the centre of Bath.

EPC: E

Fine & Country October.indd 1

17/09/2018 16:33

DANIEL STREET, Bath

Price £650,000

A delightful two bedroom Grade II listed mews house in Daniel Street in the heart of Georgian Bath. A double garage, west facing garden and conservatory all add to the appeal of this unique Georgian gem.

EPC: Exempt

Fine & Country October.indd 2

17/09/2018 16:33

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EW

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Lansdown Crescent

£1200 pcm

Located in one of Bath’s prestigious crescents, this fabulous two bedroom apartment offers stunning views over the city. The apartment comprises; sitting room, kitchen, master bedroom, second bedroom and bathroom.

T LE

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Clarks Way

£875 pcm

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Camden Crescent

£1400 pcm

SALES

01225 471 14 4 The Apartment Company October.indd 1

LETTINGS

£1300 pcm

This furnished garden apartment in Cavendish Crescent is sure to excite. This spacious Georgian apartment comprises: hall with study and dining area, sitting room, kitchen, two bedrooms, family bathroom, shower room and cloakroom.

ST

EW

Marlborough Buildings

LE

£1200 pcm

This unique, two double bedroom property is located in the highly desirable location of Lansdown. This well-proportioned apartment comprises: grand entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen, two double bedrooms, bathroom and cloakroom.

EW

Lansdown House

£1500 pcm

01225 303 870

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ST

C

Great Pulteney Street

£1750 pcm

This beautifully appointed three bedroom garden apartment is bursting with charm. Comprises: hallway with open access to the sitting room, kitchen, master bedroom with en suite, two further bedrooms, dining room and family bathroom.

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Sitting at the top of an impressive house in the sought after Lansdown area, this two bedroom apartment has stunning views across the city and beyond. High ceilings, large windows and design-led interiors create an open living atmosphere throughout.

£1350 pcm

Spacious apartment with study room at half landing, located in Marlborough Buildings just behind the favoured Royal Crescent. The accommodation comprises a large sitting room, modern kitchen, two double bedrooms and bathroom.

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Spencers Belle Vue

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Spacious Georgian courtyard apartment located in a prime residential area within easy reach of central Bath. Comprising sitting room, modern kitchen, dining room and a large master bedroom. Downstairs comprises: large second bedroom and contemporary bathroom.

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Cavendish Crescent

T LE

The Apartment Company is delighted to market this well presented two double bedroom apartment. The property comprises: reception room with modern kitchen, master bedroom with en-suite, second double bedroom and bathroom.

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Park Street

£1600 pcm

Situated on the lower ground floor of a Georgian townhouse is an exquisite, bespoke apartment that has been refurbished to a very high standard throughout including an Architect designed extension. Highly Recommended.

sales@theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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Catharine Place

O.I.E.O

£500,000

Grade II listed · Georgian apartment · First floor · Three double bedrooms · Period features · Central location · Communal Garden · Approx 1109 Sq ft

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Russel Street

The Regina

£430,000

Grade II listed · Georgian · First floor · High ceilings · Period features · Central location · Approx 913 Sq ft

£435,000

Grade II listed · First floor · Newly refurbished · Two bedrooms · Original features · Stunning Outlook · Central location · Approx 773 Sq ft

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O.I.E.O

O.I.E.O

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Camden Crescent

Great Pulteney Street O.I.E.O £430,000 Grade I listed · Georgian · Ground floor · One bedroom · Wealth of period features · Beautifully presented · Quintessentially Bath · Approx 685 Sq ft

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O.I.E.O

£325,000

Grade II listed · First floor · High ceilings · Two bedrooms · Modern bathroom & Kitchen · Georgian features · Approx 574 Sq ft

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Walcot Parade

O.I.E.O

£275,000

Georgian apartment · Grade II listed · First floor · Two bedrooms · Newly refurbished · Central location · Views over park · Approx 576 Sq ft

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Wells Road

O.I.E.O

£385,000

Georgian · Grade II listed · Private garden · Private parking space · Stunning views · Three double bedrooms · Ground floor · Approx 1156 Sq ft

Grosvenor Place

O.I.E.O

£350,000

Georgian apartment · Grade II listed · First floor · Wealth of period features · One bedroom · South facing views · Approx 825 Sq ft

Lawrence House

O.I.E.O

£340,000

Modern apartment · Central location · Two bedrooms · Lift access · Exclusive block of apartments · Newly redecorated · Approx 543 Sq ft

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

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