STREET LIFE
The two sides of Larkhall: from the more white collar, office-based city side we have some of the girls from Zest – Zoe Wilson, Kat Fox and Alix Stowell – while repping the village vibe is Luke Rich, owner of The Farm Shop
YOU HAVE BEEN READING… Bath Artist Printmakers; www.bathartistprintmakers.co.uk The Beaufort Bookshop; www.beaufortbookshop.co.uk Crockadoodledoo; www.crockadoodledo.co.uk Goodies Deli; www.goodliesdeli.co.uk The Headonista; theheadonista.com Langbridge Home Hardware; www.langbridge.co.uk Larkhall Butchers; www.larkhallbutchers.co.uk Leak; www.facebook.com/leakbath/ Ma Cuisine; www.macuisine.co.uk Not Just Pets; www.notjustpets.co.uk New Oriel Hall; www.neworielhall.org.uk The Rondo Theatre; www.rondotheatre.co.uk The Rose and Crown; www.roseandcrownlarkhall.co.uk St. Saviours Church; www.stsaviours.org.uk The Village Kitchen, 1 Upper Cambridge Street Zest Sales & Lettings; www.zestlovesproperty.com
“Larkhall is very supportive of the arts,” says exhibition co-ordinator Lynne Cunningham, “and it’s in a great location with its own quirky character. We love Goodies, and the Aladdin’s cave that is Langbridge, perfect for studio supplies. We probably need more parking and a better evening bus service, but you could say that about anywhere.” Vashti Mayne of The Headonista – she’s a self-employed milliner, creating one-off statement headwear – lives in Larkhall, she says, because it’s such a wonderful place to raise children. “It’s a secret little slice of country life,” she says. “For a small place, it’s very well served and has an incredibly strong sense of community. The proposed skate park in Alice Park was a great idea, and I’d still love to see it come to fruition. More provisions for teenagers can only be a good thing.” Vashti actually went to school here, and still likes to keep everything close to home, using local photographer Bob Whitfield to sell her creations. “Documenting what I’ve made is key to selling on-line, and Bob’s great; he makes my models feel relaxed in front of the camera.” And it’s this sort of close co-operation between local businesses that makes Larkhall so special. Indeed, when we got in touch with a select bunch of residents and businesses to ask what they thought of the place, they kept running around and sharing our interest with others. This is the sort of community where things tend to snowball – and in the very best sort way. n
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