Bath Life – Issue 444

TAKE ME

HANDBAGS & GLAD RAGS

ISSUE 444 / 21 MAY – 3 JUNE 2021 / FIVE STAR TREATMENT

ISSUE 444 / 21 MAY – 3 JUNE 2021 / £3

THE ART OF SECONDHAND STYLE

IT’S A BARBIE WORLD

THE BEST GEAR FOR A COOK OUT

WISH ME LUCKNAM!

UNWINDING AT LUCKNAM PARK HOTEL & SPA

GET BACK TO FABULOUS

SHAKING OFF THE LOCKDOWN BLUES

THE MAGIC OF THE CIRCUS MAKE SEMINAL YOUR NEW DOMICILE

TIME TO REFLECT THE BEAUTY OF GLASS

CHECK IN, CHILL OUT OUR FIVE-STAR GUIDE TO THE LUXE HOTELS OF BATH

EDITOR’S LETTER

ABOVE: Hotel Indigo Bath is just one of the 15 luxe hotels featured on page 18 BELOW: Recreate that five-star feeling at home (page 46)

A

little alone time. Sounds mad doesn’t it after a year of not socialising, partying, gathering, or mingling. But I realised just the act of filling in my newly purchased 2021 diary was exhausting me, let alone actually fulfilling all these obligations I am merrily committing to. If 2020 has any lessons lurking in its horrors, it’s that a little alone time is maybe something to be cherished. It’s not about being selfish or indulgent, but about looking after ourselves – quietly, and after my delightful solo trip to Lucknam Park (page 46), a little alone time is now being determinedly inked into my diary.

Over on page 18, there’s 15 glorious, local, and luxe options for hotel stays and breaks all offering the chance to get away from it all but in less time than you can say – what’s the testing requirements for that expensive holiday abroad? This is proper restorative luxury delivered in a hop, skip, and stress-free jump.

To help fuse and enhance those feel-good, postlockdown vibes, we asked our beauty and wellbeing experts (page 53) for their top tips to feeling fabulous in a flash, and how to stay that way for good.

And to keep those spirits lifted we have a shopping guide to hotel five-star living at home (page 46), plus a beautiful fashion shoot from Dorothy House (page 60) with invaluable advice on how to shop sustainably, stylish, and in a secondhand way.

Stay chilled and happy, and see you in two weeks time. It’s in the diary...

SARAH MOOLLA

Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

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Issue 444 / 21 May – 3 June 2021 COVER Girls by a Pool at Dusk by Dan Parry Jones is exhibited through Adam Gallery, 3 Northumberland Buildings, Bath; www.adamgallery.com

STAYCATIONS

18 You needn’t get on a plane to have a extravagant holiday.

Here’s 15 oh-so-luxurious hotel options on our doorstep

THE ARTS

33 ARTS INTRO The Holburne celebrates a child painter

prodigy of the 1700s

34 WHAT’S ON Art, performance, music, festivities and

© EGLE VASI

more coming up in the next few weeks

60

38 BOOKS Read about the musicians who have turned their

talents to literature

FOOD&DRINK

92

43 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Tasty updates from Bath’s

foodie scene

44 TRY 5 Alcohol, locally made 46 RESTAURANT Luxury dining and spa at Lucknam Park

SHOPPING

49 INTRO Create your own reading nook 50 EDITOR’S CHOICE Live the 5-star life at home

LIFESTYLE

53 BEAUTY Post-lockdown glow up must-haves from Ané 54 GET BACK TO FABULOUS Hot tips from Bath’s beauty

and wellness gurus

60 FASHION Dorothy House visual merchandiser Eleanor

Tasker on creating a fashion shoot using secondhand style

BUSINESS

65 BATHWORKS News, views, and interviews from our

successful local businesses

69 BIZ Q&A Jonathan Green, head of junior and

community cricket at Bath Cricket Club

PROPERTY

75 INTRO Start a new life on a 60-acre farm 76 PROPERTY NEWS Updates from the market 80 SHOWCASE One of Bath’s most sought-after addresses

has come to market

92 GLASS Level up any interior scheme with glass

DEPARTMENTS

9 SPOTLIGHT Explore the deep dark woods with the Gruffalo at Westonbirt Arboretum 13 FLATLINE Flats logs on to shop, not shout 15 GREG INGHAM MediaClash’s CEO shares his tips

for living in a different time

98 BATH LIVES Meet Francesca Beauman, writer,

historian and bookseller

Editor Sarah Moolla sarah.moolla@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy editor Lydia Tewkesbury lydia.tewkesbury@mediaclash.co.uk Managing editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash. co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors Ané Auret, Nic Bottomley, David Flatman and Matilda Walton Group advertising manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy advertising manager Justine Walker justine.walker@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Annabel North annabel.north@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Dan Nichols dan.nichols@mediaclash.co.uk Production/Distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@ mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Matt Gynn matt.gynn@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bath Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

A new app brings the Gruffalo to life at Westonbirt Arboretum

Books

To do

INTO THE WOODS Take a stroll through the deep dark woods – of Westonbirt Arboretum – and hunt for the Gruffalo.

Forestry England has joined forces with Magic Light Pictures to present The Gruffalo Spotter 2 app – the follow up to the BAFTA-nominated original that gives a whole new dimension to the characters from Julia Donaldson’s beloved children’s books.

“This is such an exciting development and will deliver a completely different forest experience for our visitors,” says Hannah Ward, recreation manager at Westonbirt.

“The Gruffalo is a much-loved story and to be able to once again bring the characters to life in their natural setting is fantastic. We’re thrilled to be bringing the two worlds of technology and nature together again with this new app!”

The app encourages children to drive their own narrative journey with instructions to wave, stomp, fly, dance and roar, triggering cutting edge face and body recognition technology that brings the Axel Scheffler illustrations of Gruffalo, Mouse and co to life.

For more: www.forestryengland.co.uk

Frank Shellard wants to help us grow the perfect runner bean. His new guidebook, Let’s All Grow A Runner Bean, with beautiful illustrations by Heidi Nowak, encourages readers of all ages to embrace growing your own produce – whether you’re a pot by the back door type or the proud owner of a meticulously cared for flower bed.

“People have asked me what on earth inspired me to write a book about growing a runner bean – quite simply, I wanted to bring people together, and to share the unique joy of growing food to eat,” says Frank. “In recent times we have all been seeking connection, with others and with the natural world – what better way of sharing with friends, family and neighbours, encouraging the children to join in and bringing us all together, than by growing a runner bean plant from seed?

“With Let’s All Grow A Runner Bean, I hope to demonstrate how easy it can be to grow your own vegetables at home, and maybe to spark a lifelong love of gardening.” Proceeds from sales will be split between The Forever Friends Appeal, NHS Charities Together and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Readers are encouraged to share their runner bean growing experiences online using the hashtag #GrowABean.

For more: www.letsallgrowarunnerbean.co.uk

Start your veg growing journey with a runner bean

Dance the night away with Down For The Count

Theatre

JUST LIKE MAGIC

The Merlin Theatre is open as of 22 May. For the first time this year, the Frome theatre is hosting its eclectic programme of stand up, theatre (Ilyria Theatre’s The Further Adventures of Dr Dolittle is coming 2 June and then Folksy Theatre will bring their new adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood later in the summer) and live music from the likes of Down for The Count, who will provide their own flavour of afternoon vintage jazz, all performed by top class musicians and vocalists.

For more: www.merlintheatre.co.uk

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ILLUSTR ATIONS © HEIDI NOWAK

FULL OF BEANS

SPOTLIGHT Heritage

BREAKING GROUND

After 17 years’ worth of community campaigning, work finally began on The Cleveland Pools this month. Grade II* listed and the UK’s oldest surviving lido, the £6.2m project has been taken on by Bristol-based Beard, which will bring extensive heritage sector experience to the restoration.

“After 17 years of community action, starting construction work is a hugely significant moment which we’re all so happy to see,” says Anna Baker, director of The Cleveland Pools Trust. “We’ve had fantastic support to get us this far, particularly from our main funder, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, but still have some way to go with £400,000 still to raise. We are looking forward now to seeing the restoration take shape, to be complete by summer 2022, when the community that enjoyed the benefits of this wonderful facility in the past, will be able to once again.

“Beard has brought a great deal of expertise to the project and a real appreciation of what the facility will be used for once it’s complete, which is very important for us in a construction partner.”

It’s a challenging undertaking – the site is only accessible by river, so materials will be delivered on a barge with Avon Rugby Club serving as loading site – that’ll result in a completely restored and operational lido, heritage exhibition, and learning space.

For more: www.clevelandpools.co.uk

Celebrating the city bathed in light

@out_and_about_photography

By 2022, The Cleveland pools will be restored to their former glory

Competition

CALLING ALL STORYTELLERS

Finbar Hawkins of Aardman Animation will judge a new writing competition

10 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Bath Spa University graduate Kim Donavan has launched a brand-new writing competition for children’s authors. The Searchlight Writing for Children Awards has three categories: Best Bedtime Story, Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults, and Best Short Story For Children or Young Adults. Submissions for the first award, the Best Bedtime Story are open now.

Finbar Hawkins, children’s author and creative director at Aardman Animations and Bath Spa graduate will judge the first competition.

“I’m looking to be transported,” says Finbar. “I want a bedtime story to spark my imagination, so that I’ll either plead for just another page, or that I’ll be sure to dream of what happens next…”

Winners and runner up submissions will be collated and sent to literary agents and publishers, and an annual anthology will be printed. First prize winners will also received a cash reward.

For more: www.searchlightawards.co.uk

@chloemoore_photography

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FLATLINE DAVID FLATMAN

Online support

© TAKING PICTURES

World wide web shopping is here to stay says Flats, but we can still support local

“I can’t wait to get back to Corkage and fill my boots”

A

s talk of Lockdown 2 ending began to raise above a murmur, one famous British writer declared on Twitter that however many times he was told to get back out there and support local, reopening businesses, he’d be doing just the opposite, thank you. Predictably, a thousand people told him “right on” and ten thousand told him, to paraphrase, that he should probably poke his own eyes out.

Overall, it was a silly thing to tweet; unnecessarily provocative and always likely to end in horrid online abuse. Quietly, though, it did ring a bell with me. Now before you advise me on my own eyeball maintenance regime, I’ll try to tell you what I mean. Firstly, I don’t believe social media. Social media is not how people think because almost everybody either isn’t on it or is on it but tells you nothing of what they think. The handyman who hung some coat racks for me last week isn’t on it.

The nice lady at the gym isn’t on it. My parents aren’t on it. My cleaners (yes, I have two; they’re a crack team and it saves on petrol, apparently. I never get that) aren’t on it.

And a lot of the people who do post on it lie a lot. Fake photos, fake happiness, fake resilience, stolen quotes, fake allyship. It’s a synthetic universe in which there sometimes pops up something informative or funny. Anyway, my point is that everyone likes to be part of a movement, especially when things are tough. To this end, folks like to declare what it is they’re most looking forward to doing when we’re all free again.

And that’s getting out there and supporting local as aggressively as possible. Well, that’s one of the things. But what does that mean?

Bath’s coffee and food culture is one of the city’s great attractions, and I intend to drink and eat some nice things soon, as I always have done. But lockdown

has, genuinely, made me prefer generally to be at home. I grind and filter my own coffee before I head to the gym, where before I stopped and bought. I overcook and save the extra for those latenight finishes from work, where before I Deliverooed. I’ll never wash my own car, but you see my point.

I can’t wait to get back to Corkage and fill my boots, and I’m told I must go to Taylor’s Bagels immediately and eat all they have, but that’ll likely be me for the week. I’m not tight, I’m not anti-anything. I’m just, I think, happier with a life that is a small percentage smaller than the one we seem to be being told to live.

I forgot to get some nail clippers for my dog in town yesterday, so I picked up my phone and paid four pounds for some online. They arrived at 09.20 the next morning!

There may be a little pet shop that sells the same, but this was an unemotional purchase to which I wanted to devote minimum time and cash, so using the internet is literally better. Due to Covid and what it did to my work, I still have great dollops of free time. I’ve found myself – now we have some choice again – walking more, reading more, cooking more.

I’ll do my best to support local (yesterday I popped into the Hare & Hounds for a couple of pints and a lovely pizza and paid a twenty pound bill I’d accidentally walked off without paying prelockdown!), and it will be fun to do so, but such an extended period of confinement has, somehow, proved to this apparent socialite that sometimes the best venue of all is the kitchen table, with grumpy children or tipsy mates.

Here’s to achieving some balance in a world where it’s (apparently) all or nothing.

David Flatman is an ex-Bath and England rugby player turned TV pundit and rent-o-mic. Find him on Twitter @ davidflatman and Instagram @dflatman www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 13

#BATH TOGETHER GREG INGHAM

Of doubts and certainties

As Bath bounds back, what do we now think our worlds will be like...?

D

oubt is uncomfortable but certainty is absurd,” Voltaire. There was a time in that time of corona, which dragged, and dragged again, then virtually stopped and fell sleep, when that phrase about doubt was the politest way of expressing that we had absolutely no idea what was happening. Old certainties eroded, atomised, gone.

As we now emerge from that hibernation, joyously if belatedly, we can project new certainties, or clearly wish them. If you are a fan of this city – and you are, because you are reading this magazine, because this city is magnificent, because we choose to cling to what we know and love, because you live here and you look around and enjoyed this very place in lockdown more than ever. Consider then this sketch of a plan for the city. A Planifesto of #BathTogether

• BUY LOCAL Indies add hugely to the social and living culture of our city. They’re more distinctive.

They attract people to the city.

And they pay their taxes here.

Support them: you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.

• INVITE FRIENDS HERE

Ask your friends to come here.

All of ‘em, always. Weekending friends add hugely to Bath.

Currently they may not want or be able to go abroad for holidays.

OK: come here! You’ll know people who’ll enjoy this city.

• FIND GOOD THINGS TO PRAISE Yes, these have been

tough times; no value in saying it any more. Instead, share the good stuff (by all means via #BathTogether). Seek out the good that people and organisations are doing. Celebrate success, however modest. Pass on new offerings, places to go. Recognise those flecks of humanity, those half smiles, those moments to be grateful for.

• GET ACTIVE Active personally,

round the city and beyond; being visible, busying up Bath. Active professionally: buying from local businesses, paying bills, keeping money flowing through the city.

Active culturally: supporting those too-long dark theatres, cinemas and venues.

• STEP UP CIVICALLY And many have. The need for civic leadership will be yet greater.

“Quiet is the new loud”

It cannot just be assumptively defaulted to councils: larger companies and organisations, people of influence need to play their part as never before. In whose interest is the continued growth of this city..? The bigger the organisations the greater the opportunity – and responsibility.

• SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES

The need for them has never been greater; their teams never more over-stretched; their funding never been more precarious.

• LET THE GREAT PAUSE ALSO BE THE GREAT ACCELERATOR These times

have given us all pause, of course.

They’ve also brought forward existing trends – working from home most notably. But also: the trust in local and regional brands vs national. Greater sense of purpose in all we do. Better fitness; more environmental awareness; the value of family and friendships. Accelerate those.

Today’s heresies are tomorrow’s orthodoxies. The unimaginable – say, the state paying millions to stay at home, or homes being found for all homeless, albeit only temporarily – became a holding pattern for the emerging next normal.

And purely personally? Take this: This has been the time of priorities switching. One lawyer told us that he realised in lockdown (and quite possibly

Lansdown) that he never sees his kids, such was his all-consuming worklust. Will we really revert to such self-destructive ways? That which we assumed to matter so greatly in the accelerative nonthinking Gadarene rush of busy living may well not matter so much now. Many of us have lived our lives so hard in pursuit of a thin veneer of a success defined by others, not by us.

And surely friendship and closeness will be valued more highly now. Once deprived, never forgotten. Having not been able to hold, to hug, nor even to say hello in person, after this Great Pause, we’ll be greeting our long-lost friends like, well, long-lost friends.

Quiet is the new loud. “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone,” said Blaise Pascal, wrongly. A life paused in this imposed monastic solitude has been a time for reflection. A more thoughtful era may, just may, emerge… #BathTogether – always…

Greg Ingham was a journalist back in the day and runs MediaClash jointly with Jane Ingham. He chairs Creative Bath, and can be found @gregingh

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IN THE LAP OF LUXURY

18 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

LUXURY HOTELS

“The creeper-covered palladian mansion is set within 500 acres of parkland”

Soothing spa sessions, exquisite country houses, Michelin-starred dining...get away from it all by staying close to home

By Sarah Moolla

I

mean you could set up daily notifications for those fluctuating red, amber and green lists of countries; there’s nothing stopping you researching the varying and various rules for Covid-testing to enter those countries; and by all means do consider how much you might have to pay if you’re obliged to quarantine on return. Or, plan B, keep it local, luxurious and relaxed.

We’ve researched 15 amazing stays, all on our doorstep and all offering gorgeous, pampered, and safe breaks.

With the money saved from the potentially stressful, and most definitely uncertain, holiday abroad, you could take time out in at least a couple of these gems.

1

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Lucknam Park, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8AZ. tel: 01225 742777; www.lucknampark.co.uk The creeper-covered palladian mansion is set within 500 acres of parkland, and five acres of beautiful formal gardens. Within the grounds there are 43 rooms and suites, with three country cottages.

EAT This summer, and for the first time, guests will be able to eat al fresco enjoying the Restaurant Hywel Jones in the bloom-filled terrace tucked in the walled gardens of The Brasserie. (Turn to page 46 for our review).

Lucknam are also working with local family-run suppliers to create BBQ hampers prepared in the kitchens for guests to enjoy on the estate.

SLEEP The grand master suites were originally the master bedrooms

of the house, and have become so once more. Elegantly decorated with a large sitting area, an open fireplace, a dining table, writing desk and a stately four-poster bed. The splendid bathrooms are finished using the finest marble, and the huge windows boast views down the mile-long avenue drive of 400 lime and beech trees that were planted in 1827.

Lucknam Park has its own equestrian centre

USPs The ESPA spa is complete with 20-metre indoor pool, indooroutdoor hydrotherapy pool, relaxation rooms, and thermal cabins.

There’s also a substantial equestrian centre with 35 horses, which offers lessons and hacks to all ages and abilities. An arboretum can be found on the grounds filled with some 200 trees and has been designed for all seasons.

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LUXURY HOTELS

“The hotel is home to Bath’s only Michelin-starred restaurant” 2

The Queensberry Hotel and Olive Tree Restaurant, 4-7 Russell Street Bath BA1 2QF. tel: 01225 447928; www.thequeensberry.co.uk The multi-award-winning Queensberry Hotel is made up of four beautiful Grade II listed Georgian townhouses in the city, which were converted into a luxury boutique hotel in 1987.

EAT The hotel is home to Bath’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, The Olive Tree. With the talented executive head chef, Chris Cleghorn at the helm, the restaurant menu is described as ‘striking, delicious and frequently changing, and showcasing all of the high-quality artisan food producers worth their salt round the West Country.’

SLEEP From open plan and spacious doubles to lovely comfy and club

rooms, to the uber luxe four poster suite, complete with a gargantuan seven-foot square of a bed overlooking Bath’s Russell Street, different guests come for different reasons with various budgets. All rooms have been recently high-end refurbished, and each has a unique style and feel. Room 26 is a deluxe room of Georgian proportions, floor-to-ceiling windows, elegant fabrics, stunning light fittings and an expansive walk-in shower as well as a roll top end-to-end Burlington bath.

USPs A bed and breakfast ‘Let’s Get Fizz-ical’ two-night special for £175pp offering dining in The Olive Tree, breakfast and a bottle of the Queen’s favourite bubbles, Wiston Brut NV. As well as special arrangements with No.1 Royal Crescent and the Bath Preservation Trust, the hotel has teamed up with Fred Mawer, a Blue Badge guide, who can offer bespoke tours curated for the guest’s interests.

3

No.15 Great Pulteney by GuestHouse, 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bathwick Bath BA2 4BS. tel: 01225 807015; www.guesthousehotels.co.uk A gracious and elegant Grade I-listed building under new ownership, the GuestHouse brothers Tristan, James and Tom.

EAT The hotel’s relaxed restaurant sparkles from its Hulbertmasterminded makeover and showcases chef Matt Gillard’s delicious

above: Enjoy a cocktail at The Queensberry Hotel;

below: No.15 four poster beds are worthy of a period drama, and pancakes

‘Wild British’ cuisine. Chef ’s refined comfort food champions the best local produce, meat and fish; sample dishes include line-caught sea bass with lentils and spring greens with hedgerow oil, and dry-aged Somerset fillet steak with watercress, fresh horseradish, pancetta and baby onions.

SLEEP The Hideout is Bath’s standout hotel room. If you can call it a

hotel room. The 55sqm Hideout feels like an apartment with a spa. It gives its guests the very deepest sense of privacy and relaxation. The star of the show is its huge bathroom with steam room and hot tub that feels as though it is outdoors. But its bedroom, dressing room, lounge with fireplace and Sonos system are all part of the allure, too. It’s a space for guests to dim the lights, settle in, and drift into sanctuary.

USPs Guests can take advantage of a fleet of celebratory packages, designed to coincide with the hotel’s GuestHouse relaunch and shaped around the philosophy of championing local. This includes ‘You Time’ which starts from £826, with a two-night stay, breakfast on both mornings, a picnic or afternoon tea on one day, and dinner on one evening. A No.15 Spa treatment, an hour-long sound bath at Soul Spa, an hour-long yoga/Qi Gong/cardio session at one of their partner studios, and a Shinrin-Yoku experience. Each guest is issued their own copy of The Guest List on arrival, a guide by GuestHouse of nearby art galleries, food markets, hidden bookshops, hard-to-miss historical sites, and lesser-known boutiques.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 21

LUXURY HOTELS

4

The Manor House, Park Lane, Castle Combe, Chippenham SN14 7HX. tel: 01249 782206; www.exclusive.co.uk/the-manor-house The Manor House is a luxury Cotswolds estate comprising luxury hotel, championship golf course and club, and The Castle Inn pub, all located in the heart of Castle Combe.

EAT Year after year, Robert Potter and his team retain their Michelin

star dining at Bybrook restaurant and one glance at the menu gives you a clue as to why – Newlyn mackerel Porthilly oyster, cucumber, caviar; Wiltshire Downlands lamb, violet artichoke, black garlic, turnip, girolles, jus gras; and Nourrit black fig rosemary caramel, almond sable. Much of the produce is grown and reared on the grounds themselves. There’s also afternoon teas options in the drawing room, casual dining in the lounge spaces, and a nearby visit to The Castle Inn pub, which is owned by the Manor House and is just a short stroll away, in the heart of the village.

SLEEP All 50 of the luxe bedrooms and suites are individually styled with

their own features such as four poster beds, spa baths, private gardens, and fire places. Options include rooms in the main house, and also from the rows of mews cottages.

USPs The Manor House Golf Club is nestled in 365 acres of Cotswold

countryside, bordering the village of Castle Combe. The championship 18-hole golf course also houses The Clubhouse for food and drink; The Loft, a state of the art gym; and The Waterfall Lodge suitable for overnight golf breaks.

5

The Yard in Bath, 1 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AT. tel: 01225 448896; www.theyardinbath.co.uk The Yard in Bath is a 14 bedroom boutique hotel in the heart of the city and centred around a beautiful historic courtyard.

EAT There may not be a full menu but small plates are on offer to accompany the extensively curated selection of wines with a notable

“All 50 of the luxe bedrooms and suites are individually styled ”

22 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

focus on offering some unexpected options alongside the mainstays.

There are the easy-sipping classics but also some from emerging wine hotspots such as Lebanon and Romania for those in the mood to try something new. Seasonal cocktails such as Aperol Spritz, Rhubarb and Elderflower Fizz are also on offer, along with local indie beers and ales.

SLEEP The largest bedroom, and the hotel’s most sought after room,

comes with its own roof terrace. The bedroom has plenty of space for a comfortable weekend and the layout centres around a large stone fireplace. The roof terrace, accessed directly from the bedroom, has space for two to enjoy breakfast privately outside and the floor-toceiling sash windows flood the bedroom with sunlight on a nice day.

The bathroom has a freestanding bath, separate shower, and bespoke wallpaper from Lewis & Wood.

USPs The small courtyard, decked out with plants and flowers, has three tables of two and one table of four. This cosy enclave catches the afternoon sunshine making it the ideal spot to enjoy an evening glass of wine or cocktail. In the morning, this space offers a peaceful haven for a quick coffee or a leisurely breakfast. above: A city centre view from The Yard’s bathroom;

below: The Manor House boasts an 18-hole golf course

LUXURY HOTELS

above: The 14-acre grounds at Woolley Grange contains playhouses, nature garden, trampoline and giant swing; opposite page top: Many of the original features like deep seat windows have been restored at Timbrell’s Yard; opposite page bottom: The opulent and striking drawing room of The Bath Priory

6

Woolley Grange Hotel, Woolley Green, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1TX. tel: 01225 864705; www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk Part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection, Woolley Grange is a familyfriendly Jacobean manor, with Elemis spa, indoor and outdoor pools and Ofsted registered crèche.

EAT The kitchen team, headed up by award-winning chef Dean Westcar,

is passionate about using sustainable seasonal produce, dovetailing with their equally passionate gardening team. The two work together to deliver a delightful menu of fresh and flavoursome dishes throughout the year. They are committed to using the best small, local suppliers including eggs, which are supplied by the local Southview Farm, and meats coming from award-winning Walter Rose and Sons in Devizes.

SLEEP The Hayloft suite is rather special. With a king and a

twin bedroom, a gorgeous bathroom and large living area, it can accommodate a family of six. It is housed in what was once the stable block, come-coach house, come-first NHS ambulance station after the war. There’s a lot of history here. New to Woolley Grange is a luxury family glamping offering of two bedded glamping suites, complete with bathroom, living space and veranda for those guests who want a more outdoor holiday. The Glamping site also has the Hideout Café and Bar – perfect for relaxing with a glass of something special whilst the children chase chickens!

USPs In the holidays and at weekends there are complementary family activities such as pesto making with chef, willow weaving and flower crown making, the family challenge (think welly wanging and obstacle courses), and marshmallow toasting. Private yoga lessons can be booked.

7

Timbrell’s Yard, 49 St Margaret’s Street, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1DE. tel: 01225 869492; www.timbrellsyard.com The stylish riverside dog-friendly boutique hotel is a Grade II listed building, and once the site of an 18th century dye mill owned by Mr Timbrell.

EAT Jack Stoodley is the head chef and along with exec chef Tom Blake, they’ve created a delicious menu with a focus on local West Country

24 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

producers. Recommendations include the White Lake pecorino and spring pea arancini with green herb mayonnaise; for main the merguez spiced lamb rump with smoky aubergine and pepperonata; and to finish the rhubarb pavlova with vanilla and mascarpone cream.

SLEEP The loft suites have a cool, contemporary Nordic feel with

mezzanine bedrooms, large picture windows and window seats overlooking the mellow river and the church spire. In the older wing, the rooms have thick, heavy beams clad in vintage linen and freestanding cast-iron baths. All the rooms feature crisp white linen, soft merino wool and modern textiles.

USPs Not only a dye mill building, the property once housed the Tariff Reform Club, the Town Library, and then the Conservative Club. In 1960, Bradford on Avon Rowing Club took over the building having merged with the Conservative Club, and it later became the Riverside Inn which later closed. It was about to be converted into offices and housing when the Stay Original Company bought it and undertook a complete refurbishment. It re-opened, utterly transformed in 2015, into a beautiful 17-bedroom boutique hotel, complete with original low beams, deep seat windows, and wonky floors, on the banks of the River Avon.

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The Bath Priory, Weston Road, Bath, BA1 2XT. tel: 01225 331922; www.thebathpriory.co.uk A family-owned 33 bedroom luxury hotel, restaurant and spa with indoor and outdoor pool, set within four acres of gardens in Bath.

EAT The restaurant is renowned as one of the city’s best, with new head chef Jauca Catalin now heading up our kitchen, having recently moved to the hotel from the Priory’s sister hotel in Canterbury. There’s a brandnew look and menu for its garden terrace – now open for all day al fresco dining, and serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and supper.

SLEEP Fresh flowers and fruit greet guests in the sumptuous and spacious

master Crescent suites, each named after one of Bath’s famous crescents and all offering beautiful garden views. ‘Cavendish’ features a calming, muted palette whilst ‘The Royal’s’ double room includes a decadent roll top bath. The spacious living rooms are individually designed with pure relaxation in mind.

“The loft suites have a cool, contemporary Nordic feel”

COMING SOON

boscopizzeria.co.uk boscopizzeria 1-2 Milsom Place, Bath BA1 1BZ

LUXURY HOTELS USPs The Bath Priory has an indoor and outdoor pool, available to use by hotel and spa guests, as well as croquet and boules in the garden.

This summer, visitors can indulge in a new yoga concept, which offers self-guided practices detailed on complementary new card sets along with yoga mats, to be enjoyed either within the privacy of guests’ bedrooms, or in a quiet spot in the hotel’s gardens – maybe under the ancient mulberry tree or in the perfumed rose garden.

9

Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Easton Grey, Malmesbury, Wilts, SN16 0DJ. tel: 01666 822 888; www.whatleymanor.com A grown-up getaway in the heart of the Cotswolds, set in 12 acres of gardens with 26 distinctly different areas.

EAT Under the direction of executive chef Niall Keating, The Dining

Room currently holds two Michelin stars. Niall’s menus showcase his accomplished modern cooking with clever and creative use of Asian influences. There’s also the sophisticated Grey’s Brasserie, and the Courtyard Lawn Outdoor Dining Experience offering a vibrant new seasonal menu, small but perfectly formed and bursting with flavour.

SLEEP The Grand Suite is split over two levels, with an enormous

bathroom and freestanding Philippe Starck bath. There is a reception room, followed by the living room, leading into the beautiful exposed beam bedroom, and offering views out over the grand lawn and into the open countryside beyond.

USPs Whatley Manor have just been awarded five Earthchecker globes for their work on sustainability. There are regular ticketed events such as a lunch with Gyles Brandreth and the Sunday Cinema Club. There is a newly installed hydrotherapy pool, heated stone recliners, steam room, sauna and a float pod, plus treatments by the Aquarias Spa team include facials using Gaia skin care, and salt scrub showers.

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The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LS. tel: 01225 823 333; www.royalcrescent.co.uk A luxury hotel based in the centre across two houses on the world’s most recognisable Georgian Crescent.

EAT Along with al fresco options and picnics, the 3AA Rosette Dower

House Restaurant, with executive head chef, David Campbell leading the kitchen, offers up seasonal and celebrated options including the tasting menu which lists delights such as Salisbury Plain venison saddle, and mandarin cheesecake. To mark World Gin Day in June there’s a Sipsmith Sipping menu with a range of specially created gin cocktails.

SLEEP There are 45 individually-designed bedrooms and suites to

choose from and one of the hotel’s most breath-taking suites is the Duke of York suite, named after Prince Frederick, who visited Bath in 1795.

With duck-egg blue décor, original ceiling mouldings, a glamorous four poster bed, and floor-to-ceiling views of the stunning Crescent lawns.

USPs The acre of hidden gardens boasts a winding lavender path, abuzz with bees and butterflies in summertime. The spa with 12-metre relaxation pool, vitality pool, steam room, Himalayan salt sauna, luxe pampering treatments, and a fully-equipped gym. Their Escape to the English Villa package gives exclusive use of a standalone private residence that can sleep up to eight people, plus a private courtyard.

below: Whatley Manor’s indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool; right: Welcome to the 250-year-old Royal Cresent Hotel

“There is a newly installed hydrotherapy pool” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 27

LUXURY HOTELS

“The hotel reopened after a multi-million-pound major restoration project”

ABOVE: The reception area of the creative and boutique Hotel Indigo Bath;

RIGHT: The £10.1 million refurbishment has transformed DoubleTree by Hilton Bath

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Hotel Indigo Bath, South Parade, Bath, BA2 4AB. tel: 01225 460441; www.bath.hotelindigo.com The 166 room hotel opened its doors on 9 September 2020 after a multimillion-pound major restoration project.

EAT The Elder is the on-site restaurant where executive chef Mike Robinson, the UK’s leading authority on wild food and game, brings his core ‘field to fork’ philosophy, creating an exceptional dining experience with a focus on sustainability, seasonality and locally-sourced produce.

This is the gem Guardian food critic Jay Rayner called, “A brilliant beam of sunshine.”

SLEEP The rooms are designed around five themes reflecting the history

and locality of Bath. These include ‘Romance & Mischief ’ rooms, ‘Literary Hideaway’ rooms, ‘Architectural Beauty’ rooms, ‘Garden’ rooms and ‘The Vaults’. Modern and stylish, they reflect the influences of the architects and novelists who made Bath famous for its storytelling and passionate social scene. All rooms are equipped with comfy Hypnos beds with luxury Egyptian cotton linen, and spa-inspired bathrooms.

USPs Famous figures from history have stayed in the properties in their previous guises of The Pratt’s Hotel and The Halcyon Hotel including Sir Walter Scott, William Wilberforce, and the Duke of York. The exclusive-use house comes with its own entrance, eight bedrooms, a lounge/meeting room and a restored original Georgian kitchen.

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DoubleTree by Hilton Bath, Walcot, Bath, BA1 5BJ. tel: 01225 463 411; www.dtbath.doubletreebyhilton.com A recent £10.1 million refurbishment programme has transformed the 176 room hotel that was originally built in 1973.

EAT The hotel has launched various afternoon and savoury teas situated in the Secret Garden, as well as cocktail promotions on Emma’s Terrace, with the sharing platters a huge hit locally. Plus there’s a new doggy menu which includes specially crafted doggy ice creams and snacks.

28 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SLEEP The bedrooms have benefitted from the recent renovations,

which range from budget-friendly twin guest rooms to a split level master suite with a separate living area and a luxurious loft-living feel to it.

USPs The hotel’s central Bath location and the Secret Garden with unique River Avon views as well as vistas of Pulteney Bridge and Sham Castle, make this pretty special. There is also on-site, state-of-the-art fitness equipment.

13

The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Beau Street, Bath BA1 1QY. tel: 01823 358888; www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk A luxury five-star hotel with 100 bedrooms, originally built in the 1800s, and occupying two Grade II Listed buildings with distinguished Georgian and Victorian façades EAT A watch-this-space, with head chef Joe Lacey at the helm of a summer opening of the new Gainsborough Brasserie, which looks set to impress “with its Georgian architecture, original artwork and impressive wine wall open to hotel guests and non-residents, and contemporary British cuisine inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients in a stylish and relaxed environment.”

LUXURY HOTELS SLEEP Spacious and beautifully appointed,

the Bath Spa Suite includes dedicated in-room thermal water service from the alcove roll-top bathtub within its under floor heated marble bathroom, plus the unique Gainsborough Scented Candle, and luxury eye pillow.

USPs Tapping into the original thermal springs, Spa Village Bath offers a contemporary perspective on the city’s thermal water heritage.

Coupled with the historic use of aromatherapy in Great Britain, this spa, set beneath a glass atrium within this hotel, gently supports the brand’s philosophy of honouring the healing traditions of the region, while sharing the gift of select signature therapies of the original Spa Villages in Malaysia.

The Bird, 18-19 Pulteney Road, Bath, BA2 4EZ. tel: 01225 580438; www.thebirdbath.co.uk Part of the Kaleidoscope Collection, owned by Ian and Christa Taylor, The Bird was bought in 2018 and underwent a complete refurb delivering a quirky, stylish and unique experience.

14

EAT The Bird’s Plate Terrace, Domes and Pavilions will be serving the very best of local delights, delicious food, and stunning cocktails. In July, The Plate Restaurant and Bar will also be hosting a supper club of locally inspired dishes in partnership with Champagne Taittinger.

SLEEP There are 31 bedrooms, each telling their own story, from

compact, comfy doubles to the rather fabulous feature room with a copper rolltop bath, high ceilings, Abbey views and gorgeous seating area. Plus there’s the private hot tub room which promises “a hotel stay with flashy flamboyance”.

USPs The Taylors’ creative vision offers a stunning stay like no other with artwork, a complementary guest larder, and handcrafted wallpaper.

Guest activities on offer include private personal training sessions and cocktail making classes.

top: The heated outdoor swimming pool at Homewood; middle: There are 31 bedrooms, each telling their own story, at The Bird; bottom: The Gainsborough Spa Village Bath taps into the city’s original thermal springs

15

Homewood, Abbey Lane, Freshford, Somerset, BA2 7TB. tel: 01225 580 439; www.homewoodbath.co.uk A luxury 31 bedroom country house hotel set in 20 acres, Homewood, Bath, was re-launched in January 2020 by experienced hoteliers Ian and Christa Taylor.

EAT Along with the renowned Olio Restaurant and Terrace with chef-

gardener Darren Stephens, guests will be able to indulge in their very own Big Green Egg barbecue dining experience with their very own grill butler, whilst nestled amongst the tree lined lawns, and enjoying unbroken views over the hotel grounds.

SLEEP Room 18 includes a separate living room, art deco vibes, large

bathroom with standalone bath, a shell chandelier, French doors onto a private terrace, garden with gates out to a spa and a private hot tub.

USPs Homewood’s spa and wellness facilities include an indoor hydrotherapy pool, sauna, and steam room, as well as a heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub with views over the valley. Each of the luxurious bedrooms include Dyson hairdryers, Porter bathrooms, Hypnos beds and Smeg or Nespresso machines. There is also a complementary larder for guests to indulge in. n

30 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

THE ARTS S N A P S H O T S O F B AT H ’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN Recognised as a child prodigy, yet Thomas Lawrence (seen here in a self portrait painted in 1787) was predominantly self-taught having developed his artistic skill sketching customers at his father’s Devizes pub. His career began at the age of 11 when, after his family moved to Bath, he started creating pastel portraits of the city’s most fashionable residents and visitors. By the age of 21 Lawrence was painting the most lauded portraits in the Royal Academy’s annual exhibition and became a member of the Academy in 1794.

This virtual show, a first from The Holburne Museum, will explore his life, work and impact through films, games, and rarely seen images together with some of his most celebrated works.

Thomas Lawrence: Coming Of Age curated by The Holburne, is online until 8 September; www.holburne.org www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 33

The expressive work of Dan Parry-Jones, as seen on our cover, is currently being exhibited at the Adam Gallery

WHAT’S ON 21 May – 17 June

EXHIBITIONS Until 29 May

STILL The exhibition themed around still life will include work by renowned Wiltshire painter Helen Simmonds, and Lewis Chamberlain. Beaux Arts; www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Until 31 May

DAN PARRY-JONES A Bristol-based artist (as seen on our cover) initially trained in Illustration and Graphic Design, before turning to painting in 2008. Dan 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.

Adam Gallery; www.adamgallery.com

Until 31 May

BATH PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY SPRING EXHIBITION Over 30 photographers have

34 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Always check Covid-19 restrictions and instructions with venues before your visit

responded to the theme A Different View for this exhibition from the Bath Photographic Society. Shots explore the out of the ordinary, abstract and quirky utilising a variety of techniques such as fragments, close-ups, and reflections. www.bathphotographicsociety.org.uk

on canvas and wood. Their warm colours and abstract forms embody two branches of Zabawa’s art practice: a conceptual series of diptychs, and more figurative works, such as still life compositions of geometric fruit bowls and plants.

Francis Gallery; www.francisgallery.co

Until 6 June

Until 30 June

HENRY TAYLOR Using collected objects and a mix of his inimitable paintings and sculptures, Taylor has created a holistic record of his everyday routine incorporating both his personal experiences and broader cultural references. It’s a multifaceted narrative with a wildly diverse range of subjects and sociocultural frameworks. www.hauserwirth.com

Until 19 June

GATEWAYS Gateways is Los Angeles-based artist John Zabawa’s first solo show in the UK, featuring 24 oil paintings

RUH ART FOR HEROES AUCTION Each exhibit created by our homegrown talent including Jason Dorley-Brown, is for sale as part of this online auction with proceeds going to the RUH’s two charities, Art at the Heart and the Forever Friends Appeal. www.artatruh.org

Until 30 June

KURT JACKSON: BIODIVERSITY In this series of paintings, sculptures and mixed media works, Jackson aims to celebrate the planet’s biodiversity, but also highlight where

it is sadly being lost. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk

Until 5 September

CANALETTO: PAINTING VENICE This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition will enable visitors to enjoy and study up-close 23 beautiful paintings in a fascinating exhibition that also explores Canaletto’s life.

Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

Until 8 September

THOMAS LAWRENCE: COMING OF AGE The Holburne Museum’s first virtual show will give insight into the early life of the great portrait painter, and his time spent in Bath. Turn to page 33 for more. Holburne Museum www.holburne.org

Until 31 October

OUCH! This online exhibition from 44AD draws on themes explored by

WHAT’S ON

above: Call in and admire the work of Karen Parker as part of the Bear Flat Art Trail left: Fairfield House is hosting an online symposium to explore Rastafariinspired art right: Comedian Joanne Mcnally is making it funny over at Komedia on 5 June

research undertaken by the Bath Centre for Pain Research. Based at the University of Bath, the Centre is made up of an interdisciplinary team of researchers exploring how pain affects how people live – from everyday aches to long-term, chronic pain. www.44ad.net

Until 2022

SHOEPHORIA! Discover the fascinating evolution of shoe style over the last 300 years, from footwear worn by Queen Mary and Queen Victoria through to the work of designers Vivienne Westwood and Jimmy Choo. Fashion Museum; www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

21 May – 31 October

SHOOTING STARS: CARINTHIA WEST, BRITAIN AND AMERICA IN THE 1970S Features a collection of 63 intimate natural portraits and lifestyle shots taken in America and the UK by ’70s model and actress Carinthia West. Includes Mick Jagger, Ronnie

Wood, Helen Mirren, and Anjelica Huston. American Museum; www.americanmuseum.org

pieces respond to the transitive nature of thinking. www.inchbyinch.uk

29 – 31 May

BATH CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FAIR Contemporary art including fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles and much more is on show to admire, covet and purchase at Green Park Station. www.bcaf.co.uk

BEAR FLAT ARTISTS ART TRAIL & OPEN STUDIOS Discover the creativity of more than 20 artists at Bear Flat’s Art Trail. Includes painting, ceramics, jewellery, printmaking, photography, sculpture, woodwork, millinery, glass and more. Meet the artist, browse original artwork and buy direct from socially-distanced spaces and gardens. www.bearflatartists.co.uk

29 – 31 May

INCH BY IN:CH Inch by IN:CH is an artist-led project organised and curated by ‘Incubation Chamber’ (IN:CH) an artists group based in Bath. The 11 artworks, each presented in a travel case to form a portable touring exhibition, will go on display at a garage tucked behind Bath Artists Studios on Comfortable Place. The

13 June

15 – 28

the worldwide celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven. The Carducci String Quartet and the Heath Quartet will between them perform a series of six concerts of the composer’s entire cycle of 16 String Quartets.

Assembly Rooms; www.bathfestivals.org.uk

COMEDY 29 May & 5 June

MODERN ARTBUYER EXHIBITION An combined exhibition with the Rostra Gallery bringing a plethora of work from upcoming and established talent, in the delightful form of a pop-up in Milsom Place. www.modernartbuyer.com

KRATER COMEDY CLUB Live stand-up is back, socially distanced and full of laughs thanks to the likes of Paul Sinha, Lily Philips, Joanne McNally, and Markus Birdman. The cabaret style seating comes with several dinner options and table service. Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

MUSIC

THEATRE

BEETHOVEN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Delayed from March, this is part of

FOUR QUARTETS Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in a world première adaptation

24 May

25 May – 5 June

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 35

Mason, Richard Osman and Robert Webb, skin health care from Caroline Hirons, plus theatre from Apphia Campbell, and music by The Gesualdo Six at the Roman Baths.

Turn to page 98 to meet Festival regular and online host Francesca Beauman. www.bathfestivals.org.uk

27 – 29 May

22 May

MARIE ANTOINETTE Bath Theatre Academy’s miniseason of four productions is completed with Marie Antoinette, David Adjmi’s contemporary take on the young queen who was married at 14, the Queen of France by 21 and declared the most hated person in history by her early thirties.

Adjmi’s entertaining, satirical history examines the excesses of Marie’s era whilst holding a mirror up to our own entertainment obsessed society. Presented by a company of 26 final year students, this will be performed in front of live audiences at The Egg for three nights, with a livestream option on the Friday night. the egg; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

25 MAY

BABYTEETH Milla Finlay is a 16-year-old school girl, recently diagnosed with cancer.

On her way home from school, one day, she meets 23-year-old Moses who befriends her before asking her for money. Milla quickly develops a crush on Moses and introduces him to her wary parents. Little Theatre Bath; www.picturehouses.com

9 – 26 June

COPENHAGEN In Nazi-occupied Copenhagen, in 1941, a clandestine encounter is known to have taken place between two Nobel Prize-winning physicists, Dane Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, a German.

The men were old friends and long-term colleagues, but now found themselves on opposite sides of the divide. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

FESTIVALS Until 24 May

THE BATH FESTIVAL An innovative 2021 programme offers both live and online events with The Bath Festival At Home, a digital broadcast for audiences to experience at home. There’s Bridgerton and Frankenstein walking tours, literary talks from the likes of Mel Giedroyc, Kadiatu Kanneh-

36 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

LIVE AT WORTHY FARM GLOBAL LIVESTREAM The five-hour spectacular will feature performances from a host of amazing artists who are giving their time to help support the festival, cancelled for a second June: Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice, plus DJ Honey Dijon. There will also be a number of unannounced surprise performances. Wellies optional. £20, www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

OTHER 24 MAY

CONTEMPORARY RASTAFARI ART Explore the work and ideas behind some of the leading Rastafari inspired artists. Join Fairfield House’s Tafari Gallery curator Kingsley Jahsiah for an online symposium discussion and Rastafari filled arts appreciation including Ras Elijah Tafari in the USA on current events in Rastafari culture and art.

6pm; www.fairfieldhousebath.co.uk

26 May

AN EVENING WITH JAMAAR SEMPER Jamaar will be taking over the kitchens at Lucknam Park to prepare and cook some dishes that inspired him during his appearance on Masterchef: The Professionals. The evening will begin with a glass of Champagne and canapés on arrival, and a three-course menu comprising Jamaar’s signature dishes. Lucknam Park; www.lucknampark.co.uk

28 May – 12 September

TALES OF THE GARDEN Experience specially commissioned sculptures blooming up across the expansive landscaped grounds of Longleat. Using a variety of materials and crafting methods, designed and curated by UK-based artists, these nine installations tell the unique and fascinating story of Longleat, such as the time kangaroos roamed the lawns in the 1800s.

Longleat; www.longleat.co.uk n

above: Marie Antoinette staged by Bath Theatre Academy runs at the egg 27 – 29 May left: Catch DJ Honey as part of Glastonbury Livestream below: J. Suyi is just one of the artists who exhibits at the BCAF Green Park space

© RICARDO GOMES

of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets to welcome audiences back to live theatre. Compelling, moving and symphonic, Four Quartets offers four interwoven meditations on the nature of time, faith, and the quest for spiritual enlightenment. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

© E X TRA STRONG

WHAT’S ON

NOW OPEN!

BOOKS NIC BOTTOMLEY

Musical notes

From recording artists who have turned to writing during the pandemic, and a biog on the fascinating life of the songwriter John Martyn

“We see the contradiction of Martyn’s utter dedication to the concept of love and his ability to destroy the hopes and aspirations of others” 38 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

O

ne side-effect of the pandemic, for some creatives, seems to have been additional time and space to try new forms. For example, one of my favourite folk/country music singers, Courtney Marie Andrews, has turned her skills towards poetry, releasing her debut collection Old Monarch (Andrews McNeel, £9.99) which she describes as a document of her own personal transformation.

The collection is split into three segments, with the first chronicling her Arizona childhood, the second seeing her grow up, fall in love and discover a wider world, and the third more of a philosophical look back at what she’s learned so far. Through the collection, Andrews draws parallels between her own journeying and seeking understanding, to the constantly in motion Monarch butterfly. Like Andrews’ music, the poems are a perpetual blend of light and dark. Take the poem The Great Mystery of Pablo Diablo, in which a long worrisome and teary search for the family dog seems to end in despair, before “reluctantly returning from the darkness, only to find grandpa cackling with a jovial pup between his feet”.

In an interview I recorded with Andrews recently, she told me that the poems were written over a two-year period, in contrast to her very immediate song-writing process (she described her first album as being like the release of an “angst-ball”). Her latest record Old Flowers (Fat Possum, 2020), an emotive and wistful break-up album, picked up two UK Americana Awards in January. All being well, she’ll be satisfying the wanderlust that pervades her songs and poems, by coming to Bristol on 27 October as part of a UK tour, to play tracks from Old Flowers and, hopefully, its exquisite predecessor May Your Kindness Remain (Loose, 2018).

In that conversation with Andrews, she cited a novel by alt-country/rock guitarist and songwriter Bill Callahan as a favourite longform work by a fellow musician. Known for his lo-fi recording and experimentation, Callahan is another multi-talented musician turning their hand to the written word, in this case with predictable creativity as his epistolary novel Letters to Emma Bowlcut (Drag City, £13.99) explores a relationship through one-sided correspondence.

Aside from poetry and prose, of course memoirs by singer-songwriters abound, but

equally biographies by music historians can offer up the clearest insights into the reality behind a life on tour and on shiny album covers. One recent and excellent example is Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn (Omnibus, £20), a fascinating deep dive into a troubled life and career.

In the hands of Graeme Thomson, this sometimes less than beautiful life of singersongwriter John Martyn is rendered with impressive delicacy. Martyn was a controversial character with a career and life peppered by abusive behaviour, alcoholism and professional and personal betrayals – but Thomson deftly balances his account of those tribulations with an appreciation of Martyn’s incredible music. And so we see the contradiction of Martyn’s utter dedication to the concept of love and his ability to destroy the hopes and aspirations of others.

The most striking example of this is perhaps the account of Martyn’s wife and fellow performer Beverly receiving a recording contract from Island Records, only for John to inveigle his way into that becoming a joint recording artist before, eventually, usurping her altogether and relegating Beverly to the roll of backing singer.

Through the story of Martyn’s life and career we also get a cultural history of the 1970s Glasgow folk scene and insights into the lives of many other performers of the time, such as Bert Jansch and the Incredible String Band. The scope widens too as Martyn’s career progresses, with the tales from his time living in the dysfunctional utopia of Woodstock a particular highlight as Martyn, his sometime neighbour Hendrix and many more, consistently failed to live up to the ideals of the Bohemian lifestyle to which they were aspiring.

For the true music afficionado there’s plenty of technical elements to accompany the personal story, including some examples of genuine acoustic wizardry, such as the studio recording of the One World album being replayed across the studio’s neighbouring lake in order to then use the resulting reverb on the finished tracks. When musicians can think up tricks like re-recording their own work bouncing off water, it’s perhaps no surprise that they’re also able to hop between different forms of writing at will.

Nic Bottomley is the general manager of Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, 14/15 John Street, Bath; tel: 01225 331155; www.mrbsemporium.com

马生拍卖

Ma San Auction in Bath

S P E C I A L I S I N G I N C H I N E S E A N D A S I A N WO R K S O F A R T Left: Pair of Chinese doucai ‘Chickenʼ cups, Kangxi (1662-1722) SOLD £8385 inc. premium

Highlights from our April 21st Sale

Right: A Chinese Junyao purple splashed dish, 12-14th Century. SOLD £12,900 inc. premium

g Acceptin ts e m n consign e r for futu s le sa

Left: Pair of Chinese doucai wince cups, Yongzheng (1722-35) SOLD £23,220 inc. premium

Right: A Chinese underglaze blue and red ‘Bajixiangʼ stem cup, Qianlong (1735-96) SOLD £28,380 inc. premium

Right: A Chinese wucai ‘dragon & phoenixʼ bowl, Jaiqing (1796-1820) SOLD £14,190 inc. premium

Free valuations and home visits • Over 30 years experience • Competitive commission rates Direct contacts in Hong Kong and China • Sales every two months 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED

www.masanauction.com

Tel. 01225 318587

And breathe...

Wellbeing in the Gardens Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation Classes and workshops for adults + yoga for children Bath, BA2 7BD

americanmuseum.org/whats-on

FOOD & DRINK S N A P S H O T S O F B AT H ’ S F O O D S C E N E

V FOR VICTORY

The Frome Brewing Company Ltd’s popular triple IPA ‘You Can Call Me V’ has won a double gold medal at the European Beer Challenge in London.

Rik Lyall started the company in the early months of 2020 with a vision of supplying pubs and events.

“When the news came through that pubs were to shut on 21 March 2020, I immediately realised the wheels had come off the bus,” Rik says. But following an extremely fast pivot and a very busy weekend, he was able to launch his online shop by the 22. “It’s early days for the e-commerce business, and I’m very pleased pubs are re-opening, but there is real sustained interest in craft beer,” says Rik. “Brewing ‘You Can Call Me V’ was the culmination of the new brewing techniques we learned during lockdown, and winning this award is a huge endorsement for the hard work the brewing team has put in over the last year.

It means a lot.”

For more: www.fromebrewingcompany.com

BELOW: Rodrigo Rashinthe, operations director with Tipu Miah, general manager in the Cardiff branch lending a hand for the day; RIGHT: Fiery Cocotails packed with authentic Sri Lankan flavours

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

The Coconut Tree, Bath’s new Sri Lankan spot on Broad Street is now open. On the menu there’s a range of tapas-style small plates like their string hoopers or idayappam, a traditional Sri Lankan specialty of rice flour pancakes popped into a press to form noodles, and curries including the mango curry (fresh young mangos marinated in a rub of deep, warm Sri Lankan spices with garlic, cinnamon, ginger, padan leaves and a splash of coconut vinegar, then slow cooked in rich coconut milk).

They also offer a tasty menu of sweet and fiery Cocotails, which are filled with authentic Sri Lankan flavours and ingredients including turmeric, Ceylon tea and Ceylon Arrack, a traditional spirit distilled from the spa of the coconut flower.

Best of all, they are offering 50 per cent off for all eat-in customers from MondayWednesday until next January.

“Sri Lankan food hasn’t yet been taken to the heart of British culture in the same way Indian food has,” says Anna Garrod, brand director of The Coconut Tree. “We really want to be the ones to change that, we want to hear people say – ‘let’s go for a Sri Lankan tonight!’”

For more: www.thecoconut-tree.com

The Vegan Market is filled with plant-based sweet treats

VEGTASTIC

For Rik Lyall, ‘You Can Call Me V’ was a culmination of a year’s worth of lessons learned

Get your plant-based fix at the next Bath Vegan Market on 3 July at Bath Pavilion. The go-to event for all the latest vegan goodies with over 80 stalls from producers all around the world. Even if you’re not vegan, you’re sure to find something to get your teeth into (literally).

When you’ve eaten to your heart’s content, there are also stalls packed with vegan clothing, jewellery, shoes, pet products,

homewares and make-up, as well as leading charities and not-for-profit organisations where you can learn more about vegan issues.

Admission costs £4, and all proceeds from the event will be donated to Miracle’s Mission, a non-profit animal welfare organisation that works with sick, injured or difficult animals.

For more: www.veganeventsuk.co.uk

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DRINKING LIKE A LOCAL

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The best of Bath’s brewers, distillers and wine producers

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WHITEHALL VINEYARD Set in the rich, fertile soils of the Avon Valley, Whitehall Vineyard is the latest development in the family-run Whitehall Garden Centre enterprise. The underlying bedrock of permeable limestone in the vineyard environment creates the perfect terroir for growing the Rondo, ‘Bacchus’, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris varieties all their wines are based on. Despite being a relative newbie on the scene, Whitehall are already award winners, with multiple wines in their range winning medals at the Independent English Wine Awards 2020. The Bacchus, with its elderflower on the nose, herbaceous notes and green apple on the palate won gold. www.whitehallvineyard.co.uk

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ELECTRIC BEAR BREWING Taking their name from the Old Bear Brewery that once stood on the corner of Wellsway by The Bear Inn and the machinery they use to brew, Electric Bear Brewing began when a group of passionate home brewers decided to go pro. The folks at EB are true artisans of beer, and their range extends from easy-drinking ales to highly-hopped, high strength beers across their core and small batch nanobrew selection. You can order online or visit the Brewery and the Taproom at The Maltings Industrial Estate to try them. www.electricbearbrewing.com

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BATH BOTANICAL GIN DISTILLERY & HERBAL APOTHECARY You could be forgiven for missing this tucked away little spot in Widcombe – but once you know it’s there, you can’t help become a fan of its magical set up. Wherever possible, Bath Botanical Gin uses ingredients that are locally sourced, organic, biodynamic and hand-picked to create their range from their signature No. 1 Gin to their seasonal fruit gins, which are made from wild foraged fruits like gooseberry, damson, sloe, raspberry and blackcurrant. It’s perfect for summer. www.bathbotanics.co.uk

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ABBEY ALES A stalwart of the city’s brewing scene, Abbey Ales was launched in 1997 by expert brewery sales manager Alan Morgan. Abbey Ales is perhaps best known for Bellringer, the flagship cask bitter launched in its very first year of business and which remains a top seller across the city. Apparently, former Bath MP Don Foster enjoyed it so much that he arranged for it to be sold as a guest beer in the Houses of Parliament. It’s been named ‘Beer of the Festival’ at multiple Campaign for Real Ales (CAMRA) events including The Cotswolds CAMRA Festival, and was a runner up for the Champion Beer of Britain Award back in 2001. www.abbeyales.co.uk

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BECKFORD’S RUM Created by a family-run producer living in a Beckford house (of course) in Bath, Beckford’s delicious Rum & Caramel Spirit was made to address the gap in a market saturated with gin. The winner of a coveted 3-star Great Taste Award, it’s a versatile treat that can be served the traditional way – neat over ice – or used for dessert affogato, ice cream or even caramelised pears. You can buy Beckford’s online or at a multitude of festivals.

Your next opportunity to buy a bottle in person in Bath is at Pub in the Park on 18-20 June. n www.craftywolf.co.uk

From

£42

inc. delivery

LUCKNAM PARK HOTEL & SPA It’s a table for one for Sarah Moolla and she couldn’t be happier

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have to go alone they said. Because of Covid they said. Restrictions on numbers you see.”

I’m explaining to a crestfallen plus one, why he is minus one spa day and a lunch. I try very hard to make my mouth look sad as I relay this because actually, on the inside, my joy is on full beam. A spa day alone sounds like just the tonic.

A day off picking up wet towels from boys’ messy bedroom floors; not having to nod along to a long anecdote about someone else’s work colleague; no ping of emails, no ding dong of a Zoom, or dial tone from a Teams; and I won’t be eating a leftovers-from-the-fridge sandwich for lunch.

I’m going to be wearing a fluffy robe, reading my book and then reading the menu, and then padding off in spa slippers for a massage treatment. And most importantly no talking is required. ‘Alone’ sounds likes bliss – utterly indulgent, restorative, and just what the doctor should’ve ordered, bliss.

Lucknam Park is a just a short and easy 20 minute drive from Bath, and the hotel a Palladian mansion, set in 500

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acres of private countryside with its own tennis courts, equestrian centre, croquet lawn and five a side football pitch – but I’ve only got eyes for the pool. Like most of us, I’ve not been swimming since summer 2019 – it even feels weird having a bather on – I keep anxiously checking I’m not actually naked. As well as a 20 metre indoor pool, there’s an hydrotherapy pool – one press of a button and doors glide apart to access the outdoor hydrotherapy pool.

I spend a lot of the morning hanging out here, gazing out over the manicured lawns, mature trees and pretty shrubs – its dream like qualities enhanced by the misty soft clouds of steam rising up from the water. I barely read my book as this view, some swimming, and bobbing out in bubbles, feels pretty darn special.

Then it’s off to lunch in the outdoor seating area of The Brasserie. Sipping a chilled white wine whilst in your robe, in a heated walled garden, and sat under a glass atrium with a vista of blooming flowerbeds and a charming dovecote – now there’s a holiday feeling in less than five minutes. The options are from a three choices for each

RESTAURANT

course lunchtime menu. My starter of slivers of cured Loch Duart salmon that are silky and fleshy, with the zest of citrus, the anise of the dill complementing the slight smokiness of the fish. Adding texture, crunch, and a subtle heat is the accompanying salad of green apple matchsticks, bitter chicory leaves, drizzled in a sweet mustard dressing.

With the main comes my gold shoes are too tight moment, there’s just so much of it. Each mouthful is a satisfying union of firm sweet Cameron Naughton’s pork, soft fondant potatoes, creamed hispi green cabbage and sharp, sticky caramelised apple, which is bound together beautifully by the generous red wine jus-glaze. But there’s so many mouthfuls, and a little on the heavy side for lunch after over a year of rushed home sandwiches – and I’m nearing admitting defeat three quarters way through.

But then along comes dessert to sweep me off my feet – it’s a base of milky coconut pannacotta topped with a scoop of sherbety strawberry sorbet, with whole fragrant gariguette strawberries, dots of gelatinous yuzu (which tastes a little like lime jelly), a scattering of chunks of white Aero, and a few leaves of sweet bush basil. Dear reader, I’d have married this vegan pudding if I wasn’t already hitched, that’s how much I loved it.

I wobble off from the table smitten and thrilled that I didn’t have to share even a morsel of my beloved dessert.

Soon it’s time for my ESPA Inner Calm Massage which uses aromatherapy essential oils. But this isn’t one of those ineffectual, pointless, airy treatments. Hannah has the uncanny ability to locate my scrunched up, WFH, lockdown knots and for an hour, gently but firmly massages, and eases out those many tight muscles. I swear when I leave I’m taller – my limbs feel longer and looser, and mentally I feel uplifted.

And the restorative effects of the whole day still haven’t left me – I look and feel better than I have done for months – my skin glows, my back is straighter, and I hug the memory of having experienced true love with a pudding.

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“I hug the memory of having experienced true love with a pudding” DINING DETAILS Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Lucknam Park, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 8AZ. tel: 01225 742 777; www.lucknampark.co.uk Restaurant The Brasserie Open Daily from 12 pm – last orders 9:30 pm Chef Thomas Westerland Serves Seasonal, contemporary dining using local, seasonal produce Outdoor space On the bloom-filled terrace covered with heaters Prices Starters cost between: £8-£12, mains £16-£32, desserts £8.50

Vegetarian options At lunch – one starter and one main, which are also vegan Disability access Wheelchair access and guide dogs welcome Spa day and lunch A Secluded Escape Day package costs £170 and includes robe and slippers, use of spa and pool facilities, choice of treatment, and lunch in the Brasserie with a glass of wine Atmosphere Welcoming, warm, and efficient staff make the blissful drift through the day even more enjoyable

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SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

LITERARY CIRCLE What better way is there to get away from it all than by creating a reading corner in your own home? Seek out a neglected nook or cranny, distinguish it from the rest of the home with bold wallpaper like this fanciful beauty by Mind The Gap – inspired by antique illustrations of fairies and angels – lay down a warming, textured rug, add a small chaise lounge, and bring a novel, or the latest copy of Bath Life. Before you know it, you’ve got yourself a little haven of peace and calm.

The Promise Land from the Imaginarium collection by Mind The Gap, £175; Stockists Woodhouse & Law, 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

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RYE SNUGGLER, £1,413 A contemporary and compact sofa with deep seats and a sloped arm design, seen here in matte dark blue velvet.

From Sofas & Stuff; www.sofasandstuff.com

WITHOUT RESERVATION

NESPRESSO VERTUO IN TITANIUM, £249 One-touch brewing and centrifusion technology ensures the perfect cup of coffee each and every time, with a minimum of wait time.

From Jollys at House of Fraser, 13 Milsom Street Bath; www.houseoffraser.co.uk

From robes to room fragrances, treat yourself to hotel luxe at home

GOLD SHIMMER & CAVIAR DRY BODY OIL, £66.30 A dry body oil that goes on wet and dries within seconds for natural skin nourishment, and adding a subtle gold shimmer.

From Natural Spa Factory, Bath Business Park, Foxcote Avenue, Bath; www.naturalspafactory.com

AVINGTON RECTANGULAR MIRROR, £250 Avington frame, with its clean shape and high contrast, is made from painted timber and has a champagne-coloured gilded inside edge.

For more: Neptune, One Tram Yard, Walcot Street, Bath; www.neptune.com

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HIMARI FLORAL COTTON GOWN, £139 A traditional, kimono-style high neck and wide sleeves dressing gown, made with supple crosshatch cotton and with an intricate floral print.

From TOAST Bath, 7 Bartlett Street, Bath; www.toa.st

ED’S CHOICE THE BUTTONED HEADBOARD, £725 High-backed and shamelessly fabulous, this buttoned headboard pays homage to traditional style for a truly statement focal point in your bedroom space.

From Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk

ORANGE BLOSSOM AND FIG CANDLE, £38 A luxury hand-poured candle that takes you drifting through the orchard, with delicate orange blossom giving way to ripening fig and soft cedarwood.

From Collingwood of Somerset; www.collingwoodofsomerset.co.uk

HERBE DE PROVENCE SOAP BAR, £3.85 Wonderfully zesty grapefruit handmade French soap with organic shea butter that invigorates and moisturises.

From Consciously You, 1 Kennington Road, Bath; www.consciouslyyou.co.uk

SAMSUNG ‘THE FRAME ART MODE’ TV ULTRA HD CERTIFIED, PRICES START FROM £599 In standby mode this television displays art, either from its own expandable library, or you can upload pictures and photos yourself, transforming the screen into an art piece.

From Moss of Bath, 45 St James’ Parade, Bath; www.mossofbath.co.uk

CASE BOTTLE SHOWER DOUBLE BASKET, £113.50 A high quality stainless steel double bottle basket to keep your wash space neat and organised.

From Roper Rhodes Bath; www.roperrhodes.co.uk

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ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING RINGS HANDMADE BESPOKE JEWELLERY REPAIRS AND REMODELLING

9 Abbey Churchyard, Bath, BA1 1LY | 01225 460072 jody@jodycory.co.uk | www.jodycory.co.uk |

NOW OPEN!

Family business established since 1957 Large display of beds and mattresses ● Free customer parking

ANTIQUE AND MODERN CARPETS BOUGHT, SOLD REPAIRED AND CLEANED NOW IN OUR 30TH YEAR IN BATH LARGEST SELECTION IN THE SOUTH WEST

Great customer service, just read our reviews ● Immediate delivery available A great selection of bedroom accessories from well-known brands

26-27 Victoria Buildings, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EH 01225 313421 www.bedebuysltd.co.uk

Open Saturdays or by appointment only 9 8 Wa l c o t S t r e e t , B a t h B A 1 5 B G Te l 0 1 2 2 5 4 6 9 2 4 0 E m a i l c o n t a c t @ h a l i d e n . c o m w w w. h a l i d e n . c o m

BEAUTY ANÉ AURET

Go with the glow Ané shares her shopping list for pepping up that lockdown pallor

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f you’re ready to fully embrace the postlockdown beauty emergence, our beautiful city really has everything you need to step out glowing and ready to face the world again, head to toe. Personally I’ve been a bit slower off the mark this time round – I’ve relished my simplified beauty routine at home and realised I can probably wait a while longer between my beloved highlight appointments. However it’s also true that sparkly makeup counters, sitting down for a manipedi, and a long, melt the day away massage are like old friends that I’m so very happy to welcome back. First up though I’m utilising some of the best skin treatments and products to chase away that lockdown grey…

Glow Brightly with Bath’s DermaGuru – go from dull and dehydrated to glowing and radiant with this. No matter the makeup, skin is always the foundation. For the ultimate post-lockdown facial try Rob at DermaGuru’s famous pHformula Resurfacing Treatment with a Bespoke Nano Infusion, the Medical Microneedling or Collagen Induction Therapy, his most requested treatment since re-opening. Rob can also recommend a bespoke treatment protocol just for you.

Another great option to leave dull lockdown skin behind is dermaplaning at Enhance Medispa, a safe and non-invasive

skin procedure that involves using a sharp tool to exfoliate the surface of your skin, while also removing fine vellus hair – leaving you with baby-soft, smooth skin.

To keep that glow going, try the skin-boosting Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm (Bare Glow) (£45). Absolutely gorgeous on its own, as a primer, mixed with your favourite foundation, or even over makeup as a highlighter – it’s a truly multipurpose, energising glow-giver! I’m now never without. Complement this with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer for Face and Body (£39, Space NK) to create an airbrushed effect for a truly radiant glow.

The few times we’ve ventured out for the joy of sitting in a pub garden so far have been freezing, but with warmer and sunnier days ahead we can’t forget our sun protection. We know applying it as part of our skincare routine is important, but re-applying isn’t always that easy without messing with our makeup. I recently discovered UncompliKated SPF 50 Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray by Kate Somerville; £34 for 100ml (SpaceNK) – it goes on dry and it’s super easy to keep in your handbag and re-apply more regularly, especially when you’re out and about.

Getting your brows sorted, even if it’s just a tint and a tidy up can give you an immediate lift and frame

ANE’S LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF BATH BEAUTY

Enhance Medispa 3 Miles’s Buildings, George Street, Bath; www.enhance medispa.co.uk

Bobbi Brown The Studio Bath, 5 Old Bond Street, Bath; www. bobbibrown.co.uk

DermaGuru Nourish Center, 33 Gay St, Bath; www.dermaguru.co.uk

BrowWorks Valley View, Westwoods, Bath; www.browworks.co.uk

Space NK 10 New Bond St Pl, Bath; www.spacenk.com

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:

UncompliKated by Kate Somerville; Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer; The Body Illuminating SelfTan Drops by Tan Luxe; Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm from Bobbi Brown

your face just right. If you want to take it a step further, or if your brows have started fading away around that mid point outwards (like mine have), I’d definitely recommend microblading, a semi-permanent tattoo option. This is the more pricey option, but it’s absolutely worth it long term. Alison, the Brow Queen at BrowWorks will measure the perfect shape for your face and it really can reframe your features beautifully.

We may not be jetting off to sunny beaches or lounging with cocktails by faraway pools, but there’s no reason why you can’t have your holiday glow at your fingertips with one of my all time favourites, the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Golden Shimmer Multi Usage Dry Oil 50ml (£18.50, M&S). It

smells divine and is perfect for bare shoulders. If you prefer something more creamy then Sanctuary Spa Body Butter, Shimmer Luxe Rose Gold Radiance Body Moisturiser, 300ml (£14) is a lovely option too.

For sun-kissed skin without the sun damage, consider the Tan Luxe range at Space NK. The Body Illuminating Self-Tan Drops, ( 50ml, £42) offer a revolutionary approach to self-tanning that can be carried out at home – just add the drops to everyday lotions, moisturisers or oils for easy, convenient application.

Ané Auret is founder of Bath-based skincare brand Ané. Follow her on Instagram @beauty_by_ane and visit www.beautybyane.com

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A short twice daily meditation can hugely improve your mindset, says Lucy Stone of YOGADOO

FIVE STAR TREATMENTS Our beauty and wellbeing experts share their five top tips to feeling marvellous in minutes

Lucy Stone is founder of three award-winning wellbeing businesses – YOGADOO, the Hive Yoga Studio, and Meditation Rocks, The Hive Yoga Studio, Beehive Yard, Walcot Street Bath. tel: 07960 629503; www.jointhehive.co.uk; Move and stretch every single morning before you start your day. Whether this is a walk with the dog or a dance around the kitchen while the kettle boils, it gives energy and a positive mindset.

Charlotte Hurd Beauty – beauty therapist, laser technician, and skin specialist, 29 James Street West, Bath. tel: 07725 369 965; www.charlottehurdbeauty.com Everyone needs Heliocare Factor 50 sunscreen skincare in their life. It prevents damage, skin cancer and ageing. I don’t leave the house without it under my makeup.

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Get outside in nature for some fresh air every single day, whatever the weather, even if you stand in the rain for a few moments. Being exposed to natural sounds like birdsong, the colours of nature, and sensations like the breeze, can help us to feel more connected to where we live.

Meditate for nine minutes a day twice a day (morning and night). My meditation practice is crucial to my health and wellbeing and happiness.

I always think that happiness and health is an inside job – if we are feeling good on the inside, you will show that on the outside in how you look.

I have cold showers daily and these are a great way to improve overall wellbeing and reduce stress. The cold temperature increases endorphins, helps improve metabolism, improves circulation, and helps fight off common illnesses.

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Journalling and free writing helps to get any thoughts and feelings off your chest, perhaps at the beginning and the end of the day. It can help us to notice repeat thought patterns and learn our priorities.

Dermaplane treatment – a simple and safe procedure that removes dead skin cells and the soft facial hair responsible for trapping dirt and oils. Can help with acne scars, pigmentation, and to diminish the look of wrinkles. Gives instant results and no downtime.

Laser hair removal. Forget about shaving and waxing – this is the easy, painless and permanent solution.

For your feet think about the Elim pedi peel – it is beyond epic for thick hard skin/ calloused heels and dry tootsies.

Consider a lash lift – it offers a new way of life! They enhance your natural eyelashes to lift and open up the eyes up for a natural fluttery look finished off with a tint – you need never use mascara again.

Beauty therapist Charlotte Hurd suggests a life-changing eyelash lift

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Katharine Dever , spiritual life and business coach and co-founder of The Eden Room, the new online wellbeing space that offers support, guidance, and inspiration to movement, nutrition and intimacy; www.theedenroom.com With stress, alcohol, meat and sugar causing acid in the body, most of us lose the slightly alkaline pH balance of the blood that makes our cells operate in an optimal way. A simple solution is a spoonful of green powder (I use Good Green Stuff’) stirred into your water. You’ll immediately start to feel more energy and the whites of your eyes get clearer and brighter to boot.

A one-hour massage can be equivalent of seven hours sleep says Rebecca Garcia Levy

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Epsom salt baths at night are easy, doable and affordable – they cleanse your aura/energy field and allow you to absorb extra magnesium, which has hundreds of biochemical roles in the body including energy creation and regulating the nervous system, but most of us are severely depleted of it.

Bellicon rebounders, those small exercise trampolines, are amazing for the immune system and brilliant for a quick work out for those working at home. Zero joint impact and bouncing on a mini trampoline works all 656 muscles in the body and can even reduce back pain and strengthen your pelvic floor.

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Get to bed an hour earlier and write a few things you’re grateful for down on paper. Then write three or four things you’d like to be thankful for but as if they’d already happened, before you drift off. For example you might be anxious about an exam the next day so you’d write, ‘I’m so happy and grateful the exam went really well and I knew the answers.’ This simple technique ‘tricks’ the subconscious into believing what you want is already done.

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Give yourself permission to self care. Most of us know when we are overstretched, tired, hormonal or depleted but we feel guilty to take the time we need for ourselves so we keep on pushing ourselves. But this ultimately catches up with us. As soon as we realise that, far from being selfish, allowing ourselves to receive the benefits of whatever self care we most enjoy, we actually become better versions of ourselves and have more to give and share.

Bouncing on a mini trampoline works all 656 muscles in the body

Rebecca Garcia Levy, deep tissue massage specialist, holistic, beauty and nail practioner at The Lansdown Clinic, Lansdown Road, Bath. tel: 0777 2533120; www.RebeccaGarciaLevy.com I cannot rate a massage enough. A massage allows people to stop for a short while and reset their body and mind – it has been said a one hour’s massage is the equivalent to 7-8 hours sleep in terms of rejuvenation. Benefits include reducing tension, improving joint movement and flexibility, aiding sleep, reducing stress, better circulation and detoxifying via the lymphatic system.

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I personally really enjoy swimming as a way of getting exercise and releasing endorphins – those happy hormones. It is great for cardio and loosening and stretching the joints, but also gives me a mental get away which is great for relaxation and de-stressing.

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One thing that I have learnt over the past few years is how important my mental health is. I find guided meditation phenomenally healing and calming. There are hundreds to choose from on YouTube, and you can search for specific guided meditations such as sleep, positive thinking, anxiety, grief or even specific audios for kids. I personally quite like the ones aimed at children as they have a storyline and are more visual.

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We are what we think. Our mindset shapes how we feel and gives us our vision on the world. A positive mindset is even thought to boost good health. Embrace every moment and opportunity.

Be kind and caring and most importantly spend time with the people that you love.

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I have worked in the spa industry for many years so this is something that I am truly passionate about. I absolutely love a good spa day and after lockdown decided that I am going to have one monthly.

The heat from the waters, jets, steam rooms and saunas relax the muscles and joints, therefore relieving pain.

There is a long list of bonuses including the aid of good sleep, circulation, mobility, and good mental health.

“I find guided meditation phenomenally healing and calming”

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Tash Adams, owner of No 45 Hairdressing, 45 Moorland Road, Bath. tel: 01225 448887; www.no45hairdressing.co.uk Saying goodbye to lockdown locks is very therapeutic and gives us a real sense of moving on with life. After that, trimming your hair by just a small amount every 6-10 weeks, will make it feel and look thicker and healthier.

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Weekly hair masks are the perfect way to treat your hair and makes sure you guarantee a little ‘me time’. I’d go for the System Professional Range or Olaplex no.8 to see great results fast.

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Stop the heat. Now a lot of people are working from home, the pressure is off to blow dry and apply heat to the hair, which is a good thing. When you do have to, use heat protection like Eimi Thermal Image, which helps seal moisture into the hair and reduces frizz.

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If you’re blonde do not underestimate the power of a quality silver shampoo – it really does eliminate those warm, brassy tones.

And everybody should be using a sulphate-free shampoo – they’re not expensive, keep the hair in great condition, won’t irritate the scalp, and keep colour from fading.

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Ask your hairdresser what number Nutri Colour Crème would suit you and use it at home between visits. It’s a 3-in-1 conditioner that adds colour, condition, and leaves your hair feeling and looking super glossy and shiny.

A post-pandemic haircut is therapeutic, advises Tash Adams of No 45 Hairdressing

“Saying goodbye to lockdown locks is very therapeutic”

Anna Barton, personal trainer and nutritional advisor; www.annabartonpt.co.uk We are social creatures who need connection to other people – it is vital for our mental wellbeing. Take up some exercise with a friend or small group of friends where you can focus on improving your health, as well as getting the much needed social interaction in person. Even better, doing this outdoors in a green space will also give you a mental health boost towards feeling fabulous again.

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Add more nutritious food to your daily diet. Fruit, vegetables, and good proteins such as meat, fish, dairy and pulses will do you the world of good, being rich in vitamins and minerals and the building block that is protein. Enjoy your treats too, and aim for a balance right of 80/20.

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You may have heard the phrase ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and this is so true. Everyone’s life and journey is different. Constant comparison will leave you feeling de-motivated or lower your self esteem. In this case be careful who you choose to follow on social media and cull or mute any accounts that don’t make you feel good or bring you connection or joy.

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Set small and realistic goals. Don’t think you need to lose the two stone you have put on in lockdown in one month. Speak to a personal trainer and discuss the best approach for you that can be achieved in a realistic timeframe.

5 Anna Barton, personal trainer, asks we add more nutritious food to our daily diet

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Set time for rest and relaxation. It has been a difficult year during lockdown and anxiety and mental health issues are (not surprisingly) at an all time high. Take just 15 minutes per day (longer if you can) to care for yourself, running a bath with muscle soothing Epsom salts and a herbal tea, make a phone call to a friend you haven’t seen for ages, read a book, and please switch your phone off for a while.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY Katherine Spreadbury, LittleLab, an award-winning beauty salon, 20 Broad Street Bath. tel: 01225 310 849; www.littlelab.co.uk I think a little facial to clean up the skin is a great way to treat the skin and have a pamper that doesn’t take too long. Our favourite is our LED light facial using Ark skincare. You can always try a mask at home too if time and budget is an issue.

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Invest in some new skincare, but keep it simple.

Don’t overload your skin if you haven’t been using much. Make sure you exfoliate first so the skin can absorb the nutrition from your creams. I love the Ark exfoliator – it’s so gentle and feels like oil so doesn’t strip the skin.

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Take vitamins as they feed the skin on the inside, which in turn helps to feel good from the inside out. I like Bear’s supplements – they are a great Australian brand that also do skincare products.

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A good pedicure is always a must with warmer and more positive times ahead, so we have added three extra pedicures to our menu to help with post lockdown feet.

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Madeline Blackburn of The Soul Spa, a centre dedicated to mental fitness and mind-body therapies, 2 Hetling Court, Bath; www.thesoulspa.co.uk Be aware of your thoughts. Our thoughts impact our feelings and our behaviour, and if we let them go unchecked, we are destined to simply react to the external circumstances in our world. The truth is that we can all learn to choose our thoughts, but the first step is to be aware, so that we can take control.

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Katherine Spreadbury’s LittleLab is offering three pedicure specials to help with lockdown feet

A little revamp of your makeup kit. We do virtual and in-store lessons on this to help boost confidence and create some new looks. I always like to start with the foundation – a fresh lightweight foundation can do wonders to make your skin feel and look more flawless. I will always be in love with Temptu Pro NYC super lightweight S/B foundation.

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Brain research tells us that thoughts create physical changes in our body, stressful thoughts can cause your endocrine system to secrete cortisol, which can create long-term health problems if your body can’t utilise this hormone. The great news is that when you think happy, positive thoughts, your body secretes healthy, healing hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. You have the power to think yourself better!

“You have 3 the power to think yourself better”

Commit to mental exercise in the same way you commit to physical exercise. Getting mentally fit works in the same way as getting physically fit – you have to practise. We all have busy minds and that’s why it can take real dedication and practice to help them to slow down and to begin to take control.

Madeline Blackburn suggests we look upon ourselves more kindly

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Speak kind words of encouragement to yourself. Notice what you think when you look in the mirror. Do you just notice your flaws and imperfections, or can you look yourself in the eye and speak words of appreciation and love? Speak to yourself, out loud if you can, as you would to a friend or loved one. Be kind to yourself.

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Many of us take shallow breaths all day and this can leave our minds and bodies lethargic. If you take just a few moments even to focus on your breath and fill your body with oxygen, this can have a hugely positive impact on how you feel both mentally and physically. n

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FASHION

FASHION STATEMENT We hear first hand about the beauty of secondhand from Eleanor Tasker, the visual merchandiser for the charity Dorothy House Interview by Sarah Moolla Photographs by Egle Vasi

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ost days Eleanor Tasker can be found crawling around in the Bath shops’ windows of the hospice charity Dorothy House or is producing content for Instagram on behalf of the charity. She works on a part-time basis as their visual merchandiser, having been brought in a few years ago to support and improve the organisation’s visuals. Last November she began collaborating with Dorothy Houses’ Business Development team member Marianne Cantelo, who has been tasked with the development of the charity’s new online shop, and the result has been a series of high-end fashion shoots to demonstrate the calibre and beauty of pre-loved clothes. Here we ask Eleanor about the whys and ways of secondhand clothes shopping.

What is it that makes you such an advocate for secondhand clothes shopping, both in store and online?

Probably nothing more than the fact that I still get stupidly excited about the notion that the next bag or box through the door might just contain that amazing thing! A piece of stunning fabric, an incredible lampshade, a beautifully soft scarf – there’s just so much potential to be had in so much of it – it’s like having endless and amazing materials to collage with.

Talk us through some of the advantages for us as consumers…

Learning to re-love all the brilliant stuff that’s already out there is a big part of the message here. The quality and abundance of it all is mind blowing – there’s literally something out there for everyone and it’s too good an opportunity not to let it go to waste. Offering great value is still at the core of it all, and there are some incredible bargains to be had, but now that we’re all more conscious about consuming less and recycling more, the merits of secondhand clothes shopping have, quite rightly, gained even more traction.

If we’re really serious about sustainability and consuming less of the world’s resources then we’re all going to have to slow down our appetite for fast fashion and shop second hand more. ...and the benefits for the charity?

Providing valuable funding for Dorothy House Hospice is obviously at the heart of our mission, and we’re so lucky, as a local charity, to be able to meet so many people whose lives have been touched in some way by the work of the hospice team. Of the donors, shoppers and volunteers that support our stores, it’s striking how many will take the time to stop and share their positive experiences first hand – it brings the whole process rather poignantly full circle and we love to hear it.

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Many charity shops organise rails by size to make searching easier

“The quality and abundance of it all is mind blowing ”

All items for the shoot were sourced from the Dorothy House charity shops

FASHION Has Covid altered people’s habits/perceptions?

Plenty of time for ‘cupboard clear-outs’ during lockdown have meant a flood of donations and the potential for even more brilliant finds hitting the shops, so in that respect Covid has had at least one positive impact. In terms of how we reach our customer, we’ve seen the launch of our new online shop to accommodate the huge rise in online shopping, and with that, the obvious bonus of enlarging our customer base.

Do you think the stigma around second-hand clothes still exists, such as they’re not clean, or they’re old-fashioned?

Not any more – the demographic shopping for secondhand is as varied as the stock itself. When fashion trends collide and overlap as fast as they do now it actually serves charity shops particularly well because we stock it all.

Take the recent renaissance of the Hyacinth Bouquet floral dirndl skirt – we could sell as many to Doc Martin clad edgy 18-year-olds as we could to 80-year-olds. As to being ‘grubby’ – a huge amount of time and effort goes into the sorting process, and unsaleable items don’t make it onto the shop floor. The quality of the donations is always amazing and you get a feel for that when you visit regularly.

Where’s a good place for us to start getting in on the action?

There are some great clusters of second hand shops in central Bath. Walcot Street is a good place to start, with at least four charity shops to choose from, plus great indie and vintage specialists like The Yellow Shop and the Saturday markets. Also a few gems on Argyle Street including of course Dorothy House shop. Westgate Street for another rich seam of charity shops and then of course there’s the one and only Moorland Road in Oldfield Park. Alongside the lovely indies serving the bustling community, there’s six charity shops to choose from including a Dorothy House.

Is it hard work looking for clothes?

Stores want you to navigate your way around with ease – it’s in their interest that you do. Most secondhand shops strive to provide a pleasant shopping You’ll find a brilliant cross section of dress styles including one-offs and vintage

Plenty of recent cupboard clear outs has meant more amazing stock

experience, so items are always organised by size and category making them easy to locate. However most secondhand stores also relish their individuality so don’t expect it to look too ‘high street’ – it couldn’t and shouldn’t – the ‘rummage’ factor is still an important part of the experience.

What kind of material might turn up?

You’ll find a brilliant cross section of dress styles by shopping secondhand; one-off and quirky, vintage and retro, designer and high street, there’ll be something to accommodate all tastes both in physical stores and online.

What should we avoid – being impulsive, or being too cautious?

If you’re going to be impulsive there’s surely no better place to do it than in a charity or secondhand shop. Its very affordability means you can maybe experiment with looks you would normally be more cautious about – to take a few style risks without a big financial commitment. If you’ve always had a hankering to fling about in a kilt or swan around in a kimono, then why not? The chances are you will come across plenty secondhand that won’t break the bank.

“Trust your gut when browsing and keep an open mind”

What should we be looking for?

Trust your gut when browsing and keep an open mind. Only you can know what speaks to you; a beautiful fabric, an amazing colour or the texture?

But something on that rail will speak to you and that’s what makes shopping secondhand possibly a more instinctual experience because your journey through the stock is less controlled.

What about labels – should we be bothered anymore?

It is also worth looking out for the good labels – if a garment was premium

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first time round, the chances are it’s been well made and therefore worn well. Interestingly premium garments seem to have the ability to ‘sing out’ even on a busy rail because good quality is often eye catching.

Are there many accessories like jewellery, bags and shoes to be had?

You’ll find these in abundance and because people change their accessories so frequently we benefit from oodles of them in the form of donations. Their condition can be excellent, even mint, as they tend to get lighter use so you’ll find some incredible bargains out there. Nearly new footwear and bags as well as textile accessories in every style and hue are a great way to add a pop of colour to a sedate look or a budget way to reference a fashion trend without the head to toe commitment.

What did you find accessory-wise for the shoot?

We sourced some incredible accessories from our shops for the shoot – from silk scarves to beaded ethnic slippers to beautifully tooled leather bags. Showing as much diversity as we could was our aim. Rich pickings. Many of these modestly priced little gems also lend themselves brilliantly to inventiveness such as silk scarves turned into hair bands.

Charity shop style is the ideal way to try out new looks

Talk us through the inspiration for this shoot…

We set out to create looks that incorporated a little opulence and excitement into everyday wearability. We gave ourselves a pre-Raphaelite theme which Pre-loved clothes are planet friendly

lent itself perfectly to the richness and layering we wanted to achieve.

Unapologetically feminine with just a little drama thrown in for good measure. But above all we wanted to show off the incredible diversity of garments we managed to source, and in just one day, so providing a genuine snap-shot of the incredible stock that passes through our stores.

Which stores did you divine these divine looks from?

We sourced from three of our Dorothy House stores; Keynsham, Weston and our new online store based at Moorland Road and in each the process was the same; skimming the rails for opulent colours, lustrous fabrics and any interesting textures that caught our eyes. In just a few hours we had the makings of 15 looks including accessories, starting to take shape on a rail.

Velvet, tulle, beads, embroidery, ruffles and fringing and of course lots of great fabrics – all starting to look promising! The only struggle was limiting ourselves to 15 – we could have easily kept going!

And putting it all together?

We were keen to play with layering; placing shirts and blouses under some of the dresses to achieve a ‘folksy’ look and to suggest alternative ways of styling something that might otherwise be seasonal. A strappy summer dress over a blouse suddenly becomes something that’s wearable all year round. We set out to pair interesting combinations – for example tweed with organza, suede with silk, denim with satin, knitwear with tulle. Though we wanted to be playful with the styling we were conscious of when to let some pieces speak for themselves – it’s all about getting the balance right, sometimes less is more.

How was the shoot itself?

It was a beautiful Georgian town house in the Paragon, lent to us by the good folks at Always Sunday. Oodles of sumptuously distressed walls and dramatic drapery that was the perfect backdrop. Our three lovely models Kundai Nyakunu, Alana Thomas, and Isabella Chick from Gingersnap Models, who had so kindly volunteered their time. The talented makeup artist Louise Jane Mead who created stunning ‘natural’ beauty looks that just shone and the amazing our photographer, Egle who captured the spirit of what we wanted to achieve beautifully – showing just how amazing secondhand can look. n For more: www.dorothyhouse.shop

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It’s the city’s business

BATHWORKS THIS ISSUE >>SELECTSCIENCE ROYAL RECOGNITION (66) >>DR HONG BUI INSPIRING WOMAN 67) >>BIZ Q&A JONATHAN GREEN OF BATH CRICKET CLUB (69)

Cllr Dine Romero, Cllr Tom Davies, Cllr Sarah Warren, Cllr Tim Ball, Cllr Kevin Guy, Cllr Alison Born, Cllr Richard Samuel, Cllr David Wood, and Cllr Manda Rigby are ready to get to work

Fresh faces

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ath and North East Somerset Council has appointed a new leader and cabinet members. The new team of nine is led by councillor Kevin Guy, who is taking over following councillor Dine Romero’s decision to step down as council leader and leader of the Liberal Democrat group. He’ll be joined by deputy council leaders councillors Richard Samuel and Sarah Warren, whose portfolios cover Economic Development and Resources and Climate and Sustainable Travel respectively. Councillor Alison Born and councillor Tom Davies will job share looking after Adults and Council House Building, councillor Dine Romero will take on Children and Young People,

BUSINESS CLUB

Communities and Culture, councillor David Wood, Neighbourhood Services, councillor Manda Rigby, Transport and councillor Tim Ball will take the lead on Planning.

“I’d like to thank the outgoing cabinet members who have worked under huge pressure during the pandemic to serve the residents of Bath and North East Somerset. I’m proud of the way the team has supported our communities when they needed it most,” says Kevin. “I’ve made some significant changes to the cabinet roles to strengthen delivery of our priorities. Given the importance of recovery post-Covid, Economic Development is now included in Cllr Samuel’s deputy leadership role.

“I’m placing the climate emergency at the heart

of our decision making, so a second deputy leader will be introduced whose sole focus will be on the climate emergency and sustainable travel. Cllr Sarah Warren will take forward this role, which will reflect the impact that transport has on our environment.

The crucial issue of finding more sustainable modes of travel will be key in meeting our target to become carbon neutral in B&NES by 2030 in line with the council’s climate emergency declaration.

“All decisions made will therefore need to be signed off by both deputies, so we can ensure that both the climate emergency and fiscal responsibility is placed front and centre of what we do.”

For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend Search Bath Life on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 115

BATHWORKS

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The popular giant giving box in Southgate is now a permanent fixture. Originally installed just for Christmas, the huge gift-wrapped donation box allows passers by to donate to its four charity partners, Age UK Bath & North East Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset Carers Centre, Dorothy House and Genesis Trust through a one-off contactless payment of £3.

“Our community really got behind the giving box at Christmas, and so we’re thrilled to announce that shoppers are able to continue supporting our charity partners quickly and safely when they come to visit,” says Guy Henderson, centre director for SouthGate Bath. “Donations are vital in ensuring the teams at all four of our charity partners can continue to provide their vital services in the local community. We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our visitors for their donations.”

For more: www.southgatebath.com Bath Box Office manager Gena Goldfield is thrilled with their new home at The Forum

JUST THE TICKET

Janet Dabbs, Age UK CEO for B&NES, one of the charities benefitting from the scheme

DOWN TO A SCIENCE Corston-based digital science publisher SelectScience has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. It’s the second time they’ve received the award, which is one of the UK’s most prestigious for business.

“What an incredible honour and proud moment for all of us at SelectScience,” says Kerry Parker, CEO. “I’d like to thank every member of our outstanding team for their passion and commitment to delivering high-quality information, great content and exquisite service.

“Now more than ever, we are seeing the importance of effective communication within the science industry, and we feel privileged and humbled to be able to play our part in that.”

The 35-strong company operates around the globe providing trusted information to scientists at the forefront of advancements across multiple scientific disciplines including critical fields like Covid-19 research, cancer research, drug discovery, sustainability, food quality and clinical diagnostics among many others.

When the pandemic hit, SelectScience responded rapidly to cancelled conferences by launching a series of new virtual events and other online tools to facilitate scientific collaboration, and now have an international audience of more than five million.

For more: www.selectscience.net 66 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

The SelectScience team have received royal recognition for their work

Bath Box Office has a new home in Bath Forum and will reopen to visitors when restrictions allow. The Forum’s Culture Recovery Fund award has enabled the move, providing the venue with the stability to offer support, an office and counter space to Bath Box Office, which has been online only since the closure of its former home in the Visitor Information Centre on Terrace Walk in 2020.

“I am so pleased that we have found another central location to base our box office,” says Gena Goldfield, Bath Box Office manager. “Bath Forum is the city’s biggest venue and feels the perfect fit for us and our clients, who are the heart of what we do.

We have many exciting projects afoot, including the creation of a brand-new website and digital event platform within this.”

For more: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

Rebecca Eels is now a partner at Stone King

SUCCESS SEASON

Stone King has announced 11 promotions. Rebecca Eels in the Family & Mediation Team has been promoted to partner, while Josh Gilbert, Business Property Team, Sophie Pughe, Charity & Social Enterprise Team, Jo Lake, Information Law Team and Kara Williams, Commercial Property Team have all been promoted to senior associate.

Spyros Maravegias has been promoted to senior HR consultant.

In the Education Team, Elizabeth Fortin and Lucy Blackwell are now associate solicitors, as are James Barratt in the Employment Team and Raquel Ugalde in the International and Cross-border Team.

The Immigration Team has also seen a promotion with Julianna Barker now a chartered legal executive.

Alison Allen, Stone King’s chair, says: “We are delighted to recognise the excellence of our people with these promotions; we are impressed by our people who continue to go the extra mile for our clients, keeping them at the heart of what we do.” www.stoneking.com

HAPPY RETIREMENT

Jonathan Langdon, founder of accountancy firm Milsted Langdon has announced his retirement.

Established in 1988 by two University of Bath graduates, Milsted Langdon is now a leading firm in the South West region and has over 200 staff spread across offices in Bath, Bristol, Taunton, Yeovil and London.

“A lot has changed since I first helped to found Milsted Langdon, but one important thing remains the same, our commitment to helping clients thrive,” says Jonathan. “I feel very proud to have played a role in the growth of the practice, guiding it over the years to become such a well-regarded firm.

“While I am sad to be retiring, I am glad to see that Milsted Langdon continues to grow and thrive, even with the recent challenges that we have faced.

“I would like to thank my fellow partners, our staff, local contacts and clients for the support they have shown me over the years.” www.milstead-langdon.co.uk

Whola Lotta Knots now has a pop up shop on Cheap Street

TWIST AND SHOUT Whole Lotta Knots is an emporium of ’70s-inspired handmade macramé art, unique homewares and locally sourced goods.

Launched by Polly Jackson, a self-taught macramé artist, the store is inspired by her world travels and offers a carefully curated aesthetic of soft colour palettes influenced by the natural world. In addition to Polly’s own designs, the shop is packed full with other pieces by female-led local businesses like Haus Life, Nala Lighting, Flowers by Blomme, My Lining, Orphic Living, and Pache Designs.

“Inspired by my one true love, world travel, my products have been selected from

independent Bath-based female-owned businesses who work closely with their makers all over the world to create sustainable and ethical homewares for us to enjoy,” says Polly.

“My aim is to create a collaborative space that gives you a sense of calm on entering; from the soft shades to the scent that fills the store, I have created a haven of textures that takes us away from any rainy British day. As a maker myself, it was so important that my products were ethically sourced and had prices that reflect the beautiful craftsmanship that has gone into making them.

For more: www.wholelottaknots.com

PHENOMENAL WOMAN Dr Hong Bui of the University of Bath School of Management has been named one of the 20 most inspiring women for 2021 by Forbes Vietnam.

Dr Bui received the accolade for her leadership in the University’s International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICHEM), where she works on research for higher education innovation and supporting strategic change with governments, institutions and organisations. She has collaborated with communities in Vietnam to create development plans that mirror their values and priorities, utilising global expertise in economics, health and infrastructure planning.

“I am delighted to receive the accolade but I would like to point to the many other inspirational women who are transforming society for the better each day,” says Hong. “My work in Vietnam has enabled me to collaborate with researchers and experts from many

Dr Hong Bui is one of Forbes Vietnam’s 20 most inspiring women

countries and across disciplines to understand the concerns and aspirations of local communities in relation to sustainable development. That has been a hugely inspiring experience.”

For more: www.bath.ac.uk

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Finalists were announced on 20 May in a virtual Grand Reveal event

© SOUL MEDIA

Cream of the crop

© SOUL MEDIA

BATHWORKS

The nominations are out and the countdown to Awards night begins t is officially awards season. Following the thrilling Grand Reveal Day where this year’s nominations were announced, we’re counting down the months until Awards night in September. As ever, we were inundated with Bath Life Awards nominations from businesses across sectors – retail, restaurants, culture, charity, health, hospitality, legal and leisure – that really served to highlight the innovation and tenacity of our city, even in the toughest of times.

Needless to say picking the finalists was a tough job with so many top quality candidates, but eventually decisions were reached. All that’s left now is to hand over the next round of tough choices to our expert

panel of judges to pick the best of the bunch.

There are still some sponsorships available, for which you can contact annie.kelly@ mediaclash.co.uk or pat.white@mediaclash. co.uk. Sponsorship is a great way to get involved in the event – from the months of pre-Awards promotion to the glam of the night itself, which will take place IRL again at The Assembly Rooms on 9 September. Otherwise, unless you’re one of the lucky few, for tickets you’ll have to join the waiting list.

If you missed it, you can watch The Grand Reveal again on Bath Life’s YouTube channel – just search for Bath Life.

For more: www.bathlifeawards.co.uk

SPONSORSHIPS For remaining options, please contact annie.kelly@ mediaclash.co.uk or pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk

Limited number of Silver Sponsorships including Table.

Please note: we sell out every year with many on the waiting list.

TICKETS See social media for updates.

AWARDS The uberglam Bath Life Awards

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will be held in the Bath Assembly Rooms on 9 September 2021.

Nothing beats being there…

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for all updates.

Katie Cofferon, Kelly Evans and Francesca Randese from Number Three Hair

The Bath Life Awards celebrates the best of Bath’s businesses, from professional services to cafes, retail to charity

TESTIMONIAL

“Great night with excellent people… when I walked in I was fully taken aback by the glamour and dazzle of the brilliantly dressed up crowd in a fabulous space.”

Carole Banwell, general manager of Bath City FC, winners of the Civic Award 2020

BATHWORKS

“AS A MEMBER IT’S EASY TO FORGET WE’RE AN AMATEUR CRICKET CLUB” coaches by including Mental Health First Aid training on the pathway to becoming effective mentors.

BIZ Q&A

Jonathan Green The head of junior and community cricket at Bath Cricket Club on using cricket for good First, please can you tell us about yourself and your role with Bath Cricket Club?

My role at Bath Cricket covers the management of three areas – our junior cricket membership of nine squads (players range between ages of nine and 15) playing competitive cricket in the local cricket league, cup and national competitions; community cricket, where we promote the game in local schools with the national Chance to Shine initiative and with additional funding from our sponsors, McKenzie & Co, and Bullfrog sustainable bottles.

Community also includes our relationship with Somerset Cricket Board and Super 1’s for disabled cricket; and commercial cricket camps, which are about giving enjoyable daily activities for children during the school holidays.

What’s your history with cricket?

I joined Bath CC as a player in 2003 when I moved to the city, and the standard and opportunities were mind blowing in terms of resources, playing level and competition to get into the 1st XI. Cricket played a huge part in my dad’s family and my earliest memories of summers are of being at our family

club in Redbourn, Hertfordshire just up the road from where I grew up in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

Can you recall your first game?

I played my first game at nine against 13-year-olds and got stumped first ball. It was a steep learning curve but thankfully it didn’t put me off!

stability by committing to an hour on the same day, at the same time, every week. Sadly that particular programme stopped in 2011-12 but others like Sporting Family Change have continued, which has been fantastic.

What do you love about Bath Cricket Club?

As a member it’s easy to forget we’re an amateur cricket club who don’t pay players to play. It doesn’t get better in terms of playing, coaching, facilities and hospitality. We’re all very lucky.

Some may say spoilt…

In what ways has being a mentor affected you?

I experienced a wide range of situations that were far removed from my own upbringing and they affected me massively. I wanted to make sure I was the most reliable, supportive, consistent and engaging mentor every week. Often it was great fun and occasionally it was troubling and sad, but ultimately so rewarding.

Could you tell us more about the vulnerable children’s mentoring programme?

In the late noughties a handful of Bath CC coaches were approached by the council to work with local schools on year-long one-to-one placements on their Breakthrough Project. This identified children with struggles inside and outside of school that resulted in low self-esteem, learning or behavioural issues (often a combination of all three). The aim was to be a positive role model and provide

What’s next for your mentoring support schemes?

With our new sponsors, we have an opportunity to create something similar to The Breakthrough Project. Over the next couple of months, I’ll get out there and engage with schools and experienced professionals to lead and educate us in the correct processes.

We have the collective desire to help young people and our aim is to provide 10 placements each year for the next three years and will also be investing in further professional development for

How’s does the gender balance look these days?

We have played a strong role in driving cricket opportunities for women and girls. This year we’ll have 66 girls and women joining us at the club, which is 25 per cent of our total sign up.

The girls are supported amazingly by three strong role models in coaches Jan Godman (former England player), Jan’s daughter, Emma (studying a PhD developing and implementing inclusive sports programmes at Cardiff University), and Georgia (soon to be a University of Bath graduate).

What do you think are some big myths about cricket you’d like to see dispelled?

1) Cricket is an elitist sport that lives in a pale, stale, male world. Cricket is strong in both our local state and independent schools. There is cricket at all levels accessible to any player interested with 15 clubs who have junior and female cricket within a 20-mile radius of Bath.

2) Cucumber sandwiches. Surely you’d end up with soggy bread?!

What’s coming up?

Our new indoor cricket school is an ongoing project and myself and the cricket director will be hitting the road to visit the top facilities in the land to learn from their experiences and get premier suppliers in place. Street cricket is a form of cricket we’re also looking to pilot later this summer. It offers a different way into the sport, with 86 per cent of players not part of a traditional cricket club – backing our non-elitist, inclusive approach. The project will run afterschool, be completely free and players don’t need to bring any equipment and can wear whatever they like. We’re keen to make it work in Twerton, Southdown and Oldfield Park.

For more: Bath Cricket Club, North Parade Road, Bathwick; tel: 01225 425935; www.bathcricket.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 69

THOU ACCELE R THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN

The Conference for Entrepreneurs is open to join: insights, inspiration, advice

UGHT E RATORS ENTRECONF: AT-A-GLANCE Virtual conference July 1, dinner IRL autumn Thought leaders: NewBusiness approach Kinetic thinking: entrepreneurs’ wisdom and learnings Practical: advice, support from leading professionals The EntreLeague: coolest start-ups revealed Partnerships: from angels to marketers and best tech Plus: keynotes, presentations, round tables, interviews

REGISTER ON SITE Unique ticket approach: Sponsors gift you tickets First tranche of tickets available now More sponsors, more gifted tickets Once gone, either Waiting List or pay Join us on July 1…

OUR SPONSORS, CURRENTLY:

CONTENT: claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk

COMMERCIAL: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

CONCEPT: greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk SITE: EntreConf.com Register now for July 1

SPONSORED CONTENT

ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS

Local legal expert HELEN STARKIE asks – how effective are Asset Protection Trusts in protecting the value of a person’s home against depletion through payment of care fees?

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n a previous article I have explained the potential pitfalls of gifting or selling your home to your children during your lifetime. An arrangement of this sort is rarely advisable. In most cases it will neither save Inheritance Tax nor protect the value of the home against means testing for care funding purposes. In many instances it will cause expensive problems.

However, many people believe that a ‘safe’ alternative is to set up an Asset Protection Trust (APT) and transfer ownership of their home into that. In certain and very limited cases this can work, but again there are risks!

I am not going to consider the Inheritance Tax issues here; I have not room – but let us have a look at the possibility of protecting the value of one’s home against means-testing for care funding purposes by using an Asset Protection Trust.

If it is decided that a home placement is needed for an individual, the Local Authority must carry out an assessment of that person’s ability to pay for that care. If the individual has assets worth more than £23,250 they will have to pay for their care in full.

For a permanent care placement the value of the person’s share in their home will be taken into account in calculating their worth, unless it is occupied by their partner, spouse, older or incapacitated relative or a dependent child.

First, the good news. If your Will is properly drafted it is absolutely possible and acceptable for you to ring fence the value of your share in your home against means-testing and depletion should your partner or spouse need to be in residential care after your death, using either an outright gift to individuals other than that partner or spouse, or a trust (the latter usually being the more attractive option to retain some flexibility in the arrangement of their affairs for the surviving partner or spouse).

The bad news is that if you dispose of an asset during your lifetime with the intention of taking it out of the equation for means testing by the Local Authority should you yourself need care, then the Local Authority is entitled to regard that disposal as a ‘deliberate deprivation’ of capital and assess you as if the asset was still yours.

The term ‘Asset Protection Trust’ is in itself a bit of a give-away here! The phrase is used not to describe one particular type of trust (it can apply to a variety of different sorts) but the purpose of the trust – which of course is to protect the assets in it against means testing

“THE PHRASE IS USED NOT TO DESCRIBE ONE PARTICULAR TYPE OF TRUST (IT CAN APPLY TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SORTS) BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE TRUST WHICH OF COURSE IS TO PROTECT THE ASSETS IN IT AGAINST MEANS TESTING AND USE FOR CARE FUNDING AND/ OR TAX LIABILITY” and use for care funding and/or tax liability.

The problem is the same whether you give or sell the asset to the Trust. In the latter case you may well incur a liability to Stamp Duty Land Tax as well as the expense of a formal valuation of the property and a Land Registry fee. If you gift the property or sell it at an undervalue

you may also find yourself having made a ‘gift with reservation of benefit’ for Inheritance Tax purposes – or alternatively incurring an annual charge to Income Tax under the ‘previously owned asset’ taxation rules.

Once the home is disposed of to someone other than the occupier, the Capital Gains Tax ‘principal private residence’ relief on it is lost, and in addition there will be no tax-free uplift to the market value of the property when the person who disposed of the property dies.

And of course, once disposed of, you lose your control of your own home.

So – tread carefully and seek proper advice should you be tempted to part with the ownership of your property. All is not as simple as it may at first appear! ■

Helen Starkie Solicitor 38 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT; 01225 442353; www.helenstarkie.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 73

SOLD

WICK

AGREED

LARKHALL

AGREED

BEAR FLAT

AGREED

£1,950,000 SYDNEY BUILDING

AGREED

£400,000 BATHAMPTON

LET

£5,500PM LANSDOWN

AGREED

£1,250,000 NEWBRIDGE

£525,000

AGREED

£595,000 HENRIETTA STREET

£250,000

LET

£2,550PM CONNAUGHT MANSIONS

Matthew Leonard Director

Lucy McIlroy Director

£1,250PM

Denise Latham Lettings Manager

PROPERTY P L A C E S T O L I V E , W O R K A N D P L AY

Ashwicke Home Farm sits on 60 acres of woodland

Sale

A FARMER’S MARKET A traditional farmhouse is up for sale Ashwicke Home Farm, just six miles from Bath, is up for sale and includes a farmhouse, a cottage, range of traditional buildings, pasture land and woodland which extends to more than 60 acres. The Grade II listed fourbedroomed farmhouse was constructed in the 17th century with a few later extensions, and is built of sold stone and sits under a Cotswold stone roof. The property, which would make an

incredible interior refurbishment project, has period features throughout, such as distinct oval window casements in the attic space.

There is also plenty of scope for renovation and repurposing in the grounds: as well as its own tennis court, the surrounding land houses a cart shed and granary, north house and west house barns, a bothy, stables, sheep housing and Rose Cottage which is a Grade II listed two

bedroom stone property.

The farm, which is on with Carter Jonas estate agents for £2,850,000, was formerly a dairy farm and in more recent times has been grazed by sheep, and benefits from elevated viewpoints of the picturesque surrounding open countryside including Oakford and St. Catherine’s Valley.

For more: www.carterjonas.co.uk

PROPERTY NEWS Fundraising

SOLDIERING ON

More than a dozen commemorative Tommy figures were installed in Barratt David Wilson Homes show home gardens across Wiltshire including Hunters Wood, Melksham to mark VE Day on 8 May. Each garden Tommy was put together by veterans working for the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) unique social enterprise; Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, which creates more jobs for ex-armed forces personnel and raises crucial funds for the charity. The RBLI has been providing jobs, homes, and mental health support for ex-services personnel throughout the worst of the current pandemic.

To show its support for the charity Barratt Homes donated £100,000 in total to the Tommy Club and purchased 300 full-size Tommy figures to show its support for the charity. “The work the RBLI does is invaluable in helping these brave ex-service men and women lead normal lives,“ says Louise Ware, sales director at David Wilson Homes South West. “When we heard about this new fundraising initiative by the RBLI we immediately wanted to be a part of the Tommy Club.

These impressive Tommy figures will not only act as a reminder of the debt of gratitude we owe these veterans but also highlight the great work the charity does.”

For more: www.dwh.co.uk

The commemorative Tommy figures were constructed by veterans

A show house at Hunters Wood in Melksham

Assistant site manager Trevor Hopkins with a Tommy figure at Canalside, Wichelstowe in Swindon

Lindsay Holdoway, the managing director of HPH

23 Gay Street is now a HPH PLUS office site

76 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Office space

ON THE PLUS SIDE

Bath-based property company HPH has launched serviced offices called HPH PLUS designed to suit all businesses from the small start-up through to the multinationals.

Their Bath city centre site is on 23 Gay Street and is a repurposed Georgian townhouse offering flexible contracts, all-inclusive rent, a dedicated management team, and 24/7 access.

“Surprisingly, 2020 saw a significant increase in the number of new businesses established, 12 per cent higher than the year before and occupier needs have been changing with the need to work from home and now the desire for many to return to an office,” says managing director of HPH, Lindsay Holdoway.

“We know that the right environment is fundamental for business success. Everything we do is geared towards optimising business growth, from investing in technology to enable resource efficient solutions to reduce costs and improve the working environment through to regular contact with our tenants to ensure we are a positive influence on their business journey.”

For more: www.hph.co.uk

27 THE CIRCUS

Matilda Walton explores one of Bath’s most sought-after addresses

80 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

A

s glorious as the city of Bath and its surrounds are, spoiled for choice as we are, there remain certain addresses that make every property lover sit up and take notice. The Circus, where number 27 is now up for sale, is one such spot. A circle built of three curved segments of Grade I listed townhouses, it’s a magical location for reasons obvious – just look at it – and for its architect’s fascination with druids. Architect John Wood, the Elder studied druids and the stone circles they were renowned for, and actually designed The Circus with the same diameter as Stonehenge.

There’s a reason people are so drawn to this spot – and it’s not just Instagram.

This magical influence can be felt in number 27, a gorgeous garden maisonette set across three floors.

Already utterly enviable in size and location, its large south-facing garden (with beautiful magnolia tree) and conservatory take this property to another level of desirability.

There is a certain amount of romantic whimsy we hope to experience when we step inside such an iconic

PROPERTY

address – and number 27 does not let us down. It has all the meticulously maintained period features typical of the Grade I Georgian townhouse, of course, along with a few statement, miraculously preserved pieces that distinguish it in the market. The best of these is the original range in the kitchen – perfect for displaying all your Le Creuset cookware, and a charming conversation piece that injects character into the space.

There’s also an up-to-date Aga to actually cook on, don’t fear.

If the range weren’t enough to delight future dinner guests, the home also has a rare dumbwaiter – a delightful Georgian contraption designed to transport food from kitchen to diners using a system of ropes and pulleys.

Number 27 has character, yes – you’ll fall in love with the fabulous curved ceiling in one of the bedrooms – and heaps of space to go with it. All three bedrooms are massive and enjoy their own bathrooms or shower rooms – so no more loo queues in the morning rush. It has two cosy reception rooms, ideal for working from home or entertaining guests (we’re all about a flexible living space these days), and, of course, the garden.

The garden is a beauty. Spacious and light, it has a paved seating area and lower paved courtyard together

HOUSE NUMBERS with well looked after shrubberies and trees – there’s a pretty olive tree in addition to the magnolia. It’s a peaceful oasis, whether you’re hosting a summer dinner party or whiling away a sunny Sunday afternoon with a book.

Not to harp on the point, but it is, as John Wood, the Elder intended, quite magical.

Price

£2m

Sq ft

3,907

Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 Reception rooms 2 For more: Cobb Farr, 35 Brock Street, The Circus, Bath; tel: 01225 333332; www.cobbfarr.com

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LUXURY APARTMENTS IN A SMALL PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT Developer JUNIPER HOMES have achieved their uncompromising vision for this highly sought–after development in Lansdown…

Open day Saturday 5 June 10am – 2pm • Extended Stamp Duty savings for buyers*

W

elcome to Belvedere House, Lansdown, a much sought-after area with open countryside on your doorstep and Bath city centre a little over a mile away. Lansdown residents enjoy the best of both worlds; great gastro-pubs, the Lansdown Golf Club and the racecourse area nearby all with easy access to Bath, where culinary expertise and cultural events are now coming back to life.

Developer Juniper Homes have achieved their uncompromising vision for this luxury development. Residents will enjoy large open-plan living spaces, uncompromising in style and quality. Externally, the building’s contrasting clean modern lines, softened by Bath stone, strike an architectural balance that offers the best in contemporary living, while internally the embrace of a warm and inviting living space awaits in each of the eight unique apartments.

From high-specification kitchens and superbly designed bathrooms to bedrooms that include thoughtful finishing touches such as walkthrough dressing areas, discerning buyers will appreciate the meticulous attention to detail and bespoke design. All apartments are at ground

or first floor levels with the four ground floor apartments enjoying private courtyard space. Two of the first-floor apartments have a private balcony and two are exceptional duplex penthouses, and enjoy a second reception room and a rooftop terrace with far reaching views. There is also a delightfully landscaped residents garden with two charming arbours. Each apartment includes two dedicated secure parking spaces, with provision for EV charging. n

Prices start at £535,000. Two show apartments will be available to view on the June 5 Open Day. Book a private viewing or come along on the day, the event will be a Covid-safe managed event.

Call Savills on 01225 474591 or Andrews on: 0117 946 1799 Visit www.belvederehouse.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 83

• Domestic and commercial roofing specialists • Covering Bath, Bristol and the South West • Trading since 1985 Tel: 01225 421499 Email: mail@youngsroofing.co.uk www.youngsroofingbath.co.uk Braysdown Lodge, Woodborough, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8LN

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MEET THE

PROPERTY EXPERT Your guides for navigating the market

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 85

SPONSORED CONTENT SARAH LATHAM,

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ETONS OF BATH 108 Walcot Street; www.etonsofbath.com

before getting tenders or builders involved – it can save a lot of time and money and produce a more stunning home.

What do you love most about working in property?

As specialists in renovating Georgian property, we get to work on some of Bath’s finest houses around the city and surrounding villages. Every project we do has a unique combination of client brief, shape and size of the house and design aesthetic so keeps it very interesting, creative and fulfilling.

How can a home be changed?

99% of the houses we work on are listed, so our experience allows us to discuss the ‘art of the possible’ with clients even before they exchange.

We have qualified interior architects with experience of working on listed houses who can improve the layouts and ‘flow’ of large Georgian houses to better suit a client’s lifestyle before moving onto specific room designs.

What key bit of advice would you give to a client?

Involve an interior designer at the earliest stage.

Allow time to plan and design the whole house

What advice would you give about how to transform a home?

If it’s Georgian, call us and we’d be happy to chat through your plans and how we can help.

STEVE BARRETT

SOUTH WEST BUSINESS FINANCE

01225 800849; www.swbf.co.uk

MARCUS ARUNDELL

MANAGING DIRECTOR, HOMELETS 01225 484811; homeletsbath.co.uk What makes you different from the rest?

We are a wholly independent family-run firm, striving to deliver the most comprehensive service to our clients. Having been based in Bath since 1992 we are fortunate enough to employ a highly skilled, experienced and knowledgeable team specialising in all aspects of residential lettings and property management and always working to industry best practice. This consistency in our approach has allowed us to forge trusted longstanding relationships with our clients and partners, as well as all manner of local professionals.

What one piece of advice would you give to prospective tenants?

Given the current climate and with relatively low stock levels by comparison you may need to be a little flexible on your ‘wish list’ than you might normally – but don’t worry, our team are on hand to assist in finding your ideal home.

Do you offer virtual viewings?

Absolutely, almost all of our properties are accompanied by a video tour and typically a floorplan for those all important conversations, ‘Well where’s Harry the houseplant going to go?!’ (all we ask is that you please look after Harry).

What plans do you have for next year?

Celebrating 30 years of HomeLets!

86 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

What area do you specialise in?

We are an independent finance broker and consultancy specialising in finding finance for all property transactions, including buyto-let, to complex property development/ investment facilities and auction finance where a quick response is required.

What key bit of advice would you give to a client?

Explore your options with a Broker, we can give a far-reaching view on all the types of finance available in the market, from high street to alternative providers, and how best to structure the transaction to get the desired result. A fresh pair of eyes looking at the finance might throw up new options not previously considered.

What makes you different from others in your profession?

We have access to over 300 lenders and can therefore give truly independent advice on sourcing finance for property transactions.

With our experience in the market you can be confident you are getting the right info to make an informed choice.

What is your favourite part of the job?

The collaboration with the business/ individual and their professional team to find the perfect solution.

Most days we get a different challenge and the ability to educate businesses and property professionals on what facilities are available to them is a real joy.

ROWENA BIRCH

HEAD OF PROPERTY INVESMENT, GOUGHS SOLICITORS 01249 450076; www.goughs.co.uk What area do you specialise in?

I am a commercial property lawyer, so my focus is all types of investment in commercial property – whether freehold or leasehold and whether in a personal or corporate capacity, or via a self invested or self-administered pension scheme.

I advise investors on the acquisition or disposal of their investment or portfolio of investments as well as helping them to manage their investments including dealing with all lease work and licences that are required. I can give specialist advice on the how a transaction can be structured to make the most of Stamp Duty Land Tax reliefs and whether there may be any exemptions applicable to a transaction. I also deal with all financing work, whether it be secured lending on an acquisition or refinancing an investment or portfolio.

How can your services add value to a property?

Taking legal advice is so important, particularly when dealing with property. All of our property investment specialists use our specialist knowledge to help clients to make the most of their investments. This can be through advice on the best way to structure a transaction to make it as cost and time efficient as possible, or planning your estate to make the most of available tax benefits. We can spot potential issues on the title to the property or through other due diligence and offer realistic and commercial advice on the best way to deal with these.

SPONSORED CONTENT MATTHEW HALSTEAD

CROSSMAN ACQUISITIONS LTD 07442199028; www.crossmangroup.co.uk matthew@crossmangroup.co.uk What area do you specialise in?

I am a qualified town planner. I deal with commercial and residential property, although primarily the latter given the Crossman Group’s history of building high quality housing. My principal role is identifying development opportunities, and then securing planning permission.

RICHARD PEARCE CEO, TCN UK

020 3958 5350; www.tcnuk.co.uk What do you think the long-term impact of the pandemic on the property sector will be?

It’s a short question with a big answer that includes housing, retail, offices, city centres, etc.

For housing, I think it will spread out demand for housing as people can work more remotely.

That in turn means cities need to entice people in with more interesting retail offers, better office buildings and more social activities and events.Generally the property sector will need to think more about the consumer and offer a product that they really want.

What’s the best project you’ve worked on?

Newark Works in Bath. The history is inspiring and it is a unique building in the area. That makes it exciting for us to regenerate and for the new occupiers coming in. It’s launching in Q1 2022 and will be a huge moment for us.

What turns a home into a workspace?

I don’t think anything does. Home should be where you enjoy your family and life, perhaps with the odd day or two working from a spare room if you’re lucky enough to have one. Go to the office – meet, chat, share challenges and successes, then go home fulfilled and focus completely on your family, friends and health!

ANNE MARIE BRENNAN

PROPERTY & LIFESTYLE MANAGER, BATH 07899 966588; AMB@thehome-service.co.uk www.thehome-service.co.uk What do you love most about working in property?

Excitement and opportunity. Whatever the challenge, it is joyful to simplify, enable, find the very best people to assist and ensure clients avoid costly errors. Every property old or new is ‘a work in progress’, and it is an honour to contribute to the journey.

What makes you different from others?

We work with the best visionaries, problem solvers and craftspeople. We deliver what we promise. People need assistance right

How can your services add value to land and property?

Property value can be enhanced by securing planning permission for development. This could take the form of a house extension, through to more complex proposals incorporating hundreds of dwellings. We are always very keen to hear from people with land and property to discuss how we could enhance its value through the planning process.

What makes you different from others in your profession?

We are very selective with the planning projects that we take forward. This enables us to provide a bespoke and tailored service for the property owner, whilst ensuring that the process is open and transparent at all times. We also structure our land deals so that we absorb all of the costs. Obtaining planning permission can be very expensive, so our approach removes all of the risk for the property owner.

now to reclaim their home and lifestyle.

Whilst ‘staying at home’ created more self sufficiency, homeowners desire inspiration, an outside perspective, a space review and the confidence to leave the work to someone else, so they can go and enjoy life again.

What is your favourite part of the job?

Achieving the impossible! The answer must always be yes. We will find a way to help. We prize client confidentiality, exceed expectation, timescales and finding the very best solutions.

The best part of the job? Simply making people happy.

What new plans do you have for next year?

Exploring outdoor spaces! This beautiful city is awash with courtyards, patios and

DYLAN MACDONALD

STRATTONS + PARTNERS 01225 683182; www.strattonsandpartners.com dylan@strattonsandpartners.com Why should people contact you?

I take great pride in my duty of care to all clients and aim to form long-standing connections. This can mean helping with multiple moves, often helping multiple members of the same family move too.

Favourite Bath property that you have sold?

I’ve been involved in over 3,000 property transactions, so it’s hard to pick one! I recently sold 1 Bloomfield Crescent, a Grade II* listed townhouse with spectacular views and landscaped gardens. I sold it to a past client who was looking for a home to accommodate multi generational living. I persuaded them to take a look at the property and despite a challenging land registry title, the sale completed in time for Christmas!

There will always be challenges in every move and it’s our job to minimise this so that everyone can move on the date they hope for.

What’s on Strattons’ to-do list in June?

We’ll be putting our energy into linking sellers to properties including off-market deals, using our shared market insights and pool of 40 years of property connections. We’ll be broadening our contacts through social media to capture the attention of the diverse UK and international property seekers. The post-pandemic future is looking bright and we encourage anyone who is considering selling this year to take advantage of the HUGE buying appetite right now.

balconies, and whether they are attached to a business or wonderful home, we have all learned to appreciate the value of outdoor spaces, plants, fresh air and privacy. It is high time Bath’s amazing spaces are awash with colour, beautiful plants, creative solutions (including my seasonal windowbox service) to rival the very best European cities. I am so excited to be developing a collective of talented creative gardeners to support, advise, assist in this endeavour. For more information contact Anne Marie today!

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SPONSORED CONTENT MATTHEW LEONARD ANAEA

market. In my 20 plus years of agency experience I have rarely seen a better time to sell.

01225 829000; www.winkworth.co.uk Why should you put your house on the market now?

The Bath market has been extremely active since the end of the first lockdown and continues to be so. There is a lack of stock but seemingly no shortage of buyers wanting to come to Bath or move within Bath.

What kind of property buyers are you currently seeing coming into Bath?

Many buyers are already here having sold between lockdowns and taken rented accommodation in the city. As sales and letting agents we see both sides of the coin and wisely many have taken the opportunity to be at the front of the queue when the right house comes to the market.

What key bit of advice would you give to a client?

No time like the present. The Stamp Duty holidays are nearing an end, but borrowing money is still cheap and there are plenty of active buyers in the

What is your favourite part of the job?

Repeat business from clients we have worked with in the past has got to be one of the most rewarding parts of the job. It’s a real affirmation that they received a good service.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, WINKWORTH, BATH

MARK VINCENT

MARK VINCENT SURVEYING 01225 581591; www.mvsurveying.co.uk What do you love most about working in property?

The wide variety of fascinating properties I get to work in, meeting the most interesting people from all sorts of backgrounds and professions. Bath seems to draw in exceptionally talented people.

What key bit of advice would you give to a client?

Seek out independent estate agents and professionals who have lived and worked locally for a long time, and can give you honest and pragmatic advice about the area you wish to move to. A survey can provide a rational balance to what otherwise might be a costly emotional purchase.

Airbnb property management

Can I make money from my property and still use it?

Yes you can – by making your property a holiday let. Your property will look the best it ever has and it will earn a substantial income.

Best of all, you have control of the calendar to ensure the property is yours whenever you wish. We have just entered the busiest 12 months in the history of Airbnb. Your property could be a part of this boom and benefit you significantly.

How can Airready help?

The holiday maker is demanding – and rightly so. They now want a 5* experience in somebody’s home. We have an outstanding 98.9 per cent 5-star reviews across the 41

88 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

holiday lets that we manage in Bath and the surrounding villages. The reason we do so well? Detail, detail, detail. Nothing is too much. Nothing is unchecked. We have a large portfolio of homes – from those that sleep 18 to others that sleep 2 – and we love them all. We deliver again and again on meticulous cleaning, 24/7 crisis management, ongoing maintenance, luxury bed linen and towels, bespoke bathroom products and a seamless check in and check out experience.

We are the best at what we do, so give us a call to find out more.

Tel: 07906 507228 info@airready.co.uk www.airready.co.uk

How has the Bath property market changed in the last few years?

There has been a large influx of people moving here from London and the home counties, which has had an impact on prices. The fall in the value of the pound has also led to an increase in expats buying property in the city, helping Bath to remain a buoyant market compared to many.

What part of the work do you particularly enjoy?

Receiving genuine thanks from clients who are grateful for the impartial advice on the property, enabling them to make a reasoned decision on their purchase.

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do that is ensure that there is stock in the market and that a steady supply continues through the summer and into the autumn.

We are continuing to see large volumes of new instructions highlighting that even now there is activity in the market beyond 30th May for completions. Prospective sellers have the ability to keep the housing market active and buoyant – talk to your favoured estate agents (and us of course) and together we can keep the market moving.

What key bit of advice would you give to a vendor?

Be organised, be honest and engage with your chosen lawyers as early as you can. The more information that can be provided up front, the better the chances of achieving the all-important exchange quickly.

JEREMY JENKINS

JEREMY JENKINS ESTATE AGENTS 01225 866747; www.jeremyjenkins.co.uk What area do you specialise in?

We sell homes in Bradford on Avon and the surrounding villages and countryside.

How is the housing market in the shadow of COVID-19?

Since we came back to work after lockdown we have barely stopped. The release of pent up demand plus fresh buyers coming to the area from city centres has taken us by surprise – a very pleasant surprise!

What part of your work do you particularly enjoy?

The people. My wonderful colleagues, friendly customers and local property professionals.

What advice would you give someone searching for the ideal home?

Prioritise what is really important to you in your next home and be prepared to compromise on the rest.

If you weren’t working in property what would you be doing?

I’d like to be a personal trainer. Maybe specialising in helping middle-aged and older people lead healthy lifestyles and get into good shape.

ALISON TREBLE

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY PARTNER, MOGERS DREWETT 01225 750006; www.mogersdrewett.com Why should you put your house on the market now?

There are many theories circling about how the residential property market will function after the 30th June and the end of the Stamp Duty Holiday (up to £500,000), chief amongst these is that the market will fall flat and activity levels will reduce significantly.

Demand will not just dissipate overnight however and buyers will continue to need to move and buy for a variety of reasons even without a projected saving of up to £15,000.

It is important that we do not make this a self-fulfilling prophesy and the best way to

ALISTAIR HEATHER STRUTT & PARKER

01225 685810; www.struttandparker.com Tell us a little about your business We are a multi-disciplined national firm of estate agents, founded in 1885, with our newest residential agency office located in the centre of Bath.

What makes working in Bath special?

It is the perfect blend of history, architecture and culture. Aside from its obvious beauty, Bath is a welcoming city with so much to offer to its residents and visitors. It has all the amenities, education and leisure facilities of a larger city, but set within a more peaceful and attractive setting.

What is the biggest mistake that can be made in property transactions?

There are obviously technical issues that can arise in any transaction, but with the right advice and desire to find a solution nothing is completely insurmountable. Inflexibility is harder to deal with – understandably house moves are challenging both practically and emotionally. Unfortunately, chains can collapse if one person refuses to budge on moving dates.

What professional accomplishment has made you proudest?

I would say that the best feeling is when previous clients come back to work with you, not just once but time and again. Often this is unstated recognition of previous quality of service and that is without doubt the ultimate acknowledgment within a challenging, fastpaced and volume intensive business.

Work/life balance – how do you get it right for you and your staff?

In today’s working environment, the line between work and home life gets very blurred. As someone who has worked and lived in London for twenty years, and in the past two years commuted to London from Bath every day, I was on the wrong end of the work/life balance. However, now that I am fortunate to both live and work in Bath, giving me more time to spend with my family and enjoying my hobbies, I find myself better able to strike a balance between the two.

What is your company’s ethos and philosophy?

Look after our clients the way we would wish to be looked after ourselves.

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A MATTER OF REFLECTION A MATTER OF How to use glass to take your interiors to the next level

By Lydia Tewkesbury Carole Waller’s glass-topped table beautifully reflects the sky above

INTERIORS

W

hen creating atmosphere in the home, glass is one of the more versatile tools in the designer’s arsenal. From windows to mirrors, it can be used to manipulate light, create the illusion of space, deflect attention from awkward-to-style corners – or draw the gaze towards that which you wish to enhance.

Interior designer Nick Woodhouse, and co-founder of Woodhouse & Law sums it up perfectly: “Glass is key to design. Not only does it help to link and frame views between spaces, whether inside or out, but it also helps to accentuate the light levels within these spaces, adding interest though reflection and form.”

Here, Bath artists, designers and window stylists, share their top tips for making the most of glass in all its forms.

ROSE-TINTED GLASS

Architectural glass like stained glass windows and glass panels more commonly seen in religious and commercial buildings can be used to make a bold statement in the home, too. Sally Politzer, a Bath artist who creates bespoke architectural glass describes it as a means to ‘enrich’ a space.

“It has a kinetic quality. Unlike a painting or other piece of art, it has both a practical use and the advantage of appearing differently as the light changes,” she says. “It can be used in doors, corridors, bathrooms and staircases. Small-scale insertions can be as punchy as large insertions. Commemorating the alternation of a house into a new home is a great way of using the medium. It will give a house personality, individuality and, when required, privacy.” below: Always consider form and function for window furnishings, advise Aspect

Window Styling; right: Black slim frame round mirror by Cox & Cox, £150

FORM AND FUNCTION

Architectural glass is artwork with a practical application, says Carole Waller, who creates eye-catching works by encasing dye-painted cloth into reinforced glass.

“I made large windows for an arts centre that conveniently hid the view of rubbish bins outside, and a balustrade inside a house to replace an internal wall with split levels. This both visually doubled the size of the space and brought streams of colour in to reflect their glorious Cotswolds views.”

A well-placed, colourful glass installation, whether a window, panel or even a piece of furniture can transform a room by creating a statement focal point that is forever changing according to the light source. The reflective qualities can also be used to atmospheric affect – something Carole Waller achieves with glass table tops. “I have two at my studio,” she says. “One indoors and one on a garden terrace, where it works wonderfully because it reflects the trees, sky and clouds back at you as you sit.”

“A mirrored finish shouldn’t be limited to walls,” agrees Nick of Woodhouse & Law. “Introducing console or side tables with this detail also helps to accentuate the light of a space, and adds further interest through additional glimpses of the side and undersides of those special pieces that sit on those very tables.”

LET THERE BE LIGHT

When it comes to the possibilities of reflective glass, it’s all about mirror placement.

The function of a mirror extends far beyond a simple hair and makeup station – used correctly, they alter the entire feel of a room.

They are fantastic interior design tools, according to Clair Strong of Clair Strong Interior Design – especially when it comes to manipulating light.

“For rooms that lack windows, a mirror can create the illusion of more light,” she explains. “In dark north-facing rooms, I love to use

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 93

INTERIORS

above: Mirrors can used as a focal point in a space, like in this design by Woodhouse & Law; right: Stained glass by Sally Pollitzer changes appearance with the light source

mirrors to maximise the amount of sunlight in the space. Because mirrors deceive our eyes, you can use them to deflect attention away from awkward spaces or dark corners. Put a mirror behind a lamp to bounce light around, or hang a mirror behind a hanging chandelier or opposite a window to reflect light beautifully in a room.”

Mirrors aren’t just tools for light enhancement, they have been used for centuries to create illusions of shape and size.

“The Georgian architect Sir John Soane was the master of this,” says Charlie Salter, director of Etons of Bath, designers that specialise in Georgian and Regency properties. “He used convex mirrors incorporated into corners of ceilings to give visitors a different perspective on the spaces they were in.”

While we might not all go as far as Sloane’s eye-catching set up, a simple mirror placed near book shelves, or surrounded with flourishing house plants, can also create the illusion of ‘more’ – whether you’re looking to evoke a Beauty & The Beast level library or a jungle-style greenhouse vibe.

Nothing makes a statement quite like a well-placed mirror. With a little thought, they can create a point of focus in a the design of a room.

“Mirrors can be a good focal point above the fireplace, whilst long or full-length mirrors can be hung horizontally above sofas,” says Dani Taylor, product and creative director at Cox & Cox. “They don’t just have to be practical, either. You can use them as art – think installations of small mirrors grouped together.”

Interior designer Sean Symington says mirror placement is all about what you want to emphasise.

“When incorporating a mirror into a space it is important to hold it up before you hang it to really get a feel for what it reflects,” he explains.

“I use mirrors to draw attention to something I want to amplify, for example a view from a window, or a piece of art.”

94 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

© SALLY POLLIT ZER

COME INTO FOCUS

“Mirrors can be a good focal point”

Mirrors have been used for centuries to create illusions of shape and size, explains Charlie Salter of Etons

© CHRIS WAKEFIELD PHOTOGR APHY

INTERIORS

above: Sean Symington places mirrors to enhance light and artwork; right: Clair Strong recommends a mirror to brighten a dark room

Intentions are vital considerations before you buy – are you creating a statement, a frame, or an amplification? This is an especially important question if you’re buying online.

“My top tip for buying a mirror is to absolutely measure your space before you commit. It can be really deceptive, how that mirror might look in your space,” says Dani. She recommends creating a paper template of your desired piece to get a real-life picture of how it might look. “You want to make sure if you have a fireplace wall that you leave enough space left and right for the mirror to look purposeful – if it’s too big it will look like it’s not right for the space.”

DRESS TO IMPRESS

Much like mirrors, how we style a window is vital to creating the desired look and feel. Do you want curtains, blinds or shutters?

“A simple way to immediately narrow down your options is to consider exactly what you want the window furnishing to achieve,” says Nick Hewett, founder of Aspect Window Styling, Bath-based specialists in blinds, shutters and awnings. It is better to know going in whether you’re trying to solve a problem – light control and privacy are common concerns – or if your choices are driven purely by aesthetics.

Nick explains, “Window furnishings can make a real difference in a room’s presentation and overall feel. For example, shutters have a sleek, timeless appeal that accentuate your home’s unique features, whereas something like curtains are typically much softer in appearance and allow the opportunity to experiment more readily with colour and design through fabric choices. Some products will also be more suitable to specific settings over others, so it’s always worth taking time to explore the different options available first.”

While functionality is a primary concern in window dressing, it needn’t be at the expense of atmosphere, according to Sean Symington. “The design scheme dictates the window treatments,” he says. “For example, in a recent sitting room design I chose to not do either curtains nor blinds as the window has shutters and I felt that curtains would obstruct the light.” n

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YOU HAVE BEEN READING www.sally-pollitzer.co.uk www.carolewaller.co.uk www.clairstrong.co.uk www.etonsofbath.com

www.coxandcox.co.uk www.seansymington.com www.aspectwindowstyling.co.uk www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

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BATH LIVES

“I actually have a tattoo of a pineapple on my lower back” after 20 springs in Bloomsbury we felt a slight restlessness. We felt a change would be energising.

We felt we wanted to emerge somewhere different.

Why Bath? Well, obviously it is very much associated with Jane Austen, the ancestor/ tress of every woman writer,

but also with so many other writers who have stayed there over the centuries; it is still stunningly beautiful; and there are scores of interesting small businesses and creative people we shall be excited to have as neighbours.

FRANCESCA BEAUMAN The writer, historian, and bookseller on moving to Bath, her love of pineapples, and The Bath Festival Francesca, who began her career as a TV presenter, is now a writer, historian and bookseller. She is the author of seven books, including a history of the pineapple.

She regularly chairs literary festivals and arts events, is vice-chair of the Holburne Museum, and also works at Persephone Books, a publishing company founded 20 years ago by her mother, Nicola Beauman.

This month, she can be found presenting The Bath Festival At Home (28 May 28 – 11 June), a digital programme of book and music events to be enjoyed at home.

I was born and brought up in Hampstead, north London.

We used to go trick-or-treating at Sting’s house. I lived in Los Angeles for a decade, and in 2016 moved to Bath.

98 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

I had pretty much no Bath connections when I decided to move here. I had visited the

city a total of twice in my life. But it seemed delightful and I like a challenge; I had built an entirely new life for myself once before in L.A., so I knew I could do it.

It was a very difficult decision for my mother to move Persephone from London to Bath. But we had the option to

renew the lease on the Persephone shop in Bloomsbury or to move elsewhere and eventually, after much agonised to-ing and fro-ing, decided on the latter.

The reason is this: Persephone

emerged from the underworld in the spring, having been rescued by her mother Demeter (one of the reasons which made the name appropriate for us, since so many of our books are to do with families and domesticity). But

My husband James is a film director; we have three children

aged 14, 12 and 8 who were all born in Los Angeles and take great pleasure in telling people about their journey from the West Coast to the West Country. At this point, may I also offer up a quote from Virginia Woolf’s diary from 1930?

“How any woman with a family ever put pen to paper I cannot fathom. Always the bell rings and the baker calls.” Indeed.

I was lucky enough to stumble across this fascinating yet under-researched subject of pineapples about 20 years ago

and it’s been the most glorious fun to watch it gradually enter the mainstream historical discourse.

For example, last year I chaired a conference on the subject at Cambridge University: it brought together academics from all over the world to discuss – well, pineapples. It’s fun to be the world’s expert in something, even if it is pineapples! I actually have a tattoo of a pineapple on my lower back.

I’ve got a new book, The Literary Almanac, coming out in September. In it I offer

up a wealth of seasonal reading recommendations, each selected to chime with a particular time of year for a richer reading experience.

Johnny Depp rolling me a cigarette was one of the most

erotic moments of my entire life.

I’ll be interviewing Mel Giedroyc at The Bath Festival

about her very warm, funny new novel, as well as talking to Bryony Gordon and Poorna Bell about what we can all do to look after our mental health. I’m also thrilled to be hosting The Bath Festival At Home.

My most prized possession is the signed copy of My Brilliant

Friend by Elena Ferrante that my husband gave me for my 40th birthday.

My desert island book is The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, of course – not

necessarily because it’s the ‘best’ book ever written, but rather because it makes me giggle every single time I flick through its pages, and that’s quite a feat.

My husband and I have lunch together at our local pub, the White Hart on Widcombe Hill, most Fridays. I’m mainly in it for

the French fries, though.

My secret Bath is Smallcombe Wood, as well as Smallcombe Cemetery. The Pump Shed on the canal in Bathwick that serves excellent Victorian sponge cake.

The shop at the Holburne, which is ideal for present-shopping.

The old Jewish Burial Ground in Combe Down. Castle Farm, the best restaurant in the area. And Persephone Books, of course – in particular our beautiful basement where we store all the books and which still has its original 1761 range, fireplace, and flagstones. n

For more: www.francescabeauman.com