Bath Life – Issue 462 by MediaClash

TAKE ME

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2022 FINALISTS REVEALED

CHEF’S ISSUE 462 / 28 JANUARY – 10 FEBRUARY 2022 / £3

ISSUE 462 / 28 JANUARY – 10 FEBRUARY 2022 / L’AMOUR TOUJOURS

DYNAMIC DUOS MEET THE BATH COUPLES WHO WORK TOGETHER

CLOAKED IN SECRECY

KISS

MAKING THAT LITTLE ROOM SPECIAL

ULTRA VIOLET ALL ABOUT THE COLOUR PURPLE

TIGER, TIGER

CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH MEAA

BIG LOVE FOR THE MICHELIN-STARRED OLIVE TREE

EDITOR’S LETTER

exhibition (page 33)

BELOW: We’re going big on the colour

purple (page 54)

ome of things we have to do for this job are, well, just sublime. Like dining wine-ﬂight style at Queensberry Hotel’s Olive Tree where Chris Cleghorn is the head chef. It was just one of those lightbulb moment experiences where I understood what a Michelin Star really meant and was immediately resolved to try and represent the wonder of Chris’s mastery through these pages – hence our cover depicts the sweetly kissable amuse-bouche chocolate lips we were served ﬁlled with miso and salted caramel. Turn to page 48 where I try not to overuse the word ‘sublime’. The kisses also work as a SWALK intro to our Valentine’s Day feature on page 18 where we chat to 12 Bath couples who happen to be working together. The stories from the likes of the legendary Huey and his amazing wife and manager Becky Morgan, and The Happy Donut Bakery’s founders Meg Smith and Nat Morris, about meeting, falling in love, and creating phenomenal businesses together is heartwarming, fascinating and utterly swoonsome read. Over on page 68 six local and hugely successful tech companies tell us why they love Bath and why they’re staying faithful and keeping their talent and growth within the city. All in all, we bring you yet another divine, exalted, glorious, superb and heavenly issue. (Apologies for the synonyms but I have used up my quota of the word sublime…oops.)

ABOVE: The Behind Closed Doors

SARAH MOOLLA Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

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Issue 462 / 28 January –11 February 2022 COVER Miso salted caramel chocolate lips petit fours created by Chris Cleghorn head chef at The Olive Tree (page 48)

18 LOVE AND WORK Partners in business and love

THE ARTS

33 ARTS INTRO The Behind Closed Doors exhibition 34 WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, family entertainment, comedy,

VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

art and fun in Bath and beyond

41 BOOKS Reads with a twist 42 FILM Studio Ghibli season comes to The Little Theatre 45 FOOD & DRINK Pub in the Park is returning 46 TAKE 5 Sus Davy of Cascara on veganism and mental health days 48 RESTAURANT Sublime dining at The Olive Tree 50 RECIPES Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with a feast

SHOPPING

53 SHOPPING INTRO Introducing Pantone’s shade of 2022 54 EDITOR’S CHOICE Colour your home a Very Peri shade

BUSINESS

59 BATHWORKS Local business news, views, and interviews 62 B IZ Q&A Unividual’s Cherie-Ann Baxter is making financial

advice accessible

63 AWARDS Q&A Aspire to Move celebrate their Bath Life Award 65 BIZ Q&A Designer of 2021’s Creative Bath Award Maggie David 68 TECH Six tech companies on why they love Bath

PROPERTY

75 PROPERTY LEAD New associates at Nash Partnership 76 PROPERTY NEWS Updates from the market 78 SHOWCASE A magical Widcombe home 82 BATHROOMS Five ways to make the most of your small bathroom

DEPARTMENTS

10 SPOTLIGHT Tom Hiddleston comes to Bath 13 INSTAS City of romance 15 FLATLINE Flats is feeling flush 31 SCENE The launch of The Crescent Club 90 BATH LIVES Lawyer turned author turned therapist Jo Love

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 Nic Bottomley, David Flatman and Matilda Walton Group commercial manager Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Annabel North annabel.north@mediaclash.co.uk Business development 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 / Gemma Bourne gemma.bourne@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bath Life MediaClash, Carriage Court, 22 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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FOOD&DRINK

Arts

AFTER DARK

The Herschel Museum is celebrating the bicentenary of William Herschel’s death

Museums

OUT OF THIS WORLD Bath Preservation Society has been awarded £64,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Bathbased astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822). The money will be invested in a year-long programme of events at The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, where Herschel once lived and made several important discoveries – including becoming the first person to ever see the planet Uranus. Events are set to include a new exhibition organised in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society and new planetarium shows, which have been designed with the help of the University of Bath and Percy Community Centre. The Museum will host free craft workshops, new trails and a light box installation with British artist Lynda Baird to celebrate the landmark year. “The Herschel Museum of Astronomy sits within the World Heritage City of Bath and is an important contributor to the cultural offer, which draws millions of tourists to the city and is a critical contributor to the city’s economy,” says Claire Dixon, director of the Bath Preservation Trust. “There is significant interest in the 200th anniversary of William Herschel’s death, with programmes of activity planned that include many local, regional and national partners.” For more: www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk

In celebration of the new series of After Life, Ricky Gevais has donated a bench to Sydney Gardens in Bath

You can now watch the award-winning horror film 11pm on YouTube. The short film by local film maker JP Thomson was shot entirely on Bath’s night time streets, and focuses on 11pm – the average time adults go to sleep, and also, according the missing persons data, the time that most disappearances are thought to JP Thomson used Bath’s night time streets to shoot 11pm occur. 11pm has just finished a film festival run, where it won Best Horror at the Jane Austen International Film Festival and picked up an honourable mention at the Birmingham International Film Festival. “As Bath is my home city there was nowhere else I’d rather have filmed it, and the locations provided the perfect stage,” says Bath-based film maker JP, who is a project manager by day. “Filming took several years to make and it is set at Christmas, so there are a few scenes of Bath Christmas market from a couple of years ago.” JP is currently working on two other film projects – one about Somerset, and a documentary about uncovered Edwardian photographs, and the hunt for their photographer. For more: Instagram @facesinthelightphotos

11pm has just finished a successful film festival run

Mental health

HOPE IS EVERYTHING

The creator and star of Netflix hit After Life Ricky Gervais has collaborated with suicide prevention charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to place 25 benches at different location around the UK, including one in Sydney Gardens, which serve as places to talk, listen and reflect. Each one features a QR code leading to online messages of support, and is inscribed with a quote from the third series of After Life: “Hope is Everything” The gift from Netflix and Ricky are in celebration of the new series of After Life, which landed on Netflix in January. The award-winning show covers issues such as grief, loss, depression and recovery – with plenty of laughs alongside. For more: www.netflix.com

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SPOTLIGHT Arts

Duncan Scott and Tom Dean at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

BRANCHING OUT

Forest of Imagination, co-founded by House of Imagination, Grant Associates and Bath Spa University, is returning this year with a second iteration of The Living Tree. The first interactive installation co-designed by artist and film-maker Andrew Amondson and architect Sasha Mballa-Ekobena was open to schools and families last autumn at The Egg. The remarkable project saw the theatre transformed into a living forest, and included an integrated creative learning programme, creative research, public engagement and knowledge exchange. The second installation planned for June 2022 is a continuation of The Living Tree and a Mirror Maze, and was designed in collaboration with Alf Coles and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Forest of Imagination is a signature project of House of Imagination, a small local charity with a big reach. It is currently asking the public for donations to continue its work – like all local projects, the House of Imagination has been impacted by the pandemic, and was not eligible for the Culture Recovery Fund. Find links to donate on their website. For more: www.houseofimagination.org

Sport

GOLD STANDARD

The Bath-based athletes who swam, fenced, ran and rode their way to Olympic medals at Tokyo 2020 have been awarded MBEs in the 2022 New Year Honours. Swimmers Freya Anderson, Tom Dean, James Guy, Calum Jarvis, Duncan Scott and Matt Richards, pentathletes Joe Choong and Kate French, and wheelchair fencer Piers Gilliver are among the British sportspeople recognised for their outstanding gold-medal achievements. It was a particularly special games for pentathletes Joe Choong and Kate French, who made history in Tokyo as the ﬁrst country to with both the men’s and women’s pentathlon titles at the same Olympic Games. For more: www.teambath.com

Tom Hiddleston was a very ‘Marvel-lous’ surprise guest in the Bath run of The Play What I Wrote

Arts

STAR STRUCK

The Living Tree will return this year in a new iteration

From 12-22 January comedy smash hit The Play What I Wrote appeared at Theatre Royal – and brought A-listers along with it. The play, which is an homage to Morecambe and Wise, always features a mystery guest star, and during its two-week Bath run Hollywood stars Tom Hiddleston and Charles Dance took on the role. Other guest stars included TV favourites Sue Holderness and Kara Tointon, who delighted audiences in the laugh-ﬁlled production. The Play What I Wrote ﬁrst toured 20 years ago, has won multiple awards and broken records for its West End run. This latest production from David Push and Theatre Royal Bath in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre starred Dennis Herdman, Mitesh Soni and Thom Tuck and was directed by double Olivier Award winner Sean Foley. For more: www.theatreroyal.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

As we edge closer to Valentine’s Day, every corner becomes a possibility for a romantic date…

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@mocca39

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“To cut a brutally dull story short, we need new loos”

Pipe dreams

It’s not what you think when we say, Flats is feeling flush

usually take in this magazine with a morning coffee and four or five slices of sourdough toast smothered with apricot jam, so I am aware that many of you may indeed be eating while reading these words. To that end, I’ll try not to be too explicit. I have problems with my plumbing. Not my internal, bodily plumbing, but the systems in my new house. Naturally, when I first mentioned these issues to friends in casual environments, the standard answer was: ‘I’m not surprised, Flats, with all the meat you eat!’ It was an open goal, I suppose. However, my actuallyquite-reasonable protein consumption isn’t the reason that the system has been challenged and indeed overcome. The first plumber to arrive and offer an opinion declared that there

was simply no choice but to re-plumb the entire building. Every pipe. At an approximate cost of eight million pounds. Hmm, let’s get a second opinion, I thought, knowing that I would certainly seek a third and a fourth, and that the search would go on until I got an answer I preferred, what with this being the anti-expert age where the absolutely unqualified seem to know best and all. That answer came a good few answers later and a modern, pressurised water cylinder was installed in the basement. It took one day and cost one tenth of the first quote I got from a very nice man called Charles. It has been revolutionary in most ways and definitely needed doing, but it has not solved the big issue. The big issue – again, being conscious that you may be having your breakfast – is one that sees certain things not disappear

without having been encouraged by some rubber gloves and a ScrewFix plunger. Every day. Every. Day. And it’s not just me, the big carnivorous ape who causes problems, but my little girls, too. It’s every day. Every. Day. It’s not the house’s fault, though. The more the building itself is investigated by men with rough hands, the more it seems to be in good nick. To cut a brutally dull story short for everyone’s benefit, we need new loos. So let’s move on and let’s hope we can bin Pablo the Plunger. Something else about which I tend to rattle on ad nauseum is laundry. More specifically, laundry areas. This house is a tall townhouse so the distance between the traditional location of the washing machine – the bottom floor – and the bedrooms – top floors – is exaggerated, but I’ve always thought it mad that almost all clothes are kept upstairs and washed downstairs. Down and up and up and down they go, all carried by whatever poor mule happens to lose the unspoken, passive aggressive battle that inevitably surrounds said task. It makes infinitely more sense to do the laundry upstairs, so I’d like ours to be built into some posh-looking cupboards in our bathroom. That way, apart from the odd tea towel, it all stays upstairs. Unless you live in a flat, it’s obviously better. Annoyingly, and for boring reasons, this means full height scaffolding being erected here, but it’ll be worth it. For now, though, the old kitchen is being gently persuaded to leave the building by a crew of heavies in the room above me, and I’m convinced the ceiling will fall in and that’ll be that. It wouldn’t be how I’d planned to go, but two good things might come of it: I’d never again have to follow my children from loo to loo with a plunger, and I’d never lose sleep over the fact that I actually submitted a column to Bath Life about poos that don’t flush. David Flatman is an ex-Bath and England rugby star turned TV pundit and rent-o-mic. Follow him on Twitter @davidflatman and Insta @dflatman

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Andrew (left) and Neil started up their menswear firm Thomas Fortin during lockdown

LOVE WORKS Behind the scenes with those power couples who work and live together By Sarah Moolla

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orking relationships can be tough at the best of times – joint decision making, equal shouldering of the load, whose turn it is to make the tea. But what if your work space cohort happens to be a cohabitee? Here 12 Bath couples share their stories of becoming partners, both romantically and in the business sense.

DYNAMIC DUOS A love of music brought Dean and Nicola together, both personally and professionally

ANDREW THOMAS & NEIL FORTIN

Co-owners of Thomas Fortin, a menswear company with headquarters in Bath, specialising in 100 per cent English made goods; www.thomasfortin.com “We met online via Instagram when Neil was still in his hometown of Boston Massachusetts. He was working in menswear as well as his own costume design business so since I was wanting to start up a menswear line, I grilled him for insider info. We chatted online, on the phone, and on Facetime for about four months from July to October in 2016 and finally met up for our first date in New York in November of that year. I flew out to New York and Neil drove the five-hour journey from his home. After that first date it was clear that we had found something incredible and just needed to create a path that brought both our lives together. There was never any question or doubts about what we wanted, but plenty of worries about how to achieve it. We bounced back and forth overseas for two years. Neil asked me to marry him at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain at the Emperor’s Fountain in the summer of 2018 and proposed using a family ring passed down from his grandmother who had actually proposed to his grandfather back in the 1930. It felt like such a huge welcome from the Fortin family to have had this passed on to me. During the pandemic both our jobs – Neil’s work is in theatre and mine in graphics and interior design – stopped dead so we started working on Thomas Fortin Menswear and officially began trading in October 2020 and it’s been a really exciting and rewarding venture. Neil is a doer – he gets things done. He starts at the beginning and works through till the job is done, no procrastinating or faffing – his motto is ‘done is beautiful’. I think my strength is my patience – I like to measure twice and cut once – the smallest details make the biggest difference. As things have opened up again, our solo work has returned but we love being able to work on Thomas Fortin projects together and have just moved into our new office space at the Bath and County Club on Queen’s Parade. This has really allowed us to divide our time properly, and given us the space to enjoy our home as a haven as opposed to clearing the kitchen surfaces of fabrics and boxes and paperwork for every meal time.”

“After that first date it was clear that we had found something incredible”

DEAN BROWN & NICOLA TAYLOR

Owners of Chapter 22 Roots and Records which sells plants, preowned and new records, and houses a coffee shop, 8 Broad Street, Bath; www.chapter22rootsandrecords.com “We met 36 years ago at a gig – we both loved following bands around the country, especially a group called Balaam and the Angel – but we only actually got together four years ago. Our first real date was May 2018 at a Balaam and the Angel gig in Nottingham. We opened the Broad Street space in September 2021 – the inspiration was our love of music, especially 80s alternative culture and music. Nic is an experienced florist and I have good retail knowledge and also run a record label and music promotions business. There isn’t too much of a worry about going away at the same time as we really made sure we picked the right people, who show the same passion as us, and who we trust.”

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Sarah and Sera first met in Hackney in 1992 before meeting up again in Nepal

SARAH & SERA GURUNG

Joint managers of Yak Yeti Yak, the Nepalese restaurant, 12 Pierrepont Street, Bath; www.yakyetiyak.co.uk “We met in Hackney in 1992. Not quite as random as it sounds as we met through mutual friends who knew we had Nepal in common – I’d been working in Nepal and Sera was over from Nepal. We then met up again in Nepal. We became a couple early in 1994 and we were recognised as being married in Gurung culture. Sera popped the question, he was drunk at the time, well that’s his story. We were in the infamous Tom & Jerry bar in Kathmandu and I was about to run to the airport to pick up some people for an expedition we were jointly running. We were oﬃcially married later that year in Guernsey and spent two rainy days in Sark for our honeymoon. We had been working between Nepal and the UK but once our eldest child reached school age, we needed to settle in one place. There was a serious civil war in Nepal and we felt things would get worse so decided on the UK. The idea for a restaurant was a fairly obvious choice as Sera had worked as a waiter whilst at college in London, and I had been a chef and restaurant manager. We had a bar in Kathmandu and expedition catering was part of our job as guides. Travelling around the UK we never came across a true Nepalese restaurant, and we realised it would be great to be the ﬁrst. We have two children, Arun who is 24 and running his own catering company (Khana) based in London, and Manisha (Mini) who is 18 and working at Yak Yeti Yak. We go for a work lunch once a month and try to make time to do one thing a week that’s not work related. We also have the YYY Foundation charity in Nepal to take care of so we travel there independently, with one of us staying behind to look after the restaurant. Job security has been a big issue recently with lockdown when we both lost our income at the same time, and as we’re both self-employed, neither of us got furlough. So to help and diversify, I set up the spice and cookery site, The Himalayan Spice Company.”

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Nat (left) and Meg had their first date at Bath’s Sub13

DYNAMIC DUOS NAT MORRIS & MEG SMITH

BECKY & HUEY MORGAN

“We met four years ago on Tinder – which counts as love at first sight. We were both in university – I was at Bath, and Nat was studying in Cheltenham. We’d spoken and Facetimed for a month before planning to meet up in real life. Our first date was drinks at Sub13 and then, a week later, we were a couple. We were long distance for a year and a half and then Nat moved to Bath after she finished her degree. The business wasn’t joint initially – I was finishing my degree while Nat got the business off the ground during lockdown, April 2020. Everyone was making banana bread, and so she decided to try and make vegan donuts. I helped part-time initially with social media and marketing, and then joined full time in November 2020. We play to our strengths. Nat is the recipe developer; she understands the science behind the donut process. She also deals with a lot of the admin side of the business, and is a cracking delivery driver. I enjoy the creative side of the business, I’ll decorate the donuts and shag cakes, shoot images for our website and social media, and film for our TikTok. As women, it’s not unusual to hold back a little in the workplace. But working with each other has taught us how to avoid this. We speak openly about our ideas, our thoughts and feelings and try to be as brutally honest as we can be. Balancing work and personal life is difficult, especially as we’re working from our home kitchen. Work can become all consuming, it almost becomes your identity. One of our biggest goals this year is to build a better work-life balance. We recently took some time off, about three weeks in total, and saw family, visited Edinburgh on a minibreak, and avoided the topic of work as much as possible. The best solution we’ve found is to be more organised so we can be efficient with our time, both in work and out. That and asking all family and friends to book time in with us at least a month in advance!”

“We met 30 July 2005 at a nightclub in South Kensington. I had a US DJ agency and was there with one of my artists, DJ Cash Money. I was asked by the club booker if I’d like to meet Huey, and as crazy as this sounds, as soon as I shook his hand the room stood still and at that moment I literally said in my head, ‘Oh My God. I’m going to marry this guy.’ Of course, all this took place while I was trying to keep a polite friendly composure and cool as hell attitude..! In October 2005 I got the call to ask if I could book a tour for Huey and DJ Mateo – this was the first time anyone could book Huey to DJ and it sold like hotcakes, so from that day I was his official and exclusive DJ agent. Our first date took a while and was a meal at Covent Garden in March 2006, but from thereon in it was a whirlwind, and by the May he asked me to live with him in New York. I moved myself and my company that summer and in July 2007, we were officially Mr & Mrs. Becoming his actual manager didn’t happen until 2016/17 – a role we had resisted but after time it just made a lot of sense. It was timing, convenience, and financial sense but more importantly maybe a deeper understanding of how best to work together. I often know what the answer is to suggestions and projects without even having to bring Huey into the conversation. Other benefits include same goals, same sense of adventure, mutual respect and understanding. Also working from home on our own schedules fits well with family life – we have two children aged 10 and six. One thing is that Huey is able to switch off from work when he needs to but I find that hard, so it can be annoying trying to talk shop with him after hours! But to help make the time between home and work distinct, we will often turn off our phones and immerse ourselves in family time and other interests. He is my soulmate and we are on a journey together, and supporting each other through thick and thin is huge in foundational marital and friendship strength.”

Owners of The Happy Donut Bakery, an award-winning vegan bakery operating from their home kitchen in Bath; www.thehappydonut.co.uk

Becky became Huey’s exclusive DJ agent back in 2005

Becky manages the career of husband Huey who is an American musician, front man of Fun Lovin’ Criminals, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ, and television presenter; www.hueymorgan.com

DYNAMIC DUOS SARAH & TRISTAN CARTER

Founders of Curtain Up Theatre School, a performing arts school for young people specialising in increasing self-esteem; www.curtainup.org.uk

It was shopping for their wedding that gave Jessica and Tony the business idea for Suave Owl

JESSICA & TONY HARVEY

Owners of the award-winning independent menswear retailer SUAVE OWL, 33 Milsom Street, Bath; www.suaveowl.co.uk “We met via Tinder mid-2014. Turns out we actually went to the same senior school, knew of each other, but never crossed paths as our year group was split and we were on opposite sides. We both knew very quickly that we had found ‘the one’ and became a couple two weeks after we met, and were married 26 November 2017. Our preparations for the wedding were actually the inspiration for the business. The search for Tony’s wedding suit was proving quite fruitless – he wanted something with a little detail rather than a plain suit which he couldn’t find. Also, due to being bigger than the average man, there were next to no shops which kept his size in stock, so we saw a gap in the market. Tony is very forward thinking with grand ideas and is great at networking, whereas I’m more practical and like to pay close attention to the detail. We work for each other, and we work together. We’re all in. But day to day, if one of us, has preference for work or parenting for our two boys Albie, aged five, and Elias, three, the other can seamlessly step in to cover. Truthfully it’s almost impossible for us at the moment to separate work and home time. There is always too much to keep on top of and conversations overspill both ways. Family is constant, as is running a young, growing business. They both end up intermingling. However we both play rugby, and this is our one and only valuable switch-off time.”

“We have the common goal of making sure we share the stress”

“I was 16 when I first saw Sarah. We were in sixth form in Cornwall, and she got the same bus home as me. She was so beautiful I asked a friend to get her phone number for me. Our first date was that weekend, a week after my 17th birthday. I was a Goth then – earrings, nail varnish, and eyeliner – and I think she accepted because she just wanted to shock her parents. We were a couple from day one and got married three years later in 1990. We set up Curtain Up 10 January 2004. I had trained at Guildford School of Acting so used my acting training and teaching experience, and Sarah who studied Pharmacy at Bath University, utilised her management skills. Our children, Josh, now 31, Maisie, 26, and Ben, 22, came up with the name and the logo. As a mathematician Sarah is methodical and so meticulously plans every event and scenario so that no stone is unturned, meaning that the school and all of our events run like clockwork. My job is to be creative and coach the students. We spend a lot of time together which is always a bonus, and so we have time to discuss regularly all aspects of the business. We also have the common goal of being able to link the business to our personal life making sure we share the stress, help each other with the work, make sure that we have breaks, and take time for the family together. We are also able to understand how the other feels if things go wrong but more importantly share the pride and excitement together that comes from teaching young people. When you run a business and work from home, it never goes away, it’s very easy to ‘talk shop’ all the time especially if you’re trying to flex your hours around school runs and children and life, it can feel like you’re working all the time. We deliberately don’t talk about work if we are out for dinner or on holiday, and we sometimes try to schedule proper meetings to talk through business plans.”

Sarah and Tristan have been together since school

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DYNAMIC DUOS NIGEL & RHIANNON HAMILTON

Company directors of Honey Willow who specialise in handmade jewellery, 8 Pulteney Bridge, Bath; www.honeywillow.com We met in Mayfair in 2000 when we were working for sister dotcoms and I’d organised a pub crawl to get the two teams together. Our eyes met and we knew, before we’d even spoken to each other. We got together almost immediately but it was a few years, and a few babies later – we have three children Hugo, now 18, Honey, 15, and Willow, 12 – before we actually got married. In January 2010 I decided to turn my jewellery-making hobby into something more commercial and I opened an online shop named after our daughters. It started off as my business, but it was a joint venture in the sense that Nige always supported Honey Willow with advice, encouragement, and with financial support as it got going. He has helped to shape the business and has become increasingly involved as it has grown. I’m focused on our products and am still very much involved in the day-to-day running of the business, whereas Nige uses his technical and legal background and focuses more on strategy and systems. The highs are our combined vision for Honey Willow, sharing the rewards and the risks, supporting each other through the tougher times. Nige has his own experience of running a business and he understands the vast effort required to build a business and keep pushing it on. We’re a team. The downside can be running a business can feel like a rollercoaster and every now and then we definitely feel like stepping off – there are times when it feels like we are both being consumed by the needs of the business. However despite the long hours, we know we’re lucky that we can choose when to take a break, so we’ll take the dogs for a walk, or treat ourselves to a lunch date. We try not to talk about work much in front of the children (although they do actually often make interesting and helpful suggestions). Whilst Nige usually works from home, I often work at the shop, so we get a break from each other. We’re also getting better at delegating to our hard-working team.”

Nigel and Rhiannon met on a work organised pub crawl in London

“There are times when it feels like we are both being consumed by the needs of the business” MARK & VANDA BRINKWORTH

Directors of Tunley Farm Butchers who, as well as the shop, also supply to the catering trade, Unit 4 Green Park Station, Bath; www.tunleyfarmbutchers.co.uk

Mark and Vanda met in a Bath nightclub back in 1982

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“If anyone can remember Bath back in the day, we met in a club called Charlie Browns/Nero in March 1982. Our first date was to see the band Haircut 100 in Bristol. We married in 1986 at St Saviour’s Church, Larkhall and honeymooned in Tunisia. We have three boys, Matthew 30, Adam 29, and George 23. I had always wanted to set up my own business which I did in 2014, and initially Vanda continued to concentrate on her nursing career but has now become more involved. I do most of the physical butchering with the help of two members of staff while Vanda looks after admin and helps out at the shop on busy days. It’s great being able to share in the satisfaction of the business’s achievements and we have just become grandparents for the first time and have another grandchild due in March, which helps to put things in perspective.”

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DYNAMIC DUOS Nick (left) and John work hard at planning time away with their little boy and the dogs

CHARLIE SALTER & SARAH LATHAM

Directors of the multi award-winning practice of experienced interior designers and project managers that focusses on classically inspired interiors Etons of Bath, 108 Walcot Street, Bath; www.etonsofbath.com

NICK WOODHOUSE & JOHN LAW

Creative directors of Woodhouse and Law, the award-winning full service interior and garden design partnership with a showroom and studio based at 4 George’s Place, Bath; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk “We met in a bar in London. We think the planets might have been aligned in some way that night because we were both out with school friends. They met that night too and are now married. After a few drinks it was definitely love at first sight..! We married in a former library in the University of Manchester, close to my [John’s] family home; that way my grandparents could join us for the big day. Our business was established in 2009, shortly after we moved to Bath from London. We had both re-trained as designers after working in advertising. Nick’s father passed away after a long battle with cancer and it made us re-evaluate. We decided to up-sticks, leave London, and put everything into our own venture. I specialise in interior design, whilst Nick is a garden designer. We identified a need for a one stop shop where we could deliver truly integrated design concepts across interior and exterior spaces. We work across all kinds of commercial and residential projects. Sometimes interiors, sometimes gardens, sometimes both. It was tough when we first set up the company, working from our dining room; it’s all too easy to get all consumed when you are passionate about your job. Now we each run our own teams, collaborate when we can, and make all key business decisions together. We also work hard at planning our time away together as a family. We are incredibly lucky to have adopted a very special little man a few years ago. He’s now ten and we could not be more proud of him. We love to be by the beach, the three of us with our dogs.”

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

“We met in a comedy club in south west London 18 years ago where, after lots of cider and a few embarrassing heckles, the ice was broken. We were married in 2008 in Chiddingfold, Surrey, and have a rugby-mad son called Oscar, aged 12. The business was started in Surrey by Sarah in 2009 who worked on renovating Georgian houses all over the country, while I worked in mergers and acquisitions. In 2015 we bought a flat in Bath because so many of the projects were here and in Clifton that it made sense to have a base here and not live out of a suitcase. Then in 2017 we bought a business in Bath (Eton Design), and I helped with the acquisition, the legals and change management. I loved the challenge so much that I sold my two other businesses to work full time with Sarah. It was instantly very clear how to divide our duties with very few overlaps – Sarah is the creative tour de force with a huge knowledge of interior design and Georgian architecture. So, she leads the amazing design team (there are 17 now) and the creative direction of projects and clients. I am colour blind and more commercial – so I run all the sales, marketing, digital, finance and HR. This means as a creative business we are lucky to have the rare right and left brain combination at the helm – this allows us to be inventive, bold, and expansive whilst also running a profitable business. Since we moved to Bath in 2017, the business has grown over 500 per cent, and we’ve recruited lots of local talent as well as working with many local trades and crafts. We have each other’s backs and know that the other is totally supportive of what we’ve set out to achieve. As we’re so different, we rarely argue about anything in the business as we both have our departments and areas of expertise. I think we argued over some signage once….! We’ve made it our 2022 resolution to not talk about work after 7pm – early days yet so we’ll see how that goes!

“We rarely argue about anything in the business as we both have our areas of expertise”

Charlie and Sarah met 18 years ago in a London comedy club

DYNAMIC DUOS JULIA & PAUL TISDALE

Co-founders of At The Core, the physiotherapy and well-being clinic specialising in arthritic conditions, rehabilitation and exercise, Unit 3, The Foundry, Beehive Yard, Walcot Street, Bath; www.atthecore.health “Paul and I had first met in our late teens in Bath – we had friends in common and socialised at the same places. We knew each other by sight and then one day Paul came into the shop where I worked and very directly asked me on a date. I was flustered and couldn’t think quick enough for a reason to say ‘no’ – so said ‘yes’ instead! At the time, Paul was a professional footballer and didn’t do drunken nights out. He picked me up in his car and we went for dinner. It was certainly a bit different to a regular date most other 18 year olds experienced. After seeing each other a few times, we then went our separate ways. Paul had a busy career in football. And I always said he was too sensible for me. Ten years later we both moved back to Bath and again our paths crossed at social events. We started dating again and 18 months later bought out first house. Two years after that we got married in the

“One of the benefits is that we get to discuss work whilst on long walks” 28 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

village church in Biddestone. We now have three children Sam, 14 years old, Rosie, 11, and Bibi, six. We opened At The Core in 2020 during the pandemic, alongside our business partner and head physiotherapist Adey Saunderson. We were really excited to share the MBST technology with the people of Bath. Arthritis doesn’t wait, and people were enjoying the outdoors, running and cycling and still sustaining injuries, so it seemed like as good a time as any. We treated close to 100 patients in our first year and we have now opened a second clinic in Primrose Hill, London. We have distinct roles within the business. Paul is focused on the direction of the business and likes to think ‘outside the box’. I’m a people person who likes process and I have a background in client care. Team meetings are energetic and fun but the combination of characters means we arrive at decisions quickly – I think Paul would agree that we have a complementary skill set. Paul still has a career in football which takes him away for part of the week, and so while we try and keep business and personal life separate, that became much more difficult during the pandemic. However one of the benefits is that we got to spend time together in the week and discuss work whilst on long walks.” n

Julia and Paul had a few dates in their late teens before resuming their romance ten years later

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SCENE T H E L AT E S T A DV E N T U R E S I N PA R T Y- GO I N G AC ROSS BAT H Kirsty Butler and Francesca Lisanti

Ben Arnold and Jonathan Knel Cathy Adcock, Nathaniel Brain and Leela Brain

Adrienne Day, William Lay and Bianca Moir Simon Tapscott, Rachel Blake and John Irving

JOIN THE CLUB

New Bath member’s organisation The Crescent Club launched with a party at Circo. Founded by John Irving, The Crescent Club aims to bring together a community of likeminded Bath city enthusiasts, providing members access unique events, special previews, a professional network, exclusive discounts at the city’s bars and restaurants – not to mention a whole new social circle. Photos by The Crescent Club www.thecrescent.club

Diane Lee and Naomi Trentham

Mike Dearing and Amy Williams

Kenna Dallaway, Amy Upton, Nick Loxton and Rebecca Corrigan

Nicky Brass, Jana Kemp and Oba Noakes

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 31

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

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

The Behind Closed Doors exhibition, which will soon be on display at the ArtBar in Abbey Hotel, is a thought-provoking collaboration between two Bath artists Jason Dorley-Brown and Emma Taylor to help raise funds for the charity Bath Mind. Emma explains, “This exhibition is a chance to celebrate Bath’s heritage but to also peek ‘behind closed doors’, highlighting human stories and emotions both good and bad. It explores that these stories and the way humans interact, the emotional battles we can face, these haven’t really changed over hundreds of years. “Myself and Jason both wanted to show our support for Bath Mind who have provided an incredible, and sadly much needed, service to our community, particularly during times of late.” Behind Closed Doors by Jason Dorley-Brown and Emma Taylor runs 7 February – 31 March at ArtBar, Abbey Hotel Bath on North Parade, which is a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. The exhibition is to help raise awareness and funds for Bath Mind, with 35 per cent of sales being donated to the local mental health charity. For more: www.bathmind.org.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 33

WHAT’S ON 29 January – 25 February

EXHIBITIONS Until 6 February

HOPE FOR THE NATIONS The exhibition features a collection of diptychs (double panels of artwork) that depict stories from the Bible about Christ’s early years, exploring the theme of Epiphany. The collection will include a series of beautifully hand-crafted work that has been created especially for the Abbey by Bath-based artist Sue Symons. Bath Abbey; www.bathabbey.org

Until 27 February

MYTHS AND MONSTERS A colourful celebration of children’s book illustration featuring the art work of family favourites such as The Gruﬀalo, Iron Man, Little Ogre, and Monsters in Underpants, along with 3D models and interactive craft activities. Alongside is the art of Victoria Topping with depictions of the mythological aspects including Midas, Pegasus, and Phoenix. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk

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

Until 27 February

BRONWYN WILLIAMS-ELLIS: MYTHICAL BEASTS PAST & PRESENT The lively and colourful beasts painted onto ceramic dishes featured in this show have been conceived as partners to the adjoining Myths & Monsters exhibition. Always interested in early art and archaeology, it was during a visit to the Alhambra palace in Spain that Bath artist Bronwyn Williams-Ellis became excited by colour and drawing on surfacedecorated ceramics. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk

Until 27 February

SLOW TIME: SOMERSET REACQUAINTED TOUR This extraordinary exhibition features long-exposure photographs of the Somerset landscape created using nothing more than recycled drinks cans made into pinhole cameras. More than 100 participants took part in this recording the passage of time project initiated

Catch the Banff Mountain Film Festival with its tales of adventure at the Komedia on 15 and 16 February

during the ﬁrst lockdown. Black Swan Arts; www.blackswanarts.org.uk

Until 24 April

SHOEPHORIA! Discover the fascinating evolution of shoe style over the last 300 years, from the actual footwear worn by Queen Mary and Queen Victoria, through to the recent contemporary designers, such as Manolo Blahnik and Vivienne Westwood. Fashion Museum; www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

Until 30 April

LIGHT AT MARSTON PARK An immersive light exhibition by internationally acclaimed British artist Bruce Munro at Marston Park in Frome. The artist’s ephemeral light-based works have featured in urban landscapes and remote rural areas around the globe, including the acclaimed Field of Light, currently illuminating Uluru in Australia. www.marstonpark.co.uk

Until 2 May

PEOPLE MAKE MUSEUMS Showcasing over 20 sculptural pieces these artworks have been specially made for this exhibition and aim to capture some of these complex, personal moments of connection; the ﬂeeting conversations, sudden revelations, unspoken thoughts, sensations and feelings evoked by museum spaces and objects. Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

Until 8 May

THE TUDORS: PASSION, POWER AND POLITICS In partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, the Holburne Museum is currently hosting a major new exhibition featuring 25 famous Tudor portraits. The fascinating and extensive collection includes the ﬁve monarchs of the time spanning 1485 – 1603; Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

WHAT’S ON Until 15 May

OLD GHOSTS Old Ghosts by Glasgow-based artist Mick Peter takes a wry and affectionate look using a cartoonscome-to-life tableaux, at the idea of history as an industry. It’s a narrative trail through the museum and its garden that humorously critiques the conventions of heritage sites through various encounters, like that with a hapless signwriter who is desperately trying to complete his task of refreshing the Museum’s signage. Inside there is also a ‘screen test’ happening which is a playful riff on the Holburne also as a filming location. Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

29 January – 2 May top:

The work of feminist pioneer Ida Applebroog is the focus of the new Hauser & Wirth exhibition in Bruton; middle: Sculptor Dawn Conn is just one of the artists appearing at the Bath Art Fair; bottom: The award-winning Lady Nade performs at the Ustinov on 4 February

IDA APPLEBROOG Feminist pioneer Ida Applebroog has consistently explored the interconnected themes of power, gender, politics, and sexuality throughout her career. The forthcoming exhibition at Durslade Farm, Bruton consists of highlights travelling from the artist’s largest survey to date at Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, alongside important new works created over the past year. Now in her 90s, the comprehensive survey speaks to Applebroog’s radical introspection as a woman and an artist, presenting life as it is and the repetitive patterns of our existence. www.hauserwirth.com

7 February – 31 March

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Beautifully created images depicting a slice of Bath history entwined with contemporary art is the collaborative work of Jason Dorley-Brown and Emma Taylor. The exhibition is to help raise awareness of and funds for the local mental health charity Bath Mind. Turn to page 33 for more. ArtBar at Abbey Hotel Bath; www.abbeyhotelbath.co.uk

16 February

GLOBAL SINO PHOTO AWARDS Global SinoPhoto Awards is the annual, international photography contest, which aims to communicate Chinese culture through remarkable imagery which reflects the skills, creativity and imagination of the photographer, and to provide a creative hub to inspire and connect photographers internationally. The Museum of Asian Art; www.meaa.org.uk

25 – 27 February

BATH ART FAIR Original contemporary art work, ceramics, jewellery and sculpture from over 80 of the nation’s leading independent artists, all under the Bath Pavilion roof. Those exhibiting include award-winning international sculptor Dawn Conn, photographicartist Dr Martín Raskovsky, and Bath Life Award winner 2021 Emma Rose. www.bathartfair.co.uk

THEATRE / CINEMA

31 January – 5 February

THE DA VINCI CODE Based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, with over 100 million copies sold, the secrets of The Da Vinci Code are told in this world première stage adaptation. The curator of the Louvre has been brutally murdered, and alongside his body are a series of baffling codes. Professor Robert Langdon (Nigel Harman), fellow cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Hannah Rose Caton) and teacher and friend Professor Leigh Teabing (Danny John-Jules) attempt to solve the riddles, which lead them to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and beyond. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

2 February

NEW WORLDS: THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION Screen legend Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler,

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

WHAT’S ON

along with Mira Wang (violin) and Vanessa Perez (piano), rock the Acropolis in Greece with music, literature and poetry. The Little Theatre Cinema; www.picturehouses.com

4 & 5 February

ALIVE AND BREL A cabaret celebration of Jacques Brel’s place as a cornerstone of French culture. Brel’s songs are steeped in emotional intensity and irony, and have been recorded by many artists including David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra and Marc Almond. Mission Theatre; www.missiontheatre.co.uk

8 – 12 February

FATAL ATTRACTION Kym Marsh, Oliver Farnworth and Susie Amy star in the stage version of the famous movie thriller. New York attorney Dan Gallagher meets, and sleeps, with charming editor Alex on a night out in the city. He thinks regret and avoidance will be the end of it but Alex has different, and deadly, ideas. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

15 & 16 February

THE BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR The Banff Mountain Film Festival features the world’s best adventure films, bringing stories of extreme and thrilling journeys into the wildest corners of the planet. Audiences can expect inspirational characters, remote scenery and spectacular cinematography. There are two different film programmes to choose from, or double the action and go to both. Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

CHILDREN Until 6 February

SNOW MOUSE Winter has arrived and the woods are covered in white, in this enchanting tale for the very young. A child hurries to put on their warm clothes so they can run outside and play in a sparkly new world. Just when they are starting to feel a little bit lonely, they find a sleeping mouse buried under the soft white flakes. Sliding, tumbling and laughing, they explore the winter wonderland together and keep each other safe and warm from the winter freeze. The Egg; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

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

MUSIC 30 January

SAMANTHA FISH Kill Or Be Kind has proven to be Samantha’s breakthrough album, which was recorded at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis and produced by three-time Grammy winner Scott Billington and mixed by two-time Grammy winner Steve Reynolds. Boasting 11 original songs ranging from the electric cigar box stomp of Bulletproof to the sweet Memphis R&B of Trying Not To Fall in Love With You, the album has established Fish as a potent force in roots, Americana and rock and roll. Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

4 February

LADY NADE Hot on the heels of her UK Americana Award nomination, Bristolian Lady Nade soars into 2022 with her third album Willing. With soothing words and melodies that nourish the mind and body through life’s complicated tapestry, her performances are like a reunion. Share a room with Lady Nade and her band, and she’ll give you her story. All of it. You will love her for it, and she will love you back. Ustinov; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

5 February

GABRIEL MORENO & THE QUIVERING POETS Gabriel Moreno is a Gibraltarian poet and singer songwriter who BBC6 music’s Cerys Mathews lovingly describes as ‘an offshoot of Leonard Cohen and Neil Diamond.’ In his latest work Gabriel explores the experience of lockdown – the struggles and revelations of enforced confinement and solitude. Chapel Arts; www.chapelarts.org

17 February

DAISY CHUTE A banjo-wielding multiinstrumentalist, Daisy’s musical roots are born out of her AmericanScottish heritage creating and delivering award-winning intelligent songs with stories, and performing them with spine-tingling vocals and intricate instrumentation. Chapel Arts; www.chapelarts.org

18 February

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS The punk and folk singer-songwriter

top: Sisters Flo & Joan bring big laughs through great songs at the Komedia on 3 February; right: The intricate work of Bath-based textile artist Sue Symons can be seen at Bath Abbey until 6 February as part of its Hope For Nations exhibition; below: Singer songwriter Daisy Chute will be wielding her banjo and performing her award-winning songs at Chapel Arts on 17 February

WHAT’S ON

who started off his career with the post-hardcore band Million Dead, and has since released eight solo albums, brings his guitar-thrashing poetic talents to Bath along with his backing band The Sleeping Souls, which consists of Ben Lloyd (guitar, mandolin), Tarrant Anderson (bass), Matt Nasir (piano, mandolin) and Callum Green (drums). Bath Forum; www.bathforum.co.uk

19 February

THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY Re-enacting Genesis’ performances as originally presented between 1973 and 1975, this awe-inspiring tribute band The Musical Box, recreates the original shows complete with costumes, instruments, and lighting. Using their intuitive talent and widereaching knowledge of the band’s history, this is a set recreating Genesis at their peak through one of their most seminal albums. Bath Forum; www.bathforum.co.uk

COMEDY Every Sunday

DRAG KARAOKE AT MANDALYNS Most days of the week the welcoming LGBTQIA+ Mandalyns bar has always got something upbeat, fun, and groovy happening, and Sunday nights are no exception. Their drag karaoke nights are so good, Sunday is the new Saturday. www.facebook.com/mandalynsbath

3 February

FLO & JOAN Flo & Joan are the multi-award winning British musical comedy duo, and sisters aka Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. The piano/ percussion pair have played to sold-out audiences across the UK, North America and Australia, and their hour-long special is streaming in over 200 countries on Amazon Prime. Need more proof ? You Tube their Drank Too Much song. Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

SPORT

12 February

BATH FOOTBALL CLUB V DORKING WANDERERS Bath City host high-flying Dorking Wanderers. City’s clash with Dorking Wanderers is the Romans only home match in February, against a side

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

who are currently in first place on the National League South table. Kick off 3pm at Twerton Park; www.bathcityfc.com

18 February

TEAM BATH NETBALL SUPERLEAGUE Netball returns to Bath for the first time since March 2020 as Team Bath entertain Surrey Storm in their opening home match of the 2022 Vitality Superleague season. The Blue & Gold reached the Grand Final in 2021, which was played at centralised venues, and are looking to go one better with a star-studded squad including England captain Serena Guthrie. Centre-pass is 7.30pm. University of Bath; www.netball.teambath.com

19 February

BATH RUGBY V LEICESTER TIGERS A rivalry with a lot of history, Bath Rugby host a Leicester Tigers side who are currently flourishing at the top of the Gallagher Premiership table. Experienced internationals such as Blue, Black and White centre Jonathan Joseph and former Bath man George Ford will be involved in a clash which has always served entertainment on the field. Kick off 3pm at Bath Recreation Ground; www.bathrugby.com

OTHER 11 February

SAS GREAT ESCAPES Damian Lewis will be talking about his new book SAS Great Escapes, which recounts seven of the most dramatic and daring escapes of WWII executed by the world’s most famous fighting force, the SAS. Ranging from the very first missions to end the war, these tales include some key household names, along with untold and undiscovered stories. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

13 February

MEN’S WALK TO SUPPORT An opportunity for guys aged 12+ to join an eight-mile walk to help raise vital funds for the end-of-life charity Dorothy House. The walk starts at 12 noon from Dorothy House, Winsley, and participants will set off on the route that follows along the canal and finishes at Bath Pavilion, just in time to watch the Six Nations England v Italy match at 3pm. www.dorothyhouse.org.uk n

above: The first ever stage adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code comes to Theatre Royal Bath on 31 January; below: Netball returns to Bath for the first time since March 2020 with the Blue & Gold facing down Surrey Storm

BOOKS NIC BOTTOMLEY

Books of two halves Nic explores three novels that start on one path and then lead to another

“Citizens now live on streets named after drinks brands”

n deciding the books to feature this time around I seem to have been drawn to some darker themes. Not completely depressing or vicious, but novels with threat ever-present – sometimes up front or sometimes bubbling beneath an apparently cheery surface. Books that are “happy and sad at the same time”, to quote Kacey Musgraves, which it’s important to do from time to time. Scary Monsters by Michelle De Kretser (Allen & Unwin, £14.99) is a book that presents questions and contradictions to the reader from before it has even been opened. This duology of a novel has two front covers, so with a flip you can choose which character’s story to embark on first. Will you pick the green side, with the semi-obscured female face, which will whisk you off to 1980’s Montpelier and introduce you to teacher Lili and her entourage? Or, will you go for the orange livery and the male face, to meet midlevel government official Lyle in a near-future Australia? Either way you’re in for a memorable reading experience thanks to De Kretser’s always-brilliant prose which is perhaps even more suffused with wit and wry social commentary here than ever before. Lili’s tale is a character study of a group of variously self-satisfied friends navigating their early 20s. and juggling aspirations and the oftenincompatible realities of life. Sexual tensions are high and unpredictable and racial divides simmer but are sometimes downplayed, to Lili’s annoyance. But Lili, more than anything, just wants to avoid the attentions of the bizarre creep who lives in the apartment below, whilst somehow also living up to Simone De Beauvoir’s ideal of a Bold Intelligent Woman. In Lyle’s world, the troubling undercurrents of the past have morphed into the crises of the present. The citizens of Australia spend their days wondering if it’s true that ‘the next one’ will be gastro-intestinal or pondering the costs of the increasingly aged population known as the ‘grey tsunami’. This is a world where ice is trafficked and where it’s important for one’s mental health to use the term ‘Bush Cleansing Project’ rather than the demoralising reality of the ‘Permanent Fire Zone’. And when citizens now mysteriously take their names from well-known products and live on streets named after drinks brands, identity is everything – with your citizenship status depending on it and teetering on the knife-edge of ever stricter immigration rules. As for the connections between the two halves, and the

‘right’ order to approach them – that’s for each of us to contemplate as we enjoy exploring this superbly crafted book. Leaping further into the past, Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman (Vintage, £14.99) is a gripping historical mystery set in the dirt and squalor of Georgian London. Of course, not all of Georgian London was so unpleasant – but the focus here is certainly more docklands than dandies. The protagonist Dora is a young woman whose parents died many years before in a mysterious landslide during one of their many excavation trips in Greece. Dora now lives above the antique shop she works in and which is run by her uncle. When a large pithos jar arrives at the shop but is stashed away by her uncle, Dora is intrigued and seeks it out to use as artistic inspiration. But when bad news starts piling up, Dora and antique scholar Edward start to wonder if the jar could somehow be connected to this wave of misfortune. Pandora is an accessible, pacey read with a strong romantic thread and an edge of myth and legend that will appeal to fans of books such as Madeline Miller’s Circe. Finally, Dog Rose Dirt by Jen Williams (Harper Collins, £8.99) is a crime thriller with two intertwined mysteries at its heart. At the centre of both is Heather, a former journalist (handy for the necessary snooping instinct) who is stunned with grief after her mother suddenly dies by suicide. In clearing out her personal eﬀects, Heather discovers a mass of clandestine correspondence between her mother and a convicted and still incarcerated murderer named Michael Reave, better known by his serial killer moniker ‘The Red Wolf ’. Aghast at the discovery of this connection between her mother and a heinous criminal, Heather begins reading through the letters, determined to unravel the mystery of how they came to know one another and whether their relationship might give a clue to her mother’s recent death. This search for the truth about her mother’s past is soon complicated though by the cunning twist in this novel’s plot – the revelation of a fresh murder and a hunt for a killer who has displayed the body grotesquely surrounded by ﬂowers; the exact mark and style of The Red Wolf ’s crimes. 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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 41

THE REEL THING EMMA INGLEDEW

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:

Hayley Bennett and Peter Dinklage star in Cyrano; Verdi’s Rigoletto screens on 29 January; Castle in the Sky starts off the Little’s Ghibli season; Almodóvar’s latest film, Parallel Mothers with Penelope Cruz, is a must watch for 2022

A round-up of the latest screenings at the Little Theatre including a Ghibli animation classic and a retelling of Cyrano Parallel Mothers Release date 28 January

Almodóvar’s latest film, Parallel Mothers is a must watch for 2022. The film follows the entwining lives of two single mothers and serves as another example of his tenderness, innovation, and of course love of melodrama, that has elevated his films to such success over the last half century. So much depends on the two central performances here and both actresses are simply stunning. Milena Smit may be new on the scene but proves herself to be a rising star as she holds her own against Almodóvar’s icon and muse, Penélope Cruz. Cruz has appeared in seven out of Pedro Almodóvar’s last eleven films, and their partnership has brought out the best in both of them. Cruz and Almodóvar’s collaboration has brought forward some fantastic films, including Volver and Pain and Glory, with Almodóvar managing to capture Cruz’s luminous talent and Cruz seeming to inspire his long line of complex and interesting female characters. The magic behind this partnership is that both individuals are so special on their own, but combined they become phenomenal, and Parallel Mothers is yet another stellar entry in their body of work.

Castle in the Sky Screens 10 February

Ghibli season is back at The Little. From 10 February, we are showing a classic Ghibli film every week, starting with Ghibli’s first feature Castle in the Sky. Studio Ghibli may now be an internationally recognised powerhouse of animated film, but back in 1985, it was a brand new animation production company. New

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

as it was, by 1986 the film had become the highest-grossing animation film of the year in Japan. This is in no small part due to Hayao Miyazaki’s vision, and this early film already has some of the trademarks we would go on to see in his later, perhaps more famous films – crucially, his love for flying contraptions. The story follows Pazu, a young boy who rescues a mysterious floating girl, Sheeta, and joins her on her journey as they try to protect a powerful crystal, all while searching for a legendary floating castle.

Met Opera Live: Rigoletto Screens 29 January

Rigoletto is one of Verdi’s most popular and iconic operas. It follows the tale of Court Jester, the titular Rigoletto, whose jokes go too far and lead him to be cursed. The story is a timeless tale of tragedy, love and lust, which has been revived in a brandnew production by the Met Opera, and will be live streamed directly into screens across the country, including at The Little. This performance is helmed by an embarrassment of talent, with a combined 11 Tony Awards between the production team. Interestingly, Director Bartlett Sher creates a bold new take on the classic opera by resetting the action to 1920’s Europe, which is elegantly displayed by the beautiful Art Deco sets and costumes. Furthermore, the onstage talent is also fantastic, with Baritone Quinn Kelsey appearing in the titular role for the ﬁrst time at The Met. Ultimately, this opera is a must watch for those both familiar with the original material, and those ﬁrst exploring this genre.

Cyrano Release date 25 February

From In The Heights to West Side Story, 2021 was a brilliant year for the often maligned movie musical, and if Cyrano is anything to go by, 2022 also seems to be bringing about a resurgence in the genre. Based on the classic story Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, it is a tale that has kept its popularity over time, as seen by the recent James Macavoy led revival on the West End, or even the Netﬂix Original Sierra Burgess Is A Loser. It follows the tale of Cyrano, who is in love with the beautiful Roxanne but is too self conscious to pursue her, and instead, helps soldier Christian woo her. This new adaptation comes from director Joe Wright (Anna Karenina, Pride and Prejudice) and is told through the form of an understated and thoroughly touching musical. It stars Joe Wright’s own wife Hayley Bennett as Roxanne (how else to compliment your wife but to cast her as the most beautiful woman in the story), Kelvin Harrison JR (Waves) as the lovestruck Christian, and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) as the tragic Cyrano, who believes his appearance makes him unworthy of Roxanne’s love. The central trio are the glue that holds this story together and the three of them are perfect in their roles, combining tragedy and beauty at every turn. The ﬁlm itself is gorgeous, perfect for any lover of a period drama, and the music, written by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, is sublime.

Emma Ingledew is manager at The Little Theatre Cinema, 1–2 St Michael’s Place; tel: 01225 466822; www.picturehouses.co.uk

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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

Paxton & Whitfield needs help to explore its 225 year history

Tom Kerridge will hit the road with Pub in the Park again this summer

MEMORY LANE

Paxton & Whitfield is turning 225 this year – and it’s asking customers to help celebrate. The oldest cheesemonger in the UK lost all its company archives in a fire after World War II – so the team is embarking on a project to piece together its lost heritage to mark this milestone birthday. To do this, the company is inviting customers with a memory, story, or photo relating to Paxton & Whitfield – no matter how small, or significant, from recent or past times – to email the information to history@paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk. “We’re looking forward to hearing the memories and stories that our customers would like to share with us,” says James Rutter, managing director of Paxton & Whitfield. “From a small cheese stall in Aldwych, to our internationally renowned business today, Paxton & Whitfield has always championed the best in artisanal British and Continental European cheeses. We’ve been through two World Wars and have successfully adapted to countless changes in cheese and retail trends in over two centuries of trading; including most recently the Covid-19 pandemic.” Paxton & Whitfield came to Bath in 1993, where it has had its shop at 1 John Street ever since. The shop stocks a lot of local cheeses like Paxton’s Cave-Aged, Westcombe Reserve and Montgomery’s alongside the White Lake Cheese range. For more: www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Share your Paxton & Whitfield story

PARKS & RECREATION

The line-up for the 2022 Pub in the Park has been announced. The three-day food and music festival is returning to Bath in June with usual host Tom Kerridge, who’ll lead the proceedings alongside Simon Rimmer and Andi Oliver. Restaurants making an appearance at the foodie event of the summer include festival newbies Joshua Moroney and Mursal Saiq’s British Afghan fusion BBQ joint, Cue Point and fan favourites like Tom’s own The Hand and Flowers, Indian cuisine from Atul Kochhar Restaurants, Andrew Pern’s The Star Inn of Great British Menu fame, Stephen Terry’s The Hardwick, Nick Deverell-Smith’s The Churchill Arms, and many more. The first musical acts announced include former Spice Girl Melanie C, rock royalty Supergrass, and Aussie icon Natalie Imbruglia. “We’re so excited to be bringing some seriously top-notch chefs and their incredible pubs and restaurants to the towns we love this year,” says Tom. “Food is at the very heart of what we do. I’ve had a sneak peek at the menus and I’ve definitely got my eye on a few of the dishes – we can’t wait for you to try them!” For more: www.pubintheparkuk.com

CULTURE CLUB

The Bath Alchemist has released a new Triple Tonic set in time for the new year health drive, which includes its full range of gut-loving apple cider vinegars. The tonics are made with raw natural ingredients and infused for 12 weeks in apple cider vinegar with a fermented live bacteria culture called ‘The Mother’. Developed by nutritional therapist and gut health specialist Dani Clarke, the collection can be used as a wellness tonic, a nonalcoholic alternative to wine or to add flavour and nutrients when cooking. For more: www.thebathalchemist.com

You can now get the full set of The Bath Alchemist’s plant-infused apple cider vinegar tonics

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FOOD & DRINK I just didn’t want to play a part in that anymore. Where does your vegan kitchen inspiration come from?

I’ve been passionate about creating food since my early twenties, and worked in many different catering style roles. I take inspiration from all over, but mostly I love dishes that aren’t too faffy or ‘out there’, but use simple, local ingredients that are accessible to everyone. Your bakes are amazing. What’s the best cake you’ve ever made?

I made a gluten free rose, strawberry and vanilla cake for a birthday once. Gluten free baking can be tricky, but this cake turned out brilliantly and I was really happy with it.

“My move to veganism was slow and steady” You also sell a small range of beautiful gifts. What’s on the shelves at the moment?

Sus Davy, the founder of Cascara, Bath’s friendly vegan cafe

TAKE 5

Behind-the-scenes at one of Bath’s favourite vegan spots Sus Davy is the owner of Cascara, the quirky vegan café on Upper Borough Walls. Known as one of the friendliest spots in town, Cascara is built on rapport, relationships and really good food. Whether you’re after a coffee, a smoothie, a plantbased brunch or a cake, the menu offers a little bit of vegan everything.

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

Have you always been a vegan, Sus?

I’ve been a vegan for a little over five years now, and I was vegetarian long before that. My move to veganism was slow and steady, but one day I just said to myself: ‘why are you still eating dairy?’ I knew the impact that the agricultural industry has on the planet, and the animals, and I decided that

We have ceramics from a variety of potters: Maisie of Terra Minka (based in Bristol), Cath Pots (based in Glasgow), and a Suffolk-based potter called Cathy Shuster. We’ve also got amazing coaster and candle holders by Ella of Sorrel Studio (based in Bristol). I tend to choose retail items that I love myself. I’m a big fan of a good mug. In addition to the food, you’re known for friendliness. Tell us about the Cascara community

We love that we have had a consistent base of friendly, loyal regulars since day one. Sometimes locals will come three times in one day. We also love welcoming tourists to Cascara, giving them our Bath highlights and seeing them return for coffee with us to tell us about their visit, every day of their stay! How have you kept the team cheery through hard times?

It’s been a rollercoaster for sure. I tried to check in with the team during all the lockdowns, sending

pictures of cats, or croissants that I had been trying to perfect. I also believe in the power of thanking the team daily for their hard work – a simple thank you at the end of the day can go a long way. We also have been for team lunches and dinners, on me, as a way for me to show my appreciation of them all. And yourself?

Personally, I have really struggled. The constant yo-yoing from being open, to closed, to open again etc. In 2021, we went from barely selling anything via takeawayonly, to reopening inside and having our busiest ever month in June – that was a really hard adjustment. I try to take a step back and look at how far we have come, and allow myself to feel proud of where we are today – that gives me a huge boost. You recently closed for a mental health day. Tell us about that...

I decided that the staff needed a focused day outside of work, so we closed for an extra day that week. The staff were paid for the day and encouraged to do something that ‘fed their soul’. I hiked a mountain, one of the team played their guitar in the garden, someone else had a massage. It was a great day and something I will make sure we do regularly. How are you feeling about the year ahead?

I’m a little apprehensive if I am honest. In 2021 we had the benefit of no one going abroad, and everyone coming to Bath for staycations, which was great for the business. I worry that maybe Bath won’t be as busy this summer, but time will tell. I’d like to see the Bath Christmas Market return, as we really noticed the fall in trade through December with the lack of tourists who would usually come for that. Finally, what keeps you going on the tough days?

It really is the customers. We have the greatest community here and it really makes the days go by quicker. Plus, my team are blooming fantastic and make every day fun. For more: Cascara, 3 Upper Borough Walls; Instagram @cascarabath

THE OLIVE TREE

Sarah Moolla on the dishes, the drama and the sublime deliciousness of Chris Cleghorn’s cooking

ou don’t go to The Olive Tree, which is housed in the Queensberry Hotel, just to eat. This is not ‘head down, fill me up, and on we go’ dining – this is theatre, this is art, this is an experience. Chris Cleghorn is the artist and this is his space. He’s the kind of chef who, despite his tender age of just 36, is already in the rock and roll hall of foodie fame. His back catalogue as the protégé of a quartet of world renowned Michelin Star chefs: James Sommerin (The Crown at Whitebrook), Heston Blumenthal (Fat Duck at Bray), Michael Caines (Gidleigh Park) and Adam Simmonds (Danesfield House) makes him a star in his own right. But of course securing the Michelin-star for the Queensbury’s hotel restaurant, where he’s been since 2013, in 2018 and holding onto it ever since, makes him a superstar.

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

So we’re going for the nine-course wine flight and trust me, going full-on large here is a decision you’re never going to regret. This is an event. First up it’s an amuse-bouche of two translucent slivers of Woolley Park Farm duck draped over silver pins presented on a white miniature cake stand. They look a little like bacon rashers and there’s a soft chew to the meat that reminds me of Willy Wonka’s ThreeCourse Dinner Gum – it’s gamey, fatty, salty, peppery. At this point I panic – we’ve not even properly started the courses and I realise I’m going to need a lot of synonyms for the word ‘sublime’. Next is sweet, silky cubes of raw Orkney scallop served in their shell with shards of crisp sharp Granny Smith apple, scattered with dill which is almost heated through as you eat thanks to the heat of the dots of wasabi. This is followed by a circular arrangement of Devon smoked eel, small cylinders of braised leek and tarragon, with

RESTAURANT

a pool of chicken cream slicked with extra virgin olive oil poured into the middle. I have never had eel before so I have no way of knowing if this firm, smoky, lobster taste is unique to Chris’s mastery or if I’ve been missing a trick all these years. I also have my first taste of sweetbread. When I first learned its cute name is not actually reflective of its real ‘bodily’ make-up, I took up a vow to swerve at all times. But this sweetbread comes on a large white plate decorated with a tree and the aesthetics are already winning me round. Alongside there’s a mound of creamy West Combe ricotta studded with salted lemon, black garlic, wild garlic capers, and flecks of mint. It is sensational how the two contrasting tastes – the density of the veal sweetbread and the milky fluffiness of the ricotta – marry together so beautifully. My favourite dish of the night though is probably the ribbons of ruby beetroot piled high, generously dotted with Exmoor caviar and served in a rich chive and onion sauce. I mean caviar and beetroot, who knew? Well Chris obviously. The earthy sweetness of the julienned strips of beetroot and the pop of the ocean-fresh briny caviar is a godly combination I’ve not stopped thinking about since. I’m not going to take you through each course because part of the whole journey (and I normally hate a phrase like this unless it actually involves some kind of transport, but maybe a wine flight does count) is the element of surprise each dish brings. Each table in turn can be heard mini-clapping and oohing and aahing at different times – but the temptation to crane necks and have a nosey at what’s to come is best resisted. The wine choices are another heavenly composite to each dish. The spiel for each wine is not pretentious or intimidating, but instead uplifting and fun. The wafts of jalapeño peppers, tobacco, peaches, grass, come through as if on command when identified, and the bonus flavours they reveal when in tandem with Chris’s food adds a whole new dimension to the dinner. The end is near, and as we savour the petit-fours of miso salted caramel chocolate, as seen on our cover, with the honeyed and golden Monbazillac: Domaine de l’Ancienne wine, it’s a fingers to the lips and chef ’s kiss to Chris Cleghorn and his team, because that was well, sublime. n

“Caviar and beetroot, who knew? Well Chris obviously” DINING DETAILS The Olive Tree Restaurant, 4-7 Russell Street, Bath BA1 2QF, tel: 01225 447928; www.olivetreebath.co.uk Opening hours Dinner: Wednesday – Sunday 6.30pm - 8.30pm Lunch: Friday – Sunday 12.30pm – 1.30pm (Closed Monday and Tuesdays) Owners Laurence and Helen Beere Executive head chef Chris Cleghorn Established The restaurant was established in 2003 when the Beeres took over The Queensberry Hotel Type of food A striking, delicious and frequently changing menu which draws heavily on high-quality local produce Covers 40 Outdoor space Garden area for residents of the Queensberry and guests of the Olive Tree Restaurant Recommendations If you’re pushed for time and can’t do the full NINE menu there is a SIX

Prices We had the NINE which costs £12O per head and the wine flight with this £78 per head. You can also choose per dish with starters £27, mains £35, and desserts £18. Plus there are lunchtime options Bar Do not miss the experience of The Old Q Bar situated just next to the restaurant. A glittering and glamorous Art Deco bar stacked high with artisan spirits and globally-garnered drinks with an old-school gentlemen’s club style drawing room to enjoy them in Vegetarian and vegan options Whole menu choices with a slightly cheaper price point too Disability access There is a lift but there are a few steps from the lift Atmosphere Welcoming, chic and de-formalised fine dining In a nutshell The Olive Tree was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2018. This distinction is in addition to the restaurant’s 3 AA Rosette status and has also been a past winner of The AA’s Overall Best Wine List.

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CHINESE NEW YEAR

Two delicious recipes by Emily Chan created for Bath’s Museum of Asian Art to help celebrate the dawning of the Year of the Tiger

t is common in Chinese culture to eat food that has symbolic and auspicious meanings – especially important at Chinese New Year. To help ensure good luck for the upcoming year, many dishes are intertwined with signiﬁcant meanings and have common homophones including words like luck, happiness, prosperity, success and family. Here Emily Chan, in conjunction with Bath’s Museum of East Asian Art, shares two dishes to help mark the Lunar New Year on 1 February, which ushers in the Year of the Tiger.

LONGEVITY NOODLES Serves 2

Emily says, “Longevity noodles was always part of our Chinese New Year meal, when Mum would put some long noodles in our bowls and wish us a long long life. We would slurp the noodles down at once. As much as this holiday is about tradition it is also about just being with the family and sharing our love of food together.” Ingredients for the noodles 100g pak choi 100g carrots 100g mixed peppers 100g chinese leaf 1 small red onion 2 whole spring onions 2cm piece of ginger 1 clove of garlic 2tbsp vegetable oil 1 fresh chilli (optional) 200g of dried noodles 200g pork/chicken cut into thin 1cm strips. (this is optional for vegan version)

Ingredients for the sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce ½ tbsp black rice vinegar ½ tbsp sesame oil ¼ Shaoxing rice wine 1 tbsp ketjap manis 30mls water ½ tsp sugar Pinch of salt Pinch of white pepper ½ tbsp chilli oil (optional) Method 1. Cook the noodles according to the pack, rinse and drain with cold water and leave to dry in a colander. 2. Cut the pak choi into thin 2mm strips, transfer to a plate but keep in one pile at the top of the plate. 3 Heat up wok/frying pan with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until lightly smoking.

4. Cook the pork/chicken until it has changed in colour and lightly golden brown. (Ignore this step if making the vegetarian version.) 5. Prep the rest of the vegetables the same. placing them in individual piles like a clock. The plate should have 6 individual piles of vegetables. 6. Grate the ginger and the garlic, keep aside. 7. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and keep aside. 8. Starting with the red onions, cook on a medium heat for 1 minute. 9. Then add carrots, cook for further 1 minute. 10. Add the peppers, pak choi, Chinese leaf and the grated garlic and ginger. Cook for a further 1 minute, stirring occasionally. 11. Add the noodles and spring onion, mix well to incorporate all the vegetables and noodles together. 12. Finally turn the heat up slightly and add the sauce mixture, tossing the noodles and mixing the sauce to coat all the noodles and vegetables. 13. Cook this for a further 2 minutes until the sauce has been absorbed by all the noodles and vegetables and serve.

RECIPES

ALMOND COOKIES (approx 15 bite size cookies)

Emily says, “These are one of my favourite cookies – they are lightly sweetened, nutty and super crumbly. There are many homophones in the Chinese language, and the word ‘almond’ sounds similar to the word ‘happiness’ when pronounced out loud. This may sound silly, but Chinese people are very superstitious, especially my parents. I think it has always been embedded in part of their culture and how they were brought up by their grandparents. “These can also be made using 30g of walnuts blended into crumbs and 16 whole walnuts, and to make them vegan simply substitute the butter for Vitalite and don’t use the egg wash.”

Ingredients 125g plain ﬂour 30g ground almonds 50g caster sugar 1/8 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 5g melted butter 70g vegetable oil 1 egg 16 whole almonds Method 1. Add the sugar, baking powder, salt, ﬂour to the almonds and mix until all incorporated together. 2. Add the melted butter and mix again. 3. Finally add the oil and bring it all together to make rough dough. 4. Line a tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 150ºC.

5. Take a small portion of the dough (20g) and roll this into a ball. This is very crumbly but eventually you can form a rough ball. 6. Place onto the baking tray; leave a 1 inch gap between each cookie. Roll the rest of the dough. 7. Using a fork, lightly ﬂatten the cookies without breaking the ball shape too much. 8. Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp of water and lightly brush this over the cookies. 9. Add a whole almond to the top. 10. Bake in batches for 13-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes to harden. The Museum of East Asian Art found at 12 Bennett Street in the city centre, is the only UK museum solely dedicated to the arts and cultures of East and South East Asia, with collections spanning over 7,000 years. For more: www.meaa.org.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 51

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READING THE COLOUR PURPLE

For the ﬁrst time in its 22-year history Pantone’s Color of the Year is a completely new shade. Very Peri is said to contain ‘periwinkle blue and energizing violet’ and the US branding company say the decision to create a new colour and ‘break all traditions’ was to ‘truly reﬂect the transformative times we are currently living in’. Lee Eiseman and Laurie Pressman, the executive director and vice president of the Pantone Color Institute say, “It embodies a courageous presence and encourages personal inventiveness and creativity. And if there was ever a time historically where we need that – we need that encouragement, we need that uplift. It helps us to embrace the future, the possibilities, as we rewrite our lives.” Mambo paint stripe by Little Greene, £21.50 per litre, available from The Rose Garden, 42 Vallis Way, Frome; www.therosegardenfrome.com

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ORISSA FABRIC BY ZOFFANY, £145 This opulent upholstery fabric with a texture reminiscent of beaten metal has a ﬁnely embroidered paisley motif upon a lustrous semi-plain velvet cotton-blend fabric. Stockists Perfect Rooms & Interiors, Silver Street, Gastard, Corsham; www.perfectrooms.co.uk

ULTRA VIOLET

AMETHYST HONED MARBLE, £118 PER M2 In place of plain white tiles, smooth slabs of purple-veined marble add an opulence and depth to bathroom spaces. From Boniti, Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, near Bath; www.boniti.com

We’re going pretty purple this season thanks to Pantone

PURPLE FABRIC HYDRANGEA, £8.99 A punchy purple hydrangea lightly dusted in glitter for a subtle magical shimmer with a glittery stem is beautiful as part of a ﬂoral arrangement or works as a single stem. From Whitehall Garden Centre, Corsham Road, Lacock; www. whitehallgardencentre.co.uk

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

ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT IN RODMELL PURPLE, £21.95 The purple shade seen here on the sideboard is a dusty damson inﬂuenced by the painterly washes of twilight shades on the walls of the Annie Sloane studio at Charleston. From Rossiters of Bath, 38-41 Broad Street, Bath; www.rossitersofbath.com

BILL’S BEES FURNISHING FABRIC IN HIGHLAND PURPLE, £89 – £119 PER METRE A busy and charming pattern of ﬂuﬀy wee bees and spiky thistles available as cotton velvet, cotton drill or silk. From Lux and Bloom, www.luxandbloom.com

EDITOR’S CHOICE KOROND FLORAL WALLPAPER BY MINDTHEGAP, £135 Inspired by the old Transylvanian authentic pottery, the Korond Floral by Mindthegap hand drawn patterned wallpaper is an homage to the customs of artisan ancestors. Stockists Woodhouse & Law, 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

FAUX POTTED BURGUNDY TIPPED ALOE, £39 With realistic purple-green leaves and presented in a stylish clay pot with a distressed, blue-grey glaze, this can grace any corner of the home in need to pepping up. From Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk

LEELA GLASS CANDLESTICK IN HEATHER, £7.95 When the candle is lit, the recycled glass creates a soft purple glow. Bunch together for a look that is lit! From Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret’s Building, Bath; www.homefrontinteriors.co.uk ELEPHANT PLACEMAT, £18 A unique collaboration between Bath-based designers Avenida Home and Puddin’head, this bold elephant placemat forms part of their famous Animal Collection. From Avenida Home; www.avenidahome.com

TANGMERE 3 SEATER SOFA IN TEXTURED VELVET AMETHYST, £2,113 A classic country design aesthetic combined with sprung back and scroll arms in sumptuous velvet makes this both the elegant and the stylish choice. From Sofas & Stuﬀ, 7 New Canal, Salisbury; www.sofasandstuﬀ.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

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live On Demand is a video platform for older people, their loved ones or their carers. The brainchild of Bristol-based charity Alive Activities, Alive On Demand was built to spark conversation through videos and activities. Alive Activities is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people through activity. Equipped with 10 years of face-to-face experience engaging older people in meaningful activity and following extensive conversations with older people, including specific information on what places and activities they would like to engage with, Alive On Demand was built with its audience at the centre. Featuring over 200 videos of all-original content, the platform is designed by and for older people. A labour of love, the platform

was designed and built by the Alive Activities team during lockdown, when the team could no longer visit and deliver activities to older people in person. Alive On Demand was born out of the need for specially curated video content that would be of interest to older people. The platform features content ranging from guided reminiscence, calming sensory experiences, music and art appreciation to local tours of important landmarks in and around Bristol. The video library is constantly expanding to include fresh, relevant content. The collection of videos is available on a subscription basis from as little as £5.99 a month. The platform is available through a browser on the internet and can be enjoyed as both Android and iOS apps. The videos can also be viewed offline in the apps, for areas with no WiFi.

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DAVID MAXWELL HAIRDRESSING

is a multi-award-winning salon in the heart of Bath, fulfilling all haircare needs from cutting and styling to colour transformations, all in a friendly and luxurious salon. Established in 2011, the salon specialises in hair extensions, bridal hair and five-star customer service. Every visit will leave you looking and feeling gorgeous. 10 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BQ; Tel: 01225 435713; www.davidmaxwellhairdressing.co.uk

LITTLE LAB offer award-winning beauty classes and beauty salon treatments; they are no strangers to makeup classes. They have been teaching people how to achieve a three-to-five-minute daily routine for over eight years in their shop in Bath, and have taught 4,500 people their bespoke routine. Think of it as shy-ofmakeup mentoring aimed to give confidence. Book Live for your beauty appointments. 20 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LN; 01225 310849; www.littlelab.co.uk

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www.homewoodbath.co.uk

is a medical Aesthetics clinic situated in Widcombe, Bath offering a bespoke service for all your aesthetic needs. With an emphasis on ‘natural’, Dr Lucy uses Wrinkle relaxing, Dermal Fillers, Profhilo and Mesotherapy’s to deliver outstanding natural results from anti-ageing to tweaks which enhance or disguise certain features. 10 Rossiter Road, Bath, BA2 4JP; 07887514154

The all-new CBD spa treatment collection at Homewood is one of the first of its kind in the area. Including a CBD body treatment and facial, these deeply soothing experiences, combined with the natural healing properties of CBD, will increase your energy and spiritual enlightenment. Abbey Lane, Freshford, Somerset, BA2 7TB; 01225 580439; spa@homewoodbath.co.uk;

offers a soothing spa with 6 treatment rooms perfectly decorated in calming tones providing the ideal backdrop to relax. Carefully curated playlists guide you to escapism, mood-boosting, focus or relaxation. Wellness tailored to speak to your senses, all carefully balanced for an instantly soothing and relaxing experience which ever treatment you choose. 15 Great Pulteney St, Bath, BA2 4BS; 01225 807015; www.guesthousehotels.co.uk/no-15-bath

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THIS ISSUE >>HOMEWOOD HOTEL & SPA WINS BEST IN SHOW (60) >>BIZ Q&A CHERIE-ANN BAXTER (62) >>BIZ Q&A CREATIVE BATH AWARD DESIGNER MAGGIE DAVID (65)

Christian Samuel, William Gay, Ed Morrison and Joshua Gay

Roots manoeuvre The new growing community tackling Bath’s allotment crisis

new no-dig growing membership allotment experience has been founded by two brothers William Gay, Joshua Gay, along with their friends Ed Morrison and Christian Samuel. Roots Allotments, is a new business launching in March is designed to help tackle Bath’s allotment crisis. The trend for sustainable, home-grown produce has driven an explosion in demand for allotments – but waiting lists in Bath run between two-to-ﬁve years, and in other areas as long as 18 years. Roots aims to ﬁll this gap with

350 allotments just outside Bath (oﬀ the A4 near the Newbridge Park and Ride). William and Joshua’s parents Hugh and Celia Gay are the third-generation farmers behind Newton Farm Shop, and William and Joshua have adopted regenerative techniques for their family farm – where the allotment is also based – changes like cross grazing animals to reduce pesticide and herbicide use. “I’m passionate about living more sustainably and the pandemic and supply chain issues only served to hasten my desire to have my own source of chemical free food,” says Roots co-founder Ed Morrison. “I’m a vegetarian so growing my own and knowing just where that produce came from

and how it was grown has simply been revelatory. I now want to share this passion more widely and encourage others to beneﬁt from this approach, Roots Bath is the ﬁrst step in creating a wider no-dig allotment movement.” A membership with Roots starts at £20 per month for a ready-made no-dig 388 sqft allotment, with monthly seed packs, community tools to share, online courses on how to grow and educational community events. They’ve already partnered with St Mary’s in Twerton to arrange regular site visits, and are looking for further local school connections. For more: www.rootsallotments.com

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Rosie Phillips, chief executive of DHI and Dan Norris, mayor of the West of England at the DHI centre launch

Homewood Hotel & Spa has been named the overall winner in the PetsPyjamas Dog-Friendly Travel Awards

CENTRAL SUPPORT

TAKING THE LEAD Homewood Hotel & Spa has been named the overall winner in the PetsPyjamas Dog-Friendly Travel Awards. Homewood came out on top of thousands of dog-welcoming hotels, cottages, country houses and B&Bs around the UK and abroad to be named Best in Show. The luxurious 13th century hotel in Freshford won thanks to its fabulous welcome to four-legged friends, which includes a specially curated doggie menu, openness to pets in almost all communal areas like the sitting room and bars, and the staff’s helpful

recommendations for local walks and dog-friendly pubs. “Given our rural location just on the outskirts of Bath, we absolutely love welcoming dogs and their owners to Homewood to explore the hotel and great outdoors,” says Homewood’s general manager Ed Fitzpatrick. “Amongst the team we have many dog owners who take great pride in personalising our guests’ and dogs’ experience, therefore, collectively we are delighted to see this hard work pay off with this award!” For more: www.homewoodbath.co.uk

Developing Health and Independence (DHI) has launched an innovative new centre in Bath providing quick, easy access to advice on issues concerning housing, alcohol and drugs. The St James’s Parade Centre is open to all in need of free and confidential advice, information and support, offering services including needle exchange, Naloxone provision, liver scanning and preparation to detox, and access to a wider range of therapeutic interventions at DHI’s recovery facility. “It was an honour to be invited to launch this new treatment centre by the team at DHI,” says Dan Norris, mayor of the West of England. “For a quarter of a century they’ve been on the front line helping people who have developed alcohol or drug problems. They’ve helped socially excluded young people – and crucially they’ve also helped find people find somewhere to call home.” For more: www.dhi-online.org.uk

Sofas & Stuff has a new showroom in Salisbury

PUT YOUR FEET UP Sofas & Stuff has launched a new Wiltshire-based showroom in Salisbury. The shop on New Canal Street features a large collection of bespoke sofas, chairs, sofa beds, beds and footstalls. Sofas & Stuff is renowned for its traditional craftsmanship, with each piece handmade to order in Britain with upholstery options including fabrics sourced from all around the world. “We are excited to launch our new showroom in Salisbury, bringing the Sofas & Stuff experience to the beautiful town and surrounding area,” says Andrew Cussins, founder and CEO of Sofas & Stuff. “Our team can’t wait to become part of the community, and to welcome customers into our new home.” For more: www.sofasandstuff.com

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New to BA1 Hair is Elliot Ness, and below, Beth Pring

Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s calls to Bath increased by 18 per cent in 2021

FLYING TO THE RESCUE

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC

Wiltshire Air Ambulance saw missions in Bath increase by 18 per cent in 2021. The charity received calls to the city 94 times last year, up from 80 in 2020. The service also airlifted and assisted patients to the Royal United Hospital on an additional 78 occasions. The lifesaving service completed a total of 1,104 missions throughout the year across Wiltshire, Bath and the surrounding areas. “The year 2021 was another milestone year for the charity, as we launched a new threeyear strategy, saw our fundraising target rise to £4 million and we increased the number of

shifts with pre-hospital consultants (doctors), further enhancing our clinical delivery,” says Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s chief executive David Philpott. “It was, of course, another very challenging 12 months for our staff operating on the front line and I’m extremely proud of how everyone pulled together to ensure we continue to be there for the people of Wiltshire, Bath and surrounding areas.” The Wiltshire Air Ambulance is a charity and receives no direct central government funding or National Lottery grants. For more: www.wiltshireairambulance.co.uk

BA1 has two brand new stylists, Beth Pring and Elliot Ness. “Why hair?” says Beth. “I believe your hair is your first impression and your individuality! Being a stylist isn’t just my job, it’s my lifestyle – a lifestyle that excites me. I live by the quote ‘if you don’t look good, we don’t look good.’” New joiner Elliot is an award-winning stylist with 18 years’ experience, including at London Fashion Week. He says, “I love every aspect of cutting and styling and take pride in my work, but my passion and what I’m best known for are creative, short cuts and barbering.” www.ba1hair.co.uk

ZEST FOR LIFE

David Campbell has joined Lime Recruit in the role of chef consultant. It’s a new challenge for David, whose career as an executive chef has spanned world renowned hotels like Pennyhill Park and The Royal Crescent, and even a stint as England’s team chef during their 2003 World Cup win. “I’m very much looking forward to working with the Lime team, having dealt with the company for a good while, and having watched how they operate in a challenging environment,” says David. “The company’s goals, aspirations, core beliefs and principles mirror my own set of values.” www.limerecruit.co.uk

Ryan Held, Bath swimmer Ben Proud and Joshua Liendo Edwards at the FINA World Short-Course Championships in Abu Dhabi

CUTTING EDGE

BEST STROKE University of Bath swimmer Ben Proud has won the 50m freestyle gold at the FINA World Short-Course Championships in Abu Dhabi. The in-form sprinter coached by Mark Skimming at the Team Bath Sports Training Village was neck and neck with American swimmer Ryan Held at the 25-metre mark in the gripping race, when he pulled ahead to finish first in

only 20.45 seconds. The win was just five-hundredths of a second off the British record he set earlier in the month in his race at the International Swimming League. It was a great way for Ben to finish 2021, after winning 50m freestyle silver at the European Championships but narrowly missing out on the Olympic podium in Tokyo. “There’s lots to be happy

with,” says Ben. “I’m really surprised with that time, I wasn’t expecting so much and that’s a big stepping stone for me. I was really upset with the Olympics and how it went, I can’t lie about that, but to finish off like this is a little surprise I didn’t expect and I can go home now with a nice medal around my neck, see family, see friends and enjoy myself.” For more: www.teambath.com

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“NOW WE ARE IN OUR LATE THIRTIES THE SIBLING RIVALRY IS LONG GONE” finds reading easy and they are more visual learners so we went down the route of doing videos and podcasts too. What frustrates you about the financial planning world? Our industry, whilst starting to change, is a bit of a dinosaur. There are very few advisers who are culturally diverse, hardly any women or advisers from an LGBT background. On top of that the average age of an adviser is 57 so there are not many young people in the industry. In fact, the majority of financial advisers are going to retire in the next five-to-10 years, so there is going to be a big shortage of high quality financial advice.

BIZ Q&A

Cherie-Anne Baxter Unividual’s chartered marketer, who works with her brother, wants to make financial advice accessible to all Cherie-Anne, could you tell us more about your role and what you do? I am a chartered marketer so my main passion is marketing, but I run the entire business side of Unividual, not just marketing – HR and recruitment, through to IT and operations too. My days are so varied and I have to be super organised to ensure everything gets done, but I have an incredible team of people around me to help us reach the strategic goals and focus I set for the business every year. So you’re not planning our finances? The boundaries of my role stop at delivering financial advice and planning. My brother and partner in crime, Lewis Baxter, runs the financial planning side of the business and our growing office over in London. We make a really good team actually and now we are in our late 30s the sibling rivalry is long gone. As the name implies, you’re all about the individual. What does

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that mean in practice? Looking after people’s money is complex. Everyone is unique and we all have different values, life experiences and relationships. Yet, our industry is traditional and tends to target specific market segments that deliver off-the shelf, standardised financial products. This alienates most people, and the lucky targeted few who buy into financial advice don’t actually have a strategy that’s tailored to them, but to the masses. And that’s where you come in? Yes – we have spent decades pioneering a financial advice process moulded around the people we work with. We don’t stereotype people or put them into boxes. A Unividual adviser actually educates clients to improve their financial literacy so that each client can make their own decisions on their finances after a range of options and ideas have been presented to them. We empower people to make financial decisions rather than tell them what to do or where to invest their money.

What are some of the problems in the industry? In 2019 only eight per cent of the population used a financial adviser. I get why. Many firms only work with people with a certain amount of ‘assets under management’. You think 1. What does that even mean and 2. Oh I am not rich enough. It is outrageous. We work with people buying their first home through to growing families, business owners, and retiring couples. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how rich, everyone can benefit from financial advice and it is a lot more affordable than people realise. How are you tackling the problem at Unividual? I joined this industry seven years ago and I spent a whole year trying to get my head round what we actually do and what all the jargon and lingo means. How can a prospective client understand what we do if it took a chartered marketer a whole year! I put a lot of time into writing free content for our website. Not everyone

What are you doing to change things? My background is the recruitment sector so when I first joined I said to my brother, ‘we are going to have to set up an academy’ so that we could grow our own financial advisers. At the time there was no other small businesses in the UK running a Chartered Financial Planner program like ours. There still are very few. Unividual is a family affair started by your dad. What’s it like working together with him and your brother? It’s in our family make-up to separate work with personal lives. You can’t let a family-run business get out of control where you start making decisions over the dinner table as it is not fair on the staff and not productive. When I am at work I am professional, serious and hard working. Outside of work we are family and I am a big kid who likes to go on walks, hikes and runs, and I play a lot of piano. What’s the secret to family business success? Boundaries. When you are talking about work you are the boss, but when you are together as family you are a daughter – we understand the dynamics. For more: Unividual Bath, Sterling House, Upper Bristol Road, Bath; www.unividual.co.uk

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BATH LIFE AWARDS 2021 Will Maslin and Caroline Baxter directors of ASPIRE TO MOVE share their excitement at winning a Bath Life Award PROPERTY WINNER SPONSORED BY

Tell us what was it really like to win a Bath Life Award?

Well what we can we say? I think the photograph does sum up the excitement and pure shock at winning the property section of the Awards! It’s always been a dream to win at the Bath Life Awards but we did not expect to win within the ﬁrst two years of opening. The event was so well run and it was a pleasure to attend. When we were announced as the winner, both myself and Caroline could not take it in and were over the moon. This will deﬁnitely be remembered as a highlight for many years to come. Where do you keep the Award?

Our oﬃce was previously an art gallery and hence has some amazing display cabinets where the Award has pride of place. We look

at it every day to remind ourselves of this fantastic achievement. Why do you think you won?

We feel that our huge growth, combined with our honest, flexible and customer-focused drive helped us win the Award. We have managed to achieve a 300 per cent increase in turnover, move to larger offices and employ two new roles in under two years. Combining this with our charity work each quarter and our five-star customer reviews, is why we feel we may have just tipped the win. What sets you apart in the lettings industry?

We believe that people make the difference. We are all about providing excellent customer service by offering a personal, tailored service. The people in the office really make the difference as they all have a high level of customer service and legal knowledge to deliver this – after all people buy people. We offer a service to our clients which always puts their best interests first.

How do you go about this?

Caroline has been a landlord herself and having been in the industry for over 20 years, she feels she really understands what is important to our clients. We ensure that all of our clients have a personal relationship with a property consultant to ensure they have one point of contact throughout. We all love what we do and I do feel that shines through in everything we do. What’s your favourite part?

It is never a chore coming to work, each day we smile and laugh. We have an amazing team working for us and also we have a great relationship with our clients. We deal with diﬀerent properties and clients each day, which keeps the job interesting. Caroline has a keen interest in property, having been a landlord and currently undertaking building a small

“THIS WILL DEFINITELY BE REMEMBERED AS A HIGHLIGHT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME”

development in the next few months. My background has always been property as both of my parents have worked in estate agency and lettings since I was born. I spend a lot time meeting new clients and taking photos of all our lovely properties. It is also refreshing to be able to bring your pet to work and have the ﬂexibility that working for yourself brings. Where do the frustrations lie?

At present the demand for property fair outweighs the supply. The market has seen many landlords come away from longer term lets, preferring to let properties on shorter term contracts like Airbnb, as well as selling due to changes in tax and mortgage relief. When we launch a new property, we ﬁnd we are inundated with enquiries, meaning we are having around 10 oﬀers per property to submit. Sounds good for the landlords...

Whilst this is great for our landlords as they are able to select the best quality tenants, it is bittersweet having to turn down tenants for properties they have fallen in love with. I just wish we could help everyone, but at present we do not have enough property to meet the level of demand. What’s some property advice you always return to?

‘When purchasing a buy-to-let property, buy something that you would live in, as it will then be desirable for someone else too.’

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BATH LIFE AWARDS

Caitlin Rolfe, Seb Kedzierski and Sarah Baker celebrating Flow Bar Frome’s win with Dave Dixon

That winning feeling The finalists are revealed and the countdown to Awards night has begun

guest of honour, or reward the team for another year of hard work, you get to be part of a huge marketing campaign in the city, you get to connect and network with influential people, be part of a market leading slate of sponsors and – best of all – show support for the local economy and community that we have come to value more than ever before during this difficult time. The sponsors of the 2022 Bath Life Awards include Minuteman, HPH Commercial Property, Hotel Indigo Bath, Crumbs, Stone King, Bath Life, Creative Bath, Enlightened, Apex City of Bath Hotel, Bath Rugby, Novia, Bath Property Awards, Savills, Entreconf, Bath Audi, Juice Recruitment, Freestyle Designs, Triangle Networks and Sub 13. If you want to learn more about sponsorship you can do so on the Bath Life Awards website, where there’s a whole video on the subject. You can also contact pat.white@ mediaclash.co.uk and annie.kelly@mediaclash. co.uk to start the conversation. The Bath Life Awards is on 3 March in the Assembly Rooms – it’ll be here in no time. For more: www.bathlifeawards.co.uk

his years Bath Life Awards finalists have were announced in a Grand Reveal ceremony via Zoom on 20 January (meet the finalists on page 16), and with that Awards season is officially upon us. It’s time to start planning your outfit (if you went for an LBD last time, maybe 2022 is a bright, bold maxi dress kind of mood?), having that ‘maybe I’ll just wear flats this time’ debate (you won’t, don’t lie to yourself), and wondering, hoping, dreaming of hearing your name announced on the night (bonus points if you’re already rehearsing your acceptance speech in the shower). You can sign up to the waiting list for tickets now – they’re for finalists only, and they will sell out, so get in early to make sure you’re not disappointed. This is not a night to miss, from the fun of seeing everyone dressed in their glad rags to the joyful celebration of our city – it’s always an event to remember. Sponsorships are still available at a variety of levels. Why sponsor? For a start, it offers a great opportunity to invite key clients as your

Ian Taylor and Christa Taylor of the Kaleidoscope Collection, which owns Homewood Hotel & Spa

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

TESTIMONIAL

“We are delighted to receive the Leisure and Tourism Award for the third time across the Kaleidoscope Collection. The finalists have all had amazing success and to come out on top is an amazing feeling.” Edward Fitzpatrick, general manager of Homewood Hotel & Spa, Leisure and Tourism winner 2021

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“I STARTED MAKING MY OWN CLAY” within ceramics. Being the first design to use clay and highlight the beauty of the properties of paper porcelain was hugely exciting for me.

Maggie and host Greg Ingham at the Creative Bath Awards

You mentioned the unique lights in your design. Tell us more… Paper porcelain has this amazing strength when rolled thin and allows light to pass through it, creating amazing effects. I thought this property was too beautiful to just ignore. It also means the winners can change the colours of the lights to match their brand, something I saw a lot of them play with during the Awards evening.

Maggie’s first year lighting project Golau Gwyn

How did you find the experience of working to a brief, a budget and a timetable? It was definitely exciting – if stressful at times – and really pushed me to challenge myself and step outside my comfort zone. I loved it.

The Creative Bath Awards 2021

Q&A

Maggie David Meet the Bath Spa Student who won the competition to design the Creative Bath Awards

very year the networking organisation Creative Bath runs a competition with Bath Spa University to pick a student design for the Award presented to winners at the Creative Bath Awards ceremony. It asks that they work to a brief, a budget and a timetable, and present their design to a panel of judges. In 2021, talented ceramicist Maggie David won with her innovative design, which utilised a mix of ceramics, wood and lighting effects that winners could adapt to their liking. First off, how did you get into ceramics, Maggie? I studied Furniture and Product Design at Bath Spa University, which was an amazing course and pushed me to explore a range of materials and processes. My ceramics passion started in my first year with my lighting project

Golau Gwyn (White Light), and I returned to the material during the pandemic. Without the access to workshops, I started making my own clay which I dug up from my garden, and pit-firing anything I made. It was such a fun experience and really fuelled my final project at Bath Spa. What drew you to enter the Creative Bath competition? My tutors were hugely supportive and they encouraged me to enter. I knew it would be an exciting opportunity and knowing they had confidence in my idea gave me the courage to put my design forward. Talk us through the concept of your design The design was initially inspired by the windows in Bath Abbey and how the light passes through the stained glass. This evolved into a more organic pattern created using a random process of pouring seeds onto the clay. These I then burnt off during firing, leaving

varying textures and thickness. It makes every tile completely unique, with the pattern affecting the lights differently every time. How did you decide on your materials for the project? During lockdown my dad and I started digging clay from our garden and firing it ourselves. I really got excited about the material and the possibilities

Maggie’s final project for her Furniture and Product Design degree, Canwyll Du

The competition includes an intense process of pitching your design to an audience of creatives. What was that like? Very nerve racking. I was confident about my idea, but pitching a design I felt passionate about meant I really wanted to do well. Thankfully they loved it as much as I did. And what did it feel like, seeing your Award design being presented to the winners? Amazing! I was so pleased to see everyone so excited about the design and I was really proud of myself and what I had achieved. I’m so thankful to everyone who gave me this opportunity. What’s next for you? The ceramic technicians in Bath really pushed me to continue exploring, and I’m now loving studying my ceramics Masters at Cardiff Metropolitan. It’s proving to be such an amazing experience and I have the opportunity to learn so much more, continuing my passion for clay – and still digging holes in the garden. My ceramic Masters course is two years, so I’m just trying to enjoy that and learn as much as I can, but I’d love to continue making and selling my work. Maybe with my own studio space and practice in the future. For more: www.creativebath.org

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THE ONLY WAY IS ETHICS THE GREEN STATIONERY COMPANY has topped the Ethical Consumer list of ethical UK retailers

ompanies that make the list are scored for their performance on their environmental, animal welfare, employment/taxation and social aims. The Bath-based stationery provider creates products with a positive impact by closing the recycling loop, reducing consumption, eliminating harmful chemicals and plastic waste, and respecting animal welfare. “Unlike most businesses we started with environmental and social goals and then we worked out how to become profitable,” says Jay Risbridger, director of The Green Stationery Company. “Online retail sales are dominated by one or two companies that use their monopoly position to limit customer choice. The negative ethical and environmental practices of these

companies has also been much publicised. “The Green Stationery Co provides a real ethical and environmental alternative for business stationery supplies. We have everything from papers made from Algae, removed from the Venice lagoon, to glue made from almonds and potatoes. “Established as a completely green company in 1989, it has always aimed to have positive environmental benefits not just to limit its environmental damage. The business puts environmental action first, not profits and growth; this is the only way to create meaningful sustainable business practices, that will address our climate emergency." ■

Jay Risbridger, director of The Green Stationery Company

2 Cleveland Terrace, Bath; BA1 5DF; 01225 480 556; sales@greenstat.co.uk; www.greenstat.co.uk

TECH TALK

As an innovative part of the Bath’s tech community, Rocketmakers help attract talent to the area

Why Bath is a hub for so many tech firms, from electronics companies through to artificial intelligence developers By Sarah Moolla

he technology sector, including electronics, software and AI, is one of the most attractive growth investments in our economy. Fortunately for us our elegant city with its Georgian architecture and green surrounds is proving to be a magnet for many of these ‘silicon valley’ tech companies. Here we find out why…

Rocketmakers; www.rocketmakers.com Who are the Rocketmakers?

Rocketmakers is a Queen’s-Award winning software development agency. We design, develop and deliver innovative software for companies. Tell us a little about your set-up

Richard Godfrey, Paul Cross and Keith Walker founded the business in 2007 as iPrinciples. Our first hires were Bath Spa University students Phil and Adam who are now senior engineers and designers in the business. We rebranded to Rocketmakers in 2014, and during 2021 we hired an additional 26 new crew members, bringing us up to 56 in total. Any recent projects that help illustrate this kind of work?

After several years of helping Sero develop software for reducing the carbon footprint of home energy use, the retrofitting of houses using Rocketmakers' technology began in Wales during 2021, with support from the Welsh government. Why did you choose Bath to set up your business?

Two of our founders were from Bath, so as a company we knew it had

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an amazing creative sector and lots of skilled people in the area. Being a World Heritage City with great connections to London and Bristol made it the perfect spot. How does being here benefit your company?

Bath is a beautiful city full of history with good food, shopping and restaurants, which makes a great environment for our crew to live in. Being close to the train station means that our office is easily accessible for anyone from Bristol and beyond. We host team socials every month at local pubs, and we regularly make use of Bath’s bars, pubs and restaurants for impromptu after-work drinks. We’re looking forward to our delayed Christmas meal at The Marlborough Tavern, which is currently scheduled for March!

And how to you think Rocketmakers benefits Bath?

Bath is our home and we actively look for ways to help it flourish. We’ve recently built and launched a website to showcase and celebrate all the Tech for Good companies in the Bath and Bristol area. We also created the West of England Growth Map, are actively supporting Bath Unlimited, and serve on the boards of several civic groups including the Bath Improvement District. As an innovative part of the Bath’s tech community, we help attract some fantastic talent to the area as well. Do you collaborate with any other local businesses?

We work in collaboration with lots of local companies from the videos we created with Shy Guys Studios and Votion, to the apps we’ve built with digital wonderlab for the Engine Shed, and much more between. Lately we’ve started to explore collaborations with Edit and Dialect too.

TECH COMPANIES Datasharp Integrated Communications; www.datasharp-ic.co.uk What do Datasharp do?

Datasharp Integrated Communications delivers unified communications and collaboration solutions that help businesses increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve the bottom line. We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in video, voice, data, security and mobile business solutions, but what makes us unique is our ability to bring it all together to deliver real value for our customers. When and by whom was it founded?

By Martin Buckland in 2000 and our team has grown to more than 20 people, with plans for continued expansion in 2022. An example of a recent project?

Between 2020 and 2021 we started working with local bath-based charity, Developing Health & Independence (DHI) to support their new telephony requirements. We were so impressed with the vital work they do for the local community that we committed to a charity partnership. Through a mix of awareness raising, staff fundraising and corporate contributions, we were able to raise £15,000 towards the purchase of a liver-scanner for the new drop-in centre that opened in late 2021. Why was Bath chosen for the Datasharp Integrated Communications offices?

Bath has a well-deserved reputation as a centre of excellence for tech companies and has continued to keep pace with an ever-changing marketplace. Our brand benefits directly from this. It also has a vibrant business community with a healthy mix of start-ups and innovative long-standing companies – many of whom we are proud to do business with. There’s also a very strong social calendar in the city with regular and very well-attended networking events.

above: Truespeed was founded in 2014 to help rural communities who were struggling with poor broadband; below: Datasharp Integrated Communications benefits from Bath's vibrant business community

Do you and the team also socialise in Bath?

In 2021 we enjoyed evening team meals at The Wheatsheaf, Henry’s and Thai Balcony as well as an eventful game of bowling and virtual reality shoot ’em ups at the Bath Leisure Centre.

And what does Datasharp bring to the city?

We have long-standing relationships with many Bath businesses. Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, we have supported our clients throughout, ‘going the extra mile’ and providing help when and where it’s been most needed. We look forward to building even stronger relationships as we move forward into 2022.

“We have long-standing relationships with many Bath businesses”

Truespeed; www.truespeed.com Talk us through Truespeed

Truespeed is a Bath based internet service provider that delivers game-changing, ultrafast full fibre broadband to under-served households and businesses across Somerset. Founded on a community focused ethos, Truespeed is on a mission to bring the South West out of the digital slow lane. When did it start up?

It was founded in the heart of the Chew Valley in 2014 to help rural communities who were struggling with poor broadband. In 2017 Truespeed secured a £75m investment from Aviva to rollout the network. Fast forward to 2022, Truespeed gains an additional £100m investment from Aviva to connect more residents and businesses than ever before. What has this growth meant staffing wise?

Truespeed’s original band of six in 2014 has grown to a diverse and talented team of nearly 150 full time employees. Alongside this, we also have up to 150 high skilled sub-contractors helping us build our full fibre network.

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Tell us a little about how Adapt came into being

Adapt, in its current form, came into being at the beginning of 2021, following the acquisition of SearchStar by Welocalize, and subsequent merging of Adapt Worldwide (London) and SearchStar (Bath). Adapt Worldwide, initially Traffic Optimiser, was started by Huw Aveston back in 2013. With SearchStar founded in Bath way back in 2005. That in mind, the business as it is now can trace its roots back to the one-man band of Dan Fallon operating out of an office at home, having decided to move away from the hustle, bustle and stress of London agency life. Can you share an example that helps illustrate the work of Adapt?

above: Adapt have no intention of ever leaving Bath;

below: The artwork in the Cognisess Bath office is by Bristol artist HazardOne

Can you explain a little more how Truespeed benefits communities?

For example, in early December we announced the start of our network build in Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet and Street. With over 600 customers already signed up to benefit from our ultrafast network, we went full steam ahead and got our first customers live by Christmas. Why Bath for your headquarters?

We needed headquarters that could support our big growth plans in terms of people, allow our engineers to reach the network quickly and easily, and one with great transport links to the office. Setting up base in Bath was a no brainer, it’s perfect for where we are now as a company and is ideal for our future plans as well. Being a local provider that gives back to the community is hugely important to us, and it’s great our customers know their local team is right around the corner. And how has your presence impacted locally would you say?

Our team is constantly growing and we’re always on the lookout for local talent to join us. We’re passionate about helping people develop and providing job opportunities across multiple departments. We’re founded on a community focused ethos, so supporting local businesses is a big part of what we do. Our most recent Bath collaboration was with Taste of Bath who hooked us up with some incredible hampers for our team Christmas gifts. It was great to support another Bath company and we’re always on the lookout for more partnership opportunities.

Adapt; www.adaptworldwide.com In a nutshell, what does Adapt do?

Adapt is a digital performance marketing agency with a presence in Bath, Bristol and London. Our services encompass digital performance marketing, analytics and consultancy for growth-minded brands, including SEO, digital PR, paid search, paid social, programmatic, content marketing, conversion optimisation and web analytics. Our parent company, Welocalize, is one of the world’s ten largest localisation providers. Their continual support and expertise helps us deliver our services to clients globally.

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Whereas SearchStar (PPC) and Traffic Optimiser (SEO) operated with what was basically a one channel approach, Adapt in 2022 is advocating an omni-channel approach internationally. A great example of the scope of our work is our global partnership with Intrepid Travel. Working with them across the EU, North America, Canada and APAC, we’re proud to say that Intrepid is one of our strongest clients that we support across our entire service offering, including PPC, programmatic, social media, as well as with their analytics and data set-ups. Will you always stay in Bath?

Bath is still in the heart of our teams – we couldn’t possibly pull ourselves away. Although small, it is an incredibly well-connected city, and a centre of business/agency activity in the South West (along with Bristol, where we also have a strong presence). The area also has an incredibly strong pool of talent that has enabled us to grow quickly year on year. We’ve never taken a backward step, and our location is a big factor in that success. The success of Adapt and its growth into the south west’s largest digital agency is a boon not just for the area, but also local businesses who have easy access to the expertise to help their businesses become successful.

TECH COMPANIES Do you collaborate with any other local businesses?

Probably the surest sign of local collaboration is with the universities of the area – Bath Spa, UWE, University of Bristol, University of Bath – where we have either run lecture series or guest lectures.

Cognisess; www.cognisess.com Who started up Cognisess?

It was founded in Bath by CEO Chris Butt in 2011, and now employs 40 people.

And what does it do?

We provide clients with a software solution built on neuroscience, data science and artificial intelligence. Our award-winning platform offers hiring managers everything they need to identify, nurture, and retain the best talent through games-based assessments, sophisticated funnelling and data analysis. Cognisess pioneers diversity and inclusion and mitigates unconscious bias at every phase of the talent life cycle. We see it as our mission to democratise human capital; empowering every individual and every organisation to understand and enhance their true talent and potential. Put simply, we want to see an end to inequality. Any example to help demonstrate this in practice?

We are proud to have been chosen as the assessment provider for Intercontinental Hotel Group’s ‘Journey to Tomorrow.’ This is a global campaign built by the hotel giants to boost the lives of disadvantaged people across the world. The evolution of the programme follows our long-term partnership with IHG, which began in 2016. Cognisess’ leading AI technology, Deep LearnTM, was integrated into IHG’s prestigious Future Leaders programme to support management in making better decisions, removing bias from recruitment and saving time and money. By objectively assessing an applicant’s cognitive and emotive attributes the best talent was hired regardless of age, gender or race, which means eliminating potential bias by 93.75 per cent. How does being in Bath benefit your company?

Bath is an inquisitive and acquisitive city with established social and business networks. It is an exciting space where tech businesses are blossoming and there is a rich pool of talent from two universities which, like us, are pioneering diversity and inclusion. We are proud to host a number of graduate schemes and recently supported a placement from Bath University in our data analytics team. How do you use the city professionally?

We increasingly support local businesses by hosting networking events and leading the charge on collaboration. Recent events include Bath Digital Festival Third Thursday; Bath HR Network; and the upcoming TechSpark Marketing Panel, supported by WECA, on 3 February.

And socially?

We love a social get-together and can often be found around the corner from our offices at Junos. It's great taking clients to Framptons where the team really look after us. We also enjoy a few beers in the function space we have created in our new Henry Street offices, which has the artwork of Bristol artist HazardOne displayed.

digital wonderlab; digitalwonderlab.com Tell us a little about your work

We fuse magic and logic to beautifully craft high impacting strategies, websites, apps and software.

left to right: digital wonderlab’s co-founder Nathan Baranowski with fellow

founder Tom Passmore, and creative director Kevin Triggle

When was digital wonderlab established?

In 2009 by two of team, Nathan Baranowski and Tom Passmore, but more as a professional hobby, that was until 2013 when we began to really grow. Now we are a team of 15 and still expanding. Why did you choose Bradford on Avon to set up your business?

The south west has always been our home. It’s the perfect place to get anywhere in the UK and is a hive of activity and access to talent. Close enough big cities like Bristol, Cardiff and London whilst being a stone's throw to the coast to grab a cheeky surf. You’re on the doorstep of Bath. Does this have any bearing on digital wonderlab’s work?

Hugely. We love Bath for the network of amazing talent and people. It feels every time we sit down at an event or join a virtual meeting you hear about the amazing work and connections people have. Bath is deeply entrenched in history and creativity, and attracts some of the best talent in the UK. We also hope through our work in supporting the local economy, building stronger and better futures through our strong social values we are supporting and enabling like-minded creatives and other businesses to do more, as well as support and enable charities around Bath. Share with us a recent project to help illustrate your work

We recently delivered a web app for the Lonely Not Alone 2021 campaign. Working with a charity Effervescent and funded by the Co-Op Foundation and Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the campaign saw the development an interactive, highly visual, web app, set in space, that invites young people to share their stories of loneliness to create a supportive community in the universe. Launched in November 2021 it has already reached 45,000 users in 97 Countries. And any local collaborations?

We love working with our bigger brother Rocketmakers (they got rockets, we got the lab), Dot Project, Red IX, Jooka, and Second Mountain to name a few. n

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SPONSORED CONTENT

RULE OF LAW

Brian Levine of BATTENS SOLICITORS details the latest developments in tech and intellectual property

s we move into 2022 we thought we’d take a look at three recent legal decisions in the tech/ intellectual property (IP) space that might be of interest to content providers, platforms, inventors and brand managers. Nintendo pirates shut down at ISP level In December 2021 the IP Enterprise Court granted Nintendo an injunction forcing six internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to two websites who were linking to third party sites where pirate Nintendo Switch video games could be downloaded. The court’s grounds for granting the injunction against the ISPs were infringement of copyright and of Nintendo's registered trademarks under section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and section 37(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981. Going after the ISPs was a smart move: faster and more efficient than trying to go after each pirate individually. Removing multiple infringers’

platforms by blocking them at the ISP level is a useful tool which could potentially apply to any instance of copyright and trademark infringement. Can a robot be an 'inventor' under the law? A slightly bizarre case is the final twist in what sounds like a science-fiction saga, picked up by the BBC earlier in 2021. The case concerned two European patent applications where the designated inventor was a robot: an artificial intelligence system called DABUS. The Legal Appeal Board of the European Patent Office decided in December 2021, sensibly, that robots couldn’t be rights holders under the European Patent Convention and that the inventor had to be a person with legal capacity. This decision follows that of the UK Court of Appeal in connection with UK patent applications that were also purportedly from AI system DABUS. These decisions prompted press comparisons with Blade Runner’s replicants and Skynet, the fictional neural AI system put in place by Cyberdyne Systems that led to a dystopian future ruled by The Terminator.

Trademarks need to be distinctive, not descriptive Sometimes the best brands can be the simplest and the catchiest – but to be trademarks, they must be distinctive and not just descriptive. December 2021 saw shoe company Skechers USA refused at the first hurdle in their EU trademark application for the words 'ARCH FIT'. These words, applied to shoes, apparently lacked distinctive character and were simply descriptive (under Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001): shoes are meant to fit, including at the arch of the foot. This is a common issue for brand managers, but there are imaginative ways of overcoming the distinctiveness hurdle, and perhaps Skechers will try again with a slightly different approach. n

For more information contact Brian Levine, head of Media, Entertainment and Intellectual Property on 01935 846258 or email brian.levine@battens.co.uk

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

below top: Laura Mitchell; below bottom: Richard Mather-Jones

The Nash Partnership’s Richard Mather-Jones helped work on Riverview Court at Onega Place, Bath

Architects

IN ASSOCIATION Architecture firm Nash Partnership, headquartered in Bath, has promoted two of its team members to Associate. Architects Laura Mitchell and Richard Mather-Jones have been with the practice since 2012 and 2016, respectively. Their promotions to Associate Architect reflect the practice’s growing portfolio of national and local Bathbased work as well as its continued focus on quality management and commitment to providing opportunities for upskilling. Richard has extensive knowledge of 3D modelling, particularly using Revit software and BIM methodology in the construction industry, and many of the projects he has worked on are in sites of historic sensitivity. These include Riverview Court at Onega Place, Bath which is 44 contemporary apartments, café and public realm enhancement at a site overlooking the River Avon and adjoining Bath’s Grade

II* listed Victoria Bridge, and a sustainable, highly bespoke one-off home clad in charred Shou Sugi Ban timber replacing a low-quality dwelling, in Lansdown. Laura is a project design mentor who works across the practice’s heritage and placemaking teams, and her recent projects include the phased regeneration masterplan for 240 homes, a neighbourhood retail store, 60-unit extra care facility and a primary school on the former MOD site at Ensleigh in Lansdown. Partner Daniel Lugsden says, “The promotions of Laura and Richard to Associate Architect will help to ensure we have the right skills at the right levels to resource the range of services we offer. We’re committed to developing our people by providing opportunities to upskill and growing the practice organically.” For more: www.nashpartnership.com

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PROPERTY NEWS Commercial

CARE GIVERS Newbridge House care home located on Newbridge Hill, Bath is being brought to market with a guide price of £2.5 million by specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co. Newbridge House has traded as a reputable residential care home for many years, offering care for up to 20 elderly residents. It sits in a striking detached Edwardian property of traditional brick and Bath stone elevations with large gardens front and back. The accommodation, which is set over four floors, has retained many of its period features including a full-length balcony and rear elevation offering panoramic views over Bath to the south. For more: www.christie.com

The Newbridge House care home is being marketed by Christie & Co

Western Building Consultants are using three new electric minis from Dick Lovett Bath in their fleet

Charity-support

HELPING OUT

The team at the award-winning letting agency Reside Bath have selected Bath Welcomes Refugees as the charity to support in this upcoming year. Reside Bath’s managing director Ben Bower says, “As part of our commitment to support the local community, both as a proud independent company and as members of the Bath Percent Club, every year we ask our team to research and discuss local charities, before deciding to which we should pledge our support and donations. Bath Welcomes Refugees’ work not only supports people in dire circumstances, but also enriches and diversiﬁes our local community.” For more: www.residebath.co.uk / www.bathwelcomesrefugees.org.uk

Sustainability

DRIVING THE WAY FORWARD Western Building Consultants have taken further steps towards a sustainable future, replacing three of their vehicles with new electric minis from Dick Lovett Bath as part of their sustainable transportation plans. James Dean, director of Western Building Consultants, explains, “The construction industry has a lot of work to do to become climate positive, and I’m proud to enhance our existing promotion of public transport in our team by providing our staﬀ with the ability to meet our customers in a sustainable way, using electric pool cars. “We have also created micro oﬃces in the local areas we operate, so that

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staff serving those areas don’t need to needlessly travel to see our clients locally from the Bath head office and reduce commute times and emissions. “It reinforces the practice what we preach approach demonstrated with the sustainable refurbishment of our Western Café building in Weston, Bath. Utilising natural eco-friendly materials, such as hemp, wood fibre, sheep’s wool and clay products. Not only do we owe this to our local area and country, but many of us in WBC are parents, and we all want our children to grow up in a better world.” For more: www.westernbuildingconsultants.com; www.dicklovettbathbmw.co.uk

Reside Bath has pledged to support the work of Bath Welcomes Refugees

4 PRIOR PARK BUILDINGS Matilda Walton tours a magical property in Widcombe

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PROPERTY

here is a chocolate box appeal to Prior Park Buildings that might easily fit in the whimsical backdrop of a film like Paddington or Mary Poppins. Sequestered from the road by a row of trees (sadly not cherry trees – but you can use your imagination on that front) and a babbling brook flowing past the front path, it has a serene quality that evokes a feeling of calm contentedness. You’re all but bang in the centre of Bath, but there’s an otherworldly atmosphere to the street that the press of the city rush can’t touch. Number 4 Prior Park Buildings is a Grade II listed property that is characterful but exquisitely contemporary throughout – and with its situation in Widcombe Village and proximity to stand-out local schools like Prior Park College and The Paragon Prep School, it would make a delightful family home. It doesn’t come complete with magical nanny – but you

never know what’ll happen when the wind changes. Stepping through the front lobby and into the main hall you enter a social space, designed for all the comfortable connection of family life. The welcoming front-facing dining room opens up to a bespoke fitted kitchen complete with breakfast bar for sleepy, preschool run mornings. Sleek white units and integrated appliances are designed to be user-friendly, giving the kitchen a homely but stylish, utilitarian feel. The room flows, leading out to the rear lower courtyard, which is utterly tranquil for summer alfresco dining and sipping wine as the sun slowly slips below the horizon. On the first floor there’s a huge sitting room that makes the most of the grand proportions of the house. This primary reception room benefits from two deep sash windows looking to the street below, each adorned with intricate balconettes that give the property a European flavour. The focal point of the room is a beautiful old fireplace – simply prop a statement mirror on the mantle to elongate the already huge, light-filled space. The cornicing in the sitting room is totally exquisite, set off by the brightness of the space. It’s a quintessentially Georgian room from shape to detailing, but the current owners’ careful investment provides a flawlessly modern feel.

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PROPERTY

The property has four bedrooms – one to the rear of the first floor, two on the second floor (the spacious master bedroom is on this level) and one on the top floor within the eaves (the one the kids will fight for), with a bathroom all its own. Step outside – and you’re in Widcombe Village. A pretty, busy little community just off the centre of town, it has its own busy fleet of little shops, including cafés, pubs, grocery shops and the cute and curious independents that give Bath its unique spirit. Prior Park Garden Centre lies practically next door, and with private front and rear gardens to make your own, it’s a handy addition to the local neighbourhood. City living with all the benefits of a village community, a magical feeling and a serene situation – 4 Prior Park Buildings is a beautiful spot to make a new family home.

HOUSE NUMBERS Price Square foot

£1.5m 2110

Bathrooms

Bedrooms

Gardens

For more: Hamptons Estate Agents Bath, 32 Gay Street, Bath; www.hamptons.co.uk

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BATHROOMS

MAKE A SPLASH

Small bathroom tips and tricks to make the most of your space By Lydia Tewkesbury

mall bathrooms – whether it’s your primary washroom or a cloakroom for guests, the functionality of these spaces often leads to design neglect. But the truth of the matter is that with a little creativity and planning, a small bathroom can exude every bit of the glamour of a larger space. Here, interior designers and industry experts prove that your bathroom is only as small as your imagination.

left: Make the most of available storage, as shown in this bathroom by Hobson’s Choice; above: Use a statement pattern, like this Woodhouse & Law style

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Functional items like the sink can be used as a bold focal point to frame the design around

“The best artistry is driven by constraint”

BATHROOMS GET CREATIVE

Rather than approaching the space with a sense of lack driven by size, use the opportunity to get creative. Designing a small bathroom that is beautiful is a challenge, but remember – all the best artistry is driven by constraint. And if you can’t find a storage solution that works for your space, go bespoke. Neil Curtis, senior designer for Ripples, which has a three-decades-long reputation for creating bespoke bathrooms, shares his tips: “Recessed units which allow you to tile over the door are clever, allowing you to conceal storage and keep a uniform appearance. Designing with studwalls and creating niches and alcoves also allow you to use previously dead space for a more decorative and aesthetically pleasing cubby hole of storage. It is also worth looking into quality sliding pocket doors too, as often a door opening into a small bathroom eats up a wall of space that can be used for a neat tall unit or extended length of worktop.”

KEEP IT SIMPLE

“Being selective about the statement you wish to make is important in a small space,” says Charlotte Wright, design consultant for the Hobson’s Choice Bath showroom. “What do you wish the room to say about you and your home? Too many focal points all shouting for attention could be overwhelming, and the desired impact is watered down and lost. “You might choose to display a piece of art, bringing colour, insight and your personal interests to the room. Select a sculptural towel radiator or mixer tap that is both functional and eye-catching. Create a feature wall using an illustrative wallpaper, timber cladding or a textured tile. Even simple open shelves can provide a place to add individuality, featuring photos of your travels, plants or decorative items.” left: Create displays to add personality to the space; below: Don’t be afraid of a Ripples style bold pattern; inset: A small bathroom needs a big mirror, according to Dani at Cox & Cox

TAKE UP SPACE

Lighting is everything. The right light fixture has transformational powers – strategically placed bright LED lights, for example, create the illusion of space, while the soft glow of wall-hung lamps will instantly cosy up a small bathroom. “Considered lighting is key,” says John Law, creative director for interiors at Woodhouse & Law, who recommends a flexible approach. “We’d suggest introducing additional circuits on dimmers, so that you can control the level of light and create a softer ambience as and when required. This is particularly effective within niches and at low level.” Tiling is also an important consideration in a small space – pattern, placement and colour all have a marked effect on the final result. “We tend to recommend smaller tiles for compact areas,” says Peggy Braybrook, design centre manager at Tile & Floor. “Larger tiles at say, 60 x 60cm can give a sense of space so long as there is careful consideration of layout, but smaller tiles such as 60 x 30cm or 20 x 20cm and below work wonders in a neater sized bathroom.”

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“Considered lighting is key”

A well-placed light creates the illusion of space in this bathroom by GSI CERAMICA available from No 5 Bathrooms

BATHROOMS MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT YOU HAVE

A walk-in shower doesn’t mean sacrificing the experience of bath time. Soft ambient illumination, luxurious massaging body jets and the glow and scent of your favourite candle propped on a nearby shelf create a spa-like experience even in a small bathroom. “If you’re using the shower every day, then it’s important that it’s as enjoyable as possible. It may only take a few minutes of your day, but this should still provide an opportunity to luxuriate,” says John Law. “We suggest going large when selecting a shower head; this will ensure your day-to-day experience feels more decadent. Whether you have the budget for a rain shower or not, the addition of a wider, fixed shower head can make all the difference to your daily showering routine.” “It’s important to create a space that you actually want to spend time in,” agrees Neil Curtis at Ripples. “So particularly in a shower area, try and think about ease of using and gaining access to your products, this may be within feature alcoves or clever ledge tops.”

TAKE RISKS

Go bold, and frame the room around a statement piece, like a particular basin, or a bright feature wall. A guest bathroom especially is a great space to get playful with your style – don’t be afraid to go big and take a risk. “People think that a small bathroom needs to be a light colour, but often it presents the opportunity to make a statement with a dark, dramatic choice,” says Louise Home, bathroom designer at Bathrooms at No 5 in Bradford on Avon. “In a small space a dark colour can be a cost-effective way of creating a feature.” If bold colours aren’t to your taste, accessories are a fun and less labour-intensive option. “Opt for a statement bathroom mirror to instantly make the space feel re-designed with minimal work,” says Dani Taylor, creative and product director for Cox & Cox. “A mirror can add drama or glamour depending on the style you choose, just remember it is key to go oversized in small bathrooms for impact and creating a focal point.” n

left: Always opt for a giant shower head for added luxury; above: Go dramatic and

dark like this bathroom by Bathrooms at No 5’s Louise Home; below: Tile & Floor recommend small tiles for small spaces

YOU HAVE BEEN READING

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Bathrooms at No 5, 5 The Shambles, Bradford on Avon; www.bathbathrooms.com Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk Hobson’s Choice, London Road, Bath; www.hobsonschoice.uk.com Ripples, Chelsea House, London Road, Bath; www.ripplesbathrooms.com Tile & Floor, 1 Mile End, London Road, Bath; www.tileandfloor.co.uk Woodhouse & Law, 4 George’s Place, Bathwick Hill, Bath; www.woodhouseandlaw.co.uk

INTERIORS

SMALL PLEASURES

Minimal ﬁnishing touches with maximum eﬀects 2 3

SHOPPING LIST

11 10

1. Raspberry Framboise soap bar, £3.85, from Consciously You, 1 Kennington Road, Bath; www.consciouslyyou.co.uk 2. Ensley marble shelf, £95, from Graham & Green, 92 Walcot Street, Bath; www.grahamandgreen.co.uk 3. Gemini light, £118, from Ripples, Chelsea House, London Road, Bath; www.ripplesbathrooms.com 4. Concrete soap dish by Narvi, £15, from Julia Davey, 20 Wellsway, Bath; www.juliadavey.com 5. Milky Globe bathroom light, £45, from Cox & Cox; www.coxandcox.co.uk 6. Rainbow bath mat, £28, from Graham & Green 92 Walcot Street, Bath; www.grahamandgreen.co.uk 7. Small bone tray, £95, from OKA, 26-27 Milsom Street, Bath, www.oka.com 8. Aery Before Sleep bath salts, £22, from Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath; www.homefrontinteriors.co.uk 9. Faux tortoiseshell brush holder, £55, from OKA, 26-27 Milsom Street, Bath, www.oka.com 10. Donna Wilson Blah Blah hand towel, £16, from Julia Davey, 20 Wellsway, Bath; www.juliadavey.com 11. Black metal framed circle mirror, £590 from Looking Glass of Bath, 93-95 Walcot Street, Bath; www.lookinglassofbath.co.uk

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SPONSORED CONTENT

FOR THE HOME Our local businesses are poised and ready to help with all your home needs for Winter

CLAIR STRONG INTERIOR DESIGN

Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, creative company based in Bath, providing a wide range of services for both residential and commercial clients. Her portfolio of projects includes the design, project coordination and sourcing for some of Bath’s most beautiful residences, as well as sports clubs, offices and other commercial venues. Contact Clair on 01225 426906 or 07855 79731 www.clairstrong.co.uk

COOPERS HOME APPLIANCES

WOOLF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN create unique, client-focused contemporary

and traditional interiors, valued for their individual, beautifully tailored characterful design. With 25 years of expertise delivering space planning, detailed design, procurement, art curation and project management. An award-winning practice with studios in Bath & London, WOOLF are accredited designers of historic, period, listed houses and hotels. Tel 01225 445670; woolfinterior.com

BATH KITCHEN COMPANY

VIRTUOSO FLOORING

Coopers Home Appliances is an independent retailer trading continuously since 1947 and specialises in kitchen appliances. We have built an enviable reputation, delivering great products with an eye for the unusual. Value driven and customer focused. Striving to make shopping a pleasurable and human experience – a real antidote to the soulless online shopping ‘trip’. 01225 311811; www.coopershomeappliances.com

Based in the heart of Bath and specialising in bespoke, handmade kitchens, Bath Kitchen Company become personally invested in every kitchen they design and build. It’s about attention to detail at every stage – creating a beautiful space that enhances the way you live. 7-9 North Parade Buildings, Bath BA1 1NS; Tel: 01225 312003

SCHMIDT BATH

THE WOODEN FLOORING STUDIO

Providing bespoke kitchens and made-to-measure interiors across the Bath area for more than 35 years, Schmidt Bath offers luxury solutions for the home at affordable prices. With a dedicated in-house fitting team, your project will be completed to the highest standards. Visit their showroom to see the latest ranges and more of what they can offer. 1 Park Road, Bath BA1 3EE; Tel: 01225 337276; www.schmidt-bath.com

MENDIP FIREPLACES

Bath’s leading fireplace, wood burner, gas fire, chimney and flue specialist. From classic to contemporary, concept to completion, their team of experts can work with you to achieve your perfect interior. Brands include Chesney’s, Barbas Belfires, Hwam, Stuv and Jetmaster. Get in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HD; info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk, Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk

www.bathkitchencompany.co.uk

A specialist in real wood flooring with a showroom based in Frome. Offering the area’s widest range with parquet, herringbone, planks and decorative panels to choose from. Ted Todd & Woodpecker showroom partners. Together with their own in-house installation craftspeople. Their boutique paint & wallpaper store is next door too. 43 to 44 Vallis Way, Frome BA11 3BA; 01373 228388; www.thewoodenflooringstudio.com

Offering stylish, innovative flooring solutions to meet the needs of the savvy Bath homeowner. Virtuoso employ the largest team of experienced fitters in Bath. Their dedicated team are ready to turn your dream floor into a reality. Call now for a free consultation or visit their new show room on Moorland Road. To enquire, email info@virtuosoflooring.co.uk or call 01225 972715; www.virtuosoflooring.co.uk

BONITI

Boniti is based on the outskirts of Bath and offers a wide range of quality interior and exterior products: natural stone and timber flooring, Everhot range cookers, garden furniture and Kadai firebowls. As well as the vast selection of products on offer, a friendly and personal service is at the heart of all that they do. Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton,Wiltshire SN14 8JA; Tel: 01225 892 200; www.boniti.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 89

BATH LIVES

“If by sharing my story I could help just one person feel a little less alone then my job was done” with international travel, highprofile clients and not to mention a great pay cheque. However, it also came with some pretty tough lows, with long gruelling hours, difficult characters to navigate, and many periods of burnout.

JO LOVE Why a high-flying city lawyer gave up her successful job to retrain as a psychotherapist After a decade as a city lawyer Jo Love is now retraining as a psychotherapist. She is a mental health ambassador for many organisations including the Cabinet Office, Superdrug, and London South Bank University. As well as hosting workshops, delivering talks and appearing in the media on the topic of mental health, she has just written and illustrated her first book, Therapy is…magic, which offers insight into therapy from the client’s point of view. I felt a huge weight of expectation to excel at school as I was very academic. I liked

school in the sense that I loved learning, and attaining good grades came naturally to me. However, I found it incredibly difficult at times to separate my academic success from my selfworth and identity.

I didn’t get an official mental health diagnosis until I had

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left home for university at 18,

however looking back I can see that I had struggled with issues including depression, anxiety, OCD, low mood and low selfesteem for much of my life. Such issues often isolate us

and make us feel like we are somehow different and alone, when in fact, not only is it totally normal, but many people feel this way. I often thought that I should be able to cope on my own,

or that I could somehow will myself out of problems. Asking for mental health support seemed like a signal to myself, and the world, that I had failed. The times without support were some of the darkest moments of my life, led to me lose all hope and at their very worst, meant I no longer wanted to live. Working as a solicitor for a US law firm in London had many unique and exciting moments

The diagnosis of postnatal depression certainly helped me to accept the idea of getting the much-needed help I had been resisting.

I realised that although motherhood was of course hard, it shouldn’t feel this hard and it was crucial that I took steps to help myself heal and feel better.

I decided pretty early on after leaving law to start sharing my experiences about my mental health as openly and honestly as I could. I felt

strongly that if by sharing my story, I could help just one person feel a little less alone, less like a failure, and a little more able to open up and get support, then my job was done.

The best part of training to be a psychotherapist is seeing the

real impact on another person’s life that I can have by listening and holding space for them. The worst moments are trying to juggle the study, the placements, life and looking after myself in there too.

My favourite claim to fame was helping to teach the late Keith Chegwin and his family how to ice-skate when he visited

Swindon ice rink. As a teen I was a national level ice dancer. For a time, I even had the Winter Olympics firmly in my sights,

but I decided to step back and concentrate on school instead. We recently moved from the centre of Bath to just outside in Batheaston, where I live

with my husband, daughter and sausage dog Chip. I am still getting used to not being able to stroll into town in a few minutes, but I love the community here and being so close to so much green space. I’m a little obsessed with cheese, and often pop into The

Fine Cheese Company or Paxton & Whitfield for a nibble. I love the Antiques Centre on Barlett Street which is an Aladdin’s cave of treasures. Also I have never come away from the Saturday Antique & Flea Market on Walcot Street empty handed. I’m looking forward to continuing my current placement, working with mothers in Bath who have

experienced childhood trauma themselves. I’m keen once qualified to take these experiences into my private practice work as a psychotherapist. Hopefully, there might even be a part two to the book from the qualified chair. n

Therapy is…magic: An essential guide to the ups, downs and lifechanging experiences of talking therapy by Jo Love,

published by Yellow Kite costs £14.99 and is available to order through local bookshops. For more: www.jolove.co.uk