Bath Life - Issue 477

ISSUE 477 / 26 AUGUST – 8 SEPTEMBER 2022 / £3

CAUGHT ON CAMERA ALL THE ACTION FROM OUR 20TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

ISSUE 477 / 26 AUGUST – 8 SEPTEMBER 2022 / FASHION PIECE

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R H ASH AN STO N E THE ETH I C U RI AN REBE CCA D EN N I S

ILLUSTRIOUS ILLUSTRATIONS THE BEAUTIFUL SKETCHES OF BIL DONOVAN

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

HOW TO COLOUR CLASH YOUR STYLE

A WIDCOMBE WONDERLAND

MEET THE STARS OF THE ENCHANTING ENCLAVE

A SUSTAINED EFFORT

THE BATH BUSINESSES KEEPING IT GREEN

TRIUMPHANT RETURN!

LAUREL DALLEY SMITH ON COMING HOME

© BIL DONOVAN (1953 ) COUNTRY HAT, 2010 INK & WATERCOLOUR ON PAPER, SIGNED, THE DRESS DOCTOR (HARPER COLLINS 2011), 37 X 29 CMS

EDITOR’S LETTER

Bil Donovan (page 39); BELOW: No more matchy matchy style for us (page 54)

N

ormally it’s a season change that causes sartorial anguish. Going from wellies to woollies to cardigans and spring frocks over the space of a few months, is trying enough and comes with the quarter-annual wail of ‘I have nothing to wear! I’m sure there was something in this wardrobe last year – that hasn’t frayed, dated, or *ahem* shrunk.’ But this summer has really tested my already limited ability to dress with confidence and panache. I’m sure May was freezing, June patchy, July was all over the place, and August was a heatwave, until it wasn’t. If I was 12 I would wear shorts, t-shirt and a hoodie, but I’m not so I can’t. Instead I’ll look to our fashion writer Marianne Cantelo’s always sage and on point style advice (page 54) to get me through even the worst of my wardrobe worries.

We raise the fashion stakes even further on our cover and over again on page 39 with the accomplished work of one of the world’s most leading fashion illustrators Bil Donovan, who exhibits through the Gray M.C.A gallery in Bath and is coming to the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in September to share the secrets behind his seemingly effortless artistic ability to capture the essence of glamour, luxury and style.

We visit the wonderful businesses of Widcombe over on page 30, explore the Newbridge art trail on page 49, look at sustainability in local businesses on page 62 and starting on page 15 we have all the gorgeous action from the recent Bath Life 20th birthday party at Queen Square. There were speeches, a band, dancing, a Bath Life cover photo booth, food stalls, birthday cake, cocktails, friends reunited, new pals made, and Radio 6 Music DJ Huey Morgan and his fab wife Becky rocked up to help us celebrate. It was a night to remember – and I’m very glad I didn’t wear my hoodie.

© LOUIS SMITH; W W W.STUDIOWHISK.CO.UK

ABOVE: The illustrious fashion illustration work of

SARAH MOOLLA

Follow us on Twitter @BathLifeMag Instagram @bathlifemag

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 3

Issue 477 / 26 August – 8 September 2022

BATH LIFE 20

15

15 FABULOUS TWENTIETH Recapping our epic 20th birthday

celebrations in Queen Square

THE ARTS

39 ARTS INTRO Fashion illustrator Bil Donavan is sharing his

© SOUL MEDIA

COVER International fashion illustrator Bil Donovan is coming to Bath to talk about his illustrious career (page 39)

artistic secrets live at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa

40 WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, comedy, and art in the city 47 FILM A witty whodunnit, a deadly getaway and a rom-com romp

this month at The Little

SHOPPING

30 WIDCOMBE The little street with a big community spirit 49 SHOPPING INTRO Ann Hines’ Black Sunhat is the perfect

summertime vibe

50 EDITOR’S CHOICE Highlights from the Newbridge Arts Trail 54 FASHION Opposites attract and colours clash © JESSIE HUDSON-MYERS

FOOD&DRINK

57 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Food columnist Verity shares why

sweetcorn will always be the ultimate crowd pleaser

58 TAKE 5 Sarah Helliwell, Eight Stony Street’s resident wine expert 60 RESTAURANT REVIEW Food with purpose at The Ethicurian

BUSINESS

62 SUSTAINABILITY The Bath-based businesses making their

eco-friendly credentials a priority

71 BATHWORKS Local business news, views, and interviews 74 BATH LIFE AWARDS Q&A Precision Pilates’ year of big moves 75 BIZ Q&A Rebecca Dennis lifts the curtain on life at the Bar

PROPERTY

83 PROPERTY LEAD Don’t miss out on a chance to win a Bath

56

86

Property Award

84 PROPERTY NEWS Updates from the market 86 SHOWCASE An historic Jacobean manor house

DEPARTMENTS 8

11 13 25 90

SPOTLIGHT Tom Dean becomes the most decorated athlete at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games INSTAS Making the most of al fresco season FLATLINE The results are in but Flats is not to be seen SOCIETY Raising funds for The Hair Project at Bandook BATH LIVES From Bath to New York, and back again with Laurel Dalley Smith

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 Marianne Cantelo, David Flatman, Jessie Hudson-Meyers, Deri Robins 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 Business development executive Kyra Hardy kyra.hardy@mediaclash.co.uk Production and 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. tel: 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

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

© TEAM ENGL AND

SPOTLIGHT

Tom Dean became Team England’s most decorated athlete at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

MAKE A SPLASH

University of Bath Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholar Tom Dean became Team England’s most decorated athlete at a single Commonwealth Games at the Birmingham 2022 event. The Olympic medal-winner won six silver medals and a gold in the 4x100 medley relay featuring Bath teammates Brodie Williams and James Guy. University of Bath-based swimmers Ben Proud, Luke Turley, Freya Anderson and Ed Mildred also won two golds, four silvers and four bronze medals between them.

Athletes who train, study or studied at the University of Bath enjoyed success across the Games, finishing with a spectacular medals.

“We’re very proud of the athletes’ achievements,” says Stephen Baddeley, director of sport at the University of Bath. “The swimmers did exceptionally well, which was expected after their achievements at the Tokyo Olympics, and there were impressive medals in judo and for Alastair in athletics. Well done to all who competed.”

Medals were won across a wide range of sports including a first ever athletics medal for Guernsey from Sports Performance alumnus Alastair Chalmers; two brilliant judo medals for Team Bath’s Rhys Thompson and Sports & Exercise Science alumna Gemma Howell; and an incredible 27-medal haul in the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, 25 of them for British Swimming Performance Centre Bath athletes coached by David McNulty.

For more: www.teambath.com

Longleat

KOALAFIED TO PARTY

© TOM BURROWS

Ha el the baby oala celebrated her first birthday at ongleat with a special party. Ha el’s birth was a ma or milestone for ongleat, where she was a first not ust for the iltshire safari par , but the first southern oala to have been born anywhere in Europe.

“This isn’t just a big day for Hazel, it’s also an incredibly special one for the whole team here at Longleat,” says lead keeper Jon Ovens. “It’s not easy to come up with a special treat for a koala as their diet is entirely made up of eucalyptus leaves, but we ensured both her and Violet had a nice selection of fresh leaves from a variety of different types of trees grown on a special plantation here at Longleat.”

For more: www.longleat.co.uk

Beckford’s Tower features on the Circuit of Bath route

Walking

Longleat keeper Jon Ovens with southern koala Hazel and mum Violet to celebrate her first birthday

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

© LLOYD WINTERS

CIRCUIT BREAKERS

Bathscape has launched a 20.5-mile waymarked route of the Circuit of Bath. The walking trail takes in many of the Instagram-beloved local landmarks like Little Solsbury Hill, Beckford’s Tower, Dundas Aqueduct, the Kennet and Avon Canal, Millennium viewpoint and the Wansdyke.

This is a significant milestone in our pro ect and one of which we are very proud,” says project manager Dan Merrett. “Through our project partner, Cotswolds National Landscape, we have made physical improvements to the route including installing waymarkers and we now have trail guides ready to use, splitting the route into four sections. Walkers can really challenge themselves whilst experiencing the best of Bath as a landscape city. We’re grateful to the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens and Bath Ramblers for all their work and to the players of the National Lottery, which are funding the project.”

For more: www.bathscape.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

OUTSIDE FAVOURITES The al fresco vibes are strong in this city

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@doughpizza_

@duffers102

@_eat_sleep_travel_repeat

@andy.hartup

@tshegomahlatji

@dunkablebath

@lovietale

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 11

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FLAT LINE DAVID FLATMAN “I turned up to my English Literature exam without the three books we’d studied”

Another level

I

Flats reflects on those testing times of exam results

don’t know how the kids collect their A evel and GCS results these days. Do they get a text?

Or is there a dedicated app that needs a username and a password and that therefore locks you out on the big day before sending you into the reset your password hellscape? Or do they go to school (looking rebelliously casual) and clamber over and through one another like a posse of paparazzi to get to the printed results sheet on the wall? Whatever they do, there will always now presumably be at least one aspiring creative/social media addict videoing the whole thing, publicly hoping for scenes of uncaged joy, privately hoping to spice up said content with some simple disaster and devastation.

Whatever the mechanism, I feel sorry for the lot of them. Nervous times indeed, and I hope they all got A’s.

I didn’t go to get my A level results as I was

at the gym. Now, I’m not trying to be too cool for school here, but it’s actually true. In fairness, I wasn’t down the local leisure centre with my mates Dean and Terry. No, I was, by that point, well into my first pre season as a professional rugby player. So I was at the gym, but I was also technically at work. My parents asked me if I’d be going to school with all the other lads, and my answer was very swift indeed. I was absolutely not willing to miss a single session and if somebody else wanted to go and get them and let me know by phone that was fine. I genuinely have no recollection of how or when I got my grades.

I would never tell my kids this (they won’t read this as it isn’t about Dior Lip Oil or the incoming iPhone 14 so we’re safe), but I properly, properly didn’t care. Not in a nonchalant, spoiled way, just an apathy towards academia so real that I turned up to my English Literature exam without the three books we’d studied. The other boys had the heavily annotated classics on hand, I’d never

even read them. I’m not at all proud of this – and I’ve read and enjoyed them since – but I simply was not interested. Said beleaguered parents tried their best, but all I wanted to do was play rugby, train and eat. My whole week centred around the game, and every day was preparation for that game. No balance. No perspective. Flat out obsession.

I am than ful beyond words that my efforts resulted in the contract I so desired, because I’d otherwise have been knackered. I never had to worry about what direction my life might take, I never had to decide what to do.

My purpose was inbuilt. My direction already mapped out. Lucky indeed.

Something else I’ll never tell my daughters is that I really don’t mind if their results days aren’t epic celebrations. I won’t tell them this directly because to them it would immediately become the ultimate permission slip to do nothing at all ever again. I want them to do well, of course, but I want them to have a wicked time just as much. I want them to finish school with great mates, funny stories, su ciently decent grades that they have at least some choice in what they might do next, and an appetite for fun. I won’t push university as an automatic next step, but they can go if they like.

This isn’t a column written to rail against those parents who take it all rather more seriously. I hope that every year old and every parent and guardian reading this got what they wanted. I think ensuring my girls actually read the books on which they will be tested is a reasonable first goal for me as a father. If we manage that, I’ll be both happy and somewhat amazed.

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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 13

Explore Milsom Place to discover peaceful courtyards, winding corridors and tranquil terraces alongside stylish retailers, prestigious brands and exclusive art installations...

Milsom Place, Milsom Street & Broad Street, Bath BA1 1BZ 01225 789040 milsomplace.co.uk

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 Photos by Soul Media; www.soul-media.co.uk Rosa Park and Deri Robins

Jessie Hudson-Meyers, Oscar Delves, Elliot Cotterell and Gaby Adams Samantha Ricketts

Flow On The Go took care of the guests

BATH LIFE’S BIG BIRTHDAY BASH

Kalvin Simmons and Declan Gray

Sarah Moolla, Ivy Haddon Silver and Harriette Dixon Party time...

We celebrated our 20th year in style in July with a packed Queen Square birthday party. Bath Life’s friends and partners came along to raise a glass – to us, sure – but also to the businesses, charities, community projects and creatives that make up the thriving community we celebrate every fortnight.

We posed for photos in the booth sponsored by Freestyle Designs and ate delicious party food including a spectacular brownie cake from Good Day Café and sweet treats from Sugarcane Studio and Sweet Little Things to the sountrack of Bath Life 20th birthday party specially compiled for us by Radio 6 Music’s Huey Morgan, who also swung by to say hello. We also had food from the likes of Burgerlish Catering, Tapas Valencia, and Goodness Grazers – necessary to soa up the fi drin s from Honey’s Cider and low Bar’s mobile bar, Florence serving, among other things, a bespoke birthday cocktail for Bath Life called Sex on the Square.

There were speeches from Bath Life’s editor, Sarah Moolla, our commercial director Pat White, and Greg Ingham, chief exec of MediaClash, Bath Life’s publisher, plus a video-link message from an Aussie-bound Flats. After that, The 13-piece and brilliant Soul Destroyers took the stage to get us dancing, before heading up the road to the afterparty at Revolution.

The night was sponsored by Citrus HR, Freestyle Designs, Goughs Solicitors, Marlin Communications, Revolution Bath and our friends Soul Media, who caught all the fun on camera.

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Charlie Cole and Oscar Delves

Catherine Arnold and Alicia Sharpe

Feeling the love Nina Edwards and Alana Small

The night was well documented on Instagram Elliot Cotterell and Philippa May

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

Ivy Haddon Silver and Sophie Speakman

SOCIETY

The Soul Destroyers performed

Patrick Brady We packed out Queen Square

Nathan Sheppard and Pat White Zara Perry, Lea Burgess and Les Redwood

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SOCIETY

Nikki Portman and Polly Jackson Seb Kedzierski

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

Simon Davis

The crowd gathered for speeches from the Bath Life team

Elliot Cotterell, Olivia Evans and Will Maslin

Greg Ingham

Pat White

Helen Rich

Amanda Allerton, Andrea Harris and Kate Cross

Flow Bar’s special Bath Life cocktail ‘Sex on the Square’ proved popular

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The photobooth from Freestyle Designs was a big hit

Hana Whittington Friends of Bath Life all came along to celebrate our big birthday

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

Pictures or it didn’t happen

Pat White, Ben Rodd, Matt Bielby and Lisa Rodd

SOCIETY

Noya Pawlyn was one of the illustrious party attendees

We danced the night away

Mixology maestros from Flow Bar kept us hydrated Laura Robinson

The Soul Destroyers played all the hits

Festival vibes

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SOCIETY

top row:

Dilek Koroglu and Serpil Awdry; Dulcie Selby and Les Redwood; Greg and Jane Ingham; Jasmine Barker, Kate Abbey and Vicky Cheadle Gregg Brown and Johanna Davies; John Rose and Emma Rose; Marlon Communications team; Hana Whittington, Jessie Meyers and Marcus Whittington bottom row: Nathan Rollins and Pascale Maroney; Jae Frederick; Jude Samuel and Kyra Hardy; Nikki Portman, Philippa May and Polly Jackson

middle row:

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

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

Katie Gould Hitchcock and Tessa Found

Zac Fennell, Moe Rahman and Simon Miah Aaron Flagg, Oli Hill, Gabriella Curtis and Julia Hill

Adel Manhi, Phillip Thompson, Jane Thompson and Sharon Manhi

A CUT ABOVE

Zac Fennell and the team from BA1 Hair recently hosted a special charity dinner at Bandook in support of The Hair Project, Bangalore. Guests enjoyed a sumptuous three-course feast at the Indian street food-inspired restaurant in Milsom Place, with 100 per cent of the ticket sales donated to the charity. Zac runs The Hair Project, a UK-based charity using the art of hair cutting and styling as a springboard to empower women affected by trafficking, prostitution and extreme poverty. So far they have taught over 150 women in India, with centres in Mumbai and Chennai.

The Bandook dinner was part of fundraising efforts to open a third centre in Bangalore.

Keziah Trump, Helena Trump, Harvey Cartwright and Maddie Keiller

Photos by Vranch Visuals; www.vranchvisuals.co.uk

Charlotte McGuinness, Liam McGuinness, Dominic Jones and Natali Jones

Joy Grosjean, Tanya Zabihi, Penny Laver and Belinda Moir

Danny Sacco, Shirley Sacco, Danielle Mears and Lee Mears

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SOCIETY

Karen Codman and Dine Romero

Rachel Poulton and Thomas Sheppard

Helen Fisher, Kevin Guy and Brendan Tate Wistreich David Medlock, Gitte Dawson and Stephen Dawson

Steve Skinner and Mary Coath

FARM FRESH

The new community café at Bath City Farm launched with a celebratory ribbon cutting. About 100 guests attended the recent event, including many who helped plan, design, fundraise and build the ne ca . he menu is lled ith delicious produce grown and reared on site, and all o its pro ts ill go right back into the farm, including funding its volunteer projects.

Photos by Ian Jeffery; www.ianjefferyphotography.co.uk

Amy Coulthard and Jo Southwell Marcus Still, Clive Willcox and Steve Sayers

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

George Holladay, Nicky Pressey, Gina Caddick and Sue Townley

June Player and Trish Hill

Sydney Gardens

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SOCIETY

Nancy Connolly and Marie Postles

Julian Blades, Tracy Foster and Matthew Jeanes

Nina Harrison-Leins, Vanessa Wells and Katie Jenkins

Richard Bull, Matthew Dennis, Hannah Mills and Anna-Louise Highley

LOVE LIFE

Earlier in the summer the Holburne Museum celebrated the launch of its David Hockney exhibition, Love Life David Hockney Drawings 1963 to 1977. In 2017, prior to the opening of a retrospective at Centre Pompidou in Paris, David Hockney painted the ords o e i e on the nal all of the show. It’s a refrain he now repeats often, and this exhibition at the Holburne, previewed by over 250 invited guests, demonstrates how this simple dictum has underpinned his art since the 1960s.

Bruno Wollheim, Alex Fyjis-Walker and Anna Shelley

Photos by Gareth Hoskins; www.garethhoskinsphotography.com

Monserrat Pis Marcos and Olivia Mason

John Barneby and Ali Barneby Chris Stephens and Trevor Osborne

Lyndsey Ingram and Morgan Long

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AREA FEATURE

THE WONDER OF WIDCOMBE

Nick Steel, founder of Bath Comedy and Widcombe Social Club

The many charms of this corner of Bath by those who know Words by Sarah Moolla Pictures by Jessie Hudson-Myers

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

W

idcombe is one of those areas that probably shouldn’t be the success it is. It’s within throwing distance of the city centre and is a whisper away from the bus station and Bath Spa train station and yet it’s managed to cultivate its own identity with an almost village-like feel.

Here we speak to 13 Widcombe businesses who share their love for the enchanting enclave.

Nick Steel, founder of Bath Comedy and Widcombe Social Club; www.bathcomedy.com; www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk “Widcombe has everything – pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, even a gin distillery. These days, since the removal of through tra c, a lively caf society now thrives, handy for city centre and station but also a gateway to glorious countryside. The revamped social club is now more of an arts centre, home to comedy and music galore, but also a unique party venue, with plenty more potential still to be tapped. Occasional sightings of the WidcombeDirector of the Bath Property Shop Ben Tilling on the left, with team member Ceri Thompson based Natural Theatre Company trying out a bizarre new street theatre scenario would cause a sensation anywhere else Ben Tilling, director of The Bath Property Shop, 7 Sussex Place, but is normal for round here.

Widcombe; www.bathpropshop.co.uk “It’s a village within the city, more central than most other ‘suburbs’ “Widcombe is known for its many independent shops and eateries, of Bath yet somehow psychologically removed from the mainstream but is small enough to retain a community feel. The friendliness of the which exists just through the taxi tunnels on the other side of the locals and the traders keeps Widcombe a popular place to visit. I don’t river and railway tracks. There’s a wonderful sense of community, think Widcombe’s strengths are something that can be manufactured and a feeling that things can still happen here, bucking the sometimes – it’s evolved over time, developing a rich history. If you look at old depressing trends that seem to exist elsewhere. photos of the Parade, it really hasn’t changed that much.

“One of my favourite ‘secret’ spaces is the almost hidden beer garden “We are very proud of the Widcombe Traders Association, where at The White Hart – it has long been my surrogate outdoor living we meet and discuss pertinent issues affecting local businesses. During space and has a microclimate all of its own, groaning with ora such as loc down lots of shops diversified, for e ample, Bath Spa lorists now passion fruit, grape vines and ginko tree – it’s like a pocket of Tuscany also stock fruit and veg, and the Ring O Bells pub sold takeaway drinks or the south of France right next door. I’ve lost count of the number of and had a fish and chip delivery service. At The Bath roperty Shop, times I’ve heard people exclaiming “Wow, I never knew it was here!”; we kept in touch with all our tenants to help where needed, even doing and if that’s full, there’s now a new and even more secret beer garden a spot of grocery shopping and deliveries for some of those who were behind the Ring O Bells. Then just a short walk down the canal, the more vulnerable. It was a bizarre time for certain, but seeing other river or up any hill there are so many places to explore – here’s a good traders making the best of things and keep working where possible, tip – check out Rainbow Wood Farm just past the top of Widcombe really helped lift the spirits.”

Hill – a working farm but also incredible farm shop and lovely B&B for visitors to stay.”

Tasha Nolan-Kemp, owner of Bath Spa Florists, 6 Sussex Place, Bath Spa Florists owner Tasha Nolan-Kemp, on the right, with Zoe Artus Widcombe; www.bathspaflorists.co.uk “We have been established for nearly 50 years, originally based at Bath Bus Station before the new SouthGate development was built. As a small independent ower shop we deal with everything from weddings to funerals, and from birthdays to anniversaries. This means we get to know our customers, many of whom have stayed loyal to us over the years, with many families using us through the generations.

“Myself and Anna both live very close to here and have both grown up in Widcombe. My children also attended Widcombe schools. As Widcombe traders we all have a great relationship in the area, and help each other out when needed. At the beginning of lockdown, we adapted the shop to support the local community by offering a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with eggs and bakery items, (and toilet roll!). Since then we have continued to sell the fruit and veg as it is so popular and people definitely prefer pac age free items.

“There’s a wonderful sense of community, and a feeling that things can still happen here” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 31

ABOVE: Kayleigh and Kieran of the Colombian Company; BELOW: Melanie Eyles, co-owner of the Curtain Exchange

Veronica Ganan Burgoa, owner of The Colombian Company, 9a Claverton Buildings, Widcombe; www.thecolombiancompany.com “Widcombe is like a small village yet it feels trendy, vibrant and alive.

There are no empty shops here, and that says a lot about the area. It has an amazing mix of truly independent shops, that makes it that little bit more special.

I also think Widcombe is made special by the residents and local traders. People really care about the area and are very proud of it.”

Melanie Eyles, co-owner of the Curtain Exchange, 11 Widcombe Parade, Widcombe; www.curtainexchangebath.co.uk “The Curtain Exchange, which I co-own with Kate Barker, has been in Widcombe for nearly 25 years and has an amazing loyal customer base not just in Bath but nationwide too. It’s such a unique street – tucked away from the throng of the centre of town but a gem to visit, and even for every day shopping there is no need to go anywhere else. We all have our own sense of identity but as a group of shops together we have a community feel.

“All the shops are friendly, welcoming, and a pleasure to visit. The Deli is vital for us traders especially when we are busy and we can direct our customers over for a cuppa so they can come back to us when we can give them more of our time. We would never choose to leave Widcombe and hope our business remains here long into the future.”

“There are no empty shops here and that says a lot about the area” 32 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

AREA FEATURE Amanda Brown, designer and owner of Flamingo, Widcombe arade; www.flami obath.co.uk “Widcombe is known as a village where the city meets the countryside.

It’s the place I both live and work – I don’t even have to cross a road on my commute.

There’s a great sense of community in this area and it’s a fascinating place to take a wander, with lots of interesting nooks and crannies – even a quick walk to the wonderful Prior Park Garden Centre can surprise and delight.

“Our indie gift and art shop has been here for seven years now and in that time, the changes to the tra c scheme, while disruptive at the time, are of huge benefit now the arade is a calmer and more peaceful place. idcombe is full of creative people who appreciate what we offer and enjoy supporting local businesses, and we also look to support each other. We couldn’t open during lockdown but the amazing Larkhall Butchers kindly stocked our cards during this period.”

ABOVE: The team at Widcombe Deli left to right Nicky Ison, Harry Karkut, Noah Crisp

and Ella Charlton; BELOW: Designer and owner of Flamingo, Amanda Brown

ick so ow er o Widcombe e i a erto ui di s Widcombe; www.jjbeanos.com “I live 100 yards from the Parade with my husband Jon and our daughter Daisy, and there’s a true sense of belonging here. We lived on Lansdown for 15 years before ‘making a break for it’ across the river.

Traditionally Lansdown was seen as the jewel in Bath’s crown – but now Widcombe, Lyncombe Vale, Bear Flat, Combe Down and the borders on the beautiful countryside of the Midford Valley, are all fast taking that accolade.

“There’s a real community spirit here, plus Widcombe is located right by the city centre, has immediate and simple access to the train station, there’s the beautiful canal and riverside situation, plus of course the amazing variety of shops and businesses. Widcombe covers it all – the Prior Park Garden Centre is renowned and people travel far and wide to visit our specialist shops like AGA and The Curtain Exchange.

There is definitely a trader camaraderie we support and welcome each other along ‘the strip’.

“One of my favourite ‘secret Widcombe spots’ to visit is the Baptist burial ground on Lyncombe Hill, which has local bee hives on it and a number of unusual trees.”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 33

The Secret Garden Café Prior Park Garden Centre Newly refurbished and under new management (owners of The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford on Avon) Now offering a newly created all-day menu, including a range of meals, light bites, children’s menu, Bertinet French pastries, homemade cakes, and cream teas.

One of the best drinks menus in Bath offering award-winning coffees and loose-leaf teas.

The perfect place to meet up with family and friends.

Cafe Opening Times 8.30am – 5pm Mon to Sat, 10.30am – 4pm Sunday To book a table call 01225 789788 Secret Garden Cafe, Prior Park Road, Bath, BA2 4NF

It’s all about the little details…

8 Pulteney Terrace, Bath, BA2 4HJ Email: kelly@kellymariekitchens.com Showroom: 01225 481881 Mobile: 07796 554466 www.kellymariekitchens.com @kellymariekitcheninteriors | Supplier: www.haecker-kuechen.de

AREA FEATURE

TOP: Charlotte Rogers, owner of Widcombe Laundry Company; MIDDLE: John Wright, retail manager of AGA; BOTTOM: Harriet Barber, owner of B Hairdressing

Charlotte Rogers, owner of Widcombe Laundry Company, 22 Claverton Buildings, Widcombe Parade, Widcombe; tel: 07988 637382 “We have great local support and many regular customers, but what also makes Widcombe so special is things like the beautiful ower arrangements here. The local traders were so welcoming when we opened up and there’s a real community spirit here. I love all the shops and the variety they can offer, and particularly en oy visiting the hite Hart.

John Wright, retail manager of AGA, 12 Widcombe Parade, Bath; www.agaliving.com / www.agacookshop.co.uk “Widcombe Parade is easy to get to from Bath Spa train station and is only a short wal along the river from the centre of town.

It has a unique collection of independent shops, and as a quiet one way street, is a nice place to en oy lunch outdoors at one of the caf s or pubs. ith three pubs, two coffee shops, a convenience store, a dentist, a butcher and a orist, you don’t even need to go north of the river.

© B HAIRDRESSING

Harriet Barber owner and hairstylist at B Hairdressing, 11 Claverton Buildings, Widcombe; www.bhairdressing.co.uk I feel idcombe’s identity comes from the lovely residents; it’s a really vibrant area and there’s a lot of creative and colourful people.

As a gender neutral and vegan hair and beauty salon, we attract a lot of clients that don’t conform to social norms and I thin that spea s volumes about the area.

“People also love how within 200 yards you have everything you need, and each shop along here wor s in a really harmonious way.

The team at the salon all have a bit of a sweet tooth and a little caffeine addiction so The Deli is a must for its ama ing vegan ca es, and The Columbian Company do a fantastic chai latte and great coffee. rior Park Garden Centre has a wonderful farm shop, and another gem I thin more people should now about is the escape room called Tempo, ust off St Mar s Road, which is a lot of fun.

“Within 200 yards you have everything you need, and each shop along here works in a really harmonious way” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 35

AREA FEATURE

© RICHARD KEIGHTLEY

Dr Lucy Middlefell, founder of Dr Lucy Facial Aesthetics, 10 Rossiter Road, Bath; www.doctorlucy.co.uk “I’ve lived in Bath 25 years and through all this time – Widcombe has remained my favourite area of Bath. ou’ll regularly find me escaping for 30 minutes and having my lunch by the canal or in the meadows that ma e up part of the S yline wal these areas are perfect to e plore and reset. ou often see herons, and even ingfishers if you’re luc y. I love being near the water and when I can, I en oy aya ing and finishing off in the evening with a well deserved glass of wine at the Ring Bells. or wise I reap the rewards of being in idcombe by having patients who are both local or come from further afield. My treatment rooms are a five minute wal from the train and bus station, and also have par ing right outside.

“Everybody is so welcoming in Widcombe and absolutely wants each other to do well. It’s important to local businesses to support each other and see each other do well as this eeps the sense of community alive. I regularly pop in and see ucy at uca and ig, who always has helpful advice and ideas as well as fab gifts, cards, and the loveliest capsule collection of clothes. idcombe Deli helps eep my caffeine habit alive, and Bath Spa lorists supply the owers for my treatment rooms.

Kelly Marie, creative director and founder of Kelly Marie Kitchen Interiors, 8 Pulteney Terrace, Widcombe; www.kellymariekitchens.com “The secret of Widcombe’s success is all about its connections – between the people, the places they live in, and the culture that surrounds it it helps bring the whole area to life. idcombe is also so pretty and uplifting ust to loo at but whatever you need is never more than a few minutes away. It offers everything within easy reach, whether that’s the everyday conveniences to eep the household running or beautiful gifts, a decent ta eaway, fabulous owers, great pubs, proper coffee stops right through to a specialist retailer li e mine where you can plan a whole new itchen.

© WIDCOMBE DENTAL PR ACTICE

“Widcombe is also so pretty and uplifting just to look at”

TOP: Dr Lucy Middlefell, founder of Dr Lucy Facial Aesthetics;

MIDDLE: Left to right Georgie Hughes, Daisy Turner, Amy Cuckoo, Lily Knight, and

© KELLY MARIE KITCHEN INTERIORS

Harriet Stradling of Widcombe Dental Practice; LEFT: Kelly Marie, creative director and founder of Kelly Marie Kitchen Interiors

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

Amy Cuckoo, practice coordinator at Widcombe Dental Practice, 4a Sussex Place Widcombe & 15 Widcombe Parade, Widcombe; www.widcombedentalpractice.co.uk “Widcombe almost feels like a village community where everyone looks after each other, but with the per s of being five minutes from a city centre with everything you could want and five minutes in the other direction, having the most wonderful countryside wal s. I actually live on idcombe arade myself so living and wor ing in idcombe, it’s handy for the commute. idcombe Dental recently e panded to idcombe Dental Solutions and the trader community is strong here. e’re wor ing with other businesses on the arade to create a idcombe High Street oucher’ for business referrals.

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Consistently recognised by the Michelin Guide, Good Food Guide, Sawdays, Hardens and The Good Pub Guide.

In addition to the main dining room, the large walled garden is one of bath’s best beer gardens and an upstairs dining room, perfect for parties seats 30.

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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

IN A STRIKING FASHION

International fashion illustrator Bil Donovan’s roots lie in traditional fine art painting and watercolour techniques where he embodies a unique creative language that oozes glamour, luxury and style. His instantly recognisable illustrative style has led to an enviable list of clients, including the likes of Vogue, Vanity Fair, St. Regis Hotels, Saks Fifth Avenue and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. For the last 12 years, Donovan has also held the esteemed title of Artist-in-Residence for Christian Dior.

On 22 September Bil will be giving a live talk and demonstration at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, in collaboration with Gray M.C.A, the Bath gallery based in Margaret’s Buildings. The 2pm event, which costs £95 per person, also includes champagne afternoon tea and is limited to 40 guests.

For more: www.royalcrescent.co.uk / www.graymca.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 39

WHAT’S ON 26 August – 22 September

EXHIBITIONS Until 10 September

(OF) BATH, MMXXII This is a ‘dialogue’ exhibition especially created for the Francis Gallery between Rich Stapleton’s single edition photographs of Bath and JAMESPLUMB’s wall mounted works and freestanding sculptures – all made in Bath stone. www.francisgallery.co

Until 11 September

RAISED EMBROIDERY FROM THE 17TH CENTURY Regardless of their social status, most women were expected to be competent at needlework during the 17th-century, but only a privileged few were able to afford the time or materials to make decorative embroidered pictures. This focussed loan exhibition in the Wirth Gallery allows visitors to look closely at these exceptional and intricate works. www.holburne.org

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

Until 18 September

LOVE LIFE: DAVID HOCKNEY DRAWINGS 1963-1977 There’s still time to catch this beautiful exhibition with more than 40 of David Hockney’s drawings on loan from private collections.

The pieces demonstrate the artist’s incredible and varied talent. Works on display from the book of the same name include Ossie Wearing a Fairisle Sweater, and Celia in Black, drawn in Marrakesh in 1971. Holburne Museum; www.holburne.org

Until 8 October

LINE AND TEXTURE: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF NANCY SHEUNG Nancy Sheung’s (1914-1979) work is often focused on the female, with a strong emphasis on patterns and lines, and still remains relevant and contemporary to viewers today.

Look out for events surrounding the exhibition including a talk from Dr Michael Pritchard of the Royal Photographic Society on 21 September, a Japanese tea

Brilliant Beasties on 13 September at the American Museum & Gardens celebrates the wonderful world of little beasties

ceremony demo on 22 September, and on 5 October, Nancy’s granddaughter Tiffany ai ing Beres on the significance and longevity of her grandmother’s work. www.meaa.org.uk

Until 16 October

MARY FEDDEN: SIMPLE PLEASURES Over 110 paintings and works on paper, covering the career of Mary Fedden (1915-2012), have been drawn from private and public collections, including Tate and the Government Art Collection.

The exhibition sheds new light on the artist’s working practices by including her easel in the installation, as well some of the ‘simple pleasure’ still life objects she found inspirational. Victoria Art Gallery; www.victoriagal.org.uk

Until 30 October

YOU CHOOSE This is a community-led exhibition with the pieces selected by seven local residents, Bath Spa

University fashion design students, and children from ldfield ar Junior School. The 11 displays tell the stories of their personal appreciation and interpretation of the fashion works, and include a 1750s man’s worsted wool banyan and an 1881 beetle wing embroidered day dress, along with designs from Kenzo, Ossie Clark, Junya Watanabe and Gareth Pugh. This is the last display by the Fashion Museum in its Assembly Room home, before it moves to a proposed new Milsom Place location. www.fashionmuseum.co.uk

Until 31 December

HATCHING THE PAST: AMERICAN DINOSAUR EXPLORERS This remarkable hands-on exhibition at the American Museum offers an astounding array of dinosaur eggs and nests collected from all over the globe, with focus on the importance of American fossil sites in our understanding of dinosaurs. www.americanmuseum.org

WHAT’S ON Until 31 December

HERSCHEL 200 EXHIBITION To commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Bath-based astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822), a major exhibition at his former home on New King Street, the garden of which is the very place Uranus was discovered, highlights the hugely important contributions he and his sister Caroline made to the world’s understanding of space. www.herschelmuseum.org.uk

11 September © MAT T CROCKET T

BATH CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FAIR Since its creation in 2020, the Bath Life Award-winning BCAF has exhibited over 400 artists across a range of fine art, photography, sculpture, and textiles. Just some of the artists taking part in the eclectic exhibition in Green Park Station include Georgia Cox, David Northcott, Kate Marshall, Emma Rose, Emma Lacon, Kat Parkin and Charles Minty. www.bcaf.co.uk TOP:

Lauren Conroy plays a slightly more menacing that usual Little Red Riding Hood in Into The Woods at Theatre Royal Bath until 10 September; MIDDLE: On the Beach Cavalaire

by David Northcott who regularly exhibits with the Bath Contemporary Artists Fair which is next appearing at Green Park on 11 September; BELOW: Works from Love Life David Hockney Drawings 1963-1977 are on display at the Holburne until 18 September

THEATRE / CINEMA

Until 10 September

INTO THE WOODS This imaginative and delightfully playful new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s elaborate fairytale Into the Woods gathers a talented ensemble cast, including Julian Bleach, Audrey Brisson, and Nicola Hughes, and is led by the legendary stage and film director, Terry Gilliam. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

13 – 17 September

THE DOCTOR Award-winning actress Juliet Stevenson reunites with criticallyacclaimed director Robert Icke for their latest collaboration The Doctor, based on Austrian playwright Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi. When decorated Jewish doctor Ruth olff refuses a Catholic priest admission to her dying patient’s bedside, she unwittingly ignites a fierce debate about science, religion, and ethics. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

21 September – 1 October NOISES OFF Michael Frayn’s celebrated playwithin-a-play hurtles along at breakneck speed following the on and off stage antics of a touring

theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, Nothing On. Stars Theatre Royal fave Felicity Kendal and is directed by Lindsay Posner. Theatre Royal Bath; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

CHILDREN 27 – 29 August

WILD WONDER AT WESTONBIRT Some of the big names taking part in this brand new children’s literature festival include Michael Morpurgo, Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell, Wild Child author and naturalist Dara McAnulty. www.forestryengland.uk

13 September

BRILLIANT BEASTIES The American Museum & Gardens is hosting monthly sessions for preschoolers and their carers – with songs, stories, sharing rhymes and creative activities – all celebrating the world of the wonderful animal kingdom. www.americanmuseum.org

17 – 18 September

WOODLAND TALES WITH GRANDAD A beautiful piece of puppet theatre about a heroic grandad who tries to save the woods and its inhabitants who include Laura the ladybird, Jeffrey the spider, and elda the i en. The egg; www.theatreroyal.org.uk

MUSIC

Until 17 September

IF OPERA Continuing the If Opera season in the beautiful grounds of Belcombe Court are thrilling and emotional productions of La Rondine, Rita and Il segreto di Susanna; an interactive family production of The Man in the Moon; Tales from Chez Bullier, featuring music by Puccini, erdi and ehar and ending the event on 17 September is Dido and Aaneas with guest conductor Christian Curnyn. www.ifopera.com

8 September

THE REMEDY CLUB Husband and wife duo The Remedy Club, comprising KJ McEvoy and singer Aileen Mythen, have been described by the music website Hotpress as, “a marriage of folk and country with a hint of the blues with delicious harmonies and nimble guitar playing’’ and also as “Ireland’s best kept musical secret.”

Chapel Arts; www.chapelarts.org

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

WHAT’S ON 9 September

BETH ROWLEY + IZZIE YARDLEY Enjoy an evening of ‘Garden Grooves’ at the American Museum with blues-inspired Beth Rowley and folk singer Izzie Yardley. www.americanmuseum.org

24 September

SOUL SOUNDINGS AT THE ABBEY A special participatory singing event in the glorious open space of Bath Abbey led by Jane Harris, director of the joyous local choir groups Songways. www.songways.co.uk

COMEDY

1 – 3 September

JOE LYCETT The artist formerly known as Hugo Boss brings his More, More, More!

How Do You Lycett? How Do You Lycett? tour to the Bath Forum. He’ll be doing what he does best – talking at a room of people in a queer and comedic fashion, bringing with him more jokes, more comedy anecdotes and, hopefully, more inappropriate and arguably disturbing paintings. www.bathforum.co.uk

10 September

KRATER COMEDY CLUB A night of laughs with Michael Fabbri and Liam Mullone with MC Sally Anne Hayward.

Komedia Bath; www.komedia.co.uk

Every Sunday

DRAG KARAOKE AT MANDALYNS Most days of the week the welcoming and upbeat LGBTQIA+ Mandalyns bar has always got something upbeat, fun, and groovy happening, and Sunday nights are no exception. Their drag karaoke nights are in fact so darn good, Sunday is the new Saturday. Mind you, their Boogie Night Saturdays are pretty much the bomb as well. www.facebook.com/mandalynsbath

OTHER

Every Friday and Saturday KROWD KEEPERS Upstairs at The Ale House on York Street every Friday and Saturday night, some of the world’s best and most innovative magicians take to the stage. The intimate 35-seat venue run by resident magician Billy Kidd promises award-winning performers who have featured on the stages of Hollywood’s Magic

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

ABOVE: The Grand Regency Costumed Promenade kicks off the Jane Austen Festival week on 9 September; RIGHT: Davina McCall is at the Bath Forum on 17 September to share her own menopause story

Castle, Penn & Teller’s Fool Us and Wizard Wars, amongst others. www.krowdkeepers.com

Every Saturday

BATH FARMERS’ MARKET Between 9am and 1.30pm a whole array of foodie traders from Bath and surrounds gather together under the Green Park roof, including Bath Soft Cheese, Janifa’s Kitchen, Seven Hills Chocolate, Botanica Studios, Pullins Bakery, and the Thoroughly Wild Meat Co. www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk

9 – 18 September

JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL The legendary and awesome spectacle of the Grand Regency Costumed romenade ic s off the weekend proceedings, which also includes more than 70 events, with hundreds of the mutton-chopped, bustled, and bonneted retracing Austen’s footsteps and parading through the city. www.janeausten.co.uk

10 – 25 September

BATHSCAPE WALKING FESTIVAL The two-week programme includes events to suit walkers of all abilities.

The exhibition (Of) Bath, MMXXII

by Rich Stapleton and James Plumb can be seen at the Francis Gallery until 10 September

CULTURE CLUB …with Rhashan Stone

Rhashan Stone stars as the Baker in a brand-new staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, directed by Terry Gilliam and Leah Hausman, which is performing at Theatre Royal Bath until 10 September. He has starred in many TV shows including Finding Alice, Hollington Drive, Keeping Faith, Carters Get Rich and was recently in Bath filming McDonald & Dodds. Theatre credits range from productions at the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company to All About Eve and Five Guys Named Moe in the West End.

Nature lovers can sign up to join a bat walk, learn about the trees in the Royal Victoria Park or wildlife at Newton Park. Plus there are rural hikes, informative historical tours, and also returning are tours exploring the LGBTQ+ history of Bath, and Haile Selassie’s time in the city. www.bathscape.co.uk

11 September

SYDNEY GARDENS GALA Sydney Gardens will be alive with performances and activities in the true tradition of Regency Pleasure Gardens with music and entertainment from the Rainbow Steel Band, Chalguh Chengi, Sparklin’ Sorcha, and Juggling Jim. www.bathnes.gov.uk

17 September

My favourite arts place in Bath The 44AD Arts Space. I had a day off from filming McDonald & Dodds and got a tip off from one of the cast members. I was so glad I went. Beautiful building with a series of really lovely rooms. Such a nice feel to the place and it was very welcoming.

I like the diversity of artists and exhibitions that this place attracts. I’m really looking forward to returning there.

The last great film I saw Summer Of Soul. I was born in New Jersey, USA in 1969. That same year, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed. The footage was largely ignored until recently. It has been lovingly restored and the result is a powerful documentary featuring live performances from Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, BB King, Nina Simone and many, many more.

Summer Of Soul stands as a testament to the healing power of music during a difficult period of unrest.

A film I could watch over and over again…

The Lion King. I will never tire of this film. I saw this in the cinema when it first opened and was blown away. If I’m working in schools and the kids tell me they don’t like Shakespeare, I quietly point out that this animation is, in fact, based on Hamlet.

Rhashan Stone in rehearsal for Into The Woods

DAVINA MCCALL Presenter Davina McCall is talking at the Bath Forum to tell her own menopause story and introduce her new book Menopausing that aims to explore and explain the science of the menopause, debunk myths, and smash taboos. Joining her to share their knowledge and experiences are menopause expert Dr Naomi Potter, and the presenter Angellica Bell. www.bathforum.co.uk

18 September

For more: www.theatreroyal.org.uk © MARC BRENNER

MUSEUM OF BATH STONE OPEN DAY As part of the national Heritage Open Days event, residents of Bath will have the opportunity to discover the artefacts saved during the city’s £154m stabilisation project and, explore the visual records created by archaeologists to preserve the heritage of the Combe Down Stone Mines. www.museumofbathstone.org

A painting that means something to me It’s a painting of my wife by the artist Diarmuid Kelly. It was actually a piece that he rejected as he was unhappy with his initial pass, but my wife had it framed anyway and it’s hanging at home.

In order to sit for an artist you do have to be able to sit still, which she finds impossible. People who come to the house often comment on how calm and serene she looks in the painting. The truth is Diarmuid got so fed up with her fidgeting he told her to lie down. She immediately fell fast asleep… but Diarmuid painted her anyway.

My lockdown boxset Brooklyn 99. Each episode is 30 minutes of unadulterated joy and there are so many seasons.

It’s set in the 99th precinct and features a ragtag team of detectives and cops who are deliciously inept. Comedy gold.

Best TV show ever…

Battlestar Galactica. I’m a huge sci-fi fan and when this came out I binged the whole thing over the course of a month. The whole thing was updated from the original 1970s series. Robots, called Cylons, are taking over the world. The trouble is they are so sophisticated that we can no longer tell who is human and who is an imposter.

The book I could happily re-read I’ve just read A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin.

I was unfamiliar with the novelist Ira Levin.

He’s most famous for Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys From Brazil and The Stepford Wives but I just stumbled across a real gem. A Kiss Before Dying is the sort of book you can finish in a couple of days, but it has stayed with me for months. The writing is exquisite and the story is utterly gripping. I wish I could tell you more but it’s impossible without giving away spoilers. First rate thriller with a killer twist.

Last live music gig I went to Ella Hughes live in Brixton. She’s the daughter of my friend Pip Broughton, who produced and directed the BBC drama Keeping Faith. Ella has only just embarked on a music career – writing and producing her own material – and I was so happy to go and support her.

My desert island disc I’m a huge Prince fan and was lucky enough to see him live three times. Choosing which album to take would be difficult but I think I would settle for Sign Of The Times as it’s the album that first brought him to my attention. I love artists who can actually play an instrument. Prince played a whopping 27.

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DATE

K.O.

COMPETITION

OPPONENT

HOME/AWAY

27 Aug

15:00

Friendly

Coventry Rugby

Away

2 Sept

19:15

Friendly

Jersey Reds

Away

9 Sept

19:45

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol Bears

Away

17 Sept

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Sale Sharks

Home

23 Sept

19:45

Gallagher Premiership

Wasps

Home

1 Oct

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

London Irish

Away

8 Oct

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Gloucester Rugby

Home

15 Oct

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Saracens

Away

22 Oct

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton Saints

Home

29 Oct

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Worcester Warriors

Away

5 Nov

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Newcastle Falcons

Away

11 Nov

19:45

Gallagher Premiership

Leicester Tigers

Home

2 – 4 Dec

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Harlequins

Home

*Fixtures are subject to change.

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DATE

K.O.

COMPETITION

OPPONENT

HOME/AWAY

24 Dec

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter Chiefs

Away

30 Dec – 1 Jan

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Newcastle Falcons

Home

6 – 8 Jan

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Gloucester Rugby

Away

27 – 29 Jan

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Saracens

Home

3 – 5 Feb

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton Saints

Away

10 – 12 Feb

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter Chiefs

Home

17 – 19 Feb

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Wasps

Away

3 – 5 Mar

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

London Irish

Home

10 – 12 Mar

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Sale Sharks

Away

17 – 19 Mar

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Leicester Tigers

Away

24 – 26 Mar

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Bristol Bears

Home

22 April

15:00

Gallagher Premiership

Harlequins

Away

5 –7 May

TBC

Gallagher Premiership

Worcester Warriors

Home

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THE REEL THING EMMA INGLEDEW CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

See How They Run is a witty whodunnit set in London’s West End during the1950s; Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a social media obsessed friend group on a deadly getaway; There’s just more than a touch of Bridgerton to the rom-com Mr Malcolm’s List; The Forgiven starring Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain is a thrilling drama set in Morocco

This September The Little Theatre Bath is toying with some romance, a little murder, with some laughs thrown in Mr Malcolm’s List

Release date 26 August

Mr. Malcolm’s List is a charming Regency rom-com romance starring Zawe Ashton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Freida Pinto, that feels like John Tucker Must Die meets Bridgerton. Rejected by Mr Malcolm after an embarrassing night at the opera, Ms Julia Thistleswaite (Zawe Ashton, Fresh Meat) is out for revenge.

Julia discovers that Mr Malcolm carries with him a list of all the requirements he needs for a future wife. She convinces her naive childhood friend from the country, Ms. Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire), to pose as Mr Malcolm’s perfect match so that she may subsequently reject him and humiliate him in turn. The script is written by Suzanne Allain – who also wrote the original novel and the film is filled with all the original charm, humour and romance that made the book such a success.

The Forgiven

Release date 2 September

Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain star in this exploration of guilt, remorse and privilege in the heat of the Moroccan desert.

The two portray a wealthy couple who, on the way to a grand party, accidentally hit and kill a young Moroccan man who was selling fossils on the roadside.

This tragedy exacerbates the gulf between the wealthy European tourists and the impoverished locals, all set along the backdrop of the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. Fiennes and Chastain deliver nuanced and electrifying performances as the central couple who begin to descend, maybe all too easily, into a terrifying arc of corruption and immorality over the weekend.

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Previews 6 September and release date is 9 September

A biting satire from the author behind the viral short story Cat Person, Bodies Bodies Bodies follows a social media obsessed friend group on a deadly getaway. As a hurricane rages outside, a group of pals gather inside their friend’s family mansion to party away from the storm.

They decide to play murder with their favourite game ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ but soon the stakes of the game become deadly serious as their friends begin to die around them. Turning on each other, issues of privilege, in uencer culture and our own selfish ways begin to come to the surface whilst the murderer remains at large.

With a cast full of Hollywood’s most exciting new names including Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate You Give) and Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film), Bodies Bodies Bodies is morbid comedy sure to darkly delight.

See How They Run

Release date 9 September

See How They Run is a witty whodunnit loosely based on the hit West End show The Mousetrap.

Set in 1950s London, it stars Sam Rockwell as a weary and intellectual detective, and Saoirse Ronan as his over-eager rookie constable, and follows the pair as they investigate the mysterious killing of a cast member and as they do so, uncover the glamorous and sordid world of the West End theatre. As they attempt to unravel the mystery, they encounter a host of interesting characters along the way, played by what seems to be a UK who’s who of acting including David Oyelowo, Adrien Brody, Reece Shearsmith, Ruth Wilson, and Charlie Cooper.

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

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Designing and transforming your interior space for you and your lifestyle, celebrating & supporting local artists and UK makers.

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SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

HATS OFF!

Local artist Ann Hines is just one of the 36 creatives and makers appearing as part of the Newbridge Arts Trail happening the weekend of 17 – 18 September.

Her acrylic paintings and linocut prints, which can be seen at trail venue 9 Evelyn Road, Newbridge, depict scenes from everyday life, often featuring people at work or play. Intrigued by contrasts in light and texture, she tries to capture a mood or tell a story. See overleaf for more work from just a few of the contributing Newbridge artists.

Black sunhat by Ann Hines costs limited edition linocut, £40 framed, £25 unframed; www.newbridgeartstrail.org

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CRAB FISHING

BY KATHRYN SCALDWELL, £315 Kathryn paints in oils and aims to capture the light in her work.

She’s fascinated by s ies and the effect of light on the landscape or seascape. A moody sky often inspires and excites her.

Trail venue: 4 Homelea Park West; www.kathrynscaldwell.com

AS GOOD AS NEWBRIDGE

DANCING WITH THE WIND BY POLLY GOUGH, £110 Polly is an artist printmaker specialising in collagraphs and is inspired by love of animals and myths. Underpinning her work is a passion for experimentation and colour. Prints are individually inked and produced in small limited editions.

Trail venue: Weston Methodist Church Hall, Kennington Road; www.pollygough.com

The Newbridge Arts Trail returns 17 – 18 September bringing 36 creatives in its wake selling original art in their homes TRUMPET VINE PERGOLA BY CHRIS PEECOCK, £35 FRAMED, £25 UNFRAMED Chris will be showing kaleidoscopic digital inkjet prints, papier-mâché jewellery, 3D shadow boxes, and experimental decorative 2D prints, using a technique from the 1960s that he has revived and modernised.

Trail venue: Weston Methodist Church Hall, Kennington Road; Instagram: @chris.peecock.549

BOY IN UDAIPUR

BY SUSAN BOLAM, £190 Susan will be showing a variety of paintings and drawings covering her travels and her more recent interest in portraiture.

Trail venue: 9 Evelyn Road

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

MELODY BY KELLY TYNDALE, £300 Kelly describes her art using the Japanese concept wabi sabi’ finding beauty in imperfection. She loves the fragility of cracks, layers and natural form and tries to showcase them in her work.

Trail venue: 1 Rosslyn Road; Instagram: @kellytyndale_art

ED’S CHOICE VANCOUVER IN AUTUMN BY HEIDI LAUGHTON, £500 Heidi’s paintings of abstract landscapes lend a calming presence to interior spaces. Using soft colour palettes, they create a sense of tranquillity.

Heidi’s painting style is intuitive and continually evolving.

Trail venue: Weston Methodist Church Hall, Kennington Road; www.heidilaughton.com

ROYAL CRESCENT THROUGH THE TREES

BY PAULO BAIGENT, £75 Paulo has been revisiting watercolours and will be showing recent paintings of landscapes and birds.

His wor s are fresh and affordable, using a colour palette ranging from vibrant to muted.

Trail venue: Newbridge Primary School, Charmouth Road; www.speaktomegabriel.co.uk

CERAMICS BY SALLY MACDONELL, PRICES RANGE £150 – £450 Sally’s fascination with people is re ected in her figurative ceramics sculpture.

She explores the human condition by modelling the female form from clay, changing the mood by the positioning of a shoulder or a hand.

Trail venue: 2 Kennington Road; www.macdonell-ceramics.co.uk

SHIELD BUG

BY ELIZABETH BELL, £120 Combining her love of colour, texture and the natural world, Elizabeth uses a mixture of media to create works that complement home and work space.

Trail venue: Weston Methodist Church Hall, Kennington Road; www. elizabethbellcolours.com

I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW

BY MARK THOMAS, £475 Mark creates contemporary paintings in acrylics on paper or canvas. He will be showing a mix of figurative and abstract wor with a retro propaganda pop art in uence.

Trail venue: 4 Foxcombe Road; www.emptywords.co.uk

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SPONSORED CONTENT

THE NINE YEAR WAIT FOR BABY OLIVIA

Having waited nine years for their IVF baby to arrive, Sky News editor Emily Deeker and husband, BBC Points West’s Will Glennon, are urging other couples with fertility issues to be patient and keep trying if they can.

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fter welcoming baby Olivia into the world on 10 December 2021, Emily posted on Instagram ‘Nothing worth having comes easy,’ together with a touching tribute to the team at BCRM, who worked so hard to enable her and Will to have a baby of their own: ‘Thank you, Bristol Centre For Reproductive Medicine, from the bottom of our hearts.’

“Will and I fell into the huge group of people who have ‘unexplained’ fertility issues,” explained Emily.

“We had 11 rounds of IVF, and a lot of exploratory procedures in between.

“Olivia was our next-to-last chance. We had 12 frozen embryos available to us, and she was number 11, so on paper she was not the strongest embryo.

“Will and I both had Covid in January 2021, just before we were due for an embryo transfer. The virus knocked us for six, and we had to delay treatment until the end of March.

“And then, finally, there was the positive pregnancy test.

“Let’s be honest - you don’t want to be going to a fertility clinic in the first place but if you have to go to one you want to have faith in them, and we did have faith in ours.

“It says a huge amount about the team at BCRM that we decided to stay with them throughout our entire IVF journey, all nine years of it.

“We trusted and believed in them. Their research is second-to-none – look at Valentine Akande’s work - and we had faith in their knowledge, their reputation and the amazing care they gave us throughout.

“To us, Valentine is peerless, and we owe him so much.

“And it was genuinely freeing to walk into the nurse’s room and have a good cry if I wanted to, while she held my hand. I know they were doing their job, but it always felt so much more personal and human than that.”

BCRM www.fertilitybristol.com is the longest established fertility clinic in Bristol, helping people from throughout the South West and Wales with fertility treatment for both private and NHS patients. The clinic is involved in innovative research and has one of the best success rates with IVF and other fertility treatments in the UK. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 53

STRIKE A JUXTA POSE It’s a fabulous fashion fusion when opposites attract Words by Marianne Cantelo

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hat makes great style fascinating to the beholder?

Is it the ability to loo effortlessly put together? Is it something that ignites our imagination? When you break it down, often it’s the bringing together of things that shouldn’t be as one, that makes fashion magnetic and romantic.

CLASHING HUES Like chilli and jam, high heels and racecourses, and caviar and champagne, opposites always have the potential to attract. Take colour for example – have you ever combined pink and green? The pink winks, the green takes on a sheen, and together they look more sophisticated. Colour-blocking this dramatic pair, perhaps letting the green take the lead in a swirling skirt, with a simple camisole or light knit in a rosy tint, is joyous. Another of my favourites is the combination of tomato red and turquoise a sharp fitted bla er that might otherwise appear a little bit ‘Butlins’ is elevated in combination with this clashing hue, a satin blouse with a deep neckline, or even a pair of aquamarine heels punctuating the red perfectly.

Orange and sky blue, navy and mustard and of course, black and white – play with these combinations and you’ll be putting together something that is head turning, but in the right way. ach opposite colour has the effect of intensifying the other, creating a look that is rich and saturated.

JUXTAPOSED STYLE Obviously it isn’t just colour opposites that creates chic. Playing with proportion can make an ensemble of a single colour, eye-catching and exciting. When someone dresses ‘simply’, observation shows that it’s actually all a lot more considered. Choosing a voluminous and sculptured top and pairing it with a slim trouser or skirt is instantly sophisticated-classic Balenciaga. it and are is another e ample of an age old recipe of opposites. Chosen by dancers for a reason, the opportunity for the ow and movement of fabric but also seeing the body too, is beautiful. It also explains the repeated popularity of wide leg trousers and ares, u taposed with corsets and cropped tops (the current Y2K trend, Year Two Thousand tribute style for those of you who aren’t already feeling ancient). The width of a wide leg accentuates the hips and the waist and creates curves that the eye loves to see.

You’ll notice the return of the lower-waisted trouser and if you don’t want to dare to bare your belly, don’t forget that a body suit is a great way to wear something figure s imming without showing esh.

Photographer: Egle Vasi; www.eglevasi.com Model: Angelica Baines Makeup: Chantelle Moody; Instagram @chantellemoody Styling: Eleanor Tasker and Marianne Cantelo Location: Ichiro’s Art Café; Instagram @ichirosbath

CONTRASTING TEXTURES Contrasting texture also is key – mixing leather with demure dresses in lace and taffeta for example. Think classic noughties Kate Moss in a sweetly feminine dress paired with a cropped leather jacket, or even leopard coat. It’s also fun to play with traditional fabrics – a Chanel-esque boucle ac et with denim, or a tweed over si ed bla er over a oral ma i dress. A loo I will never get tired of is metallics layered with knitwear - the two together creating a visual paradox of softness and glamour.

“A chunky boot is the yin to the yang of a super feminine dress” SUITED NOT BOOTED How could I not mention the impact of accessories in finishing an inspiring loo A chunky boot is the yin to the yang of a super feminine dress. A strappy high heel is the olive in the martini of a pair of well cut jeans. The espadrille, popularised by Yves St Laurent, is continuously worn by the Paris fashion set, even though they originated in the mountains of the Pyrenees. The contrast of the traditional and sophisticated, makes them an appealing choice paired with tea dresses and even light suiting in the summer. Similarly, think about the combination of the suit and a trainer – what was a rebellious choice, has become almost normal – but the endless combinations of tailoring and kicks is still exciting. The eyes just love to be surprised, don’t they? Next time you get dressed, think about the ‘opposites’ in your wardrobe, push them together and see what happens – it just could be a lifelong romance.

Marianne Cantelo is the business development project manager for Dorothy House Hospice Care.

The charity has 25 high street shops across the region selling fantastic pre-loved items which provides a large part of their income, plus it also has an online shop.

For more: www.dorothyhouse.org.uk

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SHOPPING LIST

COMPILED BY CHARLOT TE WALKER

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1. Bellerose Sevia t-shirt in yellow and white, £69, from Maze, 19 Green Street, Bath; www.mazeclothing.co.uk 2. Vintage pleated midi skirt in royal blue, size 10, £8.99, from www.dorothyhouse.shop 3. 1388 square sunglasses in orchid crystal, £325, from Cutler and Gross, 9 Bridge Street, Bath; www.cutlerandgross.com 4. Acne Studios large print cotton sweatshirt in green, £349, from John Anthony, 26-28 High Street, Bath; www.john-anthony.com 5. Compania Fantastica high waisted orange cropped trousers, £59, from Gaff Clothing, 29 Upper Borough Walls, Bath; www.gaffclothing.co.uk 6. Valencia dress in yellow seersucker, £319.20, from Cabbages & Roses 3 West End, Bruton; www.cabbagesandroses.com 7. Metallic elastic belt in green, silver and gold, £22, from Sassy & Boo, 9 Bartlett Street, Bath; www.luellafashion.com 8. Paul Smith Tilly socks in pink, £19, from Grace & Mabel, 3 George Street, Bath; www.graceandmabel.co.uk 9. Pailette Kelly green heels, £235, from Chanii B, 9 Milsom Place, Bath; www.chaniibshoes.com 10. Bubblegum pink square Italian leather rucksack, £85, from Portman, 28 Milsom Street, Bath; www.nickieportman.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

RAISE A GLASS

On 7 September, Corkage is hosting a tasting with Sussex Sparkling Wine. The restaurant on Chapel Row will welcome Richard James from Rathfinny Estate in Sussex for a tasting of some of the worldclass portfolio of wines produced in the Rathfinny vineyard. Rathfinny’s acre vineyard was established bac in , and its climate, chal , soil and aspect – only a few short miles from the sea – makes it the perfect location. Sussex Sparkling Wines are produced with a low intervention, traditional method, with hand-harvested grapes that are whole-bunch pressed and patiently matured to preserve the wonderful natural avours.

The tasting wines will be matched with delicious plates from Corkage’s Jay Raynor-approved kitchen. or more www or a e at om

BEST IN SEASON

Sweetcorn is for September, says VERITY GENCO September is a turning point in the year, we see a gradual change in season, and autumn colours appear. Farmers start the new cycle of ploughing, planting and cultivation.

Fresh produce from our British fields is at its peak at this time of year.

As the season progresses, crab apples, globe artichokes, Swiss chard, pears, figs, pump ins, and courgettes are in abundance – along with this month’s seasonal produce pick, sweetcorn.

Although sweetcorn hasn’t been farmed seriously in the UK for very long due to its need for a hot climate, hotter summers in the UK have led to a resurgence in growing the colourful crop. If this year’s heatwave is anything to go by, we should expect a good harvest of British maize to hit our local farmers’ markets and greengrocers soon. Kids love it, making it one of the most popular vegetables in the UK – the vibrant colourful corns visually appeal, and its juicy, sweet taste is acceptable to their developing tastebuds. It may be tasty to eat canned or frozen corn – after all preserving it this way means it’s available all year round – but it’s no match for corn eaten straight from the cob.

Corkage is hosting a wine tasting with Sussex Sparkling Wine

With every bite, the crisp and succulent ernels e plode with avour.

Just boiled corn on the cob, a y sea salt, speckled ground black pepper, all rolled in melted butter, as a child, for me was simply one of the greatest vegetable-eating experiences.

To prepare and cook corn on the cob, remove the green corn husks and the silks. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the corn for threeto five minutes. If you fancy being creative, there are some easy-to-make avoured butter ideas to melt over your corn: mustard and jalapeño, garlic and herb, lemon and chive, basil, parmesan and sun-dried tomato. I enjoy shredded corn in a salad, or on tacos. If September’s weather is kind to us, steamed or boiled corn charred on the barbecue with any one of the above avoured butter suggestions offers a pleasant way to draw a close to al fresco dining season.

Chec my forthe avour Instagram page to see new ways to enjoy Sweetcorn in September.

Verity Genco is a food stylist, cook, baker and aterer e ind Insta ram @ ort eflavo r w ere she creates recipes inspired by the seasons Sweetcorn is a crowd pleaser for all ages

FIELD NOTES

Marshfest will return on September to Broadleys, Marshfield Cric et Club grounds. The family music and food festival is returning for its fourth event with the goal of raising , for local good causes. The one-day festival will host seven musical acts, a battle of the bands competition, and locally sourced food and drink from the likes of Pizza Folk, Chai Walla, Konnikra and Marshfield Ice Cream.

“We’re back, bigger and better in , and we’re een to keep things fresh with live Zumba for the first time and a Graffarty gra ti art workshop alongside bands and entertainment,” says James Wood, one of the festival’s organisers.

“Our Battle of the Bands response has been phenomenal and six live bands are battling it out on the day for a prime spot on the main stage.” or more www mars est o

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© CHARLIE MCK AY

TAKE 5

What’s your favourite wine and food pairing?

Fish and chips with a good grower champagne or English sparkling – always on the beach. The acidity cuts through any oiliness. It’s become a birthday tradition in my family.

Talk to us about how you curate a wine menu

I try to showcase delicious wines that offer great value and a real diversity of profiles. I am also very demanding on how the producers are making their wines, so that we are offering wines made in the most gentle and sustainable way from vineyard to bottle.

What makes wine sustainable – or not?

SARAH HELLIWELL Eight Stony Street’s head of wine shares how to make the perfect choice Eight Stony Street’s philosophy is simple: celebrating the symbiosis of food and wine. The restaurant and wine shop in Frome is stocked with over 400 bottles from around the world, including 50 varieties available on tap.

The diverse wine library is Sarah’s domain. Here, she tells us more...

What does it mean to be head of wine, Sarah?

It is really a bit of everything, but my main responsibilities are sourcing and curating the wine lists in the shops and restaurants (I also work for our sister restaurant, Wilding in Salisbury) running all the training for our staff, and of course the tastings we hold for customers.

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

Sounds like fun! How did you get into this industry?

I was always really fascinated with vineyards from holidays as a child.

After I left university, I moved to France without much of a plan, but ended up working with wineries and I got hooked. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else, but I didn’t even know this was a job when I was starting out.

What are some of the common mistakes people make when ordering wine?

I think we are all guilty of sticking to what we know, rather than trying new things – that often means you are paying more for a recognisable name rather than a far better quality wine that you might not have heard of. I really try to get our staff confident enough to recommend new things to customers.

For me a very holistic approach is the most sustainable way to make wine. You can be very conscious in the vineyard, but this needs to feed into real social responsibility towards the workforce and community – and sympathetic packaging and transportation too. I really believe that producers who care deeply about growing the best healthy grapes with lots of effort and little chemical interference have the best chance of making a truly great wine in the glass.

What are some of the most popular wines you serve?

We have a Lambrusco (sparkling red) that I love, and its always a great conversation starter once people see one table ordering it.

For summer, I have just put on a chilled Austrian Zweigelt, which is the perfect summer red and really popular once people taste it. Bride Valley Cremant from Dorset is also incredibly popular, and still one of the best made English sparklings I have tried.

What’s your personal favourite wine at the restaurant?

It really changes all the time, depending on my mood, the weather and what I am eating, but there are a couple of wines I always find myself recommending to anyone. The San Vincenzo from Anselmi in Veneto is the most intense and surprising white. Full of tropical

exotic notes on the nose and a wonderfully fresh finish, I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like it.

What about producers?

I have started to list more from a wonderful female winemaker in Burgundy called Fanny Sabre – she makes the most delicious and elegant Beaune which I think delivers so much more than other, much more expensive wines.

What’s one misconception about the wine world you’d like to dispel?

That it is some sort of club that you need to have lots of knowledge about to participate in. Grapes are grown in muddy vineyards and picked into plastic buckets. If you think about that side of the industry, I think it makes it a lot more relatable than a grand château and dusty cellars.

“I didn’t even know this was a job when I was starting out” Any tips for newbies who want to learn more about the world of wine?

Trying new things and getting a better idea of what it is that you like is the only way to get more enjoyment out of what you drink.

Everyone’s taste is valid so ask questions, even if you think they are silly – anyone who really loves wine will only be delighted to answer. Use your local wine shops – they are full of people eager to share their knowledge – or join in a course designed to teach you more.

Speaking of courses, could we join one with you?

es I am running our first si week introductory wine course in rome from mid September.

I want it to be very informative but also fun and never too serious.

It’ll be on Monday evenings through September and October – tickets on our website.

For more: Eight Stony Street, 8 Stony Street, Frome; www.eightstonystreet.com

SU G AR C ANE ST U D IO A cafe serving tasty french patisserie with an Asian twist!

All of our patisserie is made on site, we brew tea from Taiwan, matcha and hojicha from Japan, and have a selection of art and homeware, bringing what we love to Bath!

1 Grove Street, Bath, BA2 6PJ www.sugarcanestudio.co.uk

THE ETHICUREAN

ot ust a first class tasting menu, but also an ethical, thoughtful and delightful e perience Words by Deri Robins

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ou can’t just be a restaurant these days,” says The Ethicurean’s co-owner and founder Matthew Pennington. “There has to be a bigger purpose.”

We’re hearing this kind of thing a lot.

It’s not just about restaurants having to become more agile in their offering, although it’s true that they need to do that too, in order to survive. It’s about taking responsibility: for local producers, for staff, for local charities, for the planet.

Matthew says, “Our restaurant is trying to lead the way to prove that a sustainable model of hospitality can work in terms of environment and staff welfare. or e ample we have abolished the service charge and that is included in the cost, but any tips we get, we all choose a charity each month, usually food related, and during July and August it’s the Bath ood Ban .

The Ethicurean has been leading the sustainable pack for a decade, earning a Michelin green star for its thoughtful practices. Long before any climate emergency was declared, field to for was ey to its ethos. ow it’s upped its game still further; but if you assume this

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

means you’ll be in for an intolerably self-righteous dining e perience, thin again. ou won’t find more invested staff anywhere, but they wear their knowledge lightly; nobody pins you with glittery-eyed fervour as you sit, knife poised in mid-air over your rapidly cooling food while they reel off the life cycle of your duc , or e plain how chef foraged the hedgerows at dawn for the elder ower in your sprit .

Sure, if you have any questions – and The Ethicurean, about an hour’s drive from Bath, tends to attract guests who are interested in such things – they’ll be thrilled to answer them, but if all you want is to get stuck into that duck before it starts quacking in indignation, they’ll leave you to it.

Since the lockdowns, there’s been an even bigger emphasis on using ingredients straight from the garden, while the dining has somehow become... even finer. It was never e actly rustic, but the delicacy and presentation of the dishes seems to have been honed still further. The pace of service has also become more rela ed you’re actively encouraged to stroll among the herbs and brassicas before dinner, drink in hand, to take in the view

RESTAURANT

and chat to the gardeners.

Arriving on a balmy July evening for the full tasting menu, which runs every day between Wednesday and Saturday, we’re met halfway up the kitchen garden by head chef Mark McCabe. Over the world’s tiniest barbecue, Mark is cooking fresh lovage tacos for each guest, topping them with leaves, herbs and petals and sauces before ceremoniously rolling them up. They taste like a little slice of Eden, and make us reconsider a life choice that does not feature an allotment.

Further snacks are served over cocktails in the lounge, in full view of the open kitchen, where the chefs genuinely look as if they’re having fun. A caring, supportive culture is encouraged here, with a fair wage, decent work-life balance and inspirational training.

A chilled cucumber consommé infused with lemondrop chilli is a little sharp and acidic; more indulgent are a pair of celeriac tarts filled with coriander sour cream, cured trout and tomato concentrate, which dissolve on the tongue in an e citing party of avours and te tures.

There’s a further melting mouthful, this time in the form of new potatoes layered with celtuce – this, we learn, is a ind of nutty tasting lettuce. I find myself nodding knowingly at descriptions of the dishes, before surreptitiously Googling under the table.

Next, we move into the dining room, housed within the kind of former Victorian glasshouse fawned over

by Pinterest. Rustic-industrial furniture is softened by sheepskins, fairy lights and artless bunches of lavender; large windows gaze across the garden and over to the Mendip hills. As the evening sets in, we watch the mist pool romantically in the valley.

The next three courses are still fully rooted, pun intended, in fresh veggie produce from the walled garden.

No less carefully considered, and probably deserving of its own review, is the accompanying wine ight, the pride and joy of excellent GM Emily. My designated driver stares wistfully at my Puglian moscatello selvatico, but he’s not too shortchanged; a lot of care has gone into the non-alcoholic spritzes and gimlets, which are playfully assembled to resemble cocktails.

Next up, creamy ricotta with a fragrant smoky hit of burned bayleaf comes with a radish, the size and juiciness of which would make Peter Rabbit’s eyes pop out. A ind of ohl rabi ravioli is filled with apple and shallot relish, while a whole Florence onion is grilled in its skin, with the sweet-sharpness of plum and boskiness of

“You’re actively encouraged to stroll among the herbs and brassicas before dinner” fermented mushroom powder – as complex yet subtle as that sounds.

Woolley Park duck comes roasted on the crown, blushing and tender beneath its glaze of parsnip and apple. Pickled magnolia, a preserve which seems to be having a bit of a moment, teams with sweet beets, salty blackcurrant paste and vinegary chard, while savoury little towers of offal sausage are sharply offset by sour cabbage.

Of the puds, our favourite is a light, subtly smoked buttermil parfait with delicate sheets of fig meringue, though the yoghurt and honey sponge buried in a Barbiepink beetroot mousse is a total showstopper.

Through a skill verging on alchemy, the homeliest of ingredients are transformed by the kitchen into astonishingly inventive and assured dishes that brim with nourishment.

The Ethicurean is a good deed in a naughty world, but eating ethically has rarely felt so enjoyable.

DINING DETAILS The Ethicurean, Barley Wood Walled Garden, Wrington. tel: 01934 245888; www.theethicurean.com Hours The Ethicurean Experience tasting menus run Wed-Saturday; Saturday and Sunday lunch Prices Tasting menu £150 pp; wine flight £65. Lunch £75 Drinks Natural and biodynamic wines, cocktails and imaginative 'no & low' drinks Atmosphere Chilled and friendly Service Knowledgeable, but not remotely preachy

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SUSTAINABILITY

MADE TO LAST Bath-based businesses with an eye for sustainability share their tips for working the eco-friendly way

By Matilda Walton

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hese days, we’re more considerate shoppers. From the clothes we buy and trips to the salon to large-scale, long-term projects like home renovation – big or small, we want our purchases to have a positive impact on the environment. Here, Bath businesses from across a range of sectors show how we can make sustainable choices across our lives.

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

What’s the first stage of creating a sustainable design?

Daniel Lugsden, RIBA, partner at Nash Partnership, 23a Sydney Buildings, Bath; www.nashpartnership.com First of all, do you need to build it? – or all of it? Don’t consume that space or material if you don’t need to – and the right orientation, use of levels, and any existing buildings need to be thought through properly.

Design passively, meaning in a way that works with local climate to maintain a comfortable temperature. Due to our extensive portfolio of re-using existing buildings, including many listed assets, our expertise in re use and retro t has gro n immensely. the stats are right, and 80 per cent of the houses we will live in in 2050 already exist, we should give this some serious attention.

So, we know working with existing buildings is a sustainable option. Talk us through what the process might look like.

Marcus Still, project architect at Hetreed Ross Architects, Attika Workspace, Bath Brewery, Toll Bridge Road, Bath; www.hetreedross.com t aries enormously and needs to be care ully tailored to the indi idual pro ects and our clients there is no one si e ts all approach. t a recent pro ect, ill ouse a rade listed armhouse that had been stripped out by previous owners in pursuit of ‘modernisation’, which prompted spot listing to protect what then remained of its historic interior features – not only did we work within the context

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SUSTAINABILITY

At Nash Partnership, their sustainability policy is to only build when they have to

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SUSTAINABILITY

ABOVE: Nash Partnership has an extensive history of re-using existing buildings; BELOW: Noi Salon uses recycled and re-purposed fixtures and fittings

of an existing building, we also used a lot of natural materials perfect or a historic building. e orked closely ith a listed building officer both dedicated to the conservation of the house and pragmatic about the changes made in the past and how these could allow for improved sustainability. his included super insulated heated concrete oor slabs here ground oors had already been replaced ith concrete, high performance double-glazed timber mullioned windows where originals had been replaced and secondary double-glazing to the few original windows surviving and – most crucially to the energy strategy– full external wall insulation using ‘breathable’ cork slabs and lime render to replace the modern cement render. The opportunity was taken to insulate over the original roof structure, both increasing thermal performance and exposing the beautiful historic rafters that remained. nstallation o a ush photo oltaic array solar panels on a roo slope that had previously been retiled with concrete tiles was also part of the energy strategy, along with heating and hot water provided by air source heat pumps, backed up by high efficiency ood sto es ith insulated ues to supplement the heating should it be re uired.

Are there any particular sustainability credentials we should look for when choosing an architect?

Jonathan Crossley, associate architect at SRA Architects, Station House, Ashley Avenue, Bath; www.sra-architects.co.uk We are members of Future Leap, one of the largest green business networks in the UK, based in Bristol, and as part of this we have begun working with several sustainable businesses in the network. Business on Purpose have helped us review our current business structures and practices and helped us on our journey to submit our application to become B orp certi ed. longside this e ha e orked ith o limate ositi e and rees to assess and offset our carbon ootprint and develop our carbon reduction plan. We enjoy working with local, ethical and sustainable businesses who are part of this community.

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

RETAIL

When it comes to retail, it’s all about choosing brands with a sustainable ethos. Can you tell us about some sustainable brands to look out for?

Vanessa Clark, owner of Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath; www.homefrontinteriors.co.uk We work with quite a number of wonderful small British brands that are all eco-conscious and sustainable – three I love are The Basket Room, Nkuku, and Aery Living.

The Basket Room creates beautifully designed baskets from natural materials such as sisal and banana bre, and ork ith small cra t collectives in Africa. They follow ethical and fair-trade practices and have forged long-term collaborations with communities – their orders give much needed additional income to the weavers.

Nkuku work closely with artisans from around the world and in particular India, where they produce beautifully designed and handmade homewares, often made using traditional techniques and recycled or sustainably sourced materials. Their ethos is ethical, eco-friendly, and handmade. Their products are always beautifully designed, on trend and effortlessly stylish.

Aery Living are a Bristol-based brand that create a beautifully packaged and wonderfully aromatic range of home fragrances. They

ABOVE: Chest of drawers painted in the new Annie Sloan Satin Paint ‘Athenian Black’

by The Marmalade House; BELOW: Sometimes, the most sustainable option is to work with a building that already exists as in the Hetreed Ross project Mill House

“Often by changing, shifting and updating items we can create a whole new look”

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SUSTAINABILTY are all made in the UK using sustainable ingredients, they use 100 per cent plant based ax and carrier oils that are ree rom paraffin and palm. They are proudly vegan and cruelty-free, and as an ecoconscious brand all their candles, diffusers, candle holders and paper are plastic-free and recyclable.

BEAUTY

How do you make hairdressing sustainable?

Kellie Moody, beauty and make up artist and co-director of Noi Salon, 20 Milsom Place, Bath; www.noisalon.co.uk Our sustainability started with our renovations when setting up the salon by upcycling and re-purposing furniture and materials – even old mirrors, frames, clocks and chairs. Giuseppe, my partner, is an amazing DIYer. Our joint vision and his family’s know-how meant we re-used and recycled whenever we could.

Talk us through sustainable haircare. What are some brands we should look out for?

o strong actors in uence us uality and sustainability. sing brands that have clear sustainability plans such as Moroccan Oil, and/or can boast being carbon zero such as Olaplex, but which also give our clients what they are seeking in terms of hair health, is key.

However, our primary hair care brand is Davines. We chose Davines because not only do we see them as leaders of sustainability in hair and beauty products, but also because they are simply fantastic. Once tried, our clients never go back.

From their very beginning (25 years ago), the whole ethos of the Davines brand has been, and continues to be, manufacturing and distribution in a sustainable ay. hey are actually a certi ed B orporation. B orporation is not something that you can pay to join; you have to prove that your ethics and business practices are truly sustainable across all levels. We choose Davines because the brand is not simply jumping on the bandwagon, it’s been sustainable since conception. It’s a win-win – products being kind to the environment and your hair.

ABOVE: Reclaimed panels washed and aged in Atelier Ellis ‘Khadi’ and put together to create a headboard, Marmalade House style; BELOW: Nkuku products, available from Homefront Interiors are eco-friendly, ethical and handmade

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

How can we redecorate in a sustainable way?

Vanessa Sayce, owner of The Marmalade House, Kelston, Bath; www.themarmaladehouse.co.uk The ethos of our business since we began in 2011 has always been to help our clients and customers create something new and beautiful out of something they already have. When we founded Marmalade House, the idea of recycling furniture by repainting and therefore renewing it was a relatively new concept, and we developed a model for people to either learn how to paint with us, to do the work themselves, or for us to take on their specialist commissions. Our signature house style is beauti ul rench and usta ian nishes ith a so t colour palette, but e do also create modern at nishes or more contemporary pieces.

We have helped thousands of people re-love their old furniture and look at what is already in their homes in a new way. The interior design arm of our business also helps bring fresh eyes to tired interiors, and often by changing, shifting and updating items we can create a whole new look with existing elements in the home.

When it comes to home renovation, what sort of sustainability efforts should we look out for in a company?

“Don’t consume space or material if you don’t need to” 66 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Lee Shellard, owner of S&J Roofing, 130 Walcot Street, Bath; www.sandjbath.co.uk At S&J our main goals based around sustainability include making sure our aste is recycled efficiently and making sure e ha e a proacti e approach to recycling on-site construction waste. Another goal of ours is to examine every property and building we work on to design solutions to prevent environmental loss – including things like reducing thermal breaks so that heat loss is pre ented. t e use high uality materials to increase the lifespan of a roof, and we give a guarantee for a full roof renewal of 25 years, which is much more sustainable than using products hich aren t o as high uality.

Interiors & Homewares | Prints, Cards & Gifts Work from local artists and makers 10 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP T: 01225 571711 E: info@homefrontinteriors.co.uk www.homefrontinteriors.co.uk Ethical, Sustainable & Handmade Homewares and Gifts

Successful, well-established year-round language school in the centre of Bath requires

HOMESTAY HOSTS IN BATH to host both short-term and long-term students.

We teach adults and teenagers, and need both single and twin-room accommodation.

For further details, including rates of payment, please contact our Accommodation Manager: Sarah Wringer, Kaplan International Languages Bath, 5 Trim Street, Bath, BA1 1HB Direct Line (01225) 473502, Email: sarah.wringer@kaplan.com

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MEET THE CLASS INSTRUCTOR Thinking of taking up a new skill? These experts have got your back JANE HARRIS

LUCY MAIN

DIRECTOR OF SONGWAYS 07894 205255; www.songways.co.uk Tell us about your choirs I lead Songways choirs in two fabulous venues – Wednesday evenings in St Swithin’s Church, Bath and Friday mornings in Holy Trinity, Bradford on Avon. I’m passionate about the music we sing… harmonies that lift us up, powerful songs that draw us together and go straight to the heart, and songs that create a sense of stillness and peace.

What’s special about Songways?

I’d say the energy, vibrancy and variety of songs, and the way the harmonies take us into different sound worlds.

We perform rich South African choruses, beautiful folk songs, uplifting American harmony songs and vibrant Balkan music along with my own original compositions.

Songways offers a chance to develop your voice, increase range and resonance, release tension and explore new singing styles.

Are there opportunities to perform?

Yes, at Bath Abbey on Saturday 15 October at 1pm, and St Luke’s Church on Saturday 10 December at 7:30pm with award-winning multi-instrumentalist Anna Tam. Do you also lead singing workshops?

I’m excited to be leading Soul Soundings in the amazing open space of Bath Abbey on Saturday 24 September at 7:30pm.

FITNESS, NUTRITION & LIFE COACHING 07919 523109; coach@lucymain.com

Jane Harris

Lucy Main

TRISTAN CARTER

CURTAIN UP THEATRE SCHOOL 07974 014490; www.curtainup.org.uk Tell us about your classes/courses Curtain Up Theatre School provides children of all ages with training in drama, dance and singing every week throughout the school term in the Bath area, with three schools divided by age group. We create a full-scale musical production with each of our three schools every year and a fully staged and costumed showcase with all three schools combined – plus lots of small presentations and performances. We also offer separate, exam-based singing or acting lessons for young people to extend their performance skills.

What makes your courses/classes different from similar ones out there?

We believe in a sense of family and community, having always referred to Curtain Up as our family. When we opened in 2004 and our own children were younger, we were determined to follow the premise that ‘if it works for our children it will work at Curtain Up’ so we have always treated the students like our own – we have a lot of kids!

What do your students need to have before enrolling?

A love of the singing, dancing and acting – and that is all. We are an all inclusive theatre school that welcomes all ages and abilities.

What should participants expect to achieve through your classes?

I am passionate about helping others who may dislike exercise and being unhappy with their weight, to absolutely loving it and losing it! Their goals may also be conquering the menopause, mental health, hypertrophy, strength, endurance, food planning, body transformation, tackling minor injuries, or just getting fitter. I love discovering what motivates somebody together with what may be preventing them reaching their goals.

What makes your classes different from similar ones out there?

It’s all about you and finding out what makes you motivated and happy. Being qualified as not only a personal trainer but nutrition advisor and life coach, I listen, consult and plan a bespoke journey with you to meet your needs, wants and goals.

Tell us about your classes I’m experienced in many disciplines of fitness, which I combine to match the client’s needs following a thorough free consultation. Sessions last an hour, either ad hoc or courses specifically built for them.

Fully mobile with my own equipment means I can go to the client, train outside or at Pettermides gym, Batheaston.

VANESSA SAYCE

THE MARMALADE HOUSE 01225 445855; www.themarmaladehouse.co.uk

Tristan Carter

Vanessa Sayce

Tell us about your classes/courses We have a very exciting new range of courses which we are about to introduce online, that specialise in furniture painting to professional standards – both beginners and advanced levels – and in interior design. Looking at using colour in the home, creating moodboards and planning new designs for interior spaces.

What led you to teach your classes/courses?

I started teaching in 2011 when I began using Annie Sloan Chalkpaint professionally. It is such a versatile artisan paint, that I wanted to share with as many like-minded people as possible.

How many people are there on your course/class?

We keep them small, with a maximun of seven people to enable us to give as direct and personal a service as possible.

We are shortly moving our courses online too, which will reach many more.

What do your students need to have before enrolling?

A love of interiors, colour, painting and a willingness to learn and get involved!

What sums up the ethos of your courses/class?

They are friendly, extremely informative, relaxed and with the intention to share our skills and help people make the very most of their furniture and interiors.

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It’s the city’s business

BATHWORKS THIS ISSUE >>ENTRECONF DINNER (72) >>BATH LIFE AWARDS PRECISION PILATES (74) >>BIZ Q&A REBECCA DENNIS (75) New Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset Mohammed Saddiq is known for his green credentials and his mentoring work with young people

Lording it

Meet Somerset’s new Lord-Lieutenant

M

ohammed Saddiq has been appointed the new LordLieutenant for Somerset.

The executive director of operations at Wessex Water will take over from Annie Maw CVO when she retires at the end of October.

Mohammed is known for his sustainability and environmental concerns, and in 2020 received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of West of England for enhancing sustainable development locally. He is an avid supporter of local community projects, and holds roles with many organisations and charities including the Bristol

Future Talent project, which works with local businesses to provide work experience and mentoring support to students from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and also holds the role of trustee with cancer charity Penny Brohn UK. His mentoring also extends to the workplace, where he set up a partnership between Wessex Water and The Prince’s Trust to mentor young people.

Mohammed, who now lives in Midford his family, with credits his work today to his parents, who moved to England from Pakistan in the 1960s.

“They came here with virtually nothing but they had such a strong work ethic,” he says.

“I was born in Leeds and my parents were always encouraging me to do well at school, to help create a good life for myself. I became the first member of our family to go to university.

“It is a tremendous honour for me. I’ve always thought it is important to remember where you’ve come from. I’m in a privileged position now and it’s important for me to give something back to the community and the country which has given me so much.”

Somerset’s current Lord-Lieutenant Annie Maw CVO, who will have held the position for nearly eight years when she retires in October, says, “It’s been the greatest honour of my life to serve as Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant. I know Mohammed thinks the same and I know he will do a tremendous job. I couldn’t be more delighted by his appointment. With his business background he will bring a new skillset to the role, which will be invaluable.”

For more: www.bathnes.gov.uk

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BATHWORKS

RUHX is encouraging long-term planning with wills at a reduced fee

Martin Bysh will appear for a live interview at the EntreConf dinner

DELIVER THE GOODS The ne t ntreConf dinner is coming up on September, with guest spea er Martin Bysh, C and co founder of Huboo. Huboo helps online businesses grow by providing e commerce order fulfilment services, with operations across four countries and has recently announced it’ll be launching in Germany. The multi award winning company has grown significantly in recent times, and too on a remar able new starters in alone.

Huboo founder Martin will share

MOVE WITH PAWPOSE

his e perience of rapidly scaling e commerce, touching on growth strategy, maintaining culture, how funding can up your game, managing a rapid growth business, and what he’s learned along the way.

The ntreConf dinner is at the Avon Gorge Hotel in Clifton, and begins with an informal networ ing session at pm, followed by dinner and Martin’s live interview with plenty of opportunities to as him questions along the way.

For more: www.entreconf.com

Bath Cats and Dogs Home’s BCDH annual ag al is coming up on September. The fundraising challenge is open to all een wal ers with or without their dogs in tow. The event sponsored by Bath ets raises funds for unwanted cats and dogs cared for by the BCDH, and offers two routes a two mile at route or a more strenuous five mile wal along the ational Trust Bath S yline. e love seeing wal ers and dogs having fun on the ag al and raising money for the animals in our care, says Rachel Jones, C at Bath Cats and Dogs Home. very animal deserves their best shot at a happy ending and every step of this process is reliant on donations so any sponsorship you’re able to raise is very much appreciated. ur aim is for all our rescue pets to have a bright future with a new family of their own so please adopt if you can.

The wag wal costs per person and all entrants are encouraged to raise sponsorships to donate to the charity there are even pri es up for grabs for the top fundraisers on the day.

For more: www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk

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The Wag Walk is coming up in September at Bath Cats and Dogs Home

FORWARD PLANNING Throughout September, R H , the o cial HS charity for the Royal nited Hospitals Bath is offering families the chance to ma e or update their will for a reduced fee. In collaboration with R H ill month, solicitors across Bath, Somerset and iltshire are donating per cent of their fees to the hospital to highlight the importance of planning for the future and so the charity can continue to provide e traordinary care.

The professional will writing service costs for a standard single will, or for a standard oint will.

For more: www.ruhx.org.uk

Ollie Ollerton has signed with Clearly PR

DHI is encouraging supporters to hold clothes swaps to raise awareness and funds for the charity

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC DARE TO WIN

SAS: Who Dares Wins star Ollie Ollerton has joined Clearly PR as a client. The Bath-based PR company is working with llie to promote his corporate offering Brea oint, a company which offers businesses and individuals training and performance courses centred around changing limited beliefs, and also Ollie’s motivational talks.

Clearly PR’s associate director, James Gwinnett featured as a recruit on series four of SAS: Who Dares Wins, and worked with Ollie to publicise the launch of his app, Battle Ready 360.

“James has proven his knowledge of the media landscape in the past and, with the support of a leading PR agency that offers the complete pac age, we are delighted to be working with him again,” says Ollie. “With his experience on SASWDW, James understands the BreakPoint mindset and what we are looking to achieve for the business – which is ultimately to get the best out of our corporate and individual clients.”

For more: www.clearlypr.co.uk

AFTER A FASHION Developing Health and Independence (DHI) has developed a new initiative that means we can fundraise and update our wardrobes at the same time. The charity, which supports disadvantaged and socially excluded people, is encouraging supporters to hold clothes swaps to raise funds. The idea is simple – invite over a group of friends, ask them to bring a couple of pre loved items, en oy a coffee or even a glass of wine swap and choose clothes and ma e a donation to DHI. Any leftover clothes can be offered to DHI service users.

“Our hope is to encourage many people to hold an event and raise money and much needed awareness for the charity,” says Katie Rawlings at DHI. “Essentially it will be a really fun get together for friends, help to prevent clothes going into landfill m worth of clothing each year) and will give people a much-needed lift.”

For more: www.dhi-online.org.uk

HIT THE FLOOR

DOWN TO A FINE ART

pARTicipate at the RUH has returned as the hospital adjusts to the new, post-Covid normal. While group activities were restricted, Art at the Heart, the RUH Patient Experience Team, and Friends of the RUH collaborated to provide arts and crafts activity bags to individual patients, with over 250 distributed to date. Artsparks Virtual also launched, which is comprised of six workshops using the items in the arts and crafts activity bags on themes li e fimo clay modelling and paper sculpture.

In real life Artsparks workshops for young patients and their families/carers are back, and the hospital’s two resident artists, Edwina Bridgeman and Charlotte Stowell, are able to run socially distanced workshops on the children’s ward.

For more: www.artatruh.org

Virtuoso has opened its very first showroom on Moorland Road

After trading online for six years, the first irtuoso looring showroom has opened on Moorland Road. The new space showcases a selection of Virtuoso’s ethically and sustainably sourced ooring options including wood, luxury vinyl tiles, carpet, sheet vinyl and natural oor many made in the UK. The new showroom comes with a brand refresh that’ll see Virtuoso moving towards the residential market with a brand-new website and fresh blue branding, while the well-known Virtuoso red – including their bright red vans – will now represent the company’s commercial business.

“No job is too big or small as we’re open to all projects and budget requirements,” says Lois Reed at Virtuoso Flooring. “Examples of our work include Bath Abbey, Dyrham Park, NHS covid wards, The Empire, The Paragon, as well as many beautiful homes within and around Bath.” or more www virt osofloorin o

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JOIN THE FUN

Amber Edenbrow, studio owner/founder, with Natalie Uff, studio teacher and marketing assistant

BATH LIFE AWARDS 2022 Amber Edenbrow on the year of growth that won Precision Pilates a Bath Life Award

HEALTH & WELLBEING WINNER SPONSORED BY

a year teaching classes online, our clients have been extremely loyal and have thoroughly loved being back doing face-to-face classes once again.

What do you really love about your work?

A

As the business owner, I have a fantastic team of teachers working with me. We all work together to support each other and share ideas. I am passionate about the way the body moves, and I absolutely love teaching. One of the most rewarding things about my job is seeing the improvements each of our clients make, whether that be improvements in posture, e ibility, mobility or general wellness. Seeing how Pilates changes people’s lives is incredible.

AMAZING. We are over the moon and as proud as punch.

What are some of the frustrations in your industry?

n award-winning Pilates and well-being studio, Corsham-based recision ilates offers ilates, reformer, barre, yoga and Power Pilates classes, and workshops.

Founder Amber Edenbrow tells us more...

So, how did it feel to win a Bath Life Award?

Is the Award on display?

Of course – in the studio. Pride of place for everyone to see. We have a shelf !

Why do you think the judges chose you for this year’s well-being Award?

We have worked so hard to grow the business over the past five years, in May we opened up our very own Precision Pilates studio in the heart of Corsham. ithin months of opening, we have doubled both our teaching team and the number of classes that we offer. Having spent 74 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

I don’t think I have any! I love the industry that I work in – I am very lucky. One thing we have noticed is a huge increase in male clients attending our classes within the past year. I would like to see more GPs referring clients to Pilates for injury rehab and I would like to see more people take part in Pilates before they get injured.

Tell us more about the Corsham community

I have lived in Corsham for 10 years and when I was looking for a suitable property for the business, I was determined for it to be in the centre of Corsham. We are so lucky with

For 2023, the Bath Life Awards has a brand-new look – and a brandnew headline sponsor. Alongside the new vibrant pink and purple branding on the website, you’ll spot Doubletree by Hilton’s logo front and centre.

Sponsorship is a great way to get involved with the Bath Life Awards. There are a range of options and price points for sponsors, with benefits like presenting an Award, getting a specially dressed table for your company and exclusive association with a particular category – among other benefits.

For more information about sponsorship contact head of partnerships Annie Kelly annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk and commercial director Pat White pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk

the wonderful businesses here – it really is a community where we all know each other.

I wanted clients to come and enjoy a class and then be able to pop into town to do some shopping, buy locally and perhaps meet up with friends. Having two hours free par ing offered by the council is a great advantage too, and really helps to eep the High Street alive.

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given?

First, to believe in your product or service.

Second, it’s okay to make mistakes – use them and learn by them.

Was there one moment when you realised Precision Pilates was on the right track?

All the positive feedback and testimonials that we get from our clients. A wife of one of our clients has just thanked us for all of the Pilates teaching we have given to her husband over this past year.

They have just come back from a skiing holiday and because of all of the Pilates instruction, this client managed to get through a week of skiing with no in ury and no bac pain a first. It’s testimonials like this that remind us the ways our job really does improve people’s mental and physical well-being.

For more: Precision Pilates Studio, 4 Abacus House, Newlands Road, Corsham; www.precisionpilatesstudio.co.uk

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“BACK THEN WE WERE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO WEAR TROUSERS” non-contentious matters, which means that some of our work is my familiar litigation territory and some is technical and revolves around our commercial department and drafting. I am also an industrial relations specialist, which means that I give practical assistance with tricky employer-employee issues and avoiding litigation risk.

BIZ Q&A

Rebecca Dennis

R

Goughs’ lead lawyer on life at the Bar, having it all, and The Friday FAQ

ebecca Dennis leads the Employment Department at Goughs Solicitors.

A former barrister, she now works as the department’s lead lawyer, based in Goughs’ hippenham office. ere, she shares how her experience at the Bar equipped her for her role today.

Talk us through the early days of your career…

So, after my post-grad degree, nished the Bar ocational ourse at the Inns of Court School of Law in London in 1993 and started my pupillage at Queen Square Chambers in Bristol. That feels simultaneously like yesterday and a million years ago. he competition as absolutely erce and I felt a huge sense of relief that I was settled. That being said I was still not completely uali ed and had to pass my 12 months pupillage and then to be taken on by Chambers in order to be able to work as a barrister.

What’s pupillage like?

I was acutely aware that once all the hurdles had been jumped, there was absolutely no guarantee that I would be successful as a barrister. There is simply no certainty for members of the Bar who are self-employed. This role is not for the faint hearted. For

me, those months in pupillage were hugely enjoyable and challenging.

I had two Pupil Masters and they were both massi ely in uential in the ay I developed as a lawyer.

Tell us about life in Chambers Chambers was always a thrilling place to be with lots of bright minds and brilliant conversations. I remember thinking in the early days that I needed to be interesting or amusing, and failing that, to keep quiet and listen.

Was it everything you hoped?

There was so much to learn and genuinely lo ed it. appily, it all worked out for me and I became a tenant in Chambers – a combination of luck and ability. Life at the Bar was never dull. My practice was always extremely busy and I got used to working long hours and always working at weekends. Work/life balance had yet to be invented!

What was the Bar like back then?

It makes me laugh when I think of life as a female barrister in the early days.

There were not that many of us – and did you know that back then we were not even allowed to wear trousers?

More than that, casual sexist remarks and irtation ere routine. he day when I was slapped on the bum in a tribunal by a professional colleague

– it was a sex discrimination case, ironically – always make me ho l ith laughter. o times have changed.

Why did you leave?

My son was born in 2014. I was keen to get back to work and hired a full-time nanny. As a feminist, I genuinely thought I had it all but sadly I knew something had to change for me, my husband and our son, and that meant leaving my belo ed rst legal career.

What did you do next?

I took some extended leave and then joined an international employment consultancy. This was a perfect way to use my skills and ensure that I could still participate properly in my family life.

And now Goughs...

I lead the Employment Department here. As the public face of this department and its lead lawyer, this means that I can control the direction that the department takes and develop the people and the workload to provide the best possible service for our clients.

What kinds of things are you tackling day to day?

We deal with contentious and

Have you made any changes to how the department runs?

Yes, plenty! My favourite change has to be the practical development of my personal philosophy which is ‘share the knowledge’. I have developed a really useful bi-monthly Teams event – absolutely free to corporate clients.

I decided to call it ‘The Friday FAQ’.

The title amuses me! The format is really friendly and practical. Either I will give a short update on topical issues and provoke a debate, or more often, the participants will ask me thorny questions in advance that need an expert view.

Who tends to come along?

The audience usually comprises senior managers and it is abulous to see a group of people exchanging ideas and experience. It is always hugely entertaining and we all leave better informed. I love it. I have also developed a subscription service for our commercial client base which means that e can offer the absolute best value, something especially useful for start-ups and SMEs who need to control expenditure.

What are the key qualities that make you good at your job?

Being unafraid to tell the truth and una raid to ha e a difference o opinion. I am always mindful that clients may not always want to hear or heed the ad ice on offer, ust as judges may not like a particular argument. It is hugely important that all our clients are left in no doubt about the prevailing law in any particular situation, and their options. I pride myself on really useful communication skills and patience.

And compassion. Always.

For more: Goughs, Greenways Business Park, Chippenham; www.goughs.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 75

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DON’T LET CAPITAL GAINS TAX CATCH YOU OUT

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Jacqui Bowden from Bath-based chartered accountants and tax advisers PEARSON MAY on the reporting of Capital Gains Tax to HMRC

any property-owning individuals are still not aware of the ’60-day regime’ in relation to the reporting and paying of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in connection with disposals of UK residential property by UK residents. If you have recently sold a property, or are planning to, then you may need to take urgent action.

What are the rules?

The changes brought in on 6 April 2020 mean that where the disposal of the residential property results in a gain on which CGT is payable, this must be reported to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) within 60 days following the date of completion, and the tax due must be paid over by the same date. The original rules stipulated a 30-day deadline, but this was extended to 60 days in the 2021 Autumn Budget (for completions on or after 27 October 2021).

This is a significant timing difference compared to the old rules, as previously the gain would have been reported on an individual’s annual Tax Return and the tax paid over to HMRC by 31 January following the end of the tax year in which the disposal occurred. The change in law did not change any of the rules in relation to which gains are taxable or the rate of tax that is payable.

As you will appreciate, 60 days is not long to consider the position, prepare any necessary computations, report the gain to HMRC and pay the tax liability arising. If the deadline for filing the CGT UK Property Return is missed, an automatic £100 penalty can be charged with potential further penalties of £10 per day if the Return is still outstanding after three months.

Additional penalties and interest may also apply for failure to make the capital gains tax payment on time.

Who do these rules apply to?

The following UK tax resident persons are within the scope of the 60-day CGT rules: Individuals Trustees Personal representatives Partners in partnerships and limited liability partnerships; and Joint owners of property.

There are similar but different 60-day reporting rules for non-UK residents, covering both residential and non-residential property disposals, but these are beyond the scope of this article.

What disposals are caught?

The 60-day reporting regime catches any disposals of UK residential properties that result in a gain on which CGT is payable. Therefore, disposals of overseas residential properties are not caught (although there will almost certainly be requirements in the overseas jurisdiction and the disposal still needs to be reported on your UK Self-Assessment Tax Return). The regime also does not apply to UK residential property disposals that result in a loss or which do not give rise to a CGT charge e.g. because the gain is covered by the CGT Annual Exemption (£12,300 per individual for the current tax year). These disposals may still need to be reported on annual Self-Assessment Tax Returns.

This also means that if the gain is fully covered by a CGT relief, it is not usually caught. An example of this might be a disposal of your main home, which is fully covered by principal private residence relief. However, it would apply to the disposal of a UK second home, a property you have never lived in (or only lived in for part of the ownership period) or a UK let property, whether or not you lived in that property at some point. It would also, for example, apply to an inherited property sold for more than its probate valuation.

It is important to understand that the rules do not just apply to sales of property, they apply equally if you were to gift a property (e.g. to an adult child) even though you may not have received any money in exchange. A gift constitutes a disposal for CGT purposes with the deemed proceeds being the market value.

This is an area which is frequently overlooked.

If the disposal of the property is to a spouse or civil partner then special rules apply, so no CGT liability arises and no 60-day CGT Return is required as a result.

Some key points and planning tips: The 60-day payment and declaration apply regardless of whether you are in the SelfAssessment system or not.

Self-Assessment taxpayers will also have to report the gain on their Tax Return (as well as on the 60-day Return) as usual and pay any CGT

over and above the provisional payment by the usual Self-Assessment deadlines.

The 60-day time limit is triggered by the completion date (although the exchange of contracts is still the date of sale for CGT purposes).

60-day CGT Returns are not required for disposals of UK residential property by UK residents where no tax is due.

60 days isn’t very long! Funds will need to be put in place to cover the CGT liability arising as soon as the sale is completed.

As mentioned above, remember gifts can also result in gains, but don’t produce any cash, so make sure the funds are available before the gift is completed.

If you are planning a sale then gather the information required to compute the gain sooner rather than later, so that the tight deadline may be met.

To work out the provisional CGT payable, your taxable income for the year will need to be estimated to determine how much CGT is payable at 18 per cent and how much at 28 per cent.

Other CGT disposals which are not subject to these rules (e.g. sale of shares or commercial property) may be ignored in calculating the provisional tax due (but see below re losses).

Capital losses brought forward from earlier years or made in the same year as the gains (but prior to the date of sale) can be offset if desired.

You may want to give some thought as to whether any capital losses can be realised prior to the sale of the property, in order to reduce the CGT payable after 60 days of the sale of the residential property. * The above is for general guidance only and no action should be taken without obtaining specific advice.

Jacqui Bowden BSc (Hons) ACA Pearson May Chartered Accountants & Chartered Tax Advisers Bath, Chippenham and Trowbridge 37 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DA 01225 460491; mail@pearsonmay.co.uk www.pearsonmay.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 77

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THE BUSINESS FOR GOOD SERIES Simon Rollings is the co-founder and CEO of CANNED WINE CO., and a double University of Bath graduate. Here he shares his journey from Business student to business owner

“THEY WERE POURING WINE IN SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CUPS, AND WE THOUGHT THERE MUST BE A BETTER WAY” SIMON ROLLINGS,

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studied Business within the University of Bath’s School of Management in 2014, and later completed an MBA. Bath stood out from other universities because of the balance between campus and city life, and the sports side was excellent. It felt like the perfect university offering and it was definitely the right decision.

As a student, I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue. That’s why having two industrial placements on the BSc Business course really appealed to me. I went to two very different companies – one was a large accounting firm, and the other was HelloFresh when it was pretty much brand new. There were ten of us, and it had a real start-up mentality. Food and drink have always been a passion of mine, which is why I’ve come full circle and gone back to that by launching Canned Wine Co.

My wife and I have always enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, but you don’t always want to open a whole bottle. Then, in 2019, we went to a festival where they were pouring wine in single-use plastic cups, and we thought there must be a better way – less wastage and more choice in a smaller volume. That’s what inspired Canned Wine Co. – serving good-quality wine in a more sustainable, innovative way.

The University of Bath’s School of Management has been really supportive of me and my business. We work together to provide placements for current students, too, as I know how useful these opportunities are first-hand. A former placement student, Marieke Hammes, is now our sustainability and operations manager – making sure every step of the process is as kind to the environment as possible.

co-founder and CEO of Canned Wine Co.

For me, ambition is all about seeing opportunities to grow and better yourself, whether that’s personally, academically or in business, and hopefully having a positive impact on other people and the planet along the way.

Are you a graduate of the School of Management with a story to share? Connect with us: alumni@management.bath.ac.uk

#THINKAMBITIOUS www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 79

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RISK MANAGEMENT How effective are Asset Protection Trusts in protecting the value of a person’s home against depletion through payment of care fees? Local legal expert HELEN STARKIE explains... n a previous article I have explained the potential pitfalls of gifting or selling your home to your children during your lifetime. An arrangement of this sort is rarely advisable. In most cases it will neither save Inheritance Tax nor protect the value of the home against means testing for care funding purposes. In many instances it will cause expensive problems.

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

The term ‘Asset Protection Trust’ is in itself a bit of a give-away here. The phrase is used not to describe one particular type of trust (it can apply to a variety of different sorts) but the purpose of the trust – which of course is to protect the assets in it against means testing and use for care funding and/or tax liability. Frighteningly expensive and glossy advertisements for APT schemes, designed to make them look failsafe, are advertised in the press. They are far from failsafe – and are expensive to unpick after the event.

Let’s look first at the possibility of protecting the value of one’s home against means-testing for care funding purposes by using an APT. If it decides that care is needed for an individual the Local Authority must carry out an assessment of that person’s ability to pay for that care. If the individual has assets worth more than £23,250 they will have to pay for their care in full.

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

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

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

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“MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT A ‘SAFE’ ALTERNATIVE IS TO SET UP AN ASSET PROTECTION TRUST (APT) – IN CERTAIN AND VERY LIMITED CASES THIS CAN WORK, BUT THERE ARE BIG RISKS!” made a ‘gift with reservation of benefit’ for Inheritance Tax purposes – or alternatively incurring an annual charge to Income Tax under the ‘previously owned asset’ taxation rules.

Tax savings? If you transfer your home to an APT and continue to live in it after the transfer is made the gift will be ineffective for Inheritance Tax purposes, because of the ‘reservation of benefit’ rule.

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

Not to mention that, of course, once disposed of, you lose your control of your own home.

Some good news, however. If your Will is properly drafted it is absolutely possible and acceptable for you to ringfence the value of your share in your home against meanstesting and depletion in payment of care fees

should your partner or spouse need to be in residential care after your death, using either an outright gift to individuals other than that partner or spouse or an APT (the latter usually being the more attractive option to retain some flexibility in the arrangement of their affairs for the surviving partner or spouse).

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

Helen Starkie Solicitor 38 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT 01225 442353; www.helenstarkie.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 81

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

That winning feeling

Bath Property Awards

COMING TO A CLOSE The countdown begins for Bath Property Awards nominations Thinking of entering the Bath Property Awards? The countdown has now started with nominations closing on 15 September.

It’s free to enter and companies can be nominated in any category they think relevant. These include two new categories – co-working spaces and sustainability, along with architect; commercial

agent; civic development; commercial development; consultancy; contractor; de eloper employer nancial interior designer; legal; lettings agent; one to watch; residential agent; residential development; rising star; suppliers and services; and transformation.

The prestigious Awards ceremony will

take place during the day on 4 November 2022 at the Apex City of Bath Hotel.

For more information or advice on entering or sponsoring the Awards please contact pat.white@mediaclash.co.uk or annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk For more: www.bathpropertyawards.co.uk

sbsdesignandbuild.com 01225 874676 info@sbsdesignandbuild.com

PROPERTY NEWS Appointments

Education property specialist Chris Emm joins Stone King

TEAM BUILDING Bath-headquartered law firm Stone King has welcomed experienced education property specialist Chris Emm to strengthen its commercial property team.

Chris joins the firm as a partner from Browne Jacobson LLP and will be focussing on education sector property matters, including academy conversions, transfers and re-brokerages, developments and general estate management.

Caroline Taylor, who heads Stone King’s commercial property team, says, “We are very pleased that Chris has joined our team, he brings with him a great wealth of experience and practical know-how that will really strengthen our offering, particularly for education property matters. He is a valued asset to the team.”

For more: www.stoneking.co.uk

The rental property has five double bedrooms

Lettings

LONDON CALLING

No.1 Bath Quays is part of BANES’ regeneration project

Bath Quays

A NEW LEASE OF LIFE eading local financial services consultancy and software provider, Altus, has been confirmed as one of the first tenants for o. Bath Quays, part of Bath and orth ast Somerset Council’s agship regeneration pro ect.

Bath based Altus has signed a deal to move its headquarters into the top oor of the five storey energy e cient o ce building on Bath Quays South, while the financial services company idelius, also from Bath, has signed a lease for part of the first oor.

Council leader evin Guy says, It’s great to be able to accommodate two growing local companies and it’s an e cellent endorsement of our commitment to delivering mar et leading, ne t generation wor spaces to help attract s ills and talent to Bath.

For more: www.no1bathquays.co.uk

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

Millennium Terrace is one of four traditionally styled mews houses

A five double bedroom, four bathroom property arranged over five oors and located on ondon Road est, is up for rental. art of Millennium Terrace, it is one of four traditionally styled mews houses with their own gated, underground garage. The property is entered through the central feature staircase to the garden level where the large living space opens out onto private roof gardens. levated and uninterrupted countryside views are seen from every oor, and the home, which is being let for , pcm, also has a study and a large cinema room.

For more: www.cobbfarr.com

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PROPERTY

T CHARLCOMBE MANOR

Matilda Walton uncovers a rare Jacobean property in Bath

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

here is a fairy tale atmosphere surrounding Charlcombe Manor. The grand Jacobean manor house – thought to be one of the only from its period in Bath – sits grandly atop the city’s northern slopes. From its elevated position above the city you can enjoy the view for miles around, across to Solsbury Hill, the Charlcombe Valley and beyond. It’s a walker’s paradise, surrounded by winding footpaths through Somerset meadows – dog owners take note, from Charlcombe Manor the morning walkabout is transformed into an elevated experience.

Even within a city of exceptional properties like Bath, the Grade II listed manor is distinguished. Dated in part as far back as the late 17th century, it’s a rarity lled ith beauties iconic o its period, like the intricate Jacobean-style cornicing, regal-looking stone mullioned indo s, and a cosy ashlar stone replace.

Despite its short, 1.5-mile distance from the city centre, the lush green views surrounding the property make it feel like its own tranquil haven far away from the hustle and bustle of Bath. Inside it has the spaciousness and exibility any true ha en re uires too, rom the generous entrance hall to the well-sized dining room and elegant dra ing room, here you ll nd one o the

stand-out features of the entire property – a beautiful bay window with a central French door leading out into the immaculate grounds and ne countryside beyond.

There’s a third reception room downstairs too – the current owners are using it as a gym, but it might be re-purposed as an extra sitting room, study, library, play room or additional bedroom depending on the needs of the new household. n the upper oors you ll nd the bedrooms. he spectacular master suite is vast but cosy – think huge bed, window seat and room for a squishy chair or two for quiet afternoons with a book – and has an en-suite bathroom that offers the luxury o both a sho er cubicle and an appealing corner bath. lso on this oor you ll nd another sitting room, used as such or its utterly breath-taking vista. From the Juliet balcony there are sweeping views down the valley that are enough to inspire even the most cynical heart.

Upstairs again are the remaining bedrooms – perfect for the children of the household if you have any – and above that an attic space that is ripe for conversion subject to planning consent.

Charlcombe Manor’s one-acre garden has been treated ith meticulous care. ine box hedging anks an exquisite rose garden and a quaint terrace backs onto

the kitchen, perfect for dining al fresco in the warmer months – and there’s even a summer house where the family might retreat when the weather turns cool. Down the stairs to the lower terrace, the current owners have created a unique and atmospheric Japanese garden. It currently features a heated koi carp pond that a new owner could convert into a swimming pool. historic property, harlcombe anor offers character and luxury in equal measure – and its Jacobean heritage makes it a rare nd in the Bath market.

HOUSE NUMBERS Price Square foot

£3.75m 4,856

Bedrooms

4

Reception rooms

4

Bathrooms

4

For more: Crisp Cowley, 1 Wood Street, Bath; www.crispcowley.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 87

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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

ath s leading fireplace, wood urner, gas fire, chimney and ue specialist. rom classic to contemporary, concept to completion, their team of experts can work with you to achie e your perfect interior. rands include hesney s, ar as elfires, wam, tu and etmaster. et in touch or visit the showroom. Mendip Fireplaces, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7HD; info@mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk, Tel: 01225 722706; www.mendipfireplacesbath.co.uk

NEXUS OF BATH

is a Bath based family business specialising in painting and decorating, plastering, tiling, sash window restoration and other property restoration. Nexus have built a reputation for the highest standards of workmanship with experience across a range of projects from listed buildings through to new builds, with a complete commitment to customer service and health and safety Tel: 01225 300414; www.nexusofbath.co.uk

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A bespoke, tailor-made, client-focused interior design consultancy service based in Bath. Specialising in residential interior design and providing a truly personal ser ice adapted to each client s needs, ennifer s uni ue style blends seamlessly between period and contemporary homes. The aim is simple – to create spaces that bring joy, re ecting her clients lifestyles and personalities.

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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 afforda le prices. ith a dedicated in-house fitting team, your project will be completed to the highest standards.

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lair trong nterior esign is a outi ue, creati e company based in Bath, providing a wide range of services for oth residential and commercial clients. er portfolio of projects includes the design, project coordination and sourcing for some of Bath’s most beautiful residences, as well as hotels, sports clu s, offices and other commercial venues. Contact Clair on 07855 797311 or 01225 426905; www.clairstrong.co.uk

COOPERS HOME APPLIANCES

oopers ome 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 www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 89

BATH LIVES

“I grew up on a farm in Bathampton”

© CHRISTOPHER JONES

My siblings and I used to cycle to primary school along the canal, come rain or shine. It was a magical

LAUREL DALLEY SMITH On her journey from playing Punch at Dorothy Coleborn’s School of Dance in Bath to dancing with the celebrated Martha Graham Dance Company in New York Laurel, originally from Bath, is a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York. She has danced principal roles in many of celebrated Graham ballets including the role of Ariadne in Errand into The Maze, and The Bride in Appalachian Spring, a role first danced by Martha Graham herself. The company tours internationally performing Graham repertoire, as well as new works by choreographers such as Hofesh Shechter amongst others.

Laurel recently returned to

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

her hometown to perform in Minotaur, choreographed by Kim Brandstrup, in Deborah Warner’s Phaedra & Minotaur at the Ustinov Studio.

I grew up on a farm in Bathampton. The nature

that surrounded my childhood is definitely part of who I am today. I went to Bathampton Primary School followed by ldfield Girls School. I started my dance training at Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance. After GSCEs I moved to London aged 16 to train at the Central School of Ballet.

place to learn. What attracted me to my secondary school was their focus on sports. I was lucky to have some wonderful teachers who really supported my dancing and knew that was my focus.

I’m one of four children – Sam lives in Bradford on Avon, Rowan and Bronwen live in London. My mother Jude, lives in Frome and my father Stephen lives in Bath.

My partner Andrew and Jasper, our whippet, live in Nailsworth, Stroud. Andrew’s

so supportive of what I do.

Whenever I have a break from dancing in New York, I’m straight on a plane back – to go from a concrete jungle to hills and lakes is a blessing.

It’s been brilliant being back to perform at the Ustinov.

I’ve loved commuting along the canal on my bi e a bit different from the New York subway!) and walking in through stage door at the first theatre I ever performed in, aged nine.

The first thing I remember dancing in was Punch and Judy at Dorothy Coleborn’s

I’m surrounded by inspirational women and men, my family, loved ones and

I started working with Yorke Dance Project (YDF) in 2012,

I have a few tattoos and mostly they are for, and shared with, other people. My favourite though are probably my two teeny diamonds with S and L next to them, for my two nieces Seren and Lara.

– I was Punch. I was very lucky to go on to dance in the Theatre Royal Bath pantomimes for several years. I knew from very early on, about eight years old, that I wanted to dance.

with Yolande Yorke-Edgell and Sir Robert Cohan. Whilst on tour with YDF in California in April 2015, Bob (Sir Robert) encouraged me to audition for The Martha Graham Company. Two weeks later I caught the red eye ight to New York. By the September I’d moved to America and joined the company.

I live in Brooklyn. It couldn’t be further from Bath! New York is an incredible city, full of life, art, passion, music and drive. The energy and drive of everyone who lives there is phenomenal.

But it’s wonderful to come home, to return to nature.

friends. Artistically though, Sir Robert Cohan opened my eyes to a completely new way of moving and expressing myself. I found working with him the most natural, enlightening experience.

One of my favourite places in Bath is the Guildhall Market – anything you could want and

need in a beautiful building, and my favourite stall is definitely Nibbles Cheese.

My secret Bath is the woods above Bathampton. There’s

a magical spot where a stream runs through, it feels so ancient and full of power.

For more: www.marthagraham.org / www.theatreroyal.org.uk