SPOTLIGHT
Graciela, Ian and Gary
FOOD & DRINK
Daniel being everso-slightly upstaged by Gerald. . .
MUSIC
ANIMAL JAM Exeter-based, ’60s-inspired guitar-pop combo The Loft Club have recorded a pop video at RAMM. Shot to accompany the title track of their just-released debut EP Heart’s Desire (Lightyear/Caroline/Universal Music), the video sees the band performing amongst the curios of the landmark Exeter museum. Explains Daniel Schamroth, lead singer: “Our director Alice Deuchar chose the venue as it’s such an iconic venue in Exeter and provided a visual
feast, perfectly fitting our video concept. The staff at RAMM very kindly allowed us to use the museum exclusively for the shoot and we are all really pleased with the results. We are the first band that has been allowed access to film in the museum so it’s a bit of an honour. I hate to admit it, but Gerald the giraffe stole the show!” The Loft Club’s debut album is due for release in 2017. Watch the video here: bit.ly/2fo7HMY For more: facebook.com/theloftclubband
LET THE BELLS RING OUT Ask anyone from round here to name their favourite country gastropub and there’s an excellent chance they’ll say the Five Bells Inn in Clyst Hydon. Saved from threatened conversion into housing in 2013 – by Paul Parnell and Chris Charles, who are also behind the award-winning The Jack in the Green nearby – the Michelin-rated, Grade II-listed 16th century hotspot is now beginning a new chapter under the ownership of Gary and Graciela Tubb, who have previously helmed the popular Puffing Billy in Exton and The White Hart Hotel in Moretonhampstead. Says Gary: “Our aim is to make this the best village pub in the UK, as well as an integral part of the local community and beyond.” Regulars will be pleased to hear that the existing staff, including fantastic, former Gidleigh Park head chef Ian Webber, remain. For more: fivebells.uk.com
over-boiled a pan of water, I want to throw them down the deepest tunnel.
SEVEN DEADLY SINS The character SPROUT from the Bike Shed Theatre’s festive show Beneath The Blizzard bares his/her wicked soul... LUST: Who or what do you find yourself lusting after today? The Snowmen. Everybody is scared of them, but at least they’re free – above ground, amongst the Blizzard. Down here in the bunker, we live like rats. GREED: What should you be cutting down on (non-food and drink!) Power. We work all day, every day to generate power for the bunker. They even use the toilet waste. So when I see someone has left a machine running, or
10 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk
GLUTTONY: What one thing could you happily eat or drink until you burst? Potatoes. Our spuds are a great source of pride to us bunker-folk. We haven’t quite cracked fruit, but our underground farms are perfect for root veg. SLOTH: What should you be really putting your back into right now? Well, I’ve bunked off my shift on the treadmill to answer these questions... WRATH: What/who makes you angry? Rules. The Mayor. The Mayor’s rules. So many of them don’t make any sense... If I was in charge, we’d spend much less time in the gym and much more time making music! ENVY: Who are you jealous of? Everyone who lived in Exeter ‘before’...
Before the blizzard came in 2018 and sent everyone underground. PRIDE: What’s your proudest achievement? I can navigate the tunnels down here faster than anyone. And I reckon by Christmas I will have finally trained one of the rats to do a backflip. Beneath The Blizzard is at the Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter from 8 December – 7 January; bikeshedtheatre.co.uk. See also page 58