Exeter Living - Issue 281

ISSUE 281 / SUMMER 2021

LOOK OUT, SUMMER!

ROOFTOP FESTIVALS JAZZ ON THE QUAY OUTDOOR YOGA RETREATS COMEDY NIGHTS

TOTALLY TOPSHAM

WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND HANG OUT THIS SUMMER ISSUE 281 / SUMMER 2021 / WE + INDIES

FIELD TRIP

DEVON COUNTY SHOW MAKES A WELCOME RETURN

INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

LOCAL INDIES MEAN BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESSES!

CIRCLE SABATINI SQUID & THE KID ADVENTURE BOY 93 PIZZERIA & COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND A THIRD NOURISH ZERO WASTE

WORD ON THE STREET

INTRODUCING CHARLIE RICHARDS, OUR NEW COLUMNIST FROM BOOKBAG

© GARY MACKLEY-SMITH

EDITOR’S LETTER

ABOVE: Stunning Topsham, see page 45;

BELOW: Pretty summer headbands, see page 25

D

iary management is probably one of my least favourite activities.

And, let’s face it, we’re all a bit out of practice now, aren’t we?

Suddenly, with the doors of civilisation being swung open, there is a lot of stuff to do and I want to do it now!

As such, this issue feels like a continuous happy explosion, featuring a buzzing backlog of things reopening, businesses launching and fun summer events that clever people around the city have launched to get people out and about, supporting local and having a well-deserved knees-up.

Those making a welcome return include Devon County Show and Exeter Fringe Festival, while the new fresh-out-the-wrapper stuff includes a book market at Powderham Castle, a rooftop festival in the city, an Italian restaurant, and drum roll please…we welcome our new columnist Charlie Richards, from Exeter’s independent book store Bookbag.

There are big updates on Exeter’s indies too, as we chat to four businesses making their mark in the city; and we travel to Topsham to chat to the new start-ups in town and find out the favourite haunts of Topsham residents.

Have you your diary ready? Then let’s begin….

Enjoy!

HARRIET NOBLE Follow us on Twitter @ExeterLiving

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Issue 281/Summer 2021 COVER Rosie Wannell from Nest Living / image by Louis Musters. See page 45

REGULARS

6 SPOTLIGHT All the good news stories you need

this month

9 JP HEDGE Takes stock of the past ten years 40 SOCIETY Parties are back, hoorah!

66 LIVES The comedy duo heading to Exeter Phoenix

THE BIG READS

20 DEVON COUNTY SHOW It’s back! Check out the

line-up

45 TOPSHAM The hot spots in town, the new businesses

popping up and where everyone goes for cake

THE ARTS

12 INSTAGRAM Images of Topsham to delight 14 WHAT’S ON Festivals, gigs, theatre and more 23 BOOKS Bookbag’s Charlies Richards has some

top suggestions

© MIKE ALSFORD

27

SHOPPING

25 INTRO Summer headgear to make you smile 27 INDIES Tales from the high street

FOOD & DRINK

36 NEWS Openings, awards and a mobile café on the loose

in Devon

38 RESTAURANT REVIEW We dine out at Sabatini

HEALTH & WELLBEING

51 MIND, BODY & SPIRIT Outdoorsy retreats to soothe

and restore

EDUCATION

53 TOP OF THE CLASS Movers and shakers from the

education sector

BUSINESS

56 EXETERWORKS Start-ups, collaborations and

business developments

PROPERTY

61 NEWS Commentary, dreamy staycations and all the latest

on the Exeter Living Property Awards

63 SHOWCASE A Topsham property with a view to die for

20

Editor Harriet Noble harriet.noble@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 JP Hedge, Callum Elliott-Archer, Charlie Richards Advertising manager Paula Miller paula.miller@mediaclash. co.uk Production/Distribution Manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Production Manager Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Production Designer Gemma Scrine gemma.scrine@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Greg Ingham greg. ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Exeter Living MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

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

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Festival

FEST IS BEST A two-day rooftop market festival is coming to Exeter this summer.

The first of its kind in the city, The Guildhall Shopping and Dining Centre’s rooftop car park will be transformed for the free event on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August. Visitors can expect some of the area’s biggest names in food and drink, as well as all day entertainment and family activities.

“This local market festival will celebrate all things Exeter and West Country, showcasing great local brands and the amazing things they do in the city,” says Nikki Fairclough, event organiser and marketing manager for Guildhall Shopping Centre.

“Family friendly and pet friendly, we encourage people to come along and enjoy great food from the best

This is the first book market to be held at Powderham

The team from Crediton bookshop will be coming to the event

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street food traders and restaurants in Exeter, great drinks from on-site brands and local breweries, and big break out spaces filled with arts and crafts, including local independents stalls and workshops by some very talented makers.”

Cocktails will be on offer from The Terrace and Atlantic Spirit, Thunderflower will be running gin bars, Two Drifters Distillery will be creating a rum bar and many other local breweries, including Powderkeg Brewery and Cross Anchors, will also be providing refreshments.

Visitors can also expect acoustic sessions, DJs, artists painting live, and street art workshops.

For more: www.guildfest.co.uk

Cheers!

Books

READ ALL ABOUT IT

A new book market celebrating independent booksellers from across South Devon is coming to Powderham Castle on 20 June. The Book Market – the first literary collaboration between Powderham and the newly designated Exeter UNESCO City of Literature – will see independent booksellers and literary arts groups from across the county set up shop in the castle grounds from 11am-4pm. Among the booksellers attending will be Bookbag, Exeter’s newest independent bookshop; Gnash Comics from Ashburton, who specialise in graphic novels and comics for all ages; Liznojan, the mother-daughterrun bookshop in Tiverton; Graham York Rare Books from Honiton, which is a treasure trove of old and rare literary finds; Mint Press/Stevens Book, which specialises in books about Devon; and The Bookery from Crediton.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting the first book market in the area with Powderham Castle, in what we hope will become a regular summer book market,” says Anna Cohn Orchard, director of Exeter City of Literature.

“We’re lucky to have as many incredible bookshops and booksellers as we do in this area, and we want to celebrate them while sharing a love of words and storytellers with local residents.”

Other groups with a presence at the market include Inky Fingers Printshop, an Exeter-based social enterprise that produces bespoke, zero-waste notebooks from recycled materials; CircleTales, a unique storytelling boardgame that uses prompt cards and questions to encourage players of all ages to create their own imaginative stories. There will also be plenty of food and drinks supplied by local Devon suppliers.

For more: www.powderham.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

Outdoors

GARDEN GET-TOGETHERS

Escot Estate, near Ottery St Mary, is opening its gardens to offer a variety of summer event packages that take in food, walks and outdoorsy activities.

Friends and organisations can enjoy time together outdoors in groups of up to 30 people savouring cream teas, high tea or mocktails; leisurely walks around the Estate, and activities such as quad biking, go-karting, archery, clay shoots and even axe throwing.

For more: www.escot-devon.co.uk

Cream teas followed by axe throwing sounds pretty good

Cinema

Outdoor art will be on display in the city

MOVIE MAGIC

Exeter Phoenix has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £26,000 for its Exeter Cinema Heritage project. The project aims to document the physical and cultural changes to the landscape of Exeter through its lost cinemas through recording the stories of its older residents and their earliest memories of visiting the cinema.

Exeter has a rich cinema history, with a phenomenal 12 venues showing films between 1910 and 1950. This project will create a series of short documentary films that capture some of that cinematic history, recording the individual and collective memory of cinema going from the perspective of older local cinema audiences to consider the changes in the current landscape of film in Exeter. This will be supported by a series of classic film screenings to be held at Exeter Phoenix’s independent cinema, Studio 74.

A number of workshops are also planned to give young people an opportunity to engage with the city’s cinema heritage, with plans for a video projection combining documentary and archive material that will be shown publicly at some of the city’s historic cinema locations.

For more: www.exeterphoenix.org.uk Exeter’s cinematic history will be explored

Arts

ART OF THE CITY

Artists, creative collaborators and museum professionals will create a vibrant programme of activity as part of a public art project entitled Museum at Large, culminating in four temporary outdoor art commissions on show in Exeter later in the year.

The project, brought to Exeter by Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM), will see museum objects transformed and transported onto the streets of Exeter on Friday 29 to Sunday 31 October.

“This inspiring event will seek to celebrate RAMM’s rich collection and reconnect communities to their museum,” says creative producer of the project Rob Bowman.

“RAMM will seek proposals from artists who specialise in uplifting, engaging and surprising work using light, sound and interactive technology, media all suited to being experienced outside.”

For more: www.rammuseum.org.uk

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OPINION JP HEDGE

Cone-gratulations on 10 years! The happy couple, JP and Stacey

A wild ride

Getting hitched, having children, purchasing an inflatable hot tub – JP looks back over the last decade of his life

I

t has been 10 years since Stacey and I got married.

In a similar fashion to my annual New Year’s Eve check in, I like looking back on the previous chapter and seeing how expectations matched reality.

Not once has it ended the way I would have predicted. I love that predictability in itself.

Long-suffering Stacey and I have had some huge life events in those 10 years. Births, deaths, near deaths, travels, careers, children, dogs and the purchase of the inflatable hot tub.

However, discovering Exeter, falling in love with its culture, way of life and people, wasn’t in the plan.

Obviously I knew Exeter on

a superficial level. Having been brought up in Torbay, I used to peer through the proverbial window of the sweet shop and look on in excitement. I was mystified how two locations just 20 odd miles apart could be so different. We went to our first Chief ’s match just before we made the decision to move to neighbouring Newcourt. The sense of occasion, the dynamism, ambition and passion of everyone on that day was honestly a huge part of the decision to move here.

That life in Exeter together certainly wasn’t on the cards this time 10 years ago as I was donning my eBay wedding suit.

Stacey and I were part of the boomerang generation where grown-up children kept on

“Life in Exeter wasn’t on the cards ten years ago”

coming to the nest every time we had left. On the wedding day we were living with our parents in an annex in Marldon. Later that year we would move to Stoke Gabriel to a rented property where the benefits of the village community far outweighed the lime green avocado bathroom.

We had a really simple wedding.

The main outlays were for the ice cream van after the service, the two barn dance groups, and the fish and chip van which did 130 covers in an hour – all on specially designed newspaper. The rest was really just good will, grace, love and friendship. The honeymoon was a particularly wet North Devon with a particularly wet dog.

I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

A few years later we moved into Exeter, in a new build in Newcourt in ‘technical Topsham’.

The postal address says Topsham, but it very much has a Countess Wear twang.

We didn’t know how big the estate was going to be. We didn’t know if anyone would talk to each other. And we certainly didn’t know that directly opposite there was going to be the finest primary school, full of Mary Poppins-type teachers.

And we certainly didn’t know that Exeter has those community values we adored in little Stoke Gabriel – perhaps even more so where we are in Newcourt.

The biggest thing I now

understand looking back over the past decade, is that Exeter is a village city.

We have all the physical benefits of a village and more, the valley parks, the river, the quay. And like a village its wonderful people cooperate by standard. Everyone mucks in. There are lots of issues to overcome, a huge amount, but the default position of all but less than a handful is to approach them together.

Exeter falls into best kept secret territory.

It is a city that treasures quality of life. Where it exists, it is protected, where it doesn’t, there is ambition to fix things.

The fact that I now have a role where I get to be one of the chief cheerleaders is an utter privilege.

I couldn’t have imagined that 10 years ago.

So thank you Exeter for being such a core part of the life of my family, values and future. My pride in you is based on proof and experience.

Post pandemic, I think our most exciting chapters and experiences are waiting just around the corner. ■ Jon-Paul Hedge is a director at Exeter City Council where he currently looks after leisure. He is a former newspaper editor and lives in the city with his wife and two young children. www.exeter.gov.uk

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THE ARTS © DOM MOORE

S N A P S H O T S O F E X E T E R ’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

EXETER FRINGE FESTIVAL RETURNS Exeter Fringe Festival will be making a welcome return to the city, with organisers announcing that this year it will take place on 11–17 October.

“After the year we’ve all had, I am thrilled to be launching our plans for the 2021 Exeter Fringe Festival,” says festival director Alex Jackson.

“Following our first festival in summer 2019, we really wanted to build on that success and support more work being made in and around Exeter. This year, supported

by Exeter Northcott Theatre, we’re working with more partner venues, and cultural organisations from across the city who have all been really supportive of our efforts to make the festival happen.” www.exefringe.co.uk

Beyond Face performed Alright Petal? at the 2019 Exeter Fringe Festival

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OUT & ABOUT

POSURE

Some of our favourite images of Topsham, all taken by Gary Mackley-Smith. Gary lives in Topsham and, as well as being a keen photographer, is also a writer and traveller and loves art and brightly coloured clothes. You can see more of his pics (and sharp outfits) on his Instagram page @topshaman2018

12 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

WHAT’S ON

Abdul Raheem will be playing at Exeter Phoenix

11 June onwards

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

THEATRE / COMEDY Until 17 June

A SEASON OF POWERFUL WOMEN Cygnet theatre will be putting on three plays with a focus on women.

The Players (by Nick Whitby) takes an intriguing, mysterious, and funny look at where power truly lay in the Elizabethan age; Meek (by Penelope Skinner) is a haunting vision of ruthless state control, tense friendships and one woman’s determination not to be broken; and Boy Actor (by Caroline Monk) reveals the most personal history of Elizabeth I. 7.30pm, Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

18–19 June

KEMP’S JIG BY CHRIS HARRIS Based on Kemp’s own diary this is an irreverent one-man show telling the story of the most famous comedian of his generation and the most famous playwright in history. Fans of Upstart Crow and

Shakespeare in Love will cheer Kemp on his riotous romp through Elizabethan England.

7.30pm, Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

24 June – 3 July

THE HONEYMAN The absorbing tale of an unlikely friendship that develops between an ageing West Indian recluse, living in a derelict cottage and tending his bees at the edge of a picturepostcard English village, and Misty, the fiery, teenager heir to the nearby manor house, who bursts into his life one summer and turns his world upside down.

Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

25–26 June

MEDEA The Wheel’s Actor Training Company take on this iconic Greek tragedy, in a powerful, poetic and physical retelling of Medea. Directed

by Amanda Collins and Kevin Johnson this gripping and intense ensemble production reimagines the myth for a contemporary audience.

14 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

7.30pm, Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

7.30pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

2 July

4 July

ORPHEUS AND DROUGHT: DOUBLE BILL Orpheus by Nick Borsack is an adaptation, an odyssey into monologue, the poet longing to find his song. Drought is a compositional performance poem adapted to film, written and performed by Kit Radford, untangling cultural myths and psychic trauma on the collective female body through landscape, language and song.

7.30pm, Cygnet Theatre, Friars Gate, Exeter; www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

4 July

JONNY & THE BAPTISTS: DANCE LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED This is a show about grief. This is a show about loss. Just not how you’d expect as the performance is a blend of silly, joyful songs, deadpan stand-up and riotous storytelling.

Finding meaning, humour and beauty in the hardest parts of life.

Turn to page 66 for more.

SARAH MILLICAN: BOBBY DAZZLER In Sarah’s new show, audiences will learn what happens when your mouth seals shut, how to throw poo over a wall, trying to lose weight but only losing the tip of your finger, a surprisingly funny smear test, and how truly awful a floatation tank can actually be.

Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

8 July

ON THE ROAD COMEDY CLUB Stand-up is back! Join the On The Road Comedy Club for a night of live stand-up including Matt Rees, Eryn Tett and Mark Simmons. Aaron Twitchen will be your MC for the night; a regular on the circuit Aaron is a stand-up comedian, actor and also a trained circus performer.

7.30pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Gary Numan will be performing at Beautiful Days Festival

Imelda May will be singing at Beautiful Days

23 – 24 July

FESTIVALS

11 – 12 June

TOBY’S GARDEN FESTIVAL

Join Gardeners’ World presenter and allround horticultural whizz Toby Buckland as he celebrates the wonders of the great outdoors at Powderham Castle. Expect specialist nurseries, quality plants, artisan food, crafts, live music, talks and demo’s.

Powderham Castle, Exeter; www.powderham.co.uk

3 July

LET’S ROCK EXETER! The retro festival is back with Adam Ant, Wet Wet Wet, Kim Wilde, Tony Hadley, T’Pau and many 80s icons performing their big hits at this fun, family-friendly festival. Stay for the day or camp overnight.

Powderham Castle, Kenton, Exeter; www.powderham.co.uk

9 – 17 July

BUDLEIGH MUSIC FESTIVAL Expect a week-long programme of live music to be held in the town. Among the events will be Colourscape – an interactive walk-through labyrinth of colour, light and music.

General tickets will be on sale from 1 June and can be purchased here: www.budleighmusicfestival.co.uk

9–14 August

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG The award-winning smash hit comedy returns to Exeter, telling the story of a farcical 1920s murder mystery where, inevitably, everything goes wrong. Expect to leave the theatre with your cheeks hurting from excessive laughter.

Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

MUSIC 12 June

MAD DOG MCREA Expect a mixture of folk rock, pop, gypsy jazz, bluegrass and tales of adventure, drinking, love

CHAGSTOCK MUSICAL FESTIVAL The Dartmoor festival returns with a line up which includes Scouting for Girls, Seasick Steve, Town of Cats and Elles Bailey. There is loads of family fun too with a Bouncy Castle, slide, face painting and climbing tower.

Chagstock, Festival, Higher Fields, Whiddon Down, Near Chagstock; Devon; www.chagstock.info

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeter-respect.org

30 July – 1 August

20-22 August

30 July – 6 August

26 – 29 August

THE SOMETHING WILD FESTIVAL The festival site at Huccaby Farm is embedded right in the heart of Dartmoor, next to the Dart, offering an ideal swimming spot and a lovely tranquil location for camping.

The running trails are the big events but there’s also wild swimming, walks, yoga, and other outdoorsy fun for all ages.

The Something Wild Festival, Hexworthy, Princetown, Yelverton; www.wildrunning.co.uk SIDMOUTH FOLK FESTIVAL The week-long festival will see everything from big concerts to small intimate sessions; dancing, storytelling, workshops and entertainment for all ages and lots of great food. The Sidmouth Folk Festival, Blackmore Gardens, Sidmouth; www.sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk

14 August

EXETER RESPECT FESTIVAL This festival is all about diversity and inclusivity – the celebratory message is All Different, All Equal. There will be something for all people of all ages including stalls, music and DJs, film showings in Studio 74, food and entertainment from 11am throughout the Phoenix and the terrace, followed by live music in the auditorium in the evening.

This year the festival will be dedicated to all front line NHS staff and key workers.

and life, to traditional songs of gypsies, fairies, legless pirates and black flies.

8pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter: www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

BEAUTIFUL DAYS FESTIVAL Taking place in the grounds of Escot Park, this year’s line-up includes James, Levellers, Imelda May, Gary Numan, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls. The festival is not just about the music though, expect a theatre tent, walkabout performances, site art installations, an array of food and crafts stalls and real ale bars run by local brewers Otter Brewery.

Escot Park, Devon; www.beautifuldays.org NATURE VALLEY GONE WILD FESTIVAL WITH BEAR GRYLLS By day, you and your family can join Bear and the team of adventurers and learn new skills on how to survive in the wild, or try one of the many adventure activities such as quad biking, climbing, paddle boarding and many more. By night, see artists including Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, Ministry of Sound Classical, Melanie C, Scouting for Girls, Morcheeba, Dick and Dom, Andy and the Odd Socks and more! www.powderham.co.uk

3 – 4 September

SHEB FEST Ash, Ella Henderson, Republica and Exeter’s very own Pattern Pusher will be belting out the big numbers at this popular over-16s Devon festival.

Sheb Fest, Allacott Farm, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon; www.shebfest.com

On the line-up at Sidmouth Folk Festival is Eliza Carthy

27 June

JAZZ ON THE QUAY Jazz on the Quay is back.The Exeter Canal & Quay Trust, in conjunction with Exeter City Council, is delighted to present Jazz on the Quay, a fun, free afternoon of music. The music event will return every Sunday during July until the 29 August (apart from the 25 July).

12.30pm – 3.30pm, Transit Shed, just adjacent to Exeter’s Custom House on the Quayside; www.visitexeter.com

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3 July

UNDERGROUND ENERGIES A night of rap and dnb featuring Digdat, (of smash hit Air Force One fame), Monroller, T-menace and local Exmouth based label Trillestliving Ent who’ll be bringing many genres to the night and will keep it going till the early hours.

10pm-3am, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter: www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

20 July

ENGLISH FOLK EXPO PRESENTS SAM SWEENEY Nominated four times, and winner in 2015, of Musician Of The Year BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Sam is at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music and has been described as “one of the defining English fiddle players of his generation” by Mark Radcliffe.

8pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

above: Sam Sweeney and friends will be playing at Exeter phoenix; left: Morning Surf by Jerry Browning will be exhibitinig at Brownston Gallery

23 July

AMADEUS ORCHESTRA AT EXETER CATHEDRAL Principal conductor Philip Mackenzie says, “As an orchestra, we have been silent since February 2020 when we performed in the House of Commons, and we are very excited by the prospect of performing once again. It is very fitting that our first post-Covid concert will be held in Exeter Cathedral as this is the city where the orchestra was founded in 1990.” The orchestra is well-known in Exeter and performs in the Cathedral every summer.

Exeter Cathedral; tickets available from www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

24 July

EXETER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The outdoor concert at Poltimore House is a bring-a-picnic-and-a -blanket kind of event. The orchestra will be treating you to classics from Elgar, Brahms, Sibelius and more.

Poltimore House Gardens, Poltimore, Exeter; www.ticketsource.co.uk

27 July

FLO & JOAN The musical comedy sisters Flo and Joan have a new hour of their dark and waggish songs to parade about the place. Their performance style has been described as ‘stiletto sharp’.

7.30pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

28 July

Until 12 July

ART

Until 14 August

THE HI-LIFE ORCHESTRA Legendary trombonist Abdul Raheem’s 8-piece orchestra takes the magical sounds of hi-life and updates it with modern grooves, infectious riffs and blazing horn lines. This is a rebirth of Hi-Life that continues to play important roles in shaping the future sounds of West Africa. Expect to hear classics from the Hi-Life’s music history.

7.30pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Until 26th June

JERRY BROWNING – EARTH LINES British Abstract artist Jerry Browning has produced a new collection of work inspired by the estuaries, bays and headlands around the Camel River, Padstow Bay and the surrounding Cornish coastline.

Taking advantage of the enforced quiet and solitude during lockdown, Browning was able to roam the area undisturbed, capturing the magnificent landscape spread out before him. Brownston Gallery, 36 Church Street, Modbury, Devon; www.brownstonart.com

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FLOOD & PULL This exhibition showcases the work of four Double Elephant Print Workshop screenprinters: Sarah Foque, Chris Laver, Rachel Jaques and Jeremy Speck. The range of work serves to highlight the versatility of this popular printmaking medium.

Double Elephant Gallery at Café Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/ www.doubleelephant.org.uk MIKE PERRY LAND/SEA Mike Perry’s work engages with environmental issues; this ongoing body of work classifies objects washed up by the sea into groupings – bottles, shoes, grids – capturing their intriguing surface detail using a high-resolution camera.

This exhibition will be at two sites: Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton; thelmahulbert.com and at Ocean, Queens Drive, Exmouth; www.oceanexmouth. co.uk until 1 August

Until 30 August

DENSITY AND LIGHTNESS SCULPTURE EXHIBITION Exeter Cathedral will become a

haven of creativity as South West Sculptors will be exhibiting their recent pieces (most of which will be for sale) which reflect their reactions to the last year. The exhibition will also take in art already housed in the Cathedral and there will be workshops, dance performances and art tours.

Monday-Saturday 9.30am-5pm, entry is £5 with under 18’s free, to include access to the whole Cathedral; Exeter Cathedral; www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

19 June – 2 July

MARTIN PROCTER Leading contemporary South West artist Martin Procter will be exhibiting a range of new mixed media paintings highlighting his distinctive approach to form and structure. With an individual eye for landscape, the work reflects his academic background in human and physical geography and his lifelong passion for remote hill-country and wild places.

10am – 5pm daily, Marine House at Beer, Fore Street, Beer Near Seaton, Devon; www.marinehouseatbeer.co.uk

19 June – 9 July BOB CROOKS

WHAT’S ON As one of Britain’s most recognised leading glassmakers, Bob Crooks is highly regarded internationally for his original and highly challenging dynamic forms and surfaces. Bob’s new exhibition showcases his exceptional talent for exploiting the properties of glass.

10am – 5pm daily, Steam Gallery, Fore Street, Beer, Near Seaton, Devon; www.steamgallery.co.uk

OTHER 1 July

ENTRECONF The new virtual conference seeks to inspire entrepreneurs in the South West, helping them with practical advice – financial, legal, marketing, and management. It will also serve as a key networking event, linking start-ups with key advisers and partners. www.entreconf.com

20 July

THE BOOK MARKET Bookworms take note: Powderham Castle and Exeter City of Literature are hosting a brand-new Book Market in the Castle grounds.

Independent booksellers and literary arts groups from across the county will be there, enticing you with their array of diverse and eclectic selection of literature, and they’ll be plenty of local food and drink vendors on site plus arts and literary activities.

11am-4pm, Powderham Castle, Exeter; www.powderham.co.uk

31 July

EXETER POTTERS MARKET Westcountry Potters are delighted to be back on the Quay for the Annual Potters Market where 20 potters from the West Country will be displaying and selling their wonderful ceramics. A marvellous opportunity to purchase a handcrafted ceramic sculpture, teapot, bowl, garden planter and much more.

10am-5pm, The Transit Shed, The Quay, Exeter; www.westcountrypotters.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK

Every Thursday

EXETER FARMERS MARKET Sample West Country produce at this vibrant market. Expect local producers offering meat, fish, preserves, organic fruit and vegetables,

freshly baked cakes, bread, pies and brownies.

Every Thursday from 9am-2pm on Fore Street and South Street; www.exeterfarmersmarket.org

Until 30 August

PRINCESSHAY’S MOJITO BEACH BAR Expect cocktails and mocktails in the summery setting of beach-hut style thatched umbrellas, palm trees and sand. You can grab a bite to eat from local street food operators and there is live music on selected Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 3pm-8pm.

Princesshay Square, Exeter; www.princesshay.co.uk

FAMILY FUN Ongoing

PAIGNTON ZOO Hoorah, zoos are open! Chat freely with the orang-utans, rhinos and flamingos or hang out with the friendly gang down at the crocodile swamp or reptile nursery.

Paignton Zoo, Totnes Road, Paignton; www.paigntonzoo.org.uk

Ongoing

CANONTEIGN FALLS Explore the gardens, waterfalls, adventure playground, walking trails for a fun day in the outdoors. The (outdoor) snack bar and café will be open for refreshments.

Canonteign Falls, Christow; www.canonteignfalls.co.uk

Ongoing

OPEN GARDENS AT POWDERHAM CASTLE The beautiful gardens have sprung to life and visitors can enjoy a walk around the grounds, visiting the animals in the Secret Garden and grabbing takeaway drinks and food from the café.

Open daily, Powderham castle, Exeter; www.powderham.co.uk

Ongoing

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY As well as meeting some of the resident donkeys, people can visit the on-site restaurant and enjoy the new family activity trail, which gives visitors the chance to explore the sanctuary and discover the A-Z of fun donkey facts, while completing activities along the way.

The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth; www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk n

LIBRARY LIFE CALLUM ELLIOTT-ARCHER shares the latest from Exeter Library

My personal favourite things to read are graphic novels. I am in the process of reading through as many New 52 books as possible and I can’t get enough of them. The New 52 was a DC comic run that (slightly) re-imagined your favourite Superhero Characters. Superman, Batman, Wonder Women, they are all there. Some people didn’t much care for the New 52. But I’m loving it.

I like these books enough to buy. I have a whole bookcase in my study at home dedicated to them. They are beautiful.

Recently, I have found it very difficult to get my hands on Superboy Vol 2: Extraction. The eBay and Amazon second-hand listings start at £25, some going as high as £40. Too much to pay for a single graphic novel.

Today, I found that item sitting on the shelf of our new teen library. It was just looking at me, mockingly. I want to own this book so badly, but it looks like I’m going to have to pay a pretty penny for it. And here it is on a library shelf, ready to be read completely for free.

The moral: libraries are quite special. If instead of buying your books to read just the once, you picked it up from your Library for free, imagine how much money you would save in a month, or year. Certainly, enough to treat yourself to that new telly you’ve had your eye on for a while. wwwdevonlibraries.org.uk

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The 130th Honiton Agricultural Show Thursday 5th & Friday 6th August 2021

AMAZING ENTERTAINMENT FROM: • JASON SMYTH ADRENALINE TOUR • • VIPER AEROBATICS FLYING DISPLAY • • THE SHEEP SHOW • • ANIMATED MAGICAL MOMENTS • Follow all the news on twitter @honitonshow1890

Trade Stands, Fabulous Food Village, Livestock, Horses, Vintage Tractors, Classic Cars & Dog Show Hosts to the West of England Hound Show (Thursday) Tickets just £16. Accompanied Children (under 16’s) Free.

Gates open 8am - 6pm For more info, contact: 01404 41794 or info@honitonshow.co.uk

Tickets Available from www.honitonshow.co.uk

IT’S SHOW TIME!

Hands full

Meirion Owen and his Quack Pack make a welcome return

After a 26-month absence, Devon County Show is back with a bang. Here’s a taster of what’s in store…

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DEVON COUNTY SHOW

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ll hail the return of the Devon County Show! The popular event is back this summer, celebrating its 125th year in the show’s history.

Taking place between 2 – 4 July at the Westpoint Arena and Showground in Clyst St Mary, visitors can expect a classic programme of rural fun including Shetland pony racing, dog shows, demos from police dogs and heavy horses, and the return of Meirion Owen and his Quack Pack – a dog that rounds up ducks in the ring to great applause.

As ever, the livestock competitions will be a key attraction too, at the time of writing close to 1,000 equine entries (ex show jumping), over 1,100 sheep, 100 goats and 80 pigs had been entered.

And this year the Great Devon Parade will shine a light on those who have really stepped up through the pandemic in Devon, from NHS workers to those working in the community.

There will be a number of dignitaries in attendance including the show president, David Fursdon (Lord Lieutenant of Devon) who will lead an official salute.

Local businesses and creatives with have stalls at the county show – handmade jewellery from local makers Beaujangles and Silver Circle have already been announced – and the food and drink offering will include Darts Farm who will handily be located next to the main ring, offering guests a place to sit down and enjoy local artisan food and drink.

Coming out of the wood-fired oven cooking area will be home-reared Ruby Red Steak

Smiley chaps

sandwiches and burgers, breakfast baps, while the team will also be serving up classic West Country cream tea and locally crafted beers, ciders, wines and spirits.

‘We love the Devon County Show,” says Michael Dart from Darts Farm.

“It’s a place to catch up with old friends, meet new producers and build new relationships; it’s where all the links in our short, sustainable, local food chain come together.

“For me, one of my favourite parts has to be seeing the amazing Ruby Red Cattle do their final parade around the main ring – they do look a little cleaner than ours that graze on the marshes though!’

“It’s a place to catch up with old friends”

© MAT T AUSTIN

© MAT T AUSTIN

Giddy-up!

Interested visitors will need to book in advance so that organisers can monitor numbers and comply with government health and safety guidelines for outdoor events; www.devoncountyshow.co.uk

Grab a cuppa tea in a teepee

The livestock competitions are a big draw

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BOOKS CHARLIE RICHARDS

© KILL A FR AMEZ

I Welcome!

Charlie and Malcolm Richards opened Bookbag, the independent book shop in McCoy’s Arcade at the end of last year. This is Charlie’s first column for us. Here she shares her top recommendations for books to get to stuck into...

t’s been hugely enjoyable reopening Bookbag and seeing the Fore Street area of Exeter come to life again. If, like me, you thought that working in an independent bookshop mostly involved sitting behind a counter reading all day (prior to my first book shop job I did vaguely think this) then I’m sorry to say you’re wrong. There’s also the book-buying to do (yes, as much fun as it sounds), proof copies to obtain (see previous brackets), and the over-the-counter book chat. This past few weeks at Bookbag I’ve met students winding down post-exams, readers who’ve missed bookshops, and strollers who have happily stumbled upon the shop.

One of the special things about Bookbag and indies like us is that we’ve chosen (with love) every book we stock.

Add to this the book recommendations made by our community and we’ve increased our range with lots of amazing titles. In this new column – and abiding by our editor’s strictly applied word limit – I’m going to share a few of these with you.

An obvious place to start for me is with the first book on the first shelf at Bookbag – the ground-breaking Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Published in 1958, this book is acknowledged as a literary classic, the first book in what became the African Writers Series, observing colonialism and its impact from a distinctive African perspective. It’s the story of Okonkwo, a great warrior amongst his people in the West African bush, and it’s when he accidentally kills a clansman that things begin to fall apart. In our view, it has the best opening and sentences of any book ever written and it’s one of the books you should always find in stock on our shelves!

In the last few months, we’ve been asked

lots for feel-good stories, and a book we press confidently into people’s hands (after sanitising, naturally) is Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession (2019). It’s a gentle, warming story of two friends trying to find their place in the world while enjoying the encyclopaedia, board games, and the odd silence. Pure pleasure. The book was chosen for One Book One Month, an annual initiative in Dublin to get the whole city reading the same book together during April.

Other books we’re recommending for all the good feels include newly published Kaouther Adimi’s The Bookshop in Algiers (2021), Amor Towles’s The Gentleman in Moscow (2016), and Bernadine Evaristo’s Mr Loverman (2003).

From our newly published hardback section, I’m reading The Fortune Men by award-winning author Nadifa Mohamed.

Mohamed reimagines the real-life story of Somali seaman Mahmood Mattan, wrongly imprisoned for murder in Cardiff in the 1950s and the last man to be hanged in Cardiff prison after a trial built on false information, fit-ups and prejudice. Mohamed recreates Cardiff’s bustling post-war migrant community, Mattan’s boyhood in Somalia, and his Welsh family life – Mattan was married to Laura and had three young boys.

The chilling realisation that being innocent might not be enough to save him makes for a sobering yet compelling read and a tale I’m glad Mohamed has told.

These titles (and many more!) can be found on our shelves. Thanks to all who have shopped for books and been part of our small journey so far. Remember, we’re always here for recommendations and we’re all about the book chat!

“We’ve been asked lots for feel-good stories”

Bookbag, 7-10, McCoy’s Arcade, Exeter; uk.bookshop.org/shop/bookbag

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THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN

SMART

THINKERS The Conference for Entrepreneurs, 1 July

KEYNOTE: Dr Dale Vince OBE, Founder of Ecotricity, and chairman of Forest Green Rovers OUR SPONSORS, CURRENTLY:

CONTENT: claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk

COMMERCIAL: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

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

SHOPPING LIVE WELL, BUY BETTER

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HEADS UP!

Popping a pretty headband on your tresses is surely the easiest way of jazzing up an outfit. Luckily for us, Gandy Street store Moko has a rocking selection that will see you through the summer. If you needed any more persuasion, these pretty accessories are an ethical purchase too – in order to reduce waste in the manufacturing process the headbands are made from the off-cuts of the kimonos and gowns that they sell in the store. This also means that each headband is unique.

1.Grey Stars Stork Headband, 2. Marianne North Hydrangea Lime Green Headband, 3. Decadent Blue Headband, 3. Peacock & Poppies Grey Headband, all £14 and made from One Hundred Stars; available at Moko, 17 Gandy Street, Exeter; www.mokoexeter.co.uk

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INDIES Sancho’s legend Kalkidan Legesse

© HARRY COOKE

STREET SPIRIT We chat to four businesses who have grown, pivoted, adapted, (ok, enough with the cliché lockdown vocab) and are currently making their stamp on the local indie scene

By Harriet Noble

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© HARRY COOKE above: Kalkidan Legesse, outside Sancho’s on Fore Street; right: Ethical clothes ,

ou don’t have to look too far to find positive stories on Exeter’s high street. Despite an incredibly tough business year, there are success stories abound.

Success, of course, comes in different forms: there are the undoubtable figures to be impressed by – Instagram numbers leaping from 13k to 35k (Sancho’s), your business growing so much that you set up a third shop (Nourish Zero Waste). And dig a bit under the surface, there are the broader, touchy-feely success stories – a new Pride Collection of candles where 10 per cent of profits goes to the charity Stonewall (The Recycled Candle Company) or providing weekly drop-offs to local food banks (Pink Moon). These Exeter indies tell us about the changes they’ve made to their businesses and what they’ve got planned for the coming months.

SANCHO’S

The ethical clothing store on Fore Street is owned and run by Kalkidan Legesse and Vidmantas Markevicius. The business was awarded ‘High Street shop of 2020’ by Holly & Co independent awards, while Kalkidan was voted one of Drapers magazine’s 30 under 30 to watch, recognising her ability to adapt during these unprecedented times as a social entrepreneur. Safia Minney, founder of ethical brand People Tree, tells Drapers that Legesse is “commercial, courageous and so very creative”. Communications manager at Sancho’s Olivia Riley tells us about the company’s journey over the past year.

How has Sancho’s been operating during the past year?

During the first lockdown we navigated the switch to being an online retailer, and offered free Exeter bike deliveries to all our local customers

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© HARRY COOKE

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accessories and homeware can be found at Sancho’s

– Vidmantas was cycling all over Exeter in the first lockdown, which he loved, and our customers said they enjoyed seeing his smiling face at the door, in an otherwise distressing time.

We already had a website, but we put more energy into making it better – more user-friendly and with updated information, using our blogs and social media to connect to our audience as best we could.

Alongside the Black Lives Matter movement that shaped much of 2020 for us, our Instagram following more than doubled, from 13K at the beginning of 2020 to 30K by August, and we are now exceeding 35K. Have the events of the past year made you change anything about your business?

We are always looking to do and be better, and to do business in an ethical way, that is better for everyone. In the last year we have developed a transparent pricing model, comprising of a curated

INDIES collection of products, where you can choose what to pay from three prices. The lowest price covers the cost of the item and shipping it to the customer, the middle price covers this and a bit more to cover overheads such as marketing, staff wages and shop rent, the top price covers all of this and a bit more to invest into the growth of Sancho’s.

When customers pay more, it provides the opportunity for other customers to pay less. This successful campaign has not only made sustainable fashion more accessible to more people, but our customers have loved the transparency of it, and are often happy to pay more when they know it is going to help us grow.

During the last year we have also sourced more inclusively sized products (pieces that go beyond a size XL) such as Girlfriend and Hara, as well as more black owned brands, including incredible ethical jewellery from Yala, natural deodorant from Legra, and candles from Our Lovely Goods.

Tell us about your partnership with Vestico…

end up in landfill. We wanted to create our own collection that was inclusively sized, in sizes XS to XXXL, and made from soft, long lasting organic cotton. It was made fairly, and is certified by the fair wear foundation, and the organic cotton is certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). We had it embroidered with our Sancho’s logo which we love!

Lots of businesses are struggling with challenging circumstances, what do you think has been the key to your success?

I think that Kalkidan and Vidmantas are very creative business owners who knew how to pivot the company where it needed to go at the right time, as well as sticking to our ethical and transparent ethos. We had an open dialogue with our customers (through newsletters and social media) and we couldn’t have done it without their support. I think it had a lot to do with hard work and a little bit of luck too. www.sanchosshop.com

“We are always looking to do better and be better”

Vestico shows you what other shoppers, with similar body measurements to you, look like in what you want to buy. It’s a solution to the issue of making sure you buy the right size when shopping online. 25 per cent of a fashion brands carbon footprint can come from returns, so reducing returns is high on our priority list, as well as being better for the customer too.

You can then determine your perfect fit, get styling tips and see what the item looks like on real people. We were interested in this because we are always keen to partner with a fellow growing company that wants to make fashion more inclusive, body positive and to reduce returns.

You produced your own branded loungewear collection too…

The Recycled Candle Company on Gandy Street is owned and run by Richard Hills-Ingyon and Sargon Latchin.

Together they collect scrap candle wax from all over the UK; they then get to work melting it down, cleaning and dying, giving it a scent – all to make beautiful new recycled candles which they then sell.

As June is Pride month they have recently made a Pride collection of candles, a distinctive rainbow-striped collection. With every purchase of a candle, 10 per cent of the price is donated to Stonewall, the charity that campaigns for the equality of LGBTQIA+ people. The Pride collection is available now until September. Richard and Sargon tell us more…

© BRIDGET BATCHELOR

In the past year loungewear has become everyone’s uniform, but most loungewear is made from synthetic fabrics that wear out quickly and

THE RECYCLED CANDLE COMPANY

Co-owners of The Recycled Candle Company, Richard Hills-Ingyon and Sargon Latchin

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“We’re supporting our community and our planet”

© DANNY TOK YO

The Pride Collection of candles is available until September

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INDIES What inspired you to make this collection?

We’ve made rainbow candles before but this year wanted to really highlight the collection and support the community even more. For us it’s the perfect combination as we’re supporting our community and our planet with our 100 per cent recycled wax Pride candles.

Tell us about the candle illustrations…

We put a call out for original illustrations to go in with each candle and we were amazed at the response. There are four very different artists from Devon and London. In one illustration a woman cries rainbow tears either of joy or sadness, in another, a rainbow matchbox portrays the strike of the match needed.

Tell us about your connection with the charity Stonewall?

This is quite a difficult and emotional one. We don’t have a direct connection to the charity itself but we do have a connection with the work they do and what they’re fighting for. They’re working towards inclusion, acceptance and normality, whilst also teaching the public and businesses what the reality is for nearly every member of the LGBTQIA+ community – one in five have experienced a hate crime or incident in the last 12 months. The work is far from over and being able to stand up and be proud of who we are is so important when we’re still threatened by so many.

As our local event we’re extremely proud of Exeter Pride and all they do. A lot of the action happens in Gandy Street during the celebrations, which is where the shop is – during our first year here we did a small run of the Pride candles to celebrate opening the shop and Pride. We covered the shop in lots of brightly coloured paper and our friend Jai Prettejohn came and did everyone’s make up. Two years on, and we’re still finding glitter!

© MAT T ROUND

What are your links with Exeter Pride?

above: Sarah Martin, owner of the Nourish Zero Waste stores; left: Foodie products have zero packaging

Anything else in the pipeline?

We’re going to be collaborating with Missing People [the charity that helps anyone affected by someone going missing] later in the year with a limited-edition candle with a new fragrance in the charity’s brand colours. We’re hoping to have exciting news about crowdfunding very soon, watch this space. www.therecycledcandlecompany.co.uk

NOURISH ZERO WASTE

Local business Nourish Zero Waste has been going for three years (the first shop opened in Topsham in March 2018, and the second in Magdalen Road in April 2019) selling food, homeware and lifestyle products – all with zero waste. No products come in individual plastic wrappers and customers are encouraged to bring their own containers and refill in store. Owner Sarah Martin is opening a third Nourish shop in the town centre of Ashburton this June.

Sarah, what can we expect from the new shop?

Because it’s bigger we can expand the range, especially our non-food items. We have some really exciting products coming, such as a range of bags and backpacks from Wyatt & Jack made from salvaged bouncy castles, deckchair canvas and inflatables.

© MAT T ROUND

Why did you choose Ashburton?

It’s a thriving community town, with a good number of amazing indie shops and a really nice vibe – I’ve been waiting for a spot to come up for quite a while! It’s a good location to help provide access to zero waste shopping for even more people.

This is your third shop, is this part of a big masterplan? Are there plans for more shops?

I’d say no, no more shops – but I say that every time so who knows!

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© LUK A CHIT T Y

INDIES

above: Pink Moon interiors are cool and Californian; right: Pink Moon host popular events

A lot of companies have struggled during this time but you are a growth story – what’s your secret?

© LUK A CHIT T Y

Definitely our amazingly loyal customers, a big thank you to them all.

We were able to provide order and collect service during lockdown, and delivery for vulnerable customers, so as a small business we were able to provide a service which was appreciated. www.nourishzerowaste.com

PINK MOON

Pink Moon is the California-influenced restaurant, bar and events space in Exeter that opened in 2019. The young team comprises of directors Adam Pike and James Pike, general manager Josh Tilt and creative and sales manager Amelia Pike. Since opening, their events have become sell-out hits in the city and the past year has seen the team introduce a store on the premises. Amelia fills us in…

Tell us a bit about the team…

Myself, Adam and James are all siblings! Josh’s brother Charlie is also our venue manager so it’s all very family orientated!

What inspired you to expand your business and add a lifestyle store in your restaurant?

We’ve always wanted to make our business multi-faceted and want to create different elements that feed into a positive lifestyle. Food and drink are a huge part of that, but we felt the store adds a whole new dimension!

All of the businesses we stock are local and we feel each individual product provides a positive purpose. There’s Californian style clothing, to hand-made earrings, not forgetting our employees’ brands Tilt & Co, a health and wellbeing brand, and No.29 Gin. We like to support our team’s entrepreneurial ventures!

Having the lifestyle store also adds a whole new experience when you come to Pink Moon. You can now come for delicious brunch, locally roasted coffee and finish your experience off by browsing in the store!

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Your business doesn’t fit into a traditional mould but is everevolving. Has this been the vision?

This has always been the plan! We want to be known as a lifestyle brand, not just specific to food/drink. Pink Moon is a way of life. Fun, vibrant, positive and enriching!

What did you as a team do during lockdown – were you operating at all?

We focused a lot of our energy into community/charitable work as we wanted to put our time being closed as a business to good use. It allowed us to look at the bigger picture, help people in need, whilst we didn’t have the day-to-day operations of the business to worry about. We did weekly food drops to Exeter Food Bank and delivered our famous Mac n Cheese to the NHS workers at the RD&E hospital.

You always have lots of events in the diary, what is planned for this summer?

We love our events. We’ve got loads planned for the Summer including our sell-out Drag Events and DJ Brunches. Our next DJ brunch is on 31 July and our next Drag event is being released very soon. n www.pinkmoon.co.uk

© LUK A CHIT T Y

“We want to be known as a lifestyle brand”

Sitting pretty: Josh Tilt and Amelia Pike

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FOOD & DRINK NIBBLES FROM EXETER’S FOOD SCENE

ON THE GO

Expect posh pizzas at 93

SLICE SLICE BABY A new pizza and cocktail bar called 93 has just opened on the corner of Fore Street. The refurbishment to the two-storey building sees a whole new look for the former bridal shop, with wood panelling and a rustic botanical theme.

Visitors can expect handmade “posh” pizzas (which will also be available for takeaway), pasta dishes, sharing boards and salads, with the cocktail selection offering up classics such as Cosmopolitan plus quirky, somewhat timely offerings such as a Quarantine-ee.

“We’re really excited to open 93,” says Linda Horner, co-owner of 93, and also Crockets, and No. 5 on Cathedral Green.

“Its position at the gateway to the independents quarter is the ideal location for students, families and friends alike to kick back and relax.

“We hope that 93 can bring a positive impact on Exeter’s economy and contribute to the fabulous and thriving community of independents already in abundance on Fore Street.”

For more: Instagram: @93exeter

A whole latte love for this mobile café

Have you spotted Exeter cathedral’s mobile café yet? It was parked outside the Cathedral in May but is now on the move, serving teas and snacks all across around Devon.

Staff and clergy at the Cathedral plan are driving the custom-built electric vehicle – named ‘Ten Fifty’, a reference to the year of the foundation of Exeter Cathedral – to parishes throughout the county in an effort to establish closer links between the Cathedral and Devon’s town and village communities.

“Exeter Cathedral has always been the mother church of Devon, and we continue to work hard to serve the county’s people today – particularly in this challenging year of Coronavirus,” says the Dean of Exeter, the Very Revd. Jonathan Greener.

“In the past we’ve encouraged the people of Devon to come and visit us here, in the centre of Exeter, but with this marvellous new mobile café, we will now be coming out to them too.”

Profits from Ten Fifty will be used to help fund heritage conservation work and other projects designed to ensure the Cathedral can continue to serve the local community.

For more: www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

Cheese the day

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED Darts Farm has just launched their new artisan food subscription. Customers can purchase seasonal farmhouse cheeses, charcuterie and pairings crafted by small scale brewers, cider makers and winemakers.

You can choose to receive one every one, two or three months and each box comes with free delivery, tasting notes and producer stories.

For more: www.dartsfarm.co.uk

36 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

© MAT TAUSTIN

The pizzas will also be available for takeaway

Expect food from all over the world

Sizzling sausages

FOODIE EVENTS

This summer marks the welcome return of Eats Boutique, the street food markets in Sidmouth and Seaton.

The Seaton street food market has a new venue of Cliff Field Gardens, offering views of the cliffs and sunset as well as space for social distancing. It will run on the first Friday of the month.

The Sidmouth street food market’s new home will be at regency town house Kennaway House on the fourth Friday of every month.

SEATON EATS BOUTIQUE Dates: Fridays – 28 May, 2 July, 6 August, 3 September Times: 4 – 9pm Location: Cliff Field Gardens, Beer Road, Seaton, Devon SIDMOUTH EATS BOUTIQUE Dates: Fridays – 25 June, 23 July, 27 August Times: 4 – 9pm Location: Kennaway House, Sidmouth, Devon For more: www.uniqueboutiqueevents.co.uk

Gabriel David, founder and owner of Luscombe Drinks

CHEERS!

Local business Luscombe Drinks has announced that it has been awarded a Royal Warrant. These awards are given in recognition of businesses who supply a very high quality service or product, and one that is enjoyed by the Royal Households.

“After many years of having the pleasure of selling our drinks to the Royal family and pressing the apples from the Highgrove Estate, I am delighted that Luscombe Drinks has been given the Royal Warrant,” says Luscombe founder, Gabriel David.

“This is an enormously prestigious accolade and there are only a handful of soft drinks producers who have been awarded one. Our drinks have been enjoyed by the Royal family at home, served at palace events and Buckingham Palace tea parties for many years, so it is fantastic to now gain this formal recognition.”

For more: www.luscombe.co.uk

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SABATINI

A new Italian restaurant has opened in Exeter. Harriet Noble explores…

Photos by Matthew Heritage

W

alk into any Exeter store, café or restaurant at the moment and you might feel a bit disorientated. Didn’t the till used to be over there? Were the walls always lemon yellow? Did this place always look this jazzy? Business owners have re-thought, re-jigged and re-done their spaces; it’s one of the silver linings of the past year – everything has been scrubbed, nipped, tucked and is now positively gleaming.

Family-run Lloyds Kitchen did more than push some tables around though, they completely re-branded their eaterie turning it into an Italian Restaurant called Sabatini.

“During the Lockdown we had time to evaluate the business and it became obvious that with a lot of the Italian chains closing down, Exeter was in great need of a really good independent family Italian restaurant in the

38 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

heart of the city,” says owner Lloyd Gardner.

“Our family have always loved Italy where we have enjoyed many memorable holidays and this is why it holds such a special place in our hearts. The people, the history and most of all the wonderful food and wine is out of this world and makes this such a special place.”

So, what does it look like now? Well, the renovations have opened up the dining area so it now feels a lot wider and spacious. There’s a fluidity to the seating now, with curved semi-circle areas and private booths as well as your standard tables. The blue and orange colour palette is contemporary and the bar area has been moved to the back and now sports an eye-catching gold marble surface, destined to be the Insta-moment of the restaurant, along with the fairy-lit tree that floats across the ceiling.

As for the menu this is classic, affordable, Italian fare with stone baked pizzas, freshly-made pasta and risottos featuring heavily. For starters, my friend has a very generous portion of poached pear and pickled walnuts with chicory, mixed leaf, Gorgonzola and lemon oil; a very happy marriage of flavours that goes down a treat. I go for the crispy tomato and parmesan risotto balls with

RESTAURANT

“Exeter was in need of a really good independent Italian family restaurant” marinara sauce. Now risotto has not always been my favourite of dishes, the common complaint is that every mouthful tastes a bit samey – but spoon it into a warm ball with a crunchy exterior and a warming, tomatey sauce and it’s a completely different, very more-ish story.

I’m won over.

For mains, I have the penne pasta mixed with chicken, pancetta, peppers covered with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese then oven baked, a warming plate of food if there was one, and my pal has the Arborio rice and pecorino cheese with butternut squash and sage, which was declared al dente in texture and delicate in flavour. We didn’t have room for puds, but you could opt for traditional tiramisu, gelato, cheesecake or, and I’m definitely trying this next time I go, gnocchi pistachio doughnuts.

This meal felt quite special because it was my first indoor meal inside a restaurant since the restrictions lifted. It was a rainy day in Exeter and instead of battling it out al fresco, it felt pretty heavenly to be relaxing in the warmth of the indoors. Great minds were thinking alike on our visit, nearly all the tables were full and it was fantastic to see people out and supporting a local business. Long may it continue.

Glancing around, it was a really mixed bunch of diners and I can see why. This place feels like the kind of restaurant where you can take your grandmother, your date, a colleague or your kids; the popular menu choices, affable ambience and central location are sure to make it a real crowd-pleaser. n

DINING DETAILS Sabatini, 16 Catherine Street, Exeter; www.sabatiniexeter.co.uk Opening times Open seven days a week from 12 - 3.30pm; Thursday, Friday & Saturday open for evenings too Food Italian classics fresh pasta, risotto and artisan pizzas, plus steaks, grills and fish options Drinks Wine, soft drinks and a selection of beers Service/atmosphere Friendly and informal

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SEEN! ACROSS E XE TER, ONE S H I N D I G AT A T I M E

Family affair: Paul Gardner, Jackie Gardner, Gemma Smith and Lloyd Gardner

IT’S ALL RELATIVE Family-run business Sabatini opened its doors for the first time since undergoing the transformation from Lloyds Kitchen to becoming a new Italian Restaurant. The celebratory launch evening saw friends, family and existing customers enjoy a formal dining event where guests were able to try various dishes from the menu.

The Gardner family were there to greet guests and to showcase the Catherine Street restaurant before opening it to the public. www.sabatiniexeter.co.uk Photos by Andrew Butler

40 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

BACK TOGETHER

Following further easing of restrictions on 17 May, Exeter Chamber restarted its first face to face (albeit slightly showery outdoor!) events, welcoming over 70 people at staggered intervals to the garden area at Margoux Restaurant & Wine Bar in the city centre.

This first event marked the start of a series the Chamber is hosting to reignite the city and bring people back into the centre to enjoy everything Exeter has to offer. www.exeterchamber.co.uk Photos by Steven Haywood

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Beautiful pieces to compliment your home & fabulous gifts at Lark, Topsham “We love finding beautiful products, taking great pride in what we do and strive to find interesting and different gifts suitable for all the family. Inspired by the changing seasons and evolving trends we make a big effort to source a collection that sets us apart from the High Street.

Do come and visit us, we would love to see you!”

16 Fore Street Topsham 01392 660570 www.larktopsham.shop larktopsham

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OUT OF TOWN

TOTALLY TOPSHAM

© LOUIS MUSTERS

New start-ups, foodie havens and secret hideaways – it’s all happening in Topsham this summer

By Harriet Noble

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T

he best thing about Topsham has to be the light, the air, the microclimate and the ever-changing landscape of the estuary, along with the Dutch-inspired architecture,” says local resident and photographer Gary Mackley-Smith.

Not surprising then that Topsham always tops those polls as the best place to live in the South West.

Added to the obvious natural beauty, it is teeming with lovely cafés, independent shops and restaurants.

We take a look at what’s new in town and ask the various residents about their favourite places – spoiler alert, everyone said their favourite place to get a slice of cake and a coffee was Sara’s Petite Cuisine.

NEST LIVING

© LOUIS MUSTERS

“I’m from an old Topsham family and am so grateful to still be living and working in the town where I was born,” says Rosie Wannell.

“Lots has changed but the community spirit – especially amongst the independent retailers lives on.”

Locals will know Rosie as owner of Nest Living, the pretty lifestyle and homeware shop on Fore Street (so pretty we decided to put it on our front cover). Rosie took over the business back in 2015 (she previously ran homeware store Violette in Exeter), with an aim of wanting a shop “full of gorgeous things you’d want for you, your home or to give as a perfect present.”

The past year has seen Rosie give the whole shop a bit of a re-jig, with part of the re-branding resulting in the store now selling unique preloved clothes.

above: Pretty homeware items at Nest Living; left: Colourful architecture in Topsham

“I’d always wanted to incorporate clothing into Nest but found it hard to decide on a brand/s. Going down the preloved route solved that problem!” says Rosie.

“I can take the best of all brands – we’re not snobby over which brands we take – we often take H&M and Zara etc. but only if the item has a certain something about it and fits in to our casual, quirky style.

“Like so many other businesses world-wide, the first lockdown was a scary, unknown time, but one I took as a gift,” adds Rosie.

“I’d been working six days a week in the shop for eight years with no real break, so this was the perfect, enforced opportunity to stop and re-think the business. I realised everyone else would perhaps be coming back with a similar re-boot having refined what was important in life and where they wanted to spend their money. I think independents have really benefited from this – people want to spend locally and with small businesses, but we have to offer something the big boys in retail don’t or can’t.

“The website says we want to “sell beautiful things to lovely people from an inspiring space” and that pretty much sums us up! We’re concentrating now on the most beautiful basics – whether that’s a mug or an eiderdown or a notebook and have spent the lockdowns sourcing new products that hopefully people haven’t seen everywhere else.”

Nest Living, 60 Fore Street, Topsham; www.nestliving.net

“People want to spend locally and with small businesses” 46 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

OUT OF TOWN

@SAR ASPETITECUISINEBAKES

Sara’s Petite Cuisine is a locals favourite

WHERE DO THE LOCALS GO?

“Cooks Aweigh for the best place to browse – we could spend hours wondering around their beautiful courtyard filled with divine plants .

It’s got to be The Passage for a drink with a view. Plum for the best hot chocolate and rocky road ever. Sara’s for the best coffee and chocolate croissant. Revitalise studios for yoga classes!”

Alex Stenning, Squid & the kid

CIRCLE

Brand new to Topsham is Circle, a café-meets-shop owned by couple Fay and David Clement. The spot showcases and sells works by local artists and creatives, in fact all the art and food is sourced locally from Devon.

The café houses an eclectic mix of creativity, with impressionist and magical folk-inspired paintings to pottery, macrame wall hangings, all set amongst a jungle of house plants.

“We want to celebrate Devon artists and makers and give them a platform, so we have created a bio to sit alongside their work with links to their social media / websites. The dream is that we can all grow together,” says Fay. The couple are old hands at both the culinary and creative side of things.

“I have worked in the coffee industry for over 10 years, the last six of those years have been at the wonderful Exploding Bakery,” adds Fay. “David has been performing and playing music for all of his adult life. He recently wrote and recorded his first solo Album under the name 91islands. We’ve talked about creating a business together for a while, but we were waiting to find the perfect venue, so when the space became available in Topsham we knew we had to go for it!

“We hope that when people visit Circle they will take a moment and immerse themselves within the tranquillity of the space we have created. We have blended the original character of this Grade II listed building with modern features which really accentuates Topsham’s charm.”

Circle, 37 Fore Street, Topsham; www.circleshoptopsham.com David, Fay and their furry friend

“Sara’s Petite Cuisine creates fresh, mouth-watering patisseries that have a Portuguese influence, coupled with great coffee and specialist lattes.

We are blessed to have this unique joy of a place here in Topsham.

I should also mention the excellent lunches and dinners at The Salutation for those special occasions.

Artenax is so colourful and a real treat for the senses with its interior design ideas and lovely scarves. Nikki has a great eye for colour and texture. I love sitting in the Topsham museum garden, surrounded by rare flowers and a wonderful view of the estuary. Many visitors miss this part of Topsham.

Gary Mackley-Smith, see his photography on page 12 “We adore Sara’s Petite Cuisine for her beautiful and delicious pastries and the Pig and Pallet for their indulgent food and their friendly atmosphere.”

Fay Clement, Circle

AND...

The popular fish and seafood restaurant The Galley Restaurant overlooks the River Exe estuary.

With head chef Jason Mead at the helm, the restaurant has recently announced its inclusion in the 2021 edition of the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland with a MICHELIN Plate.

The Galley is a favourite with fish lovers

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OUT OF TOWN

Alex Stenning and Alice Garrad, with little Finn on the left

SQUID & THE KID

Also new (it opened in May) to Topsham is Squid & the Kid, a children’s store selling books, toys, clothes, arts, crafts and activities.

Co-owners Alex Stenning and Alice Garrad met through Mush, the app that connects local mums, after they’d both moved down to Topsham from London in 2019 and found a kindred spirit in one other.

“Our first drink together was while I was pregnant and Alice had her first daughter, Millie, who was eight months old,” says Alex.

“We met at No. 3 in Topsham and clicked instantly. Even before we met face to face we were chatting about starting a business together!”

One of the main aims of Squid & the Kid is to be a place that supports the local community, and this informs where they source their products from.

“We’re focusing on supporting mothers who make,” says Alex.

“We have found a wonderful collection of incredible women (UK based) whose talents are limitless. They design and create all sorts of products, alongside having a family. A serious juggle and an art that should be recognised and sung about. So we’re trying to do that on their behalf ! We support and stock smaller, independent brands.

“While being run as a private company, an important aim of Squid & the Kid is to support parents, carers and others in our community.

We feel this couldn’t be more important after the year we’ve all had.

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“To be a positive, inclusive and kind addition to the community is the most important factor to us” We are lucky to have partnered up with The Court Residential home to run initiatives that link local children with older adults. We are so excited that we also have a play group which will run every Friday at the Dorothy Holman centre in Topsham. We hope to provide a safe space for children to play whilst parents/ carers have a cuppa and catch up.

“We will also be looking to hold some support groups focusing on a wide variety of issues, from baby sleep and weaning to postpartum mental health. To be a positive, inclusive and kind addition to the community here is the most important factor to us.” n Squid & the Kid, 21 Fore Street, Topsham; @squidandthekid

© GARY MACKLEY-SMITH

THE INSIDE TRACK ON TOPSHAM

Topsham’s Summer of Sounds: Street musicians, selected by Love Topsham, perform each Saturday at two locations in the town – on Fore Street, in the centre of the main shopping area, and at Exeter Quay, where residents and visitors are at the outdoor bars and overlooking the estuary.

Love Topsham Card: For regular visitors from outside Topsham, a Love Topsham Card offers discounts from selected stores, and allows individuals to participate in VIP events open only to cardholders; www.lovetopsham.co.uk Check out new instagram page @in_topsham which also supports local shops and businesses.

Beautifully blue: Topsham

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WE ARE OPEN

Refill and eco products

Laundry and Ironing Lavanda Topsham 5 Fore Street, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0HF 07791853057 - lavandatopsham@outlook.com

HEALTH & WELLBEING B R I N G I N G YO U A L L T H E G O O D S T U FF F O R T H E M I N D, B O DY A N D S O U L

BOTH IMAGES © CHARLIE PENNELL PRODUCTIONS

The charity is looking to local businesses for help

WORKING TOGETHER Devon-based Westbank, the community health and care charity, is launching a campaign to combat loneliness across Exeter and the neighbouring communities.

The 100 Working Together campaign will help people through one-to-one and group support from dedicated staff and volunteers and the charity is searching for 100 businesses to donate £500 to help launch this new service.

“Loneliness has always been there, but what we have seen over the last 12 months is that more people, young and old, are affected,” says Nina Parnell, Westbank head of volunteering and community support.

“Loneliness has no boundaries, can affect all walks of life, and have an impact on anyone at any time, sometimes with devastating consequences.” www.westbank.org.uk/100workingtogether

The charity aims to help young and old

FORWARD PROGRESS A team at the Exeter Genomics Laboratory, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E), has received national recognition from the NHS Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) for developing a diagnostic service that enables rapid identification of rare genetic diseases in acutely unwell children.

The ‘Exeter Exome team’ can now investigate approximately five thousand rare genetic disorders in a single test and report results in around 10 days. To date, over 900 children from across England have been referred and a genetic diagnosis found in 37 per cent.

The team, established by Professor Sian Ellard (clinical scientist and professor of genomic medicine, University of Exeter), received the “Excellence in Healthcare Delivery” award at the 2020 Healthcare science awards in May. “We are extremely pleased to have been recognised with this award, but we are most proud that the work we do is having a real impact helping children up and down the country to receive the best medical care possible,” says Karen Stals, clinical scientist service Lead for the exome team within the laboratory. www.rdehospital.nhs.uk

Axe-cellent activities at the rewild weekend

SUMMER EXPERIENCES: BACK TO NATURE The Outdoors Group has launched three ‘experience’ events for the summer, all focused on downtime and enjoying new experiences that help to reconnect with nature.

The Outdoors Retreat is a weekend of yoga, nature and mindfulness with the opportunity for forest bathing, art therapy, bush craft skills and free time each day for self-exploration and discovery.

Rewild Weekend focuses on getting back to basics with bushcraft skills and survival skills such as learning how to identify trees, build a shelter, weave a basket and discover some new fire lighting methods. Sign up to this one and you’ll enjoy cooking over a campfire before heading to hammocks or shelters to sleep.

Lastly, there is the rather niche Spoon Carving Workshop that gives the skills required to create a spoon from fresh wood.

• Outdoors Retreat: 25 – 27 June at Bala Brook Retreat Centre, South Brent, includes accommodation and meals • Rewild Weekend: 27 –29 August at Exmouth Forest School, includes accommodation and meals • Spoon Carving Workshop: 7 August at Exmouth Forest School, includes lunch. www.outdoorsgroup.co.uk

The team at the hospital received their award in May

Reach for the skies

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Visit us at Devon County Show Avenue D

EDUCATION H I G H L I G H T S F R O M E X E T E R ’ S E D U C AT I O N S E C T O R

children with autism spectrum condition.

As deputy headteacher with responsibility for teaching, learning and curriculum, he has overseen the The judging panel on expansion of the the left seem to appove school from 35 to 75 students in its first few years of opening in a £4.5million rebuild.

“We are delighted to have The community of The New been able to appoint someone of School, an independent pre-prep Daniel’s calibre and experience for boys and girls from nursery to to be the next head of The New Year 2, welcomes Daniel Ayling, as its new head from September 2021. School,” says Exeter School head Louise Simpson.

Situated in a converted chapel in “He has the vision and energy the village of Exminster, The New needed to guide the school as School has been part of the Exeter it becomes part of the Exeter School since March 2021.

School family and is a truly Daniel has lived in Devon since inspirational teacher for our New 2018, helping to establish ACE School children.”

Tiverton Special School, a brandwww.thenewschoolexeter.co.uk new free school for secondary

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

HEAD START

Unbe-leaf-able outdoor classes

A new course has been launched at Exmouth’s Forest School for teachers who want to add a different dimension to teaching by taking classes outdoors. ‘Learning Beyond the Classroom’ from The Outdoors Group gives teachers and volunteers new skills to use nature and the environment to teach the curriculum outside of the classroom.

Taking place entirely in natural woodland with a central campfire and tarpaulin, the forest school setting gives delegates access to natural resources to spark ideas for lesson plans and activities to take back to their schools.

The two-day course runs across two weeks to minimise disruption to schools, with dates available throughout the year and is perfect for those working at primary schools, secondary schools and other education settings.

For more: www.outdoorsgroup.co.uk

WORLD CLASS Subjects at the University of Exeter have been ranked amongst the world’s best, according to an influential international league table.

Eleven subjects have been ranked among the top 100 globally in the latest Shanghai Rankings, with Geography being the highest placed subject, placed 7th in the world. Three other subjects – Ecology (11th), Public Administration (17th), and Atmospheric Science (44), also appear in the top 50.

In total, Exeter features in 33 of the 54 subjects listed in the latest edition of the Shanghai Rankings Global Rankings of Academic Subjects 2021.

Geography was placed 7th in the world

“I am delighted that the worldleading research that is conducted by University of Exeter researchers has been recognised in these important, international rankings,” says professor Lisa Roberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter.

“Our researchers in both sciences and humanities in Exeter and Cornwall excel at combining discovery research with exposing and tackling some of the key issues being faced on a global stage, to create healthier, sustainable, and socially-just futures for all.”

For more: www.exeter.ac.uk

© @WEARETHEUNKNOWN

Time to check out Exeter college events

VIRTUAL EXETER COLLEGE LIVE EVENT Exeter College is hosting its next virtual live event on 22 June. The event is a chance for adult learners interested in joining Exeter College to find out more about the higher education programmes, professional and leisure courses and apprenticeships on offer. There will be the opportunity to ask subject leaders questions about the courses.

For more: exe-coll.ac.uk

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It’s the city’s business

EXETERWORKS Come together

Stagecoach and Exeter Chamber are joining forces

Exeter’s business organisation Exeter Chamber has just announced two separate partnership deals, one with Exeter College and the other with National transport firm, Stagecoach.

The Exeter College connection is a two-year growth partnership deal which will see the two organisations work together to enhance the connection between business and education in the city.

The partnership deal will focus on providing a gateway for businesses into the college, offering Chamber members enhanced access to the College’s facilities, and a route for businesses to find the next generation of talent.

“We are excited to work with the Chamber more closely and look forward to welcoming the business community to the College at future events,” says John Laramy, principal of Exeter College.

“Our two organisations have our eyes on the future, working together to ensure that the city emerges from the pandemic as strongly as possible, so that we can offer a bright future for young people, adults and businesses. We hope to play our part to ensure Exeter remains an attractive and prosperous centre for

business and enterprise.”

The Stagecoach, also a two-year partnership, will see a joint campaign examining the future of transport and working with other city and regional stakeholders to identify ways of improving connectivity and sustainability in Exeter and its surrounds. The partnership is announced ahead of the bus station opening in the summer, and as businesses and customers return to the city centre, following lockdown.

“Many members of our business community are currently reassessing the way they work and their interaction with the city and its workspaces,” says Helen Scholes, Chamber board director.

“Increasingly, this also includes considering how their travel impacts on climate change, air quality and congestion. As a public transport operator, Stagecoach is at the heart of this. Through our partnership with Stagecoach, we look forwarding to facilitating conversations between employers, employees and transport providers, joining the dots to help Exeter become an even better place for business.”

For more: www.exeterchamber.co.uk

HISTORY IN THE MAKING Internationally important artefacts and documents in Exeter Cathedral’s historic collections, some dating back 1,000 years, will be seen in a new light thanks to the work of recently appointed heritage engagement manager, Jonathan Scott.

In this new role, which will oversee the Cathedral’s library, archive and education activities, Jonathan will focus on new and innovative ways for people to experience and enjoy the treasures held within Exeter Cathedral. Highlights from the Cathedral’s collection include The Exeter Book, the oldest book of English literature in the world; records

BUSINESS CLUB

detailing the work of stonemasons over the last 700 years (thankfully no longer written on vellum or animal skin) and a letter handwritten by English composer Henry Purcell.

“Helping to look after the Cathedral’s history is a great honour and I feel very lucky to have this opportunity,” says Jonathan.

“I have experienced the Cathedral as a place of fun, fascination and solace throughout my life, and I’m passionate about helping others to experience it in a similar way.”

For more: www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

Jonathan will be delving in to the Cathedral’s history

Virtual one hour sessions, all free to attend Search Exeter Living on LinkedIn for upcoming dates and registration If you would like to get involved, please email events@mediaclash.co.uk

“I COULD PROBABLY WRITE AN ENTIRE BOOK ON THE WONDERFUL PLACES WE GET TO ADVENTURE IN DEVON” Wild child

Emma and Gary, and their two boys Henry and Ralph

ONE TO WATCH

Adventure Boy In October 2019, inspired by their love of experiencing Devon-based outdoor adventures with their two sons, Emma and Gary Taylor started up a children’s clothes brand Hi Emma! Tell us first a bit about your professional background…

My background is in education and I was a secondary school head of History.

Having taught for 10 wonderful years, I was looking for a change and something that gave me greater flexibility as a Mum to two young boys, so I took a big leap and went to work with my dad in his business, developing skills in marketing and business administration. I have always been interested in art, design and fashion, and Adventure Boy is partly the result of the coming together of those new skills and my passion for design.

Gary runs his own Design Studio and is a very experienced designer, so his skill set is brilliantly suited to our business.

He brings his wealth of experience in graphic and web design to help develop the website and designs ready for printing.

In a nutshell, what does your business offer?

Organic, eco-friendly clothing and accessories for little adventurers, all inspired by a love of the outdoors and a spirit of adventure. We take a huge amount of influence from our own adventures in and around Exeter and Devon, using these to inspire our designs. We are passionate about trying to make our products and processes as sustainable as we can.

Where in Devon do you and your boys have adventures?

Ooh, this is a good question! I could probably write an entire book on the wonderful places we get to adventure in Devon. We love the beach, so try to get there for some good old-fashioned exploring when we can. We love heading to beaches like South Milton, Bigbury, Shaldon, Branscombe, anywhere in North Devon, and we often head through the nature reserve to the far end of Dawlish Warren, where you can enjoy huge amounts of sandy beach all to yourselves.

We also love adventures amongst the trees at Haldon Forest or Ashclyst Forest.

The boys love building dens, collecting treasures they find, and getting as muddy as they possibly can!

How have you found setting up and running a business in the last year?

It is our first business, and we have learnt so much. The past year has also thrown up even more of a learning curve I think, so we have just tried to soak it all up. We have definitely learnt the importance of surrounding yourself with good people; learning from experts where you can, especially with essentials like accounting and marketing. One of the most important things I think we have discovered is to stay true to

yourselves, your passion and your ethos.

Having that to guide us really helps.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

Just go for it! You can think about it for so long, and give yourself so many reasons not to. But ultimately if you have something you are really passionate about, just get started. You don’t have to do everything all in one go. But getting started allows you to then grow at a pace that suits you. Reach out to others who have done it; this is so helpful and reassuring. Ask for feedback – get people to tell you what they think, and use that as constructive feedback to move things forwards.

What designs and colours are particularly popular in your collection?

Our original ‘Adventure Boy’ and ‘Adventure Girl’ logo designs remain some of the most popular. I think they are just something genuinely different, and they really have such a positive sentiment about them. I mean who wouldn’t want to be an adventure boy or girl?! Children also seem to really love the Wild Child design, I think because it celebrates the wild and free nature of childhood, something we are really keen to promote.

It is called Adventure Boys, but presumably your adventurethemed clothes appeal to girls too…

Yes absolutely! It is really important to us that this is clothing for girls and boys, for all little adventurers! The name Adventure Boy is really a result of the fact that the whole idea was inspired by our two little boys, Henry and Ralph.

They are nine and three, and it was wanting to clothe them in something eco-friendly and ethical, whilst being stylish and true to our love of the outdoors, that inspired us to launch the brand. But it is very much clothing and accessories for girls and boys, something reflected in the designs you see on the website. Aside from our Adventure Girl and Boy designs, all of the others are unisex and designed to be season-less.

Tell us about the ‘Friends of Joules’ connection…

We were absolutely over the moon to become a ‘Friend of Joules’. This means you can find Adventure Boy on the Joules website and purchase a range of our items through them, including t-shirts and sweatshirts.

What are your plans for this year, anything exciting in the pipeline?

We are talking with some shops and hoping to see some of our clothing in stores over the next year. We also have lots of ideas for new products, both designs for clothing and some accessories for children’s bedrooms, so it is just a case of narrowing those down and beginning to develop them. I am forever saying I need more hours in the day!

For more: www.adventureboy.co.uk

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© MAT T ROUND

EXETERWORKS

EXETER LIVING AWARDS 2020 EXETER RESPECT FESTIVAL scooped both best Event and the Platinum award at last year’s event. Managing director Dr Suaad GenemGeorge tells what the festival is all about and why it is such an important event in the city’s calendar Exeter Respect Festival is all about celebrating diversity. How does that manifest in the festival?

In addition to standing against racism collectively, our activities and music programme is diverse; the activities around the festival are designed to deliver the message of peace, love and harmony. There are schools involved, plus University of Exeter, Exeter College, Academy of Music and Sound and many more, coming together to deliver the message of All different all equal.

In addition, the message zero tolerance to hate crime, delivered by the Police, combined with businesses and charities, all united to say no to hate crime, no to prejudice, no to racism.

This been delivered through the two days of the festival.

Being inclusive is key to your festival…

We have people who enjoy being with us to volunteer and give their time; these volunteers are from every community, including solicitors and volunteers from Waitrose, University students and staff. This combination of volunteers from different diverse backgrounds makes the festival and our work unique – the volunteers are our backbone.

Exeter Respect Festival was a double winner in 2020

EVENT WINNER PLATINUM AWARD WINNER The festival that we organise is alcohol free to include everyone, including those charities who work with specific services. The alcoholfree festival allows young people and children with their families to be at ease to browse around and enjoy themselves. The uniqueness is the diversity of people, the activities, designed for learning to break barriers between people, meeting new people, breaking the fear, and learning from each other.

Your festival couldn’t take place last year, what did you instead?

We did a virtual festival in July. We also went to Belmont Park with our banner and a small distance gathering to say thank you to the NHS and frontline workers.

Can you describe the ambience/ mood of the festival?

The feedback from people is great; the feeling when you say Exeter Respect Festival – you notice a big smile on the faces of our communities. The process

58 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

of preparations in the run up to the festival is like preparing for Christmas, the two days are like Christmas Day. It’s very rewarding to have this feeling, we follow and support our communities we communicate and update them; this involvement of our communities, feels connected.

Any favourite moments from over the years?

The Launch of Exeter Respect Festival 2019 stands out because of the coincidence of 25 years anniversary of the end of Apartheid in South Africa, and our 22nd anniversary of Exeter Respect Festival.

The then Lord Mayor of Exeter and councillor Rob Hannaford summarised the struggle for justice, remembering what had happened during the apartheid in South Africa.

For this occasion, we had a special band from South Africa, called South Africa Cultural Band. It was a joy to see the crowd dance to the rhythm of freedom from the Apartheid regime in South Africa and the end of an era of racism.

The graffiti of the image of Nelson Mandela on the wall a reminder of the words of Nelson

Mandela ‘No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion’. Those words were coming flashing on my head when I sat on the floor leaning against the graffiti thinking how wonderful it would be if we lived in society free from hatred. I was in tears, feeling the Exeter Respect Festival is the answer to clear the fear from the unknown, as racism springs for this fear. Every year we carry on organising this festival to bring our communities to know each other.

My other favourite moment was when our name was called to win the Exeter Living Award, it was real joy that will resonate in my head for the rest of my life.

What can we look forward to at this year’s festival?

The festival is on 14 August at Exeter Phoenix (but will also be like a scattered through different venues) and will involve Barnfield theatre, The Oddfellows pub, and University of Exeter. This year’s festival is our 24th year, so there will be a dedication once again to our NHS and frontline workers.

For more: www.exeter-respect.org

Mi-Space UK celebrating their win in 2020

It’s the finalist countdown

A

Hundreds of nominations, hundreds of stories

huge thank you to all the amazing Exeter businesses who nominated themselves for an Exeter Living Award and congratulations to all the Finalists!

We received hundreds and hundreds of nominations for this year’s Exeter Living Awards, all bursting full of stories about smart, creative decisions being made within the torrent of the pandemic; struggles being overcome with fierce determination; and so many examples of companies who, while trying to navigate their own survival, went above and beyond to help local communities, charities and causes.

If ever we needed proof of the good stuff that

© SIMON TUTTY

© SIMON TUTTY

EXETERWORKS

SPONSORSHIPS For remaining options, please contact harriette.dixon@ mediaclash.co.uk or paula. miller@mediaclash.co.uk.

Categories for the Awards include Restaurant, New Business, Creative, Education, Civic, Property, and Charity

NOMINATIONS Our full list of Exeter Living Awards Finalists are listed in this issue.

TICKETS Please join the waiting list via the

goes on in Exeter, these nominations provided it.

We hosted our Grand Reveal Day in May, where we announced the Exeter Living Awards Finalists.

Thank you to all those who joined us on the day and a special thanks to Legal and Financial Sponsor Dennis Hall, from Yellowtail Financial Planning, for saying a few kind words.

If you missed the event, you can watch it now on our YouTube channel.

The big shindig itself is on 2 September and we’ll be keeping you informed on all things Awardsrelated in our magazine and on all our social media channels. Stay tuned...

For more: www.exeterlivingawards.co.uk; @exeterlivingawds

website for tickets to the Exeter Living Awards 2021.

AWARDS The uberglam Exeter Living Awards will be held on 2 September 2021 at The University of Exeter. Nothing beats being there…

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

SPONSORS: We thank our Sponsors so far on board for 2021, led from the front by our Platinum Sponsor, Marsh Commercial. And then also our other Category Sponsors: Exeter Science Park, Powderham Food Festival, Regus, Warwick Event Services, Yellowtail Financial Planning; and of course, Exeter Living itself. Also including our Feature Sponsor Triangle Networks.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 59

SPONSORED CONTENT

Inheritance Tax planning

T

Charlotte Corr of OLD MILL tells us more about the advantages of tax reliefs that are currently available

he Inheritance Tax (IHT) thresholds will be frozen at their existing levels until April 2026 and as a result, more IHT is likely to be paid by estates in the future.

The IHT nil-rate band will continue at £325,000 and the residence nil-rate band at £175,000, so, in terms of planning, it would seem sensible to take advantages of the tax reliefs currently available.

Annual exemption of £3,000 – this allowance can be carried forward a year. As a couple, this means you will usually be able to give away £6,000 and potentially £12,000 if you haven’t made a gift the year before.

Small gifts allowance – you can make as many gifts of up to £250 per person as you want, although this cannot include someone you have

used another allowance on.

Gifts out of normal expenditure – these can be very tax efficient if structured properly. These gifts are immediately out of your estate as long as you are able to maintain your standard of living allowing for the regular gifts without having to draw on additional capital. This is particularly useful if you have surplus income over expenditure that would otherwise build up within your estate.

Gifts in respect of marriage of between £1,000 - £5,000 – the gift needs to be made before the wedding or civil ceremony and it does need to go ahead!

Larger gifts – gifts in excess of the amounts above to an individual, are regarded as a Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET) for IHT. This means that if the person making the gift survives for seven years from the date of the gift, it will

become exempt from IHT. However, if they pass away before seven years has passed, the amount of the gift will still be included in their estate in calculating the IHT due. It’s worth bearing in mind that such gifts are unlimited. In some circumstances, it can be beneficial to organise such gifts via a Trust. ■

IHT is a complicated subject with substantial tax savings potentially available and you may want to seek advice and undertake an estate review. For more information please contact Charlotte Corr on 07702 808858 or email charlotte.corr@om.uk

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

SPOTTED!

The Mews in Topsham, a property recently sold by Wilkinson Grant & Co

If you’re searching for a mini break property, you couldn’t go far wrong with Gitcombe Retreat, just outside of Totnes. The property boasts a wrap-around balcony to maximise the panoramic rural views, with exclusive use of a private hot tub. With four bedrooms it is perfect for larger families and groups.

While you’re there, you can use the full range of site facilities at the Gitcombe Estate such as indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and tennis courts. There’s also an adventure play area and an indoor soft play area for the kids. The neighbouring coastal resorts of Salcombe and Dartmouth are within a short drive, as is Dartmoor, making this the perfect coastal or country retreat. luxurycoastal.co.uk

COMMENTARY ON THE TOPSHAM PROPERTY SCENE

@TOPSHAMAN2018

By Roger Wilkinson, of property agents Wilkinson Grant & Co

Topsham or Tops’um as some locals know it, has always been one of the most sought-after places to live in the South West. The former busy port is all about the water, heritage, community, leisure and (whilst bustling at times) an altogether slower, more relaxed pace of life.

Even when the rest of the region’s property market may have been cooler than it is at present, property values here have always been ‘ahead of the curve’.

But with much of the rest of the country also currently enjoying a property boom, Topsham still looks very good value to many out-of-area buyers. This is despite growing numbers of them competing with local home-movers to drive up prices over the last twelve months by an average of over 11 per cent. Indeed, in some instances, competition for particular properties has seen sales being negotiated as much as 15 per cent above their asking prices.

Since last summer, demand has been outstripping supply. May’s figures from Land Registry show that properties in Topsham had an overall average price of £497,324 over the last year. The majority of sales in that time were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £496,815. Detached properties sold for an average of £675,870, with flats fetching £335,500. Now, given that Land Registry figures are several months after sales were actually agreed, look out for further price rises in the coming months, before we might expect to see a levelling off by Spring 2022.

For the moment though, we believe that this ‘once in a generation’ reassessment of what people are now looking for in a home, still has some time to run. And with many older households in particular, reviewing how and where they are living, we expect many more to move for the first time in years. www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk

Happily nestled on the Gitcombe estate

Bags of space and a roaring fire if the weather turns

WE HAVE LIFT OFF! This year sees the first Exeter Property Awards take place and you are

invited to join us on Wednesday 23 June at our Exeter Property Awards Launch event on Zoom. We’ll be talking about the event in detail and going through the nominations process. Thank you to our Launch Event Sponsor Yorkshire Building Society.

EXETER PROPERTY AWARDS Awards: The Exeter Property Awards will be held on 19 November 2021 at Sandy Park.

Sponsors: We thank our Sponsors so far on board for 2021, led from the front by our headline sponsor Close Brothers Property Finance, plus category sponsors Avalon Planning & Heritage, Halsall Construction, International Tiles & Bathrooms, Original Style, Vickery Holman, Willmott Dixon, Exeter Living and feature sponsors Redrow Homes, Triangle Networks and Yorkshire Building Society.

Sponsorships: To discuss how Sponsorship might benefit your business, please talk to harriette.dixon@mediaclash.co.uk or paula.miller@ mediaclash.co.uk www.exeterpropertyawards.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 61

SPONSORED CONTENT

Luxury living RIVERSIDE MEADOW The Topsham-based development offers beautiful homes in a safe and friendly environment

L

ooking for luxury living in Topsham exclusively for the over 50’s? Riverside Meadow, nestled on the banks of the River Exe in the picturesque and highly desirable town of Topsham is an exciting development of 20 luxury detached, bungalow-style park homes. There are four styles of brand-new homes to choose from, all of which come fully furnished in a choice of colour schemes. Each home offers a beautiful light and airy style with contemporary kitchens, bathrooms, two level parking spaces and spacious ‘blank canvas’ gardens to make your very own. We pride ourselves on providing residents with a safe, secure environment with a neighbourly community feel.

Are all the homes the same?

No. Each home is designed to be bespoke, just for you. Once you have chosen your desired plot on the development, you will then be expertly guided through the process of selecting which style of home will best suit your needs. From there you will be able to decide on your perfect layout and choose your colour scheme, fixtures, and fittings.

Why should I consider a park home?

Park home living offers you the chance to downsize to a home with fresh new interiors, modern appliances and a practical, single storey, fully accessible layout. Park owner Penny Hardick is clear on the benefits of this lifestyle, “These superbly built, well insulated and ultra-modern homes are akin to brand new bungalows but for a lower price. They offer fantastic value for money, are cheaper to run than a house and offer all the mod cons”.

Quality and style Whether you are looking for cosy comfort or prefer a sleeker and more contemporary look and feel, the bungalow-style homes here at Riverside Meadow tick every box. Built to the highest British Standard 3632, our luxury homes are all protected by a “Platinum Seal” 10-year structural warranty for total peace of mind. The Riverside Meadow homes are built by one of the UK’s leading park home manufacturers, who have an enviable

62 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

reputation for the design, build and quality of their residential park homes.

What is the lifespan of a bungalow-style park home?

It’s often assumed that a park home will have a shorter life-span than a regular bricks and mortar house, but this is not the case. A wellbuilt park home that is properly maintained can be expected to last 70 to 80 years, or longer with the right care. This is not far off the figure expected for a site-built property, and as another benefit, park homes require much less work than a regular house to maintain, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the next chapter of your life! ■

To arrange your appointment to view or for an informal chat about the development, please call Penny on 01392 874 771 or 07785 246 087 or email info@riversidemeadow.co.uk.

For more details, please visit our website www.riversidemeadow.co.uk

PROPERTY A PL ACE TO C ALL HOME

CONWAY HOUSE This sprawling Topsham property boasts stunning views over the glimmering River Exe

By Imogen Davidson-Smith www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 63

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

T

his period property is located in the heart of the historic part of Topsham, approximately 100 yards from the river, and just a short hop and a skip to all the lovely shops and cafés in town.

Comprising over 4000 sq ft, the Grade II listed house can comfortably be described as sprawling, as can the beautiful south-facing garden.

But let’s dive in to the details. For the romantics among you, the views are tremendous. Depending on which room and floor you’re on, you’ll likely be faced with views over a shimmering River Exe, or out onto the stunning gardens where roses grow with abandon.

For the pragmatists, the accommodation in brief comprises on the ground floor; two reception rooms, a hobbies room, utility, boot room and the kitchen/breakfast room with French doors opening onto a lovely covered patio overlooking the garden.

The first floor has a drawing room with wood-burning stove, a rear landing; currently used as a spacious study area and three bedrooms, including two with en suite facilities.

Stairs rise to the second floor where there are two further bedrooms and a shower room. One of the main features of the house is the South-facing walled garden; one of the largest in the town. There are a great number of mature shrubs and trees, a large level lawn with well stocked borders, an elegant kitchen garden and a pretty sunken

64 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

PROPERTY

rose garden with a covered seating area. A large patio sits adjacent to the house and accessed from the kitchen is a lovely covered area for sitting and outside dining. There are also a number of outbuildings including a greenhouse and good-sized potting shed.

Huge properties with huge gardens bang in the centre of Topsham don’t come on the market all that often. Ones this enchanting, almost never. n

HOUSE NUMBERS Guide price

£2,250,000

Where

Less than 0.5 miles from the train station and town centre

Bedrooms

5

Outside

Stunning South-facing garden, driveway parking and garage

For more

Wilkinson Grant, 72-73 Fore Street, Topsham; www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk

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JUST VISITING

© MAT T STRONGE

“Cry. Laugh. Dance.

And everything in between”

JONNY & THE BAPTISTS Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers of Jonny & the Baptists are wowing audiences with their joyful, funny show about grief. Ahead of their gig at Exeter Phoenix on 4 July, we chat about the importance of feeling your feelings – the silly, heart-warming way Hello! Tell us a bit about what can we expect from the show...

JD & PG: It’ll be a very joyful,

heart-warming experience of silly songs, stories and lots of laughs.

We’re just so glad to be allowed back on tour and to get to play in front of a crowd again.

Your performance seems to cover a lot of genres…

JD & PG: Usually our act is just

a load of funny songs, and in between we sort of bicker in a charming way – like an elderly married couple at the post office.

But this year it’s also a big thematic story about the last 18 months, about grief and loss, and coming back together and being back in the world.

What prompted you to put together a show about grief?

JD & PG: We were always going to

talk about it in our next show, even before the pandemic happened. It’s just become more pertinent and important to talk about how we handle grief and how we sometimes brush it under the carpet, at a time when everyone in the country had just gone through something very traumatic. If we can do it in a way that’s funny and heart-warming but also helpful in some way then we’re over the moon.

Through your own experiences what have you learnt about the grieving process?

JD: Feel your feelings! Don’t hide

from them. Britain is not the best

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nation at this, and as far as we’re concerned the ‘stiff upper lip’ system – denying to yourself how you really feel – is absolutely awful.

It’s done a huge amount of damage to a lot of people. So we say no more! Feel your feelings. Cry. Laugh. Dance. And everything in between.

PG: A big one has been trying to stop treating the grieving process as a straight line, and see it as more of a sort of...orb? It’s more of a space that you float around in, visiting lots of different parts, finding bits you’ve seen a thousand times and sometimes finding a corner you’ve never looked at before. You are always progressing by being within it, and you are always learning to understand it better. It’s not a ‘well I’ve done this bit, now I have to do this bit’, it’s far more irregular and chaotic and you have to do it at your own pace.

Should we be embracing the funny side of grief? Do you think we as a society aren’t adept at dealing with losing someone?

JD: Oh god, we’re not adept at all.

Especially men.

PG: Comedy and levity really thrive when they’re put slap bang next to something utterly tragic.

I think it’s in everyone’s nature to clad themselves in a bit of fun armour – like how we instinctively laugh when something so unbearably horrible happens that our body doesn’t quite know what to do until our mind catches up to it and can begin to process it.

Leaning into that as opposed to resisting it has been a real help.

What advice would you give to anyone going through the painful stages of grief? What has helped you?

PG: I have to constantly remind

myself that at any time I can just step back. I can walk away, or shut my eyes, or whatever it is to just briefly take stock of myself and re-approach the moment anew. It’s a good habit to get into. Also I’ve

spent quite a lot of money on hats I don’t need. That has also helped.

How did you two become a performing duo?

JD: We met at a wedding. I

couldn’t dance as I’d hurt my foot.

Paddy wouldn’t dance because he hates it. So we sat at a table and talked about music, comedy, politics, art, history and a lot of bollocks. We’ve been best friends ever since.

What do each of you bring to the stage?

JD: When I started out I was much

more a comic and Paddy was much more a musician but that’s blended so much over the years as we’ve learnt that it’s not true that we’re both equally both those things.

Have you found the lockdown has been a fruitful time creatively?

JD & PG: Good God no! Are

you kidding? Everyone’s lost and confused and scared and the world as we know it has changed forever. It’s far too overwhelming for anyone empathetic to do much other than just try to figure it out and get by.

What’s your favourite place in Exeter?

PG: Personally I love being on

that little bit of the quay where the swans live. I’m a huge fan of being in the middle of the venn diagram where beauty meets avian threat.

Lastly, who would play each of you in a movie about your life?

JD: Mary-Kate and Ashley

Olsen. And if they’re not free, the Winklevoss Twins.

PG: I’d say Liam and Chris Hemsworth. But they’d have to be in a place in their lives their loved ones might describe as ‘a tricky time’ for it to be in any way plausible. n

Jonny & the Baptists will be performing Dance Like it Never Happened on 4 July at Exeter Phoenix; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

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