Exeter Living - Issue 293

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!

TAKE ME

17 MARCH 2022 EXETER LIVING AWARDS

ISSUE 293 / LATE FEBRUARY 2022 / £3

ISSUE 293 / LATE FEBRUARY / STREET SPIRIT

WE

FORE STREET

THE EXETER STREET BURSTING WITH FORWARD-THINKING BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE DÉCOR COLOUR TRENDS TO INSPIRE

WONDER WOMEN

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY IN EXETER

INSIDE JOB

COOL, FRIENDLY CO-WORKING OFFICE SPACES IN THE CITY

© MARK SANDERS

EDITOR’S LETTER

ABOVE Alex Chandler-Zhu with Sunny, see

page 18; BELOW Green vases from Hyde & Seek, see page 26

H

ave you met Sunny, the gorgeous dog at No Guts No Glory? Made frilly knickers at The Glorious Art House Café? Attended a night of beautiful food and music at the tranquil Sacred Grounds Café?

Purchased the most comfortable undies at Sancho’s or witnessed coffee being made from scratch at Crankhouse Coffee?

In this issue, we pay homage to the businesses of Fore Street. We chatted to the fantastic, friendly teams who run these shops and cafés; the people who make this buzzy street the special place that it is. If you’ve only skimmed the surface of Fore Street, turn to page 18 and get stuck in.

Elsewhere, we go ga-ga for candycoloured interiors on page 32, drop in on the cool, quirky co-working spaces on page 43 (anyone fed up WFH, this is for you); and with International Women’s Day approaching (8 March), we take a look at the array of celebratory productions happening throughout March, see page 14. We also drop in on the haven that is Al Farid for some scrumptious meze. Enjoy! #ExeterTogether, always

HARRIET NOBLE

Follow us on Twitter @ExeterLiving Instagram @exeterlivingmag

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 3

Issue 293 / Late February 2022 COVER The team from The Glorious Art House Café: Becky Miller, owner Rosy Tydeman, and Daryl Lovell.

Image by Mark Sanders; www.marksanders.co.uk

THE BIG FEATURE

18 FORE YOUR EYES ONLY Meet the amazing teams behind

Fore Street’s businesses

26 EDITOR’S CHOICE An eclectic selection of goodies from

the shops on, you guessed it, Fore Street

REGULARS

7 SPOTLIGHT Exciting things are coming this way 8 JP HEDGE Isolating times, followed by yes days!

39 EDUCATION Victoria Bond has top advice on tutoring 40 SOCIETY Openings and exhibitions in the city 66 LIVES A nine-piece band are heading to Exeter

14

7

THE ARTS

11 ARTS A must-see film 12 WHAT’S ON Theatre, music, art and a bit of comedy 14 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Dance, theatre and

music – all celebrating women

16 BOOKS Charlie Richards has the latest page-turning

paperbacks to dive into

FOOD & DRINK

30 RESTAURANT Vibrant times at Al Farid

INTERIORS

32 ONLY HUE Fall in love with these colour trends

BUSINESS

43 CO-WORKING SPACES Fancy working in one of

these offices?

46 EXETERWORKS New businesses and stories from the local

business world

48 E XETER LIVING AWARDS 2022 It’s nearly time! Have you

got your ticket yet?

57 NEWS Hot property news and events 59 SHOWCASE A luxury apartment overlooking the quayside

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, Charlie Richards Commercial manager Paula Miller paula.miller@mediaclash.co.uk Production/ Distribution Manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy Production Manager/ Production Designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief Executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Exeter Living MediaClash, Carriage Court, 22 Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

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

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

© MAT T AUSTIN

PROPERTY

EXETER SCIENCE PARK Centre offers some of the best conference and co-working spaces in the Exeter area.

Board Room

Ideally located next to the A30, M5 and airport with excellent transport links to the City. There is plenty of parking available in the Park and Change car park right next door as well as an on-site café open from 8am – 4pm.

Conference Facilities:

Co-Working Space:

The high-specification modern conference suites and meeting rooms in the Exeter Science Park Centre are available for both tenants and visitors to book. With natural daylight and ventilation, free Wi-Fi, wireless streaming and state-of-the art audio visual equipment for online and hybrid events.

Our in-house catering team can provide everything you need for your event, whether it’s a breakfast meeting, a working lunch or a conference.

Prices start from £15.

Meeting Room

We have a large co-working space with access to bookable meeting rooms, the Science Park café and excellent Wi-Fi. There are various packages to choose from depending on how often you wish to book a desk.

Prices start from £11.

Seminar Room

Visit our website for our full list of facilities:

www.exetersciencepark.co.uk Or get in touch with us on 01392 249222 or contact@exetersciencepark.co.uk The Dome

SPOTLIGHT

The headline speakers have been announced for the annual Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival’s Spring Weekend taking place on 11and 12 March of this year.

The programme of events will include TV chef and food campaigner Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, journalist turned palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke, broadcaster and filmmaker David Olusoga OBE, and BBC Radio 4 Today presenter and broadcaster Justin Webb.

The weekend will also see the launch of the Festival’s Books for Kids 2022 fundraising campaign aimed at supporting literacy, something that has been impacted so badly due to Covid restrictions and lost school days. The Festival is asking people to donate anything from as little as £5 and it will give a free book to as many children as it can.

All the Spring Festival events will take place at St Peter’s Church, Budleigh Salterton; www.budlitfest.org.uk

© MAT T AUSTIN

LITERARY LINE-UP REVEALED

© DAN LUCAS

Festival

clockwise from top left: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Rachel Clarke, David Olusoga and Justin Webb

Leisure

ON POINT

The new leisure centre will have a private roof terrace with views over the city

© ECC

© ECC

© ECC

The finishing touches are being put in place for Exeter’s new leisure centre ahead of its longawaited opening this spring.

St Sidwell’s Point, located next to the new bus station, is the UK’s first leisure centre built to the super energy efficient Passivhaus standard.

It features an eight-lane, 25m main pool (with seating for 100 spectators) and a four-lane, 20m learner pool, both with moveable floors making learning to swim accessible to all who visit.

The leisure centre will also feature a 100-station gym, a designated free weights area plus group exercise zones – including an indoor cycling studio and two fitness studios.

Premium spa facilities include a hydro-bath, foot spa and hot beds, plus a salt vapour room, private bar and relaxation area, private roof terrace and a state-of-the-art sauna.

The new leisure centre will be run in-house by the Council’s Exeter Leisure team, which took over the running of the Council’s leisure centres in September 2020.

“It’s not long to go now – the leisure centre will be open in the spring and I can assure everyone that it will be well worth the wait,” says council leader Phil Bialyk. www.exeter.gov.uk

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OPINION JP HEDGE “I’m writing this on day two and the brain fog is extraordinary”

The domino effect The washing machine and dishwasher packed up simultaneously. Then JP and the whole family went down with Covid. It’s been an interesting time in the Hedge household…

I

t was time for a Yes Day – Covid style.

Even before the pandemic finally caught up with us, it had been an interesting few weeks.

My wife Stacey was involved in a car crash. All was as fine as could be, just the financial costs and logistics around the car being off the road.

Meanwhile in the kitchen the washing machine died within 24 hours of the dishwasher opposite it. I like to think it was a Romeo and Juliet situation. Both white goods couldn’t go on without the comforting soapy suds and domestic servitude of each other.

In between broken glasses and the boiler sounding like it was yodelling, we all caught Covid.

It knocked Stacey for six – like a bad flu. I’m writing this on day two and the brain fog is extraordinary. It’s nothing compared to what we could have faced.

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

I’m so pleased with how the children handled it. Covid for them was basically extra screen time and unlimited snacks. It was a world away from where this pandemic started.

In March 2020 I didn’t want my children to see me in a mask. I remember feeling so anxious about it and – so fearful of the longterm implications. How far we’ve come.

All of this was going on when I had the first big media and elected member preview of St Sidwell’s Point. I should have been with the team. Instead I was climbing the walls at home.

Just prior to our white goods and motor car mash up week, I also underwent a hospital procedure for sciatica. All went brilliantly, but I’m not a particularly good patient.

All in all, we had a bunch of everyday stuff and minor annoyances.

I don’t know about you, but I find these things tend to build if I am not careful.

What’s really odd is that the context of the past couple of years doesn’t seem to mitigate when little things come knocking.

We are all a million times better than we would have been without a vaccine.

And yet a four-year-old refusing to eat her Alphabites because there are no vowels left is still relatively annoying.

The only thing for it was to bring in the power of Yes. Working through white goods disaster and Covid with children around your ankles led to a battle rhythm of just saying no. No to snacks, not right now to playing, in a minute for watching something together. I even suggested Mollie should rely on invisible guests at her tea party. I know.

So Saturday was a Yes Day where subject to budget, health and safety, and now Covid isolation, the answer would be Yes to any requests.

It’s only the second one we’ve had and the power of their imaginations didn’t quite match the perception of freedom they felt.

We put up a tent in the living room. The dog had Snacko’s for breakfast. We wore our best clothes and watched Brave. The best part was their first request, no mobile phones for the day. It was just perfect and humbling.

I am so looking forward to factoring in more fun around Exeter when life gets fully back to normal again. During a work day one of the impacts of the pandemic is that I still consume news like a whale eats plankton. I could easily live in a state where the intricacies of Westminster or Covid are all known because I have digested the internet.

Over the next couple of months I’m going to let that go. I choose fun and family – especially in the context of what we have all experienced over the past two years.

And I can’t think of a better city to explore than Exeter. ■ 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 new clinic

L-R: Dannii & Fran with their scan

THUMBS UP FOR NEW FERTILITY CLINIC The BRISTOL CENTRE FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE (BCRM) has a state-of-the-art new premises

N

ewlyweds Dannii and Fran Thorington Neve, who are expecting their first baby in August, have given an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the new state-of-the-art fertility clinic just opened by Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM) at Aztec West.

The pair were among the first group of expectant couples to have a pregnancy scan at the clinic and have said they are “bowled over” by the new premises.

Fran, 34, said: “We were thrilled to see the scan of our baby, who is the result of our second round of IVF with BCRM. The whole thing is such an amazing experience, and we are incredibly excited about becoming parents.

“Dannii and I opted for reciprocal IVF, which means she is carrying my embryo, and we’re hoping – after a suitable interval – to be able to do it all over again with me carrying Dannii’s embryo next time, to provide a little brother or sister for this one.”

The couple, who married last July, both work for the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA, where Fran (34) is a vet and Dannii (38) is a veterinary operations manager, and they live in Totterdown in Bristol.

Fran said they are both very impressed by BCRM’s new premises.

“The new clinic has a lovely warm feeling to it: much more spacious and airy. It’s easily

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

Dannii & Fran on their wedding day

accessible, near the junction of the M4 and the M5, and there’s loads of free parking,” she said.

“Of course, we’re still being seen by the same wonderful BCRM nurses. They just have the nicest team of people there, who make you feel so special and well looked after.”

clinic has focused on enhancing the patient experience, as well as equipping them to treat a greater number of patients and to continue developing as a centre of excellence.

The Aztec West premises offers a very large consulting suite for patient appointments and a spacious waiting area which affords high levels of privacy and comfort for people coming through.

And with the latest technology, laboratories, equipment and treatment rooms for IVF and other fertility treatments, plus more energyefficient features and ultra-modern theatres, best-in-class care is assured.

BCRM treats heterosexual couples, same sex couples and single women, and can help with male as well as female fertility issues. The clinic has some of the best success rates in the country for IVF and the team is well-known throughout the fertility industry for the dedicated care and support they provide to patients throughout their whole fertility journey and treatment. ■

“THE NEW CLINIC HAS A LOVELY WARM FEELING TO IT” One of the longest-established fertility operators in the South West, the ever-increasing demand for BCRM’s services was a major driver in their relocation, and the planning for the new

For further details, please contact us: BCRM, 135 Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4UB; 0117 259 1159; contact@bcrm.clinic; www.fertilitybristol.com

THE ARTS 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

© ALTITUDE

The film is about love and loneliness in modern times

ALI & AVA

Enveloped in music, humour and emotion, ALI & AVA is a heartfelt love story written and directed by BAFTA-nominated Clio Barnard (The Arbor, The Selfish Giant) and starring Claire Rushbrook (Secrets and Lies) and Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions).

The contemporary story follows the friendship and romance of Ali and Ava set in less than perfect circumstances. Ali finds comfort in Ava’s warmth and kindness while Ava finds Ali’s complexity and humour irresistible. As the pair begin to form a deep connection they have to find a way to keep their newfound passion from being overshadowed by the stresses and struggles of their separate lives and histories.

The film been described as an essay in acceptance and love.

Ali & Ava is showing from 4-10 March at Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter;

www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 11

The ‘Muesum of The Moon’ exhibition is on at Exeter Cathedral

WHAT’S ON 18 February onwards

THEATRE/ SHOWS 22-26 February

SHEILA’S ISLAND Expect a sparkling, sharp-witted new comedy from writer Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots, The Band). Our intrepid heroines find themselves manufacturing weapons from cable ties and spatulas, and creating a rescue flag with plastic plates and a toasting fork. It’s been described as The Office meets Lord of the Flies meets Miranda.

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

23 February

LAVENDER A Marxist trainwreck who works in the cereal aisle. A Christian with an engagement ring and the voice of an angel. Devon. Surrounding them is 15 years of history. Conceived by a Torbay-based writer, this story seeks to protect LGBTQ+ histories both personal and political.

5.30pm, Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

1 March

BLACK IS THE COLOUR OF MY VOICE The acclaimed play follows singer Nina Simone as she seeks redemption after the untimely

death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

7.30pm, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

8-12 March

THE BALLAD OF MARIA MARTEN The Red Barn Murder (as it became known) was national news, inspiring writers and filmmakers down the ages. The gruesome tale had all the hallmarks of a classic crime drama – a missing body, a country location, a disreputable squire and a village stuck in its age-old traditions. Expect movement, music and storytelling for an evening of theatrical magic.

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

15-16 March

40 YEARS OF PHOENIX DANCE Phoenix Dance Theatre are delighted to launch an exciting programme to celebrate their milestone 40th birthday, bringing together an eclectic range of work from across the company’s illustrious history.

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

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

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

COMEDY 21 February

ROSS NOBLE: HUMOURNOID The genial comic’s on-stage credits include a whopping 16 nationwide comedy tours and his recent critically acclaimed performance as Igor in Mel Brooks’ West End revival of monster hit musical Young Frankenstein.

Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street; www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

2-3 March

STEWART LEE: SNOWFLAKE/ TORNADO A double-bill of two new 60 minute sets from the comic and writer. The first half, Snowflake, looks at how the Covid-Brexit era has impacted on the culture war between lovely snowflakes and horrible people. The second half, Tornado, questions Stew’s position in the comedy marketplace.

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

6 March

REGINALD D.HUNTER: BOMBE SHUFFLEUR Unafraid to tackle head-on the subjects the rest of us skirt around, the brutally funny and loveable louche takes audiences through

the unfolding meltdown of life as we know it. Buckle up for this unmissable hour of stand up from one of comedy’s true greats.

Exeter Corn Exchange, Market Street, Exeter; www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

8 March

I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUE BBC Radio’s multi award-winning antidote to panel games returns to the stage in 2022 with its sellout touring show. Join Jack Dee, Miles Jupp, Tony Hawks, Pippa Evans and Rory Bremner for an unmissable evening of inspired and silly nonsense.

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

MUSIC 20 February

THE RONNIE SCOTT’S SOHO SONGBOOK Featuring classic music from the jazz greats who have performed at Ronnie Scott’s, alongside narration and projected archive images and rare footage from the club, The Ronnie Scott’s Songbook is a glimpse into this unique world and its incredible history. Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter; www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

WHAT’S ON far left:

Reginald D.Hunter is providing the laughs at Exeter Corn Exchange; left: The Snow Beast will be performed at Exeter Phoenix

5-6 March

OI FROG & FRIENDS Join FROG, CAT and DOG in this Olivier Award nominated action-packed stage adaptation of Kes Gray and Jim Field’s bestselling books. Expect songs, puppets, laughs and more rhymes than you can shake a chime at.

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

16 March onwards

5 March

GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB Since their formation in early 2006, Gentleman’s Dub Club have made a name for themselves as one of the most respected names in dub music. Turn to page 66 for the full interview.

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

10 March

ALED JONES The classical world’s vocal powerhouse will be performing tracks from his album Blessings.

Expect a range of songs from different faiths – Quaker, Christian, Catholic, Muslim and Buddhism – including uplifting hymns, texts and scriptures set to music.

Exeter Cathedral, Exeter; www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

17 March

TANGERINE DREAM The cult electronic music group have remained on the cutting edge of experimental music.

Their groundbreaking record Phaedra, released in 1974, reached gold status in the UK, since then there have been more than 100 studio albums, over 60 film scores (Sorcerer, Thief, Risky Business, Legend…); the band have been nominated for a Grammy seven times. Not to be missed.

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

ART

Until 20 February

RANDOM KINDNESS AND SENSELESS ACTS OF BEAUTY EXHIBITION The exhibition space will be full of love. Expect themes of joy, kindness and comfort in the art on display, much of which will be for sale. The Glorious Art House Café (exhibition upstairs), 120 Fore Street, Exeter; www.thegloriousarthouse.com

Until 27 February

MUSEUM OF THE MOON The moon installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created

by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones. Check out the Under the Moon silent disco on 25 February. Exeter Cathedral; www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk

Until 29 May

IN PLAIN SIGHT: TRANSATLANTIC SLAVERY AND DEVON This exhibition explores the museum’s and Devon’s links with centuries of trading enslaved African people across the Atlantic. The exhibition investigates aspects of the transatlantic slave trade that are all around us, but for some remain ‘hidden in plain sight’.

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Queen Street, Exeter; www.exeterramm.admit-one.eu

FAMILY

21-25 February

FEBRUARY HALF TERM WITH PADDLEBOAT THEATRE This week of fun will guide youngsters (7-11 year-olds) through storytelling, puppetry, music, design, acting and directing. At the end of the week, friends and family will be welcomed into Exeter Phoenix’s auditorium to watch the children perform their show on stage. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

24 February

CANONTEIGN FALLS The beauty spot opens for the season; visitors can enjoy the waterfalls, lakes, adventure playgrounds, pretty café and gift shop. Things to look forward to this season include free entry to mums on Mother’s Day, Easter holiday children’s egg trail with prize and plenty more activities to keep whole family entertained.

Canonteign Falls, near Chudleigh; www.canonteignfalls.co.uk n

AND WATCH OUT FOR...

17 March 2022

MYTH, MAGIC AND MUSIC: TALES FROM AFRICA Renowned storyteller, Kwame, draws you into the mythological world of Anansi the spider. Join in drumming and singing and be enthralled as you discover how Anansi tricks his way through life.

40 minute sessions, RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter; exeterramm.admit-one.eu

EXETER LIVING AWARDS We cannot wait to invite hundreds of you back to our extra-glam redcarpet extravaganza. There are sponsorship opportunities ready to be snapped up too. To find out more, contact paula.miller@ mediaclash.co.uk or harriette. dixon@mediaclash.co.uk.

For more, see page 48. www.exeterlivingawards.co.uk

24 February

24 March

THE SNOW BEAST Test tubes bubble, experiments explode and new inventions whirr for the Science Academy’s Final Exams.

But Faina’s got a problem… her project has unexpectedly burst into flames! This show is a captivating collision of storytelling, original music and interactive science experiments which will inspire budding scientists of all ages. Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter; www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

PROPERTY SYMPOSIUM: SUSTAINABILITY A new arm of our annual Exeter Property Awards, the Property Symposium is an online conference full of dynamic, powerful insights about property and sustainability.

For more, see page 57. www.exeterpropertyawards.com/ property-symposium

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 13

Ruth Mitchell discovered both sad and joyful stories

CENTRE STAGE I was talking with my producer Fiona about what to do next and for some reason we talked about women between the ages of 45-65. I had found some audience data that said the biggest group of people buying theatre tickets were women in that age group. They keep going to the theatre but don’t see their stories so I wanted to rectify that in a small way.

Can you tell us about the demographics of the women you chatted to?

fellow performer Grace Adenubi play all the different women, as well as parts of our own stories. Sometimes we start a story and an audio of the real person will take over, plus we have Justine, who is Deaf and we show a video of her telling her story using sign language and captioning.

“They keep going to the theatre but don’t see their stories”

We partnered with Fawcett Plymouth, the Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council and the Plymouth Sunflower Centre and through these organisations we spoke to a wide range of women from different walks of life. So within the performance you will hear stories of invisibility because of race, disability, age and gendered bias both in the family and the workplace.

How will it be performed?

The show is mainly storytelling, myself and my

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

Grace Adenubi will be performing alongside Ruth Mitchell

Through the interviewing process, were there any surprises?

I went into this project thinking that women would tell me their stories of feeling invisible as they got older, through retirement or that empty nest syndrome when children leave home.

However, a lot of women revealed that they had felt invisible all their lives and sometimes within their own families. I have to say this was not what I expected so yes, that was surprising.

Any common themes that emerged?

Well, families for many reasons from gendered bias, to abuse of many sorts. Inequality in the workplace is a common theme as well.

© ELIZ ABETH ORCUT T

Ruth, what inspired you to create this piece?

© ELIZ ABETH ORCUT T

During lockdown, theatre maker Ruth Mitchell interviewed over 20 women who have felt ‘invisible’ in society. She wanted to hear their stories and make them seen and heard. The result is Invisible Other, which comes to Exeter Phoenix on 13 March...

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Justine Smyth is a BSL counsellor Living Options Devon

Five minutes with Justine Smyth, one of the women featured in Invisible Other

© ELIZ ABETH ORCUT T

Can you give us a glimpse into your story…

My story was about who I am. I was born Deaf and growing up I felt different, excluded and not counted for. Being Deaf meant that I could not hear what was going on in our society, every day. I could never hear everyday information, stories and gossips. I could say it felt like I had a goldfish bowl over my head and it can be lonely. Being Deaf and a woman, it is twice as invisible as many others.

What was the process of being interviewed like?

It opened up another dilemma but confirmed how and why I feel different from everyone else. It was very powerful too.

How will the audience experience your story?

I used BSL because I wanted to be seen visually and how we want to be heard.

What would you like others to understand about people who are Deaf?

I want others to see that we are just the same as everyone else but unfortunately, we don’t fit in with society. We have tried and we don’t give up. It’s society that has a problem with us.

What are you hoping people will take away from hearing your story?

We want to thrive to be someone and we want to achieve great things but we can’t do that if you don’t accept us as part of our society.

More events in March celebrating women...

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY IS ON 8 MARCH

Can you give us a flavour of some of the joyous stories that you heard?

We talked to Kathy who, at retirement age, was urged to stand for the president of a national teaching union. She did and became president and, of course, it changed her life for ever.

Just watching the promotional view on your website was moving – do you want your piece to encourage important conversations? Was this your ambition?

It is interesting to ask what my ambition was because until I had gathered the material I didn’t know what I was playing with or what the impact of these stories would be, I just wanted to hear ordinary women’s stories. I think the audience warm to them because they can see the familiar within them, they can see themselves. I hope it’s heart-warming for this reason.

For the women involved, to hear their stories onstage with up to a hundred people listening and reacting, that is a very powerful thing and it had a tremendous effect on those who came to see it in Plymouth last year. It just magnifies that we should be hearing more stories like these. n

14 March

WHAT SHE SAID CELEBRATING PIONEERING WOMEN IN MUSIC Five musicians explore their record collections and chose a work from a female composer from the last 100 years to translate through their own voice.

From unknown women fundamental to the big band scene of the 30s, to renowned artists like Nina Simone, Alice Coltrane, Joni Mitchell and Bjork, What She Said pays tribute to these pioneering women.

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

20 March

KHAOS Chhaya Collective presents KHAOS, a celebration about what it is to be woman; drawing on ancient stories and oppressive archetypes to bring audiences of all ages a highly energetic, stirring and visceral dance performance that rejects order in favour of complexity and chaos. Expect evocative choreography that seems to compel audiences to dance in the aisles and out into the streets.

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

Khaos will be a highly energetic performance

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 15

BOOKS CHARLIE RICHARDS

© KILL A FR AMEZ

S Charlie Richards There is a deluge of fantastic new paperbacks out.

Charlie has all the top recommendations...

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houts to team Bookbag this week, who’ve been all over town with a stellar series of community events including author talks, online book group Lit Nights, a few pop-up bookshops and open-mic Burns Night poetry at Bookbag by Night. Shouts also to everyone who shops for books here because this has enabled us to program and subsidise these events, mostly with free entry (or v. cheap), and bring people together, which we really want to be able to do. So, thanks.

Now to books. A slew of fresh-outin-paperback includes Deborah Levy’s Real Estate, the third of her Living Autobiography trilogy, which Levy began writing after leaving her marriage and family home in her fifties. She reflects on being a woman and a writer in this later phase of life; wryly exploring living, creativity, finances and whether a woman ever really owns her home. Patricia Lockwood’s scroll-hole of a book No One Is Talking About This describes entering ‘the portal’ (social media) and this flow makes up the first half of the novel. The jacket says, ‘it’s about what happens when real life collides with the increasing absurdity of a world accessed through a screen’ and this just about sums it up. The writing is funny and poignant, it was shortlisted for all the awards, and is worth reading.

A book our whole team loved from last year is Open Water, by Caleb Azumah Nelson.

A young couple meet at the wrong time – she is in a relationship with his friend – and their developing love is heavy with the weight of these circumstances.

The writing shines with joy, and pain, with love and youth. An exceptional book.

After the popularity of the Writing Back

series last year, which celebrated pioneering books from Black Britain, writer Bernardine Evaristo has selected a second series and this time around has chosen non fiction.

My Fathers Daughter (2005) journeys with writer Hannah-Azieb Pool from Britain to Eritrea after she discovers, in her twenties, that her birth father and family are alive, unraveling everything she thought she knew about her life. Britons Through Negro Spectacles (1909) by writer and barrister A. B. C. Merriman-Labor is a social commentary on life in Britain then, told with a ‘mischievous glint in the author’s eye’.

Considering it was written over 100 years ago the writing is as fresh as a daisy!

Barbara Blake Hannah tells of her life in the swinging sixties, of music, stars and travelling, of becoming the first black TV journalist and the fallout from that in Growing Out (2016).

Poet Amryl Johnson’s Sequins For A Ragged Hem (1988) is a bittersweet journey home through the Caribbean and full of its people, beginning with a wonderful description of carnival in Trinidad.

Finally to the children’s section and we’ll give you an oldie, because we’ve just reread this at home and it’s quite possibly one of the best books, ever. Holes, by Louis Sachar, is the story of Stanley, sent to a detention centre in the Texas Desert where he’s set an impossible task, involving spending his days digging holes. Full of satisfying twists, and a fable-like outcome which will have you agreeing with me on the outlandish statement of ‘one of the best books ever’, whatever your age.

Charlie Richards is the co-owner of Bookbag, 7-10, McCoy’s Arcade, Exeter; uk.bookshop.org/shop/bookbag

“A book our whole team loved from last year is Open Water, by Caleb Azumah Nelson”

Open 8.30am - 5pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am - 1pm Sat Also stockist for MIELE, BOSCH, HOTPOINT, LEC, ZANUSSI

Reach the best in the west Affluent, active and influential and just a call away

Contact Paula 07563 529772

FORE REAL

© HAYLEY MAKER

Take a walk down fabulous Fore Street...

By Harriet Noble

I

STREET LIFE

f you’re looking for community spirit it is right here on Fore Street, and by the bucket load. The volume of independents in this patch of the city is phenomenal – and they are all fantastic and unique in their own right.

Look at these businesses collectively though, and you’ll see common threads running through them, like a strong entrepreneurial spirit and the emphasis on sustainability and collaboration. As we found out, these neighbouring businesses are each other’s cheerleaders too.

Here we chat to some of the friendly faces behind Fore Street’s businesses…

“People wanted a bit of luxury during lockdown and we had our best year yet” explains Dave.

Descend the steps into the Crankhouse warehouse and you’ll see that big coffee making machine whirring and grinding up the coffee beans, huge sandbags piled up all around and Dave himself, a cheerful, friendly Willy Wonka of sorts, beanie and headphones on, happily running the ship; the coffee dream come true.

Loving Fore Street: “So hard to choose, everyone’s great but Rob from Hardy Cycles, Hops and Crafts are amazing as are The Flat.”

Crankhouse Coffee, 130 Fore Street; www.crankhousecoffee.co.uk

CRANKHOUSE COFFEE

NO GUTS NO GLORY

The coffee roastery (and soon to be training school) is owned and run by Dave Stanton. Dave’s home-brewed coffee is sold upstairs in Basement 130 Café and also online.

For Dave, making coffee was something of a calling. “I got into coffee through cycling, when I was living in Australia,” he says.

“I fell in love with the coffee industry and felt this was just something I had to do.”

Passionate about creating great coffee, he threw himself into learning the craft and hasn’t looked back since. He reached out to local communities (“the coffee scene is very friendly”), went on courses, did extensive research, and practised endlessly. Like so many entrepreneurs before him, Dave started his business from his garage, testing different coffee-making methods before taking out £25,000 from the mortgage to buy the proper coffee-making kit (“I have a very supportive partner!” he jokes) before setting up shop on Fore Street in October 2019.

Today, it’s a booming business and one that has grown exponentially.

During Covid, their online sales increased by a whopping 400 per cent; in 2021 alone they shifted 12 tonnes of coffee.

Crankhouse Coffee dudes: Dave Stanton and Jack Kiff

The store sells houseplants and homeware pieces, and is owned

by Alex Chandler-Zhu. This pretty store sells houseplants, plus they’ve got the expert horticultural advice to go with it. Their homeware pieces are equally popular – their homemade ceramics and macramé hangings fly off the shelves – and they also do picture framing downstairs. It’s that kind of place.

The shop has been going since 2009 but Alex bought the business in August 2020 after finishing his business management degree at the University of Exeter.

“The business has a real emphasis on slow, sustainable living and this really aligned with my own interests and ethos,” he says.

“We sell things that are made to last.”

Part of the allure is the warm welcome from Alex and his team, including the gorgeous golden doodle, Sunny, who can be found most days hanging out and chatting with the customers.

Loving Fore Street: “People from the surrounding businesses pop into to borrow a ladder or guillotine all the time. It’s really nice.

Special shout to The Press House who give Sunny puppicinno’s.”

No Guts No Glory, 125 Fore Street, Exeter ww.ngng.co.uk

© MARK SANDERS

“I fell in love with the coffee industry”

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STREET LIFE THE GLORIOUS ART HOUSE CAFÉ

Rosy Tydeman owns this café, which also has an exhibition space and workshop area upstairs, plus a courtyard garden.

Imagine you’re on holiday in Mexico, it is sunny and Frida Kahloinspired colours are all around you – that is the feeling of being inside the Glorious Art House Café.

Menu favourites include their chorizo, hummus and cheddar baguette, and their glorious hot chocolate – if it’s after 11am, you can even have a shot of Baileys, Cointreau or Kahlúa in it.

Upstairs in the gallery space, there are regular themed exhibitions featuring local artists, and Rosy also runs regular arts and crafts workshops; you can even learn how to make a pair of frilly knickers here.

Loving Fore Street: “Fore Street is very special,” says Rosy.

“There is a buzz here, creativity and lots of support,” The Glorious Art House Café, 120 Fore Street; www.thegloriousarthouse.com

ALWAYS IN COLOUR

© MARK SANDERS

A cool and contemporary men’s fashion retail store owned by Andy Morrall.

“After the creation of Flatspot [in Ivybridge] 27 years ago, in 2017 we decided to start Always In Colour as our contemporary retail space focusing on construction, fit, ecology and most of all quality,” says store manager Michael Kedjanyi.

“Our USP is being Exeter’s independent men’s fashion retailer dedicated to curating a unique selection of high-end premium menswear and homeware.”

Keep an eye out for these guys, they’ll be at the Fore Street Flea Market and have collaborative events in the works for this year.

Always in Colour, Unit 1, City Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter; www.alwaysincolour.com

above: No Guts No Glory owner Alex Chandler-Zhu;

below: Becky Miller, owner Rosy Tydeman and Daryl

Lovell from The Glorious Art House Café

PULLO

© MARK SANDERS

Wine, cider and cheese shop owned by Mirjam Mymalm and Alex Fitton.

Pullo has long been a favourite for the Exeter wine, cider and cheese enthusiast, and last year saw them move from Paris Street to Fore Street.

© MARK SANDERS

COMING SOON

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Chloe Farrant “Reconstructive Memory” Exhibition 1-6 MARCH This exhibition at the Glorious Art House Café explores how, through the passage of time, cherished memories become fragmented and realms of memory and imagination that were once distinct become blurred. This work was created using a mixture of observational and imagined processes through a time of loss.

The owners are passionate about sustainable agriculture, and how and where they source their cheese and wine from. In fact, they don’t source any products which have chemicals in them; the wines and cider are all made through natural fermentation and from businesses who care about the environment.

“We’re pretty nerdy about it,” says Alex.

“We have really close relationships with the teams who make the wine and cider. We’ve been in the vineyards, watched how it’s made, taken part in the harvest, it’s really important to us.”

It’s popular as a place where people drop into pre-theatre for a glass of wine or after supper to share a cheeseboard with friends or indulge in a cheese cider rarebit (“indulgent, boozy, very popular” says Alex).

More than that, it’s a sociable hotspot for foodies in the city. Their next tasting events are on 9 march and 6 April. Make speed with booking, they always sell out.

Pullo, 137 Fore Street, Exeter; www.pullo.shop

© MARK SANDERS

THE PRESS HOUSE

above: Pullo owners Mirjam Mymalm and Alex Fitton;

below: The Press House duo Dan and Melissa Lockhart

A letterpress studio come coffee shop run by Melissa and Dan Lockhart that arrived in October 2020.

The glossy off-black walls and gold typography oozes chic, artisan vibes; this is one good-looking café.

The Press House is a unique kind of business too – it’s home to the café but also Melissa’s print business, where she makes and sells letterpress goods like wedding invitations.

In fact, if you walk through the café you’ll find a room to your left where Melissa’s creates her pieces; you can actually watch her work.

The dynamic duo behind this business have an enviable combined skill set that has seen them onto a big winner here. Melissa manages the finances and is the in-house chef while the redevelopment of the place is mostly down to Dan who, with his background in renovations, did all the handiwork himself.

There’s a changing menu but you can expect the likes of hot drinks like Matcha white chocolate, butterfly and ginger; and foodie treats like grilled peach, whipped vanilla cream and salted caramel pancakes.

Look out for the Star Wars paraphernalia dotted throughout.

Loving Fore Street: “I used to come to Fore Street as a teenager,” says Melissa. “It was the place to go for independents. This is the most creative area in Exeter.”

The Press House, 132 Fore Street, Exeter; www.thepresshouse.co.uk

© MARK SANDERS

“This is the most creative area in Exeter”

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SANCHO’S

A sustainable fashion store selling clothing, jewellery, accessories and homeware, owned by Kalkidan Legesse.

In the quest to be ethical and sustainable, it’s probably fair to say most of us our followers. Sancho’s, however, are leaders.

Owner Kalkidan Legesse and the team live and breathe their mission: to work towards making the fashion industry fair and safe – and to make that fashion accessible for the shopper. Head to the website and you can search for products by values – there’s vegan gifting, mid and plus size, unisex, Black-owned brands, zero-waste brands, organic cotton clothing, natural beauty, recycled materials, artisan and pay it forward.

Sancho’s is another Fore Street business that does roaring trade online (they experienced a 380 per cent increase in sales in 2020) and through their website and social channels, they don’t just simply shift products – they open up important discussions about fashion, race, and sustainability.

It’s not difficult to see why that they’ve won every award going, are featured and celebrated in the national press regularly, and have over 37k followers on Instagram.

The other big draw about Sancho’s is the focus on comfort. From their bras to their period pants to their loungewear, this is a business that has the wellbeing of the customer – and the planet – front and centre.

Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street; www.sanchosshop.com

THE FLAT

Vegetarian and vegan pizza restaurant run by Pietro Chiereghin and Chloe Whipple.

The best-selling pizza currently topping the charts in this restaurant is the Holy Calzone, which is jam-packed with goodness including vegan chorizo, roasted peppers, lentils and sun-dried tomatoes. Also popular is their deli board, which will treat you to warm focaccia bread, with a selection of pickles, cheese and dips, garnished with rocket. “We will

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Sancho’s team: Aoife Littlejohn, owner Kalkidan Legesse, and Roberta Juxon-Keen

be getting some truffles from our fab new business neighbours Truffle Hounds to upgrade our mini chocolate selection dessert,” says Chloe.

The Flat, 124 Fore Street, Exeter; www.theflatexeter.co.uk

SOAP DAZE

Owner Sharon mitchell makes and sells eco-friendly soaps and other health and beauty bits.

“Prior to doing this, I had worked in a chemistry lab for 15 years so making soap was something I found really interesting,” says Sharon.

“We moved into the shop 10 days before the first lockdown in March, so it was really really hard. Fortunately our website and wholesale stockists pulled us through.”

“The street is so special! It survived the Blitz, and is seeping in history, and full of character.

‘Our building used to be part of Bill Greenhalgh’s music shop. Lots of my friends were in bands when I was a teen so I had already spent considerable time in the shop.”

This year will see the business developing a new perfume range.

Loving Fore Street: “I’m blown away by Bookbag as Charlie has recommended the most awesome books for me, it’s uncanny.”

Soap Daze, 126 Fore Street, Exeter; www.sopadaze.com

FROCKS IN SWING TIME

Vintage fashion, with a personal shopping service run by Hayley and Gary Shaw.

One of the most cheerful looking shops in town. Expect swing dresses and gorgeous Great Gatsby dresses for evening glamour.

Loving Fore Street: “I love Bunyip for all my craft/sewing materials, Gary loves the Belt Makers for their handmade belts and we both love going to The Glorious Arthouse for after work drinks on a Saturday,” says Hayley.

Frocks in Swing Time, 151-152 Fore Street, Exeter; www.frocksinswingtime.com

© MARK SANDERS

“Sancho’s are leaders”

STREET LIFE

© MARK SANDERS

TRUFFLE HOUNDS

Sell homemade artisan chocolate bars and truffles, and is owned by Paula Raer and Oliver Meyer.

Fans of sweet treats will know the team here. Paula owned The Lin Den on North Street, a fully vegan patisserie, and Ollie had his own chocolate shop in McCoy’s Arcade, called House of M. Last year they decided to team up and open a place together that brings something different to the Exeter food scene. Bars and truffles are their mainstay but they create all sorts of baked goods including vegan croissants and Danish pastries. Check out their Instagram page and get ready to drool.

“We’re both very excited to be a part of the independent scene around Fore Street, and we love collaborating with other indies; so far we have made two chocolate bars in collaboration with Crankhouse Coffee and The House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle,” says Paula.

Loving Fore Street: “Fore Street is home to the best businesses in town and while we both have our individual favourites, one we can always agree on as being the best is The Flat. Best pizza in the country!”

Truffle Hounds, 111-113 Fore Street, Exeter; @trufflehoundsexeter left: Artisan chocolates from Truffle Hounds; below: Fore Street Flea in full swing

FORE STREET FLEA

© THEO MOYES

When: 6 March, 27 March, 8 May, 10 July, 11 Sep,

20 Nov (all Sundays) from 12-4pm.

This is an amazing community-led regular market. Expect loads of food and drink, all the local cafés and restaurants are open and there’s an eclectic mix of bric-a-brac, handmade items, artwork, street food, farmers market and vintage stuff.

There’s always a great atmosphere and most of the shops on Fore Street come out onto the road to take part in the event.

“The Flea is a vibrant gathering of all sorts of people from around the city,” says organiser Lottie Stanley.

“It has a fantastic atmosphere and you’ll always find something interesting there! It is well loved by everyone and continues to be well supported by the community in Exeter. www.marketsinexeter.co.uk

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STREET LIFE MCCOYS ARCADE SACRED GROUNDS

Café owned by Hayley and Nathan Maker that serves up plantbased, innovative and fresh food that changes seasonally.

“Everything about Sacred Grounds is pretty special, from our location within an historic arcade, to our beautifully prepared food and drinks.” says Hayley. “We have our small seasonal menu we play with what plant-based cooking can be.”

“Sacred Grounds proudly crafts everything in-house, including our nut butters and artisan syrups proudly made in our tiny kitchen by our team of wonderful individuals. We’re always innovative, with the food and flavours that come from our kitchen. We’re famous for great food and in particular our vegan “egg” which is the real star of the show!

We also run on green energy and produce as little waste as possible by adopting a circular approach to cooking.”

Sacred Grounds, McCoys Arcade, Fore Street; www.therealmccoy.co.uk Pretty Sacred Grounds

McCoys Arcade has long been a favourite spot for Exeter shoppers © HAYLEY MAKER

THE REAL MCCOY

NIGHT-TIME FEASTS AT SACRED GROUNDS “From May to September we’ll be opening up for evenings at the weekend with an exquisite menu of small plates, natural wines and negronis, so guests can experience Sacred Grounds by night,” says Hayley.

“From May, we’ll also see the return of our hugely popular supper-club Provenance, this once-a-month event showcases some unusual produce from selected local suppliers, creatively prepared by our team of talented chefs. Expect a five-course tasting menu paired with natural wines and cocktails.” Check their webiste for details for all events.

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A treasure trove vintage clothing store in Exeter with iconic status, owned by Jo Greenwood.

“The Real McCoy first opened in 1980s amid the first wave of anti fashion culture,” says Jo. “We’ve certainly had our share of celebrities in over the years but what we love are the loyal customers that have been using us for decades and then the parents delightedly bringing their teens in to show off where they shopped at their age, but best of all are the new customers who find us everyday and claim us as their new favourite store.

“Probably one of the things we’re best known for is our vintage Levi’s under £30!” Other jewels to be found here are vintage dresses, 80s and 90s fashion and a coveted cashmere jumper rack.

“I feel very lucky being here over 30 years and watching the street evolve and grow up to be the thriving independent hub it is today.”

Loving Fore Street. “I am a big fan of shopping locally, I think Bracket interiors is probably one of my faves.”

The Real McCoy, 21 McCoys Arcade, Fore Street; www.therealmccoy.co.uk

© HAYLEY MAKER

HOPS AND CRAFTS

Craft beer shop owned by Chris Harper “Having moved from the US where the craft beer boom had been going on for more than a decade, I was frustrated that I couldn’t regularly get the kind of beer that I wanted to drink here in Exeter,” says Chris.

“So with my daughter starting school and my days as a stay-at-home dad numbered, I decided to open Hops and Crafts to bring a better range of beer to the people of Exeter.”

The craft beer shop offers over two hundred beers from the UK, Belgium and beyond and Chris prides himslef on selling stuff you won’t find in the supermarkets.

“It feels like everyone down here is doing something they really care about. This isn’t a street with time clocks and staff uniforms. This is a place where people are sharing their passions and personalities through their shops and products.”

Loving Fore Street: “Taunton Leisure, The House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle, Crankhouse Coffee and Bookbag are probably my most frequented stops, but since I’ve got two kids, I find myself in Jelly and Thomas Moore a fair amount, too.”

18-19, McCoys Arcade, Fore Street; www.hopsandcrafts.co.uk

BOOKBAG

Independent book shop run by Charlie and Malcom Richards, opened up in 2021.

Since opening last year, the indie book shop have thrown themselves in to the community; Charlie writes a regular book column in this magazine (page 16), and they host regular literary events attracting big authors.

“Bookbag’s programming is a tentative mix of on and offline, although we stream as much as possible for those who can’t make it,” says Charlie.

“Sometimes in the shop, and sometimes in the arcade space with Sacred Grounds providing refreshments.

“We recently held an open mic poetry night Bookbag by Night for Burns night (whisky and hot chocolate, tables pushed back, rugs on the floor, lights dimmed) – so look out for these in the future.

“Our book group Lit Nights meets online roughly every six weeks, and March’s book is The Manningtree Witches.

“Coming up in April we’re looking forward to Maria Sevilla Paris, a Catalan poet who will perform to music, in an event co-hosted by Barcelona City of Literature and Exeter City of Lit. n 7-10, Mccoys Arcade, Fore Street; www.bookbag.shop

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BASKETS, £10, AND ORGANIC PUMPKIN SEEDS, POA The plastic-free food, lifestyle and interiors store is teeming with goodies – pictured here are organic pumpkin seeds and baskets but you can also pick up many household items – a must for anyone trying to move away from filling their home with plastic.

From My Zero Lifestyle, 127 Fore Street, Exeter; myzerolifestyle.co.uk

SACRED SETTING SUN BY @DRAWSIGNDO, ASH FRAME, FLOAT MOUNTED, FROM £125 This colourful yet zen artwork perfectly captures the image of glowing reflections of the setting sun, reminding us of the need to rest and observe the changing landscape before movement.

From Sacred Grounds Café, McCoys Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter; www.sacredgrounds.co

FORE, FORE, FORE!

How do you like it? How do you like it?! Here is an eclectic selection of goodies you can pick up on the fabulous Fore Street

OTOPIAN BEER, POA There are more than 200 different beers in this craft beer shop but you could opt for one brewed in Devon, like this one shown here – a Bavarian Helles style lager which promises a crisp, clean finish.

From Hops and Crafts, 18-19, McCoys Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter; www.shop.hopsandcrafts.co.uk

HUGH MANSON HOLY, £3,999 Handmade by world-renowned luthier Hugh Manson (also director at Mansuns guitar shop), this guitar features an impressive holed body, aptly named the “Holy”. Whilst the dazzling construction of this guitar is incredibly eye-catching, its sound and feel steals the show.

From Mansuns Guitar Shop, McCoys Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter; www.mansons.co.uk VETRA WORKWEAR JACKETS, £160 Crafted from 100 per cent organic cotton twill these jackets are inspired by archive classics and traditional workwear designs, turning military and utilitarian ties into wearable high-end fashion. We love them.

From Always in Colour, Unit 1, City Arcade, Fore Street; www.alwaysincolour.com

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CHEESE SELECTION, £10 A small selection of cheese for one or two people, which varies depending on what the team at Pullo have got in stock. You can tell them what cheese makes you happy or they can choose for you.

From Pullo, 137 Fore Street, Exeter; www.pullo.shop

ED’S CHOICE 1920S FLAPPER DRESS, £109 This flapper features an intricate art deco hand design with thousands of glass beads and sequins. Cocktails and jazz here we come!

From Frocks in Swing Time, 151-152 Fore Street, Exeter; www.frocksinswingtime.com

JOY SOAP ON A ROPE, £10 & WASH BAG, BRETON, £18 Part of the harmony collection, this wrapped joy soap on a rope is vegan, palm oil-free and a completely natural soap.

The pretty wash bag has a cotton exterior and has a white waterproof lining.

Both from Soap Daze, 126 Fore Street, Exeter; www.soapdaze.com

PEPITA DASHKA PANTS IN GREEN FLORAL PRINT, £47.95 These trousers are made from a super soft and comfy bamboo and certified organic cotton jersey blend. Style with a sweatshirt, jacket and trainers or boots for a cool day time look.

From Sancho’s, 117 Fore Street, Exeter; www.sanchosshop.com

POTR SELF-WATERING ORIGAMI POT, £12 These pots arrive flat pack, through your letter box, origami style and are from 100 per cent recycled materials. With a semitransparent frosted finish, it's easy to see when your plants are getting thirsty as the reservoir depletes, taking the guesswork out of watering.

From No Guts No Glory, 125 Fore Street, Exeter; www.ngng.co.uk

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B

ordering Cathedral Green, stands a trio of Grade-II listed buildings called the Three Gables, and housed in one of these whitewash historical structures is the independently owned Arabian restaurant called Al Farid. However, don’t let the cool, calm exterior fool you… serving Moroccan and Lebanese cuisine from midday until late, as soon as you enter you are transported to the Middle East.

Warm lighting exudes from the many shapes and angles of lanterns on the ceiling, reflecting off the incredible imposing yet ornate silver and glass furniture.

The ground floor and second floor offer low coffee tables with sofa and bench seating, while the first floor restaurant boasts elaborate dining tables and tall thronelike chairs making you feel like Arabian royalty.

Every inch of the walls is adorned in colour, from the draped fabrics, shiny accessories, fairy lights, warm paint hues or art work. Even before you have put a morsel near your mouth, you will have had a feast for the eyes.

While we diverted our gaze towards the large and varied menu of starters, meze dishes, mains, tagines and set menu options, Richard, who has been managing the restaurant for three years, explained how best to enjoy the offering between our two hungry tums. To awaken our taste buds and whet our appetite, we sipped on their recommendation of the homemade rose water lemonade and some incredibly moreish hummus with grilled flatbreads.

My dining partner and I somehow agreed amicably on four meze dishes to share, out of the many options, along with one tagine. As we caressed our fingers round the last morsels of hummus (don’t judge, we ran out of flatbread…). we moved on to our meze dishes of Persian chargrilled chicken shish (chargrilled lemon and saffron marinated chicken skewers), aubergine moussaka (layers of grilled aubergine, sweet potato, tomato and Maghrabian cheese served with tomato sauce), Moroccan fishcakes (not a potato in sight) and beetroot salad topped with tzatziki (cool and fresh).

With a full restaurant and nice buzz on our mid-week evening visit, we nattered and noshed our way through our meze selection. Then it was tagine time, and as per their recommendation of fall-off-the-bone meat, we had

AL FARID

A tagine’s throw from the historic Exeter Cathedral, Lauren Heath finds herself in another world, delving into Lebanese and Moroccan meze amidst a mosaic of interiors

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RESTAURANT

“The flavours were singing in harmony” to opt for the lamb tagine – aromatic slow-cooked lamb shank spiced with turmeric, cumin, cardamom, onions and garlic, cooked with root vegetables, and we opted for couscous on the side.

Having not really properly delved into this cuisine myself before, I was really surprised and impressed by the balance of all the herbs and spices. Everything was so flavoursome from the incredible deep and rich tomato sauce on the tender moussaka to the perfect warmth and coriander freshness of the fishcakes. The tagine had a wonderful back note of all the flavours singing in harmony on the palate.

Now, I can eat…and I must admit being advised to share a main left me sceptical and worried about being left with hunger pangs at departure. I needn’t have worried though, as I was surprisingly full after what we had shared. Having asked if there was room for dessert however, we declared our ‘dessert stomach’ was available and we put our steps in to make room as we ventured downstairs to the ground floor (ok so not quite the 10,000 daily recommendation) where we enjoyed traditional pistachio baklava with Moroccan fresh mint tea and Moroccan coffee.

This vibrant restaurant has been open for an impressive 21 years; the current executive chef proprietor, Reza Habibi and his wife Azadeh, have been involved from the early days and bought the business 12 years ago.

Together they have cultivated a very welcoming venue that caters for a variety of dietary requirements with plenty of options clearly marked for carnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and those who prefer gluten free.

They happily host gatherings and special occasions on the upper floors so it’s a great venue for celebrations, with tasty morsels to suit all palates and appetites.

What better way to come together with your friends or family than sharing this tantalising cuisine whilst immersing yourselves in the hustle and bustle that imparts the feel of a Moroccan market. It’s the perfect authentic dining experience to escape from the everyday. n

DINING DETAILS Al Farid, 3 Cathedral Yard, Exeter EX1 1HJ; www.alfaridrestaurant.co.uk Food options Meze, tagine and shish dishes.Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available Prices Starters and meze from £6.50, mains from £14.95, desserts £6.95 Atmosphere Relaxed dining with a vibrant ambience; perfect place for sharing dishes.

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Blue farmhouse dining table, £1,895, Farmhouse Table Company; www. farmhousetablecompany.co.uk

HERE’S LOOKING

AT HUE

Fresh, light colours and rich, warming shades – here’s our pick of the on-trend colour pieces of the season 32 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

INTERIORS

THE SWEETEST THING Be led by the rainbow of confectionery Love Hearts: light, sweet shades in pinks, yellows and whites

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2 10

4

1

5 6

8

7

9 1. French Farmhouse Table, £1,650, Farmhouse Table Company; www.farmhousetablecompany.co.uk 2. Pale pink ceramic jug, £35, Toot Garouk; www.tootgarook.co.uk 3. Yellow metal stool, £55, Bøde Living; www.bode-living.com 4. Zachary table lamp, £154, Amos Lighting & Home; www.amoslighting.co.uk 5. Dried lagurus grass in light pink, £14.50 per bunch, Barn Florist; www.barnflorist.co.uk 6. Yellow diamond blanket throw, £24.95, Hyde & Seek; www.hydeseek.co.uk 7. Oska powder pink matt porcelain, £58.57m2, Mandarin Stone; www.mandarinstone.com 8. Dust peach ‘tenna’ shelf, £95, Bøde Living; www.bode-living.com 9. Apollo head statue, £175, Bøde Living; www.bode-living.com 10. Concrete magnetic planters, £12.95, Hyde & Seek; www.hydeseek.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 33

INTERIORS

FEELNG BLUE OR GREEN WITH ENVY?

Fall in love with on-trend forest greens and vintage blues

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1. Farmhouse sofa, £2,370, Farmhouse Table Company; www.farmhousetablecompany.co.uk 2. Kaelan blue and white pendant, #53, Amos Lighting & Home; www.amoslighting.co.uk 3. Vivaraise linen cushion, £42, Toot Garouk; www.tootgarook.co.uk 4. Spindle back bar stool, £250, Farmhouse Table Company; www.farmhousetablecompany.co.uk 5. Reese light ceramic table lamp, £89, Amos Lighting & Home; www.amoslighting.co.uk 6. Chinid rug in sky blue, £12, Bøde Living; www.bode-living.com 7. Hoxton teal gloss porcelain, £50m2, Mandarin Stone; www.mandarinstone.com 8. Pond blue shades pouf, £350, Bøde Living; www.bode-living.com 9. Green earthernware leaf collection, POA, Hyde & Seek; www.hydeseek.co.uk 10. Green glass vase, £7.95, Hyde & Seek; www.hydeseek.co.uk

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

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SPONSORED CONTENT

MEET THE HEADTEACHER Meet the experts at the helm of local schools

LAWRENCE COEN

TRINITY SCHOOL 01626 774138; trinityschool.co.uk What do you love most about your job?

The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing pupils develop over the years with success in a number of areas from academic progress and achievement, skill development on the sports field, challenging themselves in our Outdoor Education programme or increasing their confidence as they move from the back to the front of stage in performances. All of this develops key life skills which will help them be successful after school, not just at school.

I love being able to share these successes with the pupils and seeing the variety of destinations post Sixth Form.

What’s in the pipeline?

The school has recently opened a state of the art EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) centre for nursery children from 2 years old to Reception year. The next stage of development is to build new changing rooms and a fitness suite to be attached to the full sized indoor pool as well as develop a modern Sixth Form Centre.

RICHARD BIGGS KING’S COLLEGE 01823 285200; kings-taunton.co.uk

Tell us about what’s new at the school...

We have a new Headmaster starting in September.

Michael Sloan is an ex-Rifles officer, a history teacher and currently Deputy Head at Brighton College. He understands what it is that makes King’s and the South West so special, and is excited about building on our success.

What’s in the pipeline?

Our new Sixth Form Centre is due to open in October. Designed by Exeter architect Rud Sawyer, it promises to provide a modern, distinctly grown-up environment.

How has the past 24 months been for the school?

A challenge, but we have sustained a world-class education whether live or online, and emerged in a very strong position academically, financially and with a full school roll.

What do you love most about your job?

Working in a beautiful environment with young people who keep me laughing and astound me with their energy and talent, and passionate colleagues.

What makes the school stand out?

We are a happy, busy community with a strong boarding ethos, which sets the highest standards in an extraordinary range of activities.

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 37

SCHOOL GUIDE VICTORIA BOND

Tutor groups Is extra help the way to go as exam season approaches?

P

rivate tutoring has never been more accessible or affordable – or such a source of angst for parents. ‘Can’t stop worrying about your child?’ whispers one sparkly advert for online tutors that promises to boost confidence and grades. But one-to-one help is not a one-size fits all solution, so here’s how to figure out if hiring a tutor is right for your child.

First and foremost, tutors are a great option for filling in gaps.

Even pre-pandemic, a key reason to hire a tutor was to focus on the basics that may be stopping a pupil progress. In simple terms, you can’t get to grips with algebra if you are still struggling with multiplication. If you think your child might be missing some key

building blocks in their learning, a tutor will help.

Tutors are also a brilliant way to humanise a subject and get motivation back on track. A fresh approach to overcome an issue with a teacher – it happens – can quickly bring a fresh injection of energy. Many of the new breed of online tutors are undergraduates and their ‘mentoring by the back door’ approach can really help with focus. If Sam studying Biology at Birmingham University tells your son that he’s going to need to pull his finger out and put the work in, he’s much more likely to listen.

This brings me to a key reason NOT to take on a tutor. Tutoring can’t be a box-ticking exercise to just get them to do more work.

Teachers often tell me that they worry about tutors being a distraction because pupils think it’s ‘job done’ in terms of the extra time after school. It’s critical that you have a key focus for the tuition and don’t take on the expense unless the tutee commits to at least the same amount of time on top of the tutoring session per week.

The best tutors give homework; they are not THE homework.

If you are still unsure on whether extra help is a good idea, talk to your child’s teacher or department head. They are usually more than happy to discuss problem areas and set extra work. There may be the option of extra subject clinics – did your son or daughter forget to mention that?! – or help to access past papers. Most schools also have subject-specific virtual

“Tutoring can’t be a box-ticking exercise to just get them to do more work”

WHAT TYPE OF TUTOR IS RIGHT FOR MY CHILD? Online The best online websites offer hundreds of tutor matches by level, subject and price, and all tutors are vetted. Take up the option of a free intro chat with three or four tutors before you choose, and always agree to start with a trial lesson.

Interactive whiteboards and the ‘learn anywhere, anytime’ approach is ideally suited to teens.

Try: MyTutor, Tutorful, Tutor House In-Person Face-to-face tutoring is not just the ‘old school’ option. Personal connection and a dedicated learning space can work best for younger pupils, and many are full-time tutors with focused experience.

Always make sure they are DBS checked and, for

extra reassurance, verify credentials with The Tutors Association.

Try: word of mouth introductions from friends or try asking for recommendations on local parenting Facebook groups Education Hubs With both in-person and online options, tutoring agencies can assess your child, and

learning platforms that, with a bit of gentle prodding from you, might be all your child needs.

The exception to this is if your child has an entrance or eleven plus exam to prepare for. Getting ready for tests that might include areas of the curriculum that your child hasn’t covered yet, or include skill-based verbal or nonverbal reasoning questions, are where a specialist tutor can make all the difference.

Finally, let’s get to the educational elephant in the room: the cost. While prices per hour have dropped and accessing a private tutor is no longer only for the privileged few, it’s amazing how quickly ‘only £22 an hour’ mounts up to a few hundred pounds. The tutor industry is now worth an estimated £2bn in the UK, and there’s no doubt the boom is fuelled by worry. Don’t be afraid to only commit to a few sessions, especially if building confidence is the issue, or look at alternatives – even if they require a bit more legwork.

do the homework to find the right tutor.

Some ‘tutoring’ options like DoodleMaths don’t involve a tutor at all but boost your child’s knowledge of the curriculum via a personalised online programme. Worth exploring; especially if cost is key.

Try: Kip McGrath, Kumon, Maths Doctor, Doodle Maths

Victoria Bond is founder & CEO of School Guide, an easy-to-use website that helps parents discover exam results, catchment maps and parent reviews for all their local schools.

For more: www.schoolguide.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 39

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

Jon Hall and Claire Langman, Marjon

Elisa Padoan, Chime Social Enterprise

Balloons and cake, a perfect party make

BE EAR NOW

Michael Spooner, studioSPOON

Hearing specialist Chime Social Enterprise has opened a new hearing centre of excellence in Exeter. The new premises is on Queen Street (opposite RAMM) and the team held a party for its employees, clients and friends to celebrate the new digs – and to raise a toast to the business turning ten.

“Our new position on Exeter’s busy Queen Street exposes us to a greater footfall so people experiencing hearing difficulties will know exactly where to go for expert NHS or commercial hearing help and advice,” says Jonathan Parsons, managing director of Chime Social Enterprise.

“We hope the new centre will give the public greater access to our leading audiologists who really can transform lives.” www.chimehealth.co.uk Hannah Gravenor, Chime Social Enterprise Alison Evans, Courteney Potter, Anna Trotter and Luca Costanzo (all from Chime)

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

Photos by Tony Cobley

Claire Bailey (RAMM) and Patricia Britton

RAMM Senior Collections Officer Julien Parsons

Mali Sharpe and Lucy Mackeith

Dr Laura Sandy and RAMM Audience Development Lead Helen Hartstein

Peter Wingfield Digby, Gillian Allen, Sandhya Dave, Joy Gregory (artist of The Sweetest Thing), Lucy Mackeith and Sue Errington

Dave Samuels, Sue Errington and Chukumeka Maxwell

IN PLAIN SIGHT

Harriet Noble and Jolyon Tuck

Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery recently held a preview evening and Q&A to mark the opening of the exhibition In Plain Sight: Transatlantic Slavery and Devon and to unveil The Sweetest Thing, the new work by acclaimed artist Joy Gregory.

The exhibition investigates aspects of Devon and Exeter’s relationship with the

Transatlantic Slave Trade that is evident, but ‘hidden in plain sight’.

Joy was commissioned to create new work in response to this exhibition.

“I am making things of beauty to talk about ugliness, so people can relate to this story, instead of thinking that it doesn’t relate to them and walking away,”says Joy. The exhibition runs until 29 May; www.rammuseum.org.uk Photos by Simon Tutty

Crystal Carter and Cllr Amal Ghusain Olya Petrakova and Jo Crook

Prof Ian Cook and guests www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 41

CO-WORKING SPACES Cool, contemporary communal spaces at Clockwise

TAKE A SEAT

For many people, working from home doesn’t feed their sociable, creative and collaborative nature. Here we chat to three people who work in different coworking spaces in Exeter to find out why they love heading to the office…

By Harriet Noble www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 43

CO-WORKING SPACES CLOCKWISE

Broadwalk House, Southernhay W, Exeter; work-clockwise.com Simon Drake, head of finance at City Science, uses the co-working spaces at Clockwork and says…

THE SET UP “Our five-desk office at Clockwise provides a great space for the few people that don’t want to work from home, as well as space for any of our 30 staff to access on an ad hoc basis – either to just get a change of scenery or collaborate with colleagues.

THE APPEAL The primary attraction was the high-quality desk space (both in the dedicated offices and communal areas), but since moving in we have utilised the fully equipped meeting rooms for an all staff ‘away day’, and our staff regularly use the in house café/lounge which is a great space for socialising.

There are the obvious things like the high-quality furnishings and the mega fast broadband, but it’s the intangible atmosphere that is most inviting. From the moment you step into reception you are made to feel welcome, and while the overall vibe is very informal, there is an underlying tone that it is a place for business – albeit in a modern and energetic way.

FACILITIES The range of places to work is amazing. The dedicated office spaces are great for those that like a more traditional office environment, then there is the lounge for those that like the coffee shop vibe, or communal desk spaces dotted throughout the building if you want the best of both worlds. The on-site café is also a big hit with our staff.

I love being able to swap out our traditional office for a window seat in the lounge, or jump into a sound-proof telephone booth for a private phone call.”

“I like being around creative people”

above: Outdoor seating areas at Clockwise; bottom left: Private working

booth at Foundry 17; bottom right: Communal areas at Foundry 17

FOUNDRY 17

Real McCoys Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter; www.foundry17.co.uk Stacey Pledge, Google ads specialist at Pledge Consultancy uses the co-working spaces at Foundry 17 and says...

THE APPEAL “The location is the main appeal – I have always loved Fore Street and enjoy working amongst the eclectic independent shops. Working at the Foundry suits me because I like being around creative people. I can get on with my own work stuff but am also surrounded by great people – I have made some lovely friendships since working here.

THE FACILITIES My desk area is a decent size, and you get a lockable cabinet to keep everything secure. There’s a good meeting and communal space where you can catch up and have lunch together (if you want). There’s also a table tennis, foosball table and arcade machine for time away from the screen. The style of the space is cool. It’s recently had a bit of a makeover and I love the new style.

SOCIABLE? Absolutely! There are beer and pizza evenings, table tennis classes and ad-hoc social stuff.”

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

above: The Generator is situated on Exeter Quay; right: Lunch time at The Generator

THE GENERATOR CO-WORKING HUB

The Gallery, Kings Wharf, The Quay, Exeter; www.generatorhub.co.uk Andrew Lush, founder and director of a2b Global Media Ltd uses the co-working spaces at The Generator Co-working hub and says...

THE SET UP “I have been coming to the offices here for over nine years now. I started off with just a single desk, then took on a couple of desks, then moved into a small two-person office followed by a bigger five-person office, and now we have space for 18 people. This has only been possible with the flexibility and support of The Generator as we have grown.

THE APPEAL When I launched the company, I worked from home for approximately six months and found this particularly difficult and very unmotivating. It really was a struggle.

I am a sociable person and therefore being around people is hugely important to me. I’d never run my own business before so found it really helpful being around other like-minded individuals who were either going through or encountering the same problems. The Generator promotes a very collaborative environment from which we have been able to benefit massively.

Going to The Generator separates my work and home environment without it really feeling like being away from home. We get complimentary tea and coffee, I can save on my own energy bills and it’s massively beneficial to my own mental wellbeing – having somewhere to be each day.

THE FACILITIES The office itself is lovely – a historic grade-II listed building right in the heart of the quayside. There is super-fast wifi, plenty of meeting rooms, postal service, social area/events, showers, bike storage and always a very friendly welcome from reception.

We work in a private office within The Generator, but regularly use meeting rooms and the communal space for drinks, lunch and chats.

This is a great way to meet people and network. There is a community board highlighting who is in the space and what they do and The Generator team often organise social brunch clubs, charity fundraiser events and host external meetup groups including the South West Jelly, which gets us all together and meeting others in the wider Exeter area.

LOCATION Exeter Quayside is a fantastic location – being so close to the river and wildlife is very calming. The views are stunning over the river and a lunchtime walk or run through the many green spaces is a benefit. There’s easy accessibility, close proximity to town and a very good selection of local independent shops, cafés and bars – it’s a perfect combination.

SOCIABLE? That is one of the key things I love about this place. I lunch most days with other members of the community and some of my closest friends I have met through working here. There is biscuit club, brunch club, members that are into Crossfit, running, surfing, kite-surfing, walking, climbing (climbing centre on our doorstep!) – whatever you’re into, someone here will likely be keen to join you. We have in the past had Generator camping trips, litter picking sessions and picnics, and The Generator Christmas party is always very good fun.

QUIRKY STUFF The general building is stunning (used to be a French onion warehouse apparently) with views over the water. The office itself has a quite industrial yet modern feel to it. Meeting rooms are named after Devon beaches, it’s dog friendly, the social area is cool and I know they are making the outside terrace more usable for this summer (BBQ time). It really is a great office to work in.”

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 45

It’s the city’s business

EXETERWORKS Hanging out at the forest school

The latest from Exeter Chamber

Exeter Chamber welcomed over 40 businesses in the city at the first Thirsty Thursday event of the year recently. The evening event was held at No.5, in the heart of Exeter opposite the Cathedral.

Held on the first Thursday of each month and free for all to attend, these events take businesses to new and exciting restaurants and bars in the city as well as some of the city’s hospitality venues.

“With daylight hours getting longer, I’ve certainly got a spring in my step knowing that more and more social engagements are being added to the calendar,” says Yvan Williams, Chamber board director.

“This March is no exception as we head to one of Exeter’s stylish new(ish) joints, The Botanist for our Thirsty Thursday event on 3 March from 5pm-6.30pm.

“The first one as always is on us, so if you’re looking for a post work refresher, then grab a colleague and head on down and join us – but don’t forget to book first.”

For more: exeterchamber.co.uk/events

© PIP R AUD

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Yvan Williams: Cheers!

The Outdoors Group has just opened a new forest school near Exeter.

‘The Forest School at Escot’ is located in a section of Black Aller Woods, a plot of mixed woodland with an ever-changing setting including carpets of bluebells throughout spring.

The site offers toddler groups, home education sessions, holiday clubs for children and birthday parties. As with the group’s other forest schools, everything takes place outdoors, with a central campfire.

There are opportunities for children with additional needs too, with a ‘Woodlanders’ group providing an inclusive and integrated session for children with SEN. “All in all, we’re really excited to launch The Forest School at Escot,” says Nick Murphy, head of Forest Schools.

“It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for children who have previously been to our other sites, as well as those new to the concept.” www.outdoorsgroup.co.uk

MOVERS AND SHAKERS ETC TERRIFIC TRIO

Ian Walker Family Law and Mediation Solicitors have welcomed three new recruits joining their busy Exeter office and have further plans for expansion in 2022.

Lev Boreiko has joined their divorce team as chartered legal executive and associate, and Eve Hulance and Sophie Jenkins have both joined the team as paralegals. www.familylawandmediation.co.uk Eve Hulance, Lev Boreiko and Sophie Jenkins

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

HOWDY PARTNER

Wollens have announced a yearlong partnership with Exeter Northcott Theatre to support its charitable work providing creative opportunities for the people of Devon. The sponsorship will support initiatives such as the Northcott’s Pay It Forward campaign which gives theatre tickets to people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to go and the theatre’s Under 26 scheme with offers heavily subsidised tickets to local young people. www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

EXETERWORKS

EXETER LIVING AWARDS 2021

RETAIL WINNER Congratulations on winning the Retailer Award! How did it feel to win?

It felt amazing, even more so because there were so many fantastic businesses in the category.

We were thrilled just to be finalists, to win was the icing on the cake.

For anyone not in the know, what do you do in a nutshell?

We make luxury candles from recycled wax – using donations of used candles, tealights etc. We melt the wax down, filter it, add ethically-sourced fragrances and dyes, pour into moulds then hey presto! Lovely new candles which we sell from the shop, online and wholesale.

What were the big achievements of the last year that you think may have impressed the judges?

I think the way we responded to the pandemic, which started only eight months after we moved into Gandy Street, by really streamlining and promoting online sales. Our online sales leapt phenomenally.

Winners Sargon Latchin and Richard Hills-Ingyon

Where did the idea for the business come about?

I’ve been making candles since I was a child when my mum gave me a candle-making kit to keep me occupied. I was always obsessed with the idea of reusing wax so I spent a lot of time working out how to make it work. Sargon saw the potential for the concept as a business and together we made it happen.

Tell us a bit about your team…

Our team has grown massively, even since the awards, helping us to recycle even more old wax and make more gorgeous candles.

We must mention our exec PA Kimberley who works hard to keep us on track, and Sofía who has boundless energy and ideas.

As people become more aware and proactive about sustainability, do you see this reflected in your business?

Absolutely – where we’d get three or four parcels of candles a week, we’re now getting 10 to 15 a day!

“I WAS ALWAYS OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA OF REUSING WAX”

We’re the only business doing this in the UK, and there’s so much excitement when people discover us. We’ve had more interest from wedding venues, restaurants and places of worship too – they are really embracing the idea.

stream to make our products, but we’re also asking people to buy responsibly. As the pandemic illustrated, we’re part of a circular economy and there are lots of pinch points where the circle can be disrupted.

What is in the pipeline this year for your business? Any projects, things people can get involved in and support?

What’s the thing you are most proud of achieving?

We’re delighted to be collaborating with charity Missing People. Our limited-edition candle with a gorgeous new fragrance – Home Sweet Home is being launched in time for Mother’s Day and a percentage of all sales are going to the charity. More importantly we’re helping to raise awareness of Missing People and what they do.

What’s the greatest thing about being on Gandy Street?

What’s not to like about Gandy Street? It’s a hub of independent, creative businesses, there’s nothing to rival it. We love that it’s pedestrianised, it gives the street a character all its own.

What’s the most challenging part of your business?

In a way it’s our own success – because we rely on a waste

We’re most proud of our PRIDE candles which fundraise for Stonewall and help support the LGBTQ community. It’s humbling to be able to represent our community this way. We’re dead proud of our awards – our Exeter Living Award of course, but also our recent Green Apple Award for Sustainable Business.

It’s 2032. What does the business look like?

Crikey, who knows? The past two years have shown how quickly things can change. But hopefully we’ll have even more organisations wanting to recycle with us. More product lines – maybe even more shops!

For more: www.therecycledcandlecompany.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 47

© SIMON TUT T Y

THE RECYCLED CANDLE COMPANY won the coveted Retail Award at last year’s Exeter Living Awards. Here, Richard Hills-Ingyon, co-founder of The Recycled Candle Company, talks PRIDE candles, new limitededition collections and loving being on Gandy Street

© SIMON TUTTY

© ONE BRIGHT SPARK

EXETER LIVING AWARDS

FOR THE WINNERS…

On the big night, the winners will be given one of our bespoke Exeter Living awards. They’re handmade and based on the design of the stained-glass window in Exeter Cathedral. They’re a different colour every year and you can have them in the stand or take out and hang in your own window! Unlike any other award you can win.

KEY EXETER LIVING AWARDS DATES 2022 Have you got your ticket yet?

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 showing such resilience, creativity and hard work. There’s so much to celebrate in this city and these nominations are a welcome reminder of this.

We hosted our Grand Reveal Day on 3 February, when we announced the worthy finalists. Turn to page 28 to see the list in full, and if you missed the event you can watch it now on our YouTube channel.

Our team of independent judges from the city (soon to be revealed!) will now come together for the near impossible task of choosing the winners.

We don’t envy them.

And then it’s on to the big shindig itself. The uberglam Exeter Living Awards will be held on 17 March, in The Great Hall at The University of Exeter.

The Awards are the big event of the year; a time when Exeter’s businesses, organisations and charities come together to celebrate the very best of Exeter. Expect a red-carpet welcome and Champagne reception, followed by a bountiful three-course meal. The winners will then be announced live on stage and we’re thrilled to announce that this year we’ll be joined by a local sporting champion! English rugby union referee and former rugby union footballer Sara Cox will be co-hosting the event alongside Greg Ingham, CEO of MediaClash. The fun then continues at the official after-party venue of Pink Moon. We can’t wait to see you all there!

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

11 MARCH Official Awards Preview in Exeter Living 17 MARCH Exeter Living Awards 2022 22 APRIL Official Winners’ Guide in Exeter Living GET INVOLVED A few sponsorships are still available, with benefits like your having your own company table and the chance to present an Award to a lucky winner on stage. Please contact harriette.dixon@mediaclash. co.uk or paula.miller@mediaclash.co.uk.

TICKETS There are still tickets available but you’ll have to be quick. Please head to www.exeterlivingawards.co.uk.

PREVIEW Please look out for next issue’s ELA Preview.

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

SPONSORS We thank our sponsors so far on board for 2022.

Our Category Sponsors are: Regus, Crumbs, Exeter Living, Warwick Event Services, Powderham Food Festival, Yellowtail Financial Planning, EntreConf, Exeter Property Awards, Princesshay, Guildhall Shopping Centre, and Oxygen House.

Feature Sponsors are: Pink Moon, Triangle Networks, and Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel.

Silver Sponsors are: Bluegrass Group, Bishop Fleming, Bluebird Care, The Exeter, Full Fibre, NewZapp, Nexus Open Systems, and Smart Estate Agent.

BENEFIT FROM THE AWARDS SPONSORS

Scan this to see the Awards!

For main Sponsor opportunities, please contact harriette.dixon@mediaclash.co.uk or paula.miller@mediaclash.co.uk

2022

PROSERVICES BUSINESS SERVICES / FINANCE / L AW / PROPERT Y

THE CITY AT WORK

MEET THE PROFESSIONALS MAKING THE CITY BUZZ

EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL BUSINESSES

SPONSORED CONTENT REDMAYNE BENTLEY LLP

Denis Oppong, Investment Manager Tell us a little about your business...

clients, trusts and charities. We also work with executors (individuals and solicitors) on probate valuation services and sell shares for estates and beneficiaries.

What sets you apart from

others in your sector?

Redmayne Bentley was established in 1875, and today In an industry where more online we are one of the UK’s largest investment platforms are coming independent investment onto the market, Redmayne management Bentley provides and stockbroking a service based firms. Clients on long-term DID YOU KNOW… approach us from relationships, The Exeter office a wide variety built on trust and will celebrate its of backgrounds understanding.

15th anniversary this year and the team of and individual We provide a five share over 100 circumstances personal, tailored years of experience and may be and flexible between them. seeking specific approach to expertise or managing clients’ an investment investments, using management service. The Exeter expertise across all asset classes to office was acquired by Redmayne tailor the portfolio and service to Bentley in 2007 and has clients each client. This culture is at the based throughout the country. centre of our stockbroking service and suited to a range of investors seeking a high-quality service What areas do you with a stockbroker. We deal in specialise in?

UK and overseas stocks held in We provide bespoke investment certificated and electronic form. management, as well as stockbroking and tax-efficient For more: 01392 687230; solutions such as ISAs and SIPPs. denis.oppong@redmayne.co.uk; The firm has considerable experience of working with private redmayne.co.uk/exeter

STEPHENS SCOWN LLP

Catherine Mathews, Board Member & Deputy Head of Devon office Tell us a little about your business...

In 2016, Stephens Scown was the first large UK law firm to become employee-owned and we have enjoyed year-on-year growth ever since. Our legal advisors are experts in their respective areas of the law, from Corporate, Employment and Property law to Family and Private Client matters, while offering extensive experience across a diverse range of sectors, from food and drink to healthcare.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

Last year, the firm was recognised for the seventh year running as one of the UK’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work For. We believe this is largely down to being a purposeful business, which seeks to benefit all key stakeholders: clients, employees, wider society, the environment, and more. The firm has also committed to being a greener

business, which includes setting an ambitious target of becoming Net Zero by 2025.

Name a rising star in your company...

Ellie Hibberd is one of our many rising stars, and has been identified as such by independent guide to legal services, the Legal 500. A partner and head of our Employment and HRExpress team, Ellie works with businesses on their day-to-day HR and employment practices as well as advising on reorganisations and business transfers. She also supports private individuals on the full spectrum of Employment law, including redundancy, departure situations and settlement agreements, capability issues and discrimination.

Did you know...

We give our employees up to three additional days leave each year to do volunteer work and give back to our local communities.

For more: 01392 210700; enquiries@stephens-scown.co.uk ; stephens-scown.co.uk

“THE FIRM SET AN AMBITIOUS TARGET OF BECOMING NET ZERO BY 2025” 50 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SPONSORED CONTENT OLD MILL

Tony Hawes FPFS, Chartered Financial Planner

looking to expand their business we also have a specialist corporate finance team.

Tell us a little about your business...

What challenges are your clients facing?

Old Mill is a group of financial experts providing comprehensive financial planning and accountancy services. We currently have around 300 highly trained staff serving over 5,000 clients.

What areas do you specialise in?

Business advice – our proposition is much more than helping businesses to meet their tax compliance obligations. We encourage owners to focus on what they personally need their business to deliver so they can achieve and maintain their desired lifestyle and long-term financial security through an individually tailored and ongoing financial planning exercise.

We then look to align business objectives with personal aims and target areas for improvement.

We offer a full suite of support services such as digital accounting, book-keeping, payroll and VAT and our dedicated pensions team look after a portfolio of Small SelfAdministered Schemes (SSASs) and Self Investment Personal Pensions (SIPPs). For those

Our clients are facing numerous challenges at present, including; People & succession – finding and retaining quality people.

It’s important to reflect on how attractive you are as a prospective employer and how to build staff loyalty and progression so that there are emerging leaders as part of a broader succession plan.

Increasing tax burden – planned increases to Corporation Tax and National Insurance Contributions will put further pressure on business and individual finances. It’s important to identify and maximise opportunities for tax efficiency.

Did you know…

Last year, Old Mill launched its ‘Your Wealth’ application which is available on PC/laptop and as a mobile phone app (Android and IOS). ‘Your Wealth’ is designed for wealth management clients and enables a single view of all personal finances in one place and a secure messaging facility enabling safe, encrypted communication.

For more: 07854 413809; anthony.hawes@om.uk; om.uk

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

SOUTH WEST BUSINESS FINANCE Dan Smith, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

There is some uncertainty as to what will happen for trading businesses, but it seems there is strong resolve in the local businesses to succeed and grow in 2022.

South West Business Finance What challenges are your (SWBF) is an independent finance clients facing? consultancy and commercial Most are experiencing the brokerage. We work with a broad well-known issues currently range of lenders and funding surrounding all commerce providers to find our clients the including supply-chain most appropriate finance for their challenges, rising costs and needs. We use our experience attracting and retaining skilled to put together labour. Property the best funding has seen a DID YOU KNOW… structures for our dramatic rise in The business was clients focusing land prices due to founded by myself mainly on trading the popularity of and fellow Managing businesses the South West, so Director Steve Barrett and property many developers in 2014 and is now professionals. are finding this 17 members strong We specialise in a new challenge. with over 300 years of assessing cashflow Other businesses Commercial Banking and the affect this are seriously experience between us! will have on your looking at their business over the cashflow now short, medium and long term. especially as government-backed funding schemes are now having to be repaid. Some clients are What predictions do you have looking at growth where again for the sector in 2022/23? finance can be a key driver to In property development we getting these projects going. see another strong year with the Please give us a call to have pipeline for new developments an early chat about any projects looking good, despite rising (property or trading business) you cost and supply issues. Property may have, we can provide a full investment also continues to have range of options for you. strong demand for rentals in both For more: 01225 800849; the residential and commercial enquiries@swbf.co.uk; swbf.co.uk arenas, especially for warehouses.

funding solutions for your business and property needs

Bridging Finance

Commercial Mortgages

Property Development

Property Investments

Buy To Let Mortgages

01225 800849 | www.swbf.co.uk @SWBusinessFinance

@s_w_b_f

South_West_Business_Finance

southwestbusinessfinance

South West Business Finance is a broker of credit and not a lender. South West Business Finance is a trading name of Aspire Commercial Finance Limited Registered in England & Wales under No: 09076273 Aspire Commercial Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (690089) also a member of the NACFB (06/0035/CM) Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up on repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it.

SPONSORED CONTENT CHARLES STANLEY WEALTH MANAGERS Richard Missen, Branch Manager, Exeter

Tell us a little about your business...

Charles Stanley is one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms, providing bespoke investment portfolios and tailored financial advice at every stage of your financial journey. Charles Stanley has had a presence in Exeter since 2007, and our team of six highly qualified and experienced investment managers are ready to build you a tailored investment portfolio that continues to work hard as your priorities change.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

Charles Stanley has industry leading levels of client satisfaction and staff engagement. In our 2021

“OUR EXPERIENCED INVESTMENT MANAGERS ARE READY TO BUILD YOU A TAILORED INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO”

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Private Client Survey, clients of our Discretionary Investment management service gave a 96% overall satisfaction score for Charles Stanley and 72% Net Promoter Score. Our 2021 Staff Engagement Survey produced an overall engagement score of 76% which remains top quartile for our industry, and as has been the case for the last five years.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

Many in the wealth management sector have an increasingly standardised offering, using relationship managers, but Charles Stanley continues to provide a genuinely bespoke service to our clients through a direct relationship with our investment managers, who have the flexibility to design unique portfolios for each client’s needs.

Did you know...

Charles Stanley origins lie in a banking partnership established in Sheffield in January 1792. We’ve witnessed many changes and challenges since then, not least in the last couple of decades. Today we are investing in our future, embracing technology and innovation and adapting to changes in society at a pace not seen before. This is an exciting time to be at Charles Stanley as we continue to evolve to best serve our clients for the next 200 years to come.

For more: 01392 247089; exeterbranch@charles-stanley.co.uk; charles-stanley.co.uk/help-and-contact/people-locations/exeter

SPONSORED CONTENT

15 YEARS STRONG CHARLES STANLEY celebrates 15 years of helping clients gain financial security from their base in Exeter

C

harles Stanley has created financial security for thousands of clients throughout our 200year history. With a presence in Exeter since 2007, we are delighted to be celebrating our 15th anniversary in this great city.

Through award-winning discretionary investment management, our team of highly qualified investment managers is passionate about helping our local community to better understand and take control of their financial situation, and we are thrilled that so many individuals, families, business owners, trustees, charities, and their advisers have put their trust in us to protect and grow their wealth.

We work with private clients from all walks of life, at different stages of their lives, and with diverse goals and investment requirements. We often work in tandem with local professionals

such as accountants and solicitors, ensuring a joined-up approach. Building successful relationships is paramount and we value the engagement our clients have given, as this has enabled us to provide exemplary service and strong outcomes for our clients. We are proud to share that in our 2021 client survey, 96% of those surveyed agreed that the range of solutions and services Charles Stanley offer meets their individual needs and goals.

We have weathered a lot of change over the last 15 years, both within the global markets and at a local level, but most of the team of Exeter investment managers have been in post throughout this time, providing support and expert advice to our clients during some challenging economic conditions. Despite the pressures of the 2008 global recession, experienced shortly after the Exeter office opened, and the subsequent 12.5% fall in

markets in 2018, our team has thrived and succeeded in offering hands-on experience to existing and new clients.

With the arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the importance of a local community was thrown into sharp focus and we ramped up our support for local businesses, festivals, and events through sponsorship opportunities. You might have seen our logo popping up at Whiddon Festival, Exeter Cathedral, and the Devon County Show, to name a few.

“BUILDING SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS IS PARAMOUNT AND WE VALUE THE ENGAGEMENT OUR CLIENTS HAVE GIVEN” We are excited about what the future holds for Charles Stanley Exeter, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank our existing clients for their ongoing support. We look forward to continuing to celebrate our milestones with you.

If you are interested in learning more about how bespoke wealth management can help you achieve your financial goals, contact our friendly Exeter team. Our investment managers are ready to build you a tailored investment portfolio, which will continue to work hard to meet your evolving needs and priorities. ■ * The value of investments can fall as well as rise.

Investors may get back less than invested. Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

ARRANGE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION TODAY Telephone: 01392 247089 www.charles-stanley.co.uk/exeter-office www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 55

THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN

RETURNING

30 JUNE Content and sponsorship opportunities now available.

Let’s collaborate.

INITIAL SPONSORS

CONTENT: claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk

EntreConf.com

SCAN HERE FOR MORE

COMMERCIAL: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

@Entre_Conf

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

inset and below: Expansive kitchen at the Lakehead show home; bottom: Children’s bedroom at the Langcombe show home

OPEN DOORS A community of 245 homes near Exeter city centre has just been opened. Cavanna @ Elmpark is a new development between Alphington and Exminster and offers a selection of two-, three- and fourbedroom homes surrounded by large open green spaces. Homeowners can also take advantage of the 40 hectares of Riverside Valley Park, alongside the River Exe for walking, running or cycling.

A bespoke sensory garden is also being designed for the development to include separate seating pods, each with its own special feature such as a sculpture, plants, and fruit trees to create a relaxing and tranquil environment. Bird and bat boxes will also be added to encourage wildlife alongside the planting of new trees.

The new development has been designed to promote a sense of community,

improve biodiversity and encourage green travel, thanks to new cycle routes connecting to the existing network.

A bus stop will also be located on the development to ensure easy access to the city centre is available to the new residents.

“This development is really special and ideally located for families and commuters,” says sales manager Sarah Bowden.

“It’s fantastic to have officially opened the new show homes at Cavanna @ Elm Park and invite prospective buyers to book an appointment to visit us,” adds sales advisor Liana Smith. “We’ve already secured ten reservations off-plan, which is brilliant and shows a real appetite for new homes in Exeter.”

For more: www.cavannahomes.co.uk

PROPERTY SYMPOSIUM Our all-new event, Property Symposium: Sustainability, will launch on 24 March.

A new arm of our annual Exeter Property Awards, the symposium will be a conference full of dynamic, powerful insights about property and sustainability. The expert speakers will cover: • Bespoke research on both residential and commercial • Keynotes on the built environment and longer-term responsibility

• Panel sessions • Networking opportunities To discuss commercial opportunities, please talk with annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk The Property Symposium online event will run from 9am – 1pm on 24 March. To register, visit www.exeterpropertyawards.com/ property-symposium A new arm of the annual Exeter Property Awards has launched www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 57

SUSTAINABILITY 24 MARCH 2022

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE, VITAL TOPICS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND KEYNOTES: Exclusive research insights: · Lucian Cook, Savills: head of residential research · Jennet Siebrits, CBRE: head of research

SCAN HERE FOR MORE

Brought to you by the makers of your city Property Awards BATH PROPERTY AWARDS

CARDIFF PROPERTY AWARDS

Please email annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk to find out more on how you can get involved

PROPERTY

COLLETON CRESCENT Apartments in one of the most desirable addresses in the city have come on the market. Let’s take a look...

By Imogen Davidson-Smith www.mediaclash.co.uk I EXETER LIVING I 59

PROPERTY

L

eave the city centre on the main traffic route to Topsham Road, turn right into Holloway Street and then into Friars Walk. Follow Friars Walk to its end, turn left and at the T-junction turn left again and voilà! You’ve arrived at Colleton Crescent, an elegant row of Georgian houses.

These luxury apartments are in one of the best addresses in the city, occupying an elevated position overlooking the green and immediately in front of the historic quayside and open countryside beyond.

There is privacy too, the grade-II listed buildings are situated in gated communal grounds overlooking the river and for exclusive use of the residents.

The property has undergone extensive and sympathetic renovations to create three stunning apartments (though one is currently under offer), two of which benefit from private rear gardens, garage and an additional parking space whilst the penthouse benefits from a large roof terrace with breath-taking views across the city, car port and additional parking space.

The layout and design of these apartments makes for pretty cushty living. The first floor features the open-

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planned sitting room and dining room; a large, bright and sunny space, with huge windows, tall ceilings and a fireplace. Adjoining is a pretty vintage-blue kitchen, and a bedroom and bathroom. Up on the second floor you’ll find the second and third bedrooms,both very spacious, and two bathrooms.

Throughout the property, there are lots of modcons and extras that’ll make you smile – whether it’s the underfloor heating, the on-trend tear drop lighting fittings or the rain shower in the bathroom. There is even a concierge service to help you on your move-in day. n

HOUSE NUMBERS Where?

Colleton Crescent, overlooking Exeter quayside. Exeter St. Thomas Station is 0.4 miles away Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 Outside Private garden, parking and garages Guide price £1,250,000 For more: Wilkinson Grant & Co, The Old City Library, 1 Castle Street, Exeter, EX4 3PT; www.wilkinsongrant.co.uk

PROPERTY

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

JUST VISITING

The band, all suited and booted

GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB

The nine-piece band have released eight albums so far, but the primary focus of the band has always been as a live proposition, playing their infectious mix of dub, ska and roots reggae. Luckily for us, they’re playing at Exeter Phoenix on 5 March. We caught up with bandmember Toby Davies to find out more...

Interview by Jules Boyle Hello! You had to put performing on hold last year.

How did that go down?

Our live thing is very important to us. We’ve forged our sound over the years doing live gigs, playing house parties and so on, initially in Leeds, then all around the North and it all grew from there, so it really is such a centre point of our identity. So, when all that was no longer an option, it definitely hit us pretty hard, as I know it did for everyone else in the live industry.

Our initial reaction though, was to recognise that if we didn’t do anything else at that point, it could all tail off for us, so keeping the momentum going even without being able to play

live was so important. Writing the album during that time was a real saviour for us, even just by giving us an excuse to hang out on Zoom, as it was for work, was a godsend. It gave us a really good opportunity to use that time effectively and we’re really proud that we did.

The album release of Down to Earth feels like you guys giving people something positive at what was a dark time in so many of their lives…

We’ve always tried to release positive vibes to our wonderful fans at the best of times, so it felt even more important to try and keep doing that this year. Our

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live show is the core of what we do and it’s all about people getting together, having a good time and enjoying music, all dancing, drinking and whatever. We wanted to speak to people too and say that at some point, everything is going to be fine. We had to dig deep at points when we were writing it, as there were definitely some difficult moments for us personally, but hanging onto that hope was really important for us and hopefully it helped give people a release and a connection with positive energy.

The album features an amazing collaboration with Hollie Cook…

Hollie is one of our favourite artists, so to have her on our record is an absolute privilege.

She’s an angel, just the loveliest person, so talented and so good to work with. There’s a level of personality and charisma that she brings, not to mention that amazing voice, to any record she appears on.

You finally got back to proper gigging at some festivals a few months ago. What was that like for you?

The first gig back we played was at SheepFest, which is at a sheepthemed amusement park in North Devon. We eased into it, it was all good and a nice set-up, then there was suddenly this moment where it felt like everything just ramped up, but it wasn’t coming from us

“The first gig back we played was at SheepFest, which is at a sheepthemed amusement park in North Devon” or the crowd specifically, it was just like everyone woke up and we all realised collectively that we were here again, and everything dialled up to the max.

You have your own proper headline tour in March to look forward to. You must be excited?

The connection we have with so many fans that we’ve seen time and time again is something we are so grateful for. Them coming back to see us every time means the world to us, so to get to see them all again is the thing we’re most looking forward to, as well as seeing some new faces. The whole thing might be too much, to be honest. I might just explode with emotion! We’ve been in the shed absolutely itching to get out, so people are going to see some very excitable guys on stage playing new music, with new pyrotechnics and new guests, as well as all the old stuff too. It’ll be what we normally do…but times a million.

Have you visited Exeter before? Any favourite haunts?

Exeter has always been a great stronghold for us and it’s a beautiful city. Like a lot of places in Devon it’s got some great pubs and local ales. Also we have to mention The Pheonix as it’s a sick venue and we’ve had some amazing gigs there. n www.exeterphoenix.org.uk