The List Frome - May 2021

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ISSUE 122

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Tapas Heaven at The High Pavement

may 2021

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YO U R GU I D E TO E VE RY TH I N G FR O M E

We’re delighted to welcome you to our new studio on Badcox, opening on the 4th of May With an unrivalled selection of wood floors from our own Fordury Wood collection alongside our partner brands, ESCO, Ted Todd and Woodpecker.

We’re just next door to our sister showroom The Rose Garden where you can browse our selection of fine paints, wallpapers and fabrics too. thewoodenflooringstudio.com • therosegardenfrome.com 01373 228388 41 - 44 Vallis Way, Frome, BA11 3BA

ISSUE 122 may 2021

Rose Langley I’m at my happiest when I’m walking in the countryside. Growing up in the sticks, I spent a lot of time in the fields, making dens and generally being a muddy rat-bag. Then my teens happened, and inevitably I turned my face away from the greenery of my youth, choosing to hang about in bus shelters and car parks, as was the done thing.

It wasn’t until my late twenties, after a decade of city living, that I rediscovered my love of the great outdoors, when an emaciated and tail-less rescue dog by the name of Millie came into my life.

nature is our greatest asset. It fills my heart, soothes my soul and quietens my busy mind.

It was kismet. Fresh from an arduous break-up, I was in need of a loving companion, and she - fresh from the horrors of being a bait puppy used to train fighting dogs (a true and horrific story) - needed a safe haven. Bruised and battered from our different experiences, we became inseparable. She was a very instinctive and affectionate girl, preferring the company of people to dogs, and could be relied upon to give comfort and solace to those with a broken heart, a tough job, or a hangover. She came on our weekends away, climbing hills by day and sleeping on laps by night. She was one of the gang.

» The List Recommends

4-8

» Cover story

8-9

» Artists Of Frome

10-11

» Shop Local

12-15

» Health & Wellbeing

16-17

» Food With Folk Recipe » House & Home » The Frome Fossil

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Having Millie reignited my love of the countryside. My spare time became dedicated to long walks, especially ones with pubs at the end. In fact, I started a walking group called the Walk and Pub Club; maybe it’s time to fire this up again. Eventually, after Millie and I adopted a new person - one I later married - we decided that moving back to the sticks was the best plan all round. This decision was profoundly life-changing, as anyone hefting their life out of the city will know. Ten years later, and I am still reminded, each time I walk through the fields, listening to the skylarks high above and the bees in the hedgerows, that nature is our greatest asset. It fills my heart, soothes my soul and quietens my busy mind. And it is something that returned to my life because of one small dog – my lovely Millie.

Two weeks ago, we said goodbye to this beloved old girl. It was a profoundly sad event and one which will stay with me for a long time. But the lasting effect she has had on the life of my family, that of our re-wilding, will have far-reaching consequences for how we choose to live our lives.

For we know that out in nature - beyond the news, the emails, the concrete, the social media - life carries on, and it is precious and wonderful, and there for the living.

Design: blackinkstudio.co.uk Front cover: The High Pavement Cover credit: Penny Snell Copy deadline for the June issue: May 14th

Published by Rose Langley, trading as Make a List Publishing, Sole Proprietor Editor Rose Langley 07957878717 rose@thelistfrome.co.uk . thelistfrome.co.uk *The publishers shall not be liable for any loss occasioned by the failure of an advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions or misprints.

» the list recommends « TV Gold with Frome’s Daniel Musselwhite Frome jewellery designer and studio resident at Black Swan Arts, Daniel Musselwhite, is appearing on All That Glitters, a BBC 2 TV show on the hunt to find Britain’s most creative jeweller. Described by British Vogue as “like ‘Bake Off’ for jewellery”, the series was filmed last year on location at Birmingham’s historic School of Jewellery.

Daniel, who won Jeweller of the Week in week one, started his career in 1995, as an apprentice at Church House Jewellery in Bristol, then went on to start his own business, creating bespoke work in his own bold, dynamic and unique style. His popular jewellerymaking classes are usually booked up months in advance, and his particular speciality is creating bespoke wedding rings together with couples.

“We are delighted to have such an inspirational and talented jeweller on site at Black Swan Arts,” says Centre Manager Emma Warren. “Dan has a studio shop downstairs (where you can watch him at work) overlooking our courtyard café, as well as bespoke space on the second floor where he teaches workshops and courses. He is such a friendly, down-to-earth and approachable artist with an infectious, creative positivity. His jewellery and workshops will be in such huge demand, that I think we’ll have to start managing socially-distanced queues to see him at work!”

All That Glitters is on BBC 2 at 8pm each Tuesday, with the final episode on May 18th.

Henry Taylor At Hauser & Wirth Somerset, until 6th June For his inaugural exhibition with Hauser & Wirth, American artist Henry Taylor has taken over all five galleries to present a major body of sculptural work and paintings, evolving in unison across the spaces. Through a process he describes as ‘hunting and gathering,’ Taylor transports us into imagined realities that interrogate the breadth of the human condition, social movements and political structures.

During his four-decade long career, Taylor has amassed a staggering body of highly personal work rooted in the people and communities closest to him, often manifested alongside poignant historical or pop-cultural references.

With a guiding sense of human connection, Taylor layers reoccurring visual cues associated with his own personal experiences and broader cultural references that lead us through a multifaceted narrative in sculpture and painting. Although his subjects are wildly diverse - family members, peers and acquaintances - Taylor’s ability to seek out the truest sense of a person and their sociocultural framework is evident throughout.

Visitors are encouraged to book time slots via eventbrite.co.uk when visiting Hauser & Worth.

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FROME’S ART CENTRE

Now open Fri – Sun 10am – 3pm

G ALLER IES C AFE S HO P STUDIOS COURTYAR D 2 Bridge St . Frome . BA11 1BB F R E E E N T RY www.blackswanarts.org.uk Registered Charity No.292463 blackswanarts.org.uk Registered Charity No.292463

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» the list recommends « The Merlin Theatre re-opens with an explosion of laughter At long last, one of Frome’s favourite venues, the Merlin Theatre, is back in action, with a season of exciting theatre, music and comedy.

The season starts on May 22nd with the brilliant Mighty BeatBox Comedy Show, providing a much needed dose of stand-up comedy for kids! Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival, this interactive show for children is where beatboxing and comedy collide. Featuring comedian Jarred Christmas and beatboxer and UK Loopstation champion, Hobbit, the show will bring the Merlin out of lockdown in a whirlwind of hilarity. The adults are not left out, with an evening show from Pop-Up Comedy. A master of his craft, Jarred, along with two exceptional comedians, Jarlath Regan and rising star Abi Clarke (check her out on Instagram), will remind us how good it feels to laugh out loud.

The season continues with theatre for all ages, including The Further Adventures of Dr Dolittle, Illyria and Folksy Theatre with an adaptation of Red Riding Hood, two Shakespeare plays, and a murder mystery from Merlin associate company, New Old Friends. Frome Festival events will include the unique talents of Kate Lissauer (Buffalo Gals), comedian Paul Foot, duo Jonny and the Baptists, poet Liv Torc and two shows from Frome Drama Club. For full details, and to book, go to merlintheatre.co.uk

Settlers Stores Mini Market Thursdays and Fridays, 10am -4pm

SATURDAY 22 MAY THE MIGHTY KIDS BEATBOX COMEDY SHOW 2pm POP-UP COMEDY AT THE MERLIN 7.30pm

Pete “The Temp” Bearder presents

HOMER TO HIP HOP: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF SPOKEN WORD 5TH MARCH / 7.30PM

WEDNESDAY 02 JUNE

MARK THOMAS: 50 THINGS ABOUT US 7 TH MARCH / 8PM

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF DOCTOR ANDY PARSONS: DOLITTLE HEALING THE NATION MARCH / 7.30PM 14 2pm TH

01373 465949 . merlintheatre.co.uk Merlin Theatre . Bath Rd . Frome . BA11 2HG

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After several happy years spent their shop on Cheap Street, Settlers Stores now have new premises at 87 Locks Hill. Each Thursday and Friday they open up with a mini market, selling seedlings and salad leaves from their poly tunnel, kimchi and kraut from Somerset Kimchi and dahlia tubers from the Organic Plant Co. in Bruton, not to mention their own Settlers Stores range of clothing and homewear.

Tea and cake are served in the garden, and every other Friday bigger seasonal plants for the garden are supplied by Alistair from Trug and Lettuce, with anything from hydrangeas to peonies or an assortment of ferns (he’s here next on the 14th and 28th May).

AGE

7-16

GSCE & A Level Art Tuition available

Saturday Art School for Young Artists

www.batprintstudio.com e: info@batprintstudio.com t: 07443 491801

BOOKINGS ARE NOW OPEN

for normal evening service from 18th May (for parties of up to 6).

Fat Radish BBQ & Beer Pop-up for tables of up to 6 people, from 5pm at River House (at Black Swan Arts).

Thursday - Saturday (weather permitting)

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The High Pavement a M o o r i s h Ta pas B a r i n Fr o m e

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ince it opened as a pop-up in 2013, The High Pavement has been a firm Frome favourite. It is a true family business, run by couple Aimee and Stuart, and located in her parents’ former antique shop, below her childhood home.

The High Pavement was originally opened on a shoestring, drawing on the artistic talents of Aimee’s parents (who had always pictured their shop working as a restaurant), Stuart’s creativity with food and flavours, and Aimee’s natural warm hosting style. Like any good family-run restaurant, it’s a one-off, and Aimee and Stuart

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take pride in every aspect, being part of each evening service, alongside their team.

Before coming to Frome, Stuart worked at Moro in London, a Moorish restaurant run by husband and wife duo Sam and Sam Clark. “ We love h avi n g There, he became inspired by the exciting flavours and smells, the a r es tau r a nt impeccable service and warm i n th i s town working environment. These o f te n h a lf o u r elements laid the foundations for cu s to m e r s k n ow The High Pavement, helping it to e ac h oth e r , become an immediate hit with wh i c h a d d s customers, with its outstanding to th e pa rt y menu and comfortingly laidatm o s p h e r e .” back atmosphere.

The food at The High Pavement (and the reason it has something of a cult following) is all cooked by Stuart, and is inspired by his love of the robust, flavoursome cooking of Spain, North Africa and the Middle East.

The ever-changing menu often includes dishes such as: • Deep Fried Goat’s Cheese with Date Syrup, Almonds and Mint • Salt Cod Croquettas with Smoked Alioli • Ras-el-hanout Cauliflower, Sweet Herb Borani, Hazelnut Dukka • Ox Cheeks cooked in Rioja • Pistachio, Rosewater and Saffron Ice Cream A new charcoal oven is currently being installed, meaning marinated skewers, flatbreads, grilled vegetables and much more, will be added to the menu.

The food is complimented by an excellent selection of wine from small growers, and an extensive sherry list, sourced from Valdespino, one of the only producers left who still use traditional methods of fermentation.

For the past seven years The High Pavement only opened on Friday and Saturday evenings, with a weekly changing menu. Now, Aimee and Stuart feel it is time to update their much-loved restaurant, undertaking a refurbishment and making changes to the way it is run.

“Re-opening as a Moorish tapas bar has always been our dream, and will allow us to have a menu that is exciting and full of flavour,” says Stuart. The restaurant will also open an extra day a week, on Thursdays, and the terraced garden will now be in permanent use for dining with a new sail, meaning alfresco dining is no longer dependant on the Great British weather. Customers will be able to come for an evening meal, or just pop in, perhaps for a quick drink and bite to eat before the cinema.

“We’re really looking forward to having more capacity and welcoming old friends and new. We love having a restaurant in this town - often half our customers know each other, which adds to the party atmosphere.”

The High Pavement re-opens on Thursday 20th May, then every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6pm.

To book a table please text 07967222682 www.thehighpavement.co.uk hello@thehighpavement.co.uk @thehighpavement

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C o ve r S t o r y

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Artists Of Frome H u nte r a n d Co llecto r – Tes s Ch o da n

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e talk to Tess about her creative process, what inspires her highly recognisable pieces, and how a career as an antiques dealer was the start of her artistic journey.

What is your artistic background?

I am a self-taught artist, so no formal education as such, but I have learned on the job over the past decade or so!

What made you follow this path?

I was an antiques dealer for some years (Fromies will remember my pitch at the embryonic Frome Independent ages ago). On one particular trip to Shepton Antiques fair, I spotted an interesting box which, on opening, revealed a perfectly preserved Edwardian collection of moths dating from the early 1900s. It was simply the most beautiful - and strangest - thing I had ever seen. I kept it on my desk for quite a while, before using some of the moths to create my first ever artwork inside an antique clock dome. It was the very first thing that sold at my next flea market, and from that point onwards I knew that my destiny was tiny insects (and not mid-century sideboards).

What is your physical creative process?

What materials and techniques do you use?

I am driven by serendipity. My studio houses a collection of the most eclectic antiques you could hope to find (a lifetime’s obsession) and of course my precious drawers of antique, vintage and sustainably sourced butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees and 10

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Artists of Frome

beetles. The creation of my artworks involves many happy hours spent in the studio amongst these beautiful things, working out the best marriage between object and insect.

What inspires your work?

I am endlessly and hopelessly in love with antique entomology collections, be they in a museum (the Natural History Museum is the obvious choice) or in private hands. I have been lucky enough to have been granted access to some utterly astonishing collections not normally seen by the public, as part of my ongoing research in this fascinating field. A stand-out is the Macquarie Collector’s Chest in Sydney, whose treasures I was given a private tour of a few years ago when I was living in Australia. An early 18th century colonial masterpiece, the chest contains butterfly,

moth and beetle specimens that are almost 300 years old… and in almost perfect condition. I viewed it with three museum curators and we all cried! It was an amazing moment and one that has stayed with me. The fact that such fragile insects can exist for so long is my greatest inspiration: my work is about preserving tiny pieces of history that would otherwise turn to dust.

How did lockdown affect the way you work and create?

Like everyone, I panicked initially, but in time I came to view lockdown as a great opportunity. I am lucky enough to have a studio locally, and so I spent the whole of last year hunkering down amongst my treasures. I created at least five separate collections, which pretty much all sold out as soon as I released them. Instagram became my best friend, meaning I could connect with art buyers worldwide, and my work has flown off to New York, Sydney, Brisbane, Switzerland and all over the UK. I really valued the space lockdown gave me, without the distraction of fairs and shows (much as I love them). I’m feeling a bit cabin feverish now though, and can’t wait to get out there and meet people again.

Where do you work from? Tell us about your studio.

My studio is an old stone building that used to be a cow shed, hidden away at the bottom of my parent’s garden in Nunney. It’s been a blessing to see them every day as they are advancing (disgracefully, as I hope to) into older age… we get on really well. It’s a large, light space, more often than not bursting with stuff. I am always itching to escape the teens and head to my cocoon of treasures.

What is your favourite place to be for artistic inspiration?

Any museum or gallery, anywhere! Favourites are the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum, the Sir John Soane Museum (this is a wonder), the Pitt Rivers in Oxford, the V&A for the insane variety of its collection, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Walks in my local fields around where I live also provide endless inspiration.

What artists inspire you, and why?

I am in awe of the work of Kate McGuire, who creates incredible forms (often in domes) using feathers. I love medieval religious art, 16th century court portraits, and later, Eric Gill, Ian Fairweather and Steve Dilworth. Too many to name here!

If you hadn’t become an artist, what would you have done?

I guess the obvious choice is museum curator. Or professional lepidopterist…

How do you find the Frome area, in terms of creativity and artistic community?

When we moved here over 20 years ago, we were drawn Frome’s magical creative energy. Over the years I have connected with an amazing variety of artistic talent that I believe is a rarity in a small town such as Frome. Since joining the OWL collective 2 years ago, I feel especially honoured to be showing my work alongside such great artists as my fellow OWLS. Are there any artistic processes/ disciplines which you haven’t worked in/with, but would like to?

I am drawn to metalwork – I use wire often in my domes, but I would like to understand more about weaving with wire. Also electroforming – I have made some tentative experiments using copper on my beetles, but want to do more.

How can people see and buy your work?

OWL gallery on Catherine Hill is open Monday to Saturday; I generally work there on a Friday, so pop in. My studio is always open for visitors. I am showing at art fairs in Sussex, Surrey and Berkshire (check my Instagram/ website for information) this year all being well! And of course the Frome Independent, as soon as we get the green light.

@hunter_and_collector www.hunterandcollector.weebly.com

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Gifts & Goodies

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5 1. Tusk organic cotton t-shirts in adults and children’s sizes - (15% of every t-shirt sold goes to Tusk’s conservation work in Africa) www.settlersstores.co.uk - £35 • 2. Fru Zippe Woollen Cross Stitch Kit: Guinea Fowl Cushion Cover - Frome Yarn Collective - £80.00 • 3. Secret Garden Bramble Stacking Rings - Christina Oswin Jewellery - £65 each 4. Single Stem Recycled Glass Flower vase by Phaedra Politis - OWL - £20 • 5. Embroidered, handmade trainers, available in EU size 36-45 - www.settlersstores.co.uk - £80 • 6. Porcelain Dishes with gold detail by Rebecca Wordsworth - OWL - £18

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BRIGHTEN YOUR GARDEN

www.fromeyarncollective.co.uk E: info@fromeyarncollective.co.uk T: 01373 473 557 11, Catherine Hill Click and Collect and Free Delivery within a mile.

shop opening

THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS 10-4PM 87 locks hill, frome, ba11 1nh www.settlersstores.co.uk. 07771787283

CER AMICS . JE WELLERY . PRINTS . TE X TILES 3 S T O N Y S T, F R O M E 0 1 3 7 3 47 2 4 0 4

Join Winstone’s Hunting Raven Books for the online launch of

David Hamilton’s Where the Wild Things Grow Wednesday 5th May, 7.30pm Book at: www.bit.ly/davewildish

1 Bath Street, Frome, BA11 1DG _ 01373 764 472 hello@matthewpaulinteriors.co.uk Matthew Paul Interiors Matthew Paul Interiors

www.winstonebooks.co.uk T: 01373 473111

E: winstonebooks3@gmail.com

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1. Where The Wild Things Grow by (Frome resident) Dave Hamilton - Hunting Raven - £20 • 2. Vintage dragonfly with gilded wings on Japanese silk by Hunter & Collector - OWL - £135 • 3. ‘Love’ Print By Anthony Oram (unframed) - The WHY Gallery - £30 • 4. ‘I Am Magic’ Brass Tallisman Necklace by Stuff Made From Things - The WHY Gallery - £34 • 5. Bramley - Set of 10 Mini Flower Soaps - Matthew Paul Interiors - £12.50 • 6. ‘Spaced’ Circle Pendant - Christina Oswin Jewellery - from £57

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SPRING INTO OWL Op e n M on day - Satu rday 33 C at h e r in e H il l A FFO RDA B L E FI N E A RT D I REC T FRO M LO C A L M A KER S Annemarie Blake • Hans Borgonjon Tess Chodan • Anny Colgan Phaedra Politis • Rebecca Wordswor th

S H O P O N L I N E AT

w w w. owl g a l l er y fro m e . c o . uk

COMMISSIONS WEDDING RINGS REPAIRS REMODELLING JEWELLERY CLASSES 20A Cheap Street . Frome . BA11 1BN . 01373 472505 Christina Oswin Jewellery @christinaoswin

christinaoswin.co.uk

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A Fundraising Feat For Active & In Touch

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he 4x4x48 Challenge is a gruelling endurance feat which has been popularised in recent years by ex-US marine David Goggins, and involves completing 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours - an “ultra-marathon” with a total of 12 rounds and 48 miles in two days and nights! Local man Jamie Curd will be attempting the 4x4x48 Challenge for Active and In Touch Frome on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of May, running a 4-mile multi-terrain route around the Longleat woods Jamie, who lives in East Woodlands, is known for operating NCR Fitness. It’s one of a few UK and South West group exercise providers delivering DDP Yoga, which was his own starting point for a healthier lifestyle, leading him to pursue successes in running events both locally and overseas.

As a local fitness instructor, Jamie works to inspire and support others to set and accomplish their goals, whilst promoting the inclusion of all abilities, ages and levels of fitness. This is why he has set the bar high with his latest challenge in aid of Active and In Touch - a charity which embodies many of his core values.

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Jamie told us, “Active and In Touch works to support people who suffer loneliness and isolation, through the circumstances that life has thrown at them, including caring for a partner for years, moving to a new area, mental health needs or just not feeling confident to try new things alone. As some may already know, I have suffered with social anxiety, lack of confidence and low self-esteem, making it difficult to connect and maintain friendships, so this is a cause I can relate to and am willing to go the extra mile for. I hope you can support me to reach the £480 goal (£10 per each mile of the challenge.)”

Jamie also welcomes any local runners who want to do a socially distanced lap with him!

To sponsor Jamie please visit localgiving.org/fundraising/ jamies4x4x48challenge For more information on the brilliant work of Active and In Touch Frome, go to: www.activeandintouch.org

L E N G T H E N

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Not all veterinary practices are the same We are available to care for your pets, horses and animals 24/7 If your pet is overnight with us, they are never left alone Garston vets - a truly independent approach to animal care for over 100 years.

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Rhubarb Ice-Cream 600g rhubarb (trimmed weight) 130g caster sugar 500ml double cream 250ml whole milk 1 vanilla pod, split, with seeds scraped out 4 large egg yolks Chop the rhubarb into slices and placed in a pan with 75 g castor sugar and a dribble of water. Place a lid on the pan and bring to a simmer, then continue to cook gently for 10 minutes or so, until the rhubarb has completely broken down. Purée the mixture in a blender, or mash well with a fork, then chill thoroughly.

Place half of the cream and all of the milk into a pan, along with the vanilla pod and seeds and bring slowly to just below the boil. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a heatproof bowl and whisk together for a minute or two.

Rhubarb, Rhubarb! seasonal Recipes from our resident Foodie Laura Coate

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couple of weeks ago (notably, on my birthday), we had some pretty glorious, sunny days. They made me feel that not only was spring well and truly here, perhaps summer was also peeking around the corner too.

Should May come up trumps with yet more sunshine, this will be the perfect recipe to have up your sleeve.

At this time of year, rhubarb should be plentiful (if left to its own devices, it can be rife from spring through to late summer) and will make for a pleasing, sherberty ice-cream.

Pour the heated milk over the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Then, rinse out your pan and fill about a quarter full with hot water. Place the heatproof bowl over the pan and set to a low heat. Stir the mixture until it thickens enough to just coat the back of a spoon in a thin layer of custard. (This could take around 20 minutes.)* Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a container and chill thoroughly. Mix the chilled custard with the rhubarb mixture then whip the remaining cream until it begins to thicken and gently fold this into the custard base. Freeze in an ice-cream maker, or in a tub which you can place in the freezer, and remove every hour or two to whisk, so that the texture is good and smooth.

Remember to remove the tub from the freezer at least 15 minutes before you serve the ice-cream. *If you’re less cautious than I am when it comes to making custard (I have split many batches before now when in a rush), you may dispense with the bain marie and simply heat the custard directly in the pan. It’ll make the whole operation all of 10 minutes faster.

Follow Laura for updates and recipes: Instagram @foodwithfolk

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Fo o d w it h Fo l k

Food With Folk creates beautiful, seasonal food for you to eat at home. Our brief menu changes monthly and is made conscientiously, by hand, with the happiest ingredients available.

May Set Menu Green Lentils, Asparagus, Watercress Ewes’ cheese, walnut oil (v) Allergens: milk, walnuts

Pork & Fennel Ragù Handmade tagliatelle Allergens: wheat, milk

OR Orzotto Perl Las blue cheese, purple sprouting broccoli (v) Allergens: spelt, milk

Goats’ Labneh Baked Cheesecake Rhubarb (v) Allergens: milk, egg, almonds, wheat

£21 for Vegetarian Menu • £23 for Omnivorous Menu

Dishes are delivered to your door on Friday evenings, between 5.45pm and 8.15pm and are able to be reheated at your convenience. (Indeed, there will always be one or two delectable nibbles on offer while your main dish is gently reheating.)

The number of dishes are limited each week, so please place your orders with us by Wednesday for the forthcoming Friday’s delivery. Pre-orders can be made via Instagram, Facebook and soon by visiting www.foodwithfolk.com We look forward to cooking for you soon.

www.foodwithfolk.com   @foodwithfolk THE LIST FROME

Menu is subject to last minute tweaks.

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Home Improvements?

The William Rose Group have it all

G

ood news for home improvers and decorators this spring: The William Rose Group is expanding its showrooms on Badcox to offer a wider range and more choice, including launching their very own bespoke collection of wooden flooring ‘Fordbury Wood’.

The boutique paints, wallpaper and fabric shop, the Rose Garden, will also more than double in space.

Stocking a wide range of Farrow & Ball paints, inhouse tinting service for Mylands, Designers Guild and Little Greene, as well as tester pots and ordering services for Zoffany and Sanderson.

The new Wooden Flooring Studio will feature one of the largest collections of wooden flooring in the South West from suppliers like Ted Todd, Woodpecker and Esco. In keeping with founders Terry and Nikki Parker’s vision to have an informal, relaxed space where customers are welcome to visit, browse and ask questions, this new space will be open from Tuesday 4th May.

The new Rose Garden will feature a space for colour consultations and a design table so that customers can browse a wide range of wallpapers and fabrics by booking a one-to-one consultation or popping in for a chat with the friendly team.

Founded 9 years ago by Terry Parker, the William Rose group has gone from strength to strength. Terry and Nikki’s vision has been to create a space that would showcase both the beauty of wood, and what their team of skilled fitters can achieve, from parquet patterns and weaves to finishes and restoration.

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“We are so looking forward to the new space for the Rose Garden, being able to fully show the breadth of wallpapers, fabrics and paints we offer, as well as exciting new plans to expand our in-house mixing services,” says Nikki.

Pop along to Badcox and the William Rose group for home inspiration and a friendly service.

Congratulations!

You have bought the house of your dreams.

With help from Estate Agents who kept it all moving, Solicitors who made sure all the Ts were crossed and Surveyors who allowed you to see the true potential. You have the keys and the confidence to make it all yours.

Geoffrey Hunt. Proud to be part of the local team.

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Trug & Lettuce Th e B i g B e d E xp e r i m e nt

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f you happen to listen to me on FromeFM (every 4th Sunday) chat all things gardening – and play some sometimes tenuously linked music –then you’ll have heard me chatter on about my best friend Muriel Jones.

Now Muriel and I first became acquainted about seven years ago when a nice man from the Frome Allotment Association met me in a gravelled car park next to the composting loo and allowed me to choose a plot up at Birchill Lane – yes, Muriel is where I can be found on an evening as the sun sets, sipping from a can of Funky Monkey and then walking home over the fields with the dog.

And sometimes I actually plant and grow stuff!

The thing is, you don’t need to have an allotment to do that. Last year I was wandering around the middle of a local supermarket (I live just off the Portway so you can guess which one) and I saw a bargain book,

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‘All You Can Eat in Three Square Feet’. Now, I love a bargain, and even though I already had more than enough gardening books, this one found its way into my basket. And the other day – almost six months after buying it – I finally started to thumb through it.

Well, we probably all know that three square feet isn’t much, and the claim that you can grow all you can eat in it is probably a bit far-fetched, but I thought maybe I would give this a go. After all, I’ve tried herbs in fancy tin cans that once held olive oil, I’ve grown potatoes in an old galvanised water tank that I acquired from a local reclamation yard, I’ve even grown cavolo nero out of large terracotta pots to make this Italian favourite feel more at home.

There was a year when I was so determined that my cruciferous veg seedlings would survive that I took them away with us when we spent Easter in the Lake District. And survive they did!

So, when I happened to stumble across an old cast iron and brass bed for sale for £20, inspiration hit.

I bought the bed, and thus my mission started. A vegetable bed, in a bed!

I’ve cleared a space in the front garden. Yes. The front garden. I want it to be a thing of beauty that passersby will stop and stare at. Preferably in wonder. I’ll add some wooden sides, making it a raised bed, in a bed, then fill it with some nice soil and compost that I’ll leave to settle for a week or two.

heritage tomatoes – Snowberry and Yellow Pear – some Marconi Rosso peppers, Boltardy and Burpees Golden beetroot, some Harlequin carrots and, finally, some Tromboncino squash that will grow up the bedframe.

So you see, you don’t need an allotment to grow veg.

Or even a big space. They say three square feet will do it. Or an olive oil can on a windowsill. Or a galvanised tank in a sunny corner of your garden. So go on. Get some seeds and give it a go!

That will give me just enough time for my seeds to germinate, introduce to the outdoors and harden off before they’re planted up in their final growing space. And what am I growing? Well, I’ve chosen some strawberry plants gifted to me by a customer, some

You can follow the journey of the veg bed on my website www.trugandlettuce.co.uk or hear me talk about it on FromeFM. And if you’re passing and notice it then feel free to take a closer look – just leave the strawberries please!

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IN THE DUGOUT

D D

Th e Fr o m e Fo s s i l

R

ejoice! The pubs are open again, as Margaret Thatcher almost said. Which sparks a memory of the first great pub I ever drank in. As a teenager, I was a bag of pitiful ignorance, to whom the ultimate elixir was a pint of Watney’s Red Barrel. Then, when I left school, I got a Christmas job at Bath’s Theatre Royal for the pantomime season.

Me and a mate worked backstage, lugging props on and off under the beady eye of Wilf. Wilf was a short, wispy, aged bloke in a filthy old raincoat whose permanent expression was a crafty grin.

On the first night, after we had set up for Scene Two, Wilf said, “Coming for a pint?” We followed his scuttling form over the road, through a gloomy doorway and down sticky stairs, emerging into a low-ceilinged bar. This was Broadley’s Dugout, and it was dim and dingy and drab, with a hint of spit and sawdust. At any rate, there were casks behind the bar, fronted by a round, ruddy man called Roley.

He didn’t have Red Barrel, so we opted for pints of proper old-fashioned Bass. It was the start of a lifelong affair.

Smacking our lips, we returned to the theatre, set up for Scene Three, and raced back to the Dugout. This set the pattern for the next weeks, as we clattered down those stairs at least five times a night. We drank deep of the pub and its thick, pungent, atmosphere. For it was, in those days, a “Gentlemen Only” establishment, which meant it filled up with lonely and raddled male drinkers, most wearing Wilf-style raincoats and hats with greasy interiors. None could be classified as gentlemen, even in the loosest sense.

After curtain down we were joined by members of the cast, who added a bit of seedy glamour to the place. There was the Principal Boy who, having shed

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her fishnet tights and dazzling makeup, slouched in wearing a dufflecoat and carrying a canvas bag full of empty stout bottles. She was admitted as an honorary gent. There was the very camp solo dancer with his gigantic slobbery wolfhound. And there was the Pirate King, a classic hammy thesp with swirling moustaches, who was arrested halfway through the run for an unmentionable act in a bandstand. Is it any wonder I’ve loved pantos and pubs – of the louche variety – ever since?

T h e F r o m e Fo s s i l

From

DOING EDUCATION DIFFERENTLY…

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09/04/2021 12:35:25