Taunton and South Somerset Living Feb - Mar 2020
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Taunton and South Somerset Living Feb - Mar 2020

The Early Spring edition, featuring an interview with top chef Mitch Tonks, fabulous home inspiration, delicious recipes, travel to Santa Barbara and Victorian home renovations.

The Early Spring edition, featuring an interview with top chef Mitch Tonks, fabulous home inspiration, delicious recipes, travel to Santa Barbara and Victorian home renovations.

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Contents<br />

A Note<br />

from the editor<br />

The bleak midwinter. I often bemoan the loss<br />

of the twinkle of festive lights <strong>and</strong> Christmas<br />

wreaths - it seems a cruel, long stretch from<br />

early January into spring without something<br />

nice to look at - we can all fall victim to this<br />

pessimism, generally because after the chaos<br />

of the festive season, our diaries are looking a<br />

little empty <strong>and</strong> our doors a little sad…<br />

A Culinary recipes Journey to celebrate<br />

through<br />

19Three Fairtrade Northern Irel<strong>and</strong> Fortnight<br />

How about instead of succumbing to the<br />

midwinter gloom, we instead rejoice in<br />

something altogether more special than strings<br />

of lights or wrapped up presents - the gentle<br />

awakening of spring, the shift in the seasons.<br />

I won’t look for glitter, but instead for the<br />

solemn little heads of the snowdrops in shady<br />

patches or the gentle bob of yellow swathes of<br />

daffodils lining the roads on my drive to work.<br />

I’ll view my lack of social engagements not as<br />

a problem, but as a chance to take a breath<br />

- <strong>and</strong> maybe treat myself to a dinner without<br />

having to worry about anyone else. Finally,<br />

instead of filling my body with festive treats (I<br />

assure you, there were plenty), I’ll fill my lungs<br />

with fresh air during the little 20 minutes I’ve<br />

carved out of my day for a lunchtime walk.<br />

Foodie Santa<br />

Barbara<br />

IN THIS ISSUE...<br />

06 What’s On<br />

Spring is awakening! And we share<br />

with you the pick of the best local<br />

events<br />

10 Wedded Bliss<br />

22<br />

Our annual wedding guide returns<br />

with lots of inspiration on upcoming<br />

trends <strong>and</strong> planning tips<br />

17 Mitch Tonks<br />

We catch up with the West Country<br />

chef on big business decisions <strong>and</strong><br />

creating a community<br />

19 Fairtrade Fortnight<br />

Three delicious recipes celebrating the<br />

best Fairtrade ingredients - promising<br />

a fair price to farmers<br />

26 Liz Bonnin<br />

We caught up with presenter <strong>and</strong><br />

wildlife expert Liz Bonnin ahead of the<br />

Planet Earth Live in Concert tour<br />

30 Bathroom Guide<br />

A guide to creating your own<br />

bathroom sanctuary <strong>and</strong> top tips for<br />

choosing tiles<br />

Presenter<br />

Liz Bonnin<br />

26<br />

28<br />

Amazing<br />

Glazing<br />

Editor Katie Thomson<br />

e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk<br />

Publisher Sally Thomson<br />

Pre Press Manager Kate O’Connell<br />

Contributors Rebecca Williams, Sue Cooke, Angela Cave, Pete Lawrence, Lucy<br />

Saunders. Front cover courtesy Jamie Dodd Photography at Hestercombe Gardens<br />

Key Account Manager<br />

Skye O’Hara-Street<br />

e skye@minervapublications.co.uk<br />

d/l 01225 613 518<br />

www.tauntonlivingmag.co.uk<br />

All things considered, then, <strong>Feb</strong>ruary doesn’t<br />

feel too bad. It’s famously the month of love<br />

with Saint Valentine’s day in the middle - that<br />

love can manifest itself with showings of<br />

gratitude of kindness to your partner or pet,<br />

your best friend or brother - a little bit of love<br />

can lift even the gloomiest of spirits.<br />

This issue we have a bumper selection of<br />

goodies to keep you occupied too - with<br />

a fabulous bathroom <strong>and</strong> tile guide, some<br />

enviable inspiration on architectural glazing<br />

<strong>and</strong> some tips on modern Victorian styling.<br />

Add into that a catch up with the charming<br />

chef Mitch Tonks, some tasty recipes <strong>and</strong> a<br />

interview with the fascinating TV presenter <strong>and</strong><br />

biologist Liz Bonnin - well, we are confident<br />

there is something for everyone.<br />

We will see you again in April - when we will be<br />

in full Easter mode!<br />

Katie<br />

MINERVA PUBLICATIONS HQ<br />

County Gate, County Way,<br />

Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 7FJ<br />

t 01225 308128<br />

w www.minervapublications.co.uk<br />

Disclaimer: The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an<br />

advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions <strong>and</strong><br />

misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the<br />

publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers.<br />

3

EVENTS GUIDE<br />

Finally, the days are getting longer<br />

<strong>and</strong> spring is just around the corner.<br />

Looking for the best local places to visit<br />

<strong>and</strong> things to do at this time of year?<br />

Then you can make the most of the<br />

season with our extensive guide...<br />

4<br />

Bridgwater Arts<br />

Centre<br />

11-13 Castle Street, Bridgwater TA6 3DD<br />

01278422700<br />

www.bridgwaterartscentre.co.uk<br />

Friday 7 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 7.30pm<br />

Strictly Sherlock Jonathan Goodwin<br />

returns as Sherlock Holmes, in a show<br />

scripted by himself. A high energy, one-man<br />

show which features a selection of Conan<br />

Doyle’s more macabre stories. Expect<br />

multiple characterisations, atmospheric<br />

soundtrack <strong>and</strong> trademark noir lighting.<br />

Wednesday 19 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 10am & 1pm<br />

Kevin Sutherl<strong>and</strong> Comic Book<br />

Masterclass Kev Sutherl<strong>and</strong> is a writer<br />

<strong>and</strong> artist for The Beano, <strong>Mar</strong>vel, Doctor<br />

Who <strong>and</strong> many other comics.<br />

Kevin will teach pupils all there is to know<br />

about making comic strips <strong>and</strong> manga. By<br />

the end of each session the group will have<br />

produced a comic containing a strip by<br />

every single one of them, a copy of which<br />

they take home, plus he will have drawn<br />

a caricature of every one of them (He will<br />

even draw all the staff if there’s time).<br />

Thursday 12 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 8pm<br />

Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman -<br />

On Reflection Tour<br />

<strong>2020</strong> marks 25 years of making music<br />

together for this popular wife <strong>and</strong> husb<strong>and</strong><br />

duo. To celebrate <strong>and</strong> acknowledge this<br />

milestone, the couple will revisit <strong>and</strong><br />

reinterpret songs which span their career.<br />

Friday 20 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 7.30pm<br />

Jack The Ripper - The Real Truth<br />

Trevor <strong>Mar</strong>riott is a retired British Police<br />

murder squad detective, <strong>and</strong> leading<br />

Ripper expert, who since 2002 has been<br />

conducting a cold case investigation into<br />

The Whitechapel Murders of 1888 which<br />

were attributed to a fearsome unknown<br />

killer who came to be known as Jack the<br />

Ripper. For the past 131 years this mystery<br />

has captivated the imagination of people<br />

worldwide <strong>and</strong> still does today.<br />

Dunster Castle<br />

Dunster, near Minehead TA24 6SL<br />

01643 821314<br />

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunster-castle<br />

1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 <strong>and</strong> 22 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

Dunster Uncovered Tours<br />

From the imposing Estate Office <strong>and</strong><br />

underground corridors to rooms both<br />

furnished <strong>and</strong> bare, these tours give you an<br />

interesting tour of life behind closed doors.<br />

Sunday 15 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 11am - 1.30pm<br />

Ranger-led Hike on Grabbist Hill<br />

Join a ranger for a guided 3-mile seasonal<br />

walk on Grabbist hill <strong>and</strong> pick up some<br />

wildlife spotting tips along the way.<br />

Saturday 28 <strong>Mar</strong>ch - Sunday 19 April<br />

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt<br />

Uncover the traditions of spring on this<br />

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt with flower<br />

crowns, painted eggs <strong>and</strong> wild art.<br />

East <strong>Somerset</strong> Railway<br />

Cranmore Railway Station, Cranmore,<br />

Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP<br />

01749 880417<br />

www.eastsomersetrailway.com<br />

Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

Steam Gala <strong>2020</strong><br />

Steam, smoke <strong>and</strong> lots of oily parts!<br />

Passenger trains, freight, brake vans<br />

<strong>and</strong> tankers create the complete steam<br />

atmosphere.<br />

Throughout this weekend they showcase<br />

their rolling stock, to give you a vision of<br />

life before modern technology. Ride in<br />

the brake van, watch the shunting, or sit in<br />

comfort in a vintage carriage all day if you like!<br />

Forde Abbey<br />

Chard TA20 4LU<br />

01460 221290<br />

www.fordeabbey.co.uk<br />

Saturday 1 - Saturday 29 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Snowdrop Weekends<br />

Throughout <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, the 30 acres of<br />

award-winning gardens are carpeted<br />

in a spectacular display of snowdrops,<br />

heralding the start of Spring. It’s the perfect<br />

time of year to enjoy the garden starting to<br />

wake up from its Winter hibernation.<br />

Saturday 29 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary - Sunday 8 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

Crocus Week<br />

Crocus Week, when these jewel-like<br />

flowers will carpet the lawns, although<br />

many bulbs will have been in bloom since<br />

mid-<strong>Feb</strong>ruary, particularly along the top of<br />

the south lawn <strong>and</strong> in the Rockery.<br />

Sunday 1 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 10am - 4pm<br />

Plant & Gardening Fair<br />

Packed with inspiration <strong>and</strong> ideas for the<br />

Spring garden.They will be hosting over<br />

twenty stalls selling plants <strong>and</strong> gardening<br />

sundries.<br />

Sunday 22 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

Mothering Sunday Afternoon Tea<br />

This Mothering Sunday, why not treat<br />

your mother to Afternoon Tea at Forde<br />

Abbey. They’ve created a mouth watering<br />

menu for the occasion with a selection of<br />

freshly baked scones with strawberry jam<br />

<strong>and</strong> clotted cream to enjoy alongside an<br />

assortment of finger s<strong>and</strong>wiches <strong>and</strong> petits<br />

fours. With a pot of tea or filtered coffee<br />

<strong>and</strong> drinks for children. And since it’s a day<br />

to celebrate, there’s the option of a glass<br />

of fizz too.<br />

Haynes International<br />

Motor Museum<br />

Sparkford, Yeovil BA22 7LH<br />

019634 40804<br />

www.haynesmotormuseum.com<br />

Saturday 15 - Sunday 23 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Half Term - How Does A Car Work?<br />

This <strong>Feb</strong>ruary half term take your budding<br />

engineers to learn how a car works in fun,<br />

family friendly workshops for ages 5-15.<br />

Hestercombe Gardens<br />

Cheddon Fitzpaine, <strong>Taunton</strong> TA2 8LG<br />

01823 413923<br />

www.hestercombe.com<br />

Sunday 9 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Wellbeing Retreat<br />

Set in the beautiful surroundings of<br />

Hestercombe Gardens, this retreat focuses<br />

on achieving mindfulness <strong>and</strong> restorative<br />

calm through a combination of Pilates,<br />

Yoga, Tai Chi meditation <strong>and</strong> Forest<br />

Bathing (green space mindfulness).<br />

Tuesday 3 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

NGS Open Day<br />

From the NGS Open Day they’ll be<br />

donating a proportion of the gardens<br />

admission income to the National Open<br />

Garden Scheme who support a range of<br />

Snowdrops at Forde Abbey<br />

continued

Social icon<br />

Circle<br />

Only use blue <strong>and</strong>/or white.<br />

For more details check out our<br />

Br<strong>and</strong> Guidelines.<br />

Bracing walks<br />

made at Killerton<br />

Pull on your boots <strong>and</strong> take a walk<br />

to see the garden <strong>and</strong> parkl<strong>and</strong> at<br />

Killerton bursting to life for spring.<br />

Or head inside <strong>and</strong> see the new<br />

fashion exhibiton ‘Active minds<br />

<strong>and</strong> busy bodies’.<br />

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton<br />

© National Trust <strong>2020</strong>. Registered Charity no. 205846.<br />

Photography © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey<br />

Travel <strong>and</strong> Comedy<br />

in the Danger Zone<br />

SUN 9 FEB<br />

SAT 7 MAR<br />

SUN 29 MAR<br />

www.thebrewhouse.net<br />

01823 283244<br />

5

6<br />

charities. Head to the NGS website www.<br />

ngs.org.uk to find out more about what<br />

they do <strong>and</strong> who they support <strong>and</strong> lots of<br />

other beautiful gardens to visit.<br />

Ilminster Arts Centre<br />

East Street, Iminster TA19 0AN<br />

01460 55783<br />

www.themeetinghouse.org.uk<br />

Friday 7 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 8pm<br />

Mike Denham & The Sunset Cafe<br />

Stompers<br />

The <strong>South</strong> West’s favourite traditional jazz<br />

b<strong>and</strong> is 30 years old this year. This will be<br />

a special night, with Mike playing duets<br />

with various b<strong>and</strong> members <strong>and</strong> the whole<br />

b<strong>and</strong> playing numbers from their hude<br />

repertoire covering Jelly Roll Morton, Duke<br />

Ellington, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong <strong>and</strong><br />

many more.<br />

Friday 14 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 8pm<br />

Jazz - Nick Maclean Quartet with<br />

Brownman Ali<br />

This will be an intriguing gig, modern jazz<br />

from Canada, featuring a truly provocative<br />

multi- award winning trumpet player whose<br />

music ranges from Be-bop to Acid-jazz to<br />

Hip-hop to Brazilian Samba to Cuban Salsa<br />

as well as being featured on major motion<br />

picture soundtracks, music videos <strong>and</strong> live<br />

television broadcasts.<br />

Friday 28 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 8pm<br />

Canterbury Tales<br />

‘The Canterbury Tales’ is based around a<br />

disparate group of pilgrims travelling to the<br />

shrine of Thomas a Becket at Canterbury<br />

Cathedral. They tell each other stories to<br />

while away the journey, <strong>and</strong> they paint a<br />

rich <strong>and</strong> vibrant portrait of life in medieval<br />

Engl<strong>and</strong>. Although Chaucer wrote his<br />

masterwork over 600 years ago, it still feels<br />

contemporary, fresh, easy to underst<strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> extremely amusing - rather rude in<br />

places !<br />

Friday 27 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 8pm<br />

Dave Newton with Andy Panayi <strong>and</strong><br />

Sue Richardson<br />

Twelve times winner of the UK jazz awards,<br />

David Newton is one of the heavyweights<br />

of British Jazz, <strong>and</strong> an absolute master of<br />

the piano. There is a sophistication about<br />

his playing that runs deep, whether ballads,<br />

swingers or flag wavers, he has it all.<br />

National Trust<br />

Montacute House<br />

Middle Street, Montacute TA15 6XP<br />

01935 823289<br />

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/montacute-house<br />

Friday 14 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Special Elizabethan Welcome Tour<br />

for St Valentine’s Day<br />

Find about love <strong>and</strong> marriage in times gone<br />

by whilst enjoying a 45 minute tour of the<br />

grounds.<br />

Sunday 1 <strong>Mar</strong>ch - Sunday 31 May<br />

Elizabeth of Bohemia -<br />

The Winter Queen<br />

The National Portrait Gallery’s special<br />

exhibition will be ‘Elizabeth of Bohemia<br />

the Winter Queen’ <strong>and</strong> will feature<br />

contemporary portraits of this fascinating<br />

woman <strong>and</strong> those connected to her.<br />

Saturday 28 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 10am - 2pm<br />

Level’s Best Farmer’s <strong>Mar</strong>ket<br />

Great local produce <strong>and</strong> crafts at this<br />

award wining market .<br />

Tacchi-Morris Arts<br />

Centre<br />

School Road, <strong>Taunton</strong> TA2 8PD<br />

01823 414141<br />

www.tacchi-morris.com<br />

Wednesday 19 - Thursday 20 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect<br />

Nonsense<br />

Take your seats with caution! Aristocratic<br />

buffoon Bertie Wooster has hired the<br />

theatre for the night. Will the show be a<br />

disaster? Will the scenery stay upright? Or<br />

will his trusty manservant Jeeves step in<br />

<strong>and</strong> save the day?<br />

Friday 28 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary, 7.30pm<br />

Dead Good - Vamos Theatre<br />

Let’s start... at the end.<br />

Bob <strong>and</strong> Bernard have only two things in<br />

common they’re both dying <strong>and</strong> they’re not<br />

going down without a fight.<br />

So, with a bottle of Bollinger <strong>and</strong> the keys<br />

to Bernard’s Bentley in h<strong>and</strong>, they decide<br />

to hit the road, <strong>and</strong> take on one final,<br />

death-defying adventure.<br />

Friday 13 - Sunday 15 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

The Slightly Annoying Elephant<br />

What’s big, blue, bossy, <strong>and</strong> turns up<br />

uninvited?<br />

A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One<br />

day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired,<br />

hungry, antique-loving, cycling enthusiast<br />

elephant turns up on his doorstep.<br />

This hilarious story by comedian <strong>and</strong> author<br />

David Walliams is brought to life through<br />

puppetry.<br />

Octagon Theatre<br />

Hendford, Yeovil BA20 1UX<br />

01935 422884<br />

www.octagon-theatre.co.uk<br />

Monday 17 - Saturday 22 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

The Mousetrap<br />

Discover why Agatha Christie’s The<br />

Mousetrap has kept people guessing for so<br />

long, becoming the longest running show<br />

of any kind in the history of theatre.<br />

The scene is set when a group of people<br />

gathered in a country house cut off by the<br />

snow discover, to their horror, that there is<br />

a murderer in their midst. Who can it be?<br />

Saturday 29 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens As<br />

Eric & Ern<br />

Eric <strong>and</strong> Ern is a brilliant homage to<br />

Morecambe <strong>and</strong> Wise crammed full of their<br />

famous comedy sketches.<br />

Thursday 5 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

The Navy Lark<br />

Coming live to the theatre for the first time<br />

in over 60 years is The Navy Lark.<br />

The Navy Lark sees a cast of three bring<br />

to life three classic episodes from the<br />

much loved radio series which ran for<br />

1959 - 1977 which originally featured Leslie<br />

Phillips, Dennis Price, Ronnie Barker <strong>and</strong><br />

Jon Pertwee.<br />

Tuesday 24 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

Seven Drunken Nights -<br />

The Story of The Dubliners<br />

A performance that will have you singing<br />

<strong>and</strong> clapping along to such classics as<br />

The Wild Rover, The Black Velvet B<strong>and</strong>,<br />

The Irish Rover, Molly Malone, Finnegan’s<br />

Wake, McAlpines Fusileers, Raglan Road<br />

<strong>and</strong>, of course, The Seven Drunken Nights.<br />

The Bishops Palace<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>ket Place, Wells BA5 2PD<br />

01749 988111<br />

www.bishopspalace.org.uk<br />

Friday 14 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

“Beloved” -<br />

Tales of Love Gone Right!<br />

Fed up with celebrating Valentine’s night in<br />

the same old way, year after year?<br />

Why not enjoy a different Valentine’s<br />

night experience, with an evening of<br />

luscious stories <strong>and</strong> heart-warming songs<br />

with storyteller Beth Webb <strong>and</strong> singersongwriter,<br />

Dora Darling.<br />

Saturday 28 <strong>Mar</strong>ch 7pm<br />

Faulty Towers -<br />

The Dining Experience<br />

Become part of the action as Basil, Sybil<br />

<strong>and</strong> Manuel serve up mayhem on a platter<br />

along with five stars, three courses <strong>and</strong> two<br />

hours of non-stop laughter.<br />

Expect nothing short of guaranteed fun <strong>and</strong><br />

a brilliant night out as you climb inside your<br />

favourite TV show <strong>and</strong> experience it from<br />

the inside out.<br />

Barrington Court<br />

Barrington, Ilminster TA19 0NQ<br />

01460 241938<br />

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/barrington-court<br />

Saturday 15 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary - Sunday 23<br />

<strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

<strong>Feb</strong>ruary Half Term Fun<br />

Shake the winter cobwebs away with a<br />

range of half term activities. Go along <strong>and</strong><br />

pick up a free self-led outdoor nature trail,<br />

or have a go at planting a sunflower seed.<br />

Powderham Castle<br />

Kenton, Exeter EX6 8JQ<br />

01626 890243<br />

www.powderham.co.uk<br />

Sunday 1 <strong>Mar</strong>ch, 11am - 2pm<br />

Annual Wedding Fair<br />

W<strong>and</strong>er this wedding extravaganza with<br />

over 40 suppliers offering everything<br />

from your dream dress, flowers, rings,<br />

photographers, entertainment <strong>and</strong> romantic<br />

honeymoons.<br />

We take great care in compiling the listings,<br />

however we recommend that you contact the<br />

venue in advance as events <strong>and</strong> listings can<br />

be subject to change.<br />

continued

TAUNTON, SOMERSET<br />

JEEVES & WOOSTER WED 19 & THU 20<br />

IN PERFECT NONSENSE FEB, 7:30PM<br />

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN <strong>2020</strong><br />

*ART * MUSIC * CRAFTS *CAFÉ * WORKSHOPS*<br />

NICK MACLEAN QUARTET<br />

with Ali Brownman<br />

‘Thrilling modern jazz from Canada’<br />

Friday 14 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary 8pm<br />

DEAD GOOD<br />

VAMOS THEATRE<br />

FRI 28 FEB<br />

7:30PM<br />

THE CANTEBURY TALES<br />

‘Six tales retold using drama,<br />

verse, physical theatre & song’<br />

Friday 28 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary 8pm<br />

*contains naughty bits<br />

*not suitable for under 12s<br />

BY INVITATION<br />

A group exhibition celebrating<br />

25 years of Ilminster Arts Centre<br />

2 - 21 <strong>Mar</strong>ch<br />

HENDRIX, CLAPTON<br />

& CREAM BY VOODOO ROOM<br />

SAT 7 MAR<br />

7:30PM<br />

The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster TA19 0AN<br />

Box Office 01460 54973 /for all events see<br />

www.themeetinghouse.org.uk<br />

THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT<br />

FRI 13 MAR - SUN 15 MAR<br />

This play is based on the original book The Slightly Annoying Elephant written by<br />

David Walliams <strong>and</strong> illustrated by Tony Ross. Illustrations © Tony Ross 2013.<br />

Licensed by HarperCollins Children’s Books.<br />

01823 414141 | tacchi-morris.com<br />

7

FREE DROP IN CLINICS –<br />

TAUNTON OFFICE<br />

Wednesday 05/02/2019 Clinic 10.30am – 1pm<br />

Wednesday 19/02/2019 Clinic 10.30am – 1pm<br />

FOR ENQUIRIES AND FREE CONSULTATIONS<br />

0800 014 8031 | 01823 761008<br />

Prioryfield House, 20 Canon Street<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong>, <strong>Somerset</strong> TA1 1SW<br />

www.rls-uk.com<br />

TAUNTON • EXETER • PLYMOUTH

FROM LONDON TO THE WEST COUNTRY<br />

SUPERFAST!<br />

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Book Direct on 01823 331356<br />

or Visit BerrysCoaches.co.uk<br />

Berrys Coaches, Peter Clifford<br />

House, Great Western Way,<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong>, <strong>Somerset</strong>. TA2 6BX<br />

Putting LOCAL radio back into the community<br />

www.tonefm.co.uk<br />

10

WEST COUNTRY GUNS<br />

01984 623 829<br />

www.wcgsporting.co.uk<br />

9 The Square, Wiveliscombe, <strong>Somerset</strong> TA4 2JT<br />

Independent advisers <strong>and</strong> retailers of new <strong>and</strong> used guns<br />

with a good range of shooting accessories <strong>and</strong> cartridges.<br />

The best selection of country clothing <strong>and</strong> footwear in the<br />

area. We are able to offer an extensive range for men, ladies<br />

<strong>and</strong> children, as well as a variety of country themed gifts.<br />

11

Time to trust in the future of prep schools<br />

It can’t be easy being a prospective parent of a prep school child.<br />

If you fall into this category you might have been forgiven, prior<br />

to the December election, for thinking that there’s not much point<br />

as the whole fee paying independent school sector could have<br />

been abolished...<br />

If the outcome of the election had<br />

been different don’t underestimate<br />

the independent school sector’s<br />

determination to fight for its existence<br />

with every legal pathway being followed<br />

to test the legitimacy of such a policy. As<br />

it is, the immediate prospect of a political<br />

threat has greatly subsided <strong>and</strong> the<br />

sector has the breathing space to make<br />

its case more forcefully that we have<br />

a right to exist <strong>and</strong> parents should be<br />

presented with options for the education<br />

of their children. It is for parents to<br />

choose the school which is best suited<br />

to their child’s needs, aspirations <strong>and</strong><br />

talents.<br />

In the meantime, there is every reason to<br />

have confidence in prep schools <strong>and</strong> their<br />

future. IAPS (the Independent Association<br />

of Prep Schools) has over 600 of the top<br />

prep <strong>and</strong> fee-charging junior schools in<br />

the UK. The first step in your search for<br />

quality is to check if your possible short<br />

list of schools for your son or daughter<br />

carries the mark of quality by being<br />

a member of the heads’ association<br />

known as IAPS. This association has a<br />

history extending back over 126 years<br />

<strong>and</strong> the criteria for membership is strictly<br />

monitored to ensure both the head, <strong>and</strong><br />

the school they work at, maintain the<br />

highest st<strong>and</strong>ards. School inspection<br />

reports are received by IAPS, for<br />

example, <strong>and</strong> any failings identified have<br />

to be rectified in good time to maintain<br />

membership. In one sense, therefore,<br />

the first level of due diligence a parent<br />

might feel it necessary to undertake is<br />

already done for them if the school can<br />

demonstrate they are members of IAPS<br />

<strong>and</strong>, better still, have been a member for<br />

many years.<br />

What should you do next as you are<br />

feeling your way through the maze<br />

of glossy publications <strong>and</strong> enticing<br />

web sites placed in front of you. The<br />

temptation is to look for a ‘br<strong>and</strong>’ name<br />

<strong>and</strong>, to some extent, this has merit as<br />

it will more often than not lead you to a<br />

school with a fine reputation polished<br />

over many years of conspicuous<br />

achievement. The question to ask, of<br />

course, is has the school a reputation for<br />

success in the areas which co-incide with<br />

the talents <strong>and</strong> interests of your child. A<br />

fine school’s sporting tradition is of little<br />

relevance if your child is a talented <strong>and</strong><br />

developing musician – not that those two<br />

areas have to be mutually exclusive.<br />

The resort to social media <strong>and</strong> discussion<br />

forums is a likely step many will take but<br />

if your chosen pathway takes you in this<br />

direction then, at the risk of patronising<br />

you, the reader, beware. Do you use<br />

Tripadvisor when planning a stay away?<br />

Do you believe all the messages posted<br />

there <strong>and</strong> would you base your whole<br />

view of a school on the postings of a<br />

few with most likely a pro- or anti-line to<br />

promote for their own reasons.<br />

There might be themes to pick up on but<br />

it really needs each parent to seek out the<br />

things that are most important to you <strong>and</strong><br />

your child.<br />

That brings me then to what you should<br />

do. The most important thing is to visit<br />

the school <strong>and</strong> not just on an official<br />

Open Day. If a school can’t buff itself<br />

up to look good on an official Open Day<br />

it really is a poor do. However, chose<br />

a day <strong>and</strong> time to suit you, though<br />

be reasonable when negotiating this.<br />

Nothing much is likely to be gained from<br />

a visit if a good proportion of the school<br />

is off their normal timetable or routine<br />

because it’s the day of the annual whole<br />

school cross country event. Ask to see<br />

the class your child would likely join at<br />

work <strong>and</strong> then visit older age groups,<br />

looking for obvious positive progression<br />

as revealed by the work displayed on the<br />

wall displays. Find out the answers to<br />

the questions you have about the areas<br />

important to you <strong>and</strong> judge how open<br />

<strong>and</strong> direct you find the responses from<br />

the school. In short trust your instincts<br />

<strong>and</strong> not wholly what others tell you.<br />

If you follow this advice you won’t go far<br />

wrong <strong>and</strong> then don’t lose any sleep at<br />

all over the long term future of your prep<br />

school. Let IAPS do that bit for you whilst<br />

you concentrate on finding the right<br />

school for your child.<br />

Christopher King<br />

CEO, IAPS<br />

12

Millfield Sport<br />

developments:<br />

New Cricket <strong>and</strong> Golf facilities <strong>and</strong><br />

Triathlon Coach appointment<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

Millfield’s new state of the art £2.6 million indoor Golf <strong>and</strong> Cricket<br />

Centres are officially open. The new centres have received<br />

endorsement from leading cricket <strong>and</strong> golfing figures <strong>and</strong> invest<br />

in world-leading technology, including through motion tracking<br />

<strong>and</strong> simulation software, placing Millfield at the forefront of<br />

school <strong>and</strong> university facilities for both sports. The independent<br />

day <strong>and</strong> boarding school in <strong>Somerset</strong> already support regional<br />

<strong>and</strong> national programmes in both sports <strong>and</strong> these new facilities<br />

will give the school the opportunity to further develop community<br />

partnerships.<br />

For Millfield Cricket, the new centre will enable the sport to<br />

practise all the year round to increase the already 370 strong<br />

programme (including 80 girls). The Centre features new<br />

PitchVision technology on three lanes, a state of the art 4G<br />

fielding area, three adaptable bowling <strong>and</strong> batting surfaces, as<br />

well as five nets <strong>and</strong> an expansive 22 metre run-up.<br />

The John Graveney Golf Centre, named after Old Millfieldian<br />

John Graveney, enhances Millfield’s already impressive facilities<br />

with the latest in technology, including two teaching bays with<br />

the opportunity to hit balls from the inside to outside, a further 6<br />

practice bays, an 81 square meter Huxley putting green <strong>and</strong> the<br />

use of the GC Quad Ball Monitor.<br />

Millfield has also become one of the first schools in the UK to<br />

appoint a full-time Triathlon Coach as the multi-discipline sport<br />

grows in popularity. Christian Brown joined Millfield from the<br />

prestigious Leeds Triathlon Centre programme <strong>and</strong> will help to<br />

grow the sport at the school, where athletes can enter national<br />

events such as the British Triathlon Super Series <strong>and</strong> European<br />

<strong>and</strong> World qualifiers.<br />

The school has also recently launched a newly improved minibus<br />

service for Millfield <strong>and</strong> Millfield Prep pupils aged 5 <strong>and</strong> upwards,<br />

which runs across seven routes. Locations are flexible <strong>and</strong><br />

currently include <strong>Taunton</strong>, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Wells, Castle Cary<br />

<strong>and</strong> Bath.<br />

For more information, visit millfieldschool.com<br />

Explorer<br />

Pianist<br />

Horse Rider<br />

Extensive<br />

school minibus<br />

service available<br />

SOPHIE, AGE 8<br />

Book an Open Day at Millfield or<br />

Millfield Prep on Saturday 29 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />

millfieldschool.com/mymillfield<br />

15

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

TAUNTon chamber of commerce<br />

It sometimes feels that <strong>Taunton</strong> is undervalued as a place to<br />

live <strong>and</strong> do business, <strong>and</strong> we often get reports that visitors<br />

are surprised at what we have to offer. The good things about<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong> are easy to list. We speak with the Chamber of<br />

Commerce to find out more information...<br />

A good compact town centre with a wide<br />

range of national <strong>and</strong> independent shops,<br />

enhanced by special areas such as Bath<br />

Place <strong>and</strong> St James Street. The Museum<br />

of <strong>Somerset</strong>, The Brewhouse Theatre, the<br />

Cricket Ground <strong>and</strong> the often forgotten<br />

Vivary Park which is a real gem. Add to<br />

this the great range of bars, hotels, cafés<br />

<strong>and</strong> restaurants then we have so much to<br />

offer, <strong>and</strong> I haven’t even mentioned the<br />

river running through the centre.<br />

These only cover the town centre, but if<br />

you add the racecourse, Hestercombe<br />

Gardens <strong>and</strong> the easy access to the<br />

Blackdown Hills, the Quantocks <strong>and</strong><br />

Exmoor National Park beyond then it’s<br />

not difficult to see what a great place we<br />

live in.<br />

It can be argued that we have not always<br />

made best use of what we have, the<br />

River Tone being an example. But this<br />

is changing <strong>and</strong> developments like the<br />

one at Coal Orchard will enhance <strong>and</strong><br />

make better use of it, <strong>and</strong> the guidance<br />

contained in the Garden Town Status<br />

should ensure that this will be continued.<br />

Other infrastructure works such as the<br />

improvements at junction 25, although<br />

painful at the moment will make things<br />

better in the future, <strong>and</strong> developments<br />

at the station <strong>and</strong> perhaps the current<br />

discussions about the relocation of<br />

the bus station will also make public<br />

transport links more user friendly.<br />

It is however also important to remember<br />

that development although hopefully<br />

good in the long term, always has the<br />

potential to impact on trade <strong>and</strong> the<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong> Chamber is always happy<br />

to listen to views or concerns from<br />

businesses from anywhere in the <strong>Taunton</strong><br />

area, <strong>and</strong> to act as a voice <strong>and</strong> conduit to<br />

those that can assist. We can also draw<br />

on the experiences of the Chambers in<br />

other towns that are currently looking<br />

at similar schemes <strong>and</strong> we can get<br />

“The basics of what we have are<br />

good, the feeling within the business<br />

community is optimistic <strong>and</strong> so the<br />

signs are encouraging that investment<br />

both existing <strong>and</strong> new will continue.”<br />

feedback from them as to what initiatives<br />

work <strong>and</strong> what doesn’t.<br />

Having said all this, we must not become<br />

complacent, but the basics of what we<br />

have are good, the feeling within the<br />

business community is optimistic <strong>and</strong> so<br />

the signs are encouraging that investment<br />

both existing <strong>and</strong> new will continue.<br />

The <strong>Taunton</strong> Chamber is actively<br />

involved in the many projects which are<br />

key to improving <strong>Taunton</strong>’s commercial<br />

environment which includes facilitating<br />

the current move towards a new Business<br />

Improvement District (BID), but also<br />

support <strong>and</strong> engagement with <strong>Somerset</strong><br />

West & <strong>Taunton</strong> Council as they develop<br />

their Economic Development Strategy<br />

<strong>and</strong> The Garden Town Project.<br />

The Business Improvement District if<br />

successful <strong>and</strong> implemented will have<br />

great benefits not only for the town<br />

centre, but for the whole business<br />

community, as a prosperous town centre<br />

all helps when new businesses are<br />

looking relocate, or existing businesses<br />

are looking to attract new employees.<br />

Contact <strong>Taunton</strong> Chamber of<br />

Commerce: 01823 230898<br />

Office 332, Bridge House, 7 Bridge St,<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong> TA1 1TG<br />

17

Perfect Pancakes<br />

Get adventurous this Shrove<br />

Tuesday <strong>and</strong> try out these<br />

delicious recipes courtesy of<br />

Waitrose<br />

18<br />

Buttermilk Pancakes<br />

with chilli chocolate sauce<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

For the chocolate sauce:<br />

100ml double cream<br />

1 Chipotle Chilli, roughly chopped<br />

200g Divine Fairtrade 70% Dark Chocolate<br />

For the pancakes:<br />

150g plain flour<br />

Pinch of table salt<br />

25g golden caster sugar<br />

4 eggs<br />

100ml whole milk<br />

100ml buttermilk<br />

40g butter<br />

4 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil<br />

Vanilla Ice Cream, to serve<br />

METHOD<br />

To make the sauce, gently warm the<br />

cream <strong>and</strong> chilli in a pan then leave to<br />

infuse for 10 minutes. Break the chocolate<br />

into a bowl <strong>and</strong> place on top of a pan of<br />

simmering water, making sure the base<br />

doesn’t touch the water, <strong>and</strong> allow to melt<br />

slowly while stirring.<br />

Strain the warmed cream into the melted<br />

chocolate <strong>and</strong> stir. Discard the chilli.<br />

Keep the sauce warm while you make the<br />

pancakes.<br />

Sift the flour into a large bowl <strong>and</strong> add the<br />

salt <strong>and</strong> half the sugar. In a separate dish,<br />

crack 2 eggs into the milk. Separate the<br />

remaining 2 eggs <strong>and</strong> add the yolks to<br />

the milk.<br />

Add the buttermilk to the milk <strong>and</strong> eggs<br />

<strong>and</strong> whisk together. Slowly pour into the<br />

flour, whisking gently but being careful not<br />

to overmix.<br />

In a separate bowl, add the remaining<br />

s.ugar to the egg whites, whisk until light<br />

<strong>and</strong> fluffy then fold into the batter mixture<br />

in 2 stages.<br />

Heat a little butter <strong>and</strong> oil in a non-stick pan.<br />

Depending on the size of your pan, drop up<br />

to 5 large tablespoons of the pancake mix<br />

into it <strong>and</strong> fry each pancake for 40 seconds<br />

until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip<br />

over <strong>and</strong> fry for a further 40 seconds, then<br />

remove. Repeat in batches with the rest of<br />

the batter to make 18-24 pancakes.<br />

Divide the pancakes between 6 plates <strong>and</strong><br />

top each with a scoop of ice cream <strong>and</strong> a<br />

drizzle of chocolate sauce. Serve swiftly.<br />

Chicken tikka pancakes<br />

with mango chutney<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

125g plain flour<br />

1 egg<br />

300ml semi-skimmed milk<br />

1 green chilli, deseeded <strong>and</strong> finely chopped<br />

1 tsp ground cumin<br />

2 tbsp sunflower oil<br />

2 x 300g packs Waitrose British Chicken<br />

Breast Chunks In A Spiced Tikka <strong>Mar</strong>inade<br />

4 salad onions, sliced<br />

4 tbsp Geeta’s Premium Mango Chutney<br />

4 tbsp low fat Greek yogurt<br />

METHOD<br />

Sift the flour <strong>and</strong> a pinch of salt together<br />

into a bowl. Make a well in the centre<br />

<strong>and</strong> add the egg <strong>and</strong> half the milk. Whisk<br />

together well then stir in the rest of the milk<br />

to make a smooth batter. Stir in the chilli<br />

<strong>and</strong> cumin, <strong>and</strong> set aside for 30 minutes.<br />

Reserve 1 tbsp of the oil, then heat a little<br />

of the remaining oil in an 18cm pancake<br />

pan or shallow frying pan <strong>and</strong> add a ladleful<br />

of the batter. Swirl it around the pan <strong>and</strong><br />

cook for 1–2 minutes each side until golden.<br />

Transfer to a plate <strong>and</strong> keep warm. Repeat<br />

with the remaining mixture to make 8<br />

pancakes, keeping them warm, separated<br />

with sheets of kitchen paper.<br />

Heat the rest of the oil in a large, non-stick<br />

frying pan <strong>and</strong> cook the chicken for 10–12<br />

minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked<br />

through with no pink meat. Divide the<br />

chicken between the pancakes, putting<br />

it on one quarter of the pancake, <strong>and</strong> top<br />

with the salad onions, mango chutney <strong>and</strong><br />

yogurt. Fold up the pancakes to make<br />

parcels, <strong>and</strong> serve.<br />

Toffee Apple Pancakes<br />

with vanilla ice cream<br />

INGREDIENTS<br />

40g butter<br />

4 apples, cored <strong>and</strong> cut into thin wedges<br />

3 tbsp clear honey<br />

3 tbsp light brown soft sugar<br />

8 Pancakes - from scratch or store bought<br />

4 generous scoops vanilla ice cream<br />

25g hazelnuts, chopped <strong>and</strong> toasted<br />

METHOD<br />

1. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add<br />

the apple wedges <strong>and</strong> fry for 3 minutes until<br />

beginning to soften <strong>and</strong> turn golden. Stir<br />

through the honey <strong>and</strong> sprinkle over the<br />

brown sugar. Continue to cook for a further<br />

4 minutes until sticky <strong>and</strong> glazed.<br />

2. Warm the pancakes in the microwave or<br />

oven, according to the packet instructions.<br />

3. Divide the toffee apples between the<br />

warmed pancakes then fold each one in<br />

half <strong>and</strong> in half again. Place 2 filled pancake<br />

cones on each plate <strong>and</strong> top with a scoop<br />

of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle over any sauce<br />

left in the pan <strong>and</strong> scatter with hazelnuts<br />

before serving.

Tristan’s<br />

Bar & Bistro<br />

- <strong>Taunton</strong><br />

Local Small family<br />

run Bistro Serving<br />

quality homemade<br />

seasonal food.<br />

2 courses<br />

£20.00<br />

Celebrate in<br />

Style with<br />

our Private<br />

Dining area<br />

Seats up to<br />

25 people<br />

Book your<br />

special occasion<br />

today!<br />

11 East Reach,<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong><br />

TA1 3EW<br />

01823 332117<br />

tristansbistro.co.uk<br />

*T&Cs apply<br />

i<br />

Restaurant & Bar<br />

SET IN THE HEART OF TAUNTON<br />

The Bank serves modern British food with<br />

international influences.<br />

Monday to Thursday 10 am to 11pm<br />

Friday & Saturday 10 am to midnight<br />

Sunday 12 - 4 Sunday Lunch 12 - 3<br />

Brunch 10am to 12pm<br />

Lunch 12pm to 2.30pm<br />

Dinner 5.30pm to 9.30pm<br />

01823 257788 thebanktaunton@gmail.com<br />

www.thebanktaunton.co.uk Middle Street | <strong>Taunton</strong> | TA1 1SJ<br />

19

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

GBBO Star launching 'The Great<br />

British Kitchen' at The Royal Bath &<br />

West Show<br />

Food <strong>and</strong> produce has always been a key attraction at the Royal Bath<br />

& West Show, from artisan producers to the WI Tea Tent. This year, the<br />

‘foodie’ interest will increase significantly through the introduction<br />

of ‘The Great British Kitchen’, where the Show will champion the very<br />

best of the wonderful produce available in the <strong>South</strong> West...<br />

‘The Great British Kitchen’ is a new<br />

attraction for the <strong>2020</strong> Show, <strong>and</strong> is<br />

situated within the former Theatre.<br />

Featuring a fully-functional demonstration<br />

kitchen on the stage it will also have<br />

an external facelift, to blend in with the<br />

Wessex Pavilion Bar & Restaurant.<br />

To get their new feature off to a flying<br />

start, the Show’s organisers have<br />

invited three celebrity chefs with<br />

local connections to perform cookery<br />

British Bake Off. Briony reached the<br />

semi-finals of the competition <strong>and</strong> has<br />

since joined the presenting team of<br />

Food Unwrapped (Channel 4) as well as<br />

appearing on The Great British Bake Off:<br />

An Extra Slice (Channel 4), Blue Peter<br />

(CBBC) <strong>and</strong> Beautiful Bakes With Juliet<br />

Sear (ITV).<br />

More recently you’ll have seen her on The<br />

Great British Bake Off Christmas Special<br />

(Channel 4) <strong>and</strong> the Food Unwrapped<br />

“To get their new feature off to a flying start,<br />

the Show’s organisers have invited three<br />

celebrity chefs with local connections to<br />

perform cookery demonstrations...”<br />

<strong>and</strong> This Morning; <strong>and</strong> Josh Eggleton,<br />

owner <strong>and</strong> chef patron of the Michelin-<br />

Starred Pony & Trap in Chew Magna. The<br />

three will appear on separate days of the<br />

Show <strong>and</strong> will each offer three cooking<br />

demonstrations using, where possible,<br />

products available from the food trade<br />

st<strong>and</strong>s, which visitors can then purchase<br />

from the Food & Drink <strong>Mar</strong>quee to try out<br />

the recipes at home!<br />

The demonstrations will be free to attend<br />

but numbers will be limited – so make<br />

sure you get there early on the day to<br />

secure your seat at one of the hottest<br />

(<strong>and</strong> tastiest) shows in town!<br />

The Royal Bath & West Show<br />

takes place on 28th-30th May<br />

demonstrations over the three days of the<br />

Show, <strong>and</strong> they will use their knowledge<br />

of local produce to create dishes with a<br />

<strong>South</strong>-West flavour.<br />

Leading the way on the opening day<br />

(Thursday 28th May) is Briony May<br />

Williams, who came to the public’s<br />

attention in the 2018 series of The Great<br />

Christmas Special (Channel 4). Using<br />

one of the best-known <strong>and</strong> loved<br />

products of <strong>Somerset</strong>, amongst Briony’s<br />

demonstration dishes will be a Fruity<br />

Cider Apple Pie.<br />

Following on from Briony’s appearance<br />

the Show will welcome Dean Edwards,<br />

who appeared regularly on ITV’s Lorraine<br />

Tickets are on sale now at<br />

www.bath<strong>and</strong>west.com/tickets

Available Tuesday - Saturday<br />

Tuesday - Friday 12 - 2pm<br />

Saturday 12 - 2:30pm

THE CHEF<br />

that rocks<br />

Famed for his growing group of fabulous fish restaurants,<br />

Rockfish, Mitch Tonks is a chef, author, restaurateur <strong>and</strong> a<br />

passionate, lifelong advocate for all the morsels that emerge<br />

from the deep blue sea. Sally Thomson caught up with him<br />

to discuss expansion plans, career motivations <strong>and</strong> why his<br />

heart will always belong to the kitchen...<br />

Sally: I hear you have another book<br />

on the horizon?<br />

Mitch: I do! We’re doing another<br />

Rockfish book. It will be published<br />

October. All very exciting!<br />

Fantastic! How many Rockfish<br />

Restaurants have you got<br />

now?<br />

At the moment there are<br />

seven but there will be<br />

nine by the end of the year.<br />

They will be in Poole, Lyme<br />

Regis, <strong>and</strong> Sidmouth. Poole<br />

opened in January, Lyme<br />

Regis will open in June<br />

<strong>and</strong> Sidmouth will open<br />

in October. We then have<br />

two or three sites ready<br />

for 2021 that we are just<br />

negotiating on.<br />

That is incredible,<br />

when you think about<br />

where you’ve come<br />

from.<br />

It’s kind of been an<br />

up <strong>and</strong> down journey,<br />

because we had<br />

Fishworks, which<br />

grew to thirteen,<br />

but it was a public<br />

company <strong>and</strong> the<br />

wrong environment<br />

to grow restaurants<br />

in <strong>and</strong> ultimately<br />

the project failed.<br />

But since 2009<br />

Seahorses has existed down in<br />

Dartmouth, <strong>and</strong> Rockfish is ten years<br />

old, so we’ve done well to rebuild over<br />

that period.<br />

When we last had a chat you’d<br />

opened Joe’s Bar, how’s that going?<br />

It’s going really well, <strong>and</strong> since May last<br />

year we actually moved the entrance to<br />

the restaurant through Joe’s Bar, <strong>and</strong><br />

that’s been a real success as people<br />

enter the restaurant through Joe’s<br />

Bar, have a drink <strong>and</strong> start their dining<br />

experience off with something more<br />

special <strong>and</strong> fun.<br />

So how do you stretch yourself with<br />

everything going on?<br />

Well the business is over three hundred<br />

people, with a really good senior team,<br />

finance, marketing, <strong>and</strong> then over four<br />

hundred in the summer. So, I obviously<br />

work very closely with my senior team<br />

<strong>and</strong> I am clear about what I want to<br />

achieve in a period of time <strong>and</strong> helping<br />

other people to achieve those goals.<br />

Sometimes its challenging but when you<br />

work as a team <strong>and</strong> you are supporting<br />

each other you can make stuff happen.<br />

That’s it really!<br />

Managing those people, helping them<br />

manage others, then I spend my time in<br />

the restaurants, as well as consistently<br />

looking at the business as a whole <strong>and</strong><br />

thinking ‘How can our business provide<br />

better solutions for jobs, how can we<br />

be better than anywhere else to work<br />

"I tend to think of the restaurants like a<br />

community now. Everybody who works for<br />

us belongs to the community. We talk a lot<br />

about family but of course family are hard to<br />

get rid of <strong>and</strong> communities are made up of<br />

people all contributing"<br />

23

"I think when Fishworks<br />

failed…well it gives you<br />

plenty of time to reflect on<br />

what’s really important to<br />

you <strong>and</strong> what’s not"<br />

So I made a phone call to my agent who<br />

was on the train on the way up. He was<br />

mortified! All I could say to everyone was<br />

that 'I’m sorry, I just don’t want to do<br />

it'. Financially it was suicide as it was a<br />

very well paid job but it was prime time<br />

television <strong>and</strong> all the things that go with<br />

it <strong>and</strong> I didn’t want to be known as a guy<br />

on telly. I wanted to build my reputation<br />

as a restaurateur <strong>and</strong> a chef which is<br />

what I actually really enjoy.<br />

I think when Fishworks failed…well it<br />

gives you plenty of time to reflect on<br />

what’s really important to you <strong>and</strong> what’s<br />

not <strong>and</strong> allowed me to make my own<br />

choices, not get swept along with ‘this is<br />

a great idea’. It was a great idea, it was<br />

magnificent. The TV show would have<br />

been great but it just wasn’t for me. So<br />

the answer is I am regularly asked to do<br />

television bits <strong>and</strong> I will 99% of the time<br />

turn them down <strong>and</strong> occasionally I might<br />

do the odd thing but I don’t wake up<br />

thinking ‘I’d like to do more television’.<br />

24<br />

for, how can we have a really amazing<br />

strategy over five years that gives people<br />

top pay, freedom, how can we create a<br />

development programme so that people<br />

can develop in the organisation.’<br />

I tend to think of the restaurants like a<br />

community now. Everybody who works for<br />

us belongs to the community. We talk a lot<br />

about family but of course family are hard<br />

to get rid of <strong>and</strong> communities are made up<br />

of people all contributing, so when people<br />

don’t contribute they move out of the<br />

community <strong>and</strong> new people move in.<br />

One thing I didn’t realise is that you<br />

made significant changes to your menu<br />

with regards to being gluten-free. That<br />

must have been a big change?<br />

Yes! About ten years ago we set about<br />

rebuilding all of cooking ranges <strong>and</strong><br />

changing all of our practices so that offer<br />

everything gluten-free. We committed to<br />

the business being gluten-free, not just<br />

by saying ‘here’s a gluten-free menu’.<br />

Everything we do is gluten-free. If we<br />

have to swap a bun for a gluten-free bun<br />

we do, <strong>and</strong> it basically means that the<br />

whole menu is available to somebody<br />

with a gluten intolerance rather than<br />

them feeling in a minority <strong>and</strong> only being<br />

able to choose from say five things on<br />

the menu.<br />

Going back, I first met you at the<br />

beginning of the century! 2000, a<br />

long, long time ago! Since then you’ve<br />

appeared on TV, most notably with<br />

Matt Dawson, the rugby player, but<br />

do you find yourself too busy to make<br />

room to do any shows as of late?<br />

The television career took off back<br />

around 2008/09. The series Mitch <strong>and</strong><br />

Matt’s Big Fish became very successful<br />

<strong>and</strong> Denham Productions <strong>and</strong> the BBC<br />

wanted to do series two. So there was a<br />

lot of euphoria <strong>and</strong> excitement from Matt<br />

<strong>and</strong> the team, <strong>and</strong> they were on their way<br />

to London to sign the deal.<br />

We had agreed it, gone through it all <strong>and</strong><br />

I started to get cold feet. I was sat in the<br />

restaurant having a br<strong>and</strong>y <strong>and</strong> a coffee<br />

<strong>and</strong> I was just thinking to myself ‘I don’t<br />

actually want to be a television chef, I<br />

want to be in this restaurant cooking’.<br />

Surely your heart has to be in it if it’s<br />

what you are going to do?<br />

I think you are either on telly to drive<br />

people to your restaurants, well I’ve been<br />

there when you are in a restaurant <strong>and</strong> so<br />

many people want to talk to you because<br />

they’ve seen you on telly but never for<br />

the right reasons, <strong>and</strong> the thought that<br />

somebody comes to the restaurant just<br />

to catch a glimpse of the person they’ve<br />

seen on telly is just the wrong motivation.<br />

I want people to restaurants because<br />

they are really great places socially to<br />

go <strong>and</strong> they have importance in the<br />

community <strong>and</strong> they like your food <strong>and</strong><br />

that it’s somewhere they want to come to<br />

celebrate birthdays <strong>and</strong> all of that stuff!<br />

Absolutely, <strong>and</strong> you’ve done so, I mean<br />

The Seahorse is just brilliant I’ve got<br />

to be honest. It’s just delightful the<br />

minute you walk in there, it’s such<br />

a lovely place to be <strong>and</strong> I absolutely<br />

love coming down there <strong>and</strong> hopefully<br />

when the weather brightens up I’ll be<br />

back. One last question; are you doing<br />

Salcombe Crab Festival this May?<br />

I’m still not sure if I’m going to do it this<br />

year. I didn’t do it last year, but I did<br />

the year before, but I am hoping to do<br />

a fish festival in Brixton, a crab festival<br />

in Dartmouth which we always do, <strong>and</strong><br />

also Dartmouth Food Festival in October<br />

which is always great.<br />

www.mitchtonks.co.uk

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WEDDED BLISS<br />

Planning your nuptials this year? Read on<br />

for top trends <strong>and</strong> lots of inspiration...<br />

Planning your wedding is a personal<br />

experience <strong>and</strong> to a large extent the<br />

format, style <strong>and</strong> little touches are more<br />

likely to be representations of your<br />

personalities <strong>and</strong> tastes over any trends.<br />

There is, however, an overwhelming body<br />

of inspiration online which can put even<br />

the most dedicated planner into a spin -<br />

sometimes some fresh, trend-led ideas<br />

might be just the spark to help you plan.<br />

Princess Dresses<br />

Channel your inner Disney princess - the<br />

more streamlined dresses we’ve been<br />

used to are making way for fuller skirts<br />

<strong>and</strong> ball-gown styles. For evening, lots<br />

of brides are opting for a second dress<br />

which is less constrictive - meaning they<br />

can dance the night away, carefree.<br />

Personal Details<br />

The wedding will be full of details that<br />

nod to you as a couple, but more <strong>and</strong><br />

more brides are opting for personalisation<br />

in their outfits too. Some with meaningful<br />

words or dates embroidered into their<br />

veils or others more edgy with painted or<br />

stitched leather <strong>and</strong> denim jackets for the<br />

evening (these have the added bonus of<br />

being an item you can wear after the day!)<br />

Sustainability<br />

With a big shift toward eco-friendly<br />

choices in everyday life, it’s natural<br />

that wedding venues <strong>and</strong> suppliers are<br />

upping their green credentials to meet<br />

the dem<strong>and</strong>s of green-thinking couples.<br />

Some considerations to make: ethical<br />

wedding rings <strong>and</strong> outfits, even consider<br />

hiring a dress (dresses take a lot of<br />

energy to create but are seldom worn<br />

after the event), give guests wildflower<br />

seeds as favours, employ caterers who<br />

only use bio-degradable packaging, print<br />

eco-friendly invitations on recycled paper<br />

<strong>and</strong> for flowers pick seasonal blooms<br />

grown locally where possible.<br />

Wall Decorations<br />

26<br />

In more non-traditional venues with<br />

plainer walls or in marquees, decor is<br />

continued...

PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

Unposed Wedding Photography for Creative Couples<br />

You are extraordinary people. Why settle for ordinary wedding photographs?<br />

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THE LUXURY WEDDING<br />

Wish List<br />

<strong>Mar</strong>k Cox Photography<br />

Providing creative, relaxed <strong>and</strong> fun wedding<br />

photography throughout the <strong>South</strong> West<br />

of Engl<strong>and</strong>. Done in a documentary style<br />

with very little interruption or direction but<br />

also formal group shots to make sure those<br />

friends <strong>and</strong> relatives closest to your heart<br />

have been photographed.<br />

Let <strong>Mar</strong>k provide you with a collection of<br />

fabulous images that tell the story <strong>and</strong><br />

capture the love of your wedding day.<br />

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Boveys Down Farm<br />

Set in the heart of East Devon’s Area of<br />

Outst<strong>and</strong>ing Natural Beauty, Boveys Down<br />

Farm offer a fully licensed venue for your<br />

wedding or civil ceremony.<br />

Everything you need to make sure your<br />

special day goes smoothly. Our Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />

Pavilion for the ceremony <strong>and</strong> our onsite<br />

function room <strong>and</strong> catering service for your<br />

reception... why would you go anywhere<br />

else for your special day?!!!<br />

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Lyme Bay Winery<br />

Celebrate your special day in style with<br />

the help of Lyme Bay Winery: a small,<br />

dedicated West Country company<br />

passionate about producing delicious <strong>and</strong><br />

award-winning English Wines from Devon’s<br />

beautiful Axe Valley. For quirky, delicious<br />

wedding favours why not try our miniature<br />

gins? Your guests will be taking home<br />

the flavour Lyme Bay <strong>and</strong> will remember<br />

your wedding in style! Choose from Pink<br />

Grapefruit, Elderflower & Cucumber,<br />

Orange & Thyme or Dry Gin.<br />

www.lymebaywinery.co.uk<br />

key for setting the mood. ‘Green’ walls made from<br />

foliage <strong>and</strong> picked out with white lights look elegant<br />

<strong>and</strong> timeless, whereas paper pom poms in bright<br />

colours are cheerful <strong>and</strong> inviting. A new trend is a<br />

balloon wall - making arches to frame the ceremony.<br />

Lots of couples can add a DIY element here, making<br />

some of the decorations themselves (with a small<br />

army of bridesmaids or ushers to help!)<br />

Table Settings<br />

One of the biggest transformations in recent years<br />

is the style of tables <strong>and</strong> the seating arrangements.<br />

The more ornate chair covers with bows have<br />

made way for elegant chiavari chairs <strong>and</strong> tables<br />

are bursting with informal arrangements, made<br />

predominantly of foliage, picked out by the twinkle<br />

of fairy lights <strong>and</strong> mirrored platters.<br />

Incredible Venues<br />

Stately homes <strong>and</strong> castles are having a moment,<br />

making perfect backdrops for the big day. As well<br />

as being historic places to tie the knot, they are full<br />

of character <strong>and</strong> have many architectural gems -<br />

perfect for capturing those unforgettable photos.<br />

As ever, Pinterest is a great source of inspiration -<br />

but try not to get too bogged down <strong>and</strong> stressed<br />

with including every detail - the most successful<br />

weddings focus on bringing together a happy couple<br />

in an atmosphere of love <strong>and</strong> support - guests will<br />

remember how they feel on the day above all else.<br />

29

All of our rates include breakfast, complimentary Car parking <strong>and</strong> complimentary WI-FI.<br />

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31

<strong>South</strong> West Wedding Car Hire for your luxurious wedding day transportation.<br />

Long wheel based white Jaguars with light cream interior.<br />

<strong>South</strong> West Wedding Car hire are a very experienced wedding car company<br />

you will be in very safe h<strong>and</strong>s when you book your day’s transportation in a<br />

Chauffeur driven car from us at very reasonable prices.<br />

Price will include ribbons <strong>and</strong> bows in your chosen colours.<br />

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facials<br />

h<strong>and</strong>s & feet<br />

reflexology<br />

hair treatments<br />

lash & brow<br />

weddings<br />

Located in the historic coach house the Lavender Rooms Hair & Beauty is an exciting addition<br />

to the facilities at Hestercombe House <strong>and</strong> Gardens. The Lavender Rooms houses an array of<br />

luxury hair <strong>and</strong> beauty treatments <strong>and</strong> services as well as premium retail products.<br />

If you're looking for a little help with your body confidence or just want an escape to relax<br />

<strong>and</strong> unwind please contact us <strong>and</strong> quote TL20 for 10% off when booking your hair or beauty<br />

treatment.<br />

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Lavender Rooms, Hestercombe Gardens, Cheddon Fitzpaine, <strong>Taunton</strong>, <strong>Somerset</strong>

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

MEDICAL AESTHETICS<br />

We speak with Dr John Buckmaster about his thoughts on the<br />

value of aesthetic treatments being offered by a GP of more<br />

than 30 years experience...<br />

What does the term Aesthetics mean?<br />

We all know what Anaesthetic treatments are. They stop you<br />

feeling things. Surely it must follow then, that an ‘Aesthetic<br />

treatment’ allows you to feel something.<br />

What sort of feeling does it allow you to feel? Is it a pleasant or<br />

an unpleasant feeling? Or could it be both? I think in general<br />

there are not many people who would expect an unpleasant<br />

feeling from aesthetic treatment except, perhaps, the temporary<br />

feeling of the needle in the skin. And most of the time we use<br />

anaesthetic to reduce any discomfort.<br />

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word aesthetic as<br />

related to ‘sensuous perception’ <strong>and</strong> to do with ‘appreciation of<br />

the beautiful’.<br />

After being a General Medical Practitioner for over 30 years, I<br />

took up aesthetic medicine 8 years ago <strong>and</strong> now practice as<br />

a GP <strong>and</strong> an aesthetic medical practitioner. At first I saw my<br />

patients, listened to their worries about the ageing process <strong>and</strong><br />

the possible effects on their skin <strong>and</strong> their appearance, <strong>and</strong><br />

treated them as I had been trained; with botulinum toxin (botox<br />

for short) <strong>and</strong> dermal fillers. However after carrying out these<br />

treatments over a few years I realised that the people were not<br />

simply trying to lose this line or that wrinkle, but were trying, in<br />

a much more holistic way, to feel better about themselves, how<br />

their appearance could affect them in a psychological sense <strong>and</strong><br />

how they appeared to other people.<br />

So a good aesthetic result isn’t just about how other people see<br />

you, it is firstly about how you feel after the treatment <strong>and</strong> how<br />

you see yourself. Only then is it about how others see you. I<br />

have noticed over the years of carrying out these treatments,<br />

that the last thing most people want their friends or family to say<br />

once they have lost the lines between their eyes <strong>and</strong> those on<br />

their forehead, is “What have you had done?’.<br />

People tell me that they feel much better about themselves if<br />

they hear words along the lines of ‘You look really well’ or ‘ You<br />

look much fresher’.<br />

Which I think brings us back to the fact that aesthetic treatment<br />

is more about how it makes you feel than anything else!<br />

I then discovered from my accountant of all people, that<br />

conventional medical treatment of patients in the private sector<br />

for which the patient pays, is not subject to VAT, but purely cosmetic<br />

procedures are. However if as a doctor, I treat someone<br />

with an aesthetic treatment <strong>and</strong> it has the purpose, not just to<br />

make them look different, but younger maybe, <strong>and</strong> a lot fresher<br />

generally, then I can fairly claim that this is a medical treatment<br />

designed to improve that patient’s psychological health <strong>and</strong><br />

well-being.<br />

Dr John Buckmaster is a General Medical Practitioner registered<br />

with the General Medical Council.<br />

He carries out GP work both in the NHS <strong>and</strong> privately <strong>and</strong> also<br />

carries out medical aesthetic treatments such as botulinum toxin<br />

therapy <strong>and</strong> dermal fillers to lips, skin along with many other<br />

procedures. He offers free aesthetic consultations. He carries<br />

out treatment from a number of consulting rooms in the <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>South</strong>-West of the UK.<br />

See website <strong>and</strong> facebook for further details of treatment<br />

<strong>and</strong> prices, <strong>and</strong> info about booking online<br />

www.drjbuckmaster.co.uk<br />

34

• Anti-wrinkle Injections<br />

• Dermal Fillers<br />

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• Skin Boosters<br />

• Lip Treatments <strong>and</strong> Plumping<br />

• Thread Vein Treatment<br />

• Hyperhidrosis Treatment<br />

• Cheek Fillers<br />

• Chemical Facial Peels<br />

• Dermaroller<br />

• Ultra V Mini Thread Non-Surgical Facelift<br />

For further information please telephone: 0800 2545048<br />

www.drjbuckmaster.co.uk<br />

fDr-John-Buckmaster<br />

l/dr_j_buckmaster

Look Before You Leap<br />

While the SPAB warmly encourages people to take the<br />

plunge <strong>and</strong> make an old building their home, it’s easy<br />

to be swept away by romance. SPAB Director Matthew<br />

Slocombe offers a checklist of key considerations to<br />

help potential buyers make the right choice – both for<br />

themselves <strong>and</strong> for the building of their dreams.<br />

Think with head <strong>and</strong> heart<br />

Old buildings are more than a space in<br />

which to live. If all that really interests you<br />

is location or floor area, an old building is<br />

unlikely to be right for you. If you appreciate<br />

style <strong>and</strong> character, <strong>and</strong> are keen to<br />

embrace the quirks <strong>and</strong> idiosyncrasies of an<br />

old building, the potential rewards are great.<br />

Compromise to get what you want<br />

For the majority of buyers, historic interest<br />

is a desirable factor but not the key. If your<br />

number one aim is to live in an interesting<br />

old building, but your means are limited,<br />

compromising on other requirements can<br />

sometimes help.<br />

Authenticity can’t be re-created<br />

If you want something genuine <strong>and</strong><br />

authentic, recreation of lost parts is unlikely<br />

to act as a fitting or worthwhile substitute.<br />

Look for genuine survivals. It may be that<br />

fireplaces have been boarded up <strong>and</strong> plaster<br />

overlaid with modern materials, but if the<br />

originals survive behind this offers a much<br />

better starting point than a gutted interior.<br />

Choose something that will fit your<br />

longer term needs<br />

Look a few years ahead <strong>and</strong> try to consider<br />

whether the building is likely to fit your plans.<br />

If you think you might need more bedrooms<br />

or a bigger kitchen, consider whether the<br />

building is likely to be able to accommodate<br />

this without major change. In a modern<br />

house, adding extensions or knocking down<br />

walls may be relatively straightforward. In an<br />

historic building it may not.<br />

Consider auctions<br />

Many old buildings needing work are sold<br />

at auction. This can be a way to find an<br />

interesting project, <strong>and</strong> perhaps also a<br />

bargain. But the buyer must beware <strong>and</strong> it<br />

is especially important to do your homework<br />

seeking specialist help in advance.<br />

Purchase is not the only possibility<br />

If living in an old building is your goal, but<br />

prices are unaffordable, other options<br />

may exist. The commercial rental sector<br />

general lets buildings that have been heavily<br />

updated, but estates, farms <strong>and</strong> some<br />

private owners may offer old buildings to<br />

rent in a more rustic state.<br />

Distinguish between decorative <strong>and</strong><br />

structural needs<br />

This is vital. Small cracks are normal in old<br />

buildings <strong>and</strong> can be easily remedied as part<br />

of the redecoration process; larger cracks<br />

may hint at structural movement.<br />

Get good advice<br />

The cost of professional advisers can<br />

seem off-putting, but sound advice is<br />

an investment. There are accreditations<br />

schemes run by the RICS, RIBA <strong>and</strong> AABC<br />

<strong>and</strong> the Society can offer suggestions<br />

via its Technical Advice Line (0207 456<br />

0916 weekday mornings). The advice of a<br />

structural engineer, conservator (see ICON’s<br />

accreditation list), quantity surveyor or<br />

historian may also be invaluable.<br />

Put together the right team<br />

If work is needed, the right team will be<br />

crucial. Consider not just price, but the<br />

expertise of team members. Listen to<br />

craftspeople - good ones know exactly<br />

what they’re doing <strong>and</strong> the expertise is often<br />

under-appreciated.<br />

Adjust your lifestyle<br />

Occupying an old building brings huge<br />

benefits to your quality of life, but don’t<br />

expect it to be the same as a perfectly level,<br />

hermetically sealed modern box. Floors<br />

may slope, windows may be draughty, <strong>and</strong><br />

elaborate modern services may be difficult<br />

to accommodate.<br />

Research <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />

Underst<strong>and</strong>ing an old building includes<br />

knowing how it’s put together <strong>and</strong> what<br />

it’s made from, as well as the uses it’s had<br />

over time <strong>and</strong> the changes previous owners<br />

have made. Combine this with background<br />

research, advice from organisations like the<br />

SPAB, <strong>and</strong> knowledge from neighbouring<br />

owners <strong>and</strong> a rounded picture of the<br />

building should emerge.<br />

Don’t ignore consents <strong>and</strong> other statutory<br />

requirements<br />

Planning consents <strong>and</strong> building regulation<br />

requirements should always be adhered<br />

to. This is particularly so in the case of<br />

listed buildings. If you buy a listed building<br />

that has been altered without permission<br />

you inherit the liability <strong>and</strong> enforcement<br />

action could be taken against you. If you<br />

alter or demolish a listed building without<br />

permission you could be prosecuted.<br />

Don’t count on grants<br />

Grants for private owners were once<br />

relatively common. They are now rare <strong>and</strong><br />

should not be counted on.<br />

Settle in before making big changes<br />

A vacant house offers an opportunity<br />

to tackle problems without upheaval to<br />

occupants, but avoid the temptation to do<br />

too much, too fast. A period of occupation<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

often brings realisation about what’s<br />

necessary <strong>and</strong> what’s not important.<br />

Deal with the boring things first<br />

Kitchens, bathroom <strong>and</strong> decorative works<br />

may be most fun, but they should be bottom<br />

of your list. Fixing the roof <strong>and</strong> making sure<br />

the gutters, drains <strong>and</strong> electrics work will<br />

provide you with a sound basis from which<br />

to make other changes.<br />

Scratches <strong>and</strong> Witches<br />

Loving the lumps <strong>and</strong> bumps is all part of<br />

old building ownership. Appreciate them<br />

as part of the building’s character <strong>and</strong><br />

history <strong>and</strong> avoid erasing them for the sake<br />

of tidiness. Think too about witches! Old<br />

surfaces often carry superstitious markings<br />

designed to ward off bad spirits.<br />

Repair is good<br />

Building conservation is a branch of<br />

environmental protection <strong>and</strong> sustainability:<br />

repair is better than replacement. Decay<br />

is rarely uniform <strong>and</strong> repair can allow<br />

the undamaged parts to remain. An old<br />

window with 20% new timber is better for<br />

the environment <strong>and</strong> our history than a new<br />

window with 100% fresh timber.<br />

Make sure materials are compatible<br />

New, innovative building products can<br />

be valuable, but historic buildings are not<br />

generally the place where they should be<br />

tested. The potential for side effects is great<br />

if incompatible materials are used.<br />

Get involved but know your limitations<br />

The SPAB has always encouraged a h<strong>and</strong>son<br />

approach. There is no better way to get<br />

to know your building than through practical<br />

work. However, it is important to know the<br />

limitations of your own skills, to consider<br />

safety issues, <strong>and</strong> to get training if you are<br />

unsure. The SPAB <strong>and</strong> others run practical<br />

conservation courses. If in doubt, call on an<br />

experienced craftsperson.<br />

Good new design<br />

Where a strong <strong>and</strong> justifiable case exists<br />

for a change or addition, sympathetic<br />

new design offers the best approach.<br />

This requires good design advice <strong>and</strong> a<br />

thoughtful choice of materials.<br />

Enjoy it!<br />

An old building deserves to respected <strong>and</strong><br />

cared for, but it should be enjoyed rather<br />

than revered.<br />

Call the SPAB Technical Advice Line on:<br />

020 7456 0916<br />

36

37

TAUNTON<br />

Priorswood Industrial Estate, Units 1-2, Merlin Industrial Park,<br />

Venture Way, <strong>Taunton</strong> TA2 8DG<br />

Tel: 01823 334 723 E-mail: taunton@howdens.com

modern &<br />

timeless style<br />

at heart<br />

Ross Mcmillian speaks about<br />

Howdens Joinery’s free home survey<br />

<strong>and</strong> how it helps their customers get<br />

a better feel of space <strong>and</strong> talk about<br />

all aspects of a kitchen...<br />

We offer a free home survey to our<br />

customers for us to get a better feel<br />

of space <strong>and</strong> go through a check list<br />

covering all aspects in a kitchen. Not<br />

only to find out what they like but also to<br />

find out what they dislike to make it more<br />

personal to the customer.<br />

For example a question I like to ask the<br />

customer is;<br />

‘What is your favourite colour?’<br />

So when it comes to the presentation I<br />

can throw in a splash of colour whether<br />

it’s in the frontals or using vibrant colours<br />

from our range of coloured backboards<br />

to go round the kitchen or just a small<br />

feature. I’ve had some customers put<br />

up their own art work in behind the hobs<br />

covered by our clear glass splashback for<br />

protection, again making it more personal<br />

to them.<br />

We open our doors to everyone <strong>and</strong><br />

would invite anyone in to have a tour<br />

around the depot. Once customers come<br />

through our doors not only do we like to<br />

show them around our showroom but I<br />

also like to take them into the warehouse<br />

to show them how we operate behind<br />

the scenes <strong>and</strong> that everything we sell is<br />

in stock.<br />

We also have a presentation room with<br />

a 70” touch control TV where we sit our<br />

customers down with a cuppa enjoying<br />

the 3D design experience getting a better<br />

visual of how their kitchen can look<br />

making the changes as we go along.<br />

Since the Great British Bake Off has been<br />

on our screens what’s proving to be a big<br />

hit for us is the NEFF slide <strong>and</strong> hide oven.<br />

For me personally I went for the pyrolytic<br />

oven which is self cleaning giving me one<br />

less job to do at home.<br />

Trends are changing all the time but at<br />

the moment for modern kitchens the<br />

linear look is a big trend setter with<br />

straight clean lines <strong>and</strong> simplicity in our<br />

new Balham range.<br />

If you’re not one for modern we offer<br />

a wide range from Shaker to Universal<br />

kitchen ranges with a timeless style.<br />

HOWDENS WELLINGTON<br />

01823 200 100<br />

wellington@howdens.com<br />

Block 5 Unit C, Westpark 26,<br />

Wellington, <strong>Somerset</strong>, TA21 9AD<br />

HOWDENS TAUNTON:<br />

01823 334 723<br />

taunton@howdens.com<br />

Priorswood Industrial Estate, Units 1-2,<br />

Merlin Industrial Park, Venture Way,<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong> TA2 8DG<br />

39

AMAZING<br />

GLAZING<br />

When we think about our homes, it’s really the windows<br />

<strong>and</strong> doors that create the wow factor. We are all so<br />

keen to flood our properties with natural light <strong>and</strong> the<br />

constantly evolving technology in the world of glazing is<br />

making some truly astonishing designs achievable, not to<br />

mention more affordable than ever.<br />

Whether you are self-building, extending or even<br />

renovating your home, apportioning budget to windows<br />

<strong>and</strong> doors is a savvy move. As well as making your home<br />

more valuable - 69% of people say that light rooms make<br />

them more inclined to buy - investing in clever glazing can<br />

make you fall in love with your space once more.<br />

BI-FOLD vs SLIDING<br />

DOORS<br />

Bi-fold:<br />

PROS - for those looking for that wonderful sense of a<br />

garden room that brings the outside in, bi-folds can help<br />

create the sense of one open-plan space as the panels<br />

fold away fully to the walls.<br />

CONS - an expensive option - poorly constructed bi-folds<br />

can also suffer from air-tightness issues around the joins<br />

so do your research <strong>and</strong> get guarantees.<br />

Sliding:<br />

PROS - generally cheaper than bi-fold doors, sliding<br />

doors also have fewer frame elements, meaning when<br />

they are closed your view is less obstructed.<br />

CONS - you won’t get the full, uninterrupted view of the<br />

garden - instead only a portion of the doors are openable.<br />

Bi-fold<br />

Sliding<br />

69% of people say that light rooms make<br />

them more inclined to buy - investing in<br />

clever glazing can make you fall in love with<br />

your space once more...<br />

40

Crafting beautiful homes<br />

01225 791155<br />

ashford-homes.co.uk<br />

lfii<br />

Long Hazel Farm, Sparkford<br />

Six luxury farmhouse style homes with an eclectic mix<br />

of designs offering unrivalled quality <strong>and</strong> specification<br />

Prices from £450,000<br />

Yeovil - 01935 431 129<br />

yeovil@connells.co.uk<br />

Shaftesbury - 01747 854 001<br />

shaftesbury@connells.co.uk

Roof Lanterns <strong>and</strong> Skylights<br />

Compared to windows of the same surface area, skylights <strong>and</strong><br />

roof lanterns can increase light in a room by up to five times.<br />

They are particularly good in extensions <strong>and</strong> for channelling<br />

light to darker corners of the home <strong>and</strong> adding opportunities<br />

for ventilation. These additions are no longer considered just a<br />

luxury <strong>and</strong> can be used in a wide variety of scenarios:<br />

• In a loft extension, tucked beneath sloped rooflines, the<br />

presence of skylights may spell the difference between a<br />

bright, friendly space <strong>and</strong> a murky cave.<br />

• In a home built between closely adjoining neighbouring<br />

houses where overlooking might be an issue, skylights may be<br />

the best solution for introducing good natural light into rooms.<br />

• In a single storey house build or extension, built with an open<br />

floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed natural light<br />

into the centre of large spaces.<br />

Many of the issues experienced in the past of rooms<br />

overheating or being hard to clean have been mediated with<br />

a tranche of new technology, including glass panels with heat<br />

regulatory <strong>and</strong> storage abilities <strong>and</strong> self-cleaning glass.<br />

SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION?<br />

In a single storey house build or extension, built with an<br />

open floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed<br />

natural light into the centre of large spaces.<br />

Energy Efficiency<br />

Our homes are one of the biggest energy wasters out there <strong>and</strong><br />

traditionally windows are the biggest energy leakage point, so<br />

with any renovation, it can really pay to invest in glass tech to<br />

ensure the best temperature regulation - creating huge savings<br />

down the line. We all know that double glazing is much more<br />

efficient than single, but newer technologies like triple glazing<br />

are making windows nearly as efficient at energy retention as<br />

the walls they are installed within.<br />

As well as the glass, it is important to do you research into<br />

frames <strong>and</strong> opt for the most airtight models.<br />

With great green credentials, triple glazed units have the<br />

added benefits of better thermal comfort, noise reduction <strong>and</strong><br />

a reduced risk of condensation between panes – so for the<br />

self-builder or home improver looking for a premium finish with<br />

added benefits, it’s a natural choice.<br />

42

Aluminium Bi-Folding Doors<br />

SLIM SLIDING DOORS<br />

LANTERN ROOF<br />

ALUMINIUM WINDOWS<br />

residential windows<br />

Barnyard Ltd, <strong>Somerset</strong> have been trading since 2002 <strong>and</strong> we<br />

are a leading supplier <strong>and</strong> fitter of aluminium doors, aluminium<br />

windows <strong>and</strong> glass systems for commercial, public <strong>and</strong> private<br />

residences.<br />

We can provide a wide variety of systems that demonstrate<br />

the sheer versatility of aluminium glass doors <strong>and</strong> windows.<br />

These include various doors, sliding, patio, <strong>and</strong> bi-folding doors<br />

together with frameless balcony glazing, slide <strong>and</strong> turn systems,<br />

aluminium windows <strong>and</strong> glazed roofs. All made to fulfil our<br />

customers’ requirements.<br />

Our experienced team has over 25 years experience in supply<br />

<strong>and</strong> installation. We operate throughout the <strong>South</strong> West, from<br />

Bristol <strong>and</strong> <strong>Taunton</strong> down to Exeter <strong>and</strong> Plymouth.<br />

Whatever your requirements Barnyard Ltd can provide bespoke<br />

architectural glazing, <strong>and</strong> offer a complete in-house design<br />

solution for any domestic projects. We strive to improve <strong>and</strong><br />

innovate <strong>and</strong> firmly believe that customer satisfaction <strong>and</strong><br />

recommendation is the cornerstone of our continued success.<br />

With an exp<strong>and</strong>ing portfolio of products engineered to the very<br />

highest of st<strong>and</strong>ards, we ensure complete trust <strong>and</strong> confidence<br />

by guaranteeing you the very best in quality, energy efficiency,<br />

<strong>and</strong> security with systems that provide consistent performance<br />

in all situations.<br />

Please call we are Approved Smart Aluminium Systems, the<br />

complete Range can be found on our website<br />

www.barnyardaluminium.co.uk or call us on 01823 61 81 81.<br />

“Barnyard made a superb job fitting our aluminium doors <strong>and</strong><br />

windows. The finish is perfect <strong>and</strong> we’ve been really impressed<br />

by the quality of the products used” David H - <strong>Taunton</strong><br />

www.barnyardaluminium.co.uk<br />

01823 618181 | sales@barnyardaluminium.co.uk<br />

Unit 5 Hyde Business Park, Hyde Lane, Bathpool, <strong>Taunton</strong> TA2 8BU<br />

f

Aerial & Satellite Installation<br />

& Aerial Repair Services<br />

SAME DAY SERVICE<br />

FREE ESTIMATES<br />

NO HIDDEN COSTS<br />

LOCAL, FAMILY-RUN<br />

BUSINESS SINCE 2000<br />

PETE<br />

THE CHImney<br />

sweep<br />

01823 666677<br />

07377 068999<br />

info@petethechimneysweep.co.uk<br />

JB HOMECARE<br />

Across the <strong>South</strong>west<br />

Are you looking for professional painters <strong>and</strong> decorators<br />

serving Wellington, <strong>Somerset</strong>, Devon <strong>and</strong> across the<br />

<strong>South</strong>west? You’ve come to the right place.<br />

• Chimney Repairs • Flat Roof • External Painting • Facias &<br />

Guttering • Slating & Tilting • Re-felt & Batten • Moss Removal<br />

• Gutter Cleaning<br />

01823 325930 | aerialcaresouthwest@gmail.com<br />

toneaerials.co.uk<br />

07399 680142<br />

info@jbhomecare.co.uk<br />

www.jbhomecare.co.uk<br />

keeping it in the<br />

family - C E keeble<br />

C E Keeble Ltd are a local<br />

building <strong>and</strong> joinery firm with<br />

a good reputation <strong>and</strong> a loyal<br />

customer base...<br />

The joinery produces h<strong>and</strong>-crafted quality pieces which will last<br />

for decades – windows, doors, staircases, gates, furniture…<br />

Everything is done in-house, from the initial customer visit to<br />

discuss the project, through to delivery <strong>and</strong> fitting by our skilled<br />

carpenters.<br />

A recent testimonial from one of customers speaks for itself:<br />

“<br />

44<br />

CE Keeble did a great job for us <strong>and</strong> were<br />

professional throughout. They arrived<br />

to quote when agreed, provided a quote<br />

within a few days, started the work<br />

on the agreed date, finished within the<br />

agreed time, left everywhere clean <strong>and</strong><br />

tidy but most importantly our new porch<br />

is lovely. We will be using them again<br />

<strong>and</strong> wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.<br />

“<br />

As a small local firm costs are kept down so the customer can<br />

have quality work without the huge price tag of the big national<br />

companies.<br />

If you are planning a project this year give C E Keeble a call.<br />

Office: 01823 412652<br />

Joinery: 07815 967818<br />

Email: info@cekeebleltd.co.uk<br />

Website: www.cekeebleltd.co.uk

2<br />

1<br />

dark ARTS<br />

3<br />

The trend for sleek black finishes<br />

continues, with lots of companies<br />

now supplying dark taps, shower<br />

enclosures, towel rails <strong>and</strong> tiles<br />

Dark tiles <strong>and</strong> fixtures look amazing - the only thing<br />

to be aware of is living in a hard water area <strong>and</strong> the<br />

effects that will have on the finish of taps over time.<br />

For a sleek look, pair large-scale dark floor tiles with<br />

white tiles on the walls, framed by black hardware.<br />

5<br />

Images: 1. Aquaglass Velar 8mm Black Crittall Corner<br />

Entry Enclosure, frontlinebathrooms.co.uk; 2. Original Style<br />

Tileworks Steel Midnight Blue, originalstyle.com; 3. Merlyn<br />

Black Showerwall With End Panel, merlynshowering.com;<br />

4. Duravit - Stonetto (S<strong>and</strong>) Shower Tray, duravit.co.uk;<br />

5. Contour Radiator, frontlinebathrooms.co.uk; 6. Pitch<br />

Bluetooth Mirror, purebathroomcollection.co.uk; 7. Finissimo<br />

Black Bath Filler, bathroomdealsuk.co.uk; 8. Valverdi Iguazu<br />

Tile, londontile.co.uk;<br />

8<br />

4<br />

7<br />

BATHROOM<br />

TECH<br />

With homes becoming<br />

smarter in the main, it<br />

makes sense that similar<br />

technology would be<br />

extended to the bathroom.<br />

We love this bluetooth<br />

mirror which can play<br />

your favourite songs <strong>and</strong><br />

has automatic demisting<br />

technology<br />

6<br />

46

THE BATHROOM<br />

& TILE GUIDE<br />

A roundup of the trends that can beat the bathroom blues<br />

<strong>and</strong> turn your bathroom into your own slice of heaven<br />

1 2<br />

3<br />

ensuite DREAMS<br />

According to a survey carried out by Nationwide<br />

Building Society, an ensuite can add as much as 5%<br />

to your home's market value - if you have the space,<br />

it's a great investment which is luxurious too<br />

If space permits, a roll top or freest<strong>and</strong>ing<br />

bath looks wonderful in an ensuite <strong>and</strong><br />

gives a true sense of luxury. If your space<br />

is more modest, the smaller scale is a great<br />

place to experiment with some interesting<br />

tile combinations <strong>and</strong> colours. There are<br />

some fabulous examples of encaustic tiles<br />

out there at the moment, but if you do opt<br />

for those, be aware <strong>and</strong> prepared for more<br />

maintenance than printed tiles.<br />

Images: 1. products from Original Style; 2. String<br />

lights from Lights4fun.co.uk; 3. image from<br />

carleyrowena.com; 4. Floris tile from Boniti<br />

4<br />

47

haus<br />

HOME | LIFESTYLE<br />

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THE MODERN HOME<br />

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Use code LIVE15 for<br />

an exclusive 15% off<br />

your order<br />

NEW COLLECTIONS OF MUDCLOTH<br />

AND KILIM PILLOWS AND LEATHER<br />

POUFFES COMING SOON -<br />

AVAILABLE TO PRE ORDER NOW<br />

FREE UK P&P ON ALL<br />

ORDERS<br />

www.hauslife.co.uk<br />

Image courtesy of cityfarmhouse.com<br />

Mike Colwill Contracting offers you all types of<br />

building, carpentry <strong>and</strong> painting services in <strong>Somerset</strong>.<br />

We take care of:<br />

• Building services<br />

• Home improvement<br />

services<br />

• Renovations<br />

• Joinery<br />

• Flooring<br />

• Kitchens<br />

• Bathrooms<br />

• Painting <strong>and</strong> much more<br />

We offer free quotes on all our services <strong>and</strong> make<br />

customer satisfaction our priority. We are also<br />

available for contractual work for projects of all sizes.<br />

mike@mikecolwillcontracting.co.uk<br />

07814 143 799<br />

50

2<br />

3<br />

1<br />

STYLE WATCH:<br />

MODERN VICTORIAN<br />

Move over Sc<strong>and</strong>i minimalism - it’s time to maximise - make<br />

the most of period features <strong>and</strong> be bold with colour <strong>and</strong><br />

pattern - these beautifully proportioned spaces can take it<br />

STYLE TIP:<br />

Victorian <strong>and</strong> Edwardian staircases<br />

are beautiful <strong>and</strong> deserve to be centre<br />

stage. They look wonderful styled with<br />

carpet runner over wood alongside<br />

restored original tiles or painting the<br />

staircases to match the wall.<br />

5<br />

4<br />

Dark colours like F&B’s ‘Railings’<br />

look fabulous in well-proportioned<br />

Victorian rooms<br />

1. Sofa, £999, made.com;<br />

2. London Graphic Map<br />

(50x50cm), made.com<br />

3. Curvarella Turmeric Velvet Chair,<br />

£708, audenza.com;<br />

4. Leather Pouffe, £95, hauslife.<br />

co.uk; 5. Alana 6 Lighting Pendant,<br />

£96, darlighting.com;<br />

6. ‘Railings’ Paint by Farrow & Ball;<br />

7. ‘Deep Water’ Paint by<br />

dowsing<strong>and</strong>reynolds.com<br />

Image from<br />

craftberrybush.com<br />

7<br />

6<br />

GET THE<br />

LOOK:<br />

The alcoves either side<br />

of a chimney breast lend<br />

themselves well to bespoke<br />

fitted wardrobes in a bedroom.<br />

The colour scheme in this room<br />

is calming, with a touch of<br />

brightening yellow. Image from<br />

Colin Poole.<br />

51

GET THE<br />

LOOK:<br />

The dark wall here is<br />

an excellent foil for the<br />

period features - it brings<br />

out the cornicing, picture<br />

rail <strong>and</strong> marble fire<br />

place, with complementary<br />

period-style lighting. Then<br />

modern touches are added,<br />

like the bookcases, the<br />

luxurious coffee table <strong>and</strong> fun<br />

typography.<br />

Main image from Rachel Smith<br />

1<br />

STYLE TIP:<br />

Victorian spaces look great<br />

with unexpected furnishings,<br />

like bold Sputnik ch<strong>and</strong>eliers,<br />

boho soft furnishings <strong>and</strong> mid<br />

century modern pieces.<br />

2<br />

3<br />

5<br />

6<br />

4<br />

8<br />

1. Eichholtz Infinity Ch<strong>and</strong>elier,<br />

£1989; sweetpea<strong>and</strong>willow.<br />

com; 2. Industrial Mesh<br />

Cupboard, £825, vincent<strong>and</strong>barn.<br />

co.uk 3. Atlantis Oval Coffee<br />

Table, £208, sweetpea<strong>and</strong>willow.<br />

com 4. Doris Occasional Chair,<br />

£179.99, my-furniture.com;<br />

5. Lumbar cushion cover with<br />

tassels, (30x70cm), £36, hauslife.<br />

co.uk; 6. Gold Window<br />

Style Wall Mirror<br />

(82x100cm), £160.95,<br />

melodymaison.co.uk; 7. Sabra style pillow, £32,<br />

hauslife.co.uk 8. Merrick Dark Antique Brown<br />

Trapeze Pendant, £175, artisanti.com; 9. Large<br />

Round Mirror (80cm), £195, minkinteriors.com;<br />

10. Wicker Grey Floor & Wall Tile, £12.27 per<br />

m² tonsoftiles.co.uk<br />

7<br />

GET THE LOOK:<br />

52<br />

9<br />

10<br />

Restore fireplaces in bedrooms <strong>and</strong> living<br />

rooms - if the old tiles are past the point<br />

of repair, modern tiles with a Victorian<br />

feel work well. This room showcases a<br />

soft, calming palette.

53

RHS Chelsea Flower Show <strong>2020</strong><br />

54<br />

Gardens highlighting ways to<br />

combat climate change will take<br />

centre stage at the RHS Chelsea<br />

Flower Show <strong>2020</strong>, sponsored by<br />

M&G, as the Royal Horticultural<br />

Society (RHS) announces next year’s<br />

garden line up.<br />

As the climate crisis continues to escalate<br />

a number of global br<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> garden<br />

designers will use the world’s most famous<br />

flower show as a platform to encourage a<br />

future where we live in harmony with nature<br />

through urban design <strong>and</strong> sustainable<br />

practices.<br />

In just thirty years it is predicted that a third<br />

of the world’s population will live in cities.<br />

With this in mind award-winning design<br />

duo Hugo Bugg <strong>and</strong> Charlotte Harris<br />

have designed a communal residential<br />

garden for show sponsor M&G as with<br />

their design that promotes the essential<br />

need to incorporate <strong>and</strong> maintain beautiful,<br />

sustainable green spaces within our<br />

growing cities for the benefit of the planet<br />

<strong>and</strong> people. The garden highlights how<br />

communities <strong>and</strong> designers are working<br />

together to address this challenge by<br />

creating gardens in neglected city spaces.<br />

Sustainability is woven through the design<br />

of ‘The M&G Garden’ through the use of<br />

repurposed materials, water management<br />

techniques, permeable surfaces <strong>and</strong> a<br />

planting palette defined by resilient plants<br />

suitable for the climatic challenges of urban<br />

spaces.<br />

The ‘Guangzhou China: Guangzhou<br />

Garden’ by first time Show Garden<br />

designers Peter Chmiel <strong>and</strong> Chin-Jung<br />

Chen of Grant Associates provides a<br />

similar narrative, a city garden of the future<br />

that balances the needs of both people<br />

<strong>and</strong> wildlife whilst sustaining the planet’s<br />

health, promoting a move towards a new<br />

‘ecological civilization’. The garden features<br />

a woodl<strong>and</strong> dell to clean the air, a pool to<br />

clean water <strong>and</strong> bamboo structures which<br />

represent homes for humans <strong>and</strong> wildlife.<br />

With deforestation central to the climate<br />

crisis ‘The Facebook Garden: Growing the<br />

Future’ looks at the benefits of increasing<br />

the UK’s tree cover whilst highlighting the<br />

need for better woodl<strong>and</strong> management in<br />

a changing climate. Using timber in various<br />

forms, RHS Chelsea gold medal winning<br />

designer Joe Perkins hopes to showcase<br />

timber’s renewable <strong>and</strong> sustainable<br />

properties as it celebrates how social<br />

media platforms help share knowledge<br />

<strong>and</strong> empower others to plant more trees<br />

<strong>and</strong> support sustainable woodl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />

timber use.<br />

Britain’s largest organic dairy company,<br />

Yeo Valley hopes to encourage the UK’s<br />

27 million gardeners to consider going<br />

organic <strong>and</strong> put nature first. ‘The Yeo<br />

Valley Organic Garden’ designed by awardwinning<br />

designer Tom Massey has been<br />

created with sustainability front <strong>and</strong> centre.<br />

Where possible the plants for the garden<br />

will be grown organically, while the carbon<br />

used to create the wildlife-friendly Show<br />

Garden will also be offset at Yeo Valley’s<br />

farm in <strong>Somerset</strong>.<br />

Designers across all categories this year<br />

have taken steps to be more sustainable in<br />

their garden designs. An increased number<br />

of designers are sourcing their plants <strong>and</strong><br />

materials from within the UK, incorporating<br />

planting schemes which benefit wildlife <strong>and</strong><br />

the environment.<br />

Timber is championed as the building<br />

material of choice for a number of garden<br />

structures due to its green, carbon-locking<br />

credentials. Contractors are working with<br />

designers to adopt alternative construction<br />

methods <strong>and</strong> opting for sustainable hard<br />

l<strong>and</strong>scaping materials in a bid to avoid<br />

single use materials such as cement <strong>and</strong><br />

concrete. Award-winning designer Robert<br />

Myers <strong>and</strong> his contractor Bowles <strong>and</strong><br />

Wyer are experimenting with a new, more<br />

sustainable ‘wood’ concrete among other<br />

sustainable materials in The Florence<br />

Nightingale Garden - A Celebration of<br />

Modern Day Nursing whilst every element<br />

from the reclaimed brick walls to the<br />

artwork in The Bicester Village Artisan<br />

Garden (pictured above) designed by<br />

renowned florist Nikki Tibbles has been<br />

sustainably sourced.<br />

Growers at the heart of the show in the<br />

Great Pavilion are being directly impacted<br />

by climate change as environmental<br />

changes such as extreme weather<br />

conditions are affecting their plants <strong>and</strong><br />

growing methods. To lessen their impact<br />

on the environment a number of growers<br />

<strong>and</strong> nurseries exhibiting this year have<br />

made positive changes by for example<br />

going peat free, growing in bio-degradable<br />

pots, switching from chemical to biological<br />

pest controls <strong>and</strong> harvesting rainwater for<br />

irrigation.<br />

Rose Gore Browne, RHS Chelsea Show<br />

Manager said: ‘This time of year is always<br />

exciting as the themes <strong>and</strong> trends for<br />

<strong>2020</strong> begin to emerge, as gardens <strong>and</strong><br />

horticulture are key to helping combat<br />

climate change, it is very encouraging to<br />

see a number of gardens addressing these<br />

issues <strong>and</strong> more designers <strong>and</strong> growers<br />

adopting suitable practices.’<br />

The RHS is fundraising £40m to<br />

transform gardens, outreach <strong>and</strong><br />

education facilities, which includes<br />

redeveloping the flagship RHS Garden<br />

Wisley <strong>and</strong> opening a new garden, RHS<br />

Garden Bridgewater, in <strong>2020</strong>. The RHS<br />

is solely funded by its members, visitors<br />

<strong>and</strong> supporters. For more information<br />

visit www.rhs.org.uk.

Your first choice for lawn care<br />

A lawn can provide enough oxygen<br />

for a family of four, <strong>and</strong> that’s not<br />

to mention the other physical <strong>and</strong><br />

mental health benefits of spending<br />

more time in your own green space;<br />

help it flourish with Oasis.<br />

It’s not a mirage, lawns treated with<br />

Oasis from GreenThumb really are<br />

that hydrated, healthy <strong>and</strong> beautiful.<br />

Oasis is a specialised water<br />

conserver treatment that works<br />

not only to protect lawns from dry<br />

weather damage but also ensures<br />

they have better access to what<br />

they really need – water.<br />

One of the best things about Oasis<br />

is its ability to act as insurance<br />

for your lawn against damage<br />

from dry weather to come, due to<br />

its water-holding power; it’s said<br />

prevention is the best cure, after<br />

all. By removing the waxy coating<br />

from the soil particles; water is<br />

able to penetrate into the to the<br />

roots as opposed to sitting on the<br />

lawn’s surface or draining right<br />

through. Even if a lawn has suffered<br />

drought damage, application of<br />

Oasis will encourage recovery as<br />

a complement to a good watering<br />

programme. In addition to a richer,<br />

more vibrant lawn; GreenThumb<br />

customers choose Oasis because<br />

it significantly reduces the need<br />

<strong>and</strong> cost of watering, from between<br />

50-80%.<br />

Oasis makes remarkable use of any<br />

water received, either from rainfall,<br />

watering or even morning dew. This<br />

helps the lawn not only survive but<br />

thrive; it is specifically designed<br />

to aid water absorption, retention<br />

<strong>and</strong> distribution throughout the soil.<br />

As it’s being helped to maintain<br />

a stronger overall density; a lawn<br />

with a GreenThumb treatment<br />

programme that includes Oasis is<br />

better equipped to fight-off such<br />

woes as coarse grasses, weeds<br />

<strong>and</strong> diseases.<br />

As well as water, nutrients are also<br />

a crucial requirement for a lawn’s<br />

health. Nutrients need water to<br />

be able to move through the soil<br />

<strong>and</strong> benefit the grass plant; Oasis<br />

improves the nutrients’ ability<br />

to travel to the root zone. Oasis<br />

encourages thicker roots, which<br />

makes for a much stronger, hardier<br />

lawn.<br />

For your FREE lawn<br />

analysis & no-obligation<br />

quote, contact your<br />

local branch today.

a plant for every<br />

space in your house<br />

The sale of houseplants has grown considerably in the last few<br />

years - a 10-15% year on year increase since 2013 according to<br />

the RHS. It is particularly prevalent among young people - not<br />

so much as part of a décor choice but more to fulfil a desire to<br />

have something to care for <strong>and</strong> look after. For urban dwellers <strong>and</strong><br />

workers there are also the perceived health <strong>and</strong> well-being benefits.<br />

The RHS website has the following: ‘As well as looking good,<br />

houseplants support human health in homes, offices, school <strong>and</strong><br />

hospitals. Research suggests that the greatest benefits of indoor<br />

plants are through well-being <strong>and</strong> productivity improvement. There<br />

is discussion around their influence on indoor air quality’.<br />

If you have never had a plant in your life, having a plant at home<br />

is the perfect place to start – <strong>and</strong> there is such a lot of choice!<br />

Gone are the days of a dusty ‘mother-in-law’s tongue’ Sanseviera<br />

trifasciata or a Kentia palm Howea forsteriana waving brown<br />

fronds in distress - we have a plethora of options to suit every mood<br />

<strong>and</strong> every place in your home. My first books were on the subject of<br />

house plants <strong>and</strong> I love to have plants of all types sharing our family<br />

home.<br />

There is an enormous body of research going on at the moment<br />

into the beneficial effects of various species, how many you need<br />

to benefit either physically or mentally, what specific problems<br />

they can alleviate <strong>and</strong> which species can best tolerate the various<br />

conditions they are exposed to indoors. Lack of light, temperature<br />

fluctuations, infrequent watering - or too much watering - pity<br />

the poor indoor plant <strong>and</strong> yet for all of the privations we put them<br />

through they still flourish!<br />

As I travel around the country I see so many lovely orchids on<br />

windowsills <strong>and</strong> the moth orchid or Phalaenopsis must be present<br />

in a high percentage of<br />

British homes. These<br />

orchids are incredibly<br />

long lasting <strong>and</strong> even with<br />

the most basic care will<br />

flower again <strong>and</strong> again.<br />

You could also chose a<br />

Spathiphyllum or peace<br />

lily, a Madagascar Dragon<br />

Tree, Dracaena marginata<br />

or an English ivy Hedera<br />

helix - drape them from<br />

cupboards <strong>and</strong> bookcases,<br />

group them for more<br />

impact, have one large statement plant for a<br />

Wow factor, whatever you choose make room in your<br />

life for a plant!<br />

A Practical Guide to Growing Healthy Houseplants<br />

by Matthew Biggs<br />

www.matthewbiggs.com<br />

SJ LANDSCAPES<br />

Specialising in block paving, red<br />

or black tarmac, fencing, wall<br />

building <strong>and</strong> tree work<br />

Tel: 01278 325005<br />

Mob: 07880369099<br />

53 webbers way puriton<br />

57

The benefits of<br />

attending an<br />

open event at<br />

Nuffield Health<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong> Hospital<br />

Open events are a great way to<br />

access medical experts <strong>and</strong> get<br />

your health questions answered for free with no obligation...<br />

ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />

They are open to anyone with an interest in the topic being<br />

discussed <strong>and</strong> are designed to help you make informed decisions<br />

about your health. They are a great opportunity to figure out what<br />

particular questions you want answered <strong>and</strong> what the hospital<br />

can help you with.<br />

Our events are led by experienced Consultant surgeons who<br />

diagnose conditions, perform treatments <strong>and</strong> guide patients<br />

through their health journeys every day. We offer presentation<br />

sessions which give you the opportunity to meet others with<br />

similar experiences <strong>and</strong> questions. This creates an open<br />

forum where you can learn from others <strong>and</strong> contribute to the<br />

discussion. We also offer mini one to one session which give you<br />

more privacy to ask questions about your unique situation. This<br />

session doesn’t replace the full consultation that’s necessary<br />

before treatment but is a great way to get a better underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />

of what’s involved. You’ll also get a sense of the environment <strong>and</strong><br />

the people who will be looking after you if you do proceed with<br />

treatment.<br />

Nuffield Health <strong>Taunton</strong> Hospital are currently hosting a<br />

selection open events, for more information or to book your<br />

space please visit our website nuffieldhealth.com/book or<br />

call 01823 478980.<br />

59

social care needs<br />

Social care seems to be in the<br />

news a lot at the moment, often,<br />

unfortunately, in conjunction with<br />

the word ‘crisis’. Given that if you<br />

need care it’s a necessity, it makes<br />

sense to underst<strong>and</strong> the basics – well<br />

before that time might come.<br />

Social care is there to support you because<br />

you need some extra help with daily living<br />

or are caring for someone who requires<br />

additional help themselves. There are a<br />

wide range of social care services, including<br />

care in your home or in a care home, live-in<br />

care services, day centres, home adaptions<br />

like h<strong>and</strong>rails, <strong>and</strong> technology of various<br />

kinds.<br />

The first step if you or your loved one<br />

needs some extra help <strong>and</strong> support is<br />

to ask your local authority to carry out a<br />

needs assessment. You might have to wait<br />

several weeks at least for this, because<br />

councils are strapped for cash <strong>and</strong> staff,<br />

but it’s important to have it because it’s the<br />

gateway to the wider system. Someone<br />

from the council usually visits to establish<br />

the type of support you might need. There’s<br />

no charge <strong>and</strong> the assessor will create a<br />

care plan specific to your needs.<br />

When the type of care you need is decided<br />

<strong>and</strong> agreed the next stage is to establish<br />

how it will be paid for through a financial<br />

means test - which can be complex <strong>and</strong><br />

quite confusing. Social care isn’t a free<br />

service provided by the NHS as many<br />

people think. Most of us have to pay for<br />

all or some of our care <strong>and</strong> the amount<br />

depends on the level of need <strong>and</strong> the value<br />

of any assets we have.<br />

Your home will not be included in the means<br />

test if you’re arranging care <strong>and</strong> support<br />

at home but other capital assets, including<br />

savings will be. Currently, if you have more<br />

capital that £23,250 you will have to pay all<br />

your care fees. If you have under £23,250,<br />

you’ll get financial assistance but may have<br />

to contribute from your income.<br />

The cost of care varies by area but it is not<br />

unusual to have to pay about £20 an hour<br />

for a care worker to come to your home<br />

(domiciliary care) to help you with, say,<br />

getting up, washing <strong>and</strong> dressing, if that’s<br />

what you need. You can see how the bills<br />

add up if you need more than one visit<br />

every day.<br />

It is also possible that rather than<br />

‘personal care’ you need a different kind of<br />

support, such as companionship, because<br />

you are very alone <strong>and</strong> lonely. If so, in<br />

some places the council may refer you to<br />

a scheme run by a charity like Age UK,<br />

where you might have to pay a modest<br />

amount to take part.<br />

If your needs are such that it is best for<br />

you to move permanently into a care home<br />

your property, if you own one, will be<br />

included in the means test at its present<br />

market value, but less any mortgage<br />

or loan you may have on it. However, it<br />

will not be included if your partner still<br />

lives there or, in certain circumstances, a<br />

relative. Your home is also not included if<br />

you need a temporary or short-term stay<br />

in a care home. Two in five of all the older<br />

people living in care homes now pay for<br />

their own care.<br />

To avoid property or other assets being<br />

counted in the financial means test, some<br />

people consider giving them away to a<br />

child or gr<strong>and</strong>child. However, this could<br />

be interpreted as ‘deliberate deprivation<br />

of assets’, <strong>and</strong> your local authority may<br />

still ask you to pay the same level of care<br />

fees as if you still owned your home or<br />

the other assets you have given away. It<br />

is really important to take advice if you are<br />

thinking of doing something of this kind.<br />

If you do have to pay towards a care<br />

home place it is possible to avoid selling<br />

your property during your lifetime in order<br />

to release the money required, namely a<br />

deferred payment which endures while<br />

you are alive. The council provides a loan<br />

for your care costs secured against your<br />

property <strong>and</strong> this is repaid either when<br />

the property is sold or from your estate<br />

after you have passed away. There is an<br />

interest charge if you choose to do this<br />

but every council is supposed to offer a<br />

scheme of this kind, even though relatively<br />

few people take advantage of it, possibly<br />

because they do not know it exists.<br />

If you have care needs <strong>and</strong> you are<br />

not already claiming a benefit called<br />

Attendance Allowance it is always<br />

worth doing so. This benefit is there for<br />

older people, to help offset the costs of<br />

disability. In practice, many older people<br />

use their AA to help fund their social care.<br />

Your local Age UK can help you fill in the<br />

forms <strong>and</strong> will be pleased to help. AA<br />

is paid at two rates, £58 or £87 a week,<br />

depending on your needs.<br />

As you can see, finding social care <strong>and</strong><br />

paying for it is not straight forward <strong>and</strong><br />

there are lots of questions to ask, but Age<br />

UK can guide you through the process<br />

<strong>and</strong> provides independent information <strong>and</strong><br />

advice. If you are online there’s a lot about<br />

care on our website, or there’s a free<br />

advice line if you prefer to talk to someone<br />

instead. Visiting your local Age UK is a<br />

third option.<br />

Social care has a bad reputation at the<br />

moment, largely because it is underfunded<br />

<strong>and</strong> there isn’t enough to go round. You<br />

may also have read horror stories in the<br />

press of care workers being neglectful.<br />

Please don’t be put off seeking care<br />

though - there are many wonderful care<br />

workers. It pays to get advice <strong>and</strong> go<br />

into it with your eyes open, but there are<br />

hundreds of thous<strong>and</strong>s of older people<br />

whose lives are immeasurably better<br />

because of the good care they receive.<br />

Caroline Abrahams<br />

Charity Director, Age UK<br />

www.ageuk.org.uk/<br />

information-advice/care

clinical<br />

hypnotherapist<br />

Spring - A Time for Growth<br />

Sharon Dyke, a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist based in<br />

<strong>Taunton</strong>, explains how spring time can increase the production<br />

of serotonin in our brains, just through exposure to more daylight<br />

<strong>and</strong> longer evenings. Sharon suggests, in so many ways spring<br />

can elevate our mood <strong>and</strong> make life a little easier. We may feel<br />

more optimistic, open to change, <strong>and</strong> often, it’s a time when we<br />

look for new opportunities in our lives.<br />

Sharon says, change is not easy, it takes effort <strong>and</strong> commitment,<br />

especially when nowadays we all juggle so many roles, often we<br />

can become overwhelmed by all the things we want to achieve.<br />

Sharon goes on to explain, it’s not the events in our lives that<br />

create anxiety. It’s our response to those events. The attitude<br />

<strong>and</strong> thought processes that we adopt. As a Solution Focused<br />

Hypnotherapist Sharon helps her clients manage those thoughts,<br />

<strong>and</strong> achieve the positive outcomes they desire by taking small<br />

steps <strong>and</strong> committing to finding solutions.<br />

Sharon is a fully-qualified <strong>and</strong> insured hypnotherapist <strong>and</strong><br />

psychotherapist <strong>and</strong> a member of the CNHC, a voluntary regulator<br />

for supplementary therapies. Sharon is also a senior supervisor<br />

supporting practitioners across the country, <strong>and</strong> a senior lecture<br />

with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, teaching other likeminded<br />

people to join one of the country’s fastest growing models<br />

of therapeutic interventions.<br />

To find out more visit www.sdykehypnotherapy.co.uk or contact<br />

Sharon directly to book a consultation on 07766250113.<br />

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62

WHAT IS A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY?<br />

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows you to nominate a person to make decisions<br />

<strong>and</strong> take actions on your behalf if you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself in the<br />

future, or if you no longer want to make decisions<br />

It is important to choose someone you trust implicitly to look<br />

after your affairs <strong>and</strong> act in your best interests. This might be<br />

one or more members of your family, a friend, or a solicitor.<br />

There are two types of LPA:<br />

A Property & Financial Affairs LPA does exactly what it says <strong>and</strong><br />

authorises your Attorneys to deal with financial matters including<br />

selling your house <strong>and</strong> access to your bank accounts to take<br />

care of your financial responsibilities such as paying your bills.<br />

A Health & Welfare LPA indicates how you would wish to be<br />

cared for if you were no longer able to make those decisions<br />

yourself. These decisions might include living arrangements,<br />

personal welfare <strong>and</strong> health care.<br />

You can have one or both types of LPA. They are independent of<br />

each other <strong>and</strong> you may appoint different Attorneys.<br />

Why do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney?<br />

They are invaluable documents for adults of any age. Anyone<br />

can become physically or mentally incapable as a result of an<br />

unanticipated illness or a serious accident regardless of<br />

their age.<br />

A spouse, partner, or next of kin are not automatically entitled<br />

to deal with your bank account or able to make decisions about<br />

your health care if you lose the ability to do so. Without an LPA<br />

they do not have such authority. It is a wise precaution to have<br />

appointed Attorneys that you trust to take important actions on<br />

your behalf should the need arise.<br />

Can I restrict an Attorney’s powers?<br />

Yes, you can give as wide or restrictive powers as you like <strong>and</strong> it<br />

can be set up to allow Attorneys to<br />

deal with all decisions, or just specific matters of your choice.<br />

For example, you may wish not to give your Attorneys authority<br />

over particular assets.<br />

When can an Attorney act?<br />

An Attorney can only start to act once the LPA is registered at<br />

the Office of the Public Guardian, but once they do start to act<br />

must always do so in your best interests.<br />

It can be registered at any time, whether immediately after<br />

the document has been completed, or later, when the need<br />

to use it arises. Registration of the LPA does not mean that<br />

you have lost capacity. You can continue to make decisions,<br />

despite registration, until such time as capacity is lost <strong>and</strong> your<br />

Attorneys should continue to consult you whilst you are able to<br />

express your own opinion about decisions.<br />

What happens without a Power of Attorney?<br />

If you become incapacitated without this type of provision in<br />

place, then no one would have the authority to sort out your<br />

financial affairs or make decisions about your care <strong>and</strong> someone<br />

(not necessarily the person you would choose) would need<br />

to apply to the Court of Protection to be legally appointed to<br />

manage your affairs through a Deputyship Order. This process is<br />

substantially more expensive, takes longer <strong>and</strong> is less flexible for<br />

the person appointed.

DIVORCE IS COMPLEX<br />

Our Family Team appreciate that a<br />

relationship breakdown is a traumatic event,<br />

we treat all issues with sensitivity <strong>and</strong> provide<br />

a tailored service to meet your dem<strong>and</strong>s.<br />

A number of the team are members of<br />

Resolution, the national organisation of family<br />

lawyers committed to non-confrontational<br />

divorce, separation <strong>and</strong> other family<br />

problems.<br />

Please contact Jayne Turner for advice. Jayne<br />

is a Partner in the Family team in <strong>Taunton</strong>.<br />

She is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in<br />

Complex Financial Remedies <strong>and</strong> Pensions<br />

on Divorce, an Advanced Member of the Law<br />

Society’s Family Law Panel <strong>and</strong> trained <strong>and</strong><br />

experienced collaborative lawyer. Jayne is<br />

described in the Legal 500 2018 directory as<br />

“sensible, client focused <strong>and</strong> knowledgeable”.<br />

+44 (0)1823 232376<br />

65

family law<br />

Domestic Abuse Bill – what does it mean for victims?<br />

Associate Solicitor Rebecca Palmer from The Family Law<br />

Company looks at the detail of the Domestic Abuse Bill<br />

What does this mean for victims in the<br />

interim?<br />

If you are a victim of domestic abuse <strong>and</strong><br />

concerned about the current position<br />

regarding cross-examination, please do<br />

not be worried. Provisions are in place<br />

to enable a victim of domestic abuse to<br />

apply for ‘special measures’. This can<br />

include the implementation of screens<br />

in the court room or even the option of<br />

providing evidence through a video link.<br />

Owing to the need to obtain the best<br />

evidence from victims, a court is often<br />

inclined to grant special measures if they<br />

are requested.<br />

66<br />

What is the Bill?<br />

The Domestic Abuse Bill was formulated<br />

as a result of the significant increasing<br />

levels of domestic abuse <strong>and</strong> extensive<br />

campaigning by domestic abuse groups<br />

for better protection for victims. The Bill<br />

seeks to promote awareness, protect <strong>and</strong><br />

support victims, improve performance<br />

<strong>and</strong>, importantly, transform the justice<br />

response. Ultimately it means that victims<br />

of domestic abuse will not have to be<br />

cross-examined by their abuser within<br />

family court proceedings; this happens at<br />

the moment because cuts in legal aid <strong>and</strong><br />

the eligibility criteria mean it is common<br />

for the perpetrator to be unrepresented<br />

as they do not qualify for legal aid <strong>and</strong><br />

cannot afford a solicitor.<br />

The Bill seeks to introduce a blanket ban<br />

on cross-examination in person where<br />

one party has been convicted of, given<br />

a caution for, or charged with certain<br />

offences against the other party. It will<br />

further provide the court with the power<br />

to prohibit cross-examination in person<br />

where it is likely to reduce the quality of<br />

the evidence or cause distress to the<br />

victim. In certain circumstances, the<br />

court will also be able to appoint a legal<br />

representative to conduct the crossexamination<br />

on behalf of the perpetrator.<br />

Taking away the need to face their abuser<br />

will minimise the trauma for the victim<br />

<strong>and</strong> allow their best evidence to be<br />

produced.<br />

What’s the current status?<br />

The Domestic Abuse Bill was published<br />

in draft in January 2019 for pre-legislative<br />

scrutiny. The Joint Committee on the Draft<br />

Domestic Abuse Bill published its report<br />

on 14 June 2019 <strong>and</strong> the government<br />

published its response on 16 July 2019.<br />

The Bill is now being considered by a<br />

Public Bill Committee which will scrutinise<br />

it. The Committee is expected to report to<br />

the House by 21 November 2019.<br />

“If you are a victim of domestic abuse<br />

<strong>and</strong> concerned about the current position<br />

regarding cross-examination, please do<br />

not be worried. Provisions are in place to<br />

enable a victim of domestic abuse to apply for<br />

‘special measures.”<br />

At present, victims are, underst<strong>and</strong>ably,<br />

concerned about their perpetrator<br />

cross-examining them in a courtroom<br />

- even with special measures such as<br />

screens in place. However, in light of the<br />

incoming Domestic Abuse Bill, courts are<br />

trying to address this issue. Commonly<br />

in proceedings where the perpetrator is<br />

unrepresented, the Judge will already put<br />

provisions in place to protect the victim<br />

<strong>and</strong> ensure their best evidence is given.<br />

One example is where the Judge orders<br />

that any questions to be put to the victim<br />

by the perpetrator are given in writing<br />

before the hearing. This allows the Judge<br />

to put the questions to the victim rather<br />

than the perpetrator.<br />

If you are currently suffering from<br />

domestic abuse <strong>and</strong> need assistance<br />

then please do not hesitate to contact<br />

The Family Law Company as soon<br />

as possible. We are here to help <strong>and</strong><br />

can offer advice about all the options<br />

available to you. We can also signpost<br />

you to other relevant organisations<br />

who will be able to provide support.<br />

We frequently work with domestic<br />

abuse support groups to help victims of<br />

domestic abuse in obtaining protective<br />

injunctions, for example.<br />

If you require further information or<br />

advice in respect of this or any other<br />

family matter, please contact<br />

Rebecca Palmer on 01823 785070.<br />

www.thefamilylawco.co.uk

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