Taunton and South Somerset Living Apr - May 2020

Contents
A Note
from the editor
Hello Spring – I’ve been waiting for your
arrival like a lovelorn maiden, excitedly
hopping out of bed to look out the window
for signs of new life and sunny skies. I
know that in recent years April weather has
been…unpredictable, but nevertheless I’m
hopeful and cheery.
A Culinary Easter Journey bites through to take you
38Perfect through Northern the Ireland whole weekend
Avid readers might remember reading
about my new year’s pledge in a past
issue – to walk, run or cycle 5km every
day of 2020. Not having a bike, or access
to a stationary one continues to be slightly
problematic, but apart from a particularly
grim night during a storm (I can’t remember
which given name, we’ve had so many of
late), I’ve done it! I’m not sure yet if I’m fitter
or slimmer, but I’ve really enjoyed carving
little moments out of my usually hectic day
to go for a head-clearing walk. It’s never
too late to start!
We catch up with
James Martin
IN THIS ISSUE...
04 What’s On
33
As the weather gets warmer, we share
our pick of the best family events over
April and May
12 Education Guide
The Boarding School Association gives
us their insights into the myriad of
benefits of boarding
33 James Martin
We catch up with TV’s favourite chef
ahead of his appearances at Pub in
the Park
38 Easter Eats
Catering for big occasions needn’t be a
hassle - we bring together some simple,
delicious dishes for the weekend
46 Renew, Refresh
A guide to home renovation products
both big and small, if you are feeling the
itch for a change this spring
65 Alan Titchmarsh
We catch up with the nation’s favourite
gardener on his perfect gardens and his
love of writing poetry
Spring Home
Renovations
46
65
We interview
Alan Titchmarsh
Editor Katie Thomson
e katie.thomson@minervapublications.co.uk
Publisher Sally Thomson
Pre Press Manager Kate O’Connell
Contributors Rebecca Williams, Peter Thomson, Sue Cooke, Angela Cave, Pete
Lawrence, Lucy Saunders. Front cover courtesy of Clarance Court Eggs
Key Account Manager
Skye O’Hara-Street
e skye@minervapublications.co.uk
d/l 01225 613 518
www.TauntonLiving.co.uk
This issue we have really turned the focus
on Easter, with cracking pressies and some
egg-cellent recipes – hey, if you’re running
five kilometres a day, you go ahead and
enjoy that hot cross bun pudding! There’s
also lots to look forward to in the calendar,
with some of our favourite attractions
opening again.
Our chef this issue is James Martin, proud
Yorkshireman and TV legend - we caught
up with him ahead of his appearances at
a raft of summer festivals and before the
release of his new book.
On the home front we’ve got a big feature
on refreshing the home for spring, be that
large-scale changes or little ideas to give
you and your home a lift!
We will see you again in June - when we
will be in full summer mode!
Katie
MINERVA PUBLICATIONS HQ
County Gate, County Way,
Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 7FJ
t 01225 308128
w www.minervapublications.co.uk
Disclaimer: The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an
advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and
misprints. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the
publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers.
3

Barrington Court
Barrington, Ilminster TA19 0NQ
01460 241938
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/barrington-court
Saturday 4 - Sunday 19 April
Spring Time Nature Discovery Trail
Go along and take part in a family nature
trail to find out about all the exciting things
happening at Barrington in the spring.
As spring time emerges, discover what’s
happening to the plants, animals and
creatures that live at Barrington and why
some of them are so special.
Friday 10 - Monday 13 April
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt
Go along and have great fun in the fresh air
with this year’s Cadbury Easter egg hunt.
Follow the tracks and trails around the
grounds and identify the creatures that
made them. If you are successful it will lead
you to a delicious chocolate prize!
Tuesday 26 - Thursday 28 May
Wildlife Days
Three days dedicated to everything in the
natural world.
Go along and discover lots of exhibits and
hands-on activities with our friends from
other wildlife activities. Get up close and
learn about bugs, bees, moths, butterflies,
pondlife, birdlife and more.
Friday 29 May, 11am & 3.30pm
Half Term Falconry Day
The falconry day offers you the chance
to see the birds up close on their static
displays and chat to their expert handlers
between flying displays, with the south
lawn and surrounding parkland as a
stunning backdrop. Please note display
timings approximate.
East Somerset Railway
Cranmore, Shepton Mallet BA4 4QP
01749 880417
www.eastsomersetrailway.com
Friday 10 - Monday 13 April
Easter Fun!
In an age of computers and apps, go and
spend Easter with your family and the
friendly staff, to experience steam in all its
whistling glory. There will be an Easter Egg
trail around the station - as well as other
children’s activities.
Wednesday 15 April
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit will make guest appearances
on the platform various times during the
day. Don’t forget your camera!
There will also be a Peter Rabbit Trail and
quiz as well as Punch and Judy to entertain
you when Peter takes a rest!
Monday 25 May
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear will make guest
appearances on the platform at various
times!
There will also be a Paddington trail and
Punch and Judy to entertain.
Northernhay Gardens
and Exeter Castle
Nr High Street, Exeter EX4 3PU
01392 278801
www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk
Friday 8 - Sunday 10 May
Exeter Festival of South West Food
& Drink 2020
The festival returns over 3 days from Friday
8th to Sunday 10th May 2020, with 2 music
nights on the Friday and Saturday.
Supported by Visit Exeter, the foodie
and music lovers spectacular weekend
celebrates the start of spring with live
music, chef demonstrations, artisan
produce, real ales and cider, family-friendly
workshops, kids cookery classes, health
and nutrition sessions and a chance to
meet the dedicated producers behind the
products.
Exeter Northcott
Theatre
Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QB
01392 726363
www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
Wednesday 8 - Saturday 11 April
My Fair Lady
Exeter Musical Society present the classic
musical, My Fair Lady, originally performed
on the Broadway stage in 1956.
The show is full of classic show tunes,
including I could have danced all night, Get
me to the church on time and On the street
where you live.
Saturday 18 April
David Baddiel - Trolls -
Not The Dolls
David has stories to tell, of the dark, terrible
and hysterically absurd cyber-paths that
interacting with trolls has led him down.
Come with him on this comedy journey
into our culture’s most dank virtual
underground. You will come back safe,
more able to deflect your own trolls, and
only a little bit soiled.
Tuesday 28 April
Spontaneous Potter
The smash hit Spontaneous Potter is an
entirely improvised Harry Potter comedy
play, based on an audience suggestion
of a fanfiction title. Hilarity ensues as an
EVENTS GUIDE
entirely new Potter adventure is magically
improvised on the spot with live musical
accompaniment!
Monday 4 - Saturday 9 May
A Bunch of Amateurs
The Everyman Theatre Company is proud
to present Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s
hilarious comedy A Bunch of Amateurs.
Keen to boost his flagging career, fading
Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele
arrives in England to play King Lear in
Stratford only to find that this is not the
birthplace of Shakespeare, but a sleepy
Suffolk village. And instead of starring
alongside Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi
Dench, the cast are a bunch of amateurs
trying to save their theatre from ruthless
developers.
Sunday 24 May
Ellie Taylor - Don’t Got This
Fresh from her debut Netflix stand-up
special, the star of The Mash Report, Live
at the Apollo and QI is back with a brandnew
show.
Join Ellie as she bangs on about life, love
and what will happen if one more person
tells her “you got this”.
Wednesday 27 - Thursday 28 May
English Touring Opera presents -
Cosi fan Tutte
Mozart’s combination of glorious music
and farcical comedy make Cosi fan Tutte
an enduring favourite, a story of young love
and fidelity. It is in many ways Mozart’s
most perfect opera.
Forde Abbey
Chard TA20 4LU
01460 221290
www.fordeabbey.co.uk
Friday 10 - Monday 13 April
An Expialidocious Easter Trail!
With a spoonful of magic and a cast
list of characters straight from the
pages of Mary Poppins, get ready for a
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious adventure
this Easter.
In best 17 Cherry Tree Lane spit spot
fashion, they’ll be ‘Um-dittle-ittle-umdittle-I’ing”
through the adventures of a
childhood classic with one of Britain’s bestloved
nannies. In the most delightful way
of course.
Saturday 18 April - Sunday 10 May
A Spring Tapestry
It is the burst of colour after the minimalism
of the Winter landscape, a flamboyant
sashay during the months of April and May.
Joshua Sparkes, head gardener at Forde
Abbey, will be shifting the focus from
continued
Spring is finally here - check out what is
happening in the area and enjoy!
4

massed tulips in Spring to creating a
tapestry of different flowers “ We have
to be more clever with our planting,
encouraging the tulips to have more of a
perennial nature.”
Thursday 14 May
Forde Abbey Concerts -
The Endellion Quartet
Founded in 1979 the Endelllion Quartet has
become known as one of the world’s great
quartets. In celebration of Beethoven’s
250th Anniversary, their programme will
start with the most radiant of the late
quartet, Op. 127 in E flat major. Their
second half will be another of the greatest
works in the literature, Mozart’s G minor
viola quintet, for which they will be joined
by Douglas Paterson.
6
Haynes International
Motor Museum
Sparkford, Yeovil BA22 7LH
019634 40804
www.haynesmotormuseum.com
Saturday 4 - Sunday 19 April
Designing Cars - Family Event
This Easter school holidays, get inspired
and design the car of the future!
Calling all budding artists and designers,
this Easter school break join a visiting local
artist to create your own car design of the
future.
Friday 8 - Monday 11 May
Somerset Day & VE Day
Anniversary Weekend
Haynes International Motor Museum
invites you to join in with a celebratory
long weekend event that highlights both
Somerset Day and the 75th anniversary of
VE Day.
Saturday 23 - Sunday 31 May
Half Term - Get Closer
This special event is for all ages, giving
visitors the opportunity to lift the Museum
rope on selected vehicles and explore
inside and under the bonnet with
experienced members of the Museum
team.
Hestercombe Gardens
Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton TA2 8LG
01823 413923
www.hestercombe.com
Saturday 4 - Sunday 19 April
Easter Trail -
Coplestone and the Grand Tour
Paris! Venice! Switzerland! Greece! Visit
stop-offs inspired by locations visited by
Georgians on their European ‘Grand Tour’.
Try to find Coplestone in a Where’s Wallystyle
challenge.
Wednesday 15 April
Guided Bluebell Walk
Join a guided bluebell walk into the
stunning Bluebell Wood at Hestercombe
with gardener Ben. Learn about the
different varieties, how they grow, and how
the area is managed.
Saturday 25 April, 10am - 4pm
Plant Fair at Hestercombe
This is a brilliant opportunity to meet local
growers and pick up some blooms for your
garden and home.
Simon and Thelma at play
There will be specialist nurseries selling
herbs, perennials and roses, rare and
interesting plants as well as well as metal
and willow plant supports.
Saturday 23 May
May Half Term - Young visitors will be
given a piece of drawing charcoal and
challenged to create charcoal rubbings
from hidden plaques dotted around
Hestercombe’s gardens.
The charcoal used on the trail will be
sourced from their very own charcoal
burner which sometimes burns at the
Charcoal Burner’s Camp high up in the
gardens.
Monkey World Ape
Rescue Centre
Longthorns, Nr Wareham BH20 6HH
01929 462537
www.monkeyworld.org/events
Saturday 4 April- Sunday 19 April
Go EAST for Easter!
Help us put gibbons back into the wild
in Vietnam! Visit Monkey World and take
part in our fundraising games, activities
and trails all to raise funds for EAST (the
Endangered Asian Species Trust).
Friday 10 April – Monday 13 April
Easter Eggs-travaganza!
Free chocolate Easter Egg for the first 100
children into the park every day from Good
Friday to Easter Monday!
Friday 8 May - Sunday 10 May
Go NUTS at Monkey World!
Every child who brings an unopened bag
of nuts for the primates receives a free
Monkey World badge over the bank holiday
weekend.
Saturday 16 May
Autism Friendly Day
Monkey World opens an hour early at 9am,
exclusively for visitors with autism and their
families. Sensory trails, a calm room, and
drop-In room for support all ensure that
Monkey World is a great day out - for all.
Ilminster Arts Centre
35 East Street, Ilminster TA19 0AN
01460 55783
www.themeetinghouse.org.uk
Friday 10 April, 8pm
Jazz - Gabrielle Ducomble with her
Quintet
Gabrielle was the winner of the French TV
“Pop Idol” series in 2003. Now resident
in London, she has since developed as a
highly acclaimed and much sought after
jazz singer playing gigs widely across the
UK and Europe.
Friday 17 April, 8pm
Tribute - Beatles with Wings
This is a tribute band led by sax player
Howie Casey, who toured and recorded
with Paul McCartney and Wings for
ten years. ‘Beatles with Wings’ play
music typified by the “Sergeant Pepper”
album and the “Wings” album “Band
on the Run”, with the band expanded
to ten players and a much wider mix of
instrumentation than heard on the original
Beatles hits.
Friday 22 May, 7.30pm
Flying Folk
A Jim Reynolds performance is always a
rare delight, his repertoire consisting, for the
most part, of his own material. Songs about
his experiences and inspired instrumental
pieces, interwoven with classic blues and
ragtime and the odd old romantic ballad.
Octagon Theatre
Hendford, Yeovil BA20 1UX
01935 422884
www.octagon-theatre.co.uk
Monday 6 - Thursday 9 April
Dad’s Army - Project Play
The classic BBC TV comedy series of
the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea
who battle daily against the Germans and
local ARP Warden Hodges, comes to the
stage complete with all the well-loved
characters “stupid boy” Pike, “Don’t panic,
don’t panic” Jonesey, “Doomed, we’re all
continued

T H E B I S H O P ' S P A L A C E & G A R D E N S
Tickets:
£15 Adult
£10 Child
Palace Pageant
1st & 2nd May 2020
6:30pm
800 years of history
in one evening!
Take
THAT!
With dreadful dragons, barmy bishops, ruthless rulers and terrible
tales; expect music, magic, mystery, movement, madness and
mayhem!
Performed in the open air www.bishopspalace.org.uk
7

doomed!” Fraser, “May I be excused, sir?”
Godfrey, and all under the command of
the redoutable Captain Mainwaring and his
effacing deputy Sergeant Wilson.
Saturday 25 April
Legend - The Music of Bob Marley
When you think Reggae, there is only one
name that comes to your mind the legend
that was Bob Marley.
Legend, the music of Bob Marley is an
unforgettable evening celebrating this
musical icon in one fantastic stage show
extravaganza.
Sunday 26 April
Yeovilton Military Wives Choir In
Concert
The popularity of the Yeovilton Military
Wives Choir goes before them as they
continue to grow in numbers and popularity
since their formation which was made
famous through the widely televised work
of Gareth Malone.
Friday 1 May
Remembering The Oscars
Remembering The Oscars will celebrate
the iconic award-winning songs and
films through a dance spectacular led
by Strictly’s Janette Manrara and Aljaz
Skorjanec, who married in July 2017.
The production promises to range across
a number of acclaimed films, from Disney
favourites to the Golden Ages of Hollywood
and beyond.
Wednesday 13 May
BBC Big Band The Music of James
Bond....And Beyond
The internationally acclaimed BBC Big
Band are joined by special guest vocalists
to celebrate the music of the world’s most
iconic movie franchise, James Bond.
The concert features classic numbers
including Diamonds are Forever,
Thunderball, We Have All The Time In The
World, View to James Bond Theme.
Sunday 17 May
Sense and Sensibility
Set to a glorious score, true to the era, this
ballet holds the essence of a true period
drama combing heart wrenching pas de
deux and stunning classical ballet. .
Thursday 28 - Saturday 30 May
School Of Rock -
Castaway Theatre Group
School of Rock is a modern rock musical
with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The
story follows failed rock musician Dewey
Finn, as he poses as a substitute teacher
at a posh school. Soon getting bored of
teaching he transforms his classroom into
a fun filled rock loving environment by
creating his very own rock band!
Powderham Castle
Kenton, Exeter EX6 8JQ
01626 890243
www.powderham.co.uk
Friday 24 April
Music in the Castle - Wells
Cathedral School Brass Quintet
This concert will feature the most senior
and finest young musicians currently
studying on the government specialist
music scheme at Wells Cathedral School.
This is a unique chance to hear these
remarkable and highly gifted young
musicians, before they embark on their
professional music careers.
Saturday 25 April
Muddy Dog Challenge 2020
The Muddy Dog Challenge 2020 is a
2.5km or 5km obstacle run that you can
tackle with your dog!
Whether you’re a fitness fanatic or just
looking for a fun day out, humans and
their dogs are welcome to take part and
raise money to help care for the dogs and
cats at Battersea.
Friday 1 May - Saturday 2 May
Toby’s Garden Festival 2020
Toby’s Garden Festival is a joint
collaboration by gardening broadcaster
Toby Buckland and the popular magazine
Country Gardener.
The main focus is to bring together the
best nurseries from the West Country
and beyond - including many well-known
Chelsea medal winners and host two
days of quality gardening talks on a wide
range of horticultural topics all free to
visitors.
Monday 25 - Friday 29 May
Wonderland Week
Fall down the rabbit hole this May halfterm
at Powderham...
Keep an eye on your Pocketwatch and
don’t be late to the topsy-turvy tea party
as Alice takes a trip down the rabbit
hole to meet the kooky characters in
Wonderland!
For a week of exciting interactive theatre
with the incredible Pocketwatch Theatre
company as they return for mischief and
mayhem throughout May half-term, with
face-painting, themed trails and more!
eat:Festivals
These festivals are a social enterprise
focused on reconnecting people with
the productive landscape that surrounds
them. Local food and drink producers
will be focuased at busy, one day food
and drink festivals in town centres across
Somerset.
​eat:Castle Cary
2 May, 10am - 4pm
Somerset’s prettiest market town, Castle
Cary is a small town with a big heart. It
has a regular Tuesday market and thriving
vintage event once a month. The new
festival is timed to coincide with the early
May bank holiday!
We will have around 70 producers from
within 30 miles of the town, with a laid
back soundtrack and entertainment all
day. In the Market House will be the Cook
School, followed by a Kitchen Gardener’s
Question Time at 4pm. BBQ celebrity
Ben Forte will be demoing outdoor
cooking all day on Barclay’s corner. Look
out for Mr Punch on a quest to maintain
control of the sausages.
eat:Taunton
9 May, 10am - 4pm
Last year the event took place on
Hammet Street and St Mary Magdalene
Church and will again this year.
Somerset’s county town Taunton is
a busy town with a strong tradition of
markets. This event is timed to coincide
with Somerset Day #lovesomerset. there
will be street entertainment on the lawns
surrounding the site. There will be some
90 producers at the event and the church
will host the Cook School and new
shopping crèche.
​eat:Burnham
23 May, 10am - 4pm
This is where it all began. It is held twice
a year in the cheery seaside town of
Burnham-on-Sea. Five streets and four
indoor venues are used to host the event.
Expect street entertainment and buskers
dotted throughout the site. The Cook
School is in the Methodist Church and
the screen printing workshops are in the
Baptist Church.
The May festival you can look forward to
the Love Your Local Market campaign
joining in for the 7th time.
​eat:Wellington
5 September, 10am - 4pm
It is held in the heart of this pretty market
town at the foot of the Blackdown Hills.
The event takes place in the main streets
- the festival includes a Cook School,
screen printing workshops and lots of
free entertainment. Look out for some 90
traders.
Toby’s Garden Festival will take place at Powderham once again this May
We take great care in compiling the
listings, however, we recommend that
you contact the venue in advance as
events and activities can be subject to
change.
8

Social icon
Circle
Only use blue and/or white.
For more details check out our
Brand Guidelines.
TAUNTON, SOMERSET
TOR THEATRE
SUN 3 MAY, 2:30PM
HOT ROCK PRODUCTIONS
SAT 23 MAY, 2PM & 6PM
CRIMES, CAMERA, ACTION
NEW OLD FRIENDS
SAT 30 MAY, 7:30PM
SUN 31 MAY, 2:30PM & 7:30PM
Satisfied souls
made at Killerton
Take in the views of the parkland or
find a moment of calm in the garden.
nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton
SAT 27 JUN, 7:30PM
01823 414141 | tacchi-morris.com
© National Trust 2020. Registered Charity no. 205846.
Photography © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey.
9

Dean's Hot Wings and Tagine
sure to be a hit at Royal
Bath & West Show
With The Royal Bath & West Show
taking place at the end of May, there is
growing excitement amongst foodies
about ‘The Great British Kitchen’
attraction...
Saturday
30th May
Its fully functional demonstration kitchen will be put to good use
during the show by three celebrity chefs, one of whom is Dean
Edwards.
Dean came second in BBC’s MasterChef Goes Large in 2006,
and became a household name cooking family-friendly recipes
on ITV’s This Morning and Lorraine. He’s also been featured on
shows including Good Morning Britain, MasterChef, Take on the
Takeaway, Market Kitchen, QVC, Saturday Cookbook and The
Big Eat; has written three cookbooks; and regularly features in
the food pages of national publications. He also has his own
YouTube channel, Dean Edwards Proper Food.
Bristol-born Dean’s ethos on food is that it should be achievable,
simple and above all taste fantastic. He takes inspiration from
across the globe but always uses ingredients familiar to us all,
and the recipes
he creates at The
Royal Bath & West
Show will, where possible, use items which can be purchased
from its Artisan Food Tent. Dean will be at the Show on the final
day (Saturday 30th May), where he will be creating Hot Wings
and Mac and cheese; and Tagine and Gnocchi. Our mouths are
watering just thinking about it!
The other celebrity chefs are Briony May Williams, who will be
attending on Thursday 28th May, and Josh Eggleton, who will be
there on Friday 29th May.
Tickets are on sale now
www.bathandwest.com/tickets
11

Boarding schools offer unrivalled
opportunities for learning
State and independent schools understand
that a good education is a powerful tool
and all educators need to encourage a
passion for learning. We all undertake to
join the dots together to give our pupils the
best chance but if all schools are ultimately
striving for the same outcome, does a full
boarding school environment have the
edge?
Boarding schools have time to prepare a
young mind, academically and pastorally.
Longer days and weekends provide the
opportunity for a whole host of extra
experiences and support, leading to a wellrounded
individual.
Encouragement and facilitation begin in
the House environment. At Sherborne
the first wave of support comes from the
House Team led by the Housemaster.
Tutors have time with their tutees
discussing academic progress and pastoral
concerns, each week. This regular contact
and rounded view of each boy builds a
strong relationship to ensure all pupils are
motivated and engaged.
Matrons play an integral part within
boarding schools. Any misconceptions
by Sherborne boys that matrons will tidy
their rooms are quickly dispelled and
self-sufficiency, an important life skill, is
developed! Our matrons are held close
to the hearts of the boys and it is a very
special relationship where these key
stalwarts of the School have the medical,
emotional and organisational needs of the
boys at the forefront of their minds.
Academic progress is important. The nature
of full boarding brings a longer school day
and departments are open beyond the
working day. Boys can access support but
there are also opportunities for enrichment
with boarding schools offering an unrivalled
range of co-curricular clubs supplementing
the more traditional activities. Maybe full
boarding offers ‘an educational experience
with no limits’.
The most recent example at Sherborne
is a Calligraphy club run by new Head of
Computer Science Dr Wild alongside some
popular long-standing clubs including Fives,
Fly Fishing, Sailing and Debating! Boys also
enjoy a close relationship with Sherborne
Girls with whom joint activities, subjects and
social opportunities are well established.
Boarding schools offer the chance to
separate home life in the boarding house
from study time. Our newly refurbished
School Library offers a wonderful setting
and with notable alumni including Alan
Turing, Hugh Bonneville, Chris Martin and
Jeremy Irons there is a distinct sense of
purpose at the School. The friendly team of
library staff is on hand to help with research
and study skills and boys (and staff) are
often found having a little bit of quiet time.
Integral values at Sherborne encourage
boys to be respectful, confident,
passionate, independent and curious, while
PSHE and School Assemblies promote
a culture of kindness and compassion.
Mentors, predominately Sixth Form, offer
an alternative listening service or extra
academic support. This in turn strengthens
the community in House and takes the
‘Sherborne Spirit’ into life beyond the
School.
So do boarding schools have the edge over
their day counterparts? Well, all schools
work incredibly hard to support their pupils
academically and pastorally, teachers
are passionate about their subjects
and institutions aspire to prepare pupils
effectively for ‘the world beyond’.
We believe full boarding at Sherborne
works, providing an outstanding
educational experience for our boys. And
we hope that when boys leave Sherborne,
they go into the world with a determination
to do something remarkable with their
lives… and most of them do just that! It’s
not always plain sailing, but our community
has time on its side which is the benefit of
full boarding.
By Vicky Clayton, Head of Learning
Development, Sherborne School
Sherborne School is an independent
boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and
is a full member of the Boarding Schools’
Association. Visit www.sherborne.org
The Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA)
is the voice of UK independent boarding
schools. For additional information on
the BSA please log onto www.boarding.
org.uk where you can also view a list of
all boarding schools in the UK.
14

millfield
school
Millfield Easter Revision
Courses offer extra exam prep
for students...
ADVERTISING FEATURE
The Millfield Easter Revision Course helps students to prepare for
examinations at GCSE and A Level, with time divided between
formal teaching and examination technique.
Students can choose up to three subjects to study on the
course, each consisting of 11 hours, with 12 IGCSE and GCSE
subjects including Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, French,
Geography, German and Physics.
A level students have the opportunity to choose from over 14
subjects from Years 1 and 2, with courses including Economics,
English Literature, Politics, Media Studies and Physical
Education. There are also three options for Pre-U History,
covering Early Modern Europe, 19th Century British and Nazi
Germany. It is also possible to offer a reduced programme of one
or two subjects.
The course is offered on both a residential and a non-residential
basis, with accommodation provided in single-sex boarding
houses. The course fees include dinner and supper for nonresidential
students and full board for residential students,
housed in Millfield’s recently refurbished Dining Hall. Catering
options include vegetarian and vegan choices, freshly baked
bread and salad bar.
The course runs from Monday 30th March to Friday 3rd April
2020.
Millfield Enterprises also run English Language Holiday Courses
in the Easter and summer holidays, which provide international
students with an opportunity to develop their English language
skills alongside a selection of creative and sporting academies,
excursions and vibrant social programme.
Contact enterprises@millfieldschool.com for more
information.
15

ADVERTISING FEATURE
TAUNTON SCHOOL
-WHAT SETS IT APART?
Taunton School has outstanding
results, state-of-the-art facilities and
a beautiful 56-acre campus, but that
really is a given when you send your
child to an independent school...
So what sets it apart? As a non-selective
school for students aged 3 months to
18 years, there is a clear focus on the
wellbeing of every child. Taunton School
has been recognised nationally for its
approach to mental health in the TES
Education Awards. All teachers are aware
that, for children to achieve academically,
their physical, social and emotional needs
must be met. Self-development is high
on the school’s agenda, and parents
say “There’s never been a day when my
children have not wanted to go to school”
and “It’s an inclusive sort of place…
you’d struggle not to fit in”.
What’s more, Taunton School takes
it environmental responsibility very
seriously. From the success of ‘Zero
to Landfill’ introduction two years ago,
where all waste produced by the school
is recycled - the first school in Somerset
to do this - Taunton School continue in
their ambition to be a truly ‘green’ school.
A revolutionary environmentally-friendly
cleaning product is used across the
campus using technology which allows
the oxygen in ordinary tap water to be
safely and temporarily converted into a
non-chemical powerful cleaner. There
are various ‘Eco-Clubs’ run by students,
who are supported to implement their
own environmental projects such as
beekeeping and tree-planting.
Headmaster Lee Glaser says “Being a
responsible and caring member of our
wider community is a key element of our
school values. We educate children to
embrace a global outlook, and doing our
bit to safeguard the planet for their future
is something we take seriously.”
“We educate children to embrace a
global outlook, and doing our bit to
safeguard the planet for their future is
something we take seriously.”
Taunton School is also more accessible
than you might think. There is an evergrowing
transport network with a fleet of
coaches, minibuses and cars to transport
day pupils to and from school covering
a very large area of the south west. A
number of Scholarships are available and
many are considered for Assisted Places,
which are means-tested awards for
financial assistance.
The Good Schools Guide said:
“…despite its strong work ethic and drive
to succeed, Taunton is a very friendly and
relaxed place to live and work… Taunton
[School] has got the balance exactly
right”.
Find out more at our open mornings or
contact us for a personal visit. We’re
excited to meet you.
tauntonschool.co.uk
16

ADVERTISING FEATURE
OPEN
MORNINGS
Junior, Pre-Prep & Nursery (3 mths -11 yrs)
Friday 1st May • 9.30am -12noon
Senior and Sixth Form (11-18 yrs)
Saturday 2nd May • 9.30am -12noon
Scholarships available at 11+, 13+, 16+
If you are unable to attend,
contact us to book a personal visit
01823 340830
admissions@queenscollege.org.uk
www.queenscollege.org.uk
Student transport from across Somerset
Queen’s College • Trull Road • Taunton • Somerset • TA1 4QS
Methodist Independent Schools Trust • Registered Charity No. 1142794
QUEEN'S College
We live in a rapidly changing world and,
as educationalists, we are attempting to
prepare young people for a future we do
not recognise...
As such, it is essential we respond to the latest educational
research as well as listening to feedback from our school
community.
The result of doing this at Queen’s led to a raft of changes
from September to improve our timetable, co-curricular
offering and pastoral system.
The first area we looked at was the timetable – 40-minute
lessons are considered too short, 80-minute lessons too
long, while research shows that one-hour lessons are “ideal”.
We also felt there were a series of issues to address
regarding our Co-Curricular Programme – not least of which
that it was under-utilised by some students.
We decided to reduce the length of the lunch period, which
enabled us to insert two co-curricular periods at the end
of each day with opportunities ranging from Engineering
(pictured) to Dance.
The next area we considered was our pastoral system –
previously with two boys’ Houses and two for girls – and we
decided to move to a ‘horizontal’ Year Group system with
a Year Leader responsible for the needs of all pupils in that
year.
In order to develop House competitions, pupils were also
allocated to one of four ‘vertical’ Houses named after the
founders of Queen’s – Ray, French, Barnicott and Woolmer.
And it seems fitting that, having recently marked our 175th
anniversary, these exciting developments for our educational
future have also remembered our beginning.
Schools like Queen’s must continue to build without ever
forgetting their original foundations.
Visit our May Open Mornings – for further information,
email admissions@queenscollege.org.uk
or call 01823 340830
18

19

ADVERTISING FEATURE
TAUNTon chamber of commerce
The recent bad weather and the terrible flooding that has affected many
parts of the country including our local area is a reminder of the impact of
these events on our lives and businesses. Nigel Pearce, President of Taunton
Chamber of Commerce, explains more...
20
We have been lucky in Taunton that we
have not been directly impacted, but
indirectly we can be affected by supply
chain issues from other parts of the
country and beyond. Climate issues do
affect us and will continue to do so and
it is perhaps a timely reminder that the
business community needs to embrace
the challenge of climate change and do
what we can to limit the impact of what
we do.
I recently attended a thought provoking
Somerset Business Summit facilitated
by Somerset County Council about
the Climate Emergency. This outlined
their strategy which is supported and
endorsed by all the local authorities,
which aims to make Somerset carbon
neutral and more resilient to climate
change by 2030, This has to be taken
seriously by all businesses, as apart
from being a good ambition, I think our
customers and clients will increasingly
want to see that we are taking
appropriate measures.
At the meeting we heard from businesses
large and small who are already taking
steps to reduce their carbon footprint,
and all the speakers provided a positive
outlook on the initiatives they were
implementing. The point which came
across strongly is that there will be
impacts but also opportunities and we
should not automatically think that this is
going to increase costs as many simple
measures such as reducing waste, energy
use, and perhaps using conference or
video calls instead of attending all those
meetings in person will make us more
efficient and reduce costs. There is
also the opportunity for new markets in
our various sectors which we probably
haven’t even identified yet.
There were two phrases used which I
thought summed up what we all need to
do: ‘Find Small Changes to Produce Big
Impacts’ and ‘Make Green Normal’.
The County Council are being proactive
and are providing a Business Toolkit
“There were two phrases used which
I thought summed up what we all
need to do: ‘Find Small Changes to
Produce Big Impacts’ and ‘Make Green
Normal’.”
to provide advice, guidance and links
to best practice, and perhaps more
importantly they are setting up a Grant
Scheme to help businesses implement
initiatives that will reduce energy use and
carbon emissions.
The grants are limited and need to be
match funded by the applicants on a
50/50 basis, but it is a start and will
be of assistance particularly to smaller
businesses. The grants will be available
from April this year until March 2021,
but there will be a limit on the total fund
available so any interested businesses
should look into this sooner rather than
later.
In the workshop that followed, Business
Partnering and sharing best practice
seemed to focus strongly, and that is
perhaps where the Chamber can help by
assisting contact between like-minded
businesses who have the same goals and
ambitions.
All the information about the toolkit and
grants is available on the Somerset
County Council website, or do please
contact the Taunton Chamber for more
details.
Contact Taunton Chamber of
Commerce: 01823 230898
Office 332, Bridge House,
7 Bridge St, Taunton TA1 1TG

ADVERTISING FEATURE
Putting your financial future
in to focus
Louise Osborne, Partner at Albert Goodman speaks about the
right kind of planning and considering your own financial
needs when approaching retirement...
Whether we are approaching retirement or already retired, taking
a close look at our finances is all too often a job we put off for
another day.
However, the right kind of planning can provide valuable
peace of mind and give us the confidence to make life
changing choices, such as retiring earlier than planned, helping
“We are unbiased and
comprehensive. We are well
connected with experts in other
industries, meaning you recieve
impartial, expert, holistic
advice.”
grandchildren get on the property ladder or simply having an
extra holiday each year, safe in the knowledge you can afford it.
At Albert Goodman our advisers work with you to build a
complete picture of your aspirations; our later life planning
service helps you consider your own financial needs and create
a plan with you and your family in mind. The earlier you start
considering your finances, the more options you have available
to you.
Our advisers are paid a salary, are independent and are paid no
commission; therefore you can guarantee we are unbiased and
comprehensive. We are well connected with experts in other
industries, meaning you receive impartial, expert, holistic advice.
Louise Osborne – Partner
Albert Goodman
0330 333 5039
www.albertgoodman.co.uk

StrawberryFields forever
Living the good life
Set within beautiful Somerset countryside, Strawberryfield Park is a unique selection
of luxury self-catering lodges with spacious and stylish interiors and private hot
tubs. Skye O’Hara visited one of their eco lodges with her partner and daughter and
discovered a hidden treasure...
22
With spring almost upon us and summer just
around the corner, now is the perfect time to
start planning a staycation in good ol’ Blighty.
And why not? Britain is blessed with some
beautiful coastlines, world-class cities
and spectacular rural regions. Plus, when
the weather’s right (and it does happen
occasionally!), it’s hard to beat the UK as a
holiday destination. This is why I decided to
stay at Strawberryfield Park in Cheddar. It
couldn’t be further away from the hustle and
bustle of the fast lane.
I must mention was how easy it was to find
Pamela’s Meadow and once inside it is clear
how much care and attention has gone into
crafting the amazing space. A wonderful
welcome awaited us with a bottle of wine,
cookies and a card. The kitchen was open
plan with access to the decked terrace and
fully equipped with everything you could ever
need - It was a pleasure a cook in. We had a
full log basket and an excellent log burner.
There was a huge corner sofa for four, a
wall-mounted 46”’ Bang & Olufsen TV and
audio equipment, Blu-Ray player and Apple
TV - so plenty of the luxuries that you would
expect to find in a 5 star lodge.
One of my favourite parts of Pamela’s
Meadow is the stunning outside area with
its twinkling lights in the roof and led lighting
along the edge of the decking sides. There
is also a private, partially sunken hot tub,
which I have to admit is where I spent most
of my stay. Sun loungers, a BBQ and plenty
of outside seating is also provided, so lots of
space to enjoy the wonderful views outside.
However, as it was getting chilly, we decided
to take in the monopoly board. It was easy
to shut the blinds and the rest of the world
out while you cosy in front of the log burner.
The master bedroom hosted a comfortable
king-size bed with wall mounted bedside
tables and lamps. Smart TV and built in
wardrobes with mirror, plenty of hanging
space and shelves. The en-suite was Villeroy
and Boch which had a wonderfully large
walk in rainfall shower and a lovely supply of
towels, slippers and robes.
We opted to turn in and get a good night’s
sleep to prepare ourselves for a day of
adventure and exploration in the beautiful
countryside, not forgetting the amazing
Chedder Gorge and Caves.
If you are looking for that perfect get away
then I would highly recommend booking one
of the lodges at Strawberry Field Park. The
lodges are available to book all year round.
Book today and receive 10% off your booking
using code MAG10.
Strawberryfield Park
Draycott, Cheddar BS27 3FN
strawberryfieldpark.co.uk
01934 533280

Glorious walks from the Highbullen Hotel, Devon
STYLISH Staycations
Whether you want the buzz of the city or a
complete country retreat, here are our pick of
UK staycations...
the best of the city and west end at
THE STRAND PALACE, LONDON
Having welcomed guests since 1909, the Strand Palace is surrounded by
the best London has to offer - located just minutes from Covent Garden.
Having recently undergone a large-scale multi million pound renovation,
myself and my partner decided to tie in a spot of winter shopping/
sightseeing in with a stay in what is most definitely the heart of London.
The Strand Palace creates a fabulous impression the minute you meet the
doorman! The front entrance, lobby and reception are one large, bright,
open spaced hub, featuring art deco influences that create a very relaxed
and sophisticated atmosphere. We checked in and made our way up to
our room, which was a tranquil, comforting retreat from the hussle and
bustle of the street below.
It is at this stage that I feel I must confess: I am a bit of a tourist when it
comes to London. In the past I have found myself booking into hotels that
seem to be on the other side of the city in location to all the spots I wished
to visit, and although there’s the tube, it’s still nice to be situated near
the action. This is what makes The Strand Palace so perfect. Its location
is brilliant - right in the heart of the West End, and with Covent Garden
a mere two minutes away you really have got it all on your doorstep.
I couldn’t believe our luck when a trip to The National Portrait Gallery
took....seven minutes on foot!
We made our way back to the hotel after a spot of lunch, opting for the
pre-theatre menu which is brilliant value for money if you are trying to
keep costs down. Pre 7pm, you can indulge with 2 courses for £20, so
we tucked into some crispy lime squid, followed by fish and chips, with a
lovely light batter. All washed down with a bottle of red. Delightful!
The city felt like ours for the taking! We took ourselves off for a stroll around
Covent Garden, closely followed by a visit to a couple of ‘proper’ London
pubs. If you are after a weekend away in the city and want to make London
your own, The Strand Palace offers a truly unbeatable location.
Sam Norris | strandpalacehotel.co.uk, rooms from £175 per night
escape to the country at
UPPER TETCHWICK
HOUSE, NR AYLESBURY
There is surely no better ointment for the weary
soul than a weekend in pristine countryside
with your closest friends. I found that sense of
reatreat at the beautiful Upper Tetchwick House,
booked through holidaycottages.co.uk.
With a whole host of different holiday
accommodation options to suit couples, families
and large or small parties, holidaycottages.co.uk
was the perfect site through which to book our
little staycation. We settled on Upper Tetchwick
House, which sleeps 12.
In a rural location on the outskirts of Aylesbury,
the property is a home away from home - if your
home is a resplendent country pad complete
with six bedrooms, a swimming pool, a billiards
room and a duck pond, with far reaching views
across the countryside! It’s a house that would
cater in any season - with a huge garden and
pool for the warmer months and a wonderful
wood burning stove when the chill sets in.
The whole process was easy as anything -
meaning we all felt immediately on holiday - that
was in part thanks to the lovely locally-sourced
welcome hamper waiting on the counter.
The house had the added benefit of being dog
friendly too, meaning my pooches didn’t miss
out on any of the holiday action.
Katie Thomson | holidaycottages.co.uk,
a three night stay costs £1,568 total
23

take time out at
DONNINGTON VALLEY
HOTEL & SPA, BERKSHIRE
It really does go without saying that a visit to the
spa is a great way to relax, de-stress and unwind
from the day-to-day. However we should never
need an excuse for a little pampering. After all,
many of our modern-day spas have deep roots,
dating back thousands of years. Hence my
lack of guilt in booking myself and Mum in for a
weekend stay at Donnington Valley Hotel.
A privately owned hotel, spa and golf club,
Donnington Valley is located just off the M4.
Arriving in the surrounding beautiful Berkshire
countryside, this truly felt like a retreat.
Sharing an Executive suite, we were graced with
gorgeously comfy beds and a rather spacious
bathroom! We quickly put on the robes provided
and made our way to the spa. There we had
a luxury 55 minute Sonoma Aromatherapy
Massage. Melting our tensions away, my
thoughts drifted to the hustle and bustle of
life, and what a rarity it is to have 55 minutes
to yourself to just…be. It occurred to me how
important it is to take time for yourself. It’s a
win-win for everyone too surely, as by feeling
and looking your best, you are better able to take
care of your loved ones without feeling burnt out.
We took ourselves off to the capacious pool,
and made use of the indulgent sauna and
steam rooms, not to mention a quick lounge
in the jacuzzi, before quickly freshening up for
our dinner reservations. On the menu: scallops
on a bed of pea purée, black pudding and
smoked pancetta, followed by a juicy sirloin
steak, all complimented beautifully by some
well-recommended wine, and last but not least
followed by a delectable espresso martini.
Naughty? Yes. But perhaps we all need to take
a weekend every once in a while to look after
number one.
Kate O’Connell | donningtonvalley.co.uk,
rooms from £135 per night
find sanctuary in the city at
PARK PLAZA LONDON RIVERBANK
As a former Londoner who now resides in the countryside, there is always a
thrill when returning to the capital. The beauty of being a visitor, instead of a
resident, is getting to appreciate the wealth of culture, architectural marvels
and general buzz of this sprawling metropolis. And there is nowhere better
located to explore it all from than the Park Plaza London Riverbank.
Located on the south side of the River Thames, it sits near many of
London’s most legendary tourist attractions. The Houses of Parliament, the
seat of England’s political authority, are just across Westminster Bridge, and
the London Eye, the city’s enormous Ferris wheel, is only a 15-minute walk
away. My room had an uninterrupted view out to Big Ben and the Palace of
Westminster. Being so central might feel chaotic, but the hotel really does
feel like a sanctuary away from it all.
I visited with my small niece and nephew in tow - travelling with children
is never easy, but the London Riverbank hotel has taken a huge step
toward making it a breeze - it has just launched the capital’s first hotel
room designed by families, for families - featuring elements such as chalk
board walls, neon lights, a bunk bed for the kids, and chic décor and iconic
London view for the adults, along with bespoke services. The suite is
available from just £179 per night and can be booked by visiting
parkplaza.com/ultimatefamily
Daniel Weston | radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/park-plaza-Londonriverbank
Rooms from £119 per night
sleep like a royal at
HARTWELL HOUSE, NR AYLESBURY
I would call myself an explorer, but it isn’t often that I can feel as I’m back
in the 17th century and living as the royals once had. That is exactly how
this weekend felt, exploring the warmth, romance and delicious cuisine that
Hartwell House had to offer.
The hotel makes an impression straight away - the exquisite drive to the
front entrance, greetings from smiling staff and the aroma of a burning stove
made us feel we were somewhere very special.
As we settled in our large room, with far-reaching views across the fields we
were very pleased by the little touches - the room’s decor transporting you
to an era of vintage style. History oozes from every pore of this house and
there is so much to be explored - even the walk to dinner took us past the
characterful staircase - each spindle of the bannister is hand carved into a
caricature - we delighted in spotting famous historical figures, including a
grave-faced Winston Churchill.
The house has both Jacobean and Georgian features with outstanding
decorative ceilings and panelling, fine paintings and antique furniture. It has a
remarkable history too: its most famous resident was Louis XVIII, exiled King
24

soak in the views at
THE HIGHBULLEN HOTEL
& COUNTRY CLUB, NORTH DEVON
Arriving after nightfall to a hotel destination is always a bit of a treat -
there is something exciting about waking up to an undiscovered view
- pulling back the curtains to reveal the surprise.
This delight surely hits its peak at the Highbullen Hotel, nestled in the
rolling hills of North Devon. As I ambled, sleepily, from the sumptuous
seven-foot bed in our suite, I opened the curtains with a cup of tea in
hand, I was greeted by the most glorious, expansive views - rolling hills,
a view down the Mole Valley and out towards national parks. From the
hotel’s high vantage point on a ridge between Dartmoor and Exmoor, on
a clear day you can see for 18 miles across pristine British countryside -
it really is something to behold.
An opportunity to enjoy these views is never missed - as well as a
lovely reading nook in our own room, the elegant drawing rooms and
sun terraces offered chances to sit and soak it all in. The hotel’s Devon
View Restaurant also offers these panoramas, alongside its 2 AA
rosettes - making for a very special dining experience. With a changing
daily menu featuring the best local, seasonal produce, the restaurant
is a foodie destination in its own right. We dined on the house-smoked
salmon with avocado, a deliciously light leek and cheddar tart and
perfectly succulent lamb cutlets with a perfect umami punch. The
portions are perfect, leaving just enough room for a shared dessert of
treacle tart with clotted cream - simple dessert pastry at its best. This is
also the restaurant where residents can enjoy breakfast -
it’s a great spread with lots to choose from.
If the dishes in the restaurant gets you in the indulgent
foodie mood (and they will) you can also head down to
the lovely Laura Ashley Tearoom on site for a classic
Devon cream tea or a more indulgent offering with fizz.
As well as the main hotel, guests have accommodation
options in self catered cottages - meaning the facilities
of the whole resort are still on their doorstep. An 18-hole
USGA golf course set within richly wooded parkland,
tennis courts, a multi-sport simulator, a leisure centre,
fishing, shooting, snooker - the list is expansive and
caters for every member of the family, making it a
wonderful holiday destination. Keen walkers can also
make the most of miles of local country walks, Exmoor or
the nearby South West Coast path.
Katie Thomson | highbullen.co.uk,
B&B from £110 per night
of France, for five years from 1809 - no wonder we felt like royalty.
That evening we shared a decadent three course dinner. The food was
wonderful and the ambiance pure romance - with a piano playing in the
background. I would highly recommend a starter of scallops or smoked
salmon, the cod for a main and a trio of the delicious sorbets to finish it off.
The majestic tone set the night before continued at breakfast - the
spread pure elegance - hand polished silverware, white table cloths and
loose leaf earl grey tea. Then it was out to explore the grounds. Hartwell
House is a National Trust owned property with Capability Browninspired
landscapes - we pretended it was all our domain as we strolled
from one spectacular vista to another.
Then it was time to relax even further in the beautiful spa - with its
stylistic echoes of a Roman bathing house. Our treatments were
sublime - taking away all the strain of a working week.
From the first sights of history, to the genuine comforts of a homely room
and stunning food, I arrive back in the big city, relaxed, romanced and so
full of fond memories. Hartwell House comes highly recommended and I
can see why - it is the perfect weekend away, only if you wish to get lost
in time and take a moment to enjoy your surroundings.
Lucy Elamad | hartwell-house.com, B&B from £250 per night
25

Available Tuesday - Saturday
Tuesday - Friday 12 - 2pm
Saturday 12 - 2:30pm

YOUR TIME TO RELAX
LUXURY ROOMS | BOUTIQUE SPA | FINE DINING | LOVELY GARDENS
Winner
“Best Luxury Value Hotel”
in England
Conde Nast Johansens
Readers Awards 2020
“Two hours and a world away
from London”
Country and Townhouse 2019
“English country house charm,
contemporary comfort and
excellent food”
Absolutely Kensington &
Chelsea 2019
The Eastbury is a luxury Georgian country house style hotel and unique boutique spa
with lovely gardens and award-winning seasons restaurant, set in the heart of the lively
historic town of Sherborne in the glorious countryside of Dorset.
www.theeastburyhotel.co.uk | 01935 813131

ADVERTISING FEATURE
the eastbury hotel & spa
Passionate about all things local, we speak with Matthew Street,
Executive Chef with ‘Seasons’ Restaurant, at The Eastbury....
Matthew has been leading The Seasons
kitchen and a team of seven for twelve
years now. His love of cooking stems
from his childhood growing up in a home
where food, friends and entertaining were
a way of life, full of flavours and fun and
Sunday night homework sessions were a
little side-tracked by Rick Stein on TV.
For Matthew the definition of good food
is “flavoursome, fresh, connective” and
most importantly local. In the kitchen,
he tries to use as much as he can from
the natural surroundings and relies
on a trusty list of local suppliers who
are as passionate about food as he is.
Particularly formative experiences were
being a finalist in the 2009 Master Chef
– The Professionals and as a 2009 Roux
Scholarship Finalist.
Matthew describes his cooking style
as “imaginative and fun with a hint of
nostalgia” and his inspiration most
often stemming from the produce itself.
Along with Sous Chef Ashley and the
rest of the team they love to work with
flavour combinations and fresh seasonal
Dorset produce. His perfect supper? “It
would probably have to be some type
of charcuterie, a few cheeses, pickles,
olives, some amazing bread and a few
cold drinks.”
1) The name of the restaurant,
Seasons, certainly gives an impression
of the style of food – is seasonal
sourcing and food provenance
important to you?
Choosing the best produce is where it all
starts – by keeping the menu seasonal it’s
a good way of being innovative.
“The definition of good food is ‘flavoursome,
fresh, connective’ and most importantly
local...”
2) You are a local chef – what do you
love about the West Country and what
inspires you – there are certainly some
amazing local producers?
We are blessed in the West Country,
there are hundreds of Great Taste Award
Winners and Artisan Producers making
their own unique produce. I take a lot of
inspiration from the hedge rows and our
vegetable garden at the hotel. We have
an amazing gardener called Tina who I
work closely with.
3) You have had a decorated career so
far, as a finalist on MasterChef – The
Professionals and as a 2009 Roux
Scholarship Finalist – what did those
experiences teach you and what are
your ambitions for Seasons?
It gave me a lot more confidence.
Cooking in your kitchen versus in front of
an audience are two different things. It’s
good to be pushed out of your comfort
zone. We achieved some great accolades
last year however, my teams goal this
year is to gain Three Rosettes.
4) When you’re not in the restaurant,
how do you like to spend your time?
I love cooking outdoors in the garden.
Making pizza and sourdough is my new
hobby. I now have an outdoor pizza oven
and have tested various doughs ready
to entertain my wife and friends in the
summer!
The Eastbury Hotel, Long Street,
Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BY.
Telephone: 01935 813131
Email: relax@theeastburyhotel.co.uk
29

ADVERTISING FEATURE
eat:Taunton
Come and see the great line-up we have
for the eat:Taunton Festival this May
for all of the family....
Saturday
9th May
Somerset Day celebrations in Taunton
town centre look to be bigger and better
than ever. The multi-award winning
eat:Taunton returns to Hammet Street and
the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene for
an all day celebration of local food and
drink on Saturday 9 May. Alongside the
90+ local producers the organisers have a
great line-up of free entertainment.
Organiser Sarah Milner Simonds told us
“we are proud of the festival here in
Taunton and think that the range of food
and drink producers we attract to here
is one of our best. This festival is very
popular with our producers as the visitors
are always so interested in the stories
behind the produce. These two festivals
were the first to be booked up and we
have made a few changes to the layout to
ensure visitors have enough elbow room
and we can accommodate a few more
producers.
We will have music from Court
Productions and strolling entertainment,
sponsored by Porter Dodson, drop in
cook school and lots of strolling street
entertainers.
Co-organiser Bev Milner Simonds added
“In 2020 we will have 10 brand new to
eat:Taunton producers plus three schools
competing in the Somerset finals of the
Young Enterprise competition. It is great to
have local community partners onboard,
like the Taunton Area Cycling Campaign -
which aligns very well with our sustainable
transport goals for our festivals.
We have a great range of producers
offering farmers’ markets favourites like
ales, cheese and bread alongside brand
new gin flavours, street food, vegan
chocolate and curled ice cream.”
The event is fully accessible, dogs are
welcome and there are plenty of gluten
free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy free
options as well as smaller portions. The
festival is also single-use plastic free
and all food to go packaging is fully
compostable. Don’t forget your shopping
bags.
The festival opens at 10am and runs until
4pm on Hammet Street and in & around St
Mary Magdalene Church. Road closures
and diversions will be in place from 0700
to 1900, including the closure of Whirligig
car park.
For more information visit:
www.eatfestivals.org/taunton
“We have a great range of producers offering
farmers’ markets favourites like ales, cheese and
bread alongside brand new gin flavours, street
food, vegan chocolate and curled ice cream”
30

Tristan’s
Bar & Bistro
- Taunton
Local Small family
run Bistro Serving
quality homemade
seasonal food.
2 courses
£20.00
Celebrate in
Style with
our Private
Dining area
Seats up to
25 people
Book your
special occasion
today!
11 East Reach,
Taunton
TA1 3EW
01823 332117
tristansbistro.co.uk
*T&Cs apply
Trading Post Farm Shop
Local, Fresh, Organic
The Feed Station in Merriott,
formerly a Grade II Listed former
Sunday School, now a cycling themed
café/bar which offers a warm and
welcoming ambience together with
great food and service. Whether you
cycle or walk, are young or old, have
babies or dogs, The Feed Station
welcomes you all, Merriott’s original
meeting place. Fully licenced and also
available for private hire.
Visit us at
www.thefeedstationmerriott.co.uk
With it’s focus
on organic, local,
delicious food and
drink, The Trading
Post Farm Shop is
an essential stop off;
not only for local
customers but also
travellers heading
to and from the
Westcountry.
01460 271598
café@thefeedstationmerriott.co.uk
The Feed Station, Sandy Hole,
Merriott, Somerset TA16 5QR
01460 241666
kate@tradingpostfarmshop.co.uk
Lopenhead, Somerset TA13 5JH
31

All of our rates include breakfast, complimentary Car parking and complimentary WI-FI.
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS BRIDGWATER
Market Way, Bridgwater, TA6 6DF, UK
E: reservations@hiexbridgwater.co.uk
T: 01278558250
holidayinnexpress.com

COOK, SLEEP,
ROCK, REPEAT
Katie Thomson caught up with
chef James Martin ahead of his
summer festival circuit and
discussed stellar culinary talents,
his new book and finding time to
rock out...
Katie: We must talk about Pub in the
Park – we spoke with Tom Kerridge a
couple of years back, just as he was
expanding the event out of Marlow
to include Bath and a couple of other
areas. In the past few years its really
become huge, attracting so much
talent from the food industry but also
the music industry so it must be quite
exciting to be involved?
James: He has roped me into it! He roped
me into it last year as he had managed to
double book himself! So now he wants
me to do it again! He’s probably off on
holiday! But it’s good fun, and anybody
who’s been there will know that its unique
and there’s nothing else like it.
So you’ll be hosting the Tunbridge
Wells and Chichester events?
Yeah that’s right, and I’ll be appearing at
the Bath one, Tom is hosting that one but
I’ll be there doing some demonstrations
and other bits and pieces. It’s a great lineup
of people that he’s got and I’m very
pleased to play my part.
I think it’s really nice that you try
to reflect the local restaurants in
each individual area plus there’s
some serious culinary talent from the
country as a whole.
Well the thing about the chefs is you get
the great and the good from all over the
place. So for example with Bath, you’ve
got Paul Ainsworth coming up from
Cornwall, Atul Kochhar from London,
Steven Terry from Wales, Angela Hartley
from London…we’ve got people from all
over the place! It’s the same with music;
there’s something for everybody.
Who are you looking forward to
seeing if you can steal a little time
away to enjoy it?
I’m a wannabe musician, I’ve got a little
band so I’m looking forward to seeing
a few of them. I listened to Toploader
when I was training as a kid working in
kitchens, so I’m looking forward to seeing
them. Beverley Knight I’ve known for
quite a while so it will be nice to say hi to
her and James Blunt is playing as well!
So I’m looking forward to chilling out and
fundamentally seeing my mates! All these
chefs I speak to on the phone quite a lot
but I only really ever see them at these
festivals so three in a year is great for me.
How does the cookery stage in the
festival setting compare to live
TV? I can image you are quite unflappable.
Well you’ve got a bit more to hand at my
place when we film at the house, and I
know where everything is. But they build
an amazing marquee where we do the
demos, that almost looks like something
from outer space. You never know with
the weather, we might get wet, so the
marquee is amazing. But the same team
that work on my show work on Pub in the
Park, so the industry is big but that group
is quite small. I’ve known the guys that
organise Pub in the Park from the twelve
years of doing Carfest.
So you are an old hand on the
festival circuit then?
I’ve been around it a long time! I do
certain food festivals, the biggest one
of its kind is in Bolton and had 400,000
people last year, and I usually do that
after Carfest South. I’m Hampshirebased,
so sort of in between the two
from Bath to Chichester area. I’m looking
forward to Chichester because I spend
a bit of time at Goodwood - so I know
and love the area. Tunbridge Wells I’m
interested in going to see because I’ve
not really been there a lot, and I love
going to Bath because there’s a great
guitar shop there that always gets a visit!
Your show Saturday Morning always
looks like a lot of fun to film, and in
particular you and Galton seem to
have a really great relationship.
The great thing about the show is the
chefs that come on I’ve known for years –
33

a lot of them are turning up to Pub in the
Park! I’ve known them for years and I’ve
supported them over the years, and of
course when I decided to leave Saturday
Kitchen they supported me since then
as well. So it’s an accumulation of me
supporting them and them supporting
me. So they’re great mates and I think
that comes across on camera.
Have you had any guests that have
been particularly memorable?
We had Jack Savoretti here recently,
he was fantastic. He was trying to learn
from the master baker Richard Bertinet,
who was attempting to teach him how to
make bread and he making a right mess
of it! So he was great fun. You just have
such a great laugh, and that’s the key to
doing it here.
We film it at the house and it’s quite
chilled out and very similar to this
festival. Those are the projects I’m
enjoying these days - and that’s why
Pub in the Park appeals so much. It’s
very much a family atmosphere and I
can just walk around. You go to some
festivals and you are hidden around the
back, you aren’t allowed to come out
and have a wander around.
Other than a busy schedule of
summer festivals, have you got any
books in the pipeline?
I’ve just finished a book and TV show
called Islands to Highlands. The TV
show will be out in April and book is out
now. We’ve also just taken over a hotel
at Silverstone so I’m going to be busy
doing that. Yeah, there’s a few things
happening and a few more things in the
pipeline - I should be busy! But not too
busy to indulge in a bit of music and fun
this summer!
Find out more about Pub in the Park here:
pubintheparkuk.com
James Martin’s Islands to Highlands is
published by Quadrille Publishing and is
available through good bookshops and
online now.
“We had Jack Savoretti
here recently, he was
fantastic. He was
trying to learn from the
master baker Richard
Bertinet, who was
attempting to teach
him how to make bread
and he making a right
mess of it!”
34

Midweek
Specials
Sunday - Thursday
Book 2 nights
get one FREE!
T&C apply
TARR FARM INN
Tarr Steps, Dulverton, Exmoor, TA22 9PY
Telephone: +44 (0)1643 851507
Email: enquiries@tarrfarm.co.uk
www.tarrfarm.co.uk
35

EATS, SHOOTS AND LEAVES
Fantastic vegan recipes from cookwithmands.com
WARM CRISPY
TOFU SALAD
with orange and lime dressing
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
lime wedges
2 spring onions
1 pack High protein pea noodles
1 pack Edamame and pea stir fry
1 pack Lime and orange dressing
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 red chilli
3 garlic cloves
15g ginger
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
200g firm tofu
PREPARATION
Thinly slice the spring onions. Lightly
crush the black peppercorns. Thinly
slice and remove seeds if you prefer
less heat from the red chillis. Crush the
garlic cloves. Crush the ginger. Drain,
pat dry and cut into approx. 2cm cubes
the firm tofu.
METHOD
In a bowl, toss the tofu in the cornflour
ensuring it is well coated. Heat the
olive oil in a wide-based pan or wok on
a medium-high heat. Once hot, cook
the tofu until golden brown and crispy,
around 5 – 7 mins. Drain on kitchen paper
and sprinkle with salt.
Heat the sesame oil in the same pan on a
low heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli
and cook until soft, around 6 – 8 mins.
Stir frequently.
Add the peppercorns, soy sauce and
maple syrup. Cook for another 2 mins on
a low heat. Stir the tofu back into the pan
with the edamame and pea stir fry mix.
Cook for 3 mins and season to taste.Heat
the noodles according to the back of pack
instructions and place in a large bowl with
the warm stir fry mix and dress with the
lime and orange dressing. Serve the tofu
on the noodle salad sprinkled with the
spring onions. Garnish with lime wedges.
PUMPKIN TEMPURA
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the dip - 50g soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1cm piece of ginger
1 small red chilli
For the tempura - 1 litre vegetable oil
1 pumpkin (approximately 1kg in weight)
150g self-raising flour
1.5 tbsp cornflour
1.5 tsp baking powder
225ml cold sparkling water
PREPARATION
Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Peel and
finely grate the piece of ginger. Deseed
and finely dice the red chillis. Peel and
remove the seeds of the pumpkin. Finely
chop 4 of the sage leaves.
METHOD
Make the dip by combining all the
ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
Cut the pumpkin in half lengthways and
cut into slices approximately 2cm wide.
Heat the oil in a deep-sided, heavy-based
pan until hot. Make the batter. In a bowl,
combine the flour, cornflour, baking
powder, ½ tsp salt and chopped sage.
Slowly whisk in the cold sparkling water
until the batter has the consistency of
single cream – don’t worry about any
small lumps, they will disappear.
Test if the oil is the right temperature by
dropping a teaspoon of batter into the
pan – if it cooks quickly, the oil is ready.
Dip the pumpkin slices into the batter
and carefully add to the pan. Cook in
the hot oil, in batches of 5-6 at a time,
for 4 minutes or until golden and cooked
through. Remove with a slotted spoon
and drain on kitchen paper. Serve
immediately with the soy dip.
VEGAN PAVLOVA
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
300g blackberries
1 tbsp icing sugar
150ml liquid from 400g tin of chickpeas
0.25 tsp xanthan gum
0.25 tsp cream of tartar
225g caster sugar
250g fresh coconut cream (from chilled
aisle)
1 handful basil leaves
METHOD
Heat the oven to 120°C/ 100°C fan/gas
½. In a food processor, blitz 150g of the
blackberries with the icing sugar. Sieve
and set aside.
Whisk the chickpea liquid, xanthan gum
and cream of tartar for 2 mins, until fluffy.
Whisk in the caster sugar, 1-2 tbsp at
a time. Fold in 2 tbsp of the blackberry
coulis.
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Spread half the mix in a circle on one.
Pipe mini meringues on the other.
Bake the large meringue for 3 hours
and the small ones for 1½ hours. Turn
off heat, and leave to cool in the oven
completely. Spread the cream over the
meringue base.
Top with blackberries, mini meringues,
icing sugar, coulis and basil.
36

MADEON
exmor
ARTISANGIN
www.exmoordistilery.co.uk
01398323488

Eggs
Our focus on Easter eggs, without any chocolate in sight! A celebration
of eggs in their most delicious forms with some seasonal recipes - all
courtesy of Clarence Court Eggs
ASPARAGUS
RISOTTO
with crispy fried
soft boiled egg
Risotto is a brilliant way of show casing
British asparagus. The slightly woodier
stems are sliced and used to add body
to the base of the risotto. The tender
tips are lightly cooked in a little butter
to keep al dente and brightly coloured
to be served on top of the risotto.
Partnered with a crispy fried soft boiled
Burford Brown or quail egg makes for an
indulgent dinner.
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
5 Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs (or 6
Clarence Court quail eggs and 1 hens egg)
2 tbsp plain flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for deep fat frying
100g unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick celery, trimmed and finely
chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
16 spears of British asparagus, woody ends
removed, stems sliced and tips kept whole
220g arborio risotto rice
150ml dry white wine
550ml hot vegetable stock
100g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Zest of 1 lemon finely grated
METHOD:
Place a pan of water on to boil and soft
boil 4 of the hens eggs or the 6 quails
eggs to your liking (around 6 minutes for
a hens egg or 1 minute 30 seconds for a
quails egg.)
Once cooked, plunge the eggs into a
bowl of iced water. Carefully peel the
eggs and place them back into the bowl
filled with fresh cold water.
Place the plain flour on one plate and
season well with salt and pepper. Whisk
the remaining hens egg into a bowl and
place the panko crumbs on to another
plate. Pat the eggs dry then one at a time
roll the egg in flour dip in beaten egg and
roll in the panko crumbs. Place the eggs
on to another plate and repeat with the
remaining eggs until they’re all crumbed.
Place the plate of eggs in the fridge whilst
you make the risotto.
Place a 26cm heavy based frying pan
on a medium to low heat and add 40g
butter to melt and bubble a little. Then
add the chopped onion, celery and garlic
with a pinch of salt. Stir with a wooden
spoon continuously until the vegetables
are softened but not coloured (around 10
minutes). Add the sliced asparagus stems
and stir for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the
rice and keep stirring for 2 minutes until
the rice grains are coated and starting to
turn translucent.
Add all the wine to the pan and turn
up the heat and stir until it is reduced
by ⅔. Then ladle by ladle stir in the hot
vegetable stock until it is absorbed before
adding the next. This will take around 10
- 15 minutes until the rice is cooked but
with some bite.
Meanwhile place the vegetable oil on to
heat up, have a plate lined with kitchen
roll and a slotted spoon ready. When the
risotto is nearly cooked add 40g butter
and half of the parmesan and most of the
asparagus tips. Season to taste and turn
off the heat and place a lid on the pan.
When the oil is hot enough carefully lower
the eggs into the hot oil one at a time until
the breadcrumbs are lightly golden, this
takes around 2 minutes. Carefully remove
the eggs with a slotted spoon and place
on the plate lined with kitchen roll.
Place a small frying pan on low heat
and add the remaining 20g butter. Once
melted add the asparagus tips and gently
fry for 2 to 3 minutes until soft but still
crunchy.
To assemble the dish, spoon the risotto
into serving dishes, half the deep fried
eggs distribute over the risottos, top
with the lightly buttered asparagus tips.
Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan
and a grating of lemon zest.
GREEN VEG
FRITTATA
by Eva H umphries
High in protein with heaps of nutrients,
this versatile frittata is packed with
greens. Delicious any time of day, mix up
your choice of vegetables depending on
what’s in season.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS:
12 Clarence Court hens eggs, lightly
beaten
150g asparagus, roughly chopped,
woody ends discarded
38

Sliced florets from half a head of broccoli
(150-170g)
150g frozen peas
2 large handfuls of spinach (100g approx)
125g of feta
2 tsp rapeseed oil or a knob of organic
butter
Sea salt and freshly cracked black
pepper
Grated zest of half a lemon
METHOD:
Preheat a grill to medium. Heat the oil
or butter in a frying pan over a medium
heat, add the broccoli, asparagus and
peas and cook for 5 minutes until the
vegetables begin to soften. Season well
with sea salt and freshly cracked black
pepper.
Stir in the spinach, season again and
grate over the zest of half a lemon. Cook
for another minute until the spinach wilts.
Pour in the eggs and give the mixture a
stir to evenly distribute the vegetables.
Cook on a medium heat until the edges
are firm (the centre will still be liquid),
approximately 10-15 minutes.
Crumble the feta over the top and
transfer the pan to under the grill. Grill for
10 minutes until the egg mixture is firm
and the feta turns light golden around the
edges.
Remove from the pan and either eat
immediately or slice it up, allow it to cool
and refrigerate.The frittata keeps well in a
fridge for up to 3 days.
HOT CROSS
BUN LOAF
This orange and cranberry hot cross bun
loaf is bursting with bright, zesty and
fruity flavours. Perfect for sharing with
your family this Easter.
PREP TIME: 4 hours
COOK TIME: 30-40 minutes
SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS:
500g strong bread flour, plus extra for
dusting
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
A few gratings of whole nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
75g caster sugar
7g sachet dry yeast
170ml whole milk, warmed to hand heat
2 large Clarence Court Burford Browns
eggs, beaten
80g unsalted butter, softened well, plus
extra for greasing
80g sultanas
60g mixed peel
80g dried cranberries
Fine grated zest of 2 oranges
25g plain flour
1 tsp sunflower oil
2-3 tbsp cold water
Juice of 2 oranges
2 tbsp marmalade
METHOD:
Grease a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with
softened butter.Sieve the flour,
cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt
into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar
and make a well in the centre. Place the
yeast in a jug with the warm milk, stir
until dissolved and bubbling. Add the
milk, eggs and butter to the well and mix
into a soft dough.
Lightly dust a clean work surface with
a little flour or tip into the bowl of a free
standing mixer with a dough hook and
knead for 7 minutes until smooth and
elastic.
Place into a lightly oiled mixing bowl
and cover with cling film. Place in a
warm place to rise for 1-2hours until it’s
doubled in size.
When time is up lightly flour a clean work
surface. Tip the dough on to the surface
and lightly knead. A few spoonful’s at a
time sprinkle over the fruit and zest then
knead and fold into the dough. When it’s
all incorporated place back in the oiled
bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to
rise for a further hour.
Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls
(use a weighing scale to make sure
they’re all the same size). Shape the balls
into fat sausages. Place the sausages
side by side in the tin. Place the tin in a
large sandwich bag and seal it. Allow
to rise in a warm place for 1 more hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark
4/ 350°F.
Meanwhile, mix the plain flour, oil and
cold water in a bowl to make a smooth
paste. Spoon in to a small piping bag
and snip off a small hole. Pipe a little
cross on top of each of the hot cross
buns. Place the tin in the oven and
bake for 30-40 minutes until golden
and risen.
Place the juice and marmalade in a
small pan and allow to bubble and
thicken on a low heat. When the loaf
is ready, carefully and quickly turn
it out of the tin and on to a cooling
rack. Brush over the glaze and leave
to cool.
Serve warm with salted butter. This
loaf is best eaten on the day it’s made
but will come back to a lovely soft
loaf if warmed through in the oven
the next day. It makes great toast or
as the base for a bread and butter
pudding.
39

Join in a Summer of Pub with CAMRA
There are few things more enjoyable than visiting
a pub on a hot summer day.
Whether it’s a street-corner local in the heart of London or a quiet
countryside pub after a long walk, our nation’s pubs are the ideal
place to spend a lazy summer afternoon.
That’s why CAMRA is once again launching its Summer of Pub
campaign as beer gardens open across the country.
The idea is simple - we want to get as many people as possible
celebrating Britain’s pubs by heading down to their local for a pint
during the warmer months.
Pubs offer numerous benefits to our mental and social wellbeing, as
well as improving community cohesion. Drinking cheap supermarket
booze at home does little to improve your life - but change that
setting to the social environment of a pub and you can combat
loneliness, increase your happiness, make friends and connect with
others in your local community.
Our campaign kicked off with the first May Bank Holiday, where
friends, families and colleagues headed down to their local to
celebrate the extended pub hours to mark VE day. We will also be
highlighting various events throughout the summer to enjoy at your
local - from screening the Euro 2020 to joining the national ‘cheers
to beer’ on Beer Day Britain.
Not sure where to find a real ale pub near you? Check out the UK’s
best-selling beer and pub guide, CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, which
is available in stores, at the CAMRA shop or as an app for download.
The guide is compiled by our volunteers across the country and is
completely independent - a pub can never buy its way into the Guide.
While you’re getting involved, consider joining the Campaign -
CAMRA represents nearly 200,000 beer drinkers and pub-goers
across the UK, championing for your right to be able to access
better beer in better pubs, wherever you live. Your support and
membership helps our campaigns to cut beer tax, save pubs from
demolition and keep beer festivals alive and thriving.
So why not join us for a #SummerOfPub? You can let us know how
you’re getting involved by sharing your activity on Twitter with @
CAMRA_Official and find local events near you by visiting www.
camra.org.uk/summerofpub/
Let’s all head down to the
pub to make friends and
memories, and show how
loved Britain’s pubs are
to consumers across the
country.
The Monkton Inn
Peter and Val Mustoe, the owners of The Monkton Inn,
look forward to welcoming you and invite you to enjoy our
wide selection of food and drink.
All meals are cooked fresh and there is always lots of variety on the
menu. Along with our well thought out menu and popular Sunday
Roasts, we offer South African specials such as zebra, crocodile,
ostrich and South African curries.
Monday to Wednesday evening specials £11 including a drink.
Monday is Fish and Chips, Tuesday is South African Curries,
Wednesday is Burgers.
THURSDAY STEAK NIGHT at the pub is always a hit - steaks are
cut to order at the table, so you get the desired portion cooked to
absolute perfection.
Food is served alongside a carefully selected range of local ales and
ciders, wine and spirits. We cater for all dietary requirements.
Why not pop in and soak up some of our wonderful
atmosphere!
We look forward to welcoming you.
A traditional freehold country pub
in the Polden village of Catcott
This idyllic pub is over 400 years old and has the warmth and
character so many pubs have lost over the years, retaining
the wonderful open log fire (great on a chilly night), original
flagstone floors, cob walls and low beamed ceilings. Perfect
accompanied by our home cooked food and fantastic selection
of cask ales, wines and ciders.
Function Room • Garden • Camping
Steaks Cooked to Perfection
Glorious Beer Garden
Blundells Lane, West Monkton, Taunton TA2 8NP
01823 412414 | www.themonktoninn.co.uk
1 Nidon Lane, Bridgwater TA7 9HQ
01278 722288
crowninncatcott@outlook.com
www.crowninncatcott.com
40

Pioneering lifestyle
store to open
on the A303 at North Cadbury,
Somerset Summer 2020
The exciting new venture, called
“Teals,” aims to connect local
communities and passers-by to an
array of south west producers and
makers via its kitchen, food market
and lifestyle store...
The first electric car-charging only stop-off on the regional
route from London to the wider West Country, Teals will offer
commuters and holidaymakers a new experience on the UK
roadside: an opportunity to break their journey in a beautiful
environment, get a delicious healthy meal or takeaway, walk the
dog, let the kids explore the traditional apple orchard before
jumping back in the car - “fast food with slowing down for.”
“fast food with slowing down for”
For Somerset locals this exciting new store promises to bring
together a selection of carefully sourced local fresh produce and
independent label gifts. There will be fresh flowers, a butcher and
deli counter, bottle store and great coffee, all in one easy to reach
location.
Founder Ash said: “We’re hugely excited to be bringing this
new store to Somerset. We feel a real responsibility to make a
meaningful contribution to the rural economy and the store gives
us a great platform on which to celebrate the abundance of
brilliant suppliers and makers, as well as offer nearby towns and
villages an alternative to supermarkets”.
Teals is set to open summer 2020.
ADVERTISING FEATURE
FROM LONDON TO THE WEST COUNTRY
SUPERFAST!
SUPERFAST 02
Taunton,
llminster,
South Petherton,
Yeovil, llchester,
SUPERFAST 03
Taunton, Street,
Glastonbury,
Shepton Mallet, Frame,
Warminster,
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Book Direct on 01823 331356
or Visit BerrysCoaches.co.uk
Berrys Coaches, Peter Clifford
House, Great Western Way,
Taunton, Somerset. TA2 6BX
41

ENGLISH WINE WEEK
Celebrating our home grown wines by Julia Trustram Eve
In the world of wine, Great Britain ranks as
one of the smallest wine regions. Arguably,
though, it is one of the most dynamic,
attracting plenty of attention over here and
making its mark with significant competition
wins and appraisals by wine experts and
influencers both here and overseas.
Great Britain is one of the fastest-growing
wine regions in the world; area planted with
grapevines is growing year on year and now
exceeds over 5,000 acres, having expanded
by nearly 200% in the last ten years alone.
Recently the wine industry’s body, Wines of
Great Britain (WineGB), predicted that in just
over 20 years’ time, we may be producing 40
million bottles.
There are now some 700 vineyards in
England and Wales, with the majority in
the south of England and stretching up to
Yorkshire and in north and south Wales. You’ll
find large wineries to one-man operations,
each with a story to tell. Approximately 70%
of all production is sparkling wine, with the
remaining 30% delicious still white, red and
rosé wine. In 2018 the UK produced just over
13 million bottles.
Luckily it is easy to discover our homegrown
wines: English and Welsh wines are
now readily-available in supermarkets to
independent retailers; online retailers, as well
as many restaurants and bars, and of course
direct from the vineyards themselves, either
via their websites or by visiting the cellar door.
The UK wine industry is launching their
awareness campaign English Wine Week and
Welsh Wine Week which this year takes place
from Saturday 23 - Sunday 31 May. Over
the Week look out for promotions, events
and activities to shine a light on this exciting
industry and its wines.
The end of May kicks off the summer
season and invites us outside to explore,
so what better time to visit to the vineyards
themselves. There are now around 200
vineyards open to visitors and located in
some of the most beautiful parts of the
country.
Vineyards offer a range of experiences
from guided and self-guided tours through
a vineyard to soak up the beautiful
surroundings, to visiting the cellar door
for a tasting. Some have a shop, restaurant
and even accommodation on site. It’s worth
checking opening times as some smaller
vineyards are open by appointment or at
set times. Larger vineyards are open all year
round. Guided tours are conducted by people
who are knowledgeable and entertaining and
in some smaller vineyards you may even get
the owner or winemaker. Visitors will take
away a great memory and new experience.
Some vineyards are now working closely
together to promote their region and enhance
other local attractions and amenities. Check
out Kent’s Wine Garden of England; Sussex
Wineries; Vineyards of Hampshire; Vineyards
of the Surrey Hills to name but a few - there
will soon be a Yorkshire wine trail too.
So let’s enjoy a summer of English wine
… in a country that sells one of the widest
ranges of wines across the globe, the wines
produced on our doorstep are a noteworthy
success story and worth celebrating. Now
surely that is something to raise a glass to -
cheers!
For more information on English Wine Week
and Welsh Wine Week, visit www.winegb.
co.uk. The website also lists the vineyards
of Great Britain and provides plenty of
background information on English and
Welsh wines. There are now also a number
of great books and guides for the wine
enthusiast.
Wine styles in Great Britain
Sparkling wines account for about two-thirds
of the country’s total wine production and
a style that is leading the UK’s reputation
for producing high quality wines. Most are
produced from the same varieties grown in
Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and
Pinot Meunier). Their finesse and longevity
are proving themselves year upon year
on the world stage in blind tastings and
competitions, and even Champagne houses
are investing in England - proof of the
confidence in this wine country and its future.
The UK’s still wines are also worth
discovering. Grape varieties such as
Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot and Chardonnay
are producing styles of wines to delight the
palate, as well as other aromatic and new
varieties that thrive in Britain’s cool climate.
The result is a great range of styles from
dry to medium dry whites, refreshing rosé,
luscious dessert wines and fruity reds.
42

MEET THE
FOODIE
Binixa (Bini) Ludlow,
Owner, Sweet Cumin and
Bini Fine Foods Ltd
We are a nation of curry lovers but few of us know how to
make authentic, fresh curries. What do you cover in your
courses?
Authentic curries are made with fresh ingredients such as
spices, vegetables to name a few. The courses cover spice
tasting so that the cooks understand how they taste, learn about
blending of the spices, so that when they cook with them and
understand what flavours they are going to achieve.
I then teach the cooks how to cook curries from meat dishes,
vegetarian dishes and vegan, prepare and cook the perfect
spiced rice, create and develop flavour is the key during the
cooking process, tasty salads, how to make chapatis from
scratch and hints and tips of how to prepare ingredients to
minimise food wastage.
I run a range of half day sessions to full day courses throughout
the week day and occasional Saturdays. All the courses are
hands on and suitable for all ability levels. Gift vouchers are also
available and make ideal presents.
Thai dishes with the use of clever spicing, the perfect balance
of ingredient has made Bini curries very popular. Every dish
tastes different. All gluten free. I now stock the range in farm
shops, garden centres, food halls and amazing delis across the
southwest, as far as Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Find out more at www.sweetcumin.co.uk
Your love of Gujarati cooking is evident - why do you love
teaching?
Teaching is a passion - I was a qualified secondary school
teacher for 15 years before I left the profession to start Sweet
Cumin. I love meeting people who are keen to learn how to a
proper curry. The youngest cook has been 5 years old to the
oldest 89 years old. Everyone who books onto a session may
come from different backgrounds, countries but they have one
thing in common, is that they love curry.
Cooks go away inspired, they can feel nervous excitement
to start, settled with a cuppa, they go through the cookery
course learning traditional cookery techniques and leave with
confidence, more knowledge and feeling enthused. They love
the food they have created, the feedback is positive. It’s like
having friends over for dinner, but they cook it themselves.
As part of the courses we sit and enjoy the food they have
made. I teach them how to eat rice with their fingers which is
entertaining.
Can you tell us a little more about your readymeals and
where to buy them?
I started cooking the Bini ready meals because a friend who
had just retired from teaching wanted to eat homecooked Indian
food. We would meet up in Bath, go for a coffee and catch
up on each other’s news and exchange money for curry. The
feedback was amazing. So I started selling them from my home
and my neighbours and others around me began to come and
buy them. I entered food awards and with winning Gold for taste
of the West. Since then, I have won 12 Great Taste awards and
champion product awards, sent the food to Buckingham palace
and cooked for events such as the ICC world cup cricket with
Somerset County Cricket. Wow who would have thought £200
start-up small business would achieve so much.
The range consists of 10 of the best curries you need. All family
recipes and authentic to the Gujarat region of India. They all tell
a story. The Gujarat region is famous for its vegetarian / vegan
Hands on cooking
for all abilities
Vegetarian and
gluten free
cooking
Learn to spice
with confidence
Bini set up Sweet Cumin in 2011
and she now runs a broad range of
half and full day cookery classes
to suit all abilities. Hosted at Bini’s
charming country home in Somerset,
class attendees can expect a
personalised, hands-on experience,
in a supportive environment. With
class sizes set at a maximum of four
people – attendees are guaranteed
to learn with absolute confidence.
www.sweetcumin.co.uk
07961 320193 bini@sweetcumin.co.uk

It's official, playing golf is
good for your health!
But just what are those benefits and how can playing
the game help improve people’s lives while also stopping
diseases?
There have been various studies looking
into how beneficial a round of golf can be
to your health and mind. One such study,
which has been a catalyst for others to
follow, was carried out by the Swedish
medical university in 2008.
The study, produced by the Karolinksa
Institute in Stockholm, showed that from
data collected from 300,000 Swedish
players, the death rate amongst golfers
was 40 per cent less compared to the
rest of the population. This equates to an
increased life expectancy of five years.
DID YOU KNOW?
In a nine-hole round of golf, a player will
walk two to three miles, take over 5,000
steps and burn over 450 calories.
In 2016, researchers at The University
of Edinburgh, led by Dr Andrew Murray,
conducted the most comprehensive
study of golf and health.
is recommended by the World Health
Organisation for its key role in improving
life expectancy, helping prevent over 40
major chronic diseases such as type 2
diabetes, heart attacks and strokes and
improving mental health.”
Golf can provide regular exercise to
prevent a person’s chances of getting
type 2 diabetes by up to 40 per cent,
while studies specific to the game show
beneficial effects on blood sugar.
DID YOU KNOW?
Walking 2.5 hours per week reduces the
risk of having a heart attack by 30-40
per cent.
It is now known to prevent cardiovascular
disease, which is responsible for over 30
per cent of worldwide deaths per year. It
is also considered to be a suitable activity
for cardiac and stroke rehabilitation
patients.
At the 2014 Ryder Cup, more than 20,000
spectators tagged themselves at all
checkpoints locations at Gleneagles in
England, meaning they had walked five
miles each.
“It is important to hear that spectators
not only see some of the best sporting
theatre on earth, but can potentially
gain health benefits themselves,” said
Stephen Gethins MP, Chairperson for the
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Golf.
As well as physical and health benefits,
golf also provides a key social element
for players of all ages and abilities.
It doesn’t matter about your age, ability or
gender, the golf course is a social place
and provides people with down-time,
away from the stress of work.
So, when you’re next out on the course,
make sure you spread the word; along
with its many other benefits, perhaps
most importantly, golf is good for your
health and well-being.
The review found that golfers live longer
than non-golfers, while playing the game
improves cholesterol levels and body
composition, while also appearing to
improve wellness and self-confidence.
The study also highlighted golf is
expected to decrease the risk of more
than 40 major chronic diseases.
Dr Andrew commented: “Golf provides
moderate intensity physical activity, which
Golf is unique in that spectators can
potentially enjoy the same health benefits
when they attend an event as those
playing in them.
In 2017, it was found that fans who go to
watch their favourite sporting heroes at
an event averaged 11,589 steps per day,
with just under 83 per cent achieving their
recommended daily step-count (10,000).
44

RENEW
Refresh
RENOVATE
Spring is a time of rebirth and it makes
sense that it’s a period to think about
changes we want to make in the home.
Whether your ambitions are large or small
in scale, here’s some inspiration to get you
going on your transformation...
Ian Snow Dark
Green Floral
Velvet Cushion,
topdrawer.co.uk
desenio.co.uk
RENEW your soft furnishings.
Some strong trends to emerge this
season are hand-printed monochromes
and really textural, woven pieces with a
Scandi-boho vibe.
Throws and blankets are great to mix
up the look when seasons change. A
new rug can really change a space too
- uniting furniture and making a space
more cohesive.
Leopard Velvet Cushion, £50,
frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk
Petra Cushion Cover,
£33 and Floor Cushion
£109, both with free P&P,
hauslife.co.uk
If you don’t want to buy new cushions or
throws, simply swapping pieces between
rooms can have a similar renewing effect.
Clockwise from top left: Electra Block
Print Cushion, £29.95; Seascape In
Dusk Rug, 160cm x 230cm, £1288,
abigailedwards.com; Himmeli Wool Blanket,
£105,cloudberryliving.co.uk; Herringbone
Linen Throw, £119.99, truelinen.co.uk
Lola Burnt Orange Velvet
Armchair £520; Frau Eule
Velvet Cushion £65; Chevron
Sienna Patterned Rug From
£199; Pink Quartz Side Table
£262, all audenza.com
46

Dobbies
REFRESH your walls with some new
prints. Never underestimate the transformative
power of art! Get some favourite posters,
postcards or even fabrics framed or invest in
some new, fun eye candy for the walls - it’s cheap
but effective!
We love Desenio’s vast range of posters, with
options for framed, unframed and mounted
finishes. From £3.95, desenio.co.uk
RENOVATE by bringing
the outside in. Try to create connected
spaces, either by echoing flooring
choices in the home and the patio, or
using complementary furniture styles
as you’ll see in the home.
Some experts estimate that bi-folding
doors can add around 5-10% to the
resale valuation of a property, so
if you’re thinking about renovation
changes, glazing is a good investment
which will also improve the way you
use the space in the interim. Metal
Crittall doors also make a fabulous
statement when paired with other
black glazing and fixtures.
Left: Linen Viscose
Mix Curtains In Denim,
loomandlast.com and below:
Plantation Shutters from Just
Shutters, justshutters.co.uk
REFRESH your window
treatments. Whether you add a new
blind or a new set of curtains, or
even add new trims to you existing
dressings, it can make a space feel
wholly different. If you’re looking
for a larger-scale change with a
big impact, shutters are a fabulous
choice - we love the plantation style
ones - you can really shut the world
out come evening!
47

RENEW your light fixtures
and room hardware for an instant
update. Multi-level lighting makes
a huge impact, as does a new
pendant light in the centre of the
room - these are impact points
and lighting will help guide the
eye around the room. Matching
lightswitches and sockets help the
final feel of the room, making it more
‘pulled-together’.
Glass & Velvet
Lamp, £175,
coxandcox.co.uk
Pontoon Picture
Light, £111,
darlighting.co.uk
Juliet Table Light, £69,
atkinandthyme.co.uk
Midi 3 Light Bar Pendant
Black, £84, darlighting.co.uk
Double Socket, £34.99 and
Quadruple Toggle Switch, £35.99,
dowsingandreynolds.com
Volcano 5
Light Pendant
Gold, £594,
darlighting.co.uk
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL
CLEANING
VAX are market leaders in the cordless cleaning
industry and their latest releases certainly have
us excited (and yes, it’s totally ok to get excited
about vacuums).
TIP: QUICK WINS
When you’re feeling overwhelmed
by mess, try just one of these
quick wins:
First up is the Glide ONEPWR Hard Floor
Cleaner (£249) is a god-send if you have mostly
hard floors in the home - it vacuums, washes
and dries at the same time and kills 99.9% of
bacteria. It’s built-in LED light helps you spot dirt
and its lightweight design makes it easy to use.
For carpeted areas and furniture, the new
ONEPWR Blade 4 (£219.99) is a great choice.
At only 3.1kg it’s light enough to use all over
the house and still offers unrivalled suction
- it outperforms the UK’s top 3 best-selling
cordless vacuums.
The main advantage to all of these products
is the ONEPWR battery that is fully shareable
across the products, which means you can buy
two if you like to extend run-time, or you can
share batteries between ‘bare units’, products
without batteries - saving money.
Both available from www.vax.co.uk
REFRESH with a deep clean. We all
know how satisfying it is to spring clean and
being thorough is the name of the game - pull
out furniture, wipe down all surfaces (including
skirting boards, light switches, shelves etc), and
get scrubbing. Brabantia have a great range
of products to keep you on top of your kitchen
tidiness game - we love the silcone dish drainer
which folds away and the food caddy to help you
keep food waste recylcing tidy and odour free.
Go through your dresser and
choose one drawer. Take
everything out and refold and stack.
Choose one collection (athletic
equipment, tools, cleaning supplies,
etc.) and declutter. Toss or recycle
anything you no longer use.
Vacuum your car.
Install hooks in your garage.
Use them to hang beach chairs,
tools, or bikes.
Declutter the tops drawer of
your night table. Dust, tidy, and
purge your night table of anything
you no longer need.
Walk around your home and
gather light bulbs, batteries,
and stamps. Make sure you store
these in the same spot so you
don’t buy more than you need.
Go through one file drawer and
declutter. Recycle old papers,
shred credit card statements, and
refile anything out of place.
Store your receipts. Sit at your
desk, open your wallet, and input
receipts into your filing system.
Do a clutter sweep. Sit on the
couch in your living room and
notice any distracting piles.
Declutter.
Recycle some electronics. Do
you have an older item (television,
gaming system, or VCR) that
you’re not sure how to recycle?
Find your item, and schedule a
time to recycle it
48

TIP: PROJECT SCALER
Looking to refresh the kitchen or bathroom?
From simple steps to overhauls, here are
some ideas:
RENOVATE the larger spaces -
these are not small decisions, but transforming
the bathroom or kitchen will have a dramatic
impact on the way you feel in your home.
EASY:
Repaint the walls.
Re-tile the backsplashes.
Change the blinds or window dressings.
Buy new accessories.
Replace handles and knobs.
Hang some art.
MEDIUM:
Invest in new flooring.
Replace door and drawer fronts.
Replace worktops and surfaces.
HARD:
Bathroom or kitchen refurb - new base units
or sanitaryware.
Reconfigure space with advice from designer.
Annie Sloan Paints
REFRESH with a declutter.
Streamline your space to
make an instant improvement and
thoroughly comb through cupboards
and drawers, recycling items you
no longer use and grouping similar
pieces together so you can find them
in a hurry.
Collection from Dunelm
We love Brabantia’s handy Linn
Clothes rack (£144). Organize, air and
dry your clothes in style - perfect in the
guest room or utility. This free-standing
clothing rack with solid bamboo rod
and two adjustable shelves is as
stylish as it is functional.Combine
open storage like this with collections
of decorative baskets and boxes for a
contemporary take on storage.
Pom Pom
Basket,
rexlondon.com
REFRESH your walls with a
change in colour. This is probably the
quickest way to breathe new life into
a room - not only could you introduce
new colour, but even a refresh of
existing paintwork can eliminate
scuffs and marks.
Colour trends this year haven’t taken
a huge step away from last - expect
to see vibrant coral and sky blue, but
also lots of lovely pastels and neutrals
like camel, olive green, blush, off
white and sage green.
Paints, clockwise from top left - Spruce Things Up,
dowsingandreynolds.com; Dulux Smooth Maple, dulux.co.uk;
First Light (blush pink) benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk; Polar Bear
Selfie, dowsingandreynolds.com; Coral Mix Using Tilton And
Emperor’s Silk, anniesloan.com; Dulux Tranquilty Dawn, dulux.
co.uk; B&Q’s GoodHome Cincinnati Paint, diy.com
49

Rust-Oleum
Slate Satin
Furniture paint
750ml, £14
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris
Grey and Old Violet, anniesloan.
com and registered stockists
TIP: REPAINTING HANDLES
We were a little sceptical about this too, especially in
the kitchen, but we’ve found a good workable solution.
The key is priming the handles properly - especially
if they’re metal. We like Rust-Oleum’s All Purpose
Priming spray followed by your chosen spray paint. In a
recent renovation, we paired the Satin Finish Furniture
paint above in Slate with painted handles in Rust-
Oleum Gold Spray Paint - the end result was beautiful
and thanks to the priming, the coat was even.
Extra Tip: to make spray painting easier, stick handles
into a Styrofoam block
Clockwise from top
left: Navy Rye Snuggler
and Saltdean Portland
Velvet Rosewood Chair,
both sofasandstuff.
com; Muuto Outline
2 Seater Sofa, £3049,
somedaydesigns.co.uk
Rust-Oleum
Metallic
Spray Paint,
£11, diy.com
RENEW by making unloved kitchen
cupboards look new again with a coat of
paint. The beauty of paint is its changeability,
so you can pick some more ‘trendy’ colours
without worrying about longevity. Replacing
the worktops is a great solution too - wood,
laminate, quartz, granite, marble or composite
materials all look good against painted units.
If your doors are past the salvageable
point, or are too old-fashioned, you
could save money by buying new doors
and tops, and keeping the existing
units. This can have a dramatic effect
and can look like a whole new kitchen.
REFRESH your furniture. If you
still love the frame of your sofa, chairs or
bed, then look into re-upholstery to breathe
new life into it. If you’ve moved house and
the shape doesn’t work any more or simply
need a change, you could donate your old
sofa to charity and check out some of these
fabulous designs...
Oriental Black Floral
Headboard, £475,
rockettstgeorge.co.uk;
Kingsley Headboard, £550,
laresidenceinteriors.co.uk
TIP: SMALL SCALE
Rather than replacing your whole
bed, consider just replacing the
headboard. You can still get that
new impact you are after, but with
less upheaval and cost.
Sofas & Stuff
50

keeping it in the
family - C E keeble
C E Keeble Ltd are a local
building and joinery firm with
a good reputation and a loyal
customer base...
The joinery produces hand-crafted quality pieces which will last
for decades – windows, doors, staircases, gates, furniture…
Everything is done in-house, from the initial customer visit to
discuss the project, through to delivery and fitting by our skilled
carpenters.
A recent testimonial from one of customers speaks for itself:
“
CE Keeble did a great job for us and were
professional throughout. They arrived
to quote when agreed, provided a quote
within a few days, started the work
on the agreed date, finished within the
agreed time, left everywhere clean and
tidy but most importantly our new porch
is lovely. We will be using them again
and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
“
As a small local firm costs are kept down so the customer can have
quality work without the huge price tag of the big national companies.
If you are planning a project this year give C E Keeble a call.
Office: 01823 412652
Joinery: 07815 967818
Email: info@cekeebleltd.co.uk
Website: www.cekeebleltd.co.uk
Don’t get left in the cold this winter, speak with CHG about boiler
servicing
With the colder months approaching why not get prepared and take
out one of our Service Plans
• Guaranteed to attend to callout within 24 hours
• Includes annual service of boiler
• Exclusive discounts on further works
• Cost can be spread monthly, starting at £8.03 per month
For all enquiries call 01308 420170 or visit
chgsouthwest.com
51

WEST COUNTRY GUNS
01984 623 829
www.wcgsporting.co.uk
9 The Square, Wiveliscombe, Somerset TA4 2JT
Independent advisers and retailers of new and used guns
with a good range of shooting accessories and cartridges.
The best selection of country clothing and footwear in the
area. We are able to offer an extensive range for men, ladies
and children, as well as a variety of country themed gifts.
52

Mike Colwill Contracting offers you all types of
building, carpentry and painting services in Somerset.
We take care of:
• Building services
• Home improvement
services
• Renovations
• Joinery
• Flooring
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Painting and much more
Aerial & Satellite Installation
& Aerial Repair Services
SAME DAY SERVICE
FREE ESTIMATES
NO HIDDEN COSTS
LOCAL, FAMILY-RUN
BUSINESS SINCE 2000
We offer free quotes on all our services and make
customer satisfaction our priority. We are also
available for contractual work for projects of all sizes.
mike@mikecolwillcontracting.co.uk
07814 143 799
01823 325930 | aerialcaresouthwest@gmail.com
toneaerials.co.uk
enquiries@countryknoleinteriors.com
www.countryknoleinteriors.co.uk
Specialist Interior
Design Services
Refurbishment
Project
Management
For Residential
and Commercial
Interiors
Made to measure
handmade
Curtains & blinds
Measure and Fit
Service
Furniture
Loose covers
Re-upholstery
service
Heatherton Park Studios,
Bradford on Tone, Taunton TA4 1EU
Telephone number 01823 461189
Studio Open Tues-Thursday 10-4pm, Fridays and Saturdays by appointment.
53

TAUNTON
Priorswood Industrial Estate, Units 1-2, Merlin Industrial Park,
Venture Way, Taunton TA2 8DG
Tel: 01823 334 723 E-mail: taunton@howdens.com

modern &
timeless style
at heart
Ross Mcmillian speaks about
Howdens Joinery’s free home survey
and how it helps their customers get
a better feel of space and talk about
all aspects of a kitchen...
We offer a free home survey to our
customers for us to get a better feel
of space and go through a check list
covering all aspects in a kitchen. Not
only to find out what they like but also to
find out what they dislike to make it more
personal to the customer.
For example a question I like to ask the
customer is;
‘What is your favourite colour?’
So when it comes to the presentation I
can throw in a splash of colour whether
it’s in the frontals or using vibrant colours
from our range of coloured backboards
to go round the kitchen or just a small
feature. I’ve had some customers put
up their own art work in behind the hobs
covered by our clear glass splashback for
protection, again making it more personal
to them.
We open our doors to everyone and
would invite anyone in to have a tour
around the depot. Once customers come
through our doors not only do we like to
show them around our showroom but I
also like to take them into the warehouse
to show them how we operate behind
the scenes and that everything we sell is
in stock.
We also have a presentation room with
a 70” touch control TV where we sit our
customers down with a cuppa enjoying
the 3D design experience getting a better
visual of how their kitchen can look
making the changes as we go along.
Since the Great British Bake Off has been
on our screens what’s proving to be a big
hit for us is the NEFF slide and hide oven.
For me personally I went for the pyrolytic
oven which is self cleaning giving me one
less job to do at home.
Trends are changing all the time but at
the moment for modern kitchens the
linear look is a big trend setter with
straight clean lines and simplicity in our
new Balham range.
If you’re not one for modern we offer
a wide range from Shaker to Universal
kitchen ranges with a timeless style.
HOWDENS WELLINGTON
01823 200 100
wellington@howdens.com
Block 5 Unit C, Westpark 26,
Wellington, Somerset, TA21 9AD
HOWDENS TAUNTON:
01823 334 723
taunton@howdens.com
Priorswood Industrial Estate, Units 1-2,
Merlin Industrial Park, Venture Way,
Taunton TA2 8DG
55

ADVERTISING FEATURE
every Blackdown hut
has a story
what will yours be?
Established in 2011 in Ilminster, from
humble roots Blackdown Shepherd
Huts have become one of the leading
shepherd hut manufacturers in the
country, building bespoke and high-end
luxury living spaces...
From their Artisan Self-Build Huts for the
craftsman, through to opulent fully fitted
Brace Huts for hotels and glampsites,
these distinct huts are often seen
being carried to their destinations on
the country roads. They have become
well-known in Britain and across the
globe for their high-quality product and
outstanding customer journey.
From the outset quality has always been
a core value of the business as Creator,
Will Vickery says, “we would rather
explain the cost of quality than apologize
for anything less”. This ideology runs
right through their business model. From
the design and creation of the shepherd
huts to their signature features like their
wall-bed.
Crafted with materials sourced locally
and from trusted suppliers, the versatile
space in a Blackdown Modular Turnkey
Hut includes a tranquil dining nook which
transforms with a dreamy wall-bed for
guests to relax and lay their heavy heads
whilst looking up at the stars through
the aptly named stargazer; another
signature feature designed with quality
and the users experience in mind. Built
into the curve of the roof, the stargazer
provides an idyllic place for guests to
stay connected to the outdoors from the
warmth and comfort of the wall-bed with
the crackling fire as their only soundtrack.
Blackdown Shepherd Hut’s customer
experience is just as high end as their
shepherd huts. Your dream becomes a
reality as soon as your customer journey
starts. With a cup of tea in their office
just ten minutes away from Taunton,
where you’ll unload your ideas with Alan
the customer relationship manager, who
will work with you to make your vision of
that extra space for the family to stay, a
glamping business to bridge the gap of
that early retirement, or a bolt hole at the
bottom of the garden, take shape with a
Blackdown Shepherd Hut.
01460 929774
blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk
Photo © Matt Sweeting Photography
56

Beautiful bespoke
kitchens & furniture
The Old Yard, Logge Farm, West Street, South Petherton TA13 5DJ
T: 01460 241261 | www.eternalkitchens.co.uk

ustic town house
Looking into a client profile with Eternal Kitchens...
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Our recent commission was to produce
a kitchen that combined the traditional
character of the property with new and
contemporary practical living.
We sourced a beautiful antique butcher
block to add a traditional statement and
combined with the pale quartz we think
looks great.
Adding in beautiful ceramic floor tiles
from mandarin stone help set off the
Mylands ‘Bond Street’ paint specified
for the island. Beautiful Zellige tiles
from Mosaic Del Sur add charm and
understated elegance behind the Aga.
Feature lighting was used from Jim
Lawrence to add a traditional feel
softening the chimney breast yet also
adding task lighting.
Rustic
For more information contact Eternal
Kitchens:
Tel: 01460 241261
Web: Eternalkitchens.co.uk
Email: info@eternalkitchens.co.uk
Town
H ouse
Mylands ‘Bond
Street’ Paint
Lighting
Zellige Tiles
Details
Wall Paint
59

We meet
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen Designer, artist and WIT
60
Sally Thomson was recently invited to the beautiful Cotswolds home of
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen to find out more about his latest wallpaper
range, the creativity behind his work and how he gets his inspiration
from William Morris...
Sally: Your lovely late father was a
surgeon and your mother was a teacher,
what made you choose to go into the arts?
Laurence: Because I really didn’t want to
be a surgeon and I really didn’t want to
be a teacher! When my father died it was
so tragic. I was only nine and he was so
eminent and it was so embarrassing being
kind of patted on the head with people
saying ‘Oh you are going to take after
your father’. Just the idea of surgery was
just so abhorrent! Not that I’m particularly
squeamish. Actually I’m often drawn to the
nastier sorts of 14th century alter pieces,
where there’s a lot of cutting up saints! But
my sister is a doctor so it is definitely in
the blood. I actually always wanted to be
a barrister. It was very simple, ever since I
was very young and it was only when the
absolute reality of how much work it would
require hit me at about sixteen that I thought
no. I was intellectually quite successful
at school and so there was an enormous
shockwave when I suddenly decided
that I was going to do art instead which
is something that I never considered as
something that I was here to do.
You appeared on ‘Who Do You Think You
Are’ and you discovered more about your
grandparents.
It was the dullest ‘Who Do You Think
You Are’ ever. And I did say to them that
unfortunately I am the most interesting thing
in my family!
So your great grandfather being blown up
by a U-boat didn’t count?
Actually he was quite interesting. He
was a very exotic and powerful person, I
remember him very clearly and he died
when I was about four. Very commanding
and very elegant. He also had a reputation
for being very over-perfumed! But he got
sunk in both world wars! He was obviously
completely and utterly indestructible. He also
ended up getting a medal from the mayor of
Nagasaki right in the middle of the second
world war; when we were at war with Japan!
He saved an entire crew of Japanese
merchant shipmen and rowed them ashore
himself. So it was all very bemusing. But
I remember my mother said to me during
filming: ‘Never be part of somebody else’s
dynasty, start your own.’ After my father died
and when she became very ill she became
very feisty about stuff. She was inevitably
very protective of us as children. And it was
difficult for her as her family felt that she
was not fit to bring us up and wanted to step
in and even social services were sniffing
around.
You went to Camberwell College of Arts
is that where you found your passion for
interior design?
No. I went to Camberwell to do the
foundation course without having a clear
idea yet of what I wanted to do. In fact at that
stage, at the interview stage they felt I was
better suited to the illustration course. But
actually I felt very strongly whilst doing the
foundation course that I wanted to do fine
art, to do painting. This was because I was
very aware of the quite crushing snobbery
that was happening in the art market, which
is that if you were a painter/fine artist you
could go on and do whatever you wanted,
such as stage design or illustration. You
brought an enormous amount of kudos with
you if you did that. But if you specialised as
an illustrator you would never be able to do
fine art.
But fine art must have been very difficult
to break into?
It was very difficult, I had to totally change
because up until that point I am ashamed
to say I was quite arrogant about my art.
I know you will find this very difficult to
believe! But I always had a phenomenal
facility to draw, I could draw very well and
very effortlessly. But too stylistically. So half
way through I had to pretend that I liked
doing things the way they liked to, you know
with the little scratchy marks and making
paintings very dank and brown. So I did all
of that to get to get onto the fine art course,
which I did, and then immediately threw off
the cloak and went back to my monumental
neo-classical nudes in blousy landscapes,
which I think annoyed the feminist
movement in Camberwell! I used to say
‘For goodness sake, I am celebrating these
women, look at them, they are goddesses!’
Nudes are history and truths.
continued

So when did your first break come in TV?
Well, I was on Magpie when I was a child!
I know! That was very difficult though
because my father had removed the ITV
button so that we couldn’t watch ITV, so he
had to find it again so that he could watch
me in it. I remember my parents being very
disapproving, saying ‘Why couldn’t you
go on Blue Peter?’. Magpie was just too
funky! They all wore flares and had regional
accents.
But then you got into it, and along came
other programmes, such as Changing
Rooms etc?
As soon as I left college I was on the
edge of a lot of media stuff. I had a very
successful degree show and sold paintings
to people like Adam Ant and Terry Jones.
I was with the Crucial Gallery in Notting
Hill who were very, very fashionable. So I
actually ended up doing some weird stuff
like advertising work in Japan, but that’s
when I had a kind of scene change and
decided I didn’t want to do any of that at
all, and went off and spent three years
marketing rubber flooring. Because I just felt
like it. I actually really enjoyed it, and I really
enjoyed the responsibility of it. But after
three years I started looking around at what
I really wanted to do. I had done so many
different things at college and I had done
a lot of interior design, but I had also done
an enormous amount of stage design and I
was very keen on that. I’m still keen on that
now! But I sort of trickled into interiors really
through styling committee parties and then
I’d be asked to design a conservatory and
things went from there. And I was literally
plucked from that to do a screen test for
the BBC for something they were calling
‘Changing Rooms’. And the rest they say
is history.
We must talk about your new wallpaper.
How did that happen?
Well, similarly to when you were asking
about the television break, one of the
defining moments was Changing Rooms,
which is funny because I was quite grumpy
about doing it. I was very busy and I had a
lot of stuff going on but I filmed it. But it did
have a disastrous effect on my business. I
had a really lovely coterie of about eight or
nine repeat clients who were terribly discreet
and very wealthy. It started getting irritating
when I would turn up for a site meeting and
there would be paparazzi, and so one-byone
I started getting those ‘it’s not you, it’s
me’ telephone calls from clients, who would
say that they love my work but they can’t
cope with it all. But it was actually my wife
Jackie who came up with this idea of ‘if
everybody in the world is watching television
then lets sell to everybody in the world.
Let’s work with B&Q, Homebase, House of
Fraser. Let’s create licensed products’.
Your latest design of wallpapers are
exquisite. The intricacy of some of these
designs is absolutely beautiful. How do
you set about creating that?
Well, this is the big thing because it’s now
twenty years since we actually launched
this and it’s been incredibly successful and
actually that’s what I want on my tombstone!
I don’t want ‘that bloke off the telly’. I want
‘Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen - Designer’.
That’s what I do. But for the twentieth
anniversary of the brand I wanted to have
something really very authoritative.
When you create that design, the
bit I don’t get is how you turn it into
wallpaper. How does that work? And
where do you create them? At home?
Largely on planes! My rider, you would
expect snow leopards and lilies, actually
consists of Epsom salts, gin and a drawing
board. Very monastic! Everything starts as
a drawing, which I will do wherever I am
(which can even sometimes be in the lounge
of an airport, should inspiration strike!).
Sometimes I’ll come back from being away
with an enormous portfolio of drawings, but
more often than not I’ll photograph them
on my phone and send them to the design
office and then they put them into repeat.
I’ll always design with repeat in mind. The
repeat is the clever thing because I suppose
the big thing is that there’s always an innate
homage to William Morris in everything I do.
We recently went to the Jane Austin
Museum. The wallpaper was so bright, it
was not what I expected.
We always think of the Georgian period as
being wonderfully understated and rather
pastel-hued. But no, it was vulgar as hell! If
they could get it bright yellow they certainly
would! But it’s very interesting with wallpaper
because I think it is quintessentially a
British product. It sort of doesn’t really exist
anywhere else. It’s because it’s a very easily
read symbol of the middle class. In France
or Italy or anywhere else where there was
no middle class you would have real silk on
the walls.
You have bedding and wallpaper in the
Signature range is that correct?
We’ve got beds, we’ve got furniture but the
wallpaper I always see as being the flagship
of my style.
Going back to art, what do you think of
our local boy, Banksy?
We actually share an art dealer! It’s very
interesting because I think there is a very
pronounced movement now for art to
become a lot more interesting and a lot
more readable. I think the art of the 80s and
90s, the Brit Art movement, and actually a
lot of late 20th century art was deliberately
over-intellectual. I think a lot of people would
go into a contemporary art gallery and think
‘yeah, okay’. It’s almost that feeling of ‘I can
do that’. But stick them in front of one that
everyone goes crazy for, Leighton’s Flaming
June and you would say ‘Oh my god!’ You
know, that’s one of the best paintings in the
world. And we do love them and I think there
is a real return to a level of craftsmanship. I
mean, Banksy doesn’t really do a lot himself.
He has a huge studio that create these
things. But then, so did Rodin, and so did
Rembrandt. But then you’ve also got people
like Grayson Perry, who I think is very
interesting as well and his work is, unusually,
every bit as interesting as him.
You have a place in Cornwall don’t you?
Do you paint when you go down there?
We have, in Port Issac. But no, I wish! I
tend not to do any work. When we first went
there, a long time ago, I used to do a lot of
landscape work there, and I do love it as
somewhere for inspiration.
Left: Lawrence’s original drawing ‘Club
Tropicana’, Middle: the finished printed
wallpaper, Below: Lawerence’s Aspen
Headboard with Monoglam bedlinen.
Selected wallpapers are available from
the Llewelyn-Bowen Signature Collection
at Wallpaperdirect.com
61

Children: getting them
interested in gardening
Here our resident gardener and radio personality, Matt Biggs
aka The People’s Gardener, explains the benefits of getting
children involved in the garden and how it provides them with
skills to help their development.
You and your children will enjoy every stage of the process. We
hear a lot about children not knowing where their food comes from
and, of course, if we don’t give them the info then, with all of the
distractions of modern living, it is not surprising if they think a chip
comes from the freezer aisle and kohlrabi is a character in the latest
Star Wars film!
Gardening for kids is just such a great thing - exercise, knowledge,
fun and hopefully an interest that will last them a lifetime, what more
do we need? Many garden centres offer kids activity days, whether
that is pumpkin carving, seed sowing or making animals out of fruit
and veg. there is a lot you can get them involved with and much of it
is free too. Many garden centres have clubs for children, and this is
a good option if you have one near to you. It is good for socialising
and excellent for learning the basics and having fun.
If you have a garden marking them out their own space is an easy
thing to do. It gives them a sense of responsibility and you can
make a bug hotel out of recycled bits and bobs, plan to grow some
herbs or mini veg, write down their favourite colours and hunt
through plant catalogues or online for suitable plants to match.
There are lots of skills involved in all of these activities, from maths
- how many plants do we need for the space, to practical skills
in making things, to research and planning skills - so one small
space can lead to a lot of learning! If you have a local country
show or fayre there will probably be a few children’s classes in that
too - making a miniature garden or a dinosaur from fruit and veg.
whatever it is take advantage of it - country
shows are a great day out!
So, having got the kids organised it is time
to do our own planning for summer, whether
you have a window box, a court-yard or
acres of space there is summer colour for
every option. If you are fortunate enough to
have a greenhouse then you can start early and bring on your own
plants, you can share with neighbours or garden clubs which is a
very economical way of gardening or you can visit your local nursery
or garden centre to see what choices are available - and there is a
lot of choice.
Every year Chelsea highlights a new favourite plant or colour
scheme, gardening magazines and books have so many ideas
- one of the most pleasurable jobs in the year is planning your
garden - and then - best bit of all, enjoying the fruits of your labour!
To discover more about Matt and his books please
visit www.mattbiggs.com
62

64
CALL: 07771 666938

Alan Titchmarsh...
on some of his favourite things
Sally Thomson recently had
a chat with Alan Titchmarsh
MBE, DL, HonFSE and
discussed some of the many
passions he enjoys - extending
far beyond gardening.
He has written more than forty
gardening books, memoirs and
his latest creation is a book on
poetry which illustrates the love
he has for not just plants, but
all of life...
You still do Saturday mornings on
Classic FM. Of all the music that
you enjoy, what is your favourite?
It’s fairly classic, although I like a lot
of stuff! Whether it’s Handel or Mozart
or Tchaikovsky. It’s part of my life. I’ve
always loved light opera. I love The Merry
Widow and Fledermaus and things like
that, as well as the heavier stuff. But I
think sometimes Operetta is overlooked.
It has the most glorious melodies and it
tends to fall between two categories; it’s
not a musical and it’s not an opera and so
I feel that at the moment Operetta seems
to fall in the dark.
Do you endeavour to put them forward
a little bit on the show?
Oh, I do! I do suggest it to the producers.
I’ve been listening to some snippets on
your show on gardening and there are
such useful tips. I mean, I don’t fancy
going out there at the moment because
it’s so wet. But when Easter arrives how
should we start in the garden?
The great thing about the winter months
is that everything moves so slowly, so
when Easter arrives it gives us time to
catch up in the garden. We can get stuff
cut back, fed, mulched.
Mulching is probably one of the best
things to do this time of year isn’t it?
Well it is because the ground is moist and
the weeds haven’t started growing yet so
you can spread it now and it will keep the
weeds down.
Yes, obviously the bulbs are coming up
now and I’m dreading a frost that will
knock down my narcissus…
Oh, frost won’t knock them down! They’re
tough as old boots. They might bow
down for a night if it gets really frosty, but
they’ll pick up as the day progresses. The
thing about narcissus and snowdrops
is that they are not susceptible to frost.
They really are hardy.
That’s good to know! I’m really
interested in your 50 shades of Green -
the programme. Tell me all about that,
how did it happen?
ITV very sweetly said they wanted to
mark my seventieth birthday, which was
very kind, and they wanted to do it in a
very engaging way, so they had me name
my top 50, and they went from there.
Were they difficult choices to make?
Oh yes! It was like Desert Island Discs!
But we covered all the main things you
know, like trees, water, roses, and the last
one was my garden which has not been
seen on telly before.
I know. A bit special! One of the
elements of the show is about you
visiting the National Gallery, and how
the masterpieces have inspired you.
Which were the paintings in particular
that inspired you?
Oh gosh, well for me it’s so difficult
to choose, I mean there’s Mr and Mrs
Andrews by Gainsborough, then you see
Whistlejacket by Stubbs. Just walking
past them all and the feeling of joy that
it was open for us to see them all, it was
like being a boy in a sweet shop! When
you manage to see them without bodies
all around you, and it’s one-to-one with
you and the painting. It’s such a treat.
continued
65

What about going into where the
Queen’s perfumer was working?
That was wonderful! I use the aftershave
now! I was terrified of course, when I
arrived there.
Alan will be at BBC Gardeners’
World Live on Saturday 20th
June 2020
You cannot hide your emotions can
you?
No, I’m not very good at that! It was a joy
though.
Of the gardens that you’ve visited, do
you have a special one? Or do you find
that different gardens affect different
moods, a bit like music?
They do. There are aspects of every
garden where you think ‘Oh I like that’, or
‘I wish I had that’. I love Chatsworth, I’ve
always loved Chatsworth, it’s a special
place. The Prince of Wales’ garden at
Highgrove. Sissinghurst is another one.
Gardens that reflect the soul of their
makers are really special.
You are attending Highgrove again
aren’t you? For Talking Gardens. Are
you excited about that, as you go there
quite regularly don’t you?
I seem to go there every year. I’m a
regular! I will be discussing the way we
look at our gardens and the way they can
help us and we can help them. It’s not
just analytical, it’s getting to grips with
a garden and what a garden can offer. I
get so dispirited when I see gardens laid
to paving blocks. I know that cars are
precious, but you don’t have to pave the
whole thing. There are all kinds of things
you can do to make room for nature.
When we spoke last time, you talked
about your poetry with Debbie
Wiseman from Classic FM.
Yes, the book is coming out! Well I’ve
written poetry for years before that
but mainly for Christmas. But Debbie
suggested I write something about
plants, so we did The Glorious Garden
which happened to go to No.1 in the
classical charts - not that I like to boast!
So that’s what got me going on writing
poetry other than just for Christmas.
So yes, I have put all these poems plus
a load of new ones into a book called
Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles.
Do you think you have any more
poems up your sleeve?
Well I really enjoy writing them, so we’ll
see how this one goes down. I might do
another one!
Will we be seeing any more of ‘Love
Your Garden’?
We’ve got four episodes that will be
coming out in the Spring, and we will
start filming more in April. We filmed half
the series last year in September and
the other half will be done in Spring as
they split the recordings, and they have
commissioned another two series which
is very nice!
Marigolds, Myrtle and Moles by Alan
Titchmarsh is published by Hodder
& Stoughton
Below, from left: Highgrove, Chatsworth
and Sissinghurst
66

ADVERTISING FEATURE
A DISCUSSION OF BOTULINUM
TOXIN TREATMENT
Botulinum Toxin is made under different trade names, for example Azzalure, Botox,
Dysport and Boucoutur. I will refer to it as bot-tox in this article so as not to favour any
one trade name. It is somewhat similar to the fact that your vacuum cleaner could be of any
make, but you are still most likely to call it the ‘hoover’.
Bot-tox originates from the toxin produced by a bacterium which
in full doses can be lethal to the sufferer of botulism, a fairly rare
food-borne condition. I believe that the last outbreak in the UK
was in 1989.
However before you cancel your appointments for bot-tox
treatment with me in fear of paralysis, I must reassure you that
what I inject (usually Azzalure) is a purified and much-diluted
form of the toxin. Aesthetic medical practitioners use it to
paralyse the small muscles of facial expression thereby reducing
the lines in the face which form as a result of the action of these
muscles.
We have all seen them on other people, or even had them
ourselves: the ‘number 11s’ between the eyes (known as the
glabellar area), those horizontal lines across the forehead,
(frontal lines) and the lovely smile-lines radiating out from the
outer corners of our eyes, known prettily as ‘crows’ feet’.
In general I see these wrinkles or creases appearing in many
patients from their later 20s onwards, and I think that the early
30s is the peak time when patients consulting me seem to have
first noticed them or first been bothered by them. People in the
younger age group are more and more having bot-tox injections
to try to prevent the lines ever coming. The theory is that if you
can’t spend a lot of time contracting your muscles, the skin
won’t be forced into scrunching up and leaving marks of this
behind as the skin becomes less elastic with advancing years.
The wrinkles we get are classed as either dynamic lines (those
that only appear when there is movement of the facial muscles)
or static lines (which remain visible even when we are not
contracting any muscles at the time). Once the treatment with
bot-tox has been carried out, the patient must wait up to 2
weeks to see how good a result has been achieved. However
the toxin starts to work earlier on, usually within 2 or 3 days,
although not everyone notices it as early as this.
The review appointment (usually at 2 weeks) offered by the
majority of doctors will be to assess the end result, first to see
if the lines have gone, and then to see if there is any residual
movement in the treated muscles.
It is very important and is in the GMC guidelines, to take before
and after photos because then there is definitive evidence of
the end result. In my practice, if there is any lack of activity, or
an asymmetrical result, I always offer a top-up of the toxin if
appropriate without extra charge.
In most cases, the effect is good and we can expect to meet
again in 3-4 months or even longer if you are lucky enough for it
to last well.
Sometimes there can be more than just paralysis of the muscles,
and especially the frontal muscles can completely lose their
tone resulting in a degree of dropping of the eyebrows. If this
happens there may be ways of improving it using injections in
other places, but not in every case.
If you would like to find out more, or book an appointment for a
free consultation or even for a treatment, please visit my website
where there is a contact form and a ‘book now’ tab, or visit my
facebook page where you can click a booking link.
I see patients in my home consulting room in Pawlett, near J23
of the M5, at NV Salon in Bridgwater, at Manor Lodge Beauty in
Castle Cary, and in Charminster Studio in Bournemouth.
I also visit the wonderful Colorseum in Bideford and the equally
amazing Peach in Barnstaple every 2 weeks.
Dr John Buckmaster MA MB BChir DRCOG
www.drjbuckmaster.co.uk
Freefone: 0800 2545048 Text: 07968181652
Email: aesthetics@drjbuckmaster.org.uk
68

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Join a new age of
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Blagdon Village near Taunton is another
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Roseland Parc
You’re bound to have all your friends and
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and Falmouth, Roseland Parc is one of
Cornwall’s best kept retirement secrets.
Life is definitely there to enjoy at
Roseland Parc, with a highly active social
calendar of events and special interest
groups including poetry group, Pilates,
Bridge club, croquet, and French and
Italian lessons, there’s always plenty to
do, should you wish to get involved.
The village offers a mix of one and twobedroom
cottages and apartments for
independent living and for those after
something a little more indulgent, you can
enjoy a hotel-style fully-serviced option.
It’s also reassuring to know that there are
care facilities on site, should they become
necessary in the future.
With an array of one- and two-bedroom
cottages and apartments currently
for sale at the village, your Cornish
retirement dream could be only a phone
call away.
Prices start from £299,000.
For more information on Roseland Parc
please visit www.roselandparc.co.uk
Gittisham Hill Park
Blagdon Village
Roseland Parc
We would be delighted to welcome
you to our villages – you can arrange a
personal tour of your preferred village by
calling 01372 383950 or why not attend
one of our open days which you can find
on our website
www.retirementvillages.co.uk
*Tenure options differ per village,
please enquire for more information.
**Prices correct at time of publication.
70

SOMETHING TO
SMILE ABOUT
Between 18th May and 18th June 2020,
National Smile Month will be sharing positive
messages and engaging others to develop and
maintain a healthy mouth. We look at what
can you do to improve your pearly whites...
Half the nation dislike their own smile - with many believing
the state of their teeth has held them back at work and in their
personal lives.*
Researchers found a large percentage of the population are so
self-conscious about their teeth that it affects them on an almost
daily basis. In fact, one in five feel their teeth have had more of
a negative effect on their confidence than their physique, hair or
wrinkles. According to the study 17 per cent of those who took
part have concerns that the appearance of their smile has had a
negative impact on their career. Even more worryingly, one in ten
went as far as to claim they have been turned down for a job due
to their problematic teeth.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE A SMILE?
Straightening
Yes, adults can have orthodontic treatment to straighten their
teeth. Adults can have orthodontic treatment to correct the
same dental problems that children have, such as crowding, an
overbite or gaps between the teeth.
Orthodontic treatment can improve the positioning of your teeth
and, in turn, their look and how well they work. Since crowded
teeth are more difficult to keep clean, orthodontic treatment might
reduce the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Composite Bonding
Composite bonding (also known as tooth bonding or dental
bonding) offers a solution for minor damage or gaps in teeth.
When carried out as a cosmetic treatment, it is not available on
the NHS but many practices offer cosmetic composite bonding
as a private service.
Bonding is usually used for filling chips, fractures or gaps
between teeth, or for fixing discolouration. A composite resin is
attached to a tooth and shaped to restore its original
appearance. The colour of the resin is matched to your teeth, so
it will appear as though it is a natural part of the tooth.
*survey by app.straightteethdirect.com
A well-established
Denture clinic
Services We Offer
You can count on my expertise to assist you with all your
denture requirements.
• New Dentures
• Denture Replacements
• Complete dentures
direct to public
• Registered & qualified
dental technician
• Denture repairs
• Home visits
Thomas Farm, Nythe, Ashcott, Bridgwater,
Somerset TA7 9BN
01458 210 039 | www.newdentureclinic.co.uk
72

Crafting beautiful homes
01225 791155
ashford-homes.co.uk
lfii
Long Hazel Farm, Sparkford
Six luxury farmhouse style homes with an eclectic mix
of designs offering unrivalled quality and specification
Prices from £450,000
Yeovil - 01935 431 129
yeovil@connells.co.uk
Shaftesbury - 01747 854 001
shaftesbury@connells.co.uk

clinical
hypnotherapist
Spring - A Time for Growth
Sharon Dyke, a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist based in
Taunton, explains how spring time can increase the production
of serotonin in our brains, just through exposure to more daylight
and longer evenings. Sharon suggests, in so many ways spring
can elevate our mood and make life a little easier. We may feel
more optimistic, open to change, and often, it’s a time when we
look for new opportunities in our lives.
Sharon says, change is not easy, it takes effort and commitment,
especially when nowadays we all juggle so many roles, often we
can become overwhelmed by all the things we want to achieve.
Sharon goes on to explain, it’s not the events in our lives that
create anxiety. It’s our response to those events. The attitude
and thought processes that we adopt. As a Solution Focused
Hypnotherapist Sharon helps her clients manage those thoughts,
and achieve the positive outcomes they desire by taking small
steps and committing to finding solutions.
Sharon is a fully-qualified and insured hypnotherapist and
psychotherapist and a member of the CNHC, a voluntary regulator
for supplementary therapies. Sharon is also a senior supervisor
supporting practitioners across the country, and a senior lecture
with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training, teaching other likeminded
people to join one of the country’s fastest growing models
of therapeutic interventions.
To find out more visit www.sdykehypnotherapy.co.uk or contact
Sharon directly to book a consultation on 07766250113.
Hypnotherapy
Targets Exam Stress!
Local Hypnotherapist, Sharon Dyke, is focusing
this month on the issue of stress caused by exams
as many people start to revise (or cram) for those
oh-so-important examinations this summer.
Thousands of people up and down the country will be taking an exam
of some sort during the late spring and early summer. Other than the
obvious (GCSEs, A levels, and Degrees) there are many people taking
exams leading to professional qualifications, and many rely on a good
pass grade to obtain a place at university or college, a professional
qualification leading to employment, or even being able to just keep
their job. All very stressful and, although most of us get through
exams without too much difficulty in the end, there are a significant
number of us for whom the pressure can become too much, leading
to poor results, or being physically unable to participate in the actual
exams resulting in associated negative outcomes.
Sharon says, “It is completely normal, and in some ways a positive
thing to feel some anxiety around preparing for and taking exams. A
little bit of anxiety, that ‘nervous tension’, can act as a motivator and
can help the person to focus their attention, keeping the mind alert.
However, exam stress becomes a problem when it reaches a level
where it interferes with the ability to prepare for and perform in exams.
Too high an anxiety level interferes with clear, coherent, and creative
thinking and can also create a negative mindset, leading to panic.”
Sharon is a senior practitioner of Solution Focused Hypnotherapy
(SFH). She tells us how SFH, a modern research-based combination
of hypnosis and psychotherapy, is a great way to reduce stress and
create new positive study habits. She adds, “It can help during study
periods and also help on the day of the exam itself because you are
ADVERTISING FEATURE
feeling more in control and relaxed, it can also improve and restore
confidence and the motivation to succeed.”
Sharon works with the client to help them make positive changes and
move forward in a relaxed, calm and confident manner. Sharon says,
“We know that too much pressure can lead to a range of physical and
mental health problems.” Adding, “You don’t need this at any time,
but especially when you need to be on top of your game and get
those grades.” Sharon further adds, “Stress affects the way we think,
feel, and behave, impacting every area of our lives.
“We encourage clients to focus on how they want things to be.
We avoid problem-talk and instead help our clients to visualise
their preferred future. By encouraging clients to think and express
themselves positively, we can help to improve their outcomes.”
Sharon is a fully-qualified and insured senior hypnotherapy
practitioner and member of the CNHC, a voluntary regulator for
supplementary therapies. Sharon is also a a founder member of
the AfSFH, a senior supervisor supporting practitioners across the
country, and a senior lecture with Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy
Training, teaching other like-minded people to join one of the country’s
fastest growing models of therapeutic interventions. To find out more
please visit Sharon’s website www.sharondykehypnotherapy.co.uk
or contact her directly to book a consultation on 07766250113.
74

WHAT IS A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY?
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows you to nominate a person to make decisions
and take actions on your behalf if you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself in the
future, or if you no longer want to make decisions
It is important to choose someone you trust implicitly to look
after your affairs and act in your best interests. This might be
one or more members of your family, a friend, or a solicitor.
There are two types of LPA:
A Property & Financial Affairs LPA does exactly what it says and
authorises your Attorneys to deal with financial matters including
selling your house and access to your bank accounts to take
care of your financial responsibilities such as paying your bills.
A Health & Welfare LPA indicates how you would wish to be
cared for if you were no longer able to make those decisions
yourself. These decisions might include living arrangements,
personal welfare and health care.
You can have one or both types of LPA. They are independent of
each other and you may appoint different Attorneys.
Why do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney?
They are invaluable documents for adults of any age. Anyone
can become physically or mentally incapable as a result of an
unanticipated illness or a serious accident regardless of
their age.
A spouse, partner, or next of kin are not automatically entitled
to deal with your bank account or able to make decisions about
your health care if you lose the ability to do so. Without an LPA
they do not have such authority. It is a wise precaution to have
appointed Attorneys that you trust to take important actions on
your behalf should the need arise.
Can I restrict an Attorney’s powers?
Yes, you can give as wide or restrictive powers as you like and it
can be set up to allow Attorneys to
deal with all decisions, or just specific matters of your choice.
For example, you may wish not to give your Attorneys authority
over particular assets.
When can an Attorney act?
An Attorney can only start to act once the LPA is registered at
the Office of the Public Guardian, but once they do start to act
must always do so in your best interests.
It can be registered at any time, whether immediately after
the document has been completed, or later, when the need
to use it arises. Registration of the LPA does not mean that
you have lost capacity. You can continue to make decisions,
despite registration, until such time as capacity is lost and your
Attorneys should continue to consult you whilst you are able to
express your own opinion about decisions.
What happens without a Power of Attorney?
If you become incapacitated without this type of provision in
place, then no one would have the authority to sort out your
financial affairs or make decisions about your care and someone
(not necessarily the person you would choose) would need
to apply to the Court of Protection to be legally appointed to
manage your affairs through a Deputyship Order. This process is
substantially more expensive, takes longer and is less flexible for
the person appointed.

DIVORCE IS COMPLEX
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Is it possible to hide assets on divorce?
Parties to divorce may be tempted to hide assets to pay a
reduced financial settlement. Each have a duty to fully and frankly
disclose their finances, whether attempting to deal with matters
amicably or through the courts, otherwise the financial settlement
may be unfair
The court can order a party who has deliberately failed to
disclose assets to pay the legal costs incurred by their spouse.
They may receive a lower financial settlement and ultimately, a
custodial sentence can be imposed.
Urgent legal advice should be sought if you believe your spouse
is hiding or attempting to dispose of assets. The court has power
to freeze assets and to add them back where they have already
been transferred. A financial settlement can even be re-opened
through non-disclosure.
How are pensions treated on divorce?
The cash equivalent values of pensions must be considered on
divorce. Any disparity in the parties’ CEVs can be addressed by
pension sharing, where a proportion of the member’s pension
rights are shared with the former spouse, by “Attachment” where
the former spouse receives a percentage of the member’s rights
or by “Offsetting” where they take cash instead of a pension
share. With ‘attachment’, the member continues to own/control
the rights, the amount payable can be varied and will cease
on the remarriage or death of the payee. Unlike with pension
sharing, there is no financial clean break. An Actuary should be
instructed to provide calculations on these options.
Protecting Assets on Marriage
Planning for what should happen to assets on divorce can help
avoid a messy dispute later on. Although Pre-Nuptial Agreements
are not binding on the courts, recent cases illustrate they are
likely to be upheld where freely entered into (they should be
signed at least 21 days before the wedding to avoid allegations
of duress), and each party appreciates the implications. There
should be full financial disclosure with each taking independent
legal advice and the terms of the Agreement must be fair and
not prejudice the needs of any children. Although the courts still
retain discretion to vary a Nuptial Agreement to achieve fairness,
case law means that such an Agreement should be taken into
account and in the right case can carry decisive weight.
Jayne Turner is a Partner in Ashfords’ Family Team in Taunton.
She is a trained and experienced collaborative lawyer and a
Resolution Accredited Specialist in Complex Financial Remedies
and Pensions on Divorce as well as an Advanced Member of the
Law Society’s Family Law Panel. Jayne is described in the Legal
500 directory as “sensible, client focused and knowledgeable”.
Jayne’s Direct Line: +44 (0)1823 232370
Email: cj.turner@ashfords.co.uk
www.ashfords.co.uk/expertise/family
DIVORCE IS
COMPLEX
Our Family Team appreciate that a relationship breakdown is a traumatic
event, we treat all issues with sensitivity and provide a tailored service to meet
your demands, whether you need help regarding a divorce, seperation or
children issues.
Please contact Jayne Turner for advice. Jayne is a Partner in the Family team
in Taunton. She is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Complex Financial
Remedies and Pensions on Divorce, an Advanced Member of the Law Society’s
Family Law Panel and trained and experienced collaborative lawyer. Jayne is
described in the Legal 500 as “sensible, client focused and knowledgeable.”
+44 (0)01823 232370 cj.turner@ashfords.co.uk
A number of our team
are Resolution Accredited
Ashfords LLP
ashfords.co.uk/expertise/family
76

Priory Court Nursing Home
Priory Court Nursing Home
At Priory Court we provide the highest standards of nursing,
At residential Priory Court & dementia we provide care. the Family-led, highest standards our care of is the nursing, kind
residential we’d want all & dementia of our loved care. ones Family-led, to receive. our Our care home is the is tastefully kind
we’d furnished, want with all of modern our loved facilities ones to and receive. thoughtful Our home touches is tastefully throughout
furnished, to make our with residents modern feel facilities at home and with thoughtful us. touches throughout
to make our residents feel at home with us.
• 24 hour nursing care
• 24 Person-centred hour nursing dementia care care
• Person-centred Tailored meaningful dementia activities care
• Tailored Daily fine meaningful dining activities
• Daily Extensive fine gardens dining
• Extensive gardens
Visit our website countrycourtcare.com to find out more.
Visit our website countrycourtcare.com to find out more.
01278 768 000
01278 768 000
19 Oxford Street, Burnham-on-sea,
19 Somerset, Oxford Street, TA8 1LGBurnham-on-sea,
Somerset, TA8 1LG
priorycourt@countrycourtcare.com
priorycourt@countrycourtcare.com

MOBILITY AIDS
If you or someone you know has difficulty walking or getting around (mobility), a wheelchair,
scooter or walking aid might help.
WALKING STICKS
Choosing a walking stick. There are different types of walking
sticks. You should think about:
• making sure the stick is the correct height for you (ask for
advice when you get your walking stick)
• whether you need one that stands up by itself (some have
3 or 4 feet)
• whether you need the stick to be right-handed or lefthanded
• whether you need a seat so you can rest
• whether you need a stick to go up steps (you should speak
to a physiotherapist for advice)
• Contact your GP surgery about how to get an appointment
with a physiotherapist.
WALKING FRAMES
A walking frame gives you more support than walking sticks. You
can use them to get around your home or to get out and about.
You can borrow walking frames from the NHS. Speak to a GP,
physiotherapist or hospital staff. You might have to pay a deposit.
You can buy walking frames online, or search online for mobility
shops in your area. Prices range from £20 to £200.
Choosing a walking frame. You should think about:
• making sure it’s the correct height for you (ask hospital staff
or your mobility shop for advice)
• whether you want to only use it indoors (frames without
wheels are best)
• whether you’re strong enough to lift a frame without wheels
• whether you want to get out and about (frames with wheels
are better for outdoors)
• whether you need a seat, basket or tray attached
• whether you need to fold it to get it into a car
MOBILITY SCOOTERS
Mobility scooters can be useful if you struggle to walk or are
disabled, need to travel long distances, and are able to get on
and off a mobility scooter easily.
Mobility scooters are not generally available on the NHS. Search
online for local mobility shops. Mobility scooters range in price
from £400 to more than £5,000. The Motability Scheme can
help if you want to hire or buy a mobility scooter. It allows some
people to use their benefits to pay for one.
Choosing a scooter - You should think about:
• how often you need to use a scooter
• what you need it for (roads or pavements)
• whether it needs to go in a car
• where you’ll store your scooter
• how much it costs to maintain and repair
• whether you’ll be able to steer it (some have special levers
to steer them if you have arthritis in your hands)
Ask to try different types before you make your decision.
79

Visiting a
care home;
ADVERTISING FEATURE
the a-z
of top
tips
Dementia expert Professor June Andrews
gives us her insightful tips into visiting a
loved one in residential or nursing care...
When someone with dementia moves into
a care home, it is often a great relief for
the family. Many things are immediately
better. You can get an undisturbed night’s
sleep and it’s possible to go out and about
without worrying how your loved one is, and
whether they are safe. But it is not always
so simple. You might worry about whether
the new resident is being looked after
properly, or whether they are fretting and
missing you.
Visiting now becomes an important issue.
How often should you go and for how long,
and what on earth do you do when you are
there? Because people ask me this, I made
an A-Z of visiting ideas an important part
of my new book on care home. Especially
as you know the person you are visiting, I
expect you will be able to think of variations
on this theme.
AAvoid contradicting someone with
dementia, even for clarification.
Bring the newspaper or photos to look at.
Calmly sit and wait. Just being there is
good in itself.
Don’t be louder than needed.
Even if you are in a hurry, don’t appear to
rush.
Find conversation-starters apart from ‘Do
you remember when … ?’ Direct questions
are like a memory test, and uncomfortable.
Give a hug (with permission) or find
appropriate contact like a hand massage.
Have food to share, or go for a
cuppa.
Introduce yourself again every time, even if
you are sure they know you.
Just wait after speaking. To give extra time
for a response, count to ten.
Keep an eye out for tiredness, and offer
sips of water.
Limit the numbers visiting at any one time.
Make an attempt to get outside, if only on a
roof terrace or balcony.
Never forget that the person can read your
body language.
Offer to bring your dog or other pet,
especially if it is calm and affectionate.
Pick their best time of day.
Quick visits are acceptable - what matters
is the quality.
Read out loud.
Sing together.
Try to be in a quiet room.
Understand, if they are rude, that this is not
personal.
Visiting cards or notes let others know that
you called and are good for reminding the
resident that they are loved and respected.
When it is time to go, find a distraction to
cover your departure.
XXX is for kissing - only do it if you used to
do it before.
Young visitors are always popular, and
babies are amazing.
ZZZ is for when they sleep through your
visit; you were there - that matters - so leave
a card. Use the time to relax yourself or talk
to someone else who is lonely.
Z
If just visiting the care home starts to be
hard work for the family, neighbours and
friends can help. It might be hard to make
sure someone is there every day, and you
can work together to fill the gaps. Have fun!
Professor June’s book, Care Homes: The
One Stop Guide: When, Why and How to
Choose a Care Home will be released in
June.
It is Dementia Action Week from 11-17 May
2020. Find out more at www.alzheimers.org.
uk. You can also call the National Dementia
Helpline for support on 0300 222 11 22.
80

81

what is probate?
Probate is the process of administering a
deceased person’s estate...
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Probate involves: -
• gathering details of their assets and debts;
• completing an Inheritance Tax return and paying any tax (if
required);
• applying for a Grant (of Probate) which is the official
document that confirms the Executors or Administrators
position (if necessary);
• gathering in assets, settling liabilities and debts;
• distributing the estate in accordance with the Will or the
laws of Intestacy.
The process can take approximately a year in most cases, but
depends on size and complexity of the estate.
Only the executors in the Will can apply for Probate (but not all
of them need to do so). If no executors then rules determine who
can apply to administer the estate. If there is no Will then the laws
of Intestacy set out who can apply to administer the estate with a
Grant (known as a Grant of Letters of Administration).
Leaving a Will ensures your affairs are taken care of after death
but consider what happens if you are unable to manage your
affairs in life.
To enable somebody to manage your financial affairs and welfare
requires what is known as a Lasting Power of Attorney (“LPA”);
this allows you to appoint someone to be your “attorney” if
declining health prevents you from managing your own affairs
and finances. There are two: -
(i) Property & Finance which allows you appoint individual/s to
make decisions i.e. help managing your finances. Attorneys
can help you at your discretion whilst you still have capacity and
continue if you lose capacity.
(ii) Health & Welfare only to be used if you lose capacity to make
decisions for yourself. Attorneys make decisions relating to
personal care, accommodation, medical consents etc.
It is worth considering how LPAs can protect your business
interests. With an LPA, you can appoint someone who you trust
to think like you and make decisions you would make. You can
make an LPA for this separately from personal LPAs.
Contact Taunton Solicitors for further information:
info@tauntonsolicitors.com 01823 351122
www.tauntonsolicitors.com
Taunton
SOLICITORS
Legal Services and Advice
BUYING AND SELLING
PROPERTY
SHARED OWNERSHIP
HELP TO BUY
FAMILY LAW
& DIVORCE
LASTING POWERS OF
ATTORNEY
COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY
WILLS
PROBATE & TRUSTS
Visit our website for discounts and costs www.tauntonsolicitors.com
2 hours free client car parking
Ground floor office, disabled parking and facilities and private meeting rooms
2 Tangier Central Taunton TA1 4AP
Call our office for more details 01823 351122
Email: info@tauntonsolicitors.com
82

family law
Tips on handling relationship breakdown
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Associate Solicitor Amy Langford from The Family Law
Company looks at ways to make breaking up a little less painful.
orders or solicitor’s letters. A prompt
response keeps matters moving
forward and legal fees to a minimum.
Failing to provide information to the
court hinders the process and reflects
negatively on you.
• Don’t involve the children; keep
them protected from ongoing court
proceedings. Don’t speak negatively
about your ex-partner in front of them
or behave in a way that forces them
to take sides. Try to stay positive and
enthusiastic about the time your child
is spending with their other parent.
January’s infamous ‘Divorce Day’ has
officially passed. Of course, this doesn’t
mean people will be free from relationship
breakdown for the rest of the year – it can
happen at any time. This is often a time of
hurt and stress but if the right approach is
taken, it does not have to be as negative
and difficult as one may think. The
breakdown of a relationship can actually go
smoothly if handled with consideration.
Things you can do to help
• Put the children first in everything.
The court will always consider
the children’s well-being as a first
consideration when deciding financial
matters in a divorce. Think how to
best provide for your children before
considering what you want for
yourself.
• Try mediation. This is a nonconfrontational
way to have a
discussion and reach an agreement
regarding financial matters and/or
children matters without having to go
to court. It is also less expensive than
issuing court proceedings.
• If you are in financial proceedings,
provide full financial disclosure. The
court takes a very dim view if financial
assets are not disclosed. If you delay
in providing disclosure it will only
prolong matters and prevent you from
moving forward.
• Try to communicate without
getting angry or passing blame. If
communication becomes difficult
you might decide to leave it to the
solicitors or only communicate via
email. Avoid communicating late
at night or when you are feeling
emotional and try to keep interactions
as neutral as possible. If you are
asking your ex-spouse/partner for
a change in current circumstances
(particularly in relation to children)
try to explain the reasoning behind
what you want to happen and keep it
child-focused.
Things to avoid
• Don’t make sweeping statements or
accusations as this will only upset the
other party and increase the tension
between you.
• Don’t delay in responding to court
“This is often a time of hurt and stress but if the
right approach is taken, it does not have to be
as negative and difficult as one may think. The
breakdown of a relationship can actually go
smoothly if handled with consideration.”
• Don’t ignore the fact that your
relationship has broken down. Whilst
it may be tempting to hope everything
goes away, particularly if you do not
want to get divorced or separated,
pretending nothing is happening will
not help. If your spouse has filed an
application for divorce, then they
clearly believe the marriage is over.
As much as you may wish it were
otherwise, refusing to cooperate
will only prolong the process and
ultimately make matters more painful
for you. Similarly, if your ex-partner
has left you and wants to talk about
the time they spend with the children,
engage in the conversation. If you
ignore them and refuse to talk you
might find yourself receiving court
papers. If at all possible, it is far
better to talk about resolving children
matters, perhaps with the help of a
mediator, before rushing to court.
Going through relationship breakdown
can be difficult but the correct legal advice
prevents unnecessary stress and worry.
Having a family law specialist to assist you
will ensure that any matters that ought to
be dealt with alongside your relationship
breakdown do not go unnoticed or
forgotten. At The Family Law Company,
we always try to take a calm approach to
any matter and avoid an unnecessarily
adversarial approach whenever possible.
If you require further information or
advice in respect of this or any other
family matter, please contact
Amy Langford on 01823 785070.
www.thefamilylawco.co.uk

michaelspiers.co.uk
M_Spiers_Taunton Living-Ad-JAN2020.indd 1 20/01/2020 11:29