14.05.16

+ BEDROOMS FOR KIDS

+ MODERN METALLICS

PLUS:

do it

WIN:+ A COASTAL

BREAK WORTH OVER £2000

Born to

Craig David’s back, and headed our way

INSIDE:+ SOMERSET’S

SUPER SWIMMER

Cover_May14.indd 1 10/05/2016 12:12:15

Ads.indd 4 09/05/2016 18:14:24

33

6 THE WISHLISTOur pick of the best treats this week

9 JUST BETWEEN US...Sh! We have the latest gossip!

12 CRAIG DAVID COMES WEST Exclusive interview with the singing star

16 THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGEFrom a wheelchair to swimming the Channel

22 DECOR THAT IS CHILD’S PLAYCute bedroom schemes for kids

26 ANNE SWITHINBANKGrowing your own tomatoes

28 FIRST CLASS FACIALSWe put the latest products to the test

32 MODERN METALLICS Looking lovely in silver and gold

34 CULTURE VULTUREWhat’s on and where to go

36 BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Smart ways to feel your best this week

42 WESTCOUNTRY WEEKENDExploring the joys of beach life at Bantham

46 A NICE DAY OUTPhil Goodwin takes James to The Jungle Book

contents[ [Inside this week...

41 SIMPLY CITRUSLemon recipes from Tim Maddams

22 CHILD’S PLAYFun decor for the kids in your life

ALL THE GOSSIPYou heard it here � rst!09

MODERN METALLICSLooking lovely in silver and gold30

36 OUTDOOR SWIMMINGBeautiful places to enjoy the water

42 WEEKENDS AWAYWhere to go, what to do

‘Eating enough becomes an obsession. I had

a deep- lled pie, gone in ve minutes,

then another, and yeah – I eat a lot!’

Beth French on how to prepare for a 20-

mile swim, p16

Contents_May14.indd 3 10/05/2016 10:52:37

Becky Sheaves, Editor Sarah Pitt Kathryn Clarke-McLeod Catherine Barnes Lynne Potter

4

[[ [[welcome[ [

his magazine is full of remarkable stories, such as our interview today with Somerset-based endurance swimmer Beth French. At the age of 17, Beth

was in a wheelchair after years of misery with the post-viral syndrome My-algic Encephalopathy (ME). At the time, her doctor told her to “have a dream” and so she told herself that, if she ever did recover, she would swim the English Chan-nel. And guess what, she did just that, followed by a swim from Penzance all the way to the Isles of Scilly. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Beth (who

trains in the sea in east Devon) is now about to swim the Oceans Seven, a collection of swims around the world, all to be completed within a year. It’s never been done before. You can read

all about it in Hannah Mattocks’ fascinating interview with Beth today (p16). And PS, Hannah wrote it with us while on school work experience. She’s only 15! Another star in the making, we think.

Now, if all this is making you feel just a little exhausted, fear not - we also cater for gentler pursuits, such as our garden guru Anne Swith-inbank’s excellent advice on growing tomatoes (page 26). Have a lovely weekend.

[ [Beth is about to embark on a truly

astonishing challenge

Becky Sheaves, Editor

If you are in need of inspiration...

[BETTER THAN EVERCraig David is back, in Exeter12

EDITORIAL: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.ukTel: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest

@cabolitho Nice to see National

Trust’s rst South West Outdoor Festival in

@wmnwest @NTSouthWest #SWOF

MEET THE TEAM

Becky Sheaves, Editor Sarah Pitt Kathryn Clarke-McLeod Catherine Barnes Lynne Potter

Tweetof the week

TO ADVERTISE: Contact Lynne Potter: 01752 293027 or 07834 568283, lynne.potter@dc-media.co.uk

T16

17

Events

Don’t Wake The Fish festival, Zennor

Port Eliot

Faery Festival

Port Eliot

Win

3 Wishes Faery Festival

Best for: Flights of fantasyFlower fairies, mer-folk and fauns from

across the country will be celebrating all

things fey in this award-winning magical

and musical summer festival. Held close to

the summer solstice, there’s a happy and

very family-friendly vibe in an environ-

ment where everyone from Frozen fans

to Game of Thrones enthusiasts can don

fl owers, face paint and wings. Little ones

can enrol at Melody the Mermaid’s fairy

school, while parents take part in a foraging

adventure and cook up recipes including sweets, sherbets and

curry from wild food. There’s even a fairy dog show.

This year’s highlight: Bring your wand and tutu to take part in a

world record attempt for the most fairies gathered in one place at

3pm on Saturday 18. It’s going to be held in a public space, so non-

ticket holders are welcome, too!

When: 17-19 June

Where: Mount Edgcumbe House, Torpoint, Cornwall

Tickets: Family weekend camping pitch £240 (available to buy in

instalments).

fairyfestival.co.uk

We have a family weekend ticket, worth £240, for this year’s 3 Wishes

Faery Festival . To enter, tell us what its storytelling mermaid

is called. Mark your entry ‘Faery Festival comp’ and send

with your name, address and daytime phone number

to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight

Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Port Eliot Festival

Best for: Feeding your mind

The Port Eliot Festival is a bohemian, arty won-

derland. You’re likely to see famous faces chilling

out here as well as performing - it’s a cool place

to be. The festival, in the beautiful grounds of a

stately home, celebrates words, music, comedy,

fashion, food and all things bright and beautiful.

Even the campsite is a thing of loveliness. Things

to try include late night astronomy walks, an

overnight camp-out for kids, wild cocktail making

and the Grand Port Eliot Clothes Swap.

This year’s highlight: Comedian and writer Noel

Fielding is set to present a surreal exhibition of

his watercolour paintings including ‘The Lonely

Prince (with giant Owl)’ and ‘My Little Pony’.

When: 28-31 July

Where: St Germans, south east Cornwall

Tickets: Family weekend ticket £430, adult day

ticket £60, porteliotfestival.com

We have a family weekend ticket, worth £430, for this

year’s Port Eliot Festival. To enter, tell us where in Corn-

wall you’ll � nd this amazing venue. Mark

your entry ‘Port Eliot comp’ and send with

your name, address and daytime phone

number to westmag@westernmorning-

news.co.uk by midnight Friday May 20.

Usual T&Cs apply.Win

It’s time to order your tickets and pack

your wellies - here’s our pick of the

Westcountry’s � nest outdoor gatherings

festival!Ready, set Occombe Beer Festival

By Catherine Barnes

EdsLetter_1thing_May14.indd 4 10/05/2016 11:04:52

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Why not book a stay at this gorgeous holiday home, right on the water at Salcombe in south Devon? The house, called Under-

becks, sleeps 10-12 people and is newly built in an Arts and Cra� s style. It has � ve bedrooms, � ve bathrooms and the decked

balcony has this wonderful view (pictured). Salcombe is one of the South West’s most desirable holiday

spots, a yachting paradise with lovely beaches. Underbecks is available with Helpful Holidays from £1,999 a week.

For details visit www.helpfulholidays.co.uk

one thingIf you do

this week...

Win You can win a week’s holiday for ten at � ve-star holiday home Underbecks, thanks to Westcountry company Helpful Holidays and design label Cath Kidston. Winners will also get a selection of Cath Kidston goodies. To enter, visit www.cathkidston.com or

pop into a Cath Kidston store – in Salcombe, Exeter and St Ives – before May 30. See www.helpfulholidays.co.uk for details.

EdsLetter_1thing_May14.indd 5 10/05/2016 11:05:17

6

the

West’s top picks for spending your time and money this week

wishlistWest’s top picks for spending your time and money this week

STREETSTYLE STAR

Send your stylish snaps of you or a friend looking fab to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk

Andrea Nicolin We spotted full-time mum Andrea,

28, out in Exeter the other day – doesn’t she look great? She told us she had bought her coat and trainers in two di� erent places: “But they go so well together”.

She’s a lover of online shopping and says that she is looking for summery dresses for when the

weather warms up.Coat: Romwe.com £20

Top: Boohoo.com £6Leggings: Boohoo.com £20

Bag: Primark £10

SPOTTED BY: HANNAH MATTOCKS

Little Seedlings hand trowel £1.99 www.

dobbies.comOrange & neroli soap

£5 north Devon’s www.hogwashsoap.co.uk

Flamingo straws £2.99 for 12

www.oakroomshop.co.uk

Charley Chau oval rattan dog basket £50

www.charleyhall.com

LOVELY

PARTY

HAPPYDOG

Wishlist_May14.indd 6 09/05/2016 15:46:10

7

Hat-maker Holly Young combines her passions for sculpture, fashion and textiles in cra� ing fabulously glamorous hats and fascinators in many colours and styles. She o� ers bespoke bridal hair accessories and occasion hats to order, as well as ready-to-wear collections and hat hire for

weddings or the races. Appointments are recommended at her studio in Truro, so she can give you all the time you need.

Holly Young Millinery is on the � rst � oor, Princes House, Princes Street, Truro, hollyyoungboutique.com, 07968 783320.

STORE WE ADORE:

Wishlist

Holly Young Millinery, Truro

adore...Store we

Lily Blanche rose gold feather earrings £55

www.in-spaces.com

Keep Smiling cloth bag £13 quinceliving.co.uk

Havaianas Crystal Rose slim fl oral fl ip fl ops £25.95 www.

� ip� opshop.co.uk and shop at Unit 5 Kernick Business Park

Penryn

fave!

BAG IT

Wishlist_May14.indd 7 09/05/2016 15:48:10

8

talking points

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, looked cheery recently in a raspberry coat by her favourite couture design label Anna Valentine – the same designer who made her wedding dress back in 2005. This A-line coat is a very � attering shade for Camilla’s blonde colouring and has a smart, wearable silhouette, too. Last year, pastel pink coats were all the rage, but a deeper, more vibrant shade is very on-trend this spring, o­ ering a chance to stay warm and yet look summery. Here’s our pick of the best raspberry pink coats on sale right now.

RASPBERRY pink coats

OPTION BPractical

Belted trench £120 Yumi

OPTION APrettySwing coat £55 Next

stealherstyle

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

aving had a glimpse of sunshine and a hint of warm weather (or maybe it was just a dream?),

clearly it’s now time to barbe-cue. Everything. At every meal. Whenever the clouds clear. Quick: we only have seconds before the rain clamps in for the rest of the summer!

Sadly, our barbecue is so old it has actually fallen apart. What remains is a hulking pile of rusty metal, leering at me from the corner of the shed. I think a hibernating mammal made a nest in the bottom of it. All the mark-ings have rubbed off the knobs so you can’t actually tell where “high” or “light” is.

So, new barbecue. We’re in the market. No garden centre is safe.

Have you looked around at what you can buy in the outdoor grilling depart-ment recently? Honestly, it’s worth a browse, if only to make you smile.

Gone are the days where a simple rack over some fl ames would do. Now they’ve got fancy attachments. You can get a rotis-serie spit, a pizza stone, a delicate fi sh rack, a fl atiron with ridges.

The recent trend in gas bar-becues seems to be a separate burner to the side of the main rack. James and I tried to puzzle out what it was for and decided it was probably designed so you could fry onions.

That seemed to be taking it a bit far. Presumably you still have to store and slice the onions in the kitchen. Why wouldn’t you

just fry them there? You can do onions in advance, after all. And a frying pan isn’t really a barbecue thing, is it?

“I can’t believe you’re going for gas – aren’t you American?” a friend said to me. “I thought all Americans were barbecue purists and only used charcoal.”

It’s true, those purists do exist: but I come from the “quick and easy” school of barbecues, which

means gas. Hon-estly, it’s so much easier. Heats up in 10 minutes, you don’t need to buy charcoal or get your hands dirty. Turn it off and wheel it away. Job done.

Is the fl avour less smoky and authen-tic? Probably. But by the time you’ve had a few beers, I would argue that the difference is

negligible. You don’t really go to a barbecue to eat gourmet food anyway: mostly you’re chatting and trying to balance your plate on your drink, which cuts down on actually concentrating on the food.My experience is that as long as you’re able to provide some meat at a temperature above lukewarm, everyone’s happy.

Now the trick is not to get bogged down at the comparison shopping so that we miss our pre-cious window of good weather…

Story of my life...

Gillian Molesworth

It’s barbecue time at last, or isn’t it?

Gillian Molesworth is a journalist and mum-of-two who grew up in the USA and moved to north Cornwall when she met her husband

H

You don’t go to a barbecue to eat

gourmet food – mostly you’re

chatting and trying to balance

your plate on your drink

DAWN’S SIDE!

Duffle coat £89.95 Seasalt Cornwall

Moley_Gossip_May14.indd 8 09/05/2016 15:42:15

Aidan Turner has confessed that his star-making turn in Poldark was the � rst role he did not have to audition for. The Poldark cast and crew have been spotted � lming in loca-tions all over Cornwall, with the much-anticipated second series expected to return to our screens in the autumn. The Dublin-born actor, who has set pulses racing as the shirtless heartthrob reveals: “I usually audition for things but they just sent me the scripts and the books, and asked me if I wanted to play the role. “It’s the only thing I’ve got o­ ered in my entire life! Eve-rybody else must have been busy.” Thank goodness for that!

HOW AIDAN NABBED

POLDARK

9

Justbetween us!Gossip, news, trend setters and more – you

heard all the latest juicy stu here � rst!

14.05.16

Alison Moyet, Sarah Millican and broadcaster Alice Arnold have leapt to support pal Dawn French. Plymoth-ian Dawn hit out at a snide comments and photos published shortly a� er she arrived back in the UK from Australia - looking just like any of us would do a� er a long-haul � ight. Dawn tweeted: “Really #mailonline? A 58 year old woman o­ a long haul � ight looks tired? Then same woman early next morning walks her dog make-up

free? BULLYING.” Fellow comedian Sarah Millican de-scribed the comments as ‘unacceptable’ tweeting: “So you’re normal, yes?...”“Despicable,” tweeted Alison Moyet. “‘Forgoing make-up’… like most normal women.” Well, ‘normal’ in every respect apart from that Dawn, who lives in Fowey, has just toured her one-woman show 30 Million Minutes… AND published a new novel. No wonder she looks a bit tired!

Eurovision host Graham Norton has said tonight’s song contest will bring back “bitter-sweet” memories of his much-loved predecessor Sir Terry Wogan, who died in January. Graham says: “When I am doing the Eurovision commentary I still hear Sir Terry in my head, as I am sure lots of other people do too. I think

this year we will all be thinking of [him] and I am sure I will say a few words about him as the night goes on, as it is a night that will forever be associated

with Terry Wogan.” West says: We agree – and will be raising a glass of Baileys to the inimitable Sir Terry this evening, too.

BITTER-SWEET MEMORIES

WE’RE ON

DAWN’S SIDE!

‘Eurovision will forever be about Sir Terry, in my

mind’ [[

Moley_Gossip_May14.indd 9 09/05/2016 15:43:33

10

in pictures

Our hero: Mary Berry signs books at the Salcombe Crab Festival

Cute: Silly Old Sea Dog fashion from Newquay now has a pop up shop, which is off to London

Mini: A new baby has been

born at the Miniature Pony

Centre on Dartmoor

A-list: The Mad Max:Fury

Road star Tom Hardy is

spotted filming the new BBC

drama Taboo in Charlestown,

Cornwall

WIP_Lists_May14.indd 10 09/05/2016 15:37:12

11

Poetry

talking points

Blessed

Generously

Ten Anglo Saxon saints:

1 Rumon of Tavistock2 Ultan the Scribe 3 Acca of Hexham4 Mildrith of Thanet5 Sativola of Exeter6 Nectan of Hartland7 Dachuna of Bodmin8 Decuman of Watchet9 Brannoc of Braunton

10 Æthelwynn of Sodbury

DID YOU KNOW?

This week:

Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

ONE OF US

Champion runner Jo Pavey, 42, grew up in Honiton and lives in east Devon

Jo Pavey

The happy list

10 things to make you smile this week1 Devon County Show

May 19-21, just can’t wait

2 Half term plans get away...

3 Food festivals try the one at St Ives, May 14-15

4 Matt Cardle singing at Exeter Northcott, June 26

5 Love, Nina new TV show

6 Supper clubs good fun

7 Bude Folk Festival May 27-30 - sing, dance, play...

8 Eligible Pride and Preju-dice, retold: a terri� c read

9 Asparagus with hot butter

10 Finding Dory the Nemo sequel, out this June

Ten Blue Peter collection appeals:

1 Stamps

2 Foil milk bottle tops

3 Keys

4 Toys

5 Wool

6 Paperback books

7 Spoons and forks

8 Buttons, buckles and badges

9 Pre-decimal coins

10 Rags

Famous names and meanings in Cockney rhyming slang

1 Hank Marvin / starving 2 Alan Whicker / knickers3 Ruby Murray / curry4 Giorgio Armani / sarnie5 Pete Tong / wrong6 Sue Lawley / poorly7 Mariah Carey / scary8 Britney Spears / beers9 Lionel Blair / � ares 10 Emma Freud /

haemorrhoids

Achievement: Jo Pavey won the 10,000 metres gold medal at the 2014 European Championships, just ten months a� er giving birth to her second child. She is the oldest female European champion in history, at the age of 40 years and 325 days. “To try for so many years and to � nally do it at the age of 40 is funny really…I should have learned how it do it by now,” she told reporters at the time.

Top: On the day of her European gold, Jo’s husband Gavin had put her running top in the wash and the colours had run. She wore her old club top instead: “That top is 24 years old – older than most of the girls she was running against,” said Gavin.

Early days: Jo grew up in Honiton and attended The King’s School, Ottery St Mary – where she still holds

most of the running records.

Family: Jo is very family-minded. Her husband Gavin is her trainer and

manager, and they have two children together, called Jacob and Emily. She and Gavin met as teenagers at Exeter Harriers running club. Gavin remembers their � rst run together: “A� er three miles she dropped me, I just remember these blue Lycra tights disappearing.”

Devon: Jo and Gavin live quietly in a village

in east Devon. They do not have child care and organise Jo’s 100 mile-a week training schedule around the children: “I do feel extremely fortunate, because a lot of our friends have got the pressures of going to an o¡ ce, whereas we’re just based at home because of running, which is a lovely side of it for me,” says Jo.

Competition winners:The winners of a pair of tickets for Ladies’ Night at Exeter Racecourse on April 21 were: Nicola Carhart, St Issey; Justine Colton, Princetown; Alison Kerslake, Stowford near Okehampton

Jo has represented Great Britain

in every Olympics

from 2000 to 2012

WIP_Lists_May14.indd 11 09/05/2016 15:37:48

by Dawn Ellis

t’s been 17 years since singing star Craig David was fi rst catapulted into the limelight, when he crooned on the massive 1999 hit Re-Rewind by the Artful Dodger.

The following year, still aged just 19, he released his debut album Born To Do It. This offering went on to sell more than eight million copies around the globe and spawned hit after hit, including Fill Me In, Seven Days and Walking Away.

Fans will no doubt be hoping he will revisit his hits when he performs this month at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Devon, on May 28-29.

The iconic album cover showed the singer with his eyes shut wearing big chunky earphones. “I was ahead of the times. Earphones have come so far,” he jokes when we meet in Devon, where Craig is talking to a group of students about the music industry. It’s a subject he is more than usually qualifi ed to explain, both the positive and the negative aspects. So what was he listen-ing to, looking so soulful on that album cover? “I think the wire just went into my pocket,” he says, laughing.

After his early stratospheric success, he went on to release a further fi ve albums and, along the way has worked with big names in the industry including Tinchy Stryder, Rita Ora and Sting. Indeed Craig, who grew up in Southampton, has certainly lived the dream at times - but it’s fair to say his career has been a bit of a rollercoaster

ride. The sweet-voiced star struggled when he was ridiculed on the TV show Bo Selecta. Thir-teen years ago, the cult series made fun of him on a weekly basis and he went from being a su-perstar to being, in some eyes, a national joke. “Looking back, it was all blown out of propor-tion,” says Craig.

“Years before Bo Selecta there was Spit-ting Image where there were puppets of the likes of Prince Charles and a whole load of other famous people. Now, I see it as a form of fl attery to be recog-nised and imitated.

“In Bo Selecta I was just one of many [cari-catures] from Michael Jackson to David Beck-ham to Mel B.”

That’s all behind him now, and he’s now back with a bang, releasing a new album, Following My Intuition. There’s a good buzz around his new music, too. And this time around, he is ready for it: “Talking of cream rising to the top, you have to let the music do the

BACK FOR MOREAt the age of 19, he had the world at his feet. Then life got somewhat complicated... Ahead of his Exeter gig this month, we meet Craig David

People

I

12

‘If you don’t know what failure is, then

you don’t know what success is.

Some of my hardest times have been

the best for me, in hindsight’

Feature1_May14.indd 12 09/05/2016 16:11:47

13

Feature1_May14.indd 13 09/05/2016 16:12:57

14

People

Feature1_May14.indd 14 09/05/2016 16:13:24

15

Craig David appears this summer at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Exeter and Boardmasters in Newquay with top names including:

Mumford & SonsColdplayChase & StatusNick JonasIggy AzaleaKaiser ChiefsPrimal ScreamJames Bay

For details visit www.bbc.co.uk and www.boardmasters.co.uk

CRAIG IN

THE WESTCOUNTRY

talking. Three minutes of music as a musician can change your life. It changed mine,” he says.

Craig tells the stuidents that he believes you have to embrace opportunity and be focused and driven to succeed in music these days. “Every-one has the opportunity to be extraordinary,” he says. “It’s just a belief thing. The only obstacle you have in life is yourself. You get in your own way and say: ‘It’s hard for me and other people have it easier.’

“I came from a working class family in South-ampton. I’ve experi-enced the most amaz-ing rollercoaster ride in my life and am thankful to have great people with me along the way... I feel like there is no plan and I don’t regret anything I have done.

“If you don’t know what failure is, then you don’t know what success is. Some of my hardest times have been the best for me, in hindsight.”

For the Radio 1 Big Weekend, Craig will return to Devon, taking to the stage alongside the likes of Coldplay, and Ellie Goulding for the two-day music ex-travaganza.

He says he is hoping to collaborate with Cold-play’s Chris Martin at the event. “I’d love to do it. It’s all about timings, if people are there at the right time that’s great. I do love the spontaneous ones [collaborations]. There are so many good people on the line up. I’d like to go with Chris Martin and break it down.”

Craig says he has not been to the South West “for years” but recalls playing here back in his early days. “The last time I performed in Devon was at Plymouth Pavilions. It will be great coming back to perform in Devon again.

“I came down to the gig today on the train and I don’t think many people realise how beautiful and scenic it is around here.

“When I come up to Exeter I’m going to stay the night before and have a look around,” he says.

One thing he’s not going to do, though, is try a cream tea as he’s not a fan of clotted cream, al-though admits that, if pressed, he’d eat his “the Cornish way”.

“The jam would have to go on fi rst then the cream,” he says, leading to an outcry from the Devonians present and him jokingly backtrack-ing. We forgive him. After all, this is Craig David, someone who deserves a second chance.

‘It will be great performing

here again. I came down today on the

train. I don’t think many people realise

how beautiful and scenic it is here’

Feature1_May14.indd 15 10/05/2016 12:19:45

16

[[

Tell us about the Oceans Seven Challenge... It’s a list including a swim from Northern Ireland to Scotland, and between the north and south islands in New Zealand. I have done several of them already, including a swim in Hawaii that took me 24 hours and ten minutes. It was during that swim that I decided I wanted to tackle the Oceans Seven challenge. To do the lot, not just over my lifetime, but in a single year, starting on September 6. It’s never been done before.

How did all this start? The English Channel was my fi rst endurance swim. I swam that because it was a lifelong dream that I had since I was a kid. I ended up with ME when I was a teenager. I had glandular fever when I was 10 and never recov-ered, ending up in a wheelchair when I was 17.

So were you ill throughout your teens? Yes, in peaks and troughs. I was captain of every sports team at school but with random I-couldn’t-get-out-of-bed month-long spells. So it was very up and down. By the time I was 17 I couldn’t do my A-levels. I got to the mock exams and ended up

Ultimate challenge

BETH FRENCH’S

[Beth French, 38, from Milverton in Somerset, aims to be the � rst person ever

to complete the Oceans Seven, a collection of gruelling open-water swims around the world, within a single year. She tells Hannah Mattocks how illness

and a troubled childhood inspired her remarkable plan

Feature2_May14.indd 16 09/05/2016 16:01:04

17

People

Feature2_May14.indd 17 09/05/2016 16:01:30

18

People

bedridden and wheelchair-bound for the better part of a year. There was no medical help at the time. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 17. I was told I was a typical adolescent who liked to lie around when I was going through low phases, until we found a doctor who recognised I wasn’t in a wheelchair by choice.

Having a dream My doctor said to me, for symptom relief, that I should make a wish list, a dream list. He said: “You have got to give your-self a reason to get better.” So I started to keep little mental dream list – if I ever got out of this, that’s what I want to do. Swim the Channel!

When were you told you couldn’t have children? When I was 26, my health was not quite perfect, still a bit fragile, and because of the ME my hormones were not right, leaving me with all sorts of illnesses. It seemed like everything that could go wrong, had. I was encouraged to have a

hysterectomy but I didn’t want major surgery. I wanted to be healthy. So I turned to alternative health, piecing that together, and then I turned 30 and got pregnant with my son Dylan, who is now seven.

And is that what started your swimming ambitions? Unfortunately, within a year of Dylan being born, his dad and I went our separate ways. So being a single mum I thought, well: I can either crack and crumble, never see the light of day and become one of those mums who doesn’t leave the house and struggles. Or I learn to juggle really well.

How did you train when you had a small baby? I wanted my son to grow up knowing how to fulfi l his dreams. I know, no matter what life throws at you, you can fi gure out a way to be the person you want to be. So I trained while he was asleep and when he was in pre-school. I was still a mum

by day and I talked to him about it. As he has got older, he will sit in a kayak with my friend alongside, or I tow him in a dinghy as I swim. He points down the coast to where he wants to go and I put a picnic in the dinghy and off we go.

How old is Dylan? Seven and a half now. He has become an intrinsic part of why I do this and how I do it. Being a single mum, you build up stamina for life. You don’t know when you’re going to get any sleep, your body just works dif-ferently. That has actually given me a head start in some ways for training. I don’t train the same ways most people do. At work, as a masseuse, I do nine hours of deep tissue massage in a day, which keeps my upper body very strong.

How was the Channel swim? The fi rst ten hours I loved, I actively remember thinking I’m really enjoying this – which was such a shock to me. I got to France in 17 hours, and that was the

Oceans Seven consists of seven long-distance open-water swims. Beth French plans to swim them in this order, between September 2016 and August 2017

The North Channel (Northern Ireland-Scotland) 22 milesThe Catalina Channel (Santa Catalina Island-California) 20 milesThe Molokai Channel (Molokai-Oahu, Hawaii) 26 milesThe Cook Strait (North-South Islands, New Zealand) 16 milesThe Strait of Gibraltar (Spain-Morocco) 10 milesThe Tsugaru Strait (Honshu Island-Hokkaido Island, Japan) 19 milesThe English Channel (England-France) 21 miles

THE OCEANS

SEVEN CHALLENGE

Feature2_May14.indd 18 09/05/2016 16:01:54

19

moment when I thought – you know what, I could make it back before Dylan goes to bed. And I did, we got back and he was still awake and I wasn’t too late and that became, to me, like the complete circle, like I could do this and be a mum. So I promptly signed up for another swim four months later.

You were the � rst person to swim to the Isles of Scilly? Yes, other people had swum from Scilly to Penzance, but I did it against the current. I loved it!

How are you going to pay for the Oceans Challenge? It is going to cost around £70,000. I have got £15,000 already of my own and I am looking for corporate sponsorship. A documen-tary maker wants to track the whole year, too – if he can get a production com-pany behind it then they will contribute. My website also has a big donate button. I might end up doing crowd-funding, too.

So what’s the order of the swims, where will you start? So it’s the North Channel in September, 22 miles, between Northern Ireland and Scot-land. It’s very cold and you are not allowed wetsuits, insulation or physical assistance

of any kind. If you even touch the support boat, your swim is over. Mid-October is The Catalina Channel, which is 20 miles, then the Molokai Channel which is 26, Cook Strait is a short one, only 16 miles and the Strait of Gibraltar is another a very a short one, just ten miles but it has a very strong side current so you have to swim three km an hour other-wise you miss Africa! Then Tsugaru Channel,

which is 19 miles. Then fi -nally the English Channel, just to fi nish off with is 21 miles, which I plan to swim at the end of August 2017, the week I turn 40.

Is Dylan home-schooled? Yes, he has sensory processing disorder, quite severely, and the fi rst two years of school were so miserable for him, really self-esteem damaging. It’s much easier to parent him now, this year I’m hoping that I will really show Dylan there are so many different ways to live life. You name it, he will be able to see it.

Has anyone else done this challenge? No one has ever tried to do this in a year, ever; four is the most that have been swum in a year. There are only seven people who have swum all seven channels over their lifetime.

‘At 17, I was trapped in a

wheelchair. My body was so fatigued that

my nerves didn’t function

properly’

Feature2_May14.indd 19 09/05/2016 16:02:15

20

People

How do you physically prepare for the cold and the e� ort involved? Keep doing it, essentially. You can just train your body to stand it. I mostly train at Branscombe beach in east Devon and I have to swim at least once a week in cold water without a wetsuit. And you know, if you can swim half an hour at 7 or 8 degrees centigrade, by the time it gets to 16C, it feels warm. You have to train your metabolism. Eating becomes an obsession. You get calories wherever you can. So I carry now a stone and a half more than I used to. A stone of that is muscle mass, and then half a stone goes on around my midsection to keep my organs safe. I will put on an-other half stone between now and when I swim, because I will lose half a stone each time I do a long swim in the water.

Is it di� cult to keep your weight up? I have doc-tored a lot of recipes. I use malt extract instead of sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter, and I eat a lot of cake. I make a chocolate brownie,

with malt extract instead of sugar so it has more energy. I end up eating about fi ve times a day.

For example today I had a deep-fi lled pie, gone in fi ve minutes, then another one at 3pm, and yeah – I eat a lot!

How did it feel growing up, � nding yourself in a wheelchair? I felt trapped. At my lowest point, I self-harmed because I just needed to feel and I didn’t feel like I was in my body, because it was not functioning. And you do feel trapped, you do go through madness. I would be physically cutting myself, because I was trapped in a wheelchair. My choice to walk out of a room was taken away. My body was so fatigued that my nerves didn’t function properly. I self-harmed

to challenge myself to feel alive. But now I chal-lenge myself how to be alive in a good way, and turn it into something positive.

So in terms of being a woman, it’s about being strong: Yes, my bikini body is two stone heavier than it used to be. The fi rst time I did the English Channel, I did go through that mental barrier of

‘Eating enough becomes an

obsession. I had a deep- lled

pie, gone in ve minutes, then another, and

yeah – I eat a lot!’oh, I can feel my thighs and my tummy when I move. It’s such a freeing thing because as a kid I grew up hating my body because of the ME. It’s such a freedom to not care. My body functions and that’s what is important. I go up to a size 12 instead of size 10, and then I know I’m ready. When my bum looks big in this, that’s a good thing!

For more information and to support Beth French in her challenge, visit www.bethfrench.co.uk

Feature2_May14.indd 20 09/05/2016 16:02:40

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22

Memory Balloon ceiling lights £155 each www.notonthehighstreet.com

Bring the circus to your child’s room - all paints are

from super-tough Dulux Endurance+ range

Interiors_May14.indd 22 09/05/2016 16:04:47

23

Interiors

o pressure parents, but your chil-dren secretly have big dreams when it comes to their bedrooms. If they could wave a magic wand, their rooms would be kitted out with tree

houses, slides, swings and a stage - and that’s just for starters.

According to research by paint company Dulux, they would also love a pirate ship, a space rocket or a jungle, not to mention a glass ceiling and a trapdoor.

Granted, most of that wish list is probably beyond the average parent’s budget but, while you may not be able to pander to all their whims, one wish is certainly possible – involving them in choosing their room’s decor, so the space truly feels like their own little kingdom. That doesn’t mean you have to let them loose with a paint pot and brush; just let them give their opinions on a colour scheme and a theme.

You can also help your child tap into their imagination – without even having to open a paintpot – by installing a den or teepee in their bedroom. Former magician Keith Hathaway’s se-lection at his Devon-based company Canvas and Willow includes a gingerbread cottage, a pirate shack and a fairy cottage playhouse

A pretty summer teepee, made in Newton Abbot, is a new addition for the company, and would look great accessorised with bunting in a little girl’s bedroom.

While the dens and tents the company sells are great for adventures in the garden, they are most commonly installed in their young owners’ bed-

rooms, says Keith. “Dens are a place of escape

for children, somewhere they can hide away and read books, or do their homework and tell their own stories. They are somewhere for children to call their own, as well as encourag-ing them to use their imagina-tions.”

Another way to jolly up your child’s bedroom with very little fuss is to use wall stickers, which have taken a huge leap in the sophistication stakes in recent years.

Cowboy riders, zoo animals, vintage planes and elephants are just a few of the cheery designs, all stylish silhouettes in a range of colours, from online company Brume, based in South Brent on the edge of Dartmoor.

Particularly popular are their blackboard stickers which are both decorative and practical, offering somewhere to scrib-ble (apart from the walls!). Pick your creature - from a shark to a pig. Particularly attractive is their safari sticker set, featur-

N

A room of their own

Make your little one’s bedroom a magical space they will never forget. Sarah Pitt has some ideas

which are genuinely child’s play to achieve

Plan great escapes in this canvas pirate shack £200 from Devon’s www.canvasandwillow.co.uk

Interiors_May14.indd 23 09/05/2016 16:05:16

24

ing a whole zoo of animals. The company’s de-signs can be personalised with your child’s name and you can even commission a bespoke design, for an extra cost.

“You can have images of things that the kids are into – football or skateboarding, say, or you can choose lines of poetry or nursery rhymes,” says Karen Landsdown of Brume. “All our de-signs are easy to put up and are a really straight-forward way to brighten up a room. They are also simple to remove if you change your mind later on.”

There’s a sticker for all ages, from snippets of nursery rhymes for toddlers to a cowboy rider for a funky feel in a teenager’s room. “If you have older children, they can put them up them-selves, and customise them. There’s no limit to the things you can do.”

Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux, agrees it’s a good idea to involve children in the look of their room.

“Interestingly, if kids have a say in what their room looks like, they’re more likely to spend time in it,” she says. “Just as an adult bedroom should be a sanctuary, so should a child’s, and it also

needs to be a place where they can relax and let their imaginations take fl ight.”

Marianne has come up with easy-to-achieve schemes using Dulux’s Endurance+ paints, which are tougher than normal matt paints. One scheme features clouds painted on a blue sky.

“Clouds are a wonderful feature because they instantly dissolve the walls of a room and allow the imagination to create endless worlds,” she says.

“Once the walls are painted blue, simply add the cloud detail. You don’t have to be precise, as clouds come in all shapes and sizes, but chalking out rough shapes will help, so you have a guide when you apply the white paint. Then use a small sponge to apply soft grey tones to make the edges visually soft – just like the real thing.”

The Dulux ‘Storybook’ room scheme features cloud-covered walls created with Jasmine White, Polished Pebble and Goosedown, all from the Dulux Endurance+ range (£20.99 for 2.5 litres).

Alternatively, if you are not confi dent about your painting skills, you could cheat by opting for B&Q’s lovely clouds chalk blue wallpaper, for £18 a roll.

Meanwhile, Star Wars fans will love Dulux’s Space bedroom scheme, inspired by far-fl ung galaxies. “Making the cosmos come to life looks stunning and yet is ridiculously easy to achieve,” says Marianne. “The most diffi cult thing can be taking a giant leap to paint walls black – but don’t fear. Trust me, your bravery will pay off !

“Create the solar system by simply spattering thinned emulsion tester pot colours, from deep blue to white, over a black background. The wonderful cloudy-shaped star systems literally appear from the end of the brush as if by magic.

“Deep colours in a bedroom have a magical quality that aids restfulness. Blue is both calm-ing and receding, which means the room appears bigger.”

Marianne used splatters of shades including Purple Pout, Striking Cyan and Lost Lake, with White Cotton for the stars, using 250ml sample pots of Dulux Endurance+, around £6 apiece.

Another idea from Dulux is a circus-themed room, using Pepper Red, White Cotton and Banana Split paints, again all from the Dulux Endurance+ range.

“Red and white combinations in a decorating scheme are like a visual sweet shop. Fun, bold, bright stripes of colour instantly conjure excite-ment,” says Marianne.

“The effect is achieved with stuff that’s easy to get hold of: string, coloured chalk, cardboard, masking tape and red paint. Decide on the posi-tion of the red stripes of the big top using string, taken from a central point like an overhead light, and then mark out the shape of the red bands using masking tape.

“The secret to success is avoiding too much clutter in the furnishings, accessories and art-work – allow the imagination to fi ll the space.”See www.canvasandwillow.co.uk, www.brume.co.uk and www.dulux.co.uk

Brume zoo animal stickers £29/set Devon’s www.brume.co.uk

Interiors

‘Interestingly, if children have a

say in what their room looks like,

they are more likely to spend

time in it’ [[The galaxies in this bedroom are created with Dulux Endurance+ paints

Interiors_May14.indd 24 09/05/2016 16:05:44

25

GET THELOOK

Imaginative ideas for kids with clouds, rockets and pirate dens

Playsam rocket toy £42 www.

rume.com

Hollywood cloud wall lamp £69

www.made.com

Ferg and Form cloud suitcases

£29.50 www.andshine.com

Babar elephant table £115 www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

Pirate shack, made in Newton Abbot, by www.canvasandwillow.com, £200

fave!

Interiors_May14.indd 25 09/05/2016 16:06:12

ANNE SWITHINBANK

I saytomato

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, says the best tomatoes are the homegrown ones

ll through a miserably cold April, gardeners will have been nurs-ing tomatoes along in their green-houses and possibly wondering if they should have sown so early. I

think this is always worth the gamble because our growing season is comparatively short and we want the earliest fruits. Tomatoes ripened on the vine and warmed by the sun have the best fl a-vour and there is an awesome range of varieties available (check out the website of Tamar Valley-based www.buttervilla.com for mouth-watering pictures of heritage varieties).

I usually start with a standard, red egg and tomato sandwich type which could be ‘Garden-ers’ Delight’ or ‘Nimbus’. Then I’ll stumble across an unusual heritage variety which this year hap-pens to be ‘Noire de Crimee’ found at a Seedy Sunday event. This is sometimes called ‘Black Krim’ and originates in Crimea. A handsome beast, the red fruits are topped and striped by blackish olive green and promise excellent fl avour and texture.

Both of these were sown in mid February, thinly and evenly over the prepared sur-face of compost in 9cm/3.5in pots. The surface is fi rmed gently with a fl at wooden press-er, then watered using a fi ne rose (sprinkler) on the can so seeds settle on a moist surface and can’t fall down any cracks. They are covered by a mere sprinkling of compost and pressed gently again. There’s still time to sow your own toms but be quick.

After germination in a heated propagating case, four seedlings of each were transplanted

singly to 9cm/3.5in pots, handled by the leaves and never the deli-cate, hairy stems. From then on, it is a juggling act between case and unheated greenhouse but when roots have fi lled the pots, they must be moved on either to

15cm/6in pots, or permanent growing quarters. At the beginning of April, three plants were

set per growing bag customised by the addition of bottomless 7in pots pushed into the planting gaps. Into these, each tomato was planted in good compost with one end of a length of baler twine

buried under the roots and the other fi xed to the greenhouse roof above, so the plant or ‘vine’ can be twined around it. These are indeterminate tomatoes, in other words they will be cordon-trained with side shoots pinched out, as opposed to being grown as a branching bush (determi-nate) form.

There have been frosts outside but the toma-toes are tough varieties, their roots are above the growing bags and as they are watered in the mornings, they never go to bed with wet feet. Lengths of fl eece are fl oated over and around them for extra insulation during cold nights but

26

Gardens

A

Tomatoes ripened on

the vine and warmed by the

sun have the best � avour [[

gardensMay14.indd 26 09/05/2016 18:24:50

We recently laid a turf lawn which has taken well but this spring, patches of wild garlic have appeared. I’m sure there was none there before and would like to get rid of it.

I wonder if this garlic could have arrived with extra topsoil used to create a fine surface for laying the turves? Wild garlic, also known as ramsons, grows from small bulbs, dies back for summer and is very invasive. The best news is that while your lawn can cope with being kept short, regular weekly cutting will eventually (over several years) weaken and drive out the garlic. When the garlic is growing strongly, it may need more than weekly cutting. If you don’t want to get the mower out, or the ground is too wet, invest in long handled shears whose blades run horizontally to the grass. In the meantime, as long as animals don’t use the lawn and no chemi-cals have been used, you can gather the leaves for wild garlic pesto – delicious!

27

Our snowball tree (Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile’) is just about to flower but has grown enormous. I’d like to reduce its size but when and how?

These large shrubs or small trees are impressive when decorated by rounded white flower heads in May and June and the cut stems of immature, greenish heads look great indoors. However on good soil, mature plants can reach a height and spread of 4.5m/15ft. The best time to prune would be after flowering and the worst action would be to chop all around the outside until you have the shape and size you want. This would leave you with a woody base, topped by a thicket of growth and poor flowers. Even thinning a mature plant would be difficult, so I’m going to suggest the radical solution of sawing it all down to within 30-60cm/1-2ft of the ground. We did this to one of ours and it has grown back beautifully. There-after, regulate and thin the regrowth every year after flowering.

Q

Question time with AnneWest reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

Send your questions to Anne at westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk

This week’s gardening tipsAnne’s advice for your garden

Q

• Aphids (greenfly and blackfly) will start appearing on rose buds and the tips of broad beans and cherry. My plea is to trust in the ecosystem of your garden. Keep watch on the situation through a magnifying glass, looking out for ladybird, hoverfly and lacewing larvae, tiny velvet mites attached to the aphids and husk-like aphids eaten out by parasitic wasp larvae. Let these breed up and they’ll take care of infestations all season. Spray and they’re gone.

• Apply a liquid seaweed pick-me-up or other feed to any plants that appear to be struggling. Autumn planted onion sets, spinach struggling after cold nights or hardy annual seedlings would all benefit.

• Sow outdoor ridge cucumbers into pots or modules or, if the soil is warm, directly where they will grow.

• Support broad beans by earthing up their stems slightly and fixing a system of poles or canes and string for them to lean on.

Tidy

ponds by netting out duckweed. Earmark overgrown water iris and marsh marigold (Caltha paulustris) to be lifted out, divided and replaced as smaller portions immediately after flowering.

removed in the morning. Side shoots between leaf and stem are nipped

out and once fruits set, a high potash tomato fer-tilizer is watered in every 2-3 weeks. Overfeeding can affect flavour. As temperatures rise (hopeful-ly), daytime temperatures are controlled by ven-tilation and damping down but if we are lucky enough to have a long hot spell, a light spray of greenhouse shading will be applied to the south facing side.

Both of these varieties are suitable for out-door as well as indoor cultivation but along with wanting earlier fruit, I’m motivated to keep them under glass for two reasons. I am scared they will succumb to blight (the same fungal infection that affects potatoes) and I’m also sceptical about the likelihood of a decent summer. Last year I plant-ed blight resistant ‘Crimson Crush’ and though it remained healthy, the fruits never ripened. My advice is if you have a greenhouse, use it.

Now other plants are being moved outside, there’s space under glass for more toms and I’ll be buying in plants of my favourite ‘Sungold’. This delicious, orange-fruited cherry tom can fill another growing bag but would do equally well in a greenhouse bed or ending up in 38-45cm/15-18in pots. Then I’ll have a gorgeous mix of black, red and orange fruits. Maybe I can find room for a yellow-fruited ‘Golden Sunrise’ as well.

gardensMay14.indd 27 09/05/2016 18:28:32

28

Review

Cleanse

hat comes to mind when you think of having a facial? I generally think of leaving a spa feeling relaxed and my skin looking more radiant. But have you ever

thought about having a proper clinical facial, using cosmeceu-tical-quality products, that can only be applied by trained pro-fessionals?

I always thought that cos-meceutical facials and skin peels were for those with anti-ageing skin concerns, and that I was too young to contemplate having one – but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Image I Peel Signature Facelift Facial at the Revitalise-Rejuvenate salon in Exeter is something that everyone needs to know about. Their signature facial is for all ages and is great for dehydrated and sensitive skin, as well as treating other skin concerns such as acne and rosacea.

I was led in to the treatment room by Dr Prad-nya Apte, who asked me about my skincare rou-tine before getting to work with the treatment.The facial started with a cleanse of my skin using the Image Vitamin C Hydrating Cleanser, which has a gorgeous aroma of oranges – the facial had only just started and my skin already

Looking good

Beauty

An innovative Vitamin C-based facial works wonders for West tester Abbie Bray

W

felt squeaky clean. The whole process was quicker than your average spa facial, lasting only about 30 minutes. There wasn’t

any massage involved, as here the products themselves do the work.

The sensation felt very cooling as two face masks and some Vitamin C serum were layered, one on top of the other, onto my skin. Dr Apte explained that, because the products were highly concentrated, they could not stay on for too long. My face already felt amazing and I hadn’t even looked in the mirror yet, and when I did I was shocked at how clear and radiant my skin looked.

On the walk back to my car I couldn’t help but look at my reflection in the car windows (vain,

I know, but I was amazed at how great my skin felt).

For anyone that knows me, going out of the house without a scrap of make-up on my face is very rare and, for me, my foundation is a mask to cover up my pigmentation and my blotchy skin. But after this facial I could walk in public feeling confident in the way my skin looked.

After years in the beauty industry, something has to be really good to impress me, and the Image skincare range definitely has. Where has it been all my life? Dr Apte is the sole stockist of Image skincare in the South West and I will defi-nitely be going back for more!The Facelift Facial costs £95, visit Exeter’s www.revitalise-rejuvenate.co.uk for details

My face already felt amazing and when I looked in the mirror I was shocked at how

clear and radiant my skin looked [[

Image Vital C hydrating enzyme masque, £36.95

Paraben-free, this enzyme masque gently

exfoliates the build-up of dull, dry skin.

Nourishing Vitamins A, C, and E promote more radiant, youthful skin.

Image Vital C hydrating serum, £69.95

This serum minimises and soothes the visible effects of

environmentally damage, using powerful anti-

oxidants.

Vital C hydrating repair creme, £71.50

Ultra-hydrating, this rich emollient formula combats stress, fatigue and other dehydrating

environmental factors.

Exfoliate Soothe HydrateImage Vital C hydrating

cleanser, £26 A pharmaceutical-

gradeVitamin C hydrating cleanser

to remove make-up and impurities, for

dehydrated and rosacea skin.

Beauty_Grid.indd 28 09/05/2016 16:44:37

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30

Modernmetallics

Silver handbag £219 www.madeleine.co.uk

Carlotta dress £150 Studio 8

ne of the hottest trends for spring/summer this year is metal. Don’t worry, we’re not talking Black Sabbath T-shirts or Deep Purple-inspired tight jeans. You are not required to rock out in studded

leather gauntlets or bandanas. No, today’s metallics are pretty and feminine, with shimmery fabrics and silvery leathers creating a flattering and fun look. We love this pretty dress from Studio 8, with its silver thread embellishments. We’re also very into the cur-rent fashion for pleated metallic fabrics, such as this belted top from BHS which could be a great summer staple over a long skirt or jeans – it’s perfect for all ages (and upper arms!). You could also dip a toe in the trend with the latest silver and gold leather sandals, such as these from New Look. And when the sun starts to shine, your outfit will be shining right back.

O

Fashion_May14.indd 30 09/05/2016 16:16:07

Fashion

31

Biker jacket £195

Topshop

Cami top £18 Next

Mavala nail varnish £4.75 John Lewis

Lurex socks £4.50 Oliver Bonas

Pleated top £22 BHS

Rocha John Rocha clutch bag £39

Debenhams

Silver espadrille sandals £29.99 New Look

fave!

Fashion_May14.indd 31 09/05/2016 16:16:47

here is nothing stiff or stuffy about this season’s tailored pieces. They’re soft and skimming, loose and long – just about everything you need to achieve a feminine fl at-

tering elegance. My pick of the bunch? A lightweight trench the

colour of spring petals. Your wardrobe needs one, for all sorts of reasons. First up, they have some pretty impressive endorsement. My inspiration is courtesy of Jeanne Damas (Parisian blogger, model, designer and all round it-girl) Damas is no stranger to a slouchy trench. She’s recently been seen in a slate blue version, paired with blue jeans and tan espadrilles. She is so French it hurts.

Then there is the fact that they are incredibly useful. Sometimes, even when you’re an independent 30-something career woman, you just feel like being a little bit girly. When this happens, I often fi nd myself without any options outside donning a frock. Now, I love dresses but when a warm day also has a slight drizzle I don’t feel like getting my legs out. Also, sometimes part of being an independent 30-something career woman is being too busy to shave your legs. This soft pink trench means I don’t have to compromise on my femininity, while still getting to wear my favourite black jeans.

The joy of this style of coat is that it is all at once demure, yet full of devil-may-care irreverence. This playfulness means it can look at home in a wide variety of situations. I like it for what I call its ‘calming’ qualities. Calming is needed when you have a dress that makes you feel like Beyonce. It is a little tighter and a little shorter than you would usually wear. But, when you slip it on, you feel fi ercer than your everyday self. You long to wear it but are scared it will

raise eyebrows in your social circle. Especially when the occasion isn’t one where you are – or want to be – the centre of attention (think hen

night, best friend’s wedding, work awards event) Your birthday only comes once a year and who can wait for that!

This trench will allow you to wear ‘that’ dress in a fearless fashion. It will calm your outfi t down to a less attention-seeking level, making it so much more wearable. And, when the time is right (amid chorus of ‘It’s Raining Men’, when the Clooney-esque best man wants to buy you a drink,

or when your name is announced as the award-winner) you can slip the coat off, drape it over a chair and listen for the sound of angels singing as the spotlight hits your skin.

On a more everyday note, these summery coats have rejuvenated my offi ce wardrobe. Confession, I have one in khaki, too. The tailored nature of the trench means that it adds much-needed smartness to workwear. Now, I can get away with skinny jeans, a simple white tee and strappy sandals to the offi ce. Summer simplicity, a la Damas.All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk

32

Trend

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod swoons over coats that are perfect for summer

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Shirt, River Island, Princesshay, £35

Shoes, River Island, Princesshay, £50

Coat, River Island, Princesshay, £60

Bag, River Island, Princesshay, £60

Molly jeans, River Island, Princesshay, £40

Now, I love dresses but

when a warm day also has a slight drizzle,

I don’t feel like getting my

legs out

So� tailoring

Have you got a fashion question or a trend you’d like to see

tackled? @KathrynCMcleod

Trend_May14_Softtailoring.indd 32 10/05/2016 12:25:41

33

GET THE

look

Houndstooth blazer £55 RIVER ISLAND

Grey suedette ankle strap heels £22.99

NEW LOOK

Grey sleeveless belted robe coat £80

RIVER ISLAND

Light grey belted wrap skirt £17.99

NEW LOOK

Amelie mesh point shoes £25 ACCESSORIZE

Notch neck sleeveless blouse

£17.99 NEW LOOK

Sleeveless trench £45 MISS

SELFRIDGE

Kathryn says: Sleeveless varieties are a great option. They’ll see you all the way into Autumn with a chunky turtleneck beneath them and they look great over a simple sleeved dress.

fave!

Trend_May14_Softtailoring.indd 33 10/05/2016 12:26:34

culturevulture

Our guide to what’s on in the South West by woman-in-the-

know Sarah Pitt

34

Six artists and ceramicists look at the Cornish coastline with fresh eyes in the Tide Lines exhibition at the Porthminster Gallery in St Ives. Work includes Calm Day, pictured, by Joanne Last, whose experimental canvases feature silver and gold pigment, tissue paper and even sand along with

the paint. Also featured are stunning abstracts by Kathy Ramsay Carr which evoke the salt spray of the waves and winding cli� paths above a translucent sea. Tide Lines is at the Porthminster Gallery, Westcott’s Quay, St Ives until June 25 www.porthminstergallery.co.uk admission free.

Celebrated crime writer Sophie Hannah has done it again, with a faultlessly plotted psychological thriller set in south Devon. A Game for All the Family, now out in paperback, was inspired by So-

phie’s visit to Agatha Christie’s home on the river Dart, Greenway. In the book, Justine has escaped London to what she hopes will be a life of peace at her beautiful new home in Devon. Soon a� er the move, though, her daughter Ellen starts to withdraw when her new best friend George is ex-

pelled. Justine begs the headteacher to reconsider, only to be told that there was, and is, no George. A thriller all the creepier for the apparent normality of the domestic setting. A Game for All The

Family is published by Hodder and Stoughton, price £7.99

Thriller on the riverInspired by the ocean

The � � eenth century was a bloody, precarious time to be King of Scotland – as The James Plays reveal. This critically acclaimed trilogy by Rona Munro comes to The Lyric at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal fresh from sell-out run at the National Theatre in London. You’ll need stamina and a thirst for history to last the distance with all three Stewart Kings James I, II and III – the plays performed one a� er the other (at 11am, 3pm and 7.30pm) on Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29. The verdict from the critics, though, is that you won’t be disappointed. Tickets £18-£75 from www.theatreroyal.com or 01752 267222.

A day of drama

CVSTARS_May14.indd 34 09/05/2016 15:55:27

35

Enjoy

Your starsby Cassandra Nye

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)There is cash to be made from unwant-ed items and small efforts. However,

avoid spending more than necessary for the best results. In a fairly quiet week, take the chance to clear out those dusty corners of your life. See what is worth keeping and what needs to go. Feeling a little irritated this weekend? Try being optimistic and hope that someone changes their approach.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)A loving and caring backdrop offsets any ‘blips’ this week. Mood and enthu-

siasm can level off and energy levels need a boost. Do this by looking ahead and plan-ning more for the longer-term future. After the Full Moon at the weekend you see things and attitudes change quite rapidly.

LEO (July 23 - August 23)After getting work ambitions off to a sharp start, a lull in the action could

take you by surprise. It is all very natu-ral and will change as quickly as it began. In the meantime, the Full Moon at the weekend is shining a light on your love life. Could this be the time to make that special suggestion or take that romantic break?

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)Generate energy to persuade someone round to your way of thinking. Travel

can be fun and will wake your spirit for adventure. There are great notions spinning around your head. Don’t expect everyone to see

the positive side, however. Sometimes you listen too closely to that negative voice. Shout back that it is your time to do what is in your heart.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)Delightful and affectionate moments pepper this week with joy. Encourage

intimate chats and give hugs and encour-agement to others. The lean wolf of envy may be circling socially through to the weekend. Ignore sour comments and greet everyone with a positive attitude. You are on higher ground than those who would irritate you.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)A quieter and more contented week helps boost your wellbeing. Don’t

worry about dashing around and getting things done. Bring the evenings to a close with a loving and romantic attitude. At work allow yourself to bring imagination to bear on mun-dane matters. See how technology can make the everyday more bearable and even exciting.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)A bit of a lull could make you tetchy, but let’s not allow that to take hold. Re-

member, whatever the planets make you feel, you are in the driving seat. So, rev up your engine and get those juices fl owing. It can be a romantic time, with a Full Moon at the weekend fi ring your imagination.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)Being at the centre of a loving and pro-gressive time is right for you. A recent

lack of energy and opportunity has you biting on the bit and ready for anything. Colleagues at work can be brought together to bring forward a plan or project involving new technology or a change in attitude. Make this a very special weekend romantically while the Full Moon fi res your passions.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)Although you may wish for more progress at work, this is less likely at

the moment. Home and romantic life, however, are due for a real boost. For those who have a partner, a proposition or amazing news is likely. Make the most of the weekend to be with that special person or, put yourself in the right place to meet that ‘certain someone’.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)Great expectations are something you don’t have at the moment. That,

however, is where you could be wrong! You are being thrust forward socially and that means meeting lots of new people. Of course, you won’t like many of them (fussy old Pisces!) but someone special is in there somewhere.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)This week seems to have a lack of colour, so the ball is very much in your

court to get things moving. Socially there may not be much to fi re your imagina-tion, but here is an opportunity to develop some creativity. Get others together for a chat and some forward thinking. Be pleased that life at home is smooth and stable.

Zara TindallThis week’s sign:

Happy birthday to...

The Taurus personalityis one of the most easily recognisable of the Zodiac. Positive Taurean traits include reliability, practicality, ambition, sensuality and independence. However, the bull can also have some negative traits and can be very lazy, stubborn, materialistic and possessive at times. People born under the sign of Taurus have an eye for beauty. They tend to be good with � nances, and hence make ef-� cient � nancial managers.

Born May 15, 1981Zara Tindall turns 35 tomorrow. She’s the Queen’s granddaughter but her parents (per-haps rather wisely) decided to forgo the Prin-cess title for her. And Zara is anything but prin-cessy – she’s a top eventer, hands-on mum to Mia Grace (born 2014) and wife to rugby player Mike Tindall – � nally getting round to changing her name to his just recently. Zara was the � rst senior royal to win an honour in her own right – an MBE for services to equestrianism. She was a silver medallist at the London Olympics in 2012 and has high hopes of winning medals for Britain once again this year in Rio.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)Keep on improving your cash fl ow. Remember that from small acorns oaks

can grow. What does not seem a big deal now is just the beginning. Romantically-speak-ing, maybe you would like to see more action and less talk? Make the talk good enough and things will shoot ahead.

CVSTARS_May14.indd 35 10/05/2016 12:03:30

Wellbeing

the boost

Life just got better. We’ve handpicked the latest wellness trends,

best-body secrets and expert advice to help you be your

best self, everyday

IT’S TIME TO

DIVE RIGHT IN...

36

Flax is one of nature’s most versatile plants, used in the production of products as varied as linen and linoleum. The seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and important minerals, and are also used in healing compresses. Klorane Laboratories has used � ax � owers as a base for a new herbal shampoo (£8), developed to achieve a natural li� ing e� ect on � ne hair. It says the plant’s soluble � bres form an imperceptible � lm around hair, coating and texturising without weighing it down. Look out, too, for this conditioning balm (£8.50, escentual.com).

FACE THE FLAX

It’s nearly lido season, with two of the nation’s most spectacular vintage outdoor pools set to open later this month here in the South West: Tinside Lido in Plymouth and Penzance’s Jubilee

Pool (pictured here, it was saved from closure by a community fundraising campaign). Swimming is great low impact exercise for all

ages and abilities. Not only does it work every muscle in the body, it also lowers stress levels. These fabulous heritage pools take the feel-

good factor to another level – aren’t we lucky to have them?

May14_BOOST.indd 36 10/05/2016 12:04:27

37

Up to half a million people are believed to be living with undiagnosed Coeliac Disease. Health organisation Coeliac UK stresses the condition is not a food intolerance but an

illness – and cutting gluten from the diet is essential to help avoid long-term complications. Celebrity chef Phil Vickery, who cooked for many years at The Castle in Taunton and

is married to Westcountry girl Fern Britton, is author of the gluten-free cookbook, Seriously Good! It has sold more

than a quarter of a million copies since 2009 and, if you’re a� ected, his delicious recipes will help keep you on the right

track, without feeling you’re missing out.

GLUTEN-FREE?Up to half a million people are believed to be living with

undiagnosed Coeliac Disease. Health organisation Coeliac UK stresses the condition is not a food intolerance but an

illness – and cutting gluten from the diet is essential to help avoid long-term complications. Celebrity chef Phil Vickery, who cooked for many years at The Castle in Taunton and is married to Westcountry girl Fern Britton, is author of the

gluten-free cookbook, Seriously Good! It has sold more than a quarter of a million copies since 2009 and, if you’re

a� ected, his delicious recipes will help keep you on the right

Mark the summer solstice at Marazion’s Midsummer Peace Gathering on June 24 and 25, a weekend workshop in west Cornwall where you can experience spiritual, transformational and meditative practices including kriya yoga led by gurus who will be journeying from the Himalaya to be there. There will also be a guided spiritual labyrinth walk on Marazion beach, a revival of a centuries-old meditative practice. Tickets for the event are £40 per day, call 07852 365229 for more details.

What’s coming up? Tweet us your wellbeing diary dates @WMNWest or email westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk

IF GYM IS NOT

YOUR TONIC...

MIDSUMMER PEACE

With GCSEs exams looming later this month, it’s revision time! Research by the University of Michigan also suggests that working in the presence of plants improves concentration and productivity by up to 20%. So take a leaf out of their book and get into the garden or to a nursery – Cornwall’s Surreal Succulents has an amazing collection of no-fuss indoor plants from £3.95. www.surrealsucculents.co.uk

PLANT AN IDEA

Are you avoiding the gym for fear of being judged? Ac-cording to The British Heart Foundation a quarter of us in the Westcountry do just that, feeling intimidated by � tter, more competitive people. If the gym’s not for you, why not jog, run or walk instead, and raise money for the BHF? The aim is to complete a marathon distance over a month. Find out more at: www.bhf.org.uk/mymarathon

May14_BOOST.indd 37 09/05/2016 16:09:13

Wellbeing

“When I met my husband, he already had a little girl, who spends most of the week with her mother. I’ve always been mindful that

they came as ‘a package’ and we’ve since had two daughters, now six and eight, together. The problem is that my stepdaughter, now 11, tends to rule the roost when she comes to stay and her behaviour’s becoming a bit difficult to manage. It’s as though my husband has a different set of boundaries when it comes to his oldest girl and I’m not sure how to deal with it. I don’t want to come over as the wicked stepmother but nor do I want my own daughters to feel I’m being unfair when it comes to laying down rules and what is (and isn’t) expected of them. Help! SA, St Austell

Tricia Moore says: Parent-ing presents many chal-lenges to a relationship. Along with

lack of ‘us’ time, juggling work and family life, de-mands on the budget etc, comes managing dis-cipline. Couples who negotiate this successfully know that team work is essential. Even if they don’t always agree, they back each other up, so the children feel secure, know their boundaries

Qand can’t play one parent off against the other. It sounds as though you and your husband have done this with your two daughters.

Stepchildren present an extra set of chal-lenges, especially where a child divides her time between two different homes; two family groups; two sets of rules. Although you have always ac-cepted her as part of the ‘package’, she was not brought up entirely in the same family group, so

doesn’t have the same under-standing of its rules.

As her time with you is fairly short each week, per-haps she feels more like a vis-itor than a family member, so doesn’t feel she needs to follow the rules.

Either way it sounds as though she is pushing the boundaries to see where they stop, but is currently not being challenged by your husband, who you, quite rea-sonably feel, is the one who should discipline her.

He probably doesn’t want to cause a rift between him and his daughter. But you

both need to acknowledge that this is a real prob-lem which could actually cause the rifts he is trying to avoid, among all three of his children, and, importantly, between you two. So you need to get back on the same team over this and then

38

StepfamiliesA wedding forges brand new family ties and can

create new dynamics for parents with kids

tackle it as a family, because it affects you all.First discuss with your husband how this

problem is making you feel. Explain that you want his daughter to feel and act the same as the rest of the family. Agree together what is good about how you manage your own two daughters and how you can include his eldest into that.

One thing you could try then is a ‘Circle Time’ family discussion. Arrange so that all five of you sit in a circle, on chairs or on the floor. This cre-ates a setting that is different from casual chat-ter.

Explain that you want to talk about family rules and that everyone will have their turn to speak, about what is good in this family, what they think is fair or unfair and so on.

You should both go first, to demonstrate how to communicate clearly without accusing. Begin sentences with “I like it when... because...” Or “Sometimes I feel upset when... because…” Later on, sentences beginning “I think it would be good if…” will move the discussion towards an agreed conclusion.

Guided by you both, all three children should feel ownership of a set of guidelines to follow. You may be pleasantly surprised at how percep-tive children can be at understanding the need for balanced and fair boundaries. Also, learning good communication skills now is great training for their future relationships. Good luck!Tricia Moore is a counsellor for the national charity Marriage Care, based in Plymouth, www.marriage-care.org.uk

Teamwork’s essential. Even if you don’t always agree, back each other up so the

children feel secure and know their boundaries [[

WellbeingQandA_Apr30.indd 38 09/05/2016 16:25:51

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Drink

The recent Sausage and Ale Festival at the Dri� wood Spars was delightful as ever, with a well-chosen selection of upcountry beers going down well. But as we were heroically battling through, landlady Louise Treseder

appeared with panna cotta made by one of the Dri� y’s kitchen team using their

brewery’s Forest Blonde beer. The beer’s subtle herby, berry notes are an ideal foil

to the sweet, creamy texture of the dessert. Another great addition to the menu!

Bargain brewsDiscount supermarket Aldi is adding 18 bottled beers to its range at the end of this month, including old favourites, such as Wadworth 6X (one of my � rst ever beers), and innovative brews such as a rye grist version of Brains Rev James. The bottles go on sale on May 29 at £1.25 each.

JUST DESSERT

At Dynamite Valley Brewing’s rst anniversary bash I fell for their Belgian

IPA, Big Bang (5.3% ABV), like Rupert spotting a potential new Mrs Murdoch.

Made with Belgian yeast, it o� ered a fruity, spicy take on a traditional IPA, darker in colour with a mahogany tinge. Date and

candy sugar sweetness gave balance. Ridiculously drinkable.

Beer of the weekDarren Norbury

talks beerh the golden years, when I not only had hair, I had it parted and fl icked with blonde highlights, in a sort of early George Michael way. That may be the only thing I’ve ever had

in common with George Michael, although I did once accidentally drive a Vauxhall Chevette into a ditch while under the infl uence of Doritos.

Here come the new golden days, when we think less of warming barley wines or comforting stouts and look towards lighter, hoppier brews. Already this month, Dartmoor Brewery has re-leased Summer Gold, very dif-ferent to the Jail Ale or Legend for which it is known. “The beer is both bold and refreshing, and is given such strong characteris-tics from really gorgeous hops, which we chose specifi cally due to their taste,” says head brewer Mike Lunney.

There are zesty grapefruit fl avours and tropical fruit and pine notes, coupled with a slight bitterness, and at 4.1% ABV it’s a perfect session beer for after you’ve mowed the lawn, or to drink while watching someone else mow the lawn.

Golden ales dominate the session beer market these days. People have gravitated to them, usually, from one of two di-rections: traditional amber bitters or mass-pro-duced lagers. All converts are welcome.

In my local, Penzance Brewing Company’s Potion No 9 can disappear at a rate of a cask a

Aday, sessionable, lightly hopped, and well bal-anced. At Skinner’s, in Truro, beers such as Lushington’s and Porthleven have taken a more zesty route, offering big refreshment, while from Sharp’s, in North Cornwall, Cornish Coaster is one of my favourite beers due to its big hit of fruity hop notes with balancing light sweetness.

From Devon lately, I’ve enjoyed Hunter’s col-laboration with shaving products fi rm Blue-beard’s Revenge (that’s the name of the beer, too), a bit more pokey at 5.1%, but easy drinking. Zesty, pineapple notes dominate Hanlons favour-

ite Yellow Hammer, while Speak Easy, from craft-orientated Pow-derkeg Brewery, gives British reserve to a zingy American-style pale ale.

Across the border in Somer-set, Quantock Brewery’s Will’s Neck is a multi-award winner, and with good reason. Late-hopping and a robust malt bill offers tasty, but well executed balance. A newcomer, Tapstone Brewery, produces Sea Monster, a crisp, tropical noted session golden beer, which delighted me when it turned up in my local last year.

I’m making the assumption that, by the time you read this, spring sunshine will be fi lling our lives. Just as likely, of course, we’ll have the windows shut, fi re on and be reach-ing for that bottle of stout…

Darren Norbury edits www.beertoday.co.uk @beertoday

It’s a perfect session beer

for a� er you’ve mowed the

lawn, or to drink while watching someone else mow the lawn [[

Tim_Beer_May14.indd 40 10/05/2016 12:05:52

41

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and author of Game: River Cottage Handbook no. 15 (Bloomsbury £14.99)

here are lots of alternatives to lemons and I grow and use a fair few of them – lemon verbena, lemon-grass and even lemon balm. If I am making a curd for

example or lemon cake, I will often embellish it with some of my alternative ingredients, for a more interesting twist. Try adding chopped lemon verbena to your next lemon drizzle cake, for example. But there is no get-ting away from the fact that I also need real lemons, for both their zest and juice.

Like most people, I keep a lemon or two in the fruit rack for general cooking and of course the odd G and T. I get mine via my organic veg box and so they tend to be fairly gnarled and un-waxed, which is just how I like them. Somehow they manage to taste more lemony and are vir-tually the same price as “normal” lemons – go fi gure.

I have found, though, that I have been getting an itchy “I’m being wasteful” feeling when I have been throwing out the zested and squeezed remains of these generous citrus. As a result, I

have been tinkering with ways to use them up. Maybe I need to relax a little more but I don’t like to throw away food if there is a chance it can be used for some-thing else.

I wasn’t sure they had much left to give after I had taken the zest and the juice but a couple of things worked out pretty well. There were quite a few disasters, too, but I’m not going to mention those. My favourite has to be pre-served lemons. Just salt the re-mains of your lemons and pack them down well into a jar. Leave for as long as they need to turn

soft and then use in place of preserved lemon whenever you like. They are excellent in all sorts of recipes, particularly North African spiced dishes.

T

Try adding chopped lemon verbena to your

next lemon drizzle cake, for example, for an interesting twist [[

Eat

Ginmoncello To make this thrifty version of the Italian classic limoncello, all you need is the waste from eight lemons, enough gin to cover everything, a handful or two of golden caster sugar and a few sticks of lemon balm.

Place everything in a jar or tub and add the gin. Don’t worry if everything isn’t completely covered, it’s only got to steep for a day or two in the fridge with a regular stir or shake.

Drain off the gin into a bottle though a sieve, making sure to squeeze out the remnants in a muslin or tea towel to extract as much gin as possible. Taste the result and add more sugar if need be. Place a couple of cardamom pods in the bottle with the gin and serve super-chilled.

@TimGreenSauce

Ingredient of the Week

Lemonswith Tim Maddams

Tim_Beer_May14.indd 41 09/05/2016 15:58:29

42

Enjoy

antham in south Devon hit the head-lines in 2014 when it was sold by the Evans family, who had owned the entire village and beach for 100 years, to new owner Nicholas John-

ston. Its spectacular sands were voted among the best beaches in Europe by traveller’s bible Lonely Planet last year and, hugely popular among surfers and kite surfers, idyllic Bantham boasts spectacular views of Bigbury Bay.

History: Bantham was once the home of brandy smuggler Nat Cleverly, with the village’s 17th century cottages known as ‘smuggler’s eyes’ as most of the community was involved, too!

Eat: Bantham’s 14th century Sloop Inn is the hub of the village and just a short walk from the beach. Seafood is, of course, on the menu here: try the Westcountry mussels steamed in white wine, garlic, thyme and Devonshire double cream (£7 as a starter) or go for one of the shar-ing platters which include Salcombe crab and smokies, as well as home-cured gravadlax. Tasty burgers, traditional pub basket meals and hearty sandwiches are also on offer. The Sloop also has six bright and breezy nautical themed en-suite guest rooms (£45 per adult per night, based on two sharing).

Enjoy: Fabulous beach food from Claire and

Jim Bishop’s Gastrobus, which serves up superb burgers, delicious cakes and coffee, all made from ingredients sourced from local producers.

Stay: Bantham is the perfect place for a proper old-fashioned summer break; a car boot full of striped deckchairs and windbreaks, cliff top strolls, long lazy lunches and afternoon teas. Self-catering is a great way to make a proper holiday of it: The Malthouse (www.malthouse-devon.co.uk) sleeps up to eight people. A week’s stay here costs between £590 and £780 between now and the end of June, excluding the half term holiday (May 27-June 3) with deals avail-able for shorter stays.

B

A WEEKEND IN

BANTHAM

The Village Inn, Thurlestone

AWeekendIn_May14.indd 42 10/05/2016 12:08:08

43

Shop: Stock up on eggs, milk and lots of West-country produce at Bantham Village Stores, which is just the kind of traditional shop you would expect in a village as pretty as this. It re-cently opened a sea-view terrace, where you can enjoy coffee, light lunches, pastries and cooked breakfasts.

Do: Enjoy the stretch of South West Coast Path from Bantham to dog-friendly Thurlestone beach, a fairly easy three and a half mile cir-cular walk with spectacular views and, at this time of the year, wildfl owers coming into bloom. Children and dogs are welcome at Thurlestone’s lovely 16th century Village Inn, where the ceil-

ing beams were salvaged from wrecked Spanish Armada ships. Inside, it is stylishly contempo-rary, with cosy log burning stoves and great food, which you can also order to take away.

Indulge: In a spa treatment at the Thurlestone Hotel, available seven days a week. Its Chill Out Sunday (£99) includes a treatment, use of all the spa facilities and lunch. Or bliss out for almost two hours with a Tropical Wanders treatment (£135) including Jasmine Red Rice exfoliation and coconut body massage and scalp treatment.

Enjoy: Learn to Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) and, when you’ve found your feet, take a trip

around Burgh Island, stopping off for a snorkel session to explore the fascinating waters below the water’s surface. Bantham Surfi ng Academy’s two-hour SUP voyages of discovery packages cost between £50 and £55 per person, including basic tuition and use of kit including snorkel, mask and wetsuit, www.banthamsurfi ngacademy.co.uk

Watch: It’s fun to watch The Bantham Swoosh, taking place on July 2 this year. Hundreds of wild swimmers will complete a 6km swim down the river Avon from the village of Aveton Gifford, cul-minating in a rapid “swoosh” through a narrow section of the river as it empties into the estuary and out to sea.

Thurlestone Hotel

AWeekendIn_May14.indd 43 09/05/2016 15:52:55

44

My Favourite…

Walk: Horner Woods near Porlock in north Somerset is always a great place to walk. In spring the woodland fl oor is carpeted with snowdrops and, as the season progresses, with bluebells. There are many paths to choose, but my favourite is to head for Stoke Pero which brings you out of the coombe to one of the smallest churches in England. From this point it is only a small walk out onto the moor over-looking The Vale of Porlock and back towards Dunkery Beacon. Beach: As a boy, I used to love going to beaches that have dunes and were great for playing hide and seek, or just running and jumping off their steep sides to sink ankle-deep into the soft warm sand below. The beautiful sandy swathes around Gwithian have a great appeal and the huge surf rolling in off the Atlantic brings a wild drama as each wave crashes onto the shoreline.

Activity: Cycling is my thing and, although I don’t get out much, I do enjoy the freedom and thrill of powering along under my own steam. My part of the country is lucky not to have too much traffi c, so this makes road cycling on our country lanes so much more enjoyable.

44

John BradleyChef John Bradley owns and runs Dunkery Beacon Country House Hotel at Wootton Courtenay on Exmoor with his wife Jane

My Secret Westcountry

Exeter

Food: One of my favourite discoveries is local cheeses and in particular Exmoor Jersey Blue made at Lydeard St Lawrence. As blue cheeses go, it is reasonably strong, has great depth and goes beautifully with my homemade fi g and ginger chutney.

Tipple: I have always been drawn towards the maltier style of beers and ales. Exmoor Ales has a small but quality range of beers and, having tried most of them, I always fi nd myself order-ing an Exmoor Gold.

Pub: The Swan Inn in Bampton. Run by hus-band and wife chef team Paul and Donna Berry, the atmosphere is always buzzing and they have a fantastic menu. They have won some great ac-colades for their food too, all richly deserved.

Restaurant: Augustus in Taunton. Set in a quiet courtyard not far from the river, this restaurant has charm, personable staff and beautiful food. We always make a beeline for it whenever we get an opportunity to get over to Taunton. It is a sanctuary from the hubbub of the bustling county town.

MSW_May14.indd 44 09/05/2016 16:18:14

4545

dunkerybeaconaccommodation.co.uk

Way to relax: When I’m not in my kitch-en, working on a new dish, I can usually be found in the garden where I grow herbs, ber-ries, fruits, salads and veggies. Although it can be reasonably physical, gardening does bring fantastic relaxation to the mind.

Weekend away: Exeter has a great vibe, good places to eat and lots of entertainment. The area around the cathedral is particu-larly stunning and I love the city’s annual Christmas market. Shop: Mole Valley Farmers – it’s my favourite store. It has everything you need for country living, from tractors to plus-fours.

Treat: Having friends round for dinner. Cooking is part of my work, but I love entertaining and spoiling our friends with my latest dishes. Luxury: Peace and quiet. It’s the fi rst thing people notice when they come to stay in our hotel and, being in the heart of the country, the loud-est it gets is the sounds of nature.

People

The Swan

Brixham seared scallops

Exmoor Gold

Bedroom at Dunkery Beacon

St Ives

MSW_May14.indd 45 09/05/2016 16:20:01

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46

My life

NEXT WEEK: Chris McGuire on his new life in the Westcountry

Man and boy

Moving pictures [[

took the boy to see the new Jungle Book movie. I am sure I was not the only adult in the audience who was a bit worried it might not live

up to the brilliance of the 1960s original. And yes, it is very different from that animated clas-sic. Rather than cartoon characters, the style is photo-real, which means the animals are lifelike – scarily lifelike at times – but I wasn’t disappointed.

The atmosphere was helped by the turn-out. It was the first time in ages I have been in a cinema that was so packed. Mums, dads, kids all crammed into the smallish theatre for a teatime performance. The crowd thinned out a little when one character was first intro-duced in rather surprising and dramatic fash-ion, giving everybody a pleasant shock, apart from the handful of small children who burst into tears and had to be removed from the au-ditorium. It is not a violent or scary film by any means but it is not for the very young.

Part of the film’s appeal comes from the fact that the on-screen characters – voiced by big names, including Idris Elba, Christopher Walken (superbly channelling Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now as King Louis) and Scarlett Johanssen – are as believable as any human actor.

But what surprised me most came as the credits rolled at the end. The place was as filthy as you might expect if 200 monkeys had been sitting there instead of the good citizens of Exeter. Cups, cartons, popcorn, chocolates,

wrappers all scattered across the floor. You couldn’t help stepping on it all as you left. Standing at the door was a guy ready with an industrial-size dustpan and brush. How on earth had we made this mess? We had only been sitting down watching a film for two hours.

Now I am not going to launch an angry old man speech (grrr) about the days when dainty usherettes in air-stewardess costumes ap-peared during the intermission waving pencil torches at their ice creams and chocolates, though. Times change and going to the pictures is not what it was. Most people now prefer to sit at home and watch Netflix and I am no dif-ferent.

I guess the dwindling crowds coming to ex-perience the thrill of being part of an audience watching a film have forced cinemas to cash in on the food and drink side, popcorn and the rest. I am not immune to their delights. At this show I bought the lad his first tub of popcorn – a kid’s portion, but still loads – and he sat hap-pily munching though the action I also had a strong word when he started trying to scrape the remnants from the empty carton, fearful he was making a mess. Quite a lot of the audience were not so worried, though.

Honestly, when you saw the state of that cinema when the lights came on it was shame-ful, a real sty. It made me think of the line at the end of George Orwell’s book Animal Farm… when the farmyard creatures are looking from man to pig, and from pig to man and it was ‘im-possible to say which was which’.

‘the place was as filthy as you might expect if 200 monkeys

had been sitting there’[ [I

Phil Goodwin and son James, six, take a trip to the cinema

ManandBoy_May14.indd 46 09/05/2016 16:30:40

Why “off the gas grid” needn’t mean “off the shortlist”With many of Cornwall’s most picturesque locations out of the reach of mains gas, MarkBritton of South West Heating examines the options for homebuyers and vendors alike.

From Torpoint to Sennen, and Bude tothe Lizard Peninsula, some of Cornwall’smost beautiful places are also amongthe most remote. In fact, the secludedlocation is often a big part of the appeal.

But life off the beaten track has itschallenges, and high on the list forhomeowners is finding a reliable,affordable way to heat a property withno mains gas.

Buyers want efficient heating

That presents the region’s home buyers with a dilemma. After

all, a 2014 survey found efficient heating is a top priority for

73% of buyers – making it more important than parking, a

garden or a shower – but ruling out properties without mains

gas can severely limit your buying options.

For vendors, too, it’s a problem. In particular, try selling a

property that still relies on night storage heaters. They’re

famously hard to control, expensive to run, and always seem

to run out of heat just when you need it most.

What’s more, the Economy 7 energy tariff that night storageuses offsets its night-time discount by making your peak timeenergy more expensive – costing you more every time you doyour ironing, watch television or make a cup of tea.

Oil and LPG: messy and complicated

Switching to a self-contained “wet” heating system – poweredby oil or bottled gas – can be an effective option, but it’shardly straightforward.

Even for properties with the luxury of space to store a bulkytank, there’s the hassle, mess and disruption of pipework –not to mention the worry of notoriously volatile prices and, inremote areas, potential difficulties with deliveries.

It’s no wonder that vendors can be reluctant to install newcentral heating just to sell – or that buyers prefer propertieswhere the heating is already sorted out.

Your secret weapon: ELKAtherm® electric radiators

Where replacing ageing, inefficient or inadequate heatingwith a new “wet” system is not practical or desirable, the newgeneration of efficient, electric ELKAtherm® radiators are anexcellent option.

Slimmer and more attractive than night storage heaters,ELKAtherm® heating is easy to adjust without even leavingyour sofa – and because there’s no need for wastefulovernight charging, you can be as warm as you like, at amoment’s notice.

You can switch away from your Economy 7 tariff, too – savingmoney on your energy overall – as the efficient, Germanheating technology uses far less power, more than making upfor the overnight discount.

Upgrade in a day

Crucially, the lack of pipework and storage tanks meansELKAtherm® radiators are no trouble at all to install – hereat South West Heating, we usually upgrade an entire propertyin a single day, and leave the home as pristine as if it wereour own.

That’s good to know if you’re trying to sell a property withnight storage heaters – and if it’s a sticking point in thatperfect property you’re keen to buy, you can safely go aheadand negotiate your discount: we won’t tell how easy it is tofix, if you don’t.

For more advice on efficient, controllable heating, call South West Heating on 01209 714600,visit southwestheatingsolutions.co.uk or write to us at ‘Freepost SOUTHWEST HEATING SOLUTIONS’ -

no other address details required (not even a postcode).

©LW

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Ads.indd 3 09/05/2016 18:09:34