09.04.16

23

+ CELEBRITY KNITWEAR

INSIDE:

ways to look & feel your best

INSIDE:

+ HERB GARDENS

+ PADSTOW WEEKENDS

+ FLORAL BEAUTY

09.04.16

23ways to look &

‘I just had to help

them’One woman, one

refugee crisis...

Cover_April9.indd 1 05/04/2016 13:25:38

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

Ads.indd 4 05/04/2016 13:57:07

33

5 SWEET TREATSWin delicious Cornish fudge

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

12 GIRLS IN PURLSKnit designer Nicola’s A-list fashion

16 WOMAN ON A MISSION Nina Coulson’s remarkable charity work

22 CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSERGlazebrook House will enchant you

26 IN THE GARDENAnne Swithinbank’s pick of the herbs

28 NATURE’S BOUNTYBeautiful botanicals for your skin

32 DENIM DELIGHTS Feminine twists on a classic, this spring

34 CULTURE VULTUREWhat’s on and where to go

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

38 GOLDEN BROWNThe comeback beers creating a stir

46 WHAT A WEEKChris McGuire has a confession

contents[ [Inside this week...

44 EXPLORE THE WESTSecret places to discover now

22 FULL OF WONDERSurprising decor in South Brent

KNITTING FOR THE STARSNicola Kathren’s A-list fashion12

A WEEKEND IN...Padstow’s enduring appeal42

38 FRESHEN UP FOR SPRINGSkincare treatments to try today

41 FLOUR POWERChef Tim Maddams gets stuck in

‘When you see baby sized life jackets washing

up, you have to help’

How Cornwall’s Nina Coulson is helping

desperate refugees, p.16

Contents-April9.indd 3 05/04/2016 13:45:42

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

4

[[ [[welcome[ [

hat a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago, mum-of-six Nina Coulson was peacefully living what she regarded as her dream life in west

Cornwall. Then, when she saw news reports about the refugee crisis in the Greek island of Lesbos, Nina decided to see if she could help. Fast forward to today, and Nina is running a dynamic and fast-moving fund-raising initiative to send desperately-needed money and supplies directly to the refugees arriving on the beaches of Lesbos. Read all about her heart-warming and deeply moving story today on page 16 - with de-

tails of how you can help, too. I’m sure you’ll be impressed - I know I was.Elsewhere in today’s magazine (page 12) we meet another woman who has changed her life

to do something really rather wonderful. Lyme Regis’ Nicola Ka-threns was an actor but then decided to get cre-ative in a different way, through the medium of knitwear. Her one-off bespoke designs

are now worn by the likes of Emma Thompson and Julie Walters - and they look completely gor-geous, too. So if spring fever has grabbed you just lately, then do have a good look through West today, and get inspired. Have a great weekend.

[ [Seeing the refugee crisis on the news, she wanted to help

Becky Sheaves, Editor

Is spring fever inspiring you?

[ON A MISSIONThe Cornish woman saving lives16

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

@jacobs_hut @WMNWest Thank you for such a lovely

competition this week. #Win #ShepherdsHutStay

#HeaveninDevon

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

W

COVER IMAGE: John Freddy Jones

[Tweet

EdsLetter_1thing_April9.indd 4 05/04/2016 11:07:42

55

Try some mouth-watering fudge and other artisan sweeties from Cornish maker Buttermilk. Their skilled team blend ingredients the traditional way in copper pans over open � ames. The family-run confectionery company started producing handmade fudge in Padstow in 1964, and now makes 60 � avours of fudge, tablet, brittle, chocolate clusters and honeycomb at its new kitchen in Bodmin. See www.but-termilk.co.uk for details.

one thingIf you buy

this week...

Win Buttermilk is o� ering one lucky West reader the chance to win a selection of its sweet artisan treats worth over £50. Just tell us where the � rm’s new kitchen is based. Email your answer, marked Buttermilk, with your contact details to westmag@

westernmorningnews.co.uk by April 23. Normal terms apply. West magazine will not share your details.

EdsLetter_1thing_April9.indd 5 04/04/2016 15:45:55

6

the

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

wishlistSTREET

STYLE STAR

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

Emily Harper, 18 It comes as no surprise to learn that Emily is a fashion student

at the Plymouth College of Art. Doesn’t she look terri� c?

Emily has a great sense of style and we love the way she has balanced her all-black out� t

with the neutral shearling lining of her draped jacket.Sunglasses: Miss Selfridge

Jacket: ZaraTop: Asos

Bag: FlorelliJeans: New Look

Trainers: Nike

Heart sunglasses £16 Floozie by Frost

French at Debenhams

Handmade gardening gauntlet gloves in

cream and heather pink leather £29.95

www.annabeljames.co.uk

Handmade labrador cuffl inks £29.95 www.

annabeljames.co.uk

White Stork cushion handmade from

vintage silk kimonos £40 stu� ofdreams.com

GLOVELY

SMART SLEEVES

IN FLIGHT

Wishlist_April9.indd 6 04/04/2016 13:44:24

7

If you visit Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens in west Cornwall you’ll � nd some real treats in the shop there. Look out for unusual handmade � nds from across the South West, including colourful jewellery made from recycled

skateboards in Falmouth. It is run by Ali Corder, a printmaker whose own work includes brooches featuring the sailor’s good luck symbol, the swallow.Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval near Penzance, 01736 448089

STORE WE ADORE:

Wishlist

Artisan Shop, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

adore...Store we

RHS Rosa Chinensis gardener’s A5

notebook £7.95 www.annabeljames.co.uk

La Sardine watch from France

£122.74 www.laruze.com

Porcelain rose gold earrings designed by Lille Mus £39.60

en.dawanda.com

Rock and Roll salad servers £15

www.maidenshop.com

ALL ROSY

THESE ROCK

fave!

Wishlist_April9.indd 7 04/04/2016 13:46:58

8

talking points

The American comic actress Leslie Mann wore this eye-catching frock by the Lebanese designer Reem Acra at the London premiere of How To Be Single recently. Her out� t not only looked gorgeous, it also ticked the trend boxes for spring 2016: dark � orals with sheer fabrics. This pretty and � attering Phase Eight dress is a great high street equivalent, and here are a couple of other a� ordable ways to access Les-lie’s fashion-forward red carpet style

FLORALS with a twist

OPTION BDetailedMarchesa dress £65 Chic-By-Choice.com

OPTION ADelightfulPrint dress £60 Chi Chi London www.zalando.co.uk

steal herstyle

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Prudence dress £169 Phase Eight

he fi rst-time parent-ing challenges just keep coming. This time, our daughter is choosing her

GCSE options. We’ve just been through a brain-smoking process of trying to get our heads around the topic.

An apology: listening to other parents talk about exam choices usually makes me glaze over. This is one of those subjects in which you are intensely inter-ested if your kids are at that age, and really could not care less about if they have already been through it, or if it is a distant point on the horizon. So, sorry about the lack of universality this week.

But if you’re in the same boat, oh my goodness! What a lot I’ve had to fi gure out this month.

So fi rst of all, they’ve changed the grading system. What was an A* or an A or whatever is now a system of numbers. They’ve predict-ed a target level for the kids, so that was the fi rst thing to trans-late.

Secondly, all those years of coursework counting for part of your grade are for nought: now it’s back to the old system of exam only. Baby? Bathwater?

Third of all, they’re bring-ing the options choices a year forward, so kids are starting to choose in year eight, not year nine.

It’s always hard being a transi-tion year, and these year eights have certainly felt the stress. They have this spectre hanging

over them of CHOOSING OP-TIONS. And given that they are all somewhat melodramatic, it seemed like The Most Important Decision They Were Ever Going To Make. Getting it wrong was going to RUIN THEIR LIFE.

I do not envy these kids this stress. I think doing exams to determine what you have learned in three whole years is horrible, especially if they’re all taken at

the end. What a lot of pressure!

When I was growing up in the States, we had no such thing. You took a class, which took half a year, and at the end of it you were given a grade, which was based on your work plus a mid-term and fi nal exam. This was worth a certain amount of points: 4

for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C, and 1 for a D. All your grades across the subjects would be totted up to get your grade point average (GPA). Your GPA was kind of a rolling total, and you built on what you learned – Algebra I went into Algebra II and so on.

I think I would have had a nervous breakdown if I’d had to be tested all at the end. Good-ness knows what state our family will be in three years hence. It’s draconian, I tell you.

Story of my life...

Gillian Molesworth

Grade expectations – it’s options time

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

T

I think doing exams to

determine what you’ve learned in three whole years is horrible. What a lot of pressure

HEAVEN?

MoleyGossip_April9.indd 8 04/04/2016 14:38:19

Star Wars actor John Boyega made one � ve-year-old boy’s dream come true when he delivered toys to sick children at the Royal London Hospital recently.Little Daniel Bell had said he wished he could hand out presents to other young patients alongside his favourite � lm Star Wars character, Finn. Film star John duly arrived at the hospital dressed in character and taught Daniel some ni� y lightsaber moves as part of the special treat.The special day was arranged by Rays of Sunshine, which grants the special wishes of seriously and terminally ill children. It’s a charity close to the heart of Deborah Meaden’s mum, the Westcountry ho-telier Sonia Meaden, who has actively supported the cause for years.Daniel’s mum Rosalind said his meet-ing with John, who described Daniel as an “amazing and inspirational” boy, had been beyond price.John may have scooped a Ba� a for his Star Wars role in February, but we think this truly shows him for the shining star he is.

STARS

AND SUNSHINE

9

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

heard all the latest juicy stu� here � rst!

09.04.16

Poldark star Aidan Turner is said to be in talks for the role of James Bond, and fans are already picturing him with the famous shaken-not-stirred martini.His lead role in Cornish period drama has made the 32-year-old actor a TV heartthrob and, according to one news-paper report, Aidan � ew to Los Angeles for discussions with the Bond producers.

While he was in LA, his Poldark pro-ducer Karen Thrussell had to accept an “impact” award on his behalf at the National Television Awards, for his memorable topless scything scene. At the time, she too appeared to hint at 007, saying of Aidan’s absence: “I am sure it is nothing to do with James Bond, but we will see!”

Former Coronation Street actress and Strictly Come Dancing star Georgia May Foote is set to make her professional stage debut as Holly Golightly in a touring production of Breakfast At Ti� any’s. She will share the role with pop star Pixie

Lott – who is top of the bill when the show comes to Plymouth in June – and Inbetweeners actress Emily Atack.

A� er a summer run in London, the play will go on the road and is due to be staged in Bristol and Cardi� from September, when Georgia joins its trio of

leading ladies. She said: “I am so excited that for my � rst theatre role, I will be playing such an iconic character. It’s a wonderful adaptation of an incredible

story and I’m really thrilled to be part of it!”

‘I’m so excited to

be playing such an

iconic role’ [[BREAKFAST CLUB

00

HEAVEN?

MoleyGossip_April9.indd 9 04/04/2016 14:39:02

10

in pictures

Garden glam: Viscount and Viscountess Weymouth from Longleat come to see Kilver Court’s new garden nursery in Shepton Mallet

Sea life: Matt Austin snapped

this young starfish at the

opening of Seaton Jurassic,

a new coastal visitor centre

Pay a visit: St Ives storyteller

Shanty Baba has converted

his bathroom into a quirky

museum celebrating

Victorian explorer Sir

Richard Burton

Bray trip: Paddy and Chocolate from The Donkey Sanctuary visit Buckfast Abbey

WIP_Lists_April9.indd 10 04/04/2016 14:32:53

11

Si-�

talking points

Chips?

Extinct

10 potato varieties to grow

1 Amora2 Emblem 3 Majestic4 Red robin5 Panther6 Jester7 Marvel8 Verity9 Celine

10 Zohar

DID YOU KNOW?

This week:

Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

ONE OF US

Rowing champion Helen Glover grew up in Penzance

Helen Glover

The happy list

10 things to make you smile this week1 Sunshine between the

cloudbursts

2 Comedian Damian Kings-ley’s shows in aid of Shelter

3 Sale! Discount Easter Eggs

4 Blossom cherry and apple

5 SpringFest food, music and fun in Cullompton, today

6 The Archers gripping!

7 Florentines our baking fad

8 National Gardening Week – dig in.

9 Family snaps – say cheese.

10 New trainers step one of our summer � tness goals

10 creatures now lost to history

1 Thylacine (1936)

2 Bulldog rat (1902)

3 Lesser stick-nest rat (1933)

4 Falkland Island wolf (1876)

5 Queen of Sheba’s gazelle (1951)

6 Steller’s sea cow (1768)

7 Pig-footed bandicoot (1950s)

8 Cape lion (1858)

9 Quagga (1833)

10 Cebu warty pig (2000)

10 fan-� ction titles inspired by Simon Cowell published on Wattpad.com

1 Simon Cowell’s Little Secret

2 Life As Simon Cowell’s Daughter

3 Simon Cowell Is My Uncle

4 Simon Cowell’s Rebel Niece

5 Adopted By Simon Cowell

6 The Call From Simon Cowell

7 Simon Cowell’s What?

8 The Secret Daughter of Simon Cowell

9 Simon Cowell Saved My Life

10 Don’t Tell My Uncle Simon Cowell

Medals: Helen Glover, 29, is the reigning Olympic, World, World Cup and European champion in the women’s coxless pairs. Helen is currently ranked the Number 1 female rower in the world.

Cornwall: Helen grew up in Penzance. Her family runs Jelberts, an ice-cream café selling its own handmade ice cream, in nearby Newlyn. Jelberts was started by Helen’s great-grandfather.

Family: She comes from sporting stock. Her father Jimmy captained the Oxford University rugby team and also played for the Barbarians. Her mother Rachel is a keen triathlete.

School: Helen went to Humphry Davy School in Penzance, then won a sixth-form sporting scholarship to the Somerset public school Mill� eld – but not for rowing. Back then, she was into hockey and running. “When

I was at school I was quite strong-minded, I started up sports teams, I played in the boys’ football team. I wouldn’t let anyone tell me I couldn’t do anything.”

Relationship: A� er meeting the TV adventurer Steve Backshall four years ago, the couple got engaged last autumn while on holiday in Africa. “Happiest girl in the world!!! Most romantic moment ever as the sun was setting in Namibia.” Helen tweeted at the time

Plans: A� er a degree in Sport Science at the University of Wales Institute, Cardi� , Helen initially planned to become a PE teacher.

Rowing: In July 2008, a� er graduating from the University of Wales Helen started rowing with the Sporting Giants scheme. She had to be 5� 11in to qualify and later admitted to standing on tiptoe, as she is actually 5 � 10.

Competition winners:

Congratulations to Jennifer Coombs of Exmouth, who has won a bunch of 60 narcissi from Churchtown Farm on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly.

Helen is a self-confessed

chocoholic and loves

Creme Eggs!

WIP_Lists_April9.indd 11 04/04/2016 14:35:30

12

Interview

Knitting forthe stars

NICOLA KATHRENS

[[eet Nicola Kathrens, knit-wear designer to the stars, whose creations are worn by the likes of Julie Walters and Emma Thompson.

As an actress, Nicola used to travel the world. “Back then, I lived on adrenalin, alcohol and applause,” she jokes. But in 1997, Nicola decided she’d had enough of treading the boards. She left the bright lights behind her and headed for the sea-side town of Lyme Regis in Dorset, to start a new life.

“My sister lives here with her two chil-dren. I decided if I didn’t come and be with the babies then they would have grown up and I would have missed it,” she explains . “So I was a hands-on auntie for a time, and it was lovely. Then I looked around and thought, now what do I do with myself ?”

Despite leaving the theatre behind, Nicola was still very much in touch with her creative side. And that creativity was to spark a whole new career, designing top-end bespoke knitwear.

“I was painting china at the time and selling that – then this voice said to me ‘go

upstairs, get that jumper, cut it up, stitch it’,” she says. And so her fi rst one-off ‘recy-cled’ creation was born.

And Nicola’s theatrical connections stood her in good stead when fi nding cus-tomers, too. After designing a jacket that was inspired by an outfi t the actress Emma Thompson wore to go riding with Hugh Grant in the fi lm Sense and Sensibility, Nicola could not resist writing to Emma Thompson, offering her one of her crea-tions as a gift.

“She went on my website to have a look, and came back and said she’d absolutely love one,” says Nicola. “So I went up to meet her at her house in London and took my jackets with me.

“In the end, I went up to see her twice, taking her measurements and, from my wool samples, she chose the colours. Then we made the jacket and three months later took it up to her to try on. What a lovely woman she is! It is a connection I will never forget.”

And there’s another famous woman modelling one of Nicola’s creations, too. Educating Rita star and national treas-ure Julie Walters happened upon Nicola’s studio during a visit to Lyme Regis.

“She walked past my studio and I said to

M

By Sarah Pitt

Nicola Kathrens creates superstar knitwear in Lyme Regis. She tells Sarah Pitt about designing for the likes of Emma Thompson and Julie Walters

Feature1_Knits_April9.indd 12 04/04/2016 14:09:01

13

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Feature1_Knits_April9.indd 13 04/04/2016 14:10:03

14

myself ‘goodness me, that looks like it could be Julie Walters’. Then she walked in, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, it is Julie Walters!’ We had a laugh about that, and a lovely chat and then I asked if there was anything particular that she wanted, and she said ‘yes, that one in the window’.”

And when it came to paying, Nicola insisted that Julie put her purse away. “I said, you have entertained me for so many years, you take it. She said ‘oh no’, but I said ‘no, you have it’. These are women who live high profi le lives. I feel proud

that they are wearing my work.”Nicola makes special-occasion creations, often

embellished with ruched velvet and embroidery. They have a theatrical fl air, as you might expect from a former actress. She designs her own hand-knitted creations – fi gure-fl attering jackets, car-digans and even a full-length frockcoat, inspired by period dramas she loves to watch on TV.

While Nicola is very much the design talent of her business, she doesn’t, in fact, do the knit-ting. All her hand-knits are made by one skil-ful woman who lives in Bridport. Corinne is so modest that she prefers her second name not to appear in print. The two work together on each bespoke creation, adjusting the design to fi t each client.

“It was quite scary initially because I’m not a tailor. I’m working in wool not fabric, so I can’t make a toile (a practise garment),” says Nicola. “There’s always that moment of apprehension, when they put it on for the fi rst time, and you think ‘oh my goodness, have I got it right’?”

Nicola’s handmade designs range in price from £420 up to £2,500 for her latest design, a show-stopping highwayman’s coat. This piece even comes with its own mannequin, so that it keeps its shape. Each one is designed specifi cally for the individual customer – measurements, col-ours and customised decoration.

This process is very much about making a client feel a million dollars and can’t be rushed, says Nicola. Each piece takes between three and eight months to

Interview

Julie Walters is a fan of Nicola’s knitwear designs

Feature1_Knits_April9.indd 14 04/04/2016 14:12:23

15

create. “We don’t churn,” she says. “We are slow, but women are prepared to wait for this kind of quality.”

Her knitwear fl atters women’s curves, with jackets called names like Rita, Sybill and, the one that started it all off, Sweetie Pie. “I can make both Rubenesque women and fair-ies feel good,” she says. “It is ex-traordinary when a woman comes in to try my work on and I can see her fall in love with herself in the mirror. She will literally change the way that she is standing.”

Nicola’s customers are mainly women over 30. “Any younger than that, and they can’t afford me!” she says. “The oldest woman I have knit-

ted for was in her mid-80s. She looked fantastic. She said to me: I have never spent so much money on one piece of clothing in my whole life, and I’m going to get buried in it. No

one else is having it.”For customers who want a bit of Nicola Kath-

rens design but can’t stretch to a jacket, she also

has some enticing scarves. They were inspired by saris Nicola saw Indian women wearing in Ra-jasthan and are machine knitted, with intricate patterns.

Nicola describes her work as “a one woman show” which is all about making women feel great about themselves.“I can remember when I was a child there was one particular jumper I put on that always made me feel amazing,” she says. “ I love that feeling a special piece of cloth-ing gives you, when you put it on and you feel like you can conquer everything. That is what I want to replicate with the clothes I make now.”Kathrens Rare Knitwear 35 Coombe Street, Lyme Regis, www.kathrens.co.uk. Nicola’s work is also on show at Green Hill Arts, Moretonhampstead from April 23-June 11 (01647 440775).

‘ She walked past and

I thought, my goodness me,

that looks like Julie Walters’

Emma Thompson loves the jacket Nicola Kathrens made for her

Feature1_Knits_April9.indd 15 04/04/2016 14:14:05

16

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Feature2_April9.indd 16 04/04/2016 14:19:21

17

People

A year ago, Nina Coulson was a mum of six, enjoying family life in west Cornwall . Then she saw images of mothers and babies washing up on the Greek island of Lesbos, and her life changed

utterly. Today, Nina runs the Cornish charity UK Action for Refugees, as Catherine Barnes found out

or the rescuers, it’s like being on the coast path in Cornwall. Pitch dark and you don’t know they’re out there till you hear the

screams,” says Nina Coulson. Since moving down to Gillan, west

Cornwall, from Manchester in 2006, Nina, 47, her husband Digby, 50 and their children – who range in age from 13 to 26 – have lived, as she puts it, a “blissful if fairly chaotic” life in a rambling former hotel, complete with nine dogs.

As the silent partner in a succesful business she set up with her younger sister, Nina has just enough fi nancial freedom to live her Westcountry dream.

But last summer, her eyes were opened to other families who were living a night-mare. It began when she saw news foot-age of refugee boats being washed up on Greek holiday island Lesbos. “One day

By Catherine Barnes

“F

Woman on a mission

NINA COULSON

[[

Feature2_April9.indd 17 04/04/2016 14:20:22

18

People

stuck in my mind,” she says. “A two-tiered boat arrived and the top tier collapsed. It went down in three minutes. That’s when I began to look at the Facebook pages from people who are actually there. I realised throwing money at a big char-ity just wasn’t enough. When you see baby-sized life jackets washing up empty, you have to help.”

Nina began combing social media for fi rst-hand accounts from people in Lesbos, who could not witness the suffer-ing without reaching out to help. She ‘met’ via Facebook a couple called Eric and Philip-pa Kempson, plus their teenage daugh-ter Elleni, who all live in Lesbos, and got their phone number.

“They told me that no one was turning up to help,” she says. “They had moved there to enjoy an idyllic home in Greece with sea views, rather like the impulse that took me to Cornwall. But now there were bodies washing up on the beach. Digby and I own a 16 seat minibus, so I said, tell us what you need and Digby will

drive it there.”Wetsuits were a priority. With refugees unable

to swim, local rescuers would plough into the sea time and time again, in the clothes they stood up in. One, unwilling to give up, got hypothermia as

a result. So Nina organised an appeal via social media and saw hundreds

of wetsuits from Cornwall and elsewhere donated.

She then began fund-raising too, founding UK Action for Refugees to raise an initial £6,000 to cover the cost of trans-porting the wetsuits to Lesbos. Cornish resi-dents and local busi-nesses came forward

with warm clothes and other essentials, too – far

too much for a single mini-bus to carry.“In the end we needed an ar-

ticulated lorry and sent 32 pallets of aid,” says Nina. She is keen to ac-

knowledge west Cornwall based container company Dennis Oates & Sons for their generous (and often hands-on) support.

“The response in Cornwall has been amazing,” she says. “If you give people a vehicle and say

Elleni, supported by her dad, Eric, brings a little boy to safety on Lesbos

Elleni and Nina

Feature2_April9.indd 18 05/04/2016 13:50:43

19

here’s what you can do, they do it. The help doesn’t need to be fi nancial. When I’m tearing my hair out, they’re there.

“I think this crisis has changed the face of charity in the UK,” adds Nina, who says that friends on the ground in Lesbos have been frustrated by the slow response of major charities.

“They are just too big to make the connections we do,” she explains.

“More and more people don’t want to give to a big charity if the money will be eaten up by administra-tion costs. They like the transparency of what we’re doing – it’s just people help-ing people.”

So when Eric and Philip-pa asked if she could pro-vide a sanctuary for their own daughter, Nina wel-comed the teenager, who grew up on Lesbos, with open arms.

“Elleni was living in the midst of the refugee crisis for 12 months. Eric and Philippa tried to shield her from it, but if they went down to the beach, she went with them. She was pulling people out of the water. They wanted a bit of normality for her,” explains Nina, who has yet to meet friends Eric and Philippa face to face.

“She got a hard time at school in Lesbos, as not everyone was supportive of what her par-

ents were doing. Instead, she is now doing a lot here in Cornwall to support her family and the charity.

“She’s incredibly talented musically and just been accepted at music college in Guild-ford. I’m hoping she’ll pursue her loves and her career and blossom into the wonderful person I know she is. My own kids are all very

independent and creative and this experience has done them good.”

At just 17, Elleni is in-credibly composed, despite the desperation she’s wit-nessed. She is performing fundraising gigs and has penned her own composi-tion, A Song for Lost Souls, to raise awareness of the refugees’ plight.

In recent weeks UK Action for Refugees has shipped out two contain-ers full of clothes, food and nappies, donated and sorted by generous souls in Corn-wall. The charity has also sent a fully-equipped ambu-lance to Syria.

“I consider myself to be relatively hardened now and think I can no longer be horrifi ed by what I see. And then there’s something new, and even more shocking,” refl ects Nina.

“We have a lovely life here in Cornwall and that’s what gives me the freedom to do this. It sucks you in. It’s like I stepped off a cliff and begin abseiling.”

‘This crisis has changed the

face of charity in the UK. People like what we’re

doing. We’re just people helping

people’

Nina says the response to refugees in crisis has

been ‘amazing’

Feature2_April9.indd 19 04/04/2016 14:23:16

20

People

Elleni’s story:Elleni Kempson, 17, now lives in Cornwall but has a family home in Lesbos. Here, she tells of her experience helping refugees.

Elleni says: There were always refugees coming over to Lesbos but last summer, it started getting so much worse. We were seeing more and more boats coming, no longer just men looking for work but families and the disabled and elderly. People with burns all over their bodies. The fi rst day I got involved, a boat sank in front of my eyes. My fi rst reaction was to go in and help, but Dad said, it’s too far. They were actually gluing the boat together as it fell apart, but it wasn’t sticking, because it was all wet.

When I went in up to my waist, with two tyre inner tubes, Dad said, fi ne then, go. I gave the tyres to two women, then there was a baby screaming and a young boy trying to hold him up out of the water. I took the baby and the older

‘The � rst day I got involved, a boat sank

in front of my eyes. They were gluing it

together as it fell apart.’

child grabbed a bit of boat. You really can’t ex-plain how it feels. It can go wrong in a few sec-onds but you have to try and help. The little boy was screaming and screaming. The older one wasn’t a relative, just another person help-ing. Later, the smaller boy’s dad found him and thanked me.

I didn’t see anyone die, although I saw some-one nearly drown, but they managed to bring them back.

As soon as you walk away from a dramatic situation like that, you realise life shouldn’t be like this. For me, there’s no going back from

what I’ve seen, but I wouldn’t change that for the world. It’s shaped my life.

But many people my age have no clue, espe-cially if they hear people say that immigrants are coming and taking our jobs. I worry about my parents over there in Greece while I study in Cornwall. They haven’t had a real break and have seen the worst of it.

The people of Cornwall have been amazing, too. It’s so nice to see so many people coming out to help. Taking time out to help people they’ve never even met - I think that’s truly wonderful.” www.ukactionforrefugees.com

Facebook friendships with strangers helped

Nina reach out

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interiors22 fashion30

explore42 wellbeing36

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Interiors_Apr09.indd 22 04/04/2016 14:55:04

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Interiors

rom the outside you’d never guess. Sur-rounded by lush gardens with camellias coming into bloom, Glazebrook House Hotel has the solidly comfortable look of

the Victorian family home it once was. The visitor’s first clue that perhaps there is,

though, more than meets the eye comes when you stand in the porch. Here, hanging up just to the side is the skeleton of a canoe, an old-fashioned wooden one. It is the first curiosity I spot on the premises but definitely not the last.

Walking into the lobby, I meet owner Pieter Hamman, a South African who moved to this tran-quil spot from San Francisco three years ago with his wife Fran. At that point the hotel, up for sale, had quite a tired décor, chintzy and conventional. It is certainly not that now.

“We bought the hotel in November 2013 and had committed to opening for a wedding on May 24, 2014. I had seven containers of furniture arriving over the first bank holiday weekend in May,” says Pieter.

The word striking doesn’t quite do justice to the look the Hammans have created here. Alice in Won-derland is the theme for the bedrooms and the opu-lent reception rooms which feature fixtures and fit-tings from Brit designer Timothy Oulton.

Feted in the US as a ‘British Revivalist’, Oulton’s hand-crafted furniture references British military history, old leather sofas of the kind found in gen-tlemen’s clubs. He’s also known for his collections of everything from silver salvers to street signs and even bowler hats (all to be seen in the hotel).

This is about old made new, British heritage dusted down and given a touch of bling. In the lobby hangs a massive velvet Union Jack flag in bright red, royal blue and black. The reception desk is made from shiny aircraft wing.

There are Chesterfield-style leather sofas, decorat-ed with bright cushions, and giant shiny GB lettering on the wall. Oh, and a stuffed flamingo, perched on a side table. Is it real, I wonder? I don’t quite like to ask. Then Pieter points out the giant pen, beside the door-way leading to the library. Curiouser and curiouser.

F

There’s a wonderland to be discovered behind the front door of Glazebrook House Hotel in south Devon, as Sarah Pitt discovers

Decidedlydifferent

Interiors_Apr09.indd 23 04/04/2016 14:56:33

24

All the bedrooms have Alice in Wonderland names, which fi t them to a tee. There’s the White Rabbit room, with its white sheepskin bed and giant playing cards on the wall. And Tweedledees with its wacky twin four-posters.

The Cheshire Cat bedroom has a portrait of a dodo on the wall and a tartan carpet underfoot, while the room named Bread and Butterfl ies is accessorized with retro suitcases above the bed.

This ground fl oor disabled-access room looks over the stunning gardens. It was the gardens which originally sparked the Alice in Wonder-land theme, as Pieter and Fran worked with de-signers and builders to completely transform the hotel in six months fl at.

“I still hadn’t named the rooms six weeks

Interiors

before the furniture was due to arrive and I was in a slight panic. Then my son, who was over from South Africa, said ‘didn’t Fran says she felt like Alice in Wonderland in the gardens?’ That was it! I grabbed a piece of paper and had the rooms named in ten minutes.

“The Alice in Wonderland idea really resonated because the overarching theme of the house was a 19th century collector’s home, and Lewis Carroll is quintessentially 19th century. With 2015 being the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice in Wonderland it all fi tted together.”

Designer Simon Laws from Timothy Oulton worked with the Hammans to transform every room.

“He did all the interiors as well as the structural side of it, because we wanted an integrat-ed project,” says Pieter. “He was just amazing.”

Reclaimed wood has been used to create parquet fl oors in every room which have the patina of age, while the round tables in the dining room are also made from reclaimed wood.

Every room is lit by chandeliers – there are no fewer than 45 throughout the hotel – while marble tessellated tiles give a 3D effect to the fl oors of the walk-in shower rooms.

The wine and whisky tasting room is a fun take on the gentlemen’s smoking den, from which the ladies were banished in days of yore. There’s a marble table, a print of cigars and a Victorian boxer in a reproduction black and white photo-graph on the wall.

“He was a middleweight boxing champion in Cornwall during the 1890s,” explains Pieter.

Padded upholstery is a big theme in the hotel, in sofas, in the supremely comfortable beds and on the walls. Every surface, it seems, is covered in a squishy opulence, be it burnished leather or shimmering velvet, complementing all that re-claimed wood. In the boardroom, the offi ce chairs are covered in luxurious cream sheepskin.

Pieter is pleased with the transformation and he takes delight in his many guests’ reac-tion when they walk through the front door for the fi rst time. “Oh my God, wow, it’s incredible, OMG, it’s incredible, that’s what they say,” he says, with a broad smile.

“We think it’s pretty great too.”See www.glazebrookhouse.com

‘The Alice in Wonderland

idea really reso-nated because

Lewis Carroll is quintessentially

19th century’ [[

Interiors_Apr09.indd 24 04/04/2016 14:58:49

25

GET THELOOK

Add art and sparkle for a touch of Alice in Wonderland eccentricity

Red velvet sofa £395 www.vintagevibe.co.uk

Eichholtz Kasbah oval chandelier £573.60 www.sweetpeaandwillow.com White Rabbit cupboard

handle £20 www.montysvintageshop.co.uk

Evans Lichfield Union Jack cushion £18 www.

festiveglories.com

Silver tipped sheepskin rug £60 www.

oliverbonas.com

Mad Bonkers Alice upcycled art print £12

www.festiveglories.co

Interiors_Apr09.indd 25 04/04/2016 15:03:28

ne glorious summer, after several years of planting herbs along the solid pathways intersecting our kitchen garden, various thymes and

sages all bloomed at once. There was a magnifi -cent, ethereal haze of purple and pale mauve and the bees thought they were in heaven. After fl ow-ering, the plants were clipped back to just behind the fl ower spikes leaving short young shoots behind. We didn’t miss them too much because lavenders took over, followed by hyssop and fi nal-ly marjoram. Sage will usually grow and fl ower again and the late fl owers attract any humming bird hawk moths in the area.

We tend to think of herbs as a few plants in a pot, or a small herb patch but they make fantastic garden plants especially as edgings. Best of all, they are easy to propagate and all of ours came from a few packets of seed and one or two mother plants. So far, all the herbs mentioned are Medi-terranean kinds and do best in a hot, sunny posi-tion and poor, well-draining soil. They really do need the sun but if, like us, you have a rich clay soil which holds water in winter, don’t despair. You can still grow them but they won’t enjoy

quite such long lives and you’ll be taking cuttings more often.

Common thyme (Thymus vul-garis) is among the tastiest to use and the small fl owers show up well against small green leaves. This comes true from seed, so buy a packet and sow into a shallow pot or seed tray under glass or a cold frame.

I mix ordinary multipurpose sowing compost four parts to one with sharp sand and grit for extra drainage. Make sure the compost is moist but not wet, then fi ll the seed tray, press lightly to get a smooth surface and sprinkle the seeds thinly and evenly. Scatter or sieve a thin layer of compost over the seeds but only as deep as the seeds themselves, then press lightly again and water gently using a fi ne rose (sprinkler) on the can. Label with type and date, then set on the staging to germinate. Use the same method for common sage (Salvia offi cina-lis) and lavender.

For ‘Silver Posie’ or gold-leaved lemon thyme, buy a good-sized plant with plenty of shoots and then set about taking cut-tings. Fill a full-sized seed tray with 50:50 soilless multipur-pose compost and potting grit. Take shoot tip cuttings just over 2.5cm/1in long, pull away the bottom leaves and insert them, grid fashion so they are set about 2.5cm/1in apart. Water them in and place in a well-ven-tilated greenhouse or frame to root. When rooted, pot separate-ly into 9cm/3.5in pots and when established, plant them out.

Other herbs are easy to propagate by division, so track down friends with various marjorams (origanum) and lemon balm. The latter will spread a little and can seed itself around but is easy to fork out from where you don’t want it. The mouthwateringly lemon aroma is so delicious, handling this herb is a pleasure. It is known to have calming properties and is said to restore

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Soothing herbs

Gardens

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is planting plenty of herbs this year in her garden

O I’m determined to make more herb teas this

season and watch the leaves

swirling in a clear teapot [[

Gardens_April9.indd 26 04/04/2016 15:37:55

I’ve read about the box tree caterpillar which makes webs and defoliates box plants. Is this the same as the one that festoons hedges along roadsides?

No, box tree caterpillars are native to east Asia and are relatively new in the UK, with moths ap-pearing in 2008 and the first caterpillars in 2011. They are just over 2.5cm/1in long when fully grown, green and yellow with thick black and white stripes running their length. They might have 2-3 generations a year and over-winter as young caterpillars nestling between leaves spun together by silk. Wayside hedges and trees liter-ally festooned with sheets of webbing are usu-ally the work of native ermine moth caterpillars. Other webbing caterpillars include the oak pro-cessionary moths, a southern European species that arrived here in 2005. These are nasty because they shed toxin-filled hairs that irritate skin and bring on asthma attacks. They are mainly a prob-lem in and around London, where their nests are destroyed, which hopefully slows down their spread. The silky webbing is found on the trunks and branches but not among the leaves.

27

My passion for ferns is growing but I don’t have a garden. What are the best ones to grow indoors?

Luckily for you, there are plenty, which will thrive in most rooms as long as the air is not too hot and dry. Maidenhair ferns (adiantum) are dainty, while the long, splaying fronds of ladder or Boston fern (nephrolepis) look great in hang-ing baskets or displayed on a plant stand. For something more solid, bird nest fern (Asplenium nidus) has great character. Hen and chicken fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) is good for cooler places and won’t blanch at temperatures just above freezing. Keeping compost moist and grouping plants together helps raise humidity.

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

• Prune back stems of Verbena bonariensis so they grow back from near the base. This is great at seeding itself around, so thin seedlings or move them about for a sprinkling of this wiry-stemmed plant.

• There’s still time to prune tamarix whether grown as standards or in a hedge. This seaside plant will soon be making new growth.

• Plant out hardened off plants of broad bean, lettuce, summer cabbage and spinach even if the soil is still cold. They’ll come

to more harm if roots congest in their containers. Water in well and cover lettuce and spinach with fleece or a polythene cloche if frost is threatened.

• If bees and other pollinating insects are slow to find early fruit blossom such as peach, apricot and early plums, brush around the flowers lightly using a feather duster. Most effective on a warm, sunny day.

• Strip old leaves from Cordyline (Torbay or cabbage palms) to tidy them up for summer.

Sow seeds of large-flowered zinnias to use for cutting. They’re best set one seed per plug or module (or two and remove one after germination). You can sow them together in a tray or pot but the seeds must be widely spaced, as they won’t transplant well if roots become tangled.

memory. All you need to make an aromatic tea is a couple of teaspoons of fresh leaves per mug of boiling water. Marjoram is a useful culinary herb but a good mass of it in bloom acts as a magnet to bees, hoverflies and butterflies in late summer.

I’m determined to make more herb teas this season and plan to buy one of those clear teapots, to watch the leaves swirling. Mint is an obvious

choice and a few sprigs will yield a refreshing brew. Our spearmint has been in the family for years and much used to boil in with potatoes and peas, make mint sauce and for tea. This grows best in light shade and because it runs, is best given a bed all to itself. I don’t like restricting it to a sunken pot to curb spread because this tends to stunt the mint.

Gardens_April9.indd 27 04/04/2016 15:38:37

28

Beauty

Expert advice from beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot

Beauty box

Abbie’s

Botanicals are the latest trend in skincare at the moment. While looking after our skin is crucial, finding the moisturiser which is going to work for you can sometimes be a chore. The extracts and oils found in botanical products, from flowers, herbs, nuts, seeds and berries,

can help to keep our complexion looking its best. Not only are many of these natural ingredients great for our skin when we consume them as part of a healthy varied diet, they can work wonders when applied topically, too. My favourite treat at the moment is Clarins Blue Orchid facial oil. My skin gets really dehydrated and it’s a perfect face-saver. I mix a couple of drops in to my daily moisturiser and apply it every morning and again, before going to bed. My skin looks radiant and feels amazing. I absolutely love this product and think it’s worth every penny.

Beauty

All power to the � ower: Botanical

extracts are trending, so which new

products will work for you? [[

RehydrateLush Skin Drink £12.95

This moisturiser is great for thirsty or weather-beaten skin. Packed with skin-so� ening avocado oil, it is soothing

and o� ers oodles of hydration without being too greasy.

AwakenThe Body Shop Drops of Youth

Bouncy Sleeping Mask £24Leave this gorgeous mask treat-ment on overnight for smooth and radiant #wokeuplikethis

skin.

BlossomLiz Earle Superskin moisturiser £39 for 50ml

This cream was rich, cooling and akin to sticking my face in an armful of � owers.

Within days my skin felt more supple and was noticeably radiant.

RadiantClarins Blue Orchid

Oil (Debenhams£32)

My own go-to favourite, it contains 100% plant extracts and works best by mixing a couple of drops in your daily

moisturiser.

DreamyLancome Visionnaire Nuit Beauty Sleep Per-

fector (John Lewis £60)My mum loves this. For a nightcream, it’s lightweight in texture and leaves the skin

looking brighter.

fave!

Beauty_April9.indd 28 04/04/2016 15:32:49

29

Shop

+

Shirt dress £24.99 New Look

Bag £75 Dune

Earrings £10 stockwellceramics.co.uk

Shirt dress £35 BHS

Necklace £80 gsashop.co.uk

The editYour straight line to style: this week true blues for springtime

Headband £7 Accessorize

+

Bag £70 Dune

+ + +

+

Shirt dress £40 www.lookagain.co.uk

Bag £165 Ralph Lauren at House of Fraser

Beauty_April9.indd 29 04/04/2016 15:33:57

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All in one

e’re thrilled to see the gradual return of one key late Eighties/early Nineties fashion staple. Forget leggings (been there, done that) we’re welcoming back

the body and asking, where have you been? Wheth-er you prefer keep your silhouette streamlined and VPL-free, or simply can’t bear the way your tee shirt rides up to expose your midriff, the body (poppers and all) is a saving grace. We think this rollneck version from Pretty Little Thing is incredibly versatile and looks great teamed with another all-in-one revival, the jumpsuit. Try before you shy away; a jumpsuit can flatter so many body shapes. Phase Eight’s soft jersey number is a great option to ease yourself into the look.

W

Green floral print tapered jumpsuit £48, shoes £65 River

Island

Sleeveless grey bodysuit £9.99 New

Look

V-panel tote bag £69 www.dunelondon.com

Fashion_April9.indd 30 04/04/2016 15:32:20

31

Fashion

All in one

Pointelle knit cocoon cardigan £24 www.apri-

cotonline.co.uk

Tie-front cardigan £25www.joythestore.com

Snakeskin print panel bag £12.99 New Look

Stone rollneck bodysuit £10 www.prettylittleth-

ing.com

Zip-up blazer £75 www.lookagain.co.uk

Wide-fit stone suedette ghillie heels £24.99

New Look

Tabby jersey jumpsuit £79 Eira Ellipse, hem

cardigan £69 www.phase-eight.co.uk

Lopa organic oval pink stone ring £32 www.

oliverbonas.com

Drape cardigan £249 www.cocoacashmere.

com

Fashion_April9.indd 31 04/04/2016 15:42:18

’m in seasonal limbo. The only good things about this time of year are the mid season sales. Other than that, it is impossible to leave the house appropriately dressed. Just

yesterday I was pelted with hail while walking home from basking in the lunchtime sun on Exeter’s Cathedral green. Still, I refuse to wrap up. The lighter evenings and the fun of seeing sporadic sun means my over-the-knee boots and chunky knits have been thrown so far back in my wardrobe, that they probably made it the whole way to Narnia and hit Mr Tumnus on the head.

Your fashion essentials at this time of year are threefold; good tights, sleeves and a fabric that has stood the test of time.

Enter lightweight denim ensembles. Behold, a material that is always worth investing in. It never falls out of favour and is always, always the epitome of effortless cool.

This season’s incarnations include the chambray shirt (still going strong), skirts and even classic denim jackets. Anyone who lived through the nineties will be experiencing some nostalgia right about now.

They might also be worried about looking grungy. No way, this is a whole new decade - which means a whole new spin on these old favourites. Celebs leading at the vanguard include Pippa Middleton and Reese Witherspoon and honestly ladies, do either of these sartorial role models suggest ‘grunge’ to you in any way, shape, or form?

Gone are the days of throwing a denim jacket over a Nirvana T-shirt, or taking the kitchen scissors to your best Levis, trying to emulate Mariah Carey’s perfect cut-offs. This time around denim is all about structure and pieces that are cut to fi t the female form. What a treat.

Pippa and Reese are to blame for my most recent purchase, this dress, as seen above. Both have been spotted out and about in very similar little numbers. Reese wore hers with ballet fl ats and Miss Middleton opted for cream wedges. Both wore big sunglasses.

I had a serious case of the heart-eyes, and reached for my wallet and shopping bag without further ado.

I struck gold in All Saints. This long sleeved number sits just above the knee and boasts a beautifully cinched waist. The denim is more lightweight than traditional jeans, but still

sturdy enough to keep warmth in and wind out. I’ll let you in on a little secret too, I love a thermal vest. It’s my cosy little secret that has paid its way a thousandfold already.

These fl ats from Next are also hard workers. Smart, comfortable and compatible with just about everything I own. Trust me, I spent a happy hour last night putting them to the test with everything in my wardrobe, followed by a less happy 15 minutes putting everything back again. (Sorry, Tumnus.)All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk

32

Trend

It’s not heavy, it’s the new staple says Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod

HOW TO WEAR IT:

I

MA

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HO

TO

HA

IR: A

DA

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T S

AK

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XE

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S, D

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(BO

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) PH

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HA

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Dress, All Saints, Princesshay, £118

Bag, Next, Princesshay, £38

Shoes, Next, Princesshay, £26

Sunglasses, Next, Princesshay, £10

Anyone who shopped

through the nineties will

experience some denim-induced nostalgia right

about now

Lightweight denim

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

tackled? @KathrynCMcleod

LWDenim_TrendColumn_April9.indd 32 05/04/2016 13:00:11

33

GET THE

lookPale Blue Fray Hem

Skinny Jeans £22.99 NEW LOOK

White embroidered tank top £26 RIVER

ISLAND

Oversize denim jacket £24.99 NEW

LOOK

Sunglasses £12 RIVER ISLANDS

Pale blue high-heel ghillie sandals

£27.99 NEW LOOK

Light blue denim button front

pinafore dress £27.99 NEW LOOK

Tie-waist dress WAS £42 NOW £22 MISS

SELFRIDGE

LWDenim_TrendColumn_April9.indd 33 05/04/2016 13:02:12

34

There’s a chance to enjoy craft and contemplate saving the world at a sociable knit and natter event at Social Fabric in Totnes on Wednesday, April 20. Activist-turned-crafter Sarah Corbett from the Craftivist Collective is hosting a workshop at the trendy knitting and sewing shop from 10.30am. You can hear Sarah talk about Craftivism over a cup of tea, enjoy a Q&A session, have lunch and then take part in a hands-on workshop with one of Sarah’s kits. “Sarah describes Craftivism as a ‘gentle protest’ and we think Social Fabric is a great venue to host an introduction to this idea,” says Caroline Voaden of Social Fabric.Tickets £10 from www.socialfabrictotnes.co.uk

The Isles of Scilly have long been a favourite haunt of artists and writers. Now the archipelago off the far west of Cornwall is to host its first-ever arts festival throughout the whole of next month, following the World Pilot Gig Championships which take place there, April 29-May 2. Highlights include the chance to join artist Sue Lewington, well known for her published sketchbooks of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, on a sketching walk. You can also take a low-tide walk between the islands of Tresco and Bryher, which includes a pop-up seafood feast with fizz mid-channel. Find out more at www.visitislesofscilly.com

Island festival

One stitch at a time…

culturevulture

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

know Sarah Pitt

With a sassy, sexy soundtrack and rollercoaster plot, award-winning musical Chicago is coming our way with its terrific tale of murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery in the big bad American city in the 1920s. Based on real life events, the action sees nightclub singer Roxie Hart shoot her lover and join cell block rival, double murderess Velma Kelly, in fighting to stay off death row with the help of smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn. The tour stars EastEnders actor John Partridge as Billy; Dancing on Ice winner and Coronation Street star Hayley Tamaddon as Roxie Hart and X Factor winner and real-life former prison warden Sam Bailey as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton... Chicago is at the Princess Theatre, Torquay from April 25-30 (www.atgtickets.com, £15.50-£44.50 plus £4 booking fee) and Hall for Cornwall, Truro from May 2-7 (www.hallforcornwall.co.uk, 01872 262466, £15.50-£40).

All that jazz

CV_Stars_April9.indd 34 04/04/2016 15:23:50

35

Enjoy

Your starsby Cassandra Nye

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)Whatever triggers this week’s ‘make-or-break’ attitude, Jupiter is sure to

have something to do with it! Being told to be serious or to drop the light attitude could only spur you on. You may well ask yourself if this is what you want, but what is the alterna-tive? Your infl uence is strong and as you are not inclined to conform, be careful what you say.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)The energy that you are getting from Mars can be used to good effect in your

relationships. Be aware that fi nances could struggle to keep pace with your spending and delay buying any large items until later. Tempted as you are to show someone how much you value them, do it by giving your time rather than splashing the cash.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)Are you feeling dynamic and power-ful? With Mars bringing passion your

way, who could hold you back? Trying could see someone in hot water. Next week-end, you could feel in a time warp. Try not to get annoyed, even if you are. Maybe you are being over-sensitive when it comes to the activities of loved ones.

LEO (July 23 - August 23)Just as you are thinking of making some concrete plans for the future,

someone seems to be very demanding of your time. Before you take this on, make sure that it is something you can easily deal with! Beware of making promises that you can’t keep.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)In a lucky week, look for the best oppor-

tunity to shine. There is something very attractive about you, even more than usual! It is hard to be serious when those around you are having fun, but look again. Could they be trying to convince you of something? All may not be as it seems.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)There may be a few delays to plans

and ideas being fulfi lled. Given that an adventure would do everyone good, put on your bossy boots and get in charge! Old feelings may be resurfacing with regard to an old fl ame, but be sure that you are not on track for a scorch-ing!

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)Loving Venus is rampaging through your sign and emotions for most of

this month. You feel spontaneous even though, at times, this kind of scares you. There is the opportunity to impress with a basic and loving approach. No one expects you to be extraordinary although love, in itself, makes you feel it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)Too many choices? Looking inside yourself seems the best way to come to

any real conclusions. Just be yourself. Anyone who tries to push you into a mould will soon fi nd out that you are a free spirit.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)It is easier to open new doors if you fi rst close old ones. This may be out of your

comfort zone. However, remember that fortune favours the brave. A bit of light-heart-edness would not go amiss and would certainly get rid of some of that pent-up stress. A slight slowing in progress gives you the chance to stop and reassess.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)Hard at work? Take your time over less urgent issues so that you do not

burn yourself out. This is not a high-energy time, so don’t push too hard. Thinking of moving house or starting a family? By the weekend a plan starts to form.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)When love approaches this week, be prepared to show a little resistance. This

person may not be your usual type or they may seek to take you out of your comfort zone. Think carefully before running for the hills! A bit of pres-sure can sometimes be a good thing. Certainly it serves to get you out of a rut.

Daisy Ridley

This week’s sign: Happy birthday to...Those born under the sign of Aries are independent spirits and born leaders. They love to follow a dream and have the charisma to inspire others and sweep them along with them. They are more than happy to take a gamble on a wild idea which captures their imagination. although if a scheme does not pay o� quickly they are likely to get bored and move on. As friends, they are generous and caring but they do expect to get their own way most of the time.

born April 10 1992It’s been quite a year for actress Daisy Ridley, who turns 24 tomorrow. She’s gone from guest spots in Casualty to international star in the latest Star Wars � lm, The Force Awakens. Her � rst ever screen role was three years ago, in 2013’s Ba� a-nominated short � lm Lifesaver. Daisy, who grew up in Hertfordshire, is the great-niece of the late actor Arnold Ridley, who played Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army. Aries love to live adventurous lives and like to be the centre of attention, which, for Daisy, is probably just as well!

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)Not sure what you are up to this week? No ‘todo’ notes? Well, don’t worry

because whatever you have planned, unpredictable Uranus can take you by surprise! Switch into ‘fl exible mode’ and you won’t go far wrong. Where romance is concerned, there are more shocks, some of them welcome and some certainly not!

CV_Stars_April9.indd 35 04/04/2016 15:24:30

36

Send your bags packing: Pop a couple of Masque Bar Hydro Gel Eye patches on

for half an hour to mimick the restorative e� ects of a power nap. They’re infused

with gold, snail extract (lawks!) and anti-in� ammatory adenosine. £29.99 for 30

pairs at www.boots.com.

BYE-BYE, BAGS!

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

Less bounceper ounceDoes sugary chocolate result in your kids fi zzing with rather too much energy? Keen not for her own son to miss out on sweet treats altogether, enterprising mum Virpi Venho-Jones has created these Supertreat bars, full of slow-relase energy and containing no refi ned sugar. The 100% organic treats, cost £1.99 per 40g bar and contain carob, whole milk, cocoa butter and coconut blossom nectar. They certainly look yummy! www.supertreats.co.uk

Outdoor � tNational Gardening Week begins on Monday and this

year’s theme is all about keeping fi t. Gardener’s Question time regular Bunny Guinness, who is behind the book

Garden Your Way to Health and Fitness, is supporting the event and says: “The wonderful thing about gardening is

that, unlike repetitive exercises at the gym, it can provide all over-body fi tness – raking, weeding, digging and other

gardening tasks all use different muscles and test your body in different ways.” Rosemoor Garden in north Devon will be holding special events, including Tai-Chi classes in

the grounds.www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor

WellbeingBoost_April9.indd 36 04/04/2016 15:59:36

37

Inspired?

Pretty happy

Runners will be supporting good causes including Macmillan, Children’s Hospice South West, Clic Sargent, St Luke’s Hospice

and breast cancer support charity Coppa Feel! when they take on the Plymouth Half marathon next Sunday. Show your love by

cheering them on – you can even buy a souvenir T-shirt here (www.plymouthhalfmarathon.com) and get in training for next year!

“It’s important to see what your strengths are, be OK with those mo-ments of insecurity and really dis-cover what it is about you that sets you apart from everybody else,” says actress Kate Hudson, who has writ-ten a user-friendly guide to making healthy habits part of your life.

Her live-positive book, Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways To Love Your Body, is packed with feel-good af-fi rmations from the Hollywood mum-of-two, whose youngest, Bing-

ham, four, is the son of Teignmouth rocker Matt Bellamy.

She says: “The book’s about confi -dence in women, especially empow-erment, throwing the sort of idealist idea of beauty out of the window and really looking at the reality of how we live and construct our own lives.

“There are a lot of people out there who want to be motivated. We all need encouragement and to sup-port each other.”

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

Discovery Surf School at Bigbury-on-Sea is partnering up with the Areas of Outstand-

ing Natural Beauty organisation to offer half price surfi ng events to Westcountry

residents with PL, EX or TQ postcodes. A two hour surf lesson will cost just £19 on these special Sundays and they’re open to

anyone aged six and over. The next session takes place on April 24, with one a month

happening until October. There are also two half-price or stand up paddleboard lessons (suitable for ages 12 and up) taking place in June. More details at: www.discoverysurf.

com

Go sur� ng

Sweet

Made with 100% natural ingredients, spritz this aromatherapy mist spray containing lavender, honeysuckle and chamomile (£7, Holland & Barrett) on your pillow and around the bedroom to help you relax and get some serious beauty sleep.

dreams

WellbeingBoost_April9.indd 37 04/04/2016 16:00:17

Wellbeing

I’m curious about a treatment I read about recently. Apparently, lots of celebrities are using some kind of patches to reduce crow’s

feet. Could you tell me what they’re called and how they work? HW, Cullompton

Dr Pradnya Apte says: The skincare treat-ment that all the celebri-ties are talking about right now

is called Radara. It consists of stick-on patches that fit around the eye area and it is a treatment that you use at home on a night-ly basis for 28 days.

The Radara system skincare system consists of ultra thin flexible patches that have very fine micro needling along them, along with a pure hyaluronic acid serum.

The patches are cleverly shaped and coated

Qwith microscopic plastic structures (similar to needles) less that half a millimetre in length. They feel bumpy to the touch but are not sharp or painful to the skin.

When applied to the skin, like a sticking plas-ter, these patches painlessly create hundreds of

tiny micro channels in the epi-dermis. By creating these micro channels, this causes wound healing type reactions in the skin, which in turn allows col-lagen to be formed that softens/reduces the lines or wrinkles. It is a natural process.

Radara is recommended for use once per day, ideally in the evening as part of your nightly skincare routine. By using these patches every night for 28 days, you will see a reduction in some cases of up to 35%. The lines and wrinkles that are treated are what are known as the

static lines, they are not the lines we see when we squint our eyes (these lines have to be treated

38

Crow’s feet?Under-eye patch-es are the hottest news in the war on wrinkles

with wrinkle reducing injections).Radara is not recommended to be used with

other topical creams or serums because the hy-aluronic acid serum that comes with the kit is in its purest form. Perfumes or dyes in other prod-ucts could reduce the efficacy of the patches.

The plastic structures on the Radara patches are specially designed to create microchannels into the skin, down to the layer of the stratum corneum. These micro channels quickly heal, meaning that Radara can be used on a daily basis for a number of weeks.

This is a wonderful treatment that can also be used for patients that have wrinkle reducing in-jections and can prolong the effect of them. The patches are also ideal for those who do not wish to have the wrinkle reducing injections or for those patients that are not quite ready for them.Dr Pradnya Apte runs the Revitalise Rejuvenate MediClinic based in Southernhay, Exeter (01392 426285). Her clinic is the official stockist of Radara here in the South West. A 28 day treatment costs £240 but West magazine readers can enjoy a special discounted rate of £200 by quoting West when book-ing during the month of April 2016 (terms apply).

The patches are ideal for those

who don’t want wrinkle-reducing injections or are not quite ready

for them [[WellbeingQandA_Apr9.indd 38 04/04/2016 15:55:58

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Drink

Padstow Brewing Co has developed a beer specially for the St Tudy Inn, north

Cornwall. St Tudy Ale is an easy-drinking session beer which chef/owner Emily

Scott has developed in collaboration with brewster Caron Archer.

Knock, knock A stand-up tour raising money for Shelter continues through pubs in Cornwall and Devon this week. Stand-up Damian Kingsley is touring his show without a penny in his own pocket. See the dates at www.damiankingsley.co.uk

HIGH FLYER

Darren Norbury

talks beeram seated at the bar in my local, notebook in hand, as ever, smiling to myself. It’s because I have a glass of beer before me that makes me think

one of my outlandish predictions may actually come true. British bitter is going to make a comeback.

I know there’s plenty of beer out there called bitter, but I’m talking about the brown stuff, the traditional fare of the West-country drinker, the mainstay of industries that have been and gone.

The beer in question is a guest ale, JB Bitter, from the Bank Top Brewery, in Bolton. On the face of it, it’s a perfectly good, brown – oh, no, we’re supposed to say copper, amber these days – standard bitter, but the JB, it turns out, stands for juniper berries and their subtle infusion has lifted this beer to a new level. There’s spiciness, hints of chocolate and nuts, too. Very accomplished.

My mind drifts back to a couple of weeks before when I was at an event at the Dynamite Valley Brewery, at Ponsanooth near Falmouth. Dyna-mite established themselves as hop-forward, American-style brewers, but economic reality has taught them that they need something like a

I

Shepherd Neame’s Spit� re is such an iconic beer, but now the Kent brewery has released Spit� re Gold, available in

bottle and I prefer the new version. Well balanced, it has biscuity malt balanced

with grassy, fresh, light citrus notes, and a big hit of hops on the aroma. Original

Spit� re is still available.

Beer of the week

[[British bitter is going to make a comeback – expect beers

with additions such as fruit, tea

and co� ee to come to the fore

standard brown bitter in their portfolio if they’re going to make inroads into local pubs, especially traditional wet-led boozers. And so Cousin Jack (3.8% ABV) was born. Beautiful amber colour, that hop spiciness again, and pronounced, slight-

ly bitter chocolate notes. It’s Westcountry bitter, not quite as we know it, but close enough to the originals to please tradition-alists.

Last week, when I was visit-ing Harbour Brewery, owner Eddie Lofthouse said they were considering giving this sort of bitter a go, and with their track record this will, presumably, have stand-out features that will set it apart from a run-of-the-mill brew.

So why the British bitter re-surgence? Needs must, that’s why. With a global shortage of

hops, and the high-bitterness new world varie-ties especially at a premium, it’s time for Brit-ish brewer to look at the hops we grow here and think: “What can I do with these?”. Expect milds (low-hopped beers) too, as well as beers with ad-ditions such as fruit, coffee or tea to come to the fore. Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk

@beertoday

Tim_Beer_April9.indd 40 04/04/2016 14:41:28

41

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

lour, where would we be without it? No bread, no pastry, no cakes and worst of all, no batter! But these days, if we need some fl our for a recipe, things can all get a bit con-

fusing. Organic or non-organic, self-raising or plain, zero-zero or stoneground? Do we need corn fl our, semolina fl our, buckwheat fl our or even rice fl our - all are among the many options out there, or called for, in the latest recipes.

As recently as ten years ago, for instance, most of us had never heard of spelt. If you wanted to lay your hands on some, you’d probably need to go to a specialist health food shop. Now, it’s avail-able from most supermarkets in both wholemeal and white forms.

I keep several kinds of fl our on hand at home: spelt (white and wholemeal), chick pea (known as gram fl our), malted wheat, rice and buckwheat.

I use the white spelt in a lot of baking and I love gram fl our (a key ingredient in an onion bhaji). Gram fl our’s cheap, versatile and is also naturally gluten free. Made of ground up chick-peas, it has a sort of integral honesty that I like.

You wouldn’t want to attempt bread or even pasta with gram fl our, but when it comes to crack-ers and batters there are plenty of options open to you. If you mix it 50/50 with buckwheat it makes a very passable shortbread or pastry, too, but be warned, the results will be very short indeed.

I almost always add malted wheat fl our to my bread doughs, mostly for the fl avour, but also because the more readily avail-able sugars in the fl our promote a faster proving process.

Malted grains give a nutty edge to the fl avour as a whole. Look out, too, for malt fl our or malt fl akes, which add a tasty element to cooking.

F Flour powerWhite spelt fl our can be used in everything from bread and pasta to bakes and batters.

Make a self-raising version by adding a teaspoon of baking powder for every 250g of fl our.

Wholemeal spelt is quite robust, but works well in bread and drop scone recipes. Sieve it fi rst, to remove coarser particles.

Use it also to make a rustic kind of pasta or even a few tortillas. Just don’t aim to get them too thin, or this heavy dough will crack when you roll it.

@TimGreenSauce

Ingredient of the Week

Flourwith Tim Maddams

Gram � our has a kind of integral honesty I like.

Made of ground chickpeas, it’s

cheap, versatile and gluten free [[

Eat

Tim_Beer_April9.indd 41 04/04/2016 14:42:04

42

Enjoy

ick Stein’s restaurants have made Padstow a famous foodie destina-tion, but there is much more to this pretty Cornish fishing port than food - although the food is,

we must admit, pretty special here.

Stay: Book a room at the Metropole, right in the centre of town. A standard double room costs from £109 a night and it also has dog-friendly rooms available, with a surcharge of £15 per night for four-legged guests. Enjoy harbour views from the terrace, or book a hot stones massage (from £55) in its spa treatment room. www.the-metropole.co.uk.

Visit: Or you could make like David and Sa-mantha Cameron and stay at The Cellars, just along the coast, which is great for a family get-together. This huge old house overlook-ing Harlyn Bay sleeps up to 13 people in its six bedrooms and it’s just a 20-yard dash from the front door into the sea (www.theoldfish-cellars.com).

Eat: Book ahead and follow the crowds to the Stein’s eateries: The Seafood Restaurant,

R

a wEEkEnd in

Padstow

St Petroc’s Bistro and Rick’s Café. These three venues also have accommodation available to book. For a lower key treat, you can buy tradi-tional seaside fare to take away from Stein’s Fish & Chips. Chef Paul Ainsworth cooks up delicious modern British recipes at his place, No 6, and also serves up seafood and Italian-style dishes at Rojano’s on the Square.

Shop: Browse a cornucopia of amazing Cor-nish food at Padstow Farm Shop at Trethillick Farm (www.padstowfarmshop.co.uk). You’ll find produce as diverse as handmade Padstow dried pasta, a wealth of locally-made cheese includ-ing cider-rinsed Keltic Gold cheese, free range meat and, in the off licence, toffee and banoffee flavoured spir-its, made by Newquay-based Todka.

drop in: On Grace’s Gallery, a tiny working artist’s studio based in the old manor office

of Prideaux Place on Fentonluna Lane (www.gracesgallerypadstow.co.uk). Grace Pattinson has worked here for 15 years and produces won-derful portraits, as well as landscapes inspired by farm life. Grace welcomes visitors, call to check she’ll be there on 07703 414139.

Browse: The wine and spirits at independent wine merchant Bin Two on The Drang. Alterna-tively, enjoy a glass (or a coffee) on the terrace and tuck into a lobster brioche - seafood here is caught by local day boats out of the harbour.

do: Bring bikes (or hire them at www.padstow-cyclehire.com) and pedal along a stretch of the beautiful Camel Trail, the former railway branch

line which leads all the way inland to Wadebridge and Bodmin.

Catch: Your own fish and then ask, what would Rick do? A two-hour fishing

Take a two-hour boat trip, catch your own fish and then

ask: what would Rick do?[ [AWeekendIn_Apr9.indd 42 04/04/2016 14:42:24

43

trip on the Emma Kate II out of the harbour at Padstow costs £15 per person and you get to keep your entire catch, www.emmakate2.com

Don’t miss: Padstow’s annual May Day cel-ebration is something everyone should experi-ence at least once: the crowds, musicians and the town’s famous ‘Obby ‘Oss will be parading through the streets on May 2 this year (it’s usually on May 1, unless the date falls on a Sunday, as it does this year). Be warned, this spectacular event draws huge crowds, so book accommodation early if you are planning to stay. Look out too for the town’s Park and Ride (opposite Tesco).

Visit: The National Lobster Hatchery (www.nationallobsterhatchery.co.uk) which is sited on the town’s South Quay. Here you can see how tiny crustaceans are reared from eggs before being released into the sea. This proc-ess ensures healthy numbers of the species are sustained. Admission is just £9 for a family of four and you can also support the hatchery’s work by adopting a lobster. Closer to home, many fi shmongers are supporting its work through the Buy One, Set One Free campaign.

Kayaking

Camel Trail to Padstow

May DayCellars Cottage

Open studio

No 6 Padstow’s Paul and Emma

Ainsworth

AWeekendIn_Apr9.indd 43 04/04/2016 14:44:53

44

Tom HunterTom Hunter is head chef at The Scarlet Hotel in Mawgan Porth, near Newquay. He lives with partner Ellie and their four-year-old son, Oscar, with another baby on the way. Tom came from London with plans to stay in Cornwall just a year. Twelve years on, it’s still the place that he calls home.

My Favourite:

Walk: I love going for a walk on Perranporth beach on the north Cornwall coast. It’s so huge that sometimes it feels like you have the place to yourself. A relaxing Sunday stroll is the perfect way to blast away the cobwebs.

Beach: Mawgan Porth beach is stunning

44

My Secret Westcountry

The Scarlet Hotel

St Kew Inn

The Scarlet Hotel

MSW_April9.indd 44 04/04/2016 15:12:30

4545

www.scarlethotel.co.uk

whether the tide is in or out. Both The Scarlet and our sister hotel The Bedruthan Hotel and Spa offer such sensational views of this landscape and it’s an absolute pleasure going to work every day to be greeted by this. I was born and trained in London so this is a completely different work environment. I feel lucky every day.

Festival: I love the Boscastle Food Festival, which is held in October every year and is always really relaxed and friendly. It’s a real highlight in the foodie calendar.

Activity: I would defi nitely say beach walks with the family. We’re so lucky to live here in Cornwall, never far away from a gorgeous sandy beach. It’s good for your soul and a great environment for kids. We have such good quality of life here.

Food: It has to be a traditional Cornish pasty, you just can’t beat one. Obviously the bigger the better and I prefer mine fresh out of the oven.

Tipple: I do like a pint of Tribute (St Austell Brewery) every now and then.

People

Boscastle Food Festival

Perranporth

Cornish Food BoxCornish Food Box

Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant

Pub: St Kew Inn, near Wadebridge, hands down. Best Sunday lunch ever. It offers every-thing expected of a traditional village pub and I would recommend anyone to go there. It’s particularly cosy in colder months when they have the log fi re ablaze, the warmest of warm welcomes and a proper Cornish atmosphere.

Restaurant: I absolutely love Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. It’s relaxed with simple and generous food. There’s a stunning view of Padstow, accompanied by amazing fresh food. The seafood bar right in the middle of the restaurant means you can watch chefs assem-bling the platters with fresh seafood, caught by local fi shermen.

Weekend away or overnight stay: Gidleigh Park on Dartmoor is pretty special. A stay there offers superb food (naturally a big attraction for me) in a fantastic setting and is just the perfect Westcountry retreat. It’s also surrounded by wonderful gardens and woods.

Shop: The Cornish Food Box in Truro. It offers loads of lovely Cornish food and drink. Cornish food and drink is now globally renowned and it’s great that we don’t need to leave the county to get it. Great for gifts or just personal treats, I’d defi nitely recommend it.

Treat: It would have to be a nice cream tea, which for me is just the perfect way to spend an afternoon. At The Scarlet, we ensure that our afternoon tea is a real experience for our guests and we don’t put a limit on it. If you run out of any of the delicious delicacies, your spread will be continually topped up.

‘Secret’ place: It’s not much of a secret, but The Old Grammar School in Truro is amazing. This restaurant is where I love to go to unwind and have a great time with some wonderful food, cocktails and top notch staff.

MSW_April9.indd 45 04/04/2016 15:13:30

46

WHAT A WEEK

Carless whisper

My life

hankfully, the man steadied him-self. For a moment I had genu-inely thought he was going to fall. I stepped forward to help, but he recoiled.

“What?” he gasped. “You don’t have a car?”

I nodded and felt an invisible wall fall between us.

“My God. You’re one of them.” “Them?” “Pedestrians.”It was true. What I learned

this week is, for many Westcoun-try folk, not driving is their idea of hell.

It had all started so well. Really. We were having some building work done in our house. Nothing monumental, but well beyond my meagre DIY abilities.

So there I was, doing my duty, chatting to one of the builders about ‘man stuff’ - in this case football. It’s a subject that I know nothing about, so I just nodded and made the appropriate grunting noises as necessary.

Anyway, I made my builder his tea with the nine sugars he asked for – I briefly considered providing some insulin on the side – and hung around as he drank it.

This led to another bit of man-talk where I nodded sagely as he rhapsodised about his new 60 inch TV that gave an ‘immersive panoramic viewing experience’. I tried to look impressed, al-though it struck me that you’d need to press your forehead against the screen for 60 inches to fill your peripheral vision.

Then it happened. “How do you go on with parking round here

then?”I sighed. All my good work was about to go out

the window. All the laddish grunting and brava-do I’d built up in order to mask that, essentially, I type for a living – rather than having a ‘proper’

job – was for nothing. You see, our cottage is very close to the centre

of town, which means the parking spaces on the street are always filled with the cars of non-resi-dents popping to the shops or to work. This isn’t much of an issue for us as we don’t have a car.

“You don’t have… a… car?”I shook my head. “I never

learned to drive.”“But, but… how do

you get to places?”“I walk. We walk.”

I nodded to a photo of my girl-friend and tried to sound butch. The builder sank onto the sofa and shook his head. I darted towards the dining room, to close the door and hide where my road

bike was resting (it never sleeps outside). I got there too late. He saw it and winced.

“You’re not... a cyclist are you?”

I nodded. There was no way of denying it. We didn’t say much to each other after that.

I’m 36 and clearly, for many in the Westcountry, getting to my age with-out ever driving is border-line freakish. Having lived in London most of my adult life, driving was an expensive and un-necessary luxury. But how to ex-plain that? That night, I imagine my builder friend went home and told his

T

Chris McGuire raises local eyebrows with his latest confession

I made his tea with the nine

sugars he asked for – briefly considering

providing some insulin on the

side [[family of the weirdo who had avoided what was clearly, to him, such an essential rite of passage into adulthood.

Well, things are about to change. This week I started driving lessons, and not because I want

to avoid further awkward conversations. I’m learning because, this summer, my part-

ner and I are expecting a new arrival. This little bundle of joy will be a proper

Westcountry person, and, as such, needs to travel by car. Yes, this week, after 36 years, I’m about to break the habit of a lifetime.

Just don’t tell my bike.

Writer Chris McGuire will be getting a car (and a baby seat) very

soon@McGuireski

NEXT WEEK: Phil Goodwin on love, life and parenthood in the South West

ChrisM_April9.indd 46 04/04/2016 15:18:02

RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

Visit us as Rosemoor bursts into a riot of colour.Great Torrington, Devonrhs.org.uk/rosemoor Follow us @RHS_Rosemoor

SPRINGIN BLOOM

National Gardening Week • 11 – 17 April

National Open Gardens Day • 15 April

RHS National Rhododendron Competition • 23 – 24 April

Spring Craft & Design Fair • 30 April – 2 May

GA

LL

ER

Y THE ART OF DEVONE

XH

IBIT

ION

This Spring, the gallery is playing host to a remarkable array of artists living and working here in Devon.A celebration of the creative talent that we are fortunate enough to have all around us, with truly exceptional works of art from James Bonstow, Andre Daniel, Sophie Gregson, James Portsmouth and Wendy Chudley amongst others…

Call us on 01548 853 848 or email info@maynegallery.co.uk if you would like more information about any of the artists or other forthcoming events we have planned.

www.maynegallery.co.uk info@maynegallery.co.uk 01548 853 848 14 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 1NY

Monday 4th to Saturday 23rd April

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