27.02.16

bold home trends to try

10

MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL:

+ WIN CORNISH DELI TREATS

PLUS:

+ SPRING FASHION

+ JOSS STONE

INSIDE:

‘It’s where I met the love of my life’

Peter in Plymouth

+ fresh-cut flowers + beauty gifts + days

out to remember

Covers.indd 1 23/02/2016 14:18:02

H E A T I N G , C O O K I N G & L I V I N G

Call 01392 797679 www.hearthandcook.com

14 Oaktree Place, Manaton Close,

Matford, Exeter. EX2 8WA

Hearth & Cook brings a new experience to home lovers and makers. Expertly gathered together in our showroom in Exeter is a selection of the finest products designed to transform homes and inspire wonderful culinary creations, including the Esse EL 13Amp, one of the most innovative, eco-friendly cookers on the market with exceptional cooking capabilities. Visit our showroom now to see many of these appliances in action or browse our website for more information.

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Untitled-1 5 23/02/2016 12:04:22

33

8 STEAL HER STYLEKate Middleton’s cool blues

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

12 MEET PETER ANDRELife, love and wife number two

16 ON MOTHER’S DAY Great ideas for gorgeous gi� s

22 CHOOSE YOUR HUESThe latest interiors trends

26 ANNE SWITHINBANKDelightful da� odils for Mothering Sunday

28 BEAUTY WITH ABBIE BRAYPampering made simple

30 SPRING FLINGSFresh colours for your wardrobe

34 CULTURE VULTUREWhat’s on and where to go

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

41 FORAGING FOR FUNTim Maddams scours the hedgerows

46 BEYOND THE GRAVYChris McGuire on carvery etiquette

contents[ [Inside this week...

‘The children would � ll a vase with da� odils

and proudly deliver it while I was enjoying a

Mother’s Day lie-in’

Anne Swithinbank on the best � owers for

Mothering Sunday, p26

16 THE SWEETEST TREATSOur Mother’s Day gi� guide

22 TO BOLDLY GO...New decor directions for your home

STEP TO IT!Julia Bradbury’s workout tips36

MUM’S THE WORD Beauty goodies she’ll adore 28

30 SPRING FLINGSBrighten up your March wardrobe

41 FRESH GREENSForaging recipes to try now

Contents_Feb27.indd 3 22/02/2016 16:06:36

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

4

[[ [[welcome[ [

hether you are choosing a treat for your mum or hoping to be made a fuss of yourself, Mothering Sunday is a day that looms high on most peo-ple’s agen-

das round about now. So hello and welcome

to our Mother’s Day spe-cial issue, packed with gorgeous and unusual ideas for gifts and extra-special Westcountry days out come March 6. Yes, Mother’s Day really is next weekend, folks!

As well as the lovely treats - everything from luxury spas to fi ve-course meals - this edition of West is a little bit of fun me-time for us all right now. We’ve got an exclusive interview with the

adorable Peter Andre on page 12, in which our intrepid writer Dawn Ellis gets the lowdown on why Peter married in Devon, and his romantic attachment to the Plymouth Pavilions. Clue: be-

lieve it or not, it’s a spe-cail place for him and his new wife Emily. Oh, and you can hear all about his plans for his new show in Plymouth next month, too.

Finally, if your idea of a great Westcoun-

try day out is a trip to the local pub for a slap-up Sunday roast, do read Chris McGuire’s hilarious take on carvery etiquette (Beyond The Gravy, p46) today. It made all of us here in the West offi ce laugh, a lot. Thank you Chris!

[ [Yes, Mother’s Day really is next

weekend, folks!

Becky Sheaves, Editor

A time to pamper - or be pampered...

[

PETE IN PLYMOUTHLove, life and wife No. 212

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

@ExeterNorthcottBrilliant interview with

Nick Moran, one of our #Betrayal stars, in today’s @WMNWest

@WMNNews!

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

W12

Interview

13

A very liveperformance

NICK MORAN

[[e’re fi lming a digital trailer for the play in a bit,” says Nick Moran, laughing at the irony. “But you can’t get any less digital than theatre.

“I’m a self-confessed digiphobe,” he adds with endearing candour, plonking an object on the coffee table that apparently came out of the ark somewhere between the raven and the dove.

“This is my phone. I’m an analogue warrior. With this device, I can actually talk to people who are not in the room. It’s like magic.”

And hello to you, too, Mr Moran. Talking a mile a minute, charmingly down-to-earth and laugh-out-loud funny, in real life the actor is a far cry from the villains he’s portrayed on fi lm.

Guy Ritchie’s 1998 movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels propelled Nick to inter-national fame. Incidentally, he and the former Mr Madonna now live next door to each other in London, reveals Nick, and tend to shoot the breeze about about bin days and Neighbour-hood Watch.

Younger fans will recognise him as the men-acing Scabior in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, while he had to work hard to main-tain a straight face as gangster Reg Towler in James Corden and Matthew Baynton’s hilari-ous BBC comedy, The Wrong Mans.

Corden and Baynton met on the set of Tel-star: The Joe Meek story, the rather brilliant 2008 fi lm which Nick co-wrote, directed and even played guitar on. They returned the favour by writing him the part. Interestingly, it’s another rather similar favour that has led Nick to take to the stage at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre in Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, which he’s rehearsing when we meet.

The much anticipated play – co-starring actors Simon Merrells and Sarah-Jane Potts – opened on Thursday and runs until March 5. It marks the directorial debut of Nick’s friend Paul Jepson, who also runs the theatre itself, as its artistic and executive director. They fi rst worked together, Nick explains, when Paul brought Telstar to the stage.

Nick believes that Betrayal - the theatre’s fi rst home-grown new production for six years - marks the beginning of an exciting new era for theatre in Exeter and the wider Westcoun-try. “We’re all doing this for our love of Paul,”

Wander around the streets of Exeter right now and you’re quite likely to run into the � lm star Nick Moran, who is currently in the city performing in an exciting new production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal at the Northcott Theatre. The Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star tells us what drew him to the city

“W

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DBy Catherine Barnes

Eds_Letter_1thing_Feb27.indd 4 23/02/2016 13:10:33

55

Win We have two sets of � ve Sarah & Finn’s relishes to give away, worth £20. For your chance to win, tell us which beach Sarah lives beside. Email ‘Sarah & Finn’s competition’ with your full contact details, including postal address, to westmag@

westernmorningnews.co.uk by March 15. Normal terms apply, West magazine will not share your details.

Check out these delicious relishes made by Sarah Stanton-Nadin of Sarah & Finn’s in her kitchen overlooking Gwynver beach in the far west of Cornwall. Sarah, whose busi-ness is named a� er her son Finn, started o� selling her condiments in the beach car park, and many foodie awards later, she still makes every batch by hand. See www.sarahand� nns.com for stockists.

one thingIf you buy

this week...

Eds_Letter_1thing_Feb27.indd 5 23/02/2016 13:09:17

6

the

West’s top picks for Mother’s Day treats (it’s March 6!)

wishlist

Jodie Kelly Nurse Jodie Kelly caught our

eye at Plymouth’s Drake Circus shopping centre, in this stylish

powder blue belted coat, teamed with a rather fabulous shoulder

bag. She says: “I like a classic look with a twist.” And doesn’t she know

how to wear it?

Coat: Marks & Spencer

Dress: Primark

Bag: House of Fraser

Boots: House of Fraser

STREETSTYLE STAR

Artemis Design antique iron and glass table £838

4Living.co.uk

Gie-El glass pendant lamp £87 en.dawanda.

com

Pearl fl ower earrings £49.95 www.

annabeljames.co.uk

Treat your mum to elegant afternoon tea with this Regency cake stand £35

www..tch.net

GEMS

CLASSY

TEMPTING

Wishlist_Feb27.indd 6 22/02/2016 14:38:53

7

Finding a Mother’s Day gi� for your stylish mum just got easier with this fabulous emporium. We love the relaxed boho glamour of Danish Pilgrim jewellery and the funky bags from Irish designer Orla Kiely and lesser-known

– and very reasonably priced – designs from Nicky James and Sophie & Matt.

Inside Out, 85 West Street, Tavistock, and 1 Bampfylde Lane, Princesshay, Exeter, www.gottohaveit.co.uk

STORE WE ADORE:

Inside Out

Ankle-strap fl ats £25 La Redoute

CHIC FEET

Grace Blanc clutch £60 from Topsham’s

www.rarepear.co.uk

Glass bottles £4.95 each www.

livelaughlove.co.uk

Elegant Romance body oil £36 from

Devon-based www.lolasapothecary.com

Wishlist

PRETTY

Wishlist_Feb27.indd 7 22/02/2016 14:39:17

8

talking points

Style icon Kate Middleton looked her usual elegant self when she partnered her Emilia Wickstead dress with high-street accessories on a recent Royal visit. The Duchess has certainly got her money’s worth from this pretty teal ensem-ble, which she’s been spotted wearing several times before. Here, Kate is wisely allowing her dress to do the talking by teaming it with classic black accessories. Here are our suggestions to make like Kate - without the royal price tag.

ELEGANTday wear

OPTION BFlutedFlippy skirt £155 Related

OPTION ASassyCocktail dress £159 Pretty Eccentric

stealherstyle

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

hen my mother died, we searched through albums to fi nd a picture to go with her obituary.

My father found a photo of her that featured in Greenwich Maga-zine. It was to accompany an arti-cle on American women who had travelled to Europe to take cook-ing courses. Some had studied at the Cordon Bleu, others could make authentic wiener schnitzel or sauerkraut. My mother could make pasta.

The picture shows her in her kitchen, cutting up peppers, fl anked by a glass bottle of olive oil, an aubergine and some garlic. She is wearing a black top and a white apron, and is smiling up at the camera. The vegetables are arranged on the counter like a still life painting.

In fact art was her fi rst passion, though she also loved to cook. She instilled all of her four children with a love of good healthy food, simply prepared and artistically displayed.

“Taste is important, but so is presentation,” she told me. “Always make sure you have different colours on the plate, even if it’s just a garnish. It makes the food more exciting.”

The pasta course was right up her street, because Italians don’t muck around with food too much. The emphasis is on good ingredi-ents. If you’ve got beautiful ripe tomatoes, you don’t have to do much to them. Bit of fresh basil, bit of salt, good quality olive oil and handmade pasta, Bob’s your uncle.

I learned the value of her “keep it simple” mantra the hard way, by getting thoroughly over-excit-ed on the fi rst few dinner parties I threw at university. The fi rst was a complicated casserole that took up the whole day, leaving me tired and, it has to be said, resent-ful by the time the guests showed up. The second was a Mexican evening in which my friend and I spent the entire evening in the

kitchen, unable to sit down or chat with guests.

My family now joke that the better I like the guests, the more basic the food is – because I’d rather spend time with them than in the kitchen.

I really miss being able to pick up the phone and ask my mum cooking questions, like: Can

I make a pavlova with only three eggs? Are you supposed to braise or stew a brisket? Why is my lasagne runny? What’s an easy brunch bake for a crowd?

I have a copy of the magazine picture now hanging in the kitch-en, next to one of my mum’s still life paintings – coincidentally, of an aubergine and peppers. She is my food hero and I will remem-ber her teachings: keep it fresh, keep it simple. That way you can keep the joy of cooking.

Story of my life...

Gillian Molesworth

I love to cook the way my mother did

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

W

I really miss being able to pick

up the phone and ask my

mum cooking questions

by Ellie Jones

Black courts £19 Zalando

Classic clutch £75 Dune

+

MoleyGossip_Feb27.indd 8 22/02/2016 13:57:38

NEW ROLE

ROCKS

9

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

heard all the latest juicy stu here � rst!

27.02.16

Zoe Ball has said a silly moment at the works Christmas party has inspired her husband, DJ Norman to devise his own epitaph. Zoe, the Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two host, was snapped locking lips with a 22-year-old at an a� er-show party. But Zoe, 45, said instead of caus-ing friction in their 17 year marriage, the pair – who have two children – laughed

it o� . She said: “He has always said he wants his gravestone to read: “Norman was a very patient man.” And that sums it up really! “We have a good understanding of each other. We’re both pretty down-to-earth and the reasons I fell in love with him and we found each other in the � rst place are still there.”

Calum Best has credited the love of his mum Angie for getting him back on the straight and narrow a� er he turned to alcohol when his father died. Calum, the

son of football legend George Best, revealed on TV’s Loose Women recently that he “went drinking for a good three to four years” following George’s death

in 2005. “It may sound weak to some, but it was my coping mechanism. I’m on a really healthy path [now], which is really good for me.”

‘Drinking was a

coping mechanism

for me’ [[THE BEST IS YET TO COME

ZOE STAYS

COOL

She has graced the big screen in the Westcountry period drama Far From the Madding Crowd, alongside famous Devon resident Carey Mul-ligan, but now actress Juno Temple has swapped corsets for catsuits in her latest role. The Somerset-born actress stars in Vinyl, Martin Scorsese’s new Seventies-set TV series about the rock music industry, which is produced by none other than Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.“It’s the closest to real life I’ve felt about a part,” she says. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m living my ultimate fantasy.” Does that include her raunchy love scene with Mick’s son James Jagger, we wonder?

MoleyGossip_Feb27.indd 9 22/02/2016 13:58:29

10

in pictures

Disguise: Bug mask-making was fun at RHS Rosemoor in north Devon

Woof: Sarah Petherick had her first customer at Diva Dogs grooming parlour in Exeter

Tuneful: Shannah

Russell, 13, and Chris Fowell,

16, are starrring in musical Oklahoma

with the DJR School of

Performing Arts in Plymouth

Munch club: Pals sample

the cupcakes at a pop up

cafe fundraiser at Heavitree

Pleasure Ground, Exeter

WIP_TOP10_FEB27.indd 10 22/02/2016 15:32:10

11

Neigh

talking points

Elementary

Titled

10 actors who played Holmes

1 Basil Rathbone 2 Jeremy Brett3 Robert Downey Jr4 Ian McKellen 5 Jonny Lee Miller 6 Rupert Everett 7 Benedict Cumberbatch 8 Michael Caine 9 Larry Hagman 10 Peter Cook

DID YOU KNOW?

This week:

Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

ONE OF US

The soul singer grew up in mid Devon, where she still has a home today

Joss Stone

The happy list

10 things to make you smile this week1 Crocuses spring’s on the way

2 Sunshine and fresh air

3 Tea and cake very British

4 Feb 29 leap year proposals

5 Log � res still cold enough

6 Fab hats made by Rivka Jacobs in Exeter

7 Friendly cats on the prowl

8 Friends better than therapy

9 Exploring the coast it’s on our doorstep

10 Lazy lie-ins a� er all, it is the

weekend...

10 women’s names in � ction:

1 Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)

2 Emma (Charlotte Bronte)

3 Carrie (Stephen King)

4 Pamela (Samuel Richardson)

5 Justine (Marquis de Sade)

6 Imogen (Jilly Cooper)

7 Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)

8 Marnie (Winston Graham)

9 Belinda (Maria Edgeworth)

10 Vera (Elizabeth von Arnim)

10 pony breeds eligible to enter in a Mountain and Moorland showing class

1 Shetland2 Exmoor3 Dartmoor4 Welsh 5 Kerry bog pony6 Connemara7 Highland8 Dales9 Fell10 New Forest

Born with it: Joss Stone, 28, has been “obsessed” with soul music since she was a child, growing up listening to her mum Wendy’s records. She decided to pursue a career in music at the age of 13. By the time she was 15, the super-talented songstress had a record deal with EMI.

Career: Joss shot to fame in 2003 following the release of her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which was shortlisted for the 2004 Mercury Prize. She has since gone on to sell over 12 million albums worldwide, and had four consecutive albums make the top ten in America’s Billboard 100. She also has two Brit Awards and one Grammy under her belt.

Devon: Joss was raised in a village named Ashill near Cullompton in mid Devon. She attended the local comprehensive, U� culme School. Home is still the same rural farmhouse she grew up, which she bought from her parents.

Too cool for school: Joss le� school at 16 having only achieved three GCSEs. “It wasn’t that I was stupid,” she has said. “I’m just a little bit

dyslexic and I wasn’t very academic. I’m more artistic.”

Attack: In 2011 two men from Manchester were arrested near her home and later jailed for conspiracy to rob and murder the singer.

Mama Stone: Joss’s mum Wendy ran a live music venue in Exeter with her second

husband for a number of years. Sadly, in March last year, Mama Stone’s closed its doors for the last time a� er it fell victim to the credit crunch.

Free spirit: Hippie Joss always performs on stage barefoot. She says of her music: “I don’t make music to try and have a hit record. I sing because I have to, I feel empty if I don’t do it.”

Wealth: In 2011, Joss was estimated to be worth £11 million.

By Ellie Jones

Joss Stone is the singer’s

stage name. She was born Joscelyn Eve

Stoker

WIP_TOP10_FEB27.indd 11 22/02/2016 15:32:38

12

Interview

op star and TV pre-senter Peter Andre is soon to be in the West-country, playing a live show at the Plymouth

Pavilions in March. But there is even better news for Peter’s fans in the region – he tells me that, even-tually, he would like to move house and live in the Westcountry with his family.

His wife, Emily MacDonagh, grew up near Taunton in Somerset and Peter says they are “always coming down” to the area. “It’s a great part of the world,” he says. “We love it. We’re thinking of eventually moving

down that way, to be honest.”The couple famously tied the knot

in Devon last year, with a ceremony at the Grade I listed Georgian man-sion Mamhead House, near Exeter, last summer.

“It’s a wonderful place to get mar-ried,” he says. “The whole day was so special. It was such a beautiful location there and such amazing memories to cherish.”

Emily and Peter, who now have a two-year-old daughter Amelia, have yet another Westcountry link. They met at one of Peter’s previous gigs, at Plymouth Pavilions back in 2010, under rather dramatic circum-stances. When he was on tour in the South West, Peter was rushed to hospital with kidney stones and had

MYSTERIOUSMr Andre

Hello,

P

The Westcountry has special associations for Peter Andre, who met his wife Emily in the very

venue where he’ll be performing next weekend. Dawn Ellis chats to the pop star and TV presenter

ahead of his trip to the Westcountry

By Dawn Ellis

Peter_Andre.indd 12 23/02/2016 10:52:04

13

MYSTERIOUS

Peter_Andre.indd 13 23/02/2016 10:52:47

14

“I think it will be a very poignant night in Ply-mouth and I hope Emily can make it,” he said.

The English-born singer, who grew up in Aus-tralia, has enjoyed hits with the likes of Mysteri-ous Girl and Behind Closed Doors.

More recently, he released a swing album Come Fly With Me and is now focusing attention on his Peter Andre Live 2016 show, which will, he says, be high energy and will include all his hits - and more.

“There’s going to be something for everyone on this tour,” he says.

“There will be some swing, but there will also be soul, blues and funk. We also have such an in-credible band and we’ve added more to the brass

to have emergency surgery. His surgeon (whom he now calls his “hero”) was none other than Emily’s father Ruaraidh. “He found out that my kidney had got infected,” he explains.

“As a thank you, I gave him tickets to one of my shows and Emily and her mum turned up in Plymouth. The next thing is I’m friends with the family. Two years later we went on our fi rst date and now we’re married.

“I’m a great believer in fate – it’s strange how things happen in life. I’m a bit of a destiny be-liever.”

The singer will return to the city on his latest tour, when he’ll play to his faithful fans at Ply-mouth Pavilions on March 12.

‘I’m a great believer in fate

- it’s strange how things

happen in life’

Interview

section to give it more of a funk sound.“We’ll throw in some old classics as well, with

some Queen and Prince.“We’ll have a cracking night. Come down, you

won’t sit down for a minute as it’s such a feel-good show with lots of great classics and genres.”

Peter has also recently been on our TV screens shimmying his way across the dance fl oor on Strictly Come Dancing. He came seventh on the series and says he loved the whole experience.

“I’m just so happy that I had the chance to do a show like that and learn new techniques and made friends with so many new people. I’ll never forget the experience,” he says.

“I think some of that fancy footwork

Peter_Andre.indd 14 22/02/2016 14:23:29

A life in showbizHighs and lows of Peter Andre’s career

Family: The youngest of � ve children from a Greek Cypriot family, Peter was raised in north London until the family emigrated to Australia, where his parents still live. He is close to his family, but tragically lost his older brother Andrew, a restaurateur, to cancer in 2012.

Early days: Back in his teenage years, Peter secured his � rst recording contract while living with his family in Australia.

Marriage: Peter appeared alongside glamour model Katie Price (aka Jordan) in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2004. The couple got together on the show, and married the following year. Peter became stepfather to Katie’s son Harvey with footballer Dwight Yorke and they went on to have two children, Junior and Princess Tiaamii.

Reality: Peter and Katie’s everyday lives featured in numerous reality

TV shows on ITV2 until their divorce in 2009, which was also played out in the public eye.

Happiness: These days, Peter prefers not to speak about Katie, in contrast to their very public spats in the past. He has found happiness with new wife Emily MacDonagh, a doctor from Somerset, and they have a daughter called Amelia.

with his family in Australia.

15

Peter and Emily wed at Mamhead in Devon

Live: Peter on stage

With ex, Katie Price

With wife Emily

will be seen on stage on my tour.”Incredibly, he is celebrating 20 years since his

hit Mysterious Girl was fi rst released. Today, Pe-ter’s career is looking stronger than ever. He has presented the TV show 60 Minute Makeover, and is starting a chain of coffee shops with his broth-ers – they have one coffee shop in East Grinstead now and previously ran another in Brighton. Peter says he is always looking for new ventures and challenges. “I’m looking at opening a chain of restaurants. I want to merge my chain of coffee shops to restaurants,” he says. “I’m look-ing forward and ahead.

“I think there will come a time where I just want to chill out, but I want to build a business like the restaurant business as there will come a time that I can step away from the music indus-try and do something different. It’s all for family at the end of the day.”

But Peter says that, whatever the future holds, he won’t be giving up performing any day soon: “Music will always run through my veins and be at the heart of everything I do,” he tells me. Though we are still holding out for a Peter An-dre-run café near us, too!For tickets visit www.plymouthpavilions.com

Peter_Andre.indd 15 22/02/2016 14:23:56

16

Enjoy

Indulge your mum at the Gaia Spa in Plympton’s Boringdon Hall Hotel

Feature1_Mother'sDay_feb27.indd 16 22/02/2016 17:03:14

17

Mamamia!You know you want to spoil her, but just where would be special enough for your mum on Mother’s Day? Catherine Barnes has a few ideas...

Four hands massage and tea at Boringdon Hall Hotel’s Gaia Spa

Book ahead for this multi-million pound country house hotel spa near Plymouth, set to open in

April. Treat mum to a day package including treatment and afternoon tea with champagne (from £95 per person), or choose from Gaia Spa’s fabulously indulgent range of signature therapies, including its 90-minute Four Hands Massage (£250) or rejuvenating Jade Facial (£90). Gift vouchers are already available to buy at www.gaiaboringdon.co.uk

Four hands massage and tea at Boringdon Hall Hotel’s Gaia Spa

Book ahead for this multi-million pound country house hotel spa near Plymouth, set to open in

fave!

Feature1_Mother'sDay_feb27.indd 17 23/02/2016 12:09:29

18

Enjoy

Family Tree

There’s always something special in bloom at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Devon garden, Rosemoor at Torrington. This Mother’s Day, a carvery lunch is on offer at its Garden Kitchen Restaurant and you’ll also fi nd professional photographer Jayne Poole in a pop-up studio, where she’ll be taking portraits of mums and their families by request, to mark this special day. There is also be an Antiques & Collectables Fair happening and Stretegate Camellias will be on site discussing how to get the best out of your blooms. See www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor

In good tasteTreat her to the seven-course taster menu (£58 per person) at the fabulous Glazebrook House Hotel in South Brent on the edge of Dartmoor. Inspired by Carroll’s Alice, the luxury rooms are a decadent Wonderland – push the boat out with a night’s stay and she’ll love you all the more for it. www.glazebrookhouse.com

Relive the Railway Children

Channel the spirit of Cornish resident Jenny Agutter’s most heart-warming role, Bobby in the Railway Children, by treating Mother to a cream tea and a jaunt on steam engine along a picturesque line. We’re spoiled for choice in our part of the world: The South Devon Railway’s luxury dining train departs Buckfastleigh on its Mother’s Day run at 4pm next Sunday (booking essential, at www.southdevonrailway.co.uk). Or hop aboard the Bodmin & Wenford’s Cornwall Belle, which sets off from Bodmin at 2pm on Mother’s Day, the fi rst of its scheduled Steam & Cream Tea trains this year (£18.50 per person). Book at www.bodminrailway.co.uk.

Surprise! All mums can expect a surprise gift when you treat them to a three-course lunch or afternoon tea in the Wildfl ower Restaurant at the Moorland Garden Hotel in Yelverton, on March 6. Lunch sittings take place between midday and 2pm (£23.95 per adult and £14.50 per child), with tea from 3.30pm to 5.30pm (£16.95 per adult and £9.95 per child).www.moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk

Feast in Wonderland at Glazebrook House

Feature1_Mother'sDay_feb27.indd 18 23/02/2016 12:14:41

19

High Tea at Langdon Court Noteable women including Elizabeth I, Catherine Parr and Lillie Langtry have stayed at beautiful Langdon Court, a gorgeous manor house turned boutique hotel and restaurant in Wembury, south Devon, which also has a picture-perfect garden. High tea here is a thing of delight: delicate sandwiches, dainty cakes and petit fours, scones and clotted cream - and it seems only right to opt for the sparkling version (£40 for two), which includes a glass of Prosecco. Book, or buy, a gift voucher at: www.langdoncourt.com

Say it with owersA bouquet of fl owers is part of the Hartnoll Hotel’s special Mothering Sunday menu. This lovely boutique hotel near Tiverton’s three-course lunch (£29.50 per person) is being served between midday and 3pm. Request the fl owers for the special lady in your life when you book in advance. www.hartnollhotel.co.uk

Sweet thingsMums with a sweet tooth will love a lunch including old-school puddings with a contemporary twist, at The New Yard Restaurant at Trelowarren, near Helston. Choose two courses for £18.95 or three for £23.95 and from spotted dick (with crème anglaise), vanilla rice pudding (with orange and pomegranate) or a chocolate and pistachio ice cream sandwich from the dessert menu. See newyardrestaurant.co.uk

Mum’s best friend?Buy her a cake at the outdoor market being held at Blackpool Sands to coincide with Dartmouth’s Celebration of Dogs fi esta on March 6. Put your own pooch through its paces (there are even prizes for the best doggie and owner fancy dress) and enjoy the atmosphere at this fun day (10am until 4pm) as a family.

Buy her a cake at the outdoor market being held at Blackpool Sands to coincide with Dartmouth’s Celebration of Dogs fi esta on March 6. Put your own pooch through its paces (there are even prizes for the best doggie and owner fancy dress) and enjoy the atmosphere at this fun day (10am until 4pm) as a family.

fave!

Surf’s upBring out her inner daredevil: book a £40 surfi ng lesson or coasteering session at Croyde Surf Academy on Mother’s Day and bring your mum along for free! We think it’s one of the most unusual ways to work up an appetite for a slap-up lunch or tea on Mothering Sunday.www.croydesurfacademy.com

Follow in the footsteps of history’s famous ladies at Langdon Court

Feature1_Mother'sDay_feb27.indd 19 22/02/2016 17:04:50

20

Enjoy

Tiptoe through the tulips

Mums (and grandmas) go free – and will be given a cupcake, too! – at the Eden Project on Mother’s Day, provided they are with at least one of their children or grandchildren.

Treat her to lunch in the Mediterranean Biome, where you can also tiptoe through the tulips in bloom. www.edenproject.com

Country DelightRoaring fi res, squashy button-back armchairs: you can’t get more traditional cosy country house hotel than The Arundell Arms in Lifton, which has an amazing one-off special offer to celebrate Mother’s Day. For just £99 for two, you’ll get a glass of bubbly and its fi ve-course Taste of the West tasting menu for dinner, oh – and an overnight stay in a double or twin room, with a full English breakfast to set you up in the morning. www.arundellarms.com

Sink into a comfy sofa by the fire at The Arundell Arms, Lifton

Wood-warmed bathingTreat mum – and yourself – to a mother and daughter spa package at Exeter’s fabulous Magdalen Chapter hotel. The package (£229 for two) includes a facial, back massage and choice of manicure or pedicure, a two-course lunch (or afternoon tea) plus a free gift. Bring a cossie, as there is an amazing woodburner-heated, steamy outdoor pool. This treat is only available Monday to Fridays; so if you want to spoil her on Sunday, go for the Twilight Affair package (£75 per person), which includes a 60-minute treatment and three-course meal.www.themagdalenchapter.com

Wood-warmed bathingWood-warmed bathing

Feature1_Mother'sDay_feb27.indd 20 22/02/2016 17:05:32

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ecor never stands still. It takes new directions each year, which may be major departures or simply varia-tions on a theme, but will have an impact on our homes nonetheless.

Dramatic schemes look set rule the roost in 2016, so it might be time to bin the beige and make a statement by painting walls in rich, dark colours or investing in a few bold pieces of fur-niture.

“This trend is all about not shying away from colour and it gives us an opportunity to inject some new life into our homes,” says interior styl-ist Kristen Grove.

“There’s a huge misconception that dramatic colour makes a small space feel even tinier, but the reality is, it can make a room feel grander. However, natural light plays a huge part – there isn’t a lamp in the world that can light up a room like nature – so painting a room a dark colour with small windows is possible but risky. You don’t want to leave a space feeling depressed.

“Get the balance right, and working dramatic style into a room can instantly add glamour and sophistication.”

For a colour scheme, think deep Georgian blue, charcoal grey and berry red shades. Create areas of contrast to bring more drama into the room by teaming strong decor with bright white fi nishes.

Abigail Ahern is a master of the moody set-ting, and her paint range is full of shades which are perfect for atmospheric rooms. Try her Madi-son Grey emulsion, £40 for 2.5 litres, from interi-ors company Rockett St George (www.rockettst-george.co.uk).

Another trend heading our way this year is the

D

BolderbeautyAs this year’s decor trends head o� in new directions, Gabrielle Fagan plots some routes for 2016’s fresh, bold looks

Deep blues, pinks and purples are used to stunning effect in this bold scheme, featuring the Isla armchair £550 Sofa.com

Interiors_Feb27.indd 22 22/02/2016 14:41:32

23

Interiors

Charlie bed frame, £585 and bedside table, £139,

from Barker & Stonehouse

Interiors_Feb27.indd 23 22/02/2016 14:41:52

24

Interiors

geometric look. Geometric shapes, patterns and textures are perfect for a modern minimalistic makeover – just make sure you get your style sums right and avoid too many clashes.

“The geometric trend is the perfect way to give your interior a contemporary look. This style can give rooms an illusion of space and add depth and interest,” says Robin Auld, head of market-ing at Topps Tiles.

“Try combining different colours and scales of one or, at most, two shapes, to keep the look fresh and to create a unique interior.”

Layout is key when it comes to the geomet-ric look. Make one piece in a geometric print, perhaps a wall or rug, a focal point. Hexago-nals are this year’s favourite shape and graphic hexagonal tiles, in an unusual honeycomb pattern, can create an eye-catching fl oor or splash-back, especially if teamed with a strong colour.

Tiles are an ultra-effective way to embrace this trend and Topps has an inspiring collec-tion, including the striking Hex-agon Rustic Travertine Tiles, £3.99 each (or £65.22 per square metre). Or you could get the effect on your walls, with B&Q’s Move Your Wall grey and cream geometric 3D diamond effect wallpaper, which is £14 a roll.

Bright tropical patterns are also all the rage this year. This trend offers sultry patterns, jungle greenery and hot good looks – time for a style samba.

“This is a fl amboyant look that tastefully shouts fun and conjures up a setting which feels gloriously drenched in sunshine,” says Tamara Kelly, shopping editor at inspiration interiors site Housetohome.co.uk.

“Vital ingredients are bright, brilliant colours, teamed with leaf patterns, animal and bird prints, and just for fun, a few parrot or fl amingo ornaments. It’s perfect for summer and would work brilliantly in an open-plan kitchen or living space which leads to a garden.”

Team key colours – lime and jungle greens, sea blues, burnt orange, sunshine yellow and hot pinks – with white or warm wood tones, sleek contemporary shapes and leaf and animal-pat-tern prints.

Or conjure up the clear waters of the Carib-bean with The Lido, paired with the deep pea-cock blue-green of The Reading Room, two paints

from the Claypaint range, £15.75 for 750ml, from Earthborn Paints. You could also banish winter chills with a ‘rainforest’ feature wall, using tropi-cal jungle green leaves and bird wallpaper, which is £12 a roll at B&Q.

Another strong trend right now is for natural materials in contrasting tones and textures. “Try pale wood in grey, taupe, blonde or white, with a darker stone in fl owing lines,” says design guru Kelly Hoppen. “The four ‘hot’ metals this year will be bronze, nickel, rose gold and beaten black metal. Wood, ceramic and stone are the most im-portant elements in a home, as they’re a great starting point to build on. To be successfully on-trend, it’s essential to get the right balance of each.” All in all, 2016 could well be the start of an exciting new look for the nation’s homes.

Hexagon rustic Travertine tiles, £3.99 each (£65.22 per square metre) from Topps Tiles work

well with these deep blue of the kitchen units

‘Get the balance right, and working

dramatic style into a room can

instantly add glamour and

sophistication’ [[

Interior designer Kelly Hoppen partners bronze with grey in this sitting room, www.kellyhoppen.com

Interiors_Feb27.indd 24 22/02/2016 14:42:21

25

GET THELOOK

Add quirky interest with bold colours, geometric patterns and Rococo � ourishes

Emmanuel chair £711 www.sweetpeaandwillow.com

Kartel stone stool in chrome £212 Amara

Pimlico purple metro tiles £19.95 per square metre

www.wallsandfloors.co.uk

Sparrow wallpaper £40 per square metre

www.in-spaces.com

Mariska Meijers Cubism cushion £169 Amara

Ornate Monaco mirror £215 www.

ayresandgraces.com

Interiors_Feb27.indd 25 22/02/2016 14:42:58

arch is just around the corner, bringing with it Mothering Sunday, which puts me in mind of daffodils. We have many different varieties

here in our garden, added by a succession of owners over the years. Left undisturbed, they’ve grown into good clumps which be-tween them, bloom over a span of three to four months.

When they were young, our children were taught to ask before they picked fl owers and learnt how to go about it. They’d fi ll a vase with daffodils and proudly deliver it while I was enjoying a Mother’s Day lie-in. Wallowing about in bed eating a few pre-breakfast choco-lates while breathing in the clean, spring-like fragrance of freshly picked narcissi is a treat I shall never forget.

Daffodils grow well in the South West, echoed by thriving populations of the wild native sort (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) in damp woods, hedge banks and meadows. As a child, growing up where north Kent merges with south east London, we used to enjoy the sprinklings of yellow in Lesnes Abbey Wood, one of the closest daffodil colonies to London, so I’m glad they are here in east Devon too. My husband John and I introduced a few bulbs to a small meadow area in the garden where they look just right for the job. While tulips struggle to come back year after year in the damp, clay soil of our garden, daffo-dils have no problem.

The mild winter saw some varieties bursting into bloom from verges and roundabouts during December and January, causing comment and concern that everything was about three months early. In fact some varieties have either been bred to bloom early (‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Goldengi� s

Gardens

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is looking forward to a bunch of da� odils on Mothering Sunday

Msprings to mind) or respond like this to warm temperatures. Most are only a little ahead of themselves and our ‘February Gold’ were only a couple of weeks early. This is a useful daffodil

because at 30cm/12in tall, they aren’t felled by February gales and even stood up to hurricane Imogen.

While botanically, all daffodils are in the genus Narcissus, in garden parlance, we tend to refer to those with large trumpets as daffs and those (usually highly scented) kinds with

shorter trumpets as narcissi. We’ve just come to the end of ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ with yellow petals and bright orange cup and I’m looking forward to doubles ‘Cheerfulness’ and ‘Sir Win-ston Churchill’. Their perfume can be overpow-ering but one or two blooms added to a vase of other daffodils does the trick. In terms of garden design, I guess encouraging many clumps of dif-ferent daffodils is frowned upon and accused of being ‘messy’ but I think they’re worth it for va-riety and long fl owering season.

Bunches of mixed varieties are great, so when choosing daffodils for your mother, look for dif-ferent sorts and put them together. Easier still would be to order from a grower like Fentongol-lan Farm (01872 520209 www.fl owerfarm.co.uk) near Truro. They produce mixed bunches ac-cording to season and you can add handmade chocolates to the gift.

If your mother is a gardener, then the best present would be a catalogue bought from daffo-dil specialist and breeder R A Scamp of Falmouth (07826 067175 www.qualitydaffodils.co.uk) plus a sum to spend on ordering bulbs for delivery and planting in the autumn for blooms next spring and forever. Some varieties are expensive but that’s because they are uncommon and you are

Thank

you,

Mum

xxx

Gardening_Feb27.indd 26 22/02/2016 13:33:55

We have a fan-trained peach against a sunny wall. I pruned it rather hard last year, it has regrown quite well but is sort of losing its

shape and I’m not sure what to do next, or when.

Peaches fl ower and fruit on wood produced in the previous year, so the most you’ll be doing soon is removing one or two stems from congested areas. Wait until a dry day in April when there will be less risk of the disease silver leaf entering wounds. Where two stems are competing for space, remove one and tie the other to the wire or cane. Later, there will be more new shoots than you can tie in and some will be pointing away from the wall, so reduce these to two leaves. When the peach has fi nished fruiting, look for healthy new stems to replace some of the old ones. Prune the old ones back to a healthy bud lower down and tie in the new. Avoid pruning after August, as from then to April the risk of silver leaf increases again.

27

Last year, at a plant fair I bought an exotic-looking busy lizzie with dark leaves. This has stood on a windowsill all winter but is now one bare stem 21cm/9in tall with leaves only

at the tip. How can I make it grow and � ower?

For your impatiens to thrive in winter, it probably needed more warmth (15-21 C/60-70 F). Plants can survive at 10 C/50 F but look as though they are struggling to stay alive. I suspect temperatures took a nose dive close to the window at night. Leave it where it is for now and wait for temperatures to rise and the plant to return to growth. When it does, make the tip into an 8cm/3in long cutting. Prune the stem of the mother plant back to 8cm/3in and hope it sprouts new shoots. Next year, overwinter a warmer room near but not right by a south facing window. Move to a shadier spot as the sun strengthens in spring.

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

• Don’t worry if occasionally some da� odils don’t produce � owers (known as blindness) or the buds of showy doubles turn brown and fail to develop (bud blast). Both can be caused by weather conditions (o� en a dry spring the previous year) and plants usually right themselves. Should problems persist li� , divide and replant congested clumps in spring and make

sure bulbs are planted to twice their own depth.

• Prune midseason clematis (� owering from May and June onwards) by trimming back to the topmost pair of fat buds. Prune late � owering kinds right back to just above the older wood.

• Sow onions under glass, unless you intend to plant them from sets later on. Transplant seedlings at the ‘crookneck’ stage when still bent.

Sowbroad beans under glass, setting them in modules or seed trays. Protect from mice (I cover them with a propagating case lid but so that air can still circulate from under the staging.)

Prune roses, then weed around them, scatter rose fertilizer over their roots and spread well rotted compost or soil conditioner to their root area.

not likely to see them anywhere else. There is so much choice, one starts to look, like a novice at the racecourse, at the names. You might be lucky to fi nd some-thing appropriate, say ‘Sharon’s Champagne’ (a lemon and white small-cupped daffodil), Jenny (a white and pale lemon cycla-mineus type), ‘Poppy’s Choice’ (double orange-yellow) or for a Beatles fan, maybe ‘Abbey Road’ (white). Place names like ‘Pol-ruan’ (a yellow jonquil) might be good, or just let one catch the eye - I liked jonquil ‘Oryx’ for its lemon and white fl owers.

Some of my favourites bloom in clumps under our apple trees and are like pale lemon versions of the old pheasant’s eye (Narcissus poeticus re-curvus). These really are the fl ower of spring.

The children would � ll a vase

with da odils and proudly

deliver it while I was enjoying a Mother’s Day

lie-in [[

Gardening_Feb27.indd 27 23/02/2016 12:15:44

28

BeautyBeauty

Expert advice from beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot

Abbie’s

Beauty treats make perfect Mother’s Day gi s and there are so many to

choose from right now [[

With Mother’s Day around the corner (I can’t believe it is almost March already!) there is no better time to start thinking about gift ideas to pamper your mum on March 6. Or to leave about as hints, if you are a mum yourself!Mothering Sunday is the time

to show mums just how much we love and appreciate everything they do. I think beauty treats make the perfect Mother’s Day gifts, as they are not fattening like chocolates and last so much longer than flowers. Here, I have done the hard work for you and selected some of the best gift ideas on the high street at the moment - and, without giving too much away, I know what I will be buying my mum this year! There are some lovely gift sets to choose from, so what are you waiting for?

RelaxLush Love Your Mum bath

set £10.95Soak in soothing rose

and lavender with these gorgeous bath products.

Clarins Eau Dynamisante fragrance set £33 House of Fraser

I adore this timeless classic scent that also tones and revitalises. This gi� set comes with handy handbag

sized spray, too.

Aromatherapy Associates Relax and Revive Duo £18

Two roller-ball aromatherapy blends, Revive Morning and Deep

Relax, make a cute present.

Heaven scent

On a roll

InspiredEstee Lauder Modern Muse Le Rouge

perfume (Boots £44)This � oral, woody fragrance celebrates inspirational modern women - making

it the perfect gi� for Mother’s Day.

Get setBene� t B.Right skincare set (Debenhams

£18) Snap up this limited edition six-piece

set, showcasing Bene­ t’s new radiance boosting skincare range.

Beauty box

Beauty_Feb27.indd 28 22/02/2016 14:01:54

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30

Mix it up

Snake bangle £10 Dorothy

Perkins

Poppy print blouse £55

Laura Ashley

Ribbed turtleneck £20 JD Williams

Khaki suedette heels £29.99 New Look Mock layer top £35

Lookagain.co.uk

Denim jump suit £120 Hilfiger

Denim at www.zalando.co.uk

pring is on its way to being sprung and this season’s new separates are giving us reason to be cheerful.

While the weather is still unpredictable, a mix-and-match approach comes into its own, giving us the opportunity to treat ourselves to a few pieces we’ll be able to wear well into summer.

Grab this Les Petit Prix all-in-one jump-suit, opposite, while you can from La Red-oute (it’s been reduced to a bargain £17.40). A skinny-rib pully underneath makes it cosy until summer really begins.

Maxi dresses are big news for 2016 and a blouse makes an otherwise summery frock ready to wear now. We love this Linea black broderie dress (£99) and Biba ivory lace collar shirt (£79), both at www.houseoffra-ser.co.uk.

Hate ironing? Cheat with clever ‘separates’ that are actually all-in-one, like this pretty lemon layer top, right, from Look Again.

S

Fashion_Feb27.indd 30 23/02/2016 12:17:25

31

Fashion

Gok for Tu navy

2-in-1 jumper, £28

(www.sainsburys.

co.uk)

Two-tone bangle £9.50 Oliver Bonas

All-in-one long-sleeved trouser suit reduced to £17.40 skinny rib jumper £22

shoes £49 all at www.laredoute.co.uk

Sateen ankle-graz-ers £49.95

White Stuff

Contrast-stitch merino jumper

£99 East

Double layer cami top £59 Mint Velvet

Linen cotton double layer crew neck

sweater £98 Jigsaw

3-row trapped bead necklace

£12.50 Evans

Mock suede heels £10 Primark

Pinafore maxi £19.99 New

Look

Linea black broderie maxi dress £99 Biba ivory lace col-

lar shirt £79 www.houseof-

fraser.co.uk

Fashion_Feb27.indd 31 22/02/2016 13:46:37

y biggest character fl aw? Indeci-sion. Which is why, for me, this trend was met by the sound of angels singing and the tiniest little jig. Being encouraged to don two

coats means never having to choose between two favourites again, which is sure to save me a sig-nifi cant chunk of time this season.

This trend is a spillover from menswear, where Balmain started sending models down the cat-walk with leather bikers under smarter over-coats. It looked good, and proved to be a signifi -cant manoeuvre in the war on winter. Before long women’s fashion editors and street style heroes were taking it to the next level, and the double coat trend in its current form was born.

Traditionally, the look involves at least one longer length coat. But, optimist that I am, I wanted to interpret it in a way that means it can be worn into slightly warmer spring days which I continue to maintain are just around the corner. If you already have a trench or a pea coat in the closet, you are in luck because these iconic cuts are the core of the look and can be lay-ered in a multitude of ways.

Denim, fur and leather are the three key textures to play with either over or under your classic coat. That said, although a lot of trendsetters have been snapped with the likes of a short fur jacket over a trench, I’m not sure the South West is ready for such a fashion forward approach. There is a chance the security guard at Tesco might misinterpret your style savvy for the garb of an unbalanced shoplifter and follow you up and down the aisles. That’s an accessory no one wants. So, unless you are bolder than bold, I would suggest keeping your longer length gar-ment on the outside. Tidy, and tamer and sure to attract the right type of attention.

Denim jackets are making a real comeback. Which is good news for anyone who still has

theirs from the nineties. The fashion police don’t care if it is dark or light, and the older and more battered, the better. These look great buttoned up under a khaki coat.

The soft nude leather jacket from Karen Millen I’ve donned opposite was buttery soft and beauti-ful, if you’re looking for a Mother’s Day present to yourself (which is non-negotiable by the way) I highly recommend it. With one this beautiful, I suggest donning a simple vest underneath so that when you get to your destination, you can keep wearing the jacket without overheating.

Fur (faux) is another winner here. I am a big fan of adding interest to a look by incorporating tex-ture. Tweed and even high-end patchwork work too. On top, I opted for a cape with a blanket feel to it. I consider it an homage to another instigator of the look– the XL scarf worn as a wrap. This is its evolution and it adds a luxurious soft drape.

So, how much time have I saved so far? If I’m honest, none. Now, if only Anna Wintour would show up somewhere wearing two different shoes.All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk

32

Trend

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod on why two coats are better than one

HOW TO WEAR IT:

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Leather jacket, Karen Millen, Princesshay, £350

Over cape, Karen Millen, Princesshay, £235

Shoes, Karen Millen, Princesshay, £140

Vest, Karen Millen, Princesshay, £45

Jeans, Debenhams, Princesshay, £38

Denim, fur and leather are

the three key textures to play with either over

or under your classic coat

Double coats

Doublecoat_Feb27.indd 32 23/02/2016 14:05:18

33

GET THE

look

fave!

This jacket is a hard worker. The patchwork design

means it will work with a multitude of out� ts, and

under just about any coat you throw at it

Trench coat £80 NEXT

Savona coat £225 REISS

Suedette bomber jacket £34.99 NEW

LOOK

Cecilia coat £899 HOBBS

Green suede biker jacket £32.99 NEW LOOK

Patchwork jacket £65 RIVER ISLAND

Doublecoat_Feb27.indd 33 23/02/2016 14:06:45

34

culturevulture

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

know Sarah Pitt

A rhythm and blues club has been launched in Penzance, promis-ing some of the best stomping blues ri� s around. The Mill Rhythm and Blues Club will meet once a month at The Mill Restaurant and Bar, with house band Doctor Dobro providing the backdrop to the proceedings and guest musicians and other bands on the stage. Doctor Dobro have spent the past 18 months building up a solid following in west Cornwall, with their gutsy original compositions and choice repertoire of covers based around country blues. See and hear them, plus guests, at the launch night on Friday, February 29. Tickets £3 on the door, with tapas at £10 for three dishes, www.themillpenzance.co.uk

New blues

Double platinum-selling singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner is to appear in musical theatre (minus his trademark red dreadlocks) at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. Newton will take the part of Johnny in the Tony award-winning musical American Idiot, alongside X Factor � nalist Amelia Lily, who plays the part of Whatsername. The show features the music of rock band Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. It is the story of three boyhood friends searching for meaning in a post 9/11 world. See it at the Northcott Theatre from May 18-21. Tickets from £20, www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Acting role

Budding artists from across the Plymouth area are being challenged to get creative as part of a new competition being staged in the city. The Plymouth Young Contemporary Open 2016 is showcases the talent of the area’s young people. Anyone aged four to 30 who is living, working or studying in the Plymouth area is invited to submit work inspired by the theme ‘grow’. Genres can include photography, instal-lation, sculpture, performance and � lm. Prizes include the chance of further commissions, as well as seeing your work in an exhibition in the city’s Radiant Gallery, pictured, and the Peninsula Arts Gallery at Plymouth University. Find out more at www.plymouthyco.com

CALLING CREATIVES

musical theatre (minus his trademark red dreadlocks)

CV_Stars_Feb27.indd 34 22/02/2016 13:51:19

35

Enjoy

Your starsby Cassandra Nye

ARIES (March 21 - April 20)There could hardly be a better start to the week with forward-looking Saturn and benign Venus bringing good news. Expect shifts in your work-ing life, perhaps a promotion or the chance to really show your talents. Put yourself forward, gain as much knowledge as possible and pre-pare to be charming. Mixed fortunes recently shouldn’t dent your confi dence now.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)Passions may have peaked, but that doesn’t mean a boring week, far from

it! All may not be rosy in the garden, but there are plenty of blooms that please the eye. Sparks between you and a colleague raise a smile. You can be a bit of a pleasure seeker now. Taking extra time with family and friends makes bonds stronger.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)A strong and loving family time is on the horizon, when the chance to help

someone close brings its own rewards. This is not a bad time for personal proposals but, with Neptune in the mix, make your intentions clear. Unusually, intuition can help you out at work this week. Tune in to how your boss and colleagues are feeling.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)Be a little more prepared to spread your wings this week. Using your

talents and building on them can bring

rewards. Meeting someone new through a friend or colleague provides a chance to be spontaneous. A little bit of jealousy could creep into a relationship when you are paid attention by someone new. Reassure, but don’t make too much of it.

LEO (July 23 - August 23)Arm yourself with the right questions before getting into any discussions

this week. Mercury’s messenger service will help you, but only if you help yourself too. Love is waiting for a move from you, pos-sibly at the weekend. Could it possibly be time for plan B?

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)Begin the week with optimism. You feel

special and, of course, you are! More control over your life and a feeling that fate is on your side give you confi dence. A career boost comes through a personal attachment. This may be someone who is far away and who you see infrequently.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)In a leap year, such as this, there are

always surprises in store for you, Leo. With both Venus and Saturn on your tail, romance intensifi es. Those who are not in a relationship or who want to develop an existing one, stay tuned! The hints may be subtle, but someone wants to move things along. Listen, and proceed accordingly.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)Had an awkward few days, Scorpio? Despite your best efforts and the might

of Mars, perhaps things have been less than smooth. You need to choose your company carefully. By mid-week you should be planning something special for the weekend. Visiting calm and soothing places is your reward for being brave.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)Given that it is a leap year, there are always surprises. The best news is, they

are usually good ones! In your case, some-one who has been slow to respond seems to have woken up. Do you feel like putting some effort into comforts at home? There are bargains to be had for early birds.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)Are you having trouble getting your message across? Does someone seem

determined to misunderstand? It may not be their fault, with Mercury the messenger being in a bit of a strop. Leap a few days ahead to see things calm down.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)Some people and situations can be really awkward, can’t they? Be at your

charming best even when you feel pro-voked. Getting cross will upset you more than just going with the fl ow. Be ready for romance at the weekend.

Chris Martin

This week’s sign: Happy birthday to...Pisces are compassionate and sometimes dreamy, both great attributes to have. Find a friend in someone born under this sign and you have a true bestie for life, who’ll be forgiving of your foibles and the listening ear you need – o� en picking up on troubles before you’ve fully realised them yourself. Giving without expect-ing anything in return, emotions run deeply within Pisces, who can be as unafraid to express how they are feeling, as they are to comfort and care.

born March 2, 1977The Exeter-based Coldplay frontman had his rst chart success with the album Parachutes and won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year for Clocks. Since he “consciously uncoupled” with wife Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom he has two children, Apple, 11 and Moses, 9, in March 2014, he’s romanced actresses Jennifer Lawrence and Anabelle Wallis. But he and Gwynneth have remained good friends - even revealing they still have platonic sleepovers at each other’s houses for the sake of maintaining a family bond. Good for you, Chris.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20)Are you feeling better? Some sharp words seem to have drifted your way in recent

days. Mercury the messenger has had the jitters. Folk are changeable at the moment. Do you know that? Relax, Pisces. There is no need to try and please everyone. A few days, or even hours, doing something that you really enjoy revitalises your perspective on life.

CV_Stars_Feb27.indd 35 23/02/2016 12:18:33

36

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

Did you know?Did you know that around

of the nation’s daily � uid intake today is from tea? Four cups with milk provides

almost a quarter of our daily calcium requirement, while a hot brew is a source of manganese, which is essential for bone

growth and body development.

40%

Red Letter Days has teamed up with Breast Cancer Care’s ‘Buy it with love’ campaign

to donate 5% of sales from two of its Mother’s Day experiences including A� ernoon Tea for Two at

various locations.www.redletterdays.co.uk

Love from...

Get to work on your wobbly bits with Champneys’ � ve-piece skin-smoothing set. Detox-In-A-Box, £30 (the actual contents are worth £43.50) contains all the seaweed-infused scrubs, mud and body butter you need, plus a massaging tool (www.boots.com).

Bu� it!

Former Country� le presenter Julia Bradbury is back with a new show exploring the best walks with a view in Britain, but says she’s as obsessed with walking at home as on the telly. She reveals her house is littered with pedometers, explaining: “I try and make 5,000 steps a day. I don’t really like the gym.”But the 45-year old mum of three insists she’s not superwoman, adding: “I like slobbing out on the sofa just watching Grey’s Anatomy and The A� air.” Sounds like our kind of girl!

BEST FOOTFORWARD

TheBoost_Feb27.indd 36 22/02/2016 14:35:46

37

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

Does your skin start to � ake at the � rst sign of

a cold snap? Rather than switching to a heavier moisturiser, a creamier serum could make all the di� erence. Erborian Elixir Au Ginseng, £80, is a light and milky liquid that, applied a� er cleansing and before moisturising, gives a double dose of hydration. www.erborian.com

Enlightenedhydration

Fabulous drag star RuPaul overcame dark days and bullying before emerging as the shining TV star he is today. His philosophy? “Life is hard. There is no way to get around that. Life is di� cult and hard - it is beautiful and wonderful also - but you have to be able to prepare your

child and give them the tools to process this information.” His most famous mantra is: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love someone else?” Something we all could live by, don’t you think?

Ru’srules

Happy families?A new study has found that more than three quarters of British parents feel happier since having children. But the bad news is they have less quality time together, go on fewer date nights and say “I love you” less o� en than before. Agony aunt Suzie Hayman, a trustee of the parenting charity Family Lives, advises: “It’s

so important to try to make time for each other. When people talk about having no time, o� en it’s because they’re spending time doing things that aren’t important at home. “Close the door on work when you come home, and remember that the people you’re living with are more important.” Sound advice.

Bend don’t breakd dodod

nono’n’n t’t’ brbrb erer aeae kaka

If you su� er from non-speci� c low back pain, your doctor will probably recommend you to stay active and keep moving, but nagging aches can put you o� the gym or

joining an aerobic class. Pilates, though, can be the answer: it increases � exibility and strength in

the spine, mobility of all major joints and improves your posture. Instructor Kay

Sharpe specialises in healthy back Pilates classes, in Plymouth and

South Devon. Find out more at: www.

totalbodypilates.co.uk

TheBoost_Feb27.indd 37 22/02/2016 14:36:22

Wellbeing

My mum has recently started getting a reddish rash on her face, especially

at certain times of the day and if she is stressed. I think it could be rosacea but I do not know enough about it. This Mother’s Day, I would

love to be able to help her with this problem, as it is really getting her down. SC, Lostwithiel Dr Pradnya Apte says: Your mum has my sym-pathy. Rosacea is more common among women than men and often begins with flushing but other symptoms can develop as the condition progresses, such as burning and stinging sensa-tions, permanent redness, spots and small blood vessels that become more visible. There can also be raised red patches (known as plaques) on the skin.

Persistent facial redness, known as erythema, is like a blush that does not go away and can make you look as though you have been drink-

Qing alcohol heavily. The redness usually affects the cheeks, nose and chin but can also spread to other areas such as the forehead, neck and chest.

Rosacea is a cyclic condition so there are pe-riods when the symptoms subside. It can also be linked to the menstrual cycle. There is no known cure but many of the symptoms of rosacea can be controlled to a degree with treatment – I per-sonally have had a lot of success helping patients with rosacea at my medi-clinic.

For most people, treatment will involve a com-bination of self-help measures and medication. Creams and gels can also help, especially prod-ucts containing Vitamin C which is known for healing blood capillaries.

One thing your mum could try is to avoid trig-gers that make rosacea worse. These can include sunlight exposure, stress, strenuous exercise, hot/cold weather, hot drinks, alcohol and caf-feine. Spicy foods can also trigger an attack.

If rosacea is associated with spots, then a course of oral antibiotics from her GP can help

38

How to spare your blushesTackling rosacea isn’t easy - but it can be done, says our expert

clear them up. In some cases, procedures such as laser and Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatment may be helpful. These treatments are aimed at the visible blood vessels causing them to shrink and make them less visible.

I have found in my clinical practice that using a quality skincare range that is dedicated for rosacea skins helps enormously. I recommend the top-quality cosmeceutical products from the Image skincare range to help with this condition. I also recommend Vitamin C infused skin peels to reduce the redness and soothe the skin.

The downside of rosacea is that there can be the added problem of skin pigmentation asso-ciated with this condition, so it is important to have skincare that helps with this and hydroqui-none-free skincare is best.

Dr Pradnya Apte runs the Revitalise-Rejuvenate me-di-clinic in Exeter. For more information email info@revitalise-rejuvenate.co.uk or call 01392 426285 for a free skin consultation.

WellbeingQ&A_Feb27.indd 38 22/02/2016 14:00:11

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40

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

ebruary is one of those months when there could be quite a lot of wild greens in the hedgerows and along the coastal paths… or there may be none. Since it’s been mild,

though, this winter, you will prob-ably spot the early tips of wild garlic plants, nettle growth and even the almost-burgundy leaves of the water mint venturing forth.

There should be a few goodies to plunder from the wild, unless the deer, sheep and pigeons have got there fi rst, of course. It’s good to get out and about with a basket at this time of year, collecting bits and bobs that are already out, as well as spotting emerging plants and taking note for a return trip in a few weeks.

Perennial winter cress should be fairly easy to fi nd on pasture lands and in hedgerows. At this time of year, it’s one of very few plants that will be growing strongly. A kind

of brassica that looks a lot like watercress, look out for rosettes of verdant green leaves. Harvest-ing them couldn’t be simpler, but don’t take all the leaves from one plant as you may kill it off for the year. The strong peppery and slightly bitter

taste isn’t for everyone. Use it judiciously, but stop short of making it the main ingredient. In other words, treat it more like a herb than a leaf.

Winter cress makes an excel-lent addition to hearty pulse dishes or risottos, roughly chopped and added at the last minute to pep things up a little. Sprinkle it raw onto a pizza, or in a robust dish of pear, blue cheese and roasted onions, with a few toasted nuts mixed in to seal the deal.

Wherever or however you decide to go for the winter cress, do give it a go. Apart from anything else, it just feels good to go out, basket in hand, and see what you can fi nd.

F

Ingredient of the Week

Winter cresswith Tim Maddams

Winter cress makes an excellent addition to hearty

pulse dishes or risottos, added at the last minute to

pep things up a little [[

Eat

Cress to impressTry using winter cress, wild garlic and water mint to make wild herb pesto. Use in fairly equal quantities, roughly chop them and place in a blitzer or pestle and mortar. Add a little grated hard cheese, some rapeseed oil or olive oil and a few toasted hazel nuts. Season and use as you would any other pesto. This paste should keep in the fridge with a little oil on top for a few days, but will be far better used within a few hours of making.

@TimGreenSauce

Tim_Beer_Feb27.indd 40 22/02/2016 13:49:02

41

Drink

New Lion Brewery is attempting an experiment in Totnes, south Devon. They

are asking locals to grow hops in their garden for a crowd-sourced green hop beer. I like the sound of this and I’ll be

following the project with interest.

Tis the saison The Dri� wood Spars in St Agnes (a Cornish seaside pub with its own micro-brewery) is holding its � rst beer festival of the year, called The Dark, The Light and The Saison. The event takes place from March 11-13 (and the food’s great, too!).

HOP TO IT

Darren Norbury

talks beerdumpy 330ml cans which, of course, have now become trendy again, like hippy beards. I can

recall a well-balanced, lightly hopped fl avor with pleasure now, unaware at the time that beer would be so important in my life all those years on. I am surprised to fi nd that the beer is still avail-able, now in a handsome bottle, at 3.2% ABV, made by Charles Wells, in Bedford, the current custodian of the nomadic Cour-age brand.

My paternal grandmother en-joyed a beer, too. Bottle of Guin-ness every Sunday lunchtime, as soon as she entered our house for lunch, having been picked up

from the Salvation Army citadel.I never started drinking decent beer until my

mid-thirties, although there had been a Kronen-bourg phase when I started out in journalism, and an early 1990s Caffrey’s and Guinness Bitter phase when those fake Oirish pubs were thick on the ground.

It just goes to show how much our tastes change and mature over the years. As a child I could never imagine loving a Brussels sprout, now I would make a main dish out of them (with some bacon bits added: gorgeous). And the palate never stops changing. I can remember drinking

my fi rst heavily smoked beer, the famous Sch-lenkerla Rauchbier Marzen, and thinking: “I don’t think I can stand too much of this.” But the palate adjusts and I fi nd these days there are very few beers I don’t like. With the exception, ironi-cally, of Bombardier, made by… Charles Wells.

I’m tempted now to seek out a bottle of Cour-age Light Ale (I see it’s available online at spe-cialist Beers of Europe) to see if it brings back a snapshot of my childhood and my mother sip-ping away as she made Sunday dinner. She was never a great cook, alas: we used to draw straws to see who was going to carve the gravy…

Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday

I

We had a tasting session in The Star, near Penzance, recently and Elgood’s Coolship,

a Belgian-style sour, divided opinion. More accurately, myself and beer bloggers Boak

and Bailey loved it; everyone else made a face as if they’d bitten their � rst lemon. I

thought it was really well-made.

Beer of the week

[[The pale golden

brew came in those dumpy

330ml cans which have now become trendy

again, like hippy beards

tasted my fi rst beer when I was a teenager, and you know what? I wasn’t impressed.

The curious thing is that I re-

member my mother being the main beer drinker in the house, my father having developed a taste for Southern Comfort or Campari, depending on his mood. (I never inherited his taste, thank goodness, although I have a recollection of giving Cinzano and Advocaat a go as a teen – what was I thinking?)

Now, Mother’s tipple of choice was Courage Light Ale. The pale golden brew came in those

Tim_Beer_Feb27.indd 41 22/02/2016 13:49:32

42

Enjoy

inehead was put on the national map in the autumn, when its Foxes Hotel was the subject of a heartwarming Channel 5 documentary. The town, with its pretty harbour and high

street full of interesting independent shops, makes a great base for exploring this part of Somerset.

Stay: At the Foxes Hotel, with bedrooms look-ing straight onto the seafront. If you arrive during the week, you’ll be given the warmest of welcomes by young people, all of whom have learning disabilities, who help staff it and are training for careers in the hospitality indus-try. The ensuite bedrooms are beautiful, with a room costing from around £79 per night and dinner, B&B for two from £110. Or head a few miles up the coast to beautiful Porlock Weir and stay at the glorious Miller’s at The Anchor. It’s stuffed with wonderful curiosities and was established by the late Miller’s Antiques Guide author Martin Miller and his daughter Tanya.

M

A WEEKEND IN

Minehead

Dunster Castle

AWeekendInMinehead.indd 42 23/02/2016 10:30:14

43

Bakelite Museum

Book a double ensuite- with bed and breakfast from around £85 a night. Shop: If you’ve room in the boot, stop by Chris’s Crackers - a trove of fabulous old furniture and architectural salvage on the road into Minehead. We spotted a huge old Western Morning News enamel sign and garden lovers will be inspired by the chimney pots and tin baths, perfect for planting bulbs and herbs. This part of the world is spoilt for choice if you love all things vintage. Look out for Robin in the town centre, which is full of super quality period clothes and accesso-ries for both ladies and gents, dating back dec-ades. You’ll browse for ages. Pop into Exmoor Country interiors, too, for a lovely range of soft furnishings and indoor style.

Eat: For a hearty meal in a cosy atmosphere, try Mullions on The Avenue. On the menu: River Exe Mussels Mariniere and homemade game terrine. The Old Ship Aground on Quay Street does wonderful pub grub, with its meat reared

on the owners’ Exmoor farm. They even cure their bacon and fi sh in their very own smoker. There’s also live music here on Friday evenings and rooms to stay, from £66 for a double with breakfast.

See: Potter around the town and take a walk up the pretty church steps and then take a walk along the seafront towards the pretty little har-bour. Packhorse Bridge at nearby Allerford is a short drive away and worth a look- the historic cobbled structure over the brook is just four feet wide.

Visit: You can see Dunster Castle from Mine-head and for miles around. Now owned by the National Trust, the castle grounds are also spec-tacular and Dunster village itself is well worth a day trip. Or pop into the wonderfully eccentric Bakelite Museum in nearby Williton. Its nostal-gic exhibits date back as far as the 1920s and you can enjoy a cream tea off pretty vintage china in its tearoom, too.

Buy: DJ Miles tea and coffees, blended in Mine-head and available in lots of local independent shops and delis in this part of the world.

All aboard: Take a West Somerset Steam Rail-way train from Minehead railway station to Bish-ops Lydeard. There are nine stops along the line, so it’s a great way to sightsee and stop off at vil-lages including Dunster and Watchet along the way. An adult Day Rover ticket costs £19.

West Somerset Steam Railway

Foxes Hotel

DJ Miles teas

Miller’s at the Anchor Hotel, Porlock Weir

AWeekendInMinehead.indd 43 23/02/2016 10:30:43

44

My Secret Westcountry

Sue Milverton

44

Sue Milverton is the co-owner of the award-winning Clavelshay Barn Restaurant near Taunton. She started the business with husband Bill in an 18th century stone barn on the family farm, with a focus on locally-sourced, sustainable and seasonal ingredients. The couple have three grown up children.

My favourite...

Walk: The Seven Sisters group of trees on Cothelstone Hill in the Quantocks is a landmark that you can see from miles away - and from there you can see for miles. The 360-degree view includes the Blackdown Hills, Brendon Hills, west Somerset Coast, the Bristol Channel to Wales and the Mendip Hills to the North. Even on a cold, wintery day, it is an uplifting experi-ence.

Beach: Kilve on the west Somerset coast does not have golden sand and blue sea, but is much more interesting. There are rock pools and ledges, complete with fossils, both large and small. It’s a fascinating place and unchanged since I went there as a child. A walk from East Quantoxhead to Kilve, along the cliffs, fi nishing up with tea at The Chantry tea rooms is a lovely day out.

Dinner at Clavelshay Barn

Jacob’s Hut, near Okehampton

Sue Milverton

MSW_Feb27.indd 44 22/02/2016 13:37:06

4545

Arts venue: The Minack Theatre at Porth-curno. I’ve wanted to go there for years and in September was lucky to go with a friend to see the Last Night of the Proms. It was a magical experience, which I will always remember – a glorious sunny day, blue, blue sea, brass band playing, audience cheering, fl ags waving. It felt like being on a fi lm set.

Activity: As a child, I used to go to Woola-combe with the family, in the days of small wooden surf boards. I hadn’t been for years, but last year had a chance to go in the sea at Sennen Cove. Hiring a wet suit for the fi rst time was a brilliant idea (despite slight diffi culty getting it on and off !) and meant that I could stay in the sea for ages. Catching that perfect wave which brings you right onto the beach gives a real buzz, whatever your age – exhilarating!

People

Food: I love our own farm-reared pork – roasted slowly and with perfect crackling, apples from our tree, roast potatoes and local vegetables. Being able to talk to customers in our restaurant about the farm and where the food comes from is such a pleasure for me. One of my customers said to me: “We feel it is like coming to dinner with friends.” I take that as a great compliment.

Tipple: There is a vineyard near us at Can-nington, which has been producing award-win-ning wine for more than 20 years. My favourite is Oatley Jane, a crisp, dry white – just perfect on a hot summer’s day.

Pub: The Millbrook Inn, Southpool, South Devon. We came across this pub by chance about 25 years ago. My husband took me to a farm sale nearby in a torrential rain storm. After pa-tiently standing in a fi eld in the pouring rain for hours, we warmed up in front of a log fi re and had a superb lunch. We return to the Millbrook whenever we are in the area. It’s quite simply my idea of the perfect pub.

Shop: A friend introduced me to a great shop in Wellington, called The Emporium Somerset. It is a collection of individual traders selling crafts and Fairtrade products. It is light and bright and full of lovely things.

Weekend away: Bill and I are not posh hotel kind of people but a memorable break was staying for two nights in a shepherd’s hut, Jacob’s Hut, in deepest Devon, at Thrushelball near Okehampton. The weather wasn’t kind, but it really didn’t matter as we were cosy after lighting the woodburner. If you get that “stop the world, I want to get off” feeling – this is the place for you.

www.clavelshaybarn.co.uk

Kilve beach

Oatley Vineyard

The Millbrook Inn

MSW_Feb27.indd 45 23/02/2016 12:20:07

46

What a Week

Beyond the gravy

My life

s an outsider, I thought they were just a way of eating on a Sunday. How wrong was I? They’re so much more than that. For many a trip to one of these establishments is a

quasi-religious experience. Yes, what I learned this week was how seriously Westcountry folk take eating at a carvery.

It all started with a simple situation. We had visitors eager to experience a traditional roast. So far, so straightforward – you’d think. I asked a couple of friends, Westcountry locals, for a recommendation. Let’s call them ‘Gordon’ and ‘Jamie’.

“You must try X,” announced Gordon, with unusual zeal.

“X?” interjected Jamie, dis-gusted. “Their gravy is like dish-water. Go to Y instead.”

“Y?” spluttered Gordon. “I wouldn’t let my dog eat there!”

The argument escalated. Fear-ing it might come to blows, I left them to it.

On my way home, I sought guidance from one of my neighbours.

“Carveries are life and death matters round these parts,” she proclaimed. “When I tried to sell my house, people didn’t want to know about schools or parking – just how good the local carv-eries were.”

In order to avoid further upsetting Jamie or Gordon, I ignored their advice and went with a place recommended by my neighbour. She had (rather threateningly) insisted it was the best. I couldn’t refuse.

When we arrived, I was amazed. I wasn’t a carvery virgin. Oh no. I’d eaten roast meats before – but never in the Westcountry. People here wore the solemn expressions of pilgrims at their place of worship. I had to battle the strong urge to genuflect in the direction of the brisket myself. All around, diners expertly manoeuvred

vast plates, piled unfeasibly high with teetering roast potatoes, back to their tables. In one corner, there was what I can only describe as a ‘water-fall’ of shimmering gravy. This, I’m sure, was what Willy Wonka would have created if he was into meat and had never heard of cholesterol.

“What are the rules?” asked our guests. “Is it a ‘one visit only’ set up? Or can you go again and again?”

I didn’t know. “It’s just that really

affects our game plan.”

My guests had a game plan? I thought we’d just come here to eat.

Feeling out of my depth, I joined the queue; dis-covering ‘the rules’ by ob-serving the p e o p l e ahead of

us:1. Eat as much as you

want. Then eat a little bit more. There’s no point if you don’t feel sick when you leave.

2. Don’t fill up on stuffing. Fill up on meat. Pile your plate with the most expensive items, even if you don’t plan on eating them.

3. The correct portion size for roast potatoes is: as many as you would usually consume in a calendar month.

4. There’s always more gravy. 5. Never jump the queue. It was with this final rule that we

fell down. A member of my group

A

Chris McGuire joins a Westcountry pilgrimage... to the carvery

I wasn’t a carvery virgin...

but had to battle a strong urge to genuflect in the direction of the

brisket [[– who shall remain nameless, let’s call her ‘Re-becca Smith from Glasgow’ – decided as she only wanted potatoes (this was her third visit) she could walk to the head of the queue. I tried to warn her, but it was too late. Rebecca had broken

the most important rule of carvery-ing. Safe to say we won’t be returning to that particular establishment (not that they’d have us). Carvery is a game you

should only play if you know the rules. If you’re a bit unsure, go for a burger – there’s less at stake.

Chris McGuire is a writer who re-cently moved to the Westcountry

and is now considering becoming a vegetarian.

@McGuireski

NEXT WEEK: Will a family board game bring out Phil Goodwin’s competitive streak?

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Green Tree Court is the luxurious fivestar flagship home for Lexicon Healthcarewho specialise in providing exceptionalnursing home environments combinedwith the very best in clinical care andsupport.

68 deluxe and superior rooms, 31 ofwhich are dementia friendly andfeature superior quality fittings andensuite bathrooms.

The superb range of in house facilitiesincludes a contemporary café, socialactivity programme, hairdressers,holistic therapy, physiotherapy suite,treatment rooms, cinema room, libraryand activity centre and a prayer andquiet room.

We also offer respite care anddaycare packages. Please contact usfor details.

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