21.06.15
34Summertimefeel-good � xes
How the new Miss Cornwall beat the school bullies
+ WILL YOUNG
+ BEACH PICNICS
PLUS:
Bloomin’beautiful
INSIDE:+ SEAWEED
SUPERFOOD
+ GLAMPINGOFFERS
+ FLORAL FASHION
Cover_June21.indd 1 17/06/2015 13:34:54
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Ads.indd 2 17/06/2015 15:33:36
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6 THE WISHLISTThe loveliest things to buy this week
8 I WANT ONE OF THOSE...Our columnist on home improvements
10 WEST IN PICTURESColin Firth and � elds of Cornish poppies
11 WILL YOUNG IN CORNWALLWhy the singer loves his moorland home
12 BEATING THE BULLIESThe new Miss Cornwall on overcoming heartache and � nding happiness
16 IT’S SEAWEED, SWEETIEMeet the woman behind the new foodie trend
22 EAT AL FRESCOCreate a garden feast for all the senses
28 BEAUTYReviews, treats and more
30 THE NEW FLORALSPretty dresses in the latest prints
32 GO KIMONO How to wear the latest cover-ups
35 SUPER SALAD Healthy recipes for summer days
42 KIDS AND CAMPINGPlus 15% o your glamping holiday
44 BERRY NICE Tim Maddams on the joy of strawberries
46 MAN & BOYPhil Goodwin referees the food rivals
contents[ [Inside this week...
‘I still get very emotional whenever I hear about
people who have committed suicide
because of cyberbullying. I had it non-stop, I never
felt part of the group’
The new Miss Cornwall on overcoming heartache, p 12
FAVOURITE PLACESA writer’s guide to the West-country
40
42 KIDS AND CAMPINGWhy all children should sleep under canvas this summer
MONKEY BUSINESSAnne Swithinbank on the West-country plant hunters
26
GLASTONBURY CALLINGThe plan is to keep it simple, says Florence Welch
922 AL FRESCO FUNHow to eat out in style
HEARTACHE TO HAPPINESS Beating the bullies, by the beautiful new Miss Cornwall12
Contents_June21.indd 3 17/06/2015 13:49:54
4
[[ [[welcome[ [
Just a few years ago, who would have guessed that our cover girl Briony-Mai Reynolds would ever have ended up as a beauty queen. Born with severe problems that disfi gured her jaw, this gentle teenager was so shy and self-conscious at the age of 12 that she “literally never” smiled in public. Sadly, she was a target for cruel bully-ing at school. Fast for-ward six years, though, and after years of treat-ment she really has blos-somed into a most beau-tiful person. She’s smart on the inside too - just off to university to study Veterinary Science. Read all about her inspiring journey on page 12, and you’ll realise that anything is possible, with love and support.
Another inspirational woman in today’s mag-azine is Caro Warwick-Evans, who slept in a car and then a caravan while she got her company, Cornish Seaweed, off the ground. Now employ-ing eight people and selling her natural super-
food products to every-one from Jamie Oliver to Tesco, Caro’s story (page 16) is nothing short of impressive.
Finally, we’re in full bloom here as far as fashion is concerned, with the kimono trend
nailed (page 32) and some of the prettiest dresses that I’ve seen in years on page 30. We’ve also got a lovely feature on how to make your outdoor dining an al fresco feast on page 22. Summer sorted, if you ask me.
CONTACT: [email protected]: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest
@thrashionI wanted to show you my recycled skateboard and
silver heart pendant made from 6 di� erent skateboard
decks
[ [Read all about her inspiring story on page
12 of West today
Becky Sheaves, Editor
MEET THE TEAM
Becky Sheaves, Editor Sarah Pitt Kathryn Clarke-McLeod Catherine Barnes Phil Goodwin
You never know how things will turn out...
Tweetof the week
[FAVOURITE PLACESThe best ways to enjoy the Westcountry summer
40
COVER IMAGE: John Allen
EDSLETTER_1THING.indd 4 17/06/2015 13:53:44
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Grab your bucket and spade, sandwiches and � ask, and join The National Trust on beaches around the region for the Big Beach Picnic on Saturday, July 4. The Trust is staging fun free activities to mark 50 years of its Operation Neptune campaign. In this time the Trust has bought 574 miles of
coastline, to preserve it from development.Beaches staging The Big Beach Picnic include Wembury, Branscombe and Woolacombe in Devon, Towan near Portscatho on The Roseland
peninsula and Polzeath in north Cornwall. Find full details under ‘what’s on’ at www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
one thingIf you do
this week...
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the
West’s picks for spending your time and money this week
wishlist
Vintage enthusiast Lorraine Ford seeks out the genuine article from across Europe and the USA. She sells men’s and women’s clothes, shoes and accessories from the 1920s -1980s, alongside reproduction top hats, bowlers and sunglasses. Stock changes frequently, with faux and real fur coats, jackets, and gloves in the winter and strappy sandals, sun hats and � amboyant retro 1950s-style dresses created by the Hell Bunny label during the summer. Vintage and Retro at 119 Cornwall Street, Plymouth and see www.facebook.com/vintageandretroplymouth
adoreStore weVintage and Retro, Plymouth
Boho paisley tea towel, £6, Marks & Spencer
Bicycle bookends, £48, ww.tch.net
beaded coil necklace £7.99 new look
BOHO
Ethnic chic
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Wishlist
Lime green jug, £25.95, www.annabeljames.co.uk
Yellow fl oppy hat, £12, www.dorothyperkins.com
Candy stripe cup and saucer set, £35, for four, www.sweetpeaandwillow.
com
Happy Hipster embroidered picture,
£35 or £50 in solid oak frame, created by Newlyn’s www.
poppytre� ry.co.uk
Glasshouse lantern, £29.95, www.
majeurschester� eld.co.uk
RIVIERA
Glug...
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o the thing that’s really taking up a lot of my thought right now is a pizza oven. I woke up
early this morning and lay in bed thinking about it, where we could put it, where we could store the logs, how to build it. It’s becoming a bit of an obsession.
I’m not sure where I fi rst saw the ovens but I think it was in Cyprus. Most back yards there have them: rounded domes built of clay and painted white, with the logs stacked underneath. From mid morning you see men and women stoking the fi res, get-ting them good and hot to heat up the whole interior. Once it is hot they let the fi re die down a bit, and the refl ected heat is the perfect oven. So may cultures have them: adobe, tandoori, you name it.
The dome shape, you see, allows the heat to circulate round and round, making an even temperature.
I’m dreaming of fresh pizzas brown and bubbly on the crust, loaves of bread taken out with a fl at handle, roast marinated meat, grilled veg-etables like aubergine and pepper.
An oven like that could be an all day activity – my pyromaniac 10-year-old would stoke it and feed it until the cows came home.
In fact, he has been deeply in-spired by the mobile food gurus who take their converted Land Rover/horse box/van to festivals like Somersault and the Rock Oyster, and whip up gourmet food when they’re out and about. They attract passing trade in a mile radius because of the delicious
smell of cooking.You’ve got to have something
cool at home too though. Pizza oven – I honestly can’t stop think-ing about them.
How fun would it be to have friends over and have them make their own pizzas – and cook them? Talk about low maintenance host-ing. I could just stand around and drink. They could make me supper.
So I’m looking online. How to make a clay oven. Make a cardboard mould, cover with chicken wire, plas-ter over. Then on goes the clay – or bricks – or ther-malite concrete. We could do that, I’m thinking.
But wait – what’s this on the in-ternet? Masonry ovens… and fi re-
places. Why stop at a pizza oven when you could have an outdoor fi replace? And counter space? And a wood store? And a space to put your gas barbeque… and what’s this, a covered cocktail bar with built-in soda siphon? Mon dieu, what they’re getting up to in Florida and California.
So now I’m looking at my hus-band. Jaaaames, you know that fund we were setting aside and said we wouldn’t touch… you do like pizza, right? And barbeques?
Story of my life...
Gillian Molesworth
Obsessing over an outdoor pizza oven
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
talking points
S
Juliette Binoche looked fabulous at 50 in this white faux-wrap blazer dress by Giorgio Armani at the opening of the Berlin Film Festival recently. This beautiful � oor-length dress by Pretty Eccentric o ers similarly elegant impact, to ensure you’re looking white hot this summer.
stealherstyle
OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN
White hot
OPTION BMonochromeBlack and white lace top dress£189 Jacques Vert Summer party favourite
How fun would it be to have
friends round - and make their
own pizzas? I could just stand
around and drink
OPTION AKimonoMaxi leaf print dress £29 Apricot Flattering
Springfield maxi dress £225 Pretty Eccentric
Gossip_June21.indd 8 17/06/2015 12:49:15
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Justbetween us!Gossip, news, trendsetters and more - you
heard all the latest juicy stu here � rst!
BRAND NEW!
Iggy Azalea has said she decided to cancel her latest tour because she “deserves a break”. The 24-year old told Australia’s Seventeen magazine: “Mentally, to be honest with you, I just feel I deserve a break. I’ve been going non-stop for the past two years, nearly every single day. I’m not in a bad place.
“I think sometimes when you say you need a mental break, people are like, ‘A mental break? Be sure you don’t have a breakdown because you’re sad’. No, not necessarily. It’s very emo-tionally draining to be on all the time and going all the time, planning all the time. It’s a lot, and it’s tough.”
Keep It Simple, FloFlorence Welch says she’s fi nally learned not to ‘overcomplicate’ things. The singer will be putting in a hugely anticipated guest appear-ance with band Florence and The Machine at Michael Eavis’s music
shindig at Worthy Farm up the road (Glastonbury fest, folks) later this week. She says: “Just when things are clear and simple, I get scared and want to put on a cape and cover everything in glitter.”
Weston-super-Mare born John Cleese has been hassling the Ho� for a part in his new spoof documen-tary, Ho� The Record, according to the Baywatch star. David says he’s become good friends with the Monty Python legend, who is apparently keen to get involved in a second series of his programme. The � rst
series has not even launched yet, but has already been signed up for another run on Freeview channel, Dave. It will see a � ctional version of David arrive in the UK determined to kick-start his career again, but beset by all manner of humiliating obstacles. He said: “It’s not reality television, thank God. It’s fun.”
HOFF THE RECORD
I NEED A MENTAL BREAK!
IGGY AZALEA:
Gossip_June21.indd 9 17/06/2015 12:50:57
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in pictures
Brrr: Colin Firth sported thermals under his shirt as he filmed on location in Teignmouth
In memory: Artist-in-residence Lou Tonkin in the World War One remembrance poppy field at Heligan Gardens
Get together: A community cream tea in Par, part of the Big Lunch, was blessed with wonderful weather
Wheely fun: There was so much to do at Quarry Farm in south Devon on Open Farm Sunday
WestinPics_Top10.indd 10 17/06/2015 11:47:39
Cornwall: Will Young has had a 17th century cottage on Bodmin Moor for many years. Although he also has a house in London, he recently described Cornwall as “my spiritual home” and said: “I couldn’t live anywhere else now”.
Exeter: Will studied Politics at Exeter University. He was in his second year there in 1999 when he had his � rst brush with fame - in a talent contest run by TV show This Morning. He got to the � nal but didn’t make it into the boy band.
Trying again: In 2001 Will entered a second TV contest, Pop Idol, which he won. He beat fellow contestant Gareth Gates in a � nal that saw 8.7 million viewers voting. “When I heard I’d won ... I felt like I’d been hit. I stepped backwards. I could not believe it,” he said a� erwards.
Strong: Will gained popularity and respect for standing up to Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell, telling him: “You’ve just projected insults and it’s been terrible to watch.”
Coming out: In 2002, Will, with the support of his partner Richy Thomas, publicly came out as gay, pre-empting a tabloid newspaper from outing him. He also stated that he had never hidden the fact and was comfortable with his sexual
orientation.
Hits: Will’s debut single “Anything Is Possible” was released two weeks a� er the Pop Idol � nale in 2002. It went on to become the fastest-selling debut single in the UK.
Family: Will has an older sister and a twin brother called Rupert. He grew up in Wokingham,
Berkshire.
Grand: His ancestor, Colonel Sir Aretas William Young, fought in the Peninsular War and was knighted in 1835 by William IV.
New album: Will’s now a successful singer-songwriter. His sixth album, 85% Proof, was released on May 25 this year. It is his fourth album to top the UK album charts.
11
Groan!
10 UK businesses with punning names:
1 Jean-Claude Van Man deliveries
2 Alan Cartridge printer ink suppliers
3 Jason Donervan kebab van
4 Back to the Fuchsia � oristry
5 Walter Wall carpets (in Exeter!)
6 Bits and PCs computer repairs)
7 Barber Black Sheep hairdresser
8 The Hound of the Basket Meals Dartmoor catering van
9 Geordie Armani Sun-derland men’s fashion shop
10 Amazing Grates � re-places
talking points
Oodles
10 unusual patron saints:
1 St Adrian of Nicomedia arms dealers
2 St Alexius nurses
3 St Ansovinus gardeners
4 St Benno � shermen
5 St Cuthbert shepherds
6 St Dismas undertakers
7 St Piran tin miners
8 St Raymond Nonnatus midwives
9 St Rebekah physicists
10 St Valentine beekeeping
DID YOU KNOW?
Will is bringing his Love
Revolution tour to the
South West this autumn, playing
at Plymouth Pavilions on
November 1 2015
This week:
Famous faces with links to the Westcountry
ONE OF US
Singer Will Young, 36, went to university in Exeter and now has a cottage on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
Will Young
The happy list
10 things to make you smile this week1 Tennis Wimbledon, straw-
berries and lots of fun
2 Pink the colour for summer toenails
3 Christian Ribeiro is stay-ing at Exeter City - top man!
4 Sunshine it’s everywhere
5 Outdoor pools lido time
6 Jurassic World it’s so good
7 Prosecco summer � zz
8 Gazpacho chilled-out soup
9 Lesley Garrett at Hall for Cornwall, Truro, July 16
10 Abbamania at the Big Sheep, Bideford, July 3
Patronising?
10 dog cross-breeds involving poodles:
1 Boxerdoodle boxer/poodle
2 Cadoodle collie/poodle
3 Cavapoo King Charles spaniel/poodle
4 Corgipoo corgi /poodle
5 Foodle toy fox terrier/poodle
6 Giant Schnoodle giant schnauzer/poodle
7 Pinny-Poo miniature pinscher/poodle
8 Poogle beagle/poodle
9 Rottle rottweiler/poodle
10 Whoodle wheaton terrier/poodle
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Briony-Mai is the new Miss Cornwall
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Interview
Watch her blossom
BRIONY-MAI REYNOLDS
[[Behind every smile there is a story, Sarah Pitt discovers, as she hears the inspiring life
history of Briony-Mai Reynolds, who has just been crowned Miss Cornwall
Wearing a glittering ballgown, with a tiara perched on her tumbling locks, Briony-Mai Reynolds looked every inch the poised beauty queen when crowned Miss Cornwall recently.
Willowy and pretty with a smile that could qualify for a toothpaste advert, the 20-year-old student from Liskeard looks in the photographs as though winning beauty pageants, like this one held at the Walkabout bar in Newquay, was something she was born to do.
Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. For up until a few years ago, Briony-Mai – who has ambitions to become a vet – never smiled in public. She was simply too afraid of what people would say.
For this bright Cornish girl, who these days loves to talk to people, was born with an under-developed jaw, which not only distorted her face shape but meant that her top teeth stuck out almost horizon-tally. It made her life a nightmare and led to her being badly bullied at school. The taunts of her peers will be with her for life, she says.
“I couldn’t put my lips over my teeth or shut my mouth, so I would put my hand over my mouth to hide my teeth,” she says. “I never had the confi dence to smile. I was also plump as a child, it was mainly puppy fat, but I was a lot taller than the others in my classes. I stood out. I went to two different secondary schools, in Liskeard and Tavistock, and I was bullied at both.
“I still get very emotional whenever I hear about people who have committed suicide because of cyberbullying,” she says. “I had it non-stop, I never felt part of the group.”
Briony-Mai’s parents Samantha and Jay were always there for her, she says, boosting her morale when she came in from school, smarting from the latest cruel comments of the bullies. “Thankfully I have always had my mum and dad’s support,” says Briony-Mai. “In their opinion I have always been beautiful.” A surgical solution was
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ment for me, being able to say that I ran 13 miles.”Entering the Miss Cornwall contest was an-
other long-held ambition for her, although her mother admits she worried that it might put too much pressure on her daughter. “I fi rst wanted to enter when I was 17 but my mum wanted me to be older,” Briony-Mai says. “When I was 18 she said, ‘Do it, but stay grounded’. I wanted to show young girls they don’t have to be something they are not, you can be who you are.
“I looked upon the contest as my school prom, a chance to dress up, because I never went to my real prom. I was too shy, so I missed that
special moment that my brother and sister both had. When we were at the Miss Cornwall fi nal, my mum turned to me and said ‘This is your prom’.”
Winning the contest was a
complete shock, she says. “It was a very emo-tional moment. I didn’t expect to be picked. When they said my name I started crying, I didn’t think they were serious. It was a proud moment for my mum and dad, too.”
The contest, she insists, is not just about being a pretty face, and more about confi dence, that elusive thing she has fi nally discovered. She is relaxed about whether she wins the Miss Eng-land fi nal, which takes place in the Midlands in August. For her, it has defi nitely been the taking part that counts.
That, and being the reigning Miss Cornwall for the year; she has thrown herself into raising money for the Miss England charity, Beauty with a Purpose, which helps disadvantaged children around the world. “I’m still in touch with all the
proposed when Briony-Mai was 10, to break her jaw, move it into the correct position and wire it shut for a year. It was a drastic operation that her father had undergone at the same age, for the same condition.
“My mum and dad were adamant that I was not going to be put through such extreme surgery,” Briony-Mai says. “My dad had been through it, so he knew what it was like.”
Instead, her teeth and jaws were wired with a heavy duty brace which was gradually tightened to bring them into shape over fi ve long years. It was fi nally removed when she was 17. “The brace was meant to come off when I was 15, but I refused to allow it because I was scared that my teeth could just go forward again,” she says.
The eventual removal of the wires holding her jaw in place was a watershed moment in Briony-Mai’s life. The metalwork was replaced by a light brace holding her top front teeth back, which was invisible to onlookers.
For the fi rst time, she was confi dent she could smile. She also started exercising and losing weight, becoming the toned beauty she is today.
“After I had my teeth fi xed, it took some months to get my confi dence, to realise that it was OK to smile, that nobody was going to laugh,” she says. “As I got more confi dent I started exercising. I now do lacrosse and cheerleading, and also body-building.
“In April, too, I ran the Plymouth Half Mara-thon. I have always wanted to do marathons and I thought that the half marathon was a good place to start. Getting a medal for it was a big achieve-
‘I couldn’t put my lips over my teeth or shut my mouth, so I would put my hand over my
mouth to hide my teeth’[ [
As a child, Briony-Mai endured bullying at school
Feature_Miss_Cornwalll.indd 14 17/06/2015 11:57:30
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Interview
Growing up...and gaining con� dence
Briony-Mai’s mum Samantha says she was “a bit hesitant” when her daughter � rst suggested entering the Miss Cornwall contest.
“I was a bit worried, especially with what she has gone through in the past, that it might knock her back,” she says. “In fact, though, the opposite has happened, and meeting the other girls who are taking part has made her realise she isn’t the only one who has a story and they have become friends.
“Seeing her winning Miss Cornwall – and being able to stand up and smile without worrying - was an amazingly emotional moment,” she adds. “I thought to myself: Briony-Mai, you so deserve this, because you are beautiful. We have always thought our daughter was beautiful, of course, but it was amazing for her to be able to believe it too.”
Miss Cornwall fi nalists. We are going to do the Race for Life in Plymouth together on August 7.”
Then Briony-Mai is off to Liverpool Univer-sity in the autumn to study Veterinary Science. Before she does, though, she’ll be going back to her old schools with her Miss Cornwall hat – or should that be tiara? - on, to tell the students her story. “I want to say to any bullies, that girl or boy you are bullying could be someone complete-ly different in ten years’ time. Instead of making them feel bad, encourage them. Make them feel better instead of worse, because you really don’t know what is going on in their head.”
After a difficult childhood, Briony-Mai is
growing in confidence
Feature_Miss_Cornwalll.indd 15 17/06/2015 11:58:00
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People
Vitaminsea
Increasingly hailed as a natural superfood, Cornish seaweed is fast becoming both a chef’s delicacy and sought-a� er health supplement.
It’s now even on sale in Tesco. Catherine Barnes meets the woman from It’s now even on sale in Tesco. Catherine Barnes meets the woman from Falmouth who is spearheading the trend
Seaweed_Feature2.indd 16 17/06/2015 12:42:36
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Seaweed has more vitamins,
minerals and proteins
than any land vegetable
It is also a natural
antibiotic
There are 1500 types of seaweed
Lab trials suggest
seaweed may inhibit cancer
cell growth
Packed with
calcium
Seaweed_Feature2.indd 17 17/06/2015 12:43:04
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Xxxxxx
n a beautiful summer day, it would seem that Caro Warwick-Evans has the perfect job, as she harvests a natural superfood from the beauti-
ful seashore in Cornwall.Caro, 33, along with Dutch-born business part-
ner Tim van Berkel 30 – “We’re business part-ners absolutely nothing more,” she stresses with an emphatic laugh – run the Cornwall Seaweed Company. Their products are causing a major stir among both foodies and health freaks alike.
“Sea greens contain more B vitamins than any other food group,” says Caro, who eats seaweed every day. “Seaweed has all the 56 trace elements our bodies need to function including magnesi-um, pospherous and zinc. All the good stuff, plus vitamins A B C D and K.”
Indeed, Caro glows with health, although she’s honest enough to admit that she’s always had
a robust constitution. Originally hailing from Southampton, she arrived in Cornwall 10 years ago to study renewable energy at Exeter Univer-sity’s Falmouth campus and, at that point in time, seaweed had yet to form part of her fi ve a day. Graduating with a First, she se-cured a job with an overseas aid organisation, focused on develop-ing renewable energy systems in the developing world.
Her work took her from Corn-wall to postings in countries in-cluding the Borneo, Peru and Philippines – a far cry from the wild and secluded stretches of coast south of the Lizard where she and Tim harvest eight kinds of edible seaweed.
“I lived in some dangerous places including downtown Manila, where you’d lock yourself in as soon as it got dark,” she says. “It’s great now
being somewhere you can walk down the street without watching your back.”
But Caro began to grow disillusioned with her work: “The development sector is incredibly corrupt, due to local partners in developing countries. I couldn’t see how I’d change any-thing – it was a cross between heart-breaking and infuriating.”
But it was a motorbike acci-dent that prompted her decision to return back to the UK, four years ago. “I got knocked off my bike from behind by a lorry which jack-knifed and pushed me over a cliff,” she says. “I was quite shaken by that experience and my body took a bashing. Amaz-ingly, there were no breaks, only
bruises.” A job offer back home was the fi nal incentive
Caro needed to pack her bags and return to Corn-
‘I heard an early-morning broadcast on
Farming Today about seaweed, and I thought:
why not?’ [[O
Caro and Tim in search of the best seaweed on the shores of The Lizard
By Catherine Barnes
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Xxxxxx
wall. But the work fell through and Caro found herself jobless and homeless. “I was living in a van with a mattress in the back. So I worked as cleaner, scrubbing boats inside and out,” she says.
“It was fi ne, it was the summer and it was a means to an end,” she says pragmatically, adding that she opted not to sofa-surf, reasoning: “It was for three and a half months and you don’t want to stay with friends that long. I’m independent!”
Then, an early morning broadcast on the Radio 4 show Farming Today gave her the idea she’d been seeking for a new and long-term di-rection in life. “It was all about sustainable sea-weed farming in Ireland,” she says. “And the idea ticked all the boxes for me. I got in touch with an Irish company and went over there. They taught me about seaweeds and what to do with them. Then I came back to England and set up the busi-ness. Tim was working as a waiter at the time and looking for something more inspirational, so we joined forces.”
Of course, it wasn’t as straightforward as
Of over a thousand varieties,
only one is poisonous
Caro Warwick-Evans gathering seaweed in Cornwall
Seaweed_Feature2.indd 19 17/06/2015 12:44:25
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People
simply waiting for a low tide and setting to with scissors and a basket, although that’s partly what they do. Licenses had to be sought from the Crown Estate, which owns the seabed, as well as various landowners. Also, stringent food health and environmental rules had to be implemented - all from scratch, as Caro’s business is the fi rst of its kind in the UK.
“There were no rules to follow, so we had to set it all up on our own,” Caro adds.
It sounds exhausting. “The fi rst two years were a total nightmare,” she admits. “We were work-ing seven-day weeks, with no employees and no money.”
Tim and Caro now supply fresh seaweed to the kitchens of top chefs including Jamie Oliver, Ray-mond Blanc and Nathan Outlaw (and have just begun stocking their Sea Spaghetti in Tesco). But much of the company’s seaweed is sold dried, which gives it an 18-month shelf life.
It was a bitterly cold and snowy November when Caro and Tim built their fi rst drying shed from reclaimed wood on a patch of land owned by a friend, which they did in between harvesting on the beach and tackling mountains of paperwork. “Now, we’re down to working only six days a week and we have eight employees.”
Harvesting takes place during spring tides, timed around full moons, when the waters pull back to their lowest. This gives the team around 15 days a month in which to harvest seaweed. The rest of the time is spent washing, drying and packing their products, as well as on offi ce jobs.
“If seaweed fl oats you don’t know where it’s grown, so we only use weed cut from rocks,” Caro explains. “We don’t tend to stumble over cu-
rious holidaymakers, as we pick well away from the towns and busy beaches. We only take half of what’s there on a patch, so it can regrow. As we are constantly on move, we don’t clear out areas.”
As far as she’s concerned, seaweed’s not a fad-food, but a dietary staple and she clearly loves the stuff. “It’s so versatile - you can steam, boil stew or fry it, or eat it raw,” she says. “You can add it dry to a salad and it will rehydrate in a dressing. Children we meet at food festivals love it and it has virtually zero calories. It contains lots of pro-teins and fi lls you up. My favourite sort is dulse, which you can eat fresh or snack on dried. I’ll snip it over salads and add it when baking bread.”
Cornish Seaweed has been a hard slog, but success (and a Tesco listing) has come at a time when the health industry is be-ginning to buzz with the benefi ts of iodine-rich seaweed. Studies suggest it could even help combat the national obesity crisis, by pre-venting our bodies storing food fats.
Until recently Caro, who has a partner and Tim, who’s single, still lived modest (to the point of Spartan) lives, in separate cara-vans. But Tim upgraded to a house in Falmouth a few months
ago while Caro moved into a cottage just outside the town. She is thrilled to have a few little luxu-ries in life.
“It’s amazing!” she laughs. “Electricity and water!” And if anyone deserves to reap the ben-efi ts of a few home comforts, this determined and independent businesswoman surely does.
Buy Cornish Seaweed Company products such as salad sprinkles and ‘spaghetti’ at www.cornish-seaweedcompany.co.uk
‘My favourite sort of seaweed is dulse, which
you can eat fresh or dried. I’ll snip it over
salads’ [[
Studies suggest seaweed � bre prevents our bodies from
absorbing fat Seaweed is
packed with iodine, vital for maintaining a
healthy thyroid
Seaweed’s iodine also has
anti-ageing properties
Seaweed_Feature2.indd 20 17/06/2015 12:46:31
21
interiors22 beauty28
fashion30 eat44
Intro.indd 21 17/06/2015 14:18:12
22
unny days and sultry nights cry out for meals to be eaten outdoors, and the setting - whether sheltering under the canopy of a tree or gazing up at the stars - can ensure every al
fresco occasion is really special.All eyes will be drawn to the table, and its deco-
ration can work marvels on the atmosphere and enhance the enjoyment of the food.
It doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive, either. All you have to do is pick a theme - either a colour or decor effect - then plunder the huge array of attractive and practical outdoor table-ware ranges around at the moment.
“This summer, we’re seeing a shift away from the playful colours and geometric patterns seen in trends from the last few seasons, and instead a growing popularity for a more grown-up, elegant feel,” says designer Nina Campbell.
“This refl ects our increasing use of the garden or patio as a year-round outdoor room, where we want to entertain in many different ways - not just for picnic-style informal gatherings, but also for sophisticated occasions.”
John Lewis confi rms the trend, reporting an 11% increase in sales of its melamine tableware
which, being virtually unbreakable and coming in cheery colours, is particularly suitable for eating outdoors.
So turn your attention to making your table look perfect, before sitting back and basking in the compliments. Here are several suggestions for different themes.
Blue and white is the perfect combination for an ocean-in-spired table top, and instantly conjures a breezy beside-the-sea atmosphere.
“Vibrant blues and turquoises fl ow into bright aqua and emer-ald greens to create a sense of se-renity for an ocean-inspired table setting,” says Emma Mann, head of home design at Sainsbury’s.
“Fish motifs and bold spot and stripe patterns bring the feel of a Greek island holiday to the home, and watery prints are reminiscent of the sun shimmering on the sea. Textured ceramics and recycled glass add depth and authenticity to this contemporary look.”
Sainsbury’s have a range of blue and white ta-bleware and accessories this summer, decorated with fi sh and deckchair-inspired stripes.
Designer Nina Campbell, meanwhile, ingen-iously transplants the intricate patterns of Chinese blue and white porcelain onto melamine plates.
Tropical colours also look good on a table set for lunch in the sunshine. Ramp up the colour with vibrant, zingy hues for tableware and bunting, and you’ll feel as though you’re in a tropical hotspot.
“Garden parties and barbe-cues usually involve plenty of guests, so it’s fun and easier to use disposable tableware which can look just as good as china-ware but avoids the worry of
breakages,” says Clare Harris, managing director of zany tableware company Talking Tables.
“Refl ecting our increasing enthusiasm for colour indoors, there’s more pattern and zingy shades featuring on al fresco tableware. The
S
Eating outdoors is one of summer’s special pleasures. Gabrielle Fagan reveals how to set a perfect table for a memorable, and beautiful, al fresco feast
Let’s eat out!
‘The range of designs and
colours available has moved
on leaps and bounds in recent
years’ [[
Try a pretty floral look with Retreat Home’s filigree flower pots, tealight holders, placemats and napkin rings from a selection £7-£16 www.retreat-home.com
Interiors_June14.indd 22 17/06/2015 13:55:44
23
Tropical Fiesta cups (£3.50 for 12 pack),
honeycomb pineapple (£8.50 for three
pineapple bunting (£8.50 for three metres) and
lanterns (£7 for three), all www.talkingtables.co.uk
Interiors
Interiors_June14.indd 23 17/06/2015 13:55:59
24
range of designs and colours available has moved on leaps and bounds in recent years, and designs range from faux porcelain to granny-style fl orals and, one of my favourites, tropical brights, to conjure thoughts of exotic climes.”
Tropical colours do not need to be confi ned to the table decoration either. If you want to opt for bunting, a staple of outdoor celebrations since the 1940s, then Talking Tables do one festooned with jolly pineapples from their Tropical Fiesta collection.
Groups of ‘honeycomb’ paper baubles or tissue paper tassel garlands in classic white, acid brights or pretty pastels can also create huge impact on a small budget.
And if you really want to embrace this look, you could spray-paint an old garden table and chairs in a vivid shade, like B&Q’s Rust-Oleum Mode lime high gloss spray paint, £12.48 for 400ml.
Of course, you might prefer something more traditional. Rolling fi elds and sweeping lawns are the perfect setting for picnics, cream teas or leisurely lunches, but even a modest plot can be
Interiors
transformed into a rural idyll with a country-style table.
For a pretty country look, set a scrubbed wooden table with bamboo bowls or pretty china, add to the charm with vintage-style print place-mats and napkins and then add the fi nal touch with vases and jugs fi lled with garden fl owers. Summertime is the season of roses, after all.
“If you want to create a natural, rustic look for your dinner table, opt for serving dishes and dinnerware made from materials like bamboo, woods and rattan,” says Nikki Stuart, assistant tabletop buyer at Habitat.
It’s not just about decorating the table itself - hang bunting, or paper garlands to create a real sense of occasion for your meal
STYLE TIP:
“Handwoven baskets, wooden platters, spun bamboo salad bowls and natural, unglazed stone-ware will create a relaxed vibe for your table.
“If you’re having a garden party, we’ve also in-troduced our new Palmer collection,” she adds. “The bowls and plates are made in India from fallen palm tree leaves. The leaves are cleaned and heat pressed into moulds, so are entirely eco-friendly. They are a disposable option that is so much nicer than plastic plates, as they are com-postable, if you just can’t face washing up!”For more details visit www.habitat.co.uk and www.talkingtables.co.uk
Fill pots with June roses and other flowers.
Filigree pot, £16.99, www.retreat-home.com
A fresh blue and white nautical look can be achieved on a budget with Sainsbury’s aqua print collection.
Interiors_June14.indd 24 17/06/2015 13:56:18
25
Interiors
LOOKMake your outdoor meal a real occasion with these pretty details
GET THE
Graham & Green’s decorative paper pineapples £7.90 each
Fleuris vintage cutlery set, £34.50 for a 24-piece set
Aqua print jug, £12, Sainsbury’sMaritime Coupe octopus plate, www.
giftwrappedandgorgeous.co.uk
Floral drinks dispenser, £17.50, Marks & Spencer
Interiors_June14.indd 25 17/06/2015 13:58:02
26
ANNE SWITHINBANK
Monkeypuzzles
Monkey
Gardens
Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, on the adventures of the plant hunters
riving past the grand entrance of Bicton College near my home in east Devon, I peered in to admire the extraordinary and majestic avenue of monkey puzzle trees. The
tops are visible for some distance and set you thinking about their natural habitat. Also known as Chile pine, Araucaria araucana acquired its strange moniker (originally monkey puzzler) because a visitor to Pencarrow House, in north Cornwall, once remarked that it would puzzle a monkey to climb its branches.
Horticulture and botany are wide subjects and as well as enjoying the proc-ess of growing and using plants, it is fascinating to delve into their his-
tory and geography. I’ve never been to Chile but in pictures you can
see monkey puzzles in pure stands or mixed with other trees on the lower slopes of snow-capped mountains. They are vulnerable, protected in the wild and in 1990 were declared a National Monu-ment. Archibald Menzies was plant collector and naval surgeon on Captain George Vancouver’s circumnavigation of the globe on Cook’s old ship
HMS Discovery. Menzies enjoyed a dinner laid on by the Governor
of Chile at which monkey puzzle seeds were
served. He must have pocketed some
and sowed them into a frame on the ship’s deck, returning
with fi ve young plants in 1795. King George III was on the throne, Kew Gardens was in its infan-cy and Jane Austen was just 20 years old. There was a rich elite set on fi lling their estates and gar-dens with newly-discovered plants. But to do so they either had to circulate in a scientifi c world, or sponsor their own plant collectors.
Populating country estates with monkey puzzle trees fell to Cornishman William Lobb who was employed by the Veitch Nursery (found-ed in 1808) as their fi rst plant hunter. In 1840, aged 31, he set sail from Falmouth bound for Rio de Janeiro. He found his way to the great Arau-caria forests where he, his guide and porters col-lected vast numbers of seeds. These were picked up from the forest fl oor and ripe cones were shot down from high up in the branches.
These seeds, allegedly 3,000 in total, were duly sent back to Veitch and Son, who sold them as seedlings. By now, there was a prosperous middle class in Britain, a ready market for exotic plants. The avenue at Bicton dates back to 1844 and is said to be the longest in Europe. There’s a lovely (but possibly untrue) story of how the trees,
planted under the direction of James Veitch, were initially set too close and the sweep-
ing branches of juvenile trees scratched coaches travelling up the main drive. The trees had to be moved further back, although of course the branches even-tually grew above coach level. It is also possible the Bicton trees were of
a different provenance to the Lobb collection and are likely to have
originated from the coastal plains of Chile.
Back at home, I decid-ed to give my lithops
(pebble plants) their
D
Gardening_June21.indd 26 17/06/2015 12:10:18
I’ve grown some small cauliflowers but something has been eating away at the tops. I’ve had them covered with mesh to keep the pigeons off
Summer cauliflowers are not the easiest to grow because they thrive better in the cooler parts of the year. In fact the earlier you can get them in the better and it is great they are hearting up now. It is too early for caterpillars to get in amongst them and you’ve had them covered anyway, so my best guess is that your problem is being caused by slugs. We’ve been harvesting cauliflowers here and occasionally I find a slug lurking amongst the florets. A thorough soaking and inspection is needed to be sure I don’t serve one of them up! At night, they creep out and feed on the surface, causing damage and brown rotting areas. The time when you really need to take precautions is at planting time, when you could use ferric phosphate slug pellets, sheep’s wool pellets or beer-filled ‘slug pub’ traps, half buried in the ground, to deter them from their munching.
27
My lilac tree has not flowered this year. It was too large, so I pruned it hard back after flowering last year and thought it would have time to recover
You chose the right time to prune but should have opted to thin the plant out rather than prune hard. If you’d taken out one third of the stems, cutting low into the plant, you’d have been left with a natural shape, two thirds still capable of flowering, and new shoots coming from within to regenerate the plant. A following third could be removed every year. Your tree will recover, though. Give it a mulch, after rain or a generous watering, and it should bloom next year.
Q
Question time with AnneWest reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank
Send your questions to Anne at [email protected]
This week’s gardening tipsAnne’s advice for your garden
Q
• We’ve reached the longest day of the year and certain veg are best sown after this date, as they will no longer run up to seed quickly. These include Florence fennel, rocket, most oriental veg such as pak choi and Chinese cabbage, radicchio, endive and Romanesco cauliflowers.
• Birds will take soft fruit and cherries before they are fully ripe,
especially during dry spells. A fruit cage is great but I cover mine individually using fleece or mesh and clothes pegs. When you’ve had enough, remove the covers and let the birds finish the end of the crop.
• Lift a root of early potatoes and if ready, begin to use them gradually. Their space can be taken by a following crop, perhaps leeks.
Bananasgrown for their exotic leaves behave like giant herbaceous perennials. The old main plant dies back but new shoots are thrown up around it. Now’s a good time to give them a slow release fertilizer (when the soil is moist) to encourage plenty of leaf.
Continueto remove the side shoots of cordon-trained tomatoes, tie stems to canes or guide them around strings. Bush varieties don’t need this training but take up more space.
second watering of the season. These South Afri-can succulents are easily grown in a pan of gritty compost on my south-facing bedroom windowsill (I’d be an interior designer’s worst nightmare). The compost surface is decorated with pebbles and stones so that the plants almost disappear, just as they would in their natural home, the semi-deserts of Namibia. Another plant, anoth-er story and I’ve now started to read up about the adventures of doughty Aberdonian Francis
Masson, Kew’s first official planthunter. We’re going back in time to 1772 when Masson sailed to Cape Town with Captain Cook, finding stapelias, bird of paradise and proteas.
He also set off at 31, so perhaps this was a magical age for plant hunters. Do I wish I’d been one? Not at all, but I’d love to have been a propa-gator at the Exeter Veitch nursery. Just imagine the challenge and excitement of raising plants nobody had ever seen before.
Gardening_June21.indd 27 17/06/2015 12:10:47
Make-up artist Davinia Fermi’s styled Kate Moss, Daniel Craig and Gisele Bundchen, working alongside photographers David Bailey and Rankin. She has her own make-up school and has now launched a range of easy-to-apply professional products, so you can master your own statement look. Prices start at £13 from www.makeupacademy.co.uk
In the know
28
Beauty
Tried& tested
We present the best beauty cheats and treats, all trialled by West magazine’s Catherine Barnes,with help from daughter Tilly, 18
IN ON THE SECRET
NEW! Burberry’s new multitasking Lip & Cheek Bloom pots (£24) come in six shades inspired
by English country gardens. Find them at uk.burberry.com.
This cute kit in a matchbox contans a shampoo bar – just don’t forget actual lighters for the barbie if this is part of your camping kit! £4.99 at www.inamatchbox.com
CLEANING KIT
It’s great to see Barbara Daley’s Trade Secrets range being reintroduced in store at Tesco, while the range is already available online at Tesco Direct. Achieve a good foundation with this biscuit base (£7.99)
B BLOOMING LOVELY
Beauty_June21.indd 28 17/06/2015 12:16:19
Paint the rainbow with
these Essence polishes – a steal
at £1.60 each from Wilko
stores
29
the review
Want a review? Send your request to [email protected]
BOX OF DELIGHTS
Subscribers to Glossybox get to build their own selection box of tricks and receive � ve items picked from a choice of over 600 global beauty brands. Subscriptions start at £10 (+p&p) for a month at www.glossybox.co.uk/beauty
Want a review? Send your request to [email protected]
usually plump for a facial whenever I visit a spa – it’s become my default option. But the menu at the Wellbe-
ing Spa at Gwel an Mor tempted me into trying something new.
And so it was that I chose an hour-long full-body Benefi cial Mineral Source treat-ment (£65), partly due to the fact the spa uses Thal’ion products. I discovered this French beauty brand a few years ago on a trip to Roscoff. It uses seaweed in its skin and beauty products and after buying and trying, I’ve become a big fan.
The Benefi cial Min-eral Source uses calcium and magnesium-rich marine mud which it’s claimed is packed with analgesic and stress-re-lieving properties, great for relieving muscle ten-sion and joint stiffness. As an enthusias-tic amateur runner, whose knees don’t always take kindly to the fact, it was just what I needed.
After having a chat about what to expect with beauty therapist Daniella, I was soon decked out in paper pants and relaxing on a therapy bed under some towels, await-ing the fi rst part of my treatment.
First off, the body is generously exfoliat-ed, so Daniella set about gently scrubbing my skin with a Thal’ion lotion that does the job with sea salt crystals. I washed it off in the small but powerful shower in a
discreet corner of the treatment room.Next up, a mud mask. The bed was
carefully layered with towels and Dan-iella liberally applied mud to me, before loosely wrapping me in cling fi lm, allow-ing the mineral rich matter to soak into my skin. As the mud did its work, I was given a lovely head massage – super relax-ing, needless to say. Warmly cocooned in
a semi-darkened room, the temptation to nod off was strong, until my wrap-pings were whisked off, followed by a brisk warm shower to sluice away my marine coating.
And that’s it! Just a fi nal rinse and a towel-down for super-soft skin with a feel-good glow that lasted all week. This girl’s good to grab her trainers and go again. The Wellbeing Spa at Gwel an Mor, Portreath is open
to non-residents. Call 01209 842354 or visit www.gwelanmor.com/spa for more details
I
Warmly cocooned in a
semi-darkened room, the
temptation to nod o was
strong [[
Gillian Adams goes for the full body works at the Gwel an Mor resort’s wellbeing spa in Portreath with a Bene� cial Mineral Source treatment
Mud magic
perfect pastels
Beauty_June21.indd 29 17/06/2015 12:17:22
30
Flower powerLet botanicals be your friend for perfect summer dress sense...
ime was when a fl owery dress could look a little, well, safe. Staid, even. But this season’s fl oral prints are anything but boring. There’s a vi-brancy and even edginess to the de-
signs, combining prettiness with a distinct sense of style, as these pictures show. The key with fl orals is not to overdo it, so pair your print dress with block colour pastels such as this little lilac shrug, or go for powder blue shoes and a corn-fl ower hat. Viola: summer sorted!
T
Margot dress, £99 , Reigate dia-mante and bead toe sandals, £39 ,
multi-strand beaded bracelet, £16 , all Monsoon
Fashion_June21.indd 30 17/06/2015 12:19:15
31
Fashion
Jessica Wright blossomprint Bardot dress,
£60, www.lipstickboutique.co.uk
Apricot floral sundress, £30, New Look
Red cardigan, £59, and blue floral sundress, £35.40 reduced from £59, both
Dickins & Jones at House of Fraser
Layla Italian blue ballet pumps with ankle straps,
£195, www.frenchsole.com
Cranham baby dress, £20 www.cathkidston.com
Sunglasses£18 www.oliverbonas.com
Kensington fit and flare cotton dress, £110, www.phase-eight.co.uk
Raspberry clutch, £59 www.dunelondon.com
Lilac shrug, £5 Primark Strapless floral skater dress, £40, www.axparis.com
Hat £20 , scarf £16 , sunglasses £18 , straw clutch £15 , all
www.oliverbonas.com
Fashion_June21.indd 31 17/06/2015 12:21:41
32
Trend
ood things come to those who drape. Themselves in delicate fabrics that is.
This season’s kimono trend is your fast track to a good day. It is feminine, fresh and looks fan-tastic with anything from jeans to a leather skirt. Kate Moss is fi rm friends with the look and, when it comes to style anyway, she can do no wrong.
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I love a blazer. But I also feel that there are situations that require you to look a little softer, a little less shoulder-pad-severe and slick. This is the kimono’s time to shine. Sushi with the girls, casual Friday at work, or even a lunch date with the beau.
The majority of the selection on the racks at the minute are abundant with fl oral charm. Birds and blooms of varying sizes swirl along the over-size sleeves, making you immediately exude the mystique and femininity of a geisha.
There’s also a selection that are edgier and a little more rock n roll, making them festival-perfect. Think black crochet with XL fringing. They’re also essential in the holiday suitcase, as they are uber-fl attering thrown on over a swimsuit and just the thing to drape over post sun-kissed goosefl esh during sundown-ers.
I have big plans for my new beauty. It is a part of Oasis’ V&A collec-tion, and celebrates everything I love about the British summer. It is unrelentingly chintzy, but never un-stylish. This outfi t is probably what you will catch me in when you see me about town in Exeter. I initially
planned to just have a simple white tank, jeans and my kimono as the combo, but there is something so whim-sical and fun about lay-ering patterns, espe-cially when they are as elegant as these. It was all I could do to stop myself buying a skirt of similar persuasion, but even I have limits.
It simply won’t do to be a walking art exhibition, nor to dis-
appear entirely when I sit on my Auntie Ida’s formal sofa. So I settled for just a smidge more of the pat-tern, in the form of this pretty clutch. These things are all about compro-mise, after all. And actually, having this nifty bag led me to discover the very best thing about kimonos, that they are so very very lightweight that I can scrunch one into my tiny clutch in the blink of an eye. I plan to impress fellow wedding guests this season by whipping it out with a huge fl ourish just as the other girls start to hunch against a cool breeze.
Pretty practical, if you ask me.All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk
There are situations that require you to
look so� er, a little less shoulder-pad
severe and slick
Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod puts her � tted blazer to one side and tries the latest in relaxed cover-ups
HOW TO WEAR IT:
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Kimono, Oasis Princesshay, £48
Top, Oasis Princesshay, £26
Jeans, Oasis Princesshay, £45
Bag, Oasis Princesshay, £30
Shoes, Next Princesshay, £50
Necklace, Next Princesshay, £12
TrendKimonos_June21.indd 32 17/06/2015 13:02:13
33
GET THE
lookDEBENHAMS
Butterfly by Matthew
Williamson £55
EAST Embroidered kimono £129
DEBENHAMS Red Herring £26
NEW LOOK tie dye kimono
£19.99
OASIS V&A Anna Maria dual
print kimono £45
EAST denim kimono £129
TrendKimonos_June21.indd 33 17/06/2015 13:02:49
34
+
£59 Very
£25 Very
£25 M&Co
£39 Apricot
£20 Accessorize
£32.50 White Stuff
The editYour straight line to summer style: pair a vibrant maxi dress with sandals and a bright bag
£12.99 New Look
+
£119.95 Moda in Pelle
+ + +
+
£29 J D Williams
Shop
Grid_Ally_June21.indd 34 17/06/2015 12:39:51
3535
Food
Method:
Natural food expert Ally Mac lives and cooks in South Devon. Ally specialises in devising good-for-you recipes that are easy to prepare at home. She also sells several of her own delicious healthy products online at www.allyskitchenstories.co.uk
Toast the walnuts for a couple of minutes and set them aside.
Slice your aubergine into think chunks. Sear these, and the asparagus, in a griddle pan lubri-cated with a little coconut oil for fi ve minutes, but not any longer, so that they retain their bite.
Allow the roasted veg to completely cool down, and in the meantime place your fresh green leaves in a salad bowl.
Arrange the griddled vegetables on top of the salad and crumble the feta cheese and pomegran-ate seeds over the top.
Squeeze the lime juice over the top and sprinkle the dried oregano.
@AKitchenStories
And as the weather warms up, produce from the garden – or local growers – is coming into season. I love experimenting with salads, trying di� erent things together. You really can’t go wrong. This recipe uses asparagus, leaves and herbs picked just minutes before in my garden. You can’t get fresher than that.
You will need: 3 handfuls of fresh green leaves, washedA bunch of asparagus spears, with the woody bases trimmed off1 tbsp coconut oilA small handful of walnuts2 tbsp pomegranate seeds from a fresh pome-granate½ block of organic feta cheese, crumbled½ aubergine1 lime1 tbsp oregano
Ally says: Salads are my favourite thing ever, the perfect food for the summer. They are easy and light for eating on a warm day when you don’t want to spend hours preparing something for lunch or dinner. I love big green leafy ones which are packed full of Popeye iron, folic acid and � bre.
ally mac’sSummer Salad
Grid_Ally_June21.indd 35 17/06/2015 12:40:31
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
LASHINGSof fun
Few children enthuse about brushing their teeth, while research has revealed that one in � ve parents are ‘unable’ to get their kids to
clean their teeth for the recommended two minutes, twice a day, blaming their own hectic lifestyles and the morning school run
rush. Healthcare experts Careway Pharmacies is urging us to � nd time to supervise two daily two-minute brush sessions, to not only prevent tooth decay, but gum disease and even later-life conditions including heart disease. They say: “Do your best with the time you
have, and it will pay o in the long run.”
BRUSHING UP
Long, luxurious eye-lashes are all the fashion these days. Skin care experts Flint + Flint (we love their cleansing range!) recommend castor oil as a great
natural eyelash conditioner. Really! Apply it to your lashes with a clean mascara wand before bed, they
say. Try Pukka Castor Oil from Holland & Barrett, £9.90
Wellbeing_June21.indd 36 17/06/2015 13:04:46
37
SPICE UP
YOUR LIFE
TreasureCombine a walk with a free treasure
hun around the National Trust’s Cote-hele near Saltash in Cornwall. You can
borrow GPS units from technology people Garmin at the house to track co-ordinates in search of hidden ‘treasure’
troves. Call 01579 351346 for details.
Tumeric, chilli and ginger don’t just add kick to recipes, they have amazing health bene� ts, too. Turmeric has anti-in� ammatory properties and contains anti-oxi-
dants, as do hot peppers which also have pain-relieving plant chemicals. Ginger’s volatile oils stimulate saliva
and gastric function – the reason why it’s been used as an anti-sickness remedy for centuries. Curry anyone?
Wimbledon fortnight is on its way, and if you’re inspired to get on court, you’re making a wise
decision. Tennis is a � tness fanatic’s dream - an hour of singles burns up to 500 calories, with the
added bonus of up to 500 bursts of energy per match (think a circuit class gone mad), endless arm and leg toning, and constant twisting and stretching for your abs. Let’s just say there’s a
reason Nadal looks like he does. Feeling a little less active? Well, Wimbledon is
coming to Plymouth on the big screen from June 29. There’ll be a picket-fenced grassy spectator area on the city’s piazza and you’re welcome to
bring a picnic.
GET ON COURT!
What’s coming up? Tweet us your wellbeing diary dates @WMNWest or email [email protected]
Wellbeing_June21.indd 37 17/06/2015 13:10:16
Wellbeing
My mother su� ered terribly with osteoporosis in later life. How can I make sure that the same thing won’t happen to
me? I’m in my mid-40s. HM, Bude
Osteoporosis expert Cathy Webber says: June is National Osteoporosis Month, marking a condition that affects around three million people, mainly women, in
the UK.Osteoporosis happens when
the meshes that form our bones become thin. This causes bones to become fragile and more susceptible to fractures. Osteoporosis does not mean that a bone will break, but it raises the risk of fracture.Having osteoporosis does not cause pain in itself, but bone breaks do. Osteoporotic bones which break heal in the same way as for people without the condition, in between six and eight weeks. However, having osteoporosis means that bones may break more frequently.Although fractures can happen anywhere in the body, the most common fractures are to the spine, hips and wrists – often as the result of a slip or trip.The skeleton is a living, constantly changing part of our bodies. In childhood, while we grow,
Qour skeletons take just two years to completely renew themselves. In adults this takes between seven and 10 years.Bones usually stop growing between the ages of 16 and 18, but bone density increases until our late 20s. After the age of 35 bones density starts to gradually decrease as part of the ageing process. Women are especially at risk because bone density decreases rapidly after menopause.At the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre we treat many patients with osteoporosis. Patients who need surgery can speak to their GP and choose to come here – all treatments are NHS and therefore free of charge. Our waiting time from being referred by a doctor to having the fi rst outpatient appointment is usually three to four weeks. The waiting time from referral to surgery is usually 10 to 11 weeks.There are lifestyle choices which can be made to help keep bones strong and mitigate the worst symptoms of osteoporosis. Diet is important (see panel) and exercise is also important to maintaining stronger bones, and while it appears counterintuitive, weight-bearing
Expert advice for osteoporosis:
Exercise is good for osteoporosis
because bone is a living tissue which becomes stronger when
‘exercised’[ [exercise is good for people with osteoporosis. This is because bone is a living tissue and only becomes stronger when it is ‘exercised’. That is why weight-bearing exercise such as jogging can help to develop and maintain bone strength in the hips and spine, and weight training can achieve the same in the wrists.
If you are new to exercise, or have been inactive for some years, check with your GP that your overall health is up to the challenge and choose something which you will enjoy and fi ts with your lifestyle.One of the most effective ways to build bone strength is through brief bouts of high impact exercise. Your heel striking the ground when jogging gives a benefi cial jolt to the skeleton, for example, or even running up and
down the staircase.If you fi t in 30 minutes of some form of physical activity fi ve times a week, not only will your bones become stronger, but you will feel better overall.
Cathy Webber is Ward and Day Surgery Manager at the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre at Derriford, Plymouth. For more information, call 01752 506070 or visit www.peninsulatreatmentcentre.nhs.uk
38
Shake those bones
Wellbeing_Stars_June21.indd 38 17/06/2015 13:12:09
39
Stars
Your starsby Cassandra Nye
LEO (July 23 - August 23)Family feelings are very strong at the moment, as is the ‘nesting instinct’.
This week could see you spring cleaning with relatives, perhaps helping out an older person. in love will feel a surge of contentment, especially when discussing holiday arrange-ments.
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23)Time spent recently with family and
friends reminds you of your priorities. Cash fl ow may not be easy but you can see a time ahead when this could change. Work to-wards that with a smile on your face and it will come all the sooner!
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23)It is a sparkling week socially, so get any travel or legal business out of
the way early on. This is a time to give friends and family what they need from you as long as it does not cause you stress.
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22)Being out and about this week brings a lot of pleasure, even more than you
anticipate. Think about how to do things without spending too much money. After all, it is your company that people want, not a big party.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21)Fully enjoy this lovely week and add into the mix as many friends and family
as you are able. Turning over a new leaf may mean, for you, making the time that you spend with others that is both longer and more communicative. There is nothing like a reassur-ing natter, is there?
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20)This has to be one of the most active and fun weeks of the year for you, Cap-
ricorn. At the moment there seems to be a lull in major problems and so don’t dwell on minor irritations. Bear in mind, midweek, that some chances do not come again.
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19)When thinking of buying something very expensive this week, take care. If
possible look around for a bargain before making a fi nal decision. Letting your heart rule your head could come at quite a price!
PISCES (February 20 - March 20)While you are enjoying the sun and friends this week, be aware of any security
problems or things that might break down in the home. Small precautions are worthwhile so please leave nothing to chance.
ARIES (March 21 - April 20)The chance to forget silly problems and concentrate on having some time off
comes this week. Say what you will, you are overdue a bit of pampering and care. Putting yourself fi rst, at the moment, is a kindness to others.
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21)With the planets on your side this week, anything that you attempt will
be backed up with strong determination. The Bull is truly ‘going for it’ and can be expect-ed to resist any criticism.
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)Another busy week could see you fi nding it hard to relax. Getting some
‘me’ time is more important than ever if this is so. Set aside a couple of hours in the evening or early morning to slow down and let your mind clear.
Sheridan Smith
This week’s sign: Happy birthday to...Those born under the Cancer sign are extremely loyal to those who appreciate and support them., They thrive in the company of close friends who can bring them out of their sensitve shell., and will always stand up for what is right.
born June 25 1981Everybody loves Sheridan – and the fabulous Ms Smith has barely been o our screens since she made a � eeting appearance as a housemaid in Wives and Daughters in 1999. The BAFTA-winning star, who celebrates her 34th birthday on Thursday, has gone from comedy roles in Two Pints of Lager and Royle Family to � lling the shoes of Cilla Black and Charmian Biggs in acclaimed biopics. Now Hol-lywood has come calling and she’s currently � lming The Hunstman with Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and Emily Blunt. Cancerian Sheridan had an on-o relationship with Gavin and Stacey co-star James Corden before they split and has kept the tabloids intrigued with her romances – her latest squeeze is Hollyoaks actor Greg Wood. Cancerians tend to take their time to truly fall in love and trust – but once they do, they aim for keeps!
CANCER (June 22 - July 22)This is an easygoing week when life plods along at a good but not hectic
pace. Take the chance to have conversa-tions with people who are normally too busy to stop. Chances are that they need the contact as much as you do. Travel should still go well although if you are going away later in the month, do double check arrangements.
Wellbeing_Stars_June21.indd 39 17/06/2015 13:12:40
Lucy DiamondLucy’s Diamond’s latest novel Summer at Shell Cottage was inspired by her own childhood holidays with her grandmother in north Devon. The Sunday Times bestselling author lives in Bath with her husband and three children.
40
My favourite...
Walk: You can’t beat a good tramp across Dartmoor. Stunning scenery, amazing views, a real sense of timelessness… and some great pubs too!
Beach: So many to choose from! As a child, we often went to Sennen Cove in Cornwall, where my parents spent their honeymoon. And Saun-ton Sands in Devon, too, which was near where one of my grannies lived. I have very happy memories of both places.
Festival: I would love to go to the Port Eliot festival – it’s in such a beautiful setting and this year’s line-up is fantastic. Music, authors, food… heaven!
Activity: As a child, walking across the causeway to St Michael’s Mount felt like the most exciting, magical thing ever. I took my children there last summer and it still felt like an adventure, especially when the tide started coming in...
My Secret Westcountry
St Michael’s Mount
MSW_June21.indd 40 17/06/2015 13:16:12
Port Eliot Festival
Food: It’s got to be a cream tea. Scones, cream and jam (raspberry for me, please), pot of tea, sunshine… that’s a recipe for joy, right there.
Tipple: I keep hearing great things about Sharpham wines. I’m in Devon later this week so am going to make a point of trying a glass (or two) for myself.
Pub: The Hope & Anchor in Hope Cove is lovely – there’s a big outdoor terrace where you can enjoy your drink in the sunshine and look out to sea. Great food and very friendly staff.
Restaurant: I was lucky enough to stay in the gorgeous St Enodoc Hotel in Rock a few years ago and had a fantastic meal at Nathan Outlaw’s restaurant there. Really delicious food – everything tasted so fresh.
Relaxation: I love to potter around the gal-leries and shops in St Ives. The Tate and Bar-bara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden are well worth a visit.
Weekend away: The St Moritz hotel near Daymer Bay is absolutely lovely. I stayed there while I wrote some of my novel The Beach Café (set nearby) and it was a real wrench to leave.
Shop: A few years ago, I bought a print called The Cleave by Brian Hoskin, in Panache Gallery, Kingsand. There were lots of other fabulous artworks in there – I would love to go again and browse through them all.
41
People
Summer at Shell Cottage, published by Pan books (£7.99) is out now.
IMAGE: MICHAEL BOWLES
Treat: A real treat for me would be to go to Agatha Christie’s holiday house, Greenway, on the River Dart. It looks stunning and I love the fact that you can get there by steam train. I really hope to visit some time this summer.
Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture in St Ives
Sennen Cove
Saunton Sands
Port Eliot FestivalThe Hope & Anchor
MSW_June21.indd 41 17/06/2015 13:20:01
42
It’s the summer solstice on June 21, so make the
most of the longest day of the year with these clever
solar-powered camping gadgets
SolarDAB 2£80, robertsradio.co.uk
A lovely portable radio, this makes a great accompaniment to a spot of-camping. Use rechargeable AA batter-ies, then, when the solar panel on top of the device absorbs sunlight, it will charge them up and power the radio (indoors you can use the mains adap-tor). In addition to playing both DAB and FM stations, it also comes with a USB slot and Aux in socket.
Sunload Solar Charger Set M5 EnerPlex Packr£171.15, amazon.co.uk
Unlike other backpacks, the Packr comes complete with a 3-watt solar panel. Made from plastic rather than glass, the panel is both flexible and lightweight enough (it weighs just 1lb) that you can wear it while out cycling or hiking. As the sun beats down, you can top up your camera or phone battery, perfect for a weekend off-grid in the great outdoors.
Solar Go Go Car£20, johnlewis.com
Keep your children amused with this toy car. Take it somewhere sunny and, with the solar panel stick-ing up in the middle, it will move backwards and forwards, using just the sun’s rays to motor along. Not sunny? Simply attach the handle generator to it and by turning it, the toy car will keep on moving. Suitable for ages 8+.
Rainbow Maker£24.95, prezzybox.com
A gift for a child or a grown-up who wants to add a touch of colour. Stick this to your tent window and the solar-powered motor will turn the Swarovski crystal giving the effect of small little rainbows dashing around your tent.
Gadgets-Parenting_June21.indd 42 17/06/2015 13:37:23
43
e’ve all heard of ‘happy campers’, but it seems families who enjoy camp-ing could be more accu-
rately described as ‘happy, educated campers’.
New research shows children who camp in the great outdoors at least once a year tend to do better at school, and are healthier and happier.
The study by Plymouth University and the Camping and Caravanning Club found more than four out of fi ve parents thought camping had a positive effect on their children’s school educa-tion. Plus, 98% felt it made their kids appreciate and connect with nature; 95% thought children were happier as a result, and 93% believed it provides useful skills for later life.
TV presenter Julia Bradbury is pres-ident of the Camping and Caravanning Club, which has just launched a new Get Kids Camping campaign. Julia says: “Taking the kids camping is such a great experience for the whole family.
“We have masses of beautiful scen-ery on our doorstep in the UK, and camping doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s a brilliant way of getting kids out in the fresh air, away from the TV and computers - developing their brains and teaching them to interact with each other and the countryside.
“If you haven’t taken your family camping, give it a go - it’s an adventure that won’t disappoint you.”
Sue Waite, the associate professor at Plymouth Institute of Education who led the study, says: “Interestingly, the parents surveyed believed camping supported the key curriculum subjects
of Geography, History and Science and actually, that stacks up. The most common camping activities they tried were natural, like rock pooling and nature walks. Children are getting to understand ecosystems and identify lifeforms, respecting nature.”
Children weer also surveyed for the research. Making and meeting new friends, having fun, playing outside and learning various camping skills were all popular answers. The children also recognised camping’s value for problem-solving and working together, and for helping improve their under-standing of subjects like Geography and Science.
Rob Ganley of the Camping and Car-avanning Club, points out that as well as campers making plenty of trips to the seaside, historical sites and going on nature walks, campsites are safe places for children to play freely.
“Camping will prise kids away from smartphones and tablets and get them exploring the outdoors. There’s no better place for climbing a tree or making a den than a campsite.
“They can leave the tent, run around the site and make friends with kids from other families staying there. It harks back to the days of a safer world, in some ways. It’s a really safe and healthy environment for kids to make friends and develop new skills.”
And for parents worried about camp-ing, Ganley reassures: “Modern camp-ing equipment is streets ahead of what it used to be - you can get tents that are up within minutes, and there’s always glamping, where the tents are already up when you arrive.”
W
Camping has many bene� ts for children, says the Camping and Caravanning Club. Lisa Salmon investigates its new Get Kids Camping campaign
Cuckoo Down Farm near Sidmouth in east Devon is of-fering a special 15% discount to West magazine readers
for all 2015 stays at its glamping site (le� ) set in pretty farmland with ponies, goats and chickens. The farm has a 5-star TripAdvisor rating and Certi� cate of Ex-cellence and a family weekend for up to six people costs from £235 (before discount). Visit the website
www.cuckoodownfarm.co.uk to book, quoting WEST-OFFER when emailing [email protected]
Get 15% o� your glamping holiday!
Cool camping
Gadgets-Parenting_June21.indd 43 17/06/2015 13:38:10
Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who o� en appears on the River Cottage TV series
love June, she is rich with the fulfi lment of promises. All spring we have been gathering momentum towards this point and this is where it all starts to happen. Sure, we have
had a few seasonal treats along the way, wild garlic and nettles in the early spring from the wild, asparagus and a few broad beans from the garden and the salad bowl has been overfl owing for some time. But June is when it all starts kicking off, more and more tasty stuff all the way to September before we start turning the volume down again for winter.
Nothing for me says June quite like a properly ripe and sun-warm strawberry bursting with juice, sweetness and fragrance in equal amounts. Local is best by far - the most amazing strawberries I have ever eaten were from Fivepenny Farm over the border from me in Dorset. But there are plenty of small growers and larger operations around Devon and Cornwall with some great Pick Your Own places. My local is the Royal Oak farm shop, near Stockland here in east Devon. Picking your own is fun, and a
little cheeky testing as you go around is all part of that fun. It’s also a great way of getting the fruit you want for whatever purpose you have in mind.
Seasonality is key. The English strawberry season now runs year round with heated poly tunnels and greenhouses coming into play but frankly this is just wrong to me. Any move away from a true season diminishes the produce not only in terms of speciality but also quality.
OK, down to business, how do we best enjoy the strawberries? Well fi rst and foremost a bowl of warm fresh strawberries is best enjoyed with a not too cold bottle of local white wine. I think the Bacchus from Polgoon Vineyard in Cornwall is among the best of the British whites. But Old Wall and Sharpham Vineyards are both excellent choices.
If you fancy bubbles though do your best to get hold of some from the tiny Otter Farm vineyard. Good luck. Camel Valley also offer some amazing bubbly as do many other fantastic Westcountry wineries.
Ingredient of the Week
Strawberries with Tim Maddams
44
I
Berry nice I love strawberries almost every-where on the menu. They work very well indeed with air-dried ham, and a quick pickled straw-berry can be pressed into good service with a nice blue cheese. Simply dress the berries in a little cider vinegar and leave to stand, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. And strawberries in a salad is old hat these days.
Dessert though is the obvious choice (besides jam) and I think strawberries are best pepped up a little with the addition of some honey and a little grated lemon zest. Where you take it from there is up to you, black pepper works well, but scented geranium, mint or better still water mint will add fl avour beyond your wild-est dreams. Serve with frozen churned yoghurt for preference. Cream and ice cream tend to be a little to much of a good thing in my opinion and can easily over-power the subtle aromas of this wonderful, truly seasonal, fruit of the gods.
@TimGreenSauce
TIMBEER_JUNE21.indd 44 17/06/2015 13:42:46
Drink
Sharp’s Brewery is donating 5p from every pint sold of its 2015 special edition beers to the Blue Flag scheme, which encourages sustainable development of beaches across the world. The current special is Rockpool, to be followed by Rising Tide, O� shore and Point Break.
Beer sales upBeer sales rose 1.5% over the previous 12 months in the rst quarter of this year, according to the British Beer and Pubs Association. The industry employs 900,000 people and contributes £22bn to the economy, according to the BBPA. The improvement is helped by the three duty cuts from the Chancellor over the past three years. Good news.
BEACH FUND-RAISER
45
Beer of the week
I struck gold when I tried Dynamite Valley Brewing Co’s
TNT IPA (4.8% ABV) at The ’Front beer festival. It’s got
excellent malt which gives good body, but American hops o� er clean, citrus, robust pine bitterness. Very easy to drink
despite being at the top end of sessionable, but ideal for
the early summer Falmouth sunshine.
Darren Norburytalks beer
hen I started my website, back in 2004, I was not what you would call technically competent. I created pages in a way which Heath
Robinson might have considered a bit ‘round the houses’, taking hours to cobble together pieces of HTML that a young hipster programmer would do with one hand while sipping a mochaccino with the other. Anyone looking at that early site would have probably clicked away very soon – luckily, I got better, and more people clicked and now I’m a happily blogger with a healthy audience.
Such can also be the route to brewing success. I will readily admit that when I tasted the fi rst brews from Black Rock Brewery, down in Falmouth, I wasn’t too keen. However, sitting a day ago with my mate Steve Willmott, CAMRA membership secretary and newsletter editor, in the sun that was streaming into Five Degrees West, in Falmouth, I breathed a sigh of enjoyment as I downed a Black Rock Deep (5% ABV).
It’s a malt-driven golden best bitter, caramel dominating the backbone of the brew, with tropical fruit notes on the aroma, turning to apricot on the palate. Hats off to Black Rock’s Jack Williams. The Deep was a great start to what turned into a six-pub Falmouth pub crawl, culminating in a beverage or two at the ’Front, where licensee Matt Reay was marking the
Wvenue’s tenth anniversary with a beer festival, and also celebrating the addition of four new cider pumps, courtesy of Skinner’s Brewery’s Cornwall Cider Company arm.
From out of our region, but always worth looking out for, are beers from Siren Craft Brewery in Berkshire. In Beerwolf, the Falmouth bar/bookshop, they had their Half Mast QIPA. Wow: big piney hop aroma, and deep hop notes on the palate, too, that bitter out on a long fi nish. The real stand-out feature is that’s it’s just 2.8% ABV. Utterly remarkable. QIPA equals Quarter IPA, by the way.
Also in Beerwolf, I saw Black Flag Brewery’s Fang, a West Coast pale (4.5%) hopped with American Centennial and Citra. Having eulogised over Black Flag Chameleon Mosaic on this page a couple of weeks ago, I was a bit disappointed, primarily, I suspect, because it was on keg. Hints of citrus fruit came through, but there was next to no aroma and I wonder if it was chilled to the point of fl avour impairment. I bet a cask equivalent would have had more about it. Must update my website accordingly. One more advantage of modern internet: I do some of my fi nest work in the pub!Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday
TIMBEER_JUNE21.indd 45 17/06/2015 13:44:13
46
man and boy
a sausage isa sausage... [[
my life
hen does a chipolata become an Accrington chipolata? An unusual question, I admit, but one which was raised during my recent trip to the North. I have just spent a
child-free weekend with a gang of mates from way back, in Lancashire. Half a dozen of us gathered in the beautiful countryside around the Forest of Bowland, close to the border with Yorkshire.
People in Devon and Cornwall are all too familiar with cross-border dis-putes – the way to crimp pasties and assemble cream teas to mention just two small examples. But the rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire beats anything else in England, I would argue. And with the ever-growing trend for locally-sourced food, the tra-ditional battles over cricket have now taken on a culinary aspect. Disputed versions of Lanca-shire and Yorkshire puddings are well known. But now it seems we can add the humble cock-tail sausage.
We found ourselves in this disputed area on account of my mate, Tony. He’s a Lancastrian who now lives in Japan with his family, where he owns an English language school. We sat down on the Friday night for a few beers and a feed at a gastro pub. Fine stuff it was too, meaty and farm reared. I had a ‘Lancashire steak and kidney pudding’ with mushy peas and gravy while other lads enjoyed local steaks. But the highlight of the sharing boards we had as start-ers was universally agreed to be the chipolata, apparently from the small nearby town of Ac-crington, also known by many for its wonder-fully-titled football team, Accrington Stanley. So total bill was 150 quid for five with beers. Everyone was happy.
The next day we head off to Lower Gill, near Tosside to stay at our holiday cottages, owned by Tony’s family since the time of the Civil War. But we were now creeping close to the county of Geoffrey Boycott and Fred Truman.
God’s country, they would call it, and it is a spec-tacular place. We boys donned hiking boots and set off for local beauty spot Mallam Cove.
This, though, is definitely now the Yorkshire Dales, though we have only driven half an hour along country roads with no checkpoint or cus-toms officer in sight. After a tough four hour walk over around ten miles of rolling hills, waterfalls and craggy outcrops, ruled only by peregrine
falcons, this tired bunch of travellers is in need of sustenance. So we retire to a pub chock full of craft beers and people eating great look-ing food in big portions. You
would expect no less in Yorkshire. As we sit down with our pints
and peruse the menu, it becomes clear the fare is strikingly sim-ilar to that on offer the night before. In fact, both pubs are run by the same brewery. On closer inspection, it ap-pears the dishes are identi-cal.
Almost. The only differ-ence is the provenance. The unpretentious chipolata has been shorn of its Accring-ton prefix and sits as simply a lonely sausage. My steak and kidney has been ex-ported across the county line turned into a ‘Settle pudding’. Both are ordered, tested and duly declared to be identi-cal. They are still very good and, interestingly for those familiar with the alleged tendency for Yorkshire-men to be careful with their brass, are a couple of quid cheaper.
Back at the holiday let among the free roam-
ing chickens and sheep, we ask Tony’s Uncle Jeff about this strange custom. The answer is simple. In Settle, they wouldn’t eat a chipolata if it were from Accrington, he tells us.
I imagine these food wars will go unnoticed by most visitors to this place, which is superb on both sides of the border. Perhaps there is a lot of this going on. I will be keeping an eye out in the Westcountry for any examples.
W
Phil Goodwin, father of James, five, wonders what’s in a name
The highlight of the meal was universally agreed to be the
Accrington chipolata[ [
ManandBoy_June21.indd 46 17/06/2015 13:45:33
North Bovey, Devon, TQ13 8RET: 01647 445000E: [email protected]
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Try out Smith’s Brasserie and receive either acomplimentary glass of house wine, or buy a starter
and a main and receive a free dessert.Quote ‘West Magazine Smith’s’ when booking T&C’s apply.
Subject to availability. Offer valid until 31.08.15
introduces two new restaurants for the South West…
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Great Western Restaurant is relaxed and comfortable, yet upscale and classy. We call it
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Book to dine in our Great Western Restaurant and receive a glass of
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