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| Plus, the perfect winter warmer recipe, Olivette Otele's new book and the latest city news |
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News, views, city updates and more... to keep you going
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REMEMBRANCE DAY | ARMISTICE DAY
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Today is a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.
In the latest issue of our sister publication – The Bristol Magazine – Andrew Swift remembers the brave men from the Indian subcontinent who fought for Britain in the First World War.
Read our six minute feature here
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BATH QUAYS | A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR BATH
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The first new crossing point over the River Avon in Bath for a century is now successfully in place at Bath Quays. Last weekend, two spans of the 60-metre long, 140-tonne Bath Quays Bridge were lifted into place using a 600-tonne crawler crane.
The bridge spans arrived in the UK in May in four pieces after having been fabricated in Belgium and were then assembled into two spans on site, ready for the lift to take place ahead of the bridge’s completion in 2021.
The whole operation was completed to programme and the construction team will now begin the process of dismantling the crane and carrying out the finishing works to the bridge. These include the installation of the wooden deck, and the parapets, handrails and weights that will dampen the motion of the bridge when it opens to the public.
Bath Quays Bridge will be a route for pedestrians and cyclists and will provide greater connectivity in the city. It is an integral part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s flagship Bath Quays regeneration project.
In our latest issue, we put together an overview of the entire project to bring everyone up to speed with what's going on.
Enjoy our five minute read
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ANNOUNCEMENT – OUR DECEMBER ISSUE
Abiding by the spirit of the current lockdown period and wishing to respect Government guidelines we are rescheduling the publication of our December magazine - originally intended for 24 November.
Our aim is to now publish on the first week of December shortly after the lifting of restrictions when we will be able to sensibly commence our full residential delivery.
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NOVEMBER ISSUE | GREAT WRITING, GREAT READING
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| Our current issue can still be picked up |
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As always, there's a lot of great reading by our team of wonderful writers and contributors as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. We hope you'll enjoy the read. Every month 15,000 copies are delivered door to door and, until mid-month, copies can be picked up at many places around town and from our stands at the main supermarkets: Waitrose, Sainsbury's (Green Park Station), M&S Foods (Twerton) and Tesco Weston village. During lockdown our stands will be topped up regularly, but we expect to run out fairly soon.
Alternatively visit our website to read online.
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MIDWEEK RECIPE | THE PERFECT WINTER WARMER
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| Roast red pepper and tomato soup |
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Speedy, tasty, nourishing, deeply satisfying and colourful: what more do you want from a midweek winter soup?
Whole-roasting the garlic cloves alongside the peppers and onions creates a ready-made garlic puree that brings a sweet/smoky hum to the party with none of the bitterness usually associated with garlic, while the optional chilli flakes add a lively kick, depending on how much you choose to use.
Fancy adding a flourish at the finish? This soup both tastes and looks lovely topped with a drizzle of soured cream or crème fraiche.
Ingredients
4 big red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 big red/brown onion, roughly chopped
4 sticks of celery, chopped
4-6 cloves of unpeeled garlic
500g fresh plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
400ml vegetable stock
2–3 tbsp tomato puree/sundried tomato paste (or a mixture of the two)
Dried chilli flakes (optional)
Olive oil for roasting; butter and vegetable oil for frying
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200ºc/gas mark 4
- Put the peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, season well and roast for around 30–40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and starting to gently caramelise at the edges.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter and vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the chopped celery and sauté for 4–5 mins, adding the tomato puree or sundried tomato paste for the last couple of minutes, along with the chilli flakes, if using. Put the pan to one side until the oven vegetables are fully roasted.
- When the vegetables have roasted, allow to cool enough to remove the garlic from the medley and squeeze the soft, squishy paste from inside the clove into the celery/tomato puree mixture. Mix well before adding the roasted peppers, tomatoes, onions and stock.
- Blend with a stick blender until the soup is smooth, season to taste and bring to a gentle simmer until ready to serve (do not, however, allow the soup to boil; doing so can turn the peppers and garlic bitter.)
- Serve with crusty bread.
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LUXURY TAKE AWAY | LUCKNAM'S HOME DINING
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| Stylish take-outs from Bath's 5-star hotel |
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You can now indulge in a number of takeaway treats from Lucknam Park to make your weekend at home wonderful.
The top-class catering team at the hotel are offering three great takeaway services: an afternoon tea which features a selection of delectable treats and classic sandwiches; a Saturday night winter-warmer takeaway; and an elegant traditional British Sunday roast. All orders must be placed by 12 noon on Friday for collection at the weekend. Reheating instructions are included.
For details visit the Lucknam Park website
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OBJECT OF INTEREST | A TIMELESS DESIGN
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Longines Conquest Classic Steel
Since its creation in 1832, Longines has created beautiful Swiss timepieces with precision, performance and grace. The first chronographs Longines produced were in 1878, and just over 140 years later this famous watchmaker has recently launched the Conquest Classic line. Ever faithful to the long tradition of elegance and performance, this iconic watch features a bold blue 30mm dial with contrasting gold tone batons and a date display at 3 o'clock. The bezel and bracelet are polished stainless steel and the case back engraved with the maker's stamp. Quartz movement and water resistant to 50 metres. £730.
See this and more from the Longines range at Mallory:
mallory-jewellers.com
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MIDWEEK WINES | GETTING IN TO THE FESTIVE SPIRIT
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Too early to celebrate? Maybe… but Christmas is coming and there has been a lot of positive news to lift our spirits and hopes. So we thought what better time to ask those lovely people at Great Wine company for their best-sellers when it comes to Champers. Instead of three, they gave us four, and they are absolute beauties.
Champagne Brut Tradition – Gobillard
A gentle and elegant style with soft acidity and notes of ripe apple. Well balanced and harmonious through to the long finish. £29.50; 12.5%.
Champagne Brut – Baron de Marck
A pure, soft champagne with stylish character. Its fruit is fresh and appealing, bursting with apples and lemons. An uplifting note of freshly baked brioche adds complexity and class to an elegantly balanced palate. Chardonnay grape £22; 12.5%.
Champagne Brut Réserve – Taittinger
This sophisticated Champagne has peach and acacia notes on the nose, a citrus-fresh yet delicately honeyed palate, and a beautiful, elegant finish. Taittinger is one of the last great Champagne Houses to remain independent, and is family-owned and managed. £39.50; 12.5%.
Champagne 'R' de Ruinart - Ruinart
Visually, its radiance is crystalline with a shimmering yellow colour and golden hues. The nose is delicate and fruity displaying dominant aromas of fresh white pear and dry fruits such as hazelnuts and almonds, followed by white flower notes, Viennese pastry and buttered brioche. £55; 12%.
All wines are available for collection or delivery and there’s extra discounts for a multi-buy of 12+ bottles or more; greatwine.co.uk
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ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, BAKE | FOUR BREAD RECIPES
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| Cute with curries: Roti |
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Combine 225g self-raising flour with 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and around 140ml water to make a soft dough. Knead gently until smooth; leave to rest for 30 minutes. On a floured work surface, divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll each one out to a circle around 2mm thick. Brush the bottom half of one roti with vegetable oil, fold both sides together and roll again, to a circle. Repeat with the remaining five rotis before frying each one in a little oil in a hot frying pan until puffy and golden brown on each side. Serve immediately.
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| Super with soup: Cornbread |
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Preheat the oven to 200°c/Gas Mark 6. In a large bowl, combine 175g plain flour, 175g cornmeal, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp baking powder and 2 tsp caster sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk 200ml buttermilk (or plain yogurt), 3 eggs, 50ml melted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil together. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine before baking in a greased 20cm cake tin/900g loaf tin and bake for 25–30 mins until golden and a skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
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| Carb free: Cloud Bread |
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Preheat the oven to 180°c/gas mark 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl, beat 3 egg whites with ¼ tsp Cream of Tartar until stiff peaks are formed. In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg yolks with 50g soft cream cheese until completely smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and spoon 4 large dollops of the batter onto each baking tray, leaving plenty of space between each one. Bake for 15–20 minutes until puffy and golden. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
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| Party Pancakes: Blinis |
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In a large bowl, blend 100g seasoned plain flour with 1 egg yolk and 150ml semi-skimmed or full fat milk. Whisk until smooth before adding 25ml melted butter (and a smattering of snipped chives, if you have them to hand). Whisk 1 egg white until stiff and fold into the batter. Lightly grease a frying pan, heat to medium hot and sizzle spoonfuls of blini mix for 2–3 minutes on each side, flipping them over when the top is bubbling. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving topped with cream cheese and slivers of smoked salmon.
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | POWER AND RESILIENCE
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African Europeans by Olivette Otele
As early as the third century, St Maurice – an Egyptian – became leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion. Ever since, there have been richly varied encounters between those defined as ‘Africans’ and those called ‘Europeans’. Yet Africans and African Europeans are still widely believed to be only a recent presence in Europe. Olivette Otele – Professor of the History of Slavery at Bristol University – traces a long African European heritage through the lives of individuals both ordinary and extraordinary. She uncovers a forgotten past, from Emperor Septimius Severus to enslaved Africans living in Europe during the Renaissance, and all the way to present-day migrants moving to Europe’s cities. By exploring a history that has been long overlooked, she sheds light on questions very much alive today – on racism, identity, citizenship, power and resilience. African Europeans is a landmark account of a crucial thread in Europe’s complex history.
£20, C Hurst & Co.
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| Topping & Company moves to York Street |
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In 2021 independent booksellers Topping & Company will move from the bookshop on the Paragon to the beautiful and impressive Georgian building on York street, formerly known as the Friends Meeting House.
Operating as a bookshop will be the latest chapter in the building's rich, historic legacy: initially designed as a Masonic Hall in 1817 by William Wilkins, architect of The National Gallery, it was used as an assembly room and non-conformist chapel during the 1830s and has since been in the hands of the Religious Society of Friends.
The move will mark the biggest independent bookshop opening in England for many decades, and will bring a vital injection of energy and purpose to York Street. The superb location – opposite the Bath Abbey – places Topping & Company booksellers right in the centre of Bath.
The bookshop will have a mezzanine and multiple floors lined with handcrafted bookcases and Topping & Company Bookseller’s signature rolling library ladders, allowing a stock of over 75,000 titles and offering the best selection of fiction, children’s books, cookery writing, history and much more.
toppingbooks.co.uk
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ON THE BOX | ACADEMY AWARD WINNER
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Writer-director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), brings his signature style of humour and pathos to his latest film, Jojo Rabbit, a World War II satire.
The Oscar-winning film follows German boy Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) who must confront his blind nationalism, aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi).
Watch Jojo Rabbit on Sky Cinema with NOW TV from 13 November.
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BIG AUDIO | THE RUARK R3 IS DYNAMITE
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| The Ruark R3 compact music system |
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Everyone deserves good design in their lives and the elegant R3 system from Ruark will certainly not disappoint. The R3 is a world-class audio system with superb, enhanced stereo sound. It features AptX Bluetooth and includes comprehensive Wi-Fi streaming that will support Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer and Amazon Music.
Radio is still one of the best ways to enjoy music and talk shows and the R3 has been designed to make smart radio even more enjoyable. DAB/DAB+ and FM tuners provide quick access to local and national broadcasts but with an Internet tuner also included, R3 allows you access to stations and podcasts world-wide, including many listen-again services. Whatever your audio tastes the R3 will quickly find stations new and old and if you live abroad you can stay in touch by still enjoying your favourite shows from home.
Incorporating a Multi Format CD player, DAB/DAB+, FM and Internet Radio, this remarkable all-in-one system will fulfil the needs of even the most discerning listener and give pleasure for years to come.
Order and Collect from Paul Green HiFi
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INTERIORS | THEY CALL IT MELLOW YELLOW
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| "Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun." – Pablo Picasso |
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Does your home feel stuck in a neutral zone? Then why not shake it up and make a statement in your bathroom with these Paintbox Canary Gloss ceramic tiles, from £36/m2, from Mandarin Stone?
During the current lockdown period, the Bath showroom in Broad Street is open by appointment only. To make an appointment or get in touch please call: 01225 460033
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PROPERTY UPDATE | NEW TO THE MARKET
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| A new development by Hawkfield Homes |
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40 Bloomfield Park is a rare development of contemporary, elegant and understated homes. Located in popular Bear Flat, voted one of The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live in the UK 2020, this is one of Bath’s most highly sought-after areas, with dramatic views over the city and across to Lansdown racecourse beyond.
Built from honey-coloured Bath stone, the exterior of this bespoke development looks traditionally and distinctively Bathonian. Inside, its unique characteristics tell a different story: clean, fresh and contemporary, with modern sash windows, engineered oak flooring and underfloor heating throughout. The high-level specifications have been carefully considered, to include hand-crafted kitchens, Bosch appliances and Lusso Stone bathrooms throughout.
Hidden behind a mature tree line, each individually designed home benefits from two private undercover parking spaces, a lift to the upper floors and private secure basement storage. The communal gardens have been designed by an award-winning landscape designer with the ground-level apartment and townhouse both benefitting from private paved terraces.
40 Bloomfield Park combines the old and new, the traditional and modern, to create a unique home in a delightful setting.
Register your interest with Hawkfield Homes, email sales@hawkfieldhomes.co.uk or call on 0330 123 9391
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| Popular on our website this week: |
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