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Plus, the Squirrel Sisters' tasty plant-based bars launch in Sainsbury's |
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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours (or more) in Bath
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BATH SCHOOLGIRL | CREATES FAMOUS CHARACTERS
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Bath schoolgirl sets dressing-up challenge |
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Bath resident Pearl Parkin, age 8, has set herself the challenge of dressing up as a different famous character for each day of lockdown to raise funds for the charity Save the Children.
Her creative embodiments include Billie Eilish, David Bowie, Frida Kahlo, Lady Gaga and even Jackie Weaver of Handforth Parish Council fame. Each outfit has been crafted from materials found around Pearl’s home with the help of her 10 year-old brother Elliot. Their impressive and uncanny creations are shared daily via a dedicated Instagram page.
Pearl, who’s been home-learning with her family while her school is closed, started the challenge to keep herself entertained during the Covid-19 lockdown and has vowed to continue each day until she returns to the classroom on 8 March. She has raised over £600 for the charity since she started two weeks ago, but with schools in England due to re-open on 8 March, she has set herself the target of raising a total of £1,000 in time for her return.
Pearl says: “I want to raise money for children around the world who might need help right now because of Covid, or other reasons. I find it really upsetting that some children, like refugees, don’t have the same as me.
“I decided to dress up each day because I love making costumes with my family. My favourite outfit so far has probably been Lady Gaga from her telephone video. Next, I’d like to try dressing up as Ariane Grande, Princess Leia or maybe someone from Little Mix.
“My advice to adults struggling to make an effort with their clothes during lockdown is to just give dressing up a try because it does make you feel really happy.”
Elliot says: “The Lady Gaga headpiece is completely made out of paper, except some tin foil used for the telephone dial. The stick that Rey Skywalker uses is actually an old piñata stick with some old fabric glued on. The Björk costume we made out of paper.”
All the money raised for Save the Children will support vulnerable children in the UK and around the world.
If you would like to read more about Pearl’s challenge and support her visit justgiving.com/fundraising
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WEEKEND WINE | DISCOVER SOME HIGHS
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Some of the world’s finest wines come from vineyards in high-altitude regions. Elevation brings about cooler conditions and therefore great freshness in the wines. Furthermore, the grapes develop vibrant, concentrated and complex flavours due to the intensity and quality of the sunlight. Explore the diversity of styles that the world’s ‘sky islands’ have to offer.
Douro Superior White - Quinta Do Crasto Portugal How do you make a white Burgundy lookalike out of obscure Portuguese grapes in the place most famous for Port wine? We have absolutely no idea, but through some strange alchemy, Crasto have done exactly this. This is a seriously sumptuous bottle, and we highly recommend it. £13.95
Frankland River Grenache - Swinney Vineyards Australia Lifted aromas of rhubarb, summer pudding and subtle Chinese five spice with a hint of musk sticks. The palate is tightly wound with expressive ripe fruits of maraschino cherry, blood plums and anise with a cool wet slate minerality running through the spine. Long, textural, juicy and fresh with incredible depth. £23.50
Are You Game? Chardonnay - Fowles Wine Australia This wine has a youthful straw colour. Aromas of peach and papaya play with subtle oak and yeasty notes. Full bodied and fruity, the palate has a delightful creaminess as a result of ten months on yeast lees. £12.25
Tripelpunkt Riesling - Chaffey Bros. Wine Co. Australia A lively, pure Riesling with slatey, gunmetal-like characteristics combined with flavours of lemon sorbet and an assortment of floral notes. Exotic aromas of jasmine, honeysuckle and mandarin float alluringly from the glass and lead to a texture-laden yet delicate palate evoking new season pink lady apples, mandarin with a finely textured finish of mineral bath salts with a subtle edge of refreshing quinine. £12.95
Mountain Red - Thelema Mountain Vineyards South Africa Spicy aromas of black pepper and mulberry mingle with the plum flavours in this soft and approachable wine. £10.25
Explore these and many more at The Great Wine Co
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OBJECTS OF DESIRE | IT'S HIP TO BE SQUARE
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TAG Heuer Monaco Steel 37mm Automatic |
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The world’s first automatic chronograph became a watch legend after Steve McQueen sported it in the classic 1970 race-track movie, Le Mans. Perfect for everyday wear, it's an elegant and classic style that looks great whatever the occasion.
The iconic 37mm square case is crafted from polished stainless steel, and has a smart black lacquered dial with baton indexes. The hour and minute hands are inlaid with white superluminova® for high visibility in the dark. The date window is set at the 3 o'clock mark, and TAG Heuer branding at 12 o'clock. A white minute counter surrounds the outer rim and a black opalin sub-dial seconds indicator. The black opalin sub-dial counts the seconds with a single red hand for precise timings.
With a quartz automatic movement, this is one of the most reliable and accurate made in Switzerland, and is splash-proof water resistant to 100m. Has a comfortable black leather strap. £1,795
Visit Mallory Jewellers for more information.
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ST DAVID'S DAY CELEBRATION | A TART TO REMEMBER
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Recipe by Melissa Blease |
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St David's Day feast: Leek and Caerphilly Tart |
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March 1 is St David's Day: a feast-day celebration in honour of the Patron Saint of Wales, who died on this date in 589AD. The humble leek, meanwhile, was first cited as a symbol of Wales in William Shakespeare's Henry V, and the Tudor dynasty decreed that leeks were to be worn by all their guards on St David's Day in honour of the Welsh saint – a tradition that continues to this day. Caerphilly cheese, meanwhile, is probably Wales' most famous cheese... for very good reason: salty, crumbly and buttery, it's the cheese gift that keeps on giving. So, what better way to honour St David than with this wonderful tart that showcases two of Wales' most iconic foods working together in perfect harmony?
A word on shortcrust pastry
If you have a food processor, home-made shortcrust pastry is quick, easy and foolproof to make. To make the right quantity of pastry for this recipe, whizz 450g plain flour with 225g of cold, cubed, salted butter together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the blender running, slow add around 2–3 tbsp cold water until the pastry comes together in a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Ingredients
500g pack all-butter shortcrust pastry (or see note above)
For the tart filling 50g butter 2 large, trimmed, sliced leeks (you need about 500g prepared leeks in total) 3 large eggs 75ml single cream 75ml semi-skimmed milk 1 tsp Dijon mustard 75g Caerphilly cheese, crumbled
For the tart topping 50g Caerphilly cheese, crumbled 85g fresh white breadcrumb 50g hazelnut or pine nuts, roughly chopped 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6.
2. Roll out the pastry to around 5mm thick and use to line a lightly greased 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Prick the base with a fork, line the case with greaseproof paper and baking beans or dry rice and and bake blind for 12 mins. Remove the beans/rice and greaseproof paper and return the case to the oven for a further 5 mins or until pale golden. Reduce the oven heat to 180ºC/gas mark 4.
3. Melt the butter in a large pan and sauté the leeks on a low heat for 20 mins or until soft but not browned.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, milk, mustard and Caerphilly cheese and a little bit of salt and pepper (Caerphilly cheese is quite salty, so don't overdo the seasoning).
5. Cover the base of the pastry case with the leeks, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 25 mins.
6. Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the tart topping together in a large bowl. When the tart has finished its first 25 minutes in the oven, remove it and sprinkle with the topping. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 mins until golden brown.
This tart can be served warm or at room temperature. If serving warm, allow to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes before slicing to allow the filling to 'settle.'
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READING | TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
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Reading Friends
A new initiative designed to help overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness by bringing people together to celebrate a love of reading has launched in Bath & North East Somerset.
Reading Friends is an opportunity to meet new people virtually or by phone to talk about books, magazines or any reading material and aims to support wellbeing and mental health during the Covid pandemic.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s library service is looking for both befrienders and participants to socialise remotely, meet like-minded others and have fun talking about reading.
The library service will match befrienders and participants together in an initial meeting online or by phone to get them started, encouraging them to make their meeting a regular event.
Enthusiastic volunteers are needed to become one-to-one befrienders, who would be put in touch with a participant by the library service to start a conversation about reading. People can volunteer as much or as little time as they can, with no experience required – just a love of conversation.
The Reading Friends scheme is part of the Read, Talk, Share campaign launched this month by national charity the Reading Agency.
Anyone wishing to volunteer as a befriender or to become a participant should email Reading_Friends@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 394041.
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FOOD NEWS | SUGAR-FREE SNACKS
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Squirrel sisters on trial in Sainbury’s |
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Gracie and Sophie Tyrrell aka. The Squirrel Sisters are on trial at Sainsbury’s!
“We are beyond excited to have the backing of one of the UK’s largest supermarkets at a time of national crisis.
“The UK is facing an obesity epidemic. The villain of the piece? Processed and sugary foods. Supermarkets have the power when it comes to influencing consumer choice. Walk into most supermarkets to be bombarded with processed, sugary, unhealthy products piled high, on offer and bulk deals – making them hard to resist for even the most strong willed shopper!
“Small brands like Squirrel Sisters no added sugar snacks can make all the difference but getting space on shelves often comes down to which brands have the biggest marketing budget.
“That’s why it’s so good to see retailers like Sainsbury’s supporting small brands and prioritising the needs and health of their customers,” says Gracie.
The sisters have been revolutionising the snacking category since launching in 2015 and the world is taking notice. Squirrel Sisters is about to go global after securing major retail listings in the USA from March.
Read more on our website: thebathmagazine.co.uk
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ON THE BOX | AN INSPIRING STORY
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The Netflix documentary explores the life of one of football's greatest-ever players and the country that loved him like no other.
Against the backdrop of a turbulent time in Brazil, Netflix takes a look back on Pelé's amazing path from breakthrough talent to national hero and sports icon.
Watch it on Netflix now
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RICHARD WYATT | ILLUMINATES US ON...
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LED lighting at the Abbey |
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A new state-of-the-art LED lighting is currently being installed in Bath Abbey. With more than 170 light sources, it is designed to highlight and enhance the historic church’s beautiful interior and especially its magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling, and will replace the electric down-lighters which were installed in the 1990s. The new lighting will be much more energy efficient, reducing the Abbey’s carbon footprint and bringing massive savings.
This is happening following the completion of the floor repairs and installation of the underfloor heating as part of the Footprint project, as part of further improvements to preserve the inside of this historic church building while updating and opening it up in new ways for all. New data and sound systems are also being installed to improve accessibility, within the Abbey and for virtual events.
Designed by Michael Grubb Studio in partnership with Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the new lighting system will replace the existing ones with softer, whiter lights, which will showcase the Abbey’s honey-coloured stonework and fan-vaulted ceiling more effectively. An exciting new feature will also give the option of having different coloured light on the ceiling, allowing the Abbey to adapt its lighting to suit the occasion and for special services and events.
The Abbey will retain all 15 of its original Victorian chandeliers, designed by Francis Skidmore in 1870, which already incorporate LED lights, having been restored and adapted back in 2013.
Here’s a Youtube link to a video of the lighting trial inside the Abbey showing the fan-vaulted ceiling changing from dark to light.
Fan vault ceiling - photo by Drew Aitcheson
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LET'S TALK | PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI
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Purple sprouting broccoli: the facts |
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High in vitamin C, various minerals and fibre and packing a solid antioxidant punch too, it's well worth making the most of PSB season while you can – it's at its best from now until around the end of April.
Purple sprouting broccoli could be described as classic broccoli's younger, more colourful cousin: tender and slightly less 'woody' than its more mature relative, faster to cook... and generally a bit prettier too.
Look for dark greeny-purple leaves and nice tight little florets, rejecting yellowy/fading florets or wilted leaves. Before cooking, trim any woody stems or tough leaves and chop into individual florets with a short stem. Boil your prepped purple sprouting broccoli in salted water or steam for around 4–7 minutes (depending on the size of the floret), and serve with melted butter, a sprinkling of salt and a spritz of lemon juice, or add to stir-fries and sauté for a couple of minutes to add vibrant bite to a noodle- or rice-based dish.
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PREPARE FOUR | PURPLE SPROUTING BROCCOLI RECIPES
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Recipes by Melissa Blease |
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Purple sprouting broccoli gnocci
Serves 2-3; vegetarian/vegan
Sauté around 200g trimmed purple sprouting broccoli in a little olive oil for 5–10 minutes or until just starting to crisp. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, sauté one large, chopped onion for 5 minutes or until translucent, adding 3–4 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried chilli flakes for the last minute or so. Add around 80g butter to the pan with the juice of 1 lemon, around 30g finely grated Parmesan (or vegan alternative) and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Cook on a medium heat until the cheese has melted and keep the sauce warm while you cook 1 x 500g packet of fresh gnocchi according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the gnocchi and tip into the cheesy sauce, adding a splash of gnocchi cooking water to loosen if necessary. Serve in warm bowls topped with the crispy purple sprouting broccoli, a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a dusting of Parmesan (or vegan alternative).
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Purple sprouting broccoli and feta flatbreads
Vegetarian
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 7. Blanch approx. 150g trimmed purple sprouting broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well and set to one side. Tip 300g rinsed, drained chickpeas (from 1 x 400g can) into a food processor with 50g crumbled feta cheese, 1 generous tbsp tahini sauce (readily available in supermarkets) and the juice of half a large lemon. Season well and pulse to a chunky paste (or mash the ingredients together in a bowl). Lay two flatbreads on a baking sheet, spread both with the chickpea mixture and top with the blanched purple sprouting broccoli spears. Scatter with another 50g crumbled feta, the remaining 100g chickpeas, a dusting of cumin, a smattering of dried chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 10–15 minutes until the base of the flatbreads are crisp and the broccoli is starting to char.
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Mediterranean purple sprouting broccoli pasta
Serves 4
Heat 1–2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried chilli flakes until golden (1–2 minutes.) Add 3 x 400g cans whole plum or cherry tomatoes (if using whole plum tomatoes, break into pieces with a wooden spoon). Add 1 tsp caster sugar, season well and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, adding a handful of black pitted olives, a handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained of oil) and 3 tsp capers (drained of brine) for the last 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 500g dried spaghetti, tagliatelle or other pasta according to the instructions on the packet, adding around 300g trimmed, sliced purple sprouting broccoli to the pan for the final 3–4 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and purple sprouting broccoli and add to the tomato sauce. Toss together thoroughly and serve immediately in warm bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative).
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Purple sprouting broccoli and chorizo fritatta
Serves 4
Blanch 8–10 stalks of trimmed purple sprouting broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and set to one side. Chop 200g cooking chorizo into bite-sized chunks and sauté in a little bit of olive oil over a medium heat for around 4–6 minutes or until it begins to release its rich, fragrant oil, adding 1 clove crushed garlic for the last minute or so. Preheat the grill to a medium setting. Whisk 6 large eggs with 50ml double cream and 50g grated Gruyère cheese. Season well. Generously grease a large frying pan with butter and cover the base with the blanched purple sprouting broccoli. Put the pan on the hob over a medium heat, cover the broccoli with the egg mixture and scatter with the sautéed chorizo. Cook gently until the eggs are almost set (about 3–4 minutes) and finish the frittata by grilling the top until golden. Serve immediately.
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FIND YOUR PERFECT LIPSTICK | LOVE IT. SCAN IT.
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Chanel's first colour scanner |
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Chanel presents Lipscanner – the new generation make-up app for lips. Launching on 22 February on the Apple App Store for free, this original colour scanner developed 100% in-house enables you to instantaneously find the Chanel lipstick that matches your desires, based on the shades and visuals that inspire you.
In just two clicks and using AI technology, Lipscanner recognises the selected colour, suggests Chanel's interpretation from the House's product catalogue and allows you to instantaneously try it on your lips with the virtual make-up app.
This new app is undoubtedly a taster of what's to come for beauty and cutting-edge technology – and we love it
Read more about the app here: chanel.com
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LOOKING BACK | VIEWS FROM THE PAST
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By Andrew Swift
This photograph, probably taken in 1909, shows a train of elephants being led along Darlington Street, with the backs of the buildings in Sydney Place visible behind them. Although the elephants are Indian, their riders are African, and such a dazzlingly exotic procession through the dusty streets of Edwardian Bath would have been a sure way of attracting eager crowds to Wombwell’s Royal Menagerie, which had been set up on the cricket ground. As well as elephants, visitors could look forward to seeing ‘a colossal amalgamation of curious animals from the uttermost parts of the universe’, including pumas, leopards, bears, porcupines and lions – into whose cage the more intrepid were dared to enter.
Although the scene shown here may seem to belong to an age long gone, as late as the mid-1970s, when the circus came to town, the elephants came by train and were led through the streets from the station to the showground.
akemanpress.com
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THE KIOSK | MAGAZINE MOMENTS
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Curated by Daniel McCabe – Magalleria
Emergence is a US-based online quarterly bulletin usefully gathering and binding together contemporary threads in ecology culture and spirituality for a growing and appreciative audience (emergencemagazine.org). In 2019 the publisher dropped an imposing 300-page print edition that awed anyone who opened a copy. It was a sensation in our store so we’re thrilled to finally land a second issue packing an additional 100 pages and offering an even more breathtaking mix of feature articles, photo essays, stories and poems, all showcased using a variety of different paper stock and production finishes to tackle to the multiple crises and opportunities unfolding around us. We wrote in 2019 that Emergence was 'in every way a magazine for now' and gosh it's even more obvious with this extraordinary release.
£20; magalleria.co.uk
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GREAT READS | FROM THE ARCHIVES
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We are now working on a new edition of The Bath Magazine, which will be published in early March.
In the meantime, if you fancy catching up on some great reads that you may have missed, there's an often overlooked link on our website, which will take you to a wondrous digital bookshelf of The Bath Magazine's back issues. Explore and enjoy. It'll help keep you off Netflix.
Delve into the bookshelf here
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | UNCOVERING TRUTHS
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Review by Saskia Hayward, Topping & Co. |
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Empireland |
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In this incisive book, British journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera examines how contemporary Britain remains heavily influenced by our imperial past.
With acerbic wit, Sathnam builds upon a foundation of meticulous research to expose the bewildering contradictions at the heart of discussions on British identity. His primary focus is our continued ignorance towards the historic role and realities of the British Empire – often erased from our school textbooks and overlooked in our museums – when considering how profoundly it has shaped our nation.
Sathnam argues convincingly that true understanding of our cultural heritage must involve acknowledging our imperial past, counteracting the idea such an act is unpatriotic. This is an urgent testament to how history is not simply condemned to the past, but remains a vital aspect of our present.
£18.99, Viking; toppingbooks.co.uk
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Review by Saskia Hayward, Topping & Co. |
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Havana Year Zero |
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The latest novel from the wonderful Edinburgh-based independent publisher Charco Press, and the first book by a Cuban author they have published, Havana Year Zero is long overdue for a translation into English.
Warm and intimate, author Karla Suárez invites the reader into the world of Julia, the narrator, in the year she considers to be Cuba’s ‘Year Zero’; the country at its lowest ebb. A lecturer who hates teaching, Julia becomes determined to take the reins of her own existence. Enlisting her colleague and former lover, Euclid, she embarks on a quest to find a document that proves the telephone was invented by Antonio Meucci in Havana, an achievement, she believes, that will secure their place in history.
£9.99, Charco Press; toppingbooks.co.uk
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A New Worldview: Vienna's Contribution to European Culture 1890-1935: A Live Digital Symposium
A New Worldview: Vienna's Contribution to European Culture 1890-1935 is a multi-disciplinary digital event that turns the spotlight on a period when radical new thinking in philosophy, music, psychology, architecture, and the arts changed culture in a profound way that is still felt today.
Join BRLSI as they focus on an extraordinarily fertile period in European cultural history.
Read more about the event on our website: thebathmagazine.co.uk
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INTERIORS | SCENT YOUR SPACE
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | A 17th-CENTURY GEM
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Weston Farm House, Weston, Bath BA1 |
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Originally built in the 17th century, this property was altered in the Georgian period, it still has many original Georgian features throughout creating a charming and characterful farm house.
Set on a quiet lane in a secluded location, the property sits in the centre of its grounds with garden wrapping around the front and sides. There is a driveway with off street parking for at least two cars. You enter the property through a welcoming entrance hall which is a large, inviting space providing plenty of room for storing coats and shoes. There are two separate sitting rooms at the front of the property, offering a versatile living space to suit the new owners' needs. Directly behind the sitting room is the dining room, which has exposed bath stone and beams, highlighting the property's charming nature. The kitchen is at the rear of the property and is a traditional cottage kitchen, fitted with units against each wall, providing plenty of surface and storage space. It leads directly off the dining room and therefore is a perfect space for hosting.
On the next level you will find two of the property's bedrooms, both doubles, as well as the family bathroom. The bathroom is fitted with both a bath and walk-in shower. On the top floor there are another two bedrooms, and an additional shower room.
The garden is laid to lawn and provides space for children to play, outdoor hosting and alfresco dining. There is an additional cottage with the property which currently has short term tenants situated in. This two-bedroom cottage has its own private garden and has historically been used as a successful holiday let. It would also work well as a granny annexe for an extended family looking to reside within the same estate. £799,995
For further information click here or contact Andrews Estate Agents in Weston.
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