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News, views, city updates and more... to keep you going
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK | THE ARTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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"That’s the power of art, the power of voices transcribing feelings we struggle to articulate ourselves; art is the ghost of someone who has been through it all but managed to commit their emotion to paper."
This quote from Gerie Herbert of BRLSI is an excerpt from a feature debating the power of art. Let's us not forget this, as our arts venues and institutions struggle against the impact of a pandemic on their creative operations.
Read Gerie Herbert's full piece here
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MIDWEEK RECIPE | EASY-COOK COMFORT
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| Recipe by Melissa Blease |
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| Spaghetti alla carbonara |
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Bacon and egg pasta? No! Silky spaghetti and crispy pancetta in a smooth, decadent, creamy sauce? Ooooh, yes please! And the really good news is, this classic Italian comforter is ready to serve in the time it takes to cook the pasta.
An authentic Carbonara recipe never, ever includes cream – because you're allowing the heat from the cooked pasta to 'set' the eggs, the result will be creamy enough. If you can get hold of a block of smoked pancetta to slice'n'dice yourself, all well and good – but if not, smoked bacon lardons will do. On the all-important cheese front, you may be surprised to see Pecorino rather than Parmesan recommended here, but this hard, salty ewe's milk cheese is slightly sharper than its nuttier, more mature cousin and adds a welcome umami edge to the finished dish. If, however, you only have Parmesan to hand, you'll achieve a similar result, albeit with a slightly less sophisticated edge. Ground black pepper adds a crucial, earthy kick, while the parsley serves to freshen up an erstwhile soporific sauce. Mamma mia! What are you waiting for?
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g dried spaghetti (preferably made from 100% durum wheat)
180–200g rindless smoked pancetta, chopped into cubes (or smoked bacon lardons)
70–80g finely grated Pecorino cheese
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 large eggs plus one egg yolk, beaten
1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Olive oil, for frying
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente (usually around 9–10 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat and gently fry the pancetta until lightly golden, adding the crushed garlic for the last 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat and set to one side.
3. Drain the spaghetti, reserving a generous splash of the cooking water.
4. Tip the hot pasta into the frying pan with the pancetta and garlic, swiftly followed by the beaten eggs and egg yolk, half the grated cheese, half the chopped parsley, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and a splash of the reserved cooking water from the pasta and toss together. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to cook the egg, while the pasta cooking water 'loosens' it all up and adds intrinsic smoothness to the creamy end result.
5. Serve immediately in warm bowls, sprinkled with the remainder of the cheese and parsley.
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CITY RETAIL | INDIE SHOP SHOUT-OUT
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Kimberly
Kimberly in Trim Street, Bath, has stocked some of the world’s finest designers for over 37 years. The shop has established itself as a must-go-to store for everyday wear or for that special occasion. Current designers include Amina Rubinacci, Max Mara Studio, Max Mara Leisure, Boutique Moschino, Fabiana Filippi, Schneiders and many more.
Kimberly is known for her series of professionally choreographed in-house fashion shows in the store at the beginning of each season – and while these are currently on hold to enable social distancing, her loyal customers continue to visit this glorious hideaway store, exploring the rails and their clusters of rich garments in search of an outfit or single piece that will become a flexible and stylish ally for years to come.
The Italian brand Fabiana Filippi is described as “proposing an elegance far from uniformity; a sense of timeless beauty meant to be interpreted through the wearer’s personality.” This description is a resonant summary of the Kimberly philosophy, too – classic and unforgettable.
Kimberly selects her stock from designer showrooms, and has an unwavering instinct for the styles and garments her clients will love, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre for her design brands and for keeping her customers looking their very best. “The Italians are into sparkle at the minute. So am I! Girls like sparkle!”, she says. So for elegance, timeless beauty and a subtle sparkle, you know where to go. Kimberly is open 10am–5.50pm, Monday to Saturday.
kimberly.co.uk
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MIDWEEK TIPPLES | JUST FOR YOU
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Ramón Bilbao crafts an amazing variety of wines from the regions of Rioja and Rueda in northern Spain. The quality is excellent across the board, and whether you’re looking for classy weekday wines or an unforgettable drinking experience, there is something here for you – be it red, white or rosé.
We are delighted to offer the online voucher code JOURNEY10, that gives you a 10% discount on all Ramón Bilbao wines until 19 October. Better yet, this works with case discount so you save a total of 20% when you order 12 bottles. They don’t have to be all the same – you can mix and match as you wish..
Just enter code JOURNEY10 where prompted at the checkout to get the discount – ONLINE ONLY!
For further details, visit greatwine.co.uk
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OCTOBER ISSUE | OUT AND ABOUT & LOOKING GOOD
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| Here's our current magazine... |
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As always, there's a lot of great reading by our team of wonderful writers and contributors as well beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. We hope you'll enjoy the read.
15,000 copies have been delivered door to door and 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 we have just added Tesco Weston village.
Alternatively visit our website to read online
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | BOOKER PRIZE CONTENDERS
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We've chosen two of the six books shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2020, awarded annually to the best novel of the year written in English. With the prizewinner announced on 19 November, there's time to get read and get ahead!
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Ethiopia. 1935. With the threat of Mussolini’s army looming, recently orphaned Hirut struggles to adapt to her new life as a maid. Her new employer, Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie’s army, rushes to mobilise his strongest men before the Italians invade.
When Emperor Haile Selassie goes into exile, Hirut helps disguise a gentle peasant as the emperor and soon becomes his guard, inspiring other women to take up arms. But how could she have predicted her own personal war, still to come?
The Shadow King casts light on the women soldiers written out of African and European history. It is a captivating exploration of female power, and what it means to be a woman at war.
Published by Canongate Books, paperback, £9.99
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In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her loveless marriage to join an ashram, endured a brief stint as a beggar, and spent years chasing after a dishevelled, homeless 'artist' – all with her young child in tow. Now she is forgetting things, mixing up her maid's wages and leaving the gas on all night, and her grown-up daughter is faced with the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her. Burnt Sugar is a love story and it is a story about betrayal between mother and daughter. Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Avni Doshi tests the limits of what we can know for certain about those we are closest to, and by extension, about ourselves.
Published by Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House, paperback, £14.99
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BIGHAM'S BANQUET | ...AND A VERY TASTY PRIZE
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Bigham’s Banquet, which takes place on Saturday 10 October, is a money-raising event where all proceeds go to charity. The banquet, part of the Wells Food Festival (10–11 October), is a live streamed ‘cook-along’ where ticket-holders can cook alongside top chefs Thomasina Miers, Henry Harris and Merlin Labron-Johnson, as well as Bigham’s head chef Rupert Willday.
The banquet is going live at 6pm and will be hosted by food critic William Sitwell and Charlie Bigham himself. Limited to 1,000 places, the cost is £20, with all proceeds going to Chefs in Schools.
To celebrate this fantastic event, enter The Bath Magazine's competition giving you the chance of winning delicious Charlie Bigham's meals for a year and a Charlie Bigham's apron – all you have to do is follow us @thebathmagazine on Twitter or Instagram and see, like, and share the competition post for details. Enter before 10 October.
Read our full interview with Charlie Bigham here and get your tickets for Bigham's Banquet here
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NEW PUB OPENING | THE MOORFIELDS
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| The Moorfields, Opening today (7 October) |
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Renovating a sprawling neighbourhood pub much in need of a hefty dollop of TLC is no easy task in the best of times. Massive congratulations are due, then, to the Bath Pub Co, who announced their Moorfields (Third Avenue) takeover just before the Covid crisis struck... and opened the doors to their brand new family member this week.
Polished wood, leather banquette-lined booths, sparkling lights, a collection of casually elegant dining areas, an enticing bar – it's all in the best possible taste in this characterful hostelry, now artfully returned to its former glory with plenty of contemporary twists'n'turns along the way.
Menu options waltz along merrily from delightful with-drinks nibbles and sharing platters to full-on classy pub classics (fish/steak'n'chips, burgers, loaded hot dogs, pizzas, et al) with smatterings of globally inspired exotica (Thai, Moroccan, etc) adding interest to erstwhile familiar combos and super-imaginative veggie/vegan options lightening the load – oh, and if the 'retro' Prawn Cocktail Proper Chicken Kiev is on the menu, grab it fast.
If you're in the Moorland Road neighbourhood (or even if you're not), you know where to go for a taste of the new that deserves extra-added applause. Open Monday to Friday, 8am – 10pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am – 10pm.
themoorfields.com
thebathpubcompany.com
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TEDxBath | ON CLIMATE CHANGE
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Join Peter Clegg, Andrew Grant, Steven Tim Day and Frances Fox this Saturday for the TedxBath 2020 Countdown, a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action.
Free, online, tickets here:
tedxbath.co.uk
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Written by Duncan Nash, antique silver specialist at Beau Nash
For obvious reasons we have seen fewer people in the shop this summer and have been shipping much more silver out to customers than we usually do. While carefully packing up items the other day, I was reminded of an incident I witnessed years ago that still makes me laugh.
I was drinking tea in a well known West End antique shop towards the end of a slow Friday. While listening to laments about the dearth of customers, in walked a wealthy looking American collector, already known to the shop owner. After some preliminary chat, the American gentleman was drawn to a set of six 17th-century Venetian wine glasses. As they had been in stock for some considerable time, a price was eagerly agreed, the glasses were paid for and instructions were left for them to be shipped back to the US.
As the customer left, the gloomy mood in the shop lifted and Friday drinks were served as a member of staff began to pack the glasses. As she reached into the display cabinet to pick up the last glass, she fumbled and dropped it, breaking it into five pieces. The shop went silent and the high spirits evaporated instantly. Scarlet faced, the assistant sought advice from the owner. To his great shame, the order was given to pack the glasses anyway and blame the shippers for the damage.
A few days later the phone rang and the American collector asked to speak to the owner. The collector reported his disappointment that the glass had broken so the owner of the shop feigned anger, sympathised and promised to make an insurance claim.
This however, did not satisfy the collector’s complaint, in fact he became rather irritated with the dealer: “If the shippers broke the glass as you say, why then would they wrap each of the 5 broken pieces separately in your branded tissue paper?”
This was the end of a fruitful relationship – nobody likes being lied to.
beaunashbath.com
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MIDWEEK NIBBLES | FOOD ON-THE-HOOF
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If you're in the mood for exotic and go, here are four ideas from the foodie offerings at Green Park Station
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| Goulash |
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Goulash (as the name might suggest) in traditional, panini, wrap, bap and veggie option format made to order from a secret family recipe using locally sourced, organic ingredients.
goulashbath.co.uk
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| The Thai Hut |
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Terrifically tasty, exceedingly wallet-friendly Chilli Garlic Beef, Duck Penang, Chicken Massamam, Pad Thais, Yellow Curries and many more tantalising Thai delights dished up from noon-3.30 every Wednesday-Saturday.
facebook.com/thaihutbath
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| Oh Crepe! |
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Tuck in to sweet and savoury crepes (vegan and gluten-free options available) plus addictively moreish fresh waffles served up by the most recent addition to Green Park Station's foodie family.
facebook.com/pancrepesevents
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| Maureen's Mediterranean Street Food |
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The most authentic falafel in Bath alongside superb samosas, divine chicken shawarma, wonderful wraps and all manner of freshly-cooked Middle Eastern delights.
facebook.com/Maureens
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AUTUMN MENU | NEW PERFORMERS AT THE CIRCUS
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British produce and far-flung inspiration
The new autumn menu at The Circus restaurant is a veritable paean to right here, here now local British produce. Imagine figs, dates and field mushrooms; partridge, ewe's milk cheese, Creedy Carver duck. Sloe gin jelly, cobnut crumb, Somerset cider gravy. Pork rib of Hampshire Boar with a black pudding and leek patty; Aberdeen Angus ribeye steak served with roasted apples and beetroot, beef dripping onions and fat chips... shaken up with a handful of confidently imaginative, far-flung inspirations. Sustainably sourced British sea fish swims in an Indonesian sauce, organic autumn squash is taken on an exotic tour of the Middle East, Cape Malay Bobotie brings a taste of South Africa to Brock Street. Intrigued? Roll up and discover The Circus for yourself.
thecircusrestaurant.co.uk
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OBJECT OF INTEREST | ROBERTO COIN PENDANT
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The Roberto Coin Pois Mois 18ct yellow gold circular pendant and 45cm chain.
Italian jewellery designer Roberto Coin sets each and every piece of his jewellery with a small ruby, usually hidden from sight and in contact with the wearer. The brand has become enormously popular not only because of this quirky signature but also for creating beautiful romantic pieces embraced by a huge celebrity following. See the full range and other collections by Roberto Coin at mallory-jewellers.com.
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ON THE BIG SCREEN | BFI FILM FESTIVAL 2020
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The 64th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express and Picturehouse are delighted to present a screening of Phyllida Lloyd’s Herself.
Sandra (Clare Dunne) is a young Mum, struggling to get by, desperate to provide her two young daughters with a safe and happy home to grow up in. When it becomes clear that the local council won’t provide that home, she decides to take action: she’ll build it herself, from scratch. With no budget and a possessive ex-husband lurking, Sandra must use all her courage and ingenuity, along with a tight-knit community of friends, to build herself and her daughters the home they deserve.
The film is showing at The Little Theatre on 8 October at 7.30pm – come along to support this much-loved local cinema before their doors close – we hope temporarily – this week.
Book tickets via The Little Theatre Cinema website
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ON THE BOX | IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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Having seen Jason Watkins filming the new series of McDonalds & Dodds in and around Bath, we have caught up with his latest television appearance as Brian Masters in ITV's Des. It's a three-part television drama mini-series, which follows the 1983 arrest, interrogation and trial of Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen, played by David Tennant. It's powerful, and may just make you love David Tennant a little bit less. Nilsen's arrest came after the discovery of human remains causing the blockage of a drain near his home. Jason Watkins plays the role of Nilsen’s confidante, whose biography Killing for Company inspired the series.
Watch the full series here
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THIS WORKING LIFE | ADVICE FOR PROFESSIONALS
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| Advice from Mogers Drewett |
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Should you Equity Release?
The last few months have seen many people furloughed or sadly being made redundant and therefore struggling financially. As a result, equity release has risen in popularity as an option to provide financial relief.
What is Equity Release?
The equity you hold in your property is the difference between the property value and the amount of debt you have secured against the property. An equity release plan will allow you to access some of this equity.
How does it work?
An equity release provider will provide you with either a lump sum or an income in exchange for part of the value of your home. This is achieved either using a type of mortgage, or by selling that portion of your home on the condition that you can continue to live there as long as you wish.
The minimum age for applying for an equity release plan is 55 and the debt only needs to be repaid from the sale of the property either on death of the last applicant, or the last applicant entering a care home.
Why release equity?
You can use the funds released from an equity release arrangement for a variety of different reasons and could include:
• Topping up your income
• Helping children and grandchildren
• Renovating or refurbishing your property
• Buying a second property
• Paying for holidays
• Adapting the home
• Funding hobbies and interests
Equity release is not for everyone.
Make sure you speak to an independent financial adviser or mortgage broker specialising in equity release to receive unbiased advice on whether it really is the best option for you and to ensure you are protected from pitfalls like negative equity.
Call 01225 308333 or email Sean.McCabe@mogersdrewett.com – our advisers all have the required equity release qualifications and are accredited by The Society of Later Life Advisers.
For further reading visit Mogers Drewett
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PROPERTY UPDATE | NEW TO THE MARKET
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| Kensington Place, Bath £435,000 |
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A beautifully presented and well-finished Georgian maisonette with a contemporary feel. Nestled on the banks of the River Avon, this property has been perfectly designed to combine city living with a quiet relaxing environment that is only minutes away from popular high street shops, award-winning restaurants, transport links and other local amenities. Comprising: open plan sitting/dining room, stylish kitchen, two double bedrooms both with en-suite bathroom, study/storage room and cloakroom. The property is on sale with Bath estate agents The Apartment Company who recommend an early viewing.
The Apartment Company
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| Popular on our website this week: |
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