A specially curated guide to the next 48 hours (or more) in Bath
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REMEMBRANCE DAY | CONCERT
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Remembrance Day Concert, Bath Abbey, Friday 11 November, 7pm
This year, Bath Abbey remember and celebrate Ralph Vaughan Williams' enormous contribution to church music in the 150th anniversary of his birth.
The programme will open with his moving setting of words by George Herbert in the Five Mystical Songs (solo baritone Mike Entwisle). Herbert Howells was inspired by Vaughan William’s music, and Howell’s unaccompanied Requiem – written tragically after his son, Michael, died aged 9 – will be sung alongside his intense and beautiful anthem Take Him Earth for Cherishing (written on the birth of President Kennedy in 1963).
As the tragedy of war continues in Ukraine, John Rutter’s evocative setting of A Prayer for Ukraine and two other contemporary works Lux aeterna by Abbey Lay Clerk James Millichap and Lord, you have been our dwelling place by the Director of Music Huw Williams renew our prayers for peace and reconciliation.
Featuring the Abbey Boys, Girls, Lay Clerks and the Chamber Choir.
Tickets available at bathboxoffice.org.uk
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OUR NOVEMBER ISSUE – OUT NOW |
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Our November magazine features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. We really hope you'll enjoy the read!
Every month we deliver 15,000 copies door to door, but if you don't get a copy at home then you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our floor stands at: Waitrose, Sainsbury [Green Park], M&S Foods in Twerton, Tesco in Weston Village, and at The Holburne Museum.
Click here to enjoy our current issue!
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And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £33 for 12 issues, £18 for six issues or buy a copy for just £4.25. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website.
Front cover credit: Darren Soh
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WEEKEND RECIPE | COMFORT EATING
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Words by Melissa Blease
Oven-baked Butternut Squash, Goats' Cheese and Sage Risotto
Luxurious, indulgent risotto is the ultimate elegant comfort food dish, perfect for an uplifting supper on a wintery weekend. But all too often, we're all too afraid of getting risotto wrong; after all, it has a ritual-laden reputation that can be rather off-putting to the domestic cook. But as is the case with most classic dishes, there's a shortcut to success that doesn't detract from a superb end result – and in this instance, oven-baked risotto is the way forward.
High starch, short grain rice is intrinsic to the creamy texture of the finished dish – no other rice apart from Italian Arborio will do (fortunately it's readily available in most supermarkets). Skimping on the quality of your stock, however, can ruin all your hard work; few of us have fresh stock to hand, but a 'stock pot' concentrate (again, readily available) is an admirably good substitute.
If you're not a fan of goats' cheese, substitute it with a creamy Italian blue cheese (cambozola or gorgonzola, perhaps?) or mozzarella – or simply up the quantity of Parmesan or a similar hard, Italian cheese such as Pecorino or Grana Padano instead.
Leftovers? You're having shortcut Arancini for supper tomorrow! Form small handfuls of chilled risotto into fishcake-type patties. Dip each patty into flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, and pan-fry in hot butter and oil for around 5 minutes on each side. Mamma mia! What a molto bene idea...
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Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 300g arborio risotto rice 1 medium-sized butternut squash (approx. 450-500g), peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes 1 small bunch fresh sage (around 24 leaves), roughly chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed ½-1 tsp dried chilli flakes 200ml dry white wine 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock 200g goats' cheese, cubed
To serve: finely-grated Parmesan
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Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and put a shallow 1.5l ovenproof dish on the middle shelf to warm up.
- Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until translucent. Add the rice, squash, garlic, chilli flakes and sage (reserving around 1 tbsp sage for serving), stir to coat everything in the butter and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes before adding the wine. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, allow to bubble for 2-3 minutes then add the stock. Stir well, bring back to a gentle simmer then carefully pour the mixture into the oven-warmed dish.
- Bake the risotto (uncovered) in the oven for 40 minutes, by which time the rice will have absorbed nearly all the liquid. Stir the cubed goats' cheese though the risotto and bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese has started to melt but still retains some bite.
- Allow the risotto to settle for 3-5 minutes before serving in warm bowls sprinkled with finely-grated Parmesan, lots of freshly ground black pepper and the reserved freshly-chopped sage.
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Looking for more delicious foodie inspo?
Click through to browse our full Delicious Guide!
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EATING OUT | MENU RELAUNCH
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The Scallop Shell re-launches popular Fisherman’s Lunch
The Scallop Shell fish and chip restaurant and seafood grill on Monmouth Place, Bath is delighted to announce that its much-loved Fisherman’s Lunch has made a comeback.
Diners can enjoy a choice of three mains, which all come with mushy peas, homemade tartare sauce and a mug of Yorkshire tea for £12.50 per person.
The Fisherman’s Lunch is available Monday to Friday from 12–2.30pm.
thescallopshell.co.uk
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WEEKEND WINE | TALKING OF SPARKLERS...
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The Great Wine Co are offering a 25% discount on sparkling wines throughout November. Time to fill your festive cellar!
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Cremant de Loire Brut Nature | De Chanceny |
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An elegant sparkling Loire wine, rich with notes of peach and pineapple and fragrant with dried fruits and white flowers | £17.50
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Mas Sardana Cava Brut Nature | Franck Massard |
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A bright gold colour with green tinges and threads of fine bubbles. On the nose, it is fresh and inviting, and reminiscent of bramley apples with a touch of biscuit | £13.87
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Prosecco Rosé Vintage Brut Argeo | Ruggeri |
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Cherry red with a hint of salmon pink. The nose is fresh, fragrant and inviting, offering light red fruit aromas and hints of biscuity yeast. Finely textured with a consistent mousse | £12.91
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Brut Reserve | Lyme Bay |
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An elegant English sparkling wine. Secondary fermentation in bottle under the Traditional Method process provides structure to the mid-palate and detail to the body of the wine without overpowering the delicate crisp citrus fruit | £24.40
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Champagne Extra Brut | Champagne Jacquart |
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A light, golden colour with a vivacious sparkle, forming a fine rim of long-lasting foam. The bouquet is delicate with blossom, citrus and white fruit hints as well as Viennese pastries | £42.50
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Champagne Cuvee Prestige Cuvée Prestige Millesimée | Gobillard |
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This fine, vintage Champagne is from a terrific small producer who neighbours Dom Pérignon and Taittinger. Complex aromas of dried fruits and hazelnuts lead to an elegant palate of citrus blossom, greengage and honey, with beautiful balance and a silky finish | £36.66
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OBJECT OF DESIRE | FINE WRITING
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Homage to The Brothers Grimm by Montblanc
To honour the enduring legacy of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm who collected and published many of the world’s most beloved european fairytales such as Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, Montblanc have created a limited-edition of beautiful writing instruments and accessories – all inspired by the characters and elements of folklore in the tales by the Brothers Grimm.
Just like the stories the brothers amassed, the collection is there to be loved for generations to come.
- Montblanc Writers Edition Brothers Grimm black precious resin fountain pen (Medium Nib) Limited edition | £985
- Montblanc Writers Edition - Homage to Brothers Grimm fine lined notebook in green leather. 150mm x 210mm | £70
- Ink Bottle 50ml | £33
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BEAUTY | THE ULTIMATE PAMPERING EXPERIENCE
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L'OCCITANE Cocooning Comforts Collection
L’OCCITANE Cocooning Comforts Collection brings together the enveloping warmth of Almond and nourishing properties of Shea Butter for the ultimate pampering experience.
This skin soften collection includes:
• 75ml Almond Shower Oil • 30ml Shea Butter Hand Cream • 30ml Shea Butter Foot Cream • 20ml Almond Milk Concentrate • 50g Almond Delicious Soap • In a L’OCCITANE signature gift box
£30 | Available from uk.loccitane.com
L’OCCITANE will donate £5 to The L’OCCITANE Foundation with every Caring for Sight Collection (of which the Cocooning Comforts Collection is a part) sold. These important funds will help provide access to quality eye care for the public and strengthen the knowledge and skills of the eye care workers in Burkina Faso.
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FASHION | BONFIRE NIGHT ATTIRE
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Finisterre: Vellus Waterproof Parka
Finisterre's pinnacle insulation jacket, the Vellus Waterproof Parka is built with recycled fabrics throughout, including a GRS certified polyester/organic cotton shell, paired with Finisterre Engineered insulation fill, for maximum warmth.
With high-performing waterproof coating, filled with down-free 100% recycled insulation for warmth and breathability, it's ideal for the harshest conditions | £375
Available from finisterre.com | Finisterre Bath, 27 High Street, Bath, BA1 5AJ
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MAGAZINE KIOSK | WHY WE LOVE PRINT
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Curated by Daniel McCabe
Acne Paper re-launched last year as a hybrid between a book and a magazine in a new design. The latest issue goes even further in this direction with an highly experimental hardcover publication that is part biography, part novel, part cultural art journal and part fashion magazine imagined around the story of a fictional personality called ‘Atticus’ who narrates us through his cultured life in which he starts out as a dancer, first with Balanchine, then with Merce Cunningham, before becoming an art world darling. He’s also going to make an appearance at the magazine’s launch in Italy this month. Strange but absorbing and, counter-intuitively, very ‘now’ | £35
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FESTIVAL | A WORLD OF CINEMA
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FilmBath Festival, 4–13 November, across Bath
Returning for its 32nd edition, the FilmBath Festival brings a world of cinema to the city of Bath.
Audiences can enjoy a showcase of 40 feature films, including exclusive preview screenings of hotly-anticipated new movies like Sam Mendes' Empire of Light starring Olivia Colman and The Menu with Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. There's international cinema featuring stories from Spain to Djibouti, life-affirming and jaw-dropping real-life documentaries and a wealth of female talent, with over 50% of the programme directed by women. Celebrate new talent at the IMDB Filmmaker Awards and meet the filmmakers and stars at live Q&As.
For the first time ever, the FilmBath Festival is also pioneering a Pay-What-You-Can scheme for all screenings, making the festival as accessible as possible to everyone in the community. Tickets are on sale now at filmbath.org.uk
Featured image: Empire of Light
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HEALTH | PROFESSIONAL MOTIVATION
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'At The Core: Supporting Men's Health', 17 November, At The Core
November is the month when attention turns to men’s health.
In support of International Men’s Day, the At The Core team will welcome you to join them on Thursday 17 November to hear advice from sports professionals, medical professionals and movement specialists on keeping fit and mobile through middle age and beyond.
International Men’s Day is a day to reflect on Men’s Health and acknowledge those aspects of modern life that Men in particular face – including specific forms of cancer and high male suicide rates, particularly amongst those aged 50–54.
So invest a couple of hours in yourself. Enjoy some free professional advice and get motivated to kickstart or upgrade your exercise regime. Learn how to treat your body at 50, 60 or 70 for a long and active life so that you can keep doing the things you enjoy for body and mind health. Plus, hear from former professional boxer, Johnny Nelson, who will be sharing his thoughts on remaining active and staying motivated to exercise as you age.
Find out more and register for your place via Eventbrite: eventbrite.co.uk
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EXHIBITION | BOOKS, CERAMICS, JEWELLERY
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Gallery Nine: Winter Exhibition, 8 November–31 December
Artist and designer Katie Mawson returns to Gallery Nine with her collages using antique cloth-bound books. Ceramicist Anna Lambert makes hand-built earthenware ceramics using various techniques including slab-building, modelling, and painted slips. Jeweller Duibhne Gough’s work is defined by simple forms, and jeweller Helen Noakes works in resin and silver with miniature figures incorporated into the designs.
galleryninebath.co.uk
Featured image: Anna Lambert – Farnhill White Path Bowl and Grass Woods Jug
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Ishkar: Christmas Pop-Up, 18–20 November, Persephone Books
Join ISHKAR for a Christmas pop-up hosted at Persephone Books.
Shop handcrafted gifts, from jewellery to homeware made by master artisans in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and Pakistan.
Friday 18 November
- Shopping: 10am–6pm
- Opening party and late-night shopping: 6pm–9pm
Saturday 19 November
- Shopping: 11am–5pm
- Film screening - Where The Light Shines: 6pm–9pm | Registration mandatory – click here.
Sunday 20 November
Find out more at eventbrite.co.uk | ishkar.com
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TALK | "THE 1970s AND ME"
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Churchill Lecture: Justin Webb, American Museum & Gardens, 17 November
Join Justin Webb, BBC presenter of Radio 4’s flagship current affairs programme Today, for a talk about his new book The Gift of a Radio: My Childhood and Other Train Wrecks. Webb has reported from around the world: as a war correspondent in the Gulf and in Bosnia and on the break-up of the former Soviet Union. He won the Political Journalist of the Year award for his coverage of the Obama presidential campaign. Webb’s talk will take place in the Stables at The American Museum and Gardens, November 17, 6.15pm.
Tickets £10, available from americanmuseum.org
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BRLSI talk: 'Is Global Agreement on Global Challenges Possible?' | A.C. Grayling
Professor A.C. Grayling, the renowned British philosopher and writer, will be speaking on three of the biggest challenges facing the world today.
Climate change, fast-developing and high-impact technologies and the global deficit of social and economic justice are, Grayling believes, interconnected problems. Can human beings agree on a set of values that will allow us to confront the threats facing the planet, he asks, or will we simply continue with our disagreements and antipathies as we collectively approach greater problems and instability, and even our possible extinction?
Anthony Grayling is Master of the New College of the Humanities, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford. Until 2011 he was Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. He has written and edited over 30 books and is a regular contributor to newspapers and BBC radio. He is a former judge and chairman of the Man Booker Prize.
Grayling's talk will take place on 6 December, 7.30–9pm, at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square Bath. Tickets are £4 for members, £7 for non-members. Available from brlsi.org
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• NEWS FROM THE CITY •
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LOOKING BACK | WONDERFUL WEIR
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Words by Andrew Swift
Pulteney Weir
For centuries Pulteney Weir ran diagonally across the river, with a mill on either bank. The remains of Monk’s Mill can still be seen in Parade Gardens, while the sluice for Bathwick Mill can be seen on the far bank in this idyllic 1950s view of anglers standing on the weir. The sluice disappeared when the weir was re-profiled between 1968 and 1972 as part of flood-prevention measures, and a walkway was built on the far bank. The new weir not only achieved what it was designed to achieve but is aesthetically pleasing as well, while the walkway, with steps leading down from Argyle Street, provides one of the city’s most dramatic views. The only people to lose out, it seems, are the anglers, who can no longer wade out across the weir for a quiet spot of fishing.
akemanpress.com
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SPORT | BATH RUGBY V NEWCASTLE FALCONS
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Hill and Lee-Warner to make first Bath Rugby starts
Ted Hill and Fergus Lee-Warner will make their first Bath Rugby starts as Johann van Graan makes eight changes to the starting XV for the trip to Newcastle Falcons.
Blindside flanker Hill impressed on debut in the win over Northampton Saints before committing his long-term future to the club, while versatile forward Lee-Warner has made an impact as a replacement in his two outings to date.
After 13 caps for Bath last season, Valeriy Morozov is in at loosehead prop after committing for the remainder of the 2022/23 season and D’Arcy Rae returns at tighthead.
Max Green has recovered from his ankle issue to take his place at scrum-half, and Max Ojomoh replaces Cameron Redpath who is starting for Scotland against Fiji.
On the wings, Ruaridh McConnochie is back on the left while Gabriel Hamer-Webb is reinstated on the right as Joe Cokanasiga is on England duty.
Tom Dunn remains as captain and Quinn Roux continues in the second row, partnering Lee-Warner who is in for the suspended Dave Attwood. Miles Reid and Richard de Carpentier complete the pack.
Elsewhere in the backline, George Worboys is at fly-half with Ollie Lawrence and Matt Gallagher at outside centre and full-back respectively.
bathrugby.com
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CHRISTMAS | SPREAD SOME CHEER
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Gift A Book Campaign
A campaign to gift unwanted books to people in the community who might not otherwise receive a Christmas present has launched for the third time.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s libraries service is calling for donations of new or nearly new books for its Gift A Book campaign, which last Christmas saw around 3,500 books donated by residents and charities. The books were gifted to residents via charities and local organisations including the Community Wellbeing Hub, four Children’s Centres, Bath Welcomes Refugees and Bath Mind.
Any type of book in any genre, suitable for any age and in any format — paperback, hardback, audio, or large print will be gratefully received.
The donations can be made at the council’s libraries in Bath, Keynsham or Midsomer Norton between 11 November and 3 December.
For more information email library_events@bathnes.gov.uk | beta.bathnes.gov.uk
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• PROPERTY & INTERIORS•
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WILTSHIRE HARES BY JOANNA MAY x ARTISANS OF DEVIZES
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Local wildlife artist Joanna May introduces her new collaboration with stone and tile specialists, Artisans of Devizes. In this lovely interview, Joanna talks about her work and inspiration behind the new range which features eight different miniatures of wild hares in various poses.
We also see behind the scenes at the Artisans of Devizes HQ, where the tiles are hand-fired in their kiln.
The tiles have a traditional yet playful farmhouse core feel, and evoke an instant connection with the rolling hills and grassland of the hares’ natural habitat.
Visit: artisansofdevizes.com
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PROPERTY | AN ADORABLE TOWNHOUSE
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Northampton Street, Bath BA1
Offered for sale by Cobb Farr estate agents
This is a handsome, Grade II listed Georgian town house with flexible, beautifully presented accommodation arranged over four floors. A thoroughly charming property, it is in immaculate decorative order, has been comprehensively refurbished throughout and offers a perfect blend of fine period detail, along with many quality contemporary finishes.
The ground floor accommodation has a pretty entrance hall with original flagstone flooring and an impressive Bath stone cantilevered staircase. This leads through to the drawing room which has a fine aspect to the front, and is linked to the withdrawing room at the rear, which is currently being used as a formal dining room and enjoys access to the courtyard garden.
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The bedroom accommodation is on the upper floors and offers two lovely double rooms on the first floor one which has a well-appointed ensuite shower room. There are two further doubles on the top floor and a spacious shower room, along with a built-in linen cupboard.
Stairs lead from the entrance hall to the lower ground floor accommodation, which has a contemporary well-equipped quality kitchen to the front along with a cozy snug to the rear and a further shower room. In addition, there are two large storage vaults.
Northampton Street is positioned conveniently to the rear of the Royal Crescent, adjacent to St James Square and within easy walking distance of Royal Victoria Park and Bath city centre. Offers in Excess of £1,000,000
For further details and to see more images, click here to view the property on the Cobb Farr website.
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