Come on you Bath!

Bath Rugby will be running out at Twickenham in their iconic Blue, Black and White home shirt for this Saturday's Final.

From a thrilling performance that saw The Rec roar to its feet, Head of Rugby, Johann van Graan, sticks with his matchday-23 from last week's play-off.

Heading to the home of English rugby, Twickenham Stadium, to take on Northampton Saints, captain Ben Spencer will lead the Blue, Black and White for the final time this season.

In the pack, last week's try-scorer Beno Obano keeps a firm grasp of the starting loosehead spot, seeing Tom Dunn take the number two jersey at hooker and Thomas du Toit complete the front row. Behind them, Quinn Roux and Charlie Ewels partner up once again in the second row.

Across the back row, Ted Hill and Sam Underhill retain their positions on the flanks, with Alfie Barbeary completing the pack at Number 8. Spencer is joined by Finn Russell in the half-back pairing, with fellow Scotsman Cameron Redpath and outside centre Ollie Lawrence providing the crash ball power in the midfield.

Completing the back line, Will Muir and Joe Cokanasiga continue their stronghold down the wings, with Matt Gallagher earning his final run out in a Bath jersey before departing the club for Benetton.

All the action will kick off at 3pm with all eyes on the Gallagher Premiership trophy.

Click here to stay up to date on the match. Or follow the action at The Boater, Ludo Sports Bar or Bath Brewhouse.

READ OUR JUNE ISSUE NOW!

You'll love our marvellous June magazine which features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses.

This month we spoke to the great stage and screen actor Sir Ian McKellen ahead of his appearance in Player Kings at the Bristol Hippodrome. He told us that everyone’s life is a Shakespearean play… We also spoke to clothier and businessman Patrick Grant (co-judge of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee) who is up in arms against the fashion industry, where seasonal fashions have been replaced by a constant issue of sub-par clothing. We are also treated to a preview of If Opera’s summer programme. Plus so much more!

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's [Green Park], M&S Foods in Twerton, Tesco in Weston Village, and at The Holburne Museum. 

Click here to enjoy the digital version of our current issue! 

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 – click here to subscribe on our website. 

Words by Melissa Blease

Courgettes and Ricotta on Toast

Courgette season is upon us! In this recipe, slow-cooking draws out their natural sweetness and gives them a tender, juicy, jam-like consistency which works wonderfully with smooth, creamy ricotta in this simple, stylish light lunch or supper.

If you're not a fan of ciabatta, focaccia, sourdough or pain de campagne all work well. And, if you have a glut of courgettes, make a bigger batch of the jammy mix and either keep the rest in a airtight tub in the fridge for up to 4 days (it's also lovely stir through pasta or simply served as a side dish) or freeze it for up to 6 months. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 large or 3 medium courgettes, sliced into 1cm-thick slices
250g ricotta 
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 thick slices ciabatta

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes and sauté for around a minute or until sizzling and fragrant. Add the garlic and courgettes and continue to cook over a medium heat for around 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the courgettes have 'collapsed' and become jammy and browned in patches. 

Keep the courgettes warm while you toast the ciabatta. Stir the lemon zest into the ricotta and spread it over the toasts. Stir the lemon juice into the courgettes, season according to taste and spoon on top of the ricotta. Serve immediately.

Italian white wines at The Great Wine Co.

From the Dolomites to the bays of Sicily, Italy's topographic makeup lends itself perfectly to wine production. As a result of her physique Italy boasts a myriad of different soils and climates. Adding to the equation a plethora of indigenous grape varieties, each harvest yields an abundance of diverse and fascinating wine styles. Italy is further blessed with many dedicated and passionate winemakers and vine growers.

Alastro Bianco, Planeta | £19.95

From one of the finest and most famous wine producers in Sicily, Alastro’s name comes from the wild flower that grows round the winery. The wine is made principally from the Grecanico grape, blended with two notably aromatic varieties, Grillo and Sauvignon Blanc. It is splendidly fragrant and delicately structured, with aromas of tropical fruit, fresh citrus and white flowers.

Gavi di Gavi DOCG, Fontanafredda | £22

One of Italy's most fashionable whites, it is noted for acute dryness and fresh, flinty acidity. This is a bright straw-yellow wine with greenish highlights. It has a full, delicate, elegant bouquet which brings flowers and fresh fruit to mind - mostly lemons, lilies of the valley and green apples. Its palate is attractively young, dry, fresh and well-balanced.

Vermentino, Cala Silente, Santadi | £18.85

Vermentino is most famous on the Tuscan coast, but Sardinia makes some cracking examples, and this is one of them. Pale green colour, with exciting lemon and peach aromas that are also evident on the palate. Juicy and rounded, with that magical combination of refreshing crispness and satisfying weight of texture. A wine to which you'll want to return.

San Vincezo, Anselmi | £16.95

Made by maverick Roberto Anselmi, who rejected his wines' entitlement to the Soave DOCG designation, on the grounds that it did not do justice to their quality! This aromatic, fruity style offers peaches, hazelnuts and orange blossom on the nose with refreshingly clean, crisp, flavours and a long finish. Anselmi's vineyards cover 62 acres, high in the volcanic hills of Soave and Monteforte d’Alpone. The perfect southern exposure and elevated hillsides, well-drained volcanic tuff and rocky/calcareous slopes; together with severe pruning and green harvest, serve to reduce crop yields and ensure concentration and character in the wine.

Visit greatwine.co.uk to explore more

ANON botanical non-alcoholic drinks

If you’re considering an alcohol-free lifestyle, seeking healthier drink options, or are aware of the numerous benefits of no-alcohol beverages, ANON’s great-tasting non-alcoholic drinks present an ideal choice of ’spirit’ and mixer, or can be uses in cocktails. The full range offers great-tasting alcohol-free alternatives to your usual tipple, providing a delightful balance of flavour and refreshment.

ANON is running a competition to win 4 x 70l bottles of its non-alcoholic spirits and two exclusive ANON tumblers - for more information and your chance to win visit anondrinks.com

We've got some very exciting news…

Produced by the team at The Bath Magazine - the Summer 24 edition of Postcard from Bath, our beautifully presented visitor guide to the city is officially out.

Postcard contains the very best things to do and see in the Bath, alongside editorial pieces on the city's fascinating history, architecture, culture, and so much more.

This luxury guide book is designed to elevate the visitor experience and can be found in over 1900 hotel rooms, B&Bs and other guest accommodation around the city.

If you are a hotel or B&B, and would like to have copies of Postcard Magazine in your rooms or available for your guests, contact us on info@postcardmagazine.co.uk

And if you'd like to buy a copy for yourself as a keepsake or souvenir, head over to postcardmagazine.co.uk

Click here for more information.

Enjoy the read!

Montblanc’s 1858 Automatic date steel 41mm

The first-ever sports diving watch for Montblanc, the Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date series features a glacier pattern dial that gives the impression of looking into the depths of a glacier.

The 41 mm case features a glacier pattern dial inspired by the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) the main glacier of the Mont-Blanc Massif. Its texture was achieved using an almost-forgotten ancestral technique called gratté-boisé – where a piece of wood is used to ‘scrape’ the surface - using this method the design takes much longer to create than a standard dial and is completely unique to the watch industry.

Shown here is the burgundy-tone glacier pattern dial which is evocative of the deep red colour of the evening sun as it hits the glacier. The watch comes with a black ceramic unidirectional bezel, a 3D engraving of an iceberg and a diver on the case back, and an interchangeable stainless steel bracelet with fine adjustment system. It’s equipped with the excellent Sellita-based MB24.17 automatic movement, and conforms to the ISO 6425 norm for scuba diving with a water resistance of 300 meters. A great and very cool watch. Priced £2,965

For more information on the 1858 Iced Sea Automatic range and more watches by Montblanc click here to visit the Mallory website.

The shirt that's just landed!

Elevate your holiday wardrobe with Whistles' latest addition, the Crochet Circle Shirt - guaranteed to offer a sense of nostalgic elegance and nonchalance however you style it. Crafted in a crochet style, the skirt comes in yellow with circular details and unique pearled buttons. Designed in an elegant slim fit, it is complete with a collared neck and long sleeves.

Impeccable fits, premium fabrics and unique prints; Whistles' Limited Edition Collection is a contemporary edit of design-led pieces alongside more timeless investments – all made to a strictly limited run, so exclusivity is guaranteed.

Whistles | £149
Click here to explore the limited edition collection.

Antiqued cricketer doorstop

This charming doorstop, featuring a dapper gentleman poised for his turn at the crease, is hand-painted onto cast iron and boasts a beautifully aged finish. Its substantial weight ensures your door stays open, while the intricate details add a delightful finishing touch to any door in your home. What better Father's Day present for 16 June?

Graham & Green | £46

Click here to shop, or visit the store at 92 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG

Diptyque Citronnelle Candle

Unwind and enjoy a relaxing summer escape with this special luxury Citronnelle Candle, which aims to evoke the Mediterranean. The vibrant illustration, designed by French artist Alexandre Benjamin Navet, captures the essence of this idyllic scene.

Light the candle and let the captivating fragrance fill the home. Lemongrass takes centre stage with its bright, zesty aroma. Hints of verbena, neroli and orange blossom interweave, creating a truly evocative summer fragrance. Perfect for setting the mood for an evening of relaxation, the candle also boasts a practical benefit as its citronella fragrance helps to deter mosquitos. A luxurious and practical way to enhance summer evenings...

Diptyque | £56
Click here to explore the collection.

Curated by Daniel McCabe

We’ve seen some interesting literary journals popping up lately, most recently the European Review of Books and Whitney. And now we have Heavy Traffic, a US journal mainly focused on short fiction and edited by its publisher Patrick McGraw. This is actually the fourth issue but it’s catching attention right now because it’s part of a new wave of text-based and experimental publishing jumping out of what has remained a general conventional genre. This issue is designed in stark black and white serif typography by publication design guru Richard Turley which, despite appearances, delivers a very accessible reading experience. It features new work by Linda Yablonsky, Natasha Stagg, Sam Kriss, Keller Easterling, Sierra Armor, Kyle Chayka, Sedrick Chisom, Sean Thor Conroe, Cara Schacter and Jasper Baydala. |£20

magalleria.co.uk

Love Makers Craft Cafe at Wolf Wine from 19 June to 4 July

The Love Makers Craft Cafe offers a creative menu for those who like the idea of trying their hand at something new in good company – without the hassle of buying lots of kit or clearing up afterwards.

Pick from 5 crafting experiences; 

• printing (block & lino)
• ceramic upcycling (repainting kitsch china)
• stitch 101 (embroidery basics)
• mixed media collage
• waste paper basketry

Running from 19 June to 4 July on Wednesday mornings 10am-12pm and Thursday evenings 7pm-9pm.

Hosted at Wolf Wine on Walcot Street, you must be 18+ to attend.
Click here to book now. 

The Country Brocante Summer Fair
21–22 June

Built in 1782, Yarlington is the much loved family home of The Count and Countess Charles de Salis, who have filled it with a fascinating collection of art and antiques and nurtured the grounds into the idyllic gardens they are today, filled with an abundance of roses, wisteria arbours and an enchanting apple pergola.

On 21 and 22 June the parkland will be filled with pretty white tents, overflowing with beautiful things for your home and garden. Yarlington House prides itself on the careful curation of the finest decorative antique dealers, vintage homeware collectors, small independent businesses and artisans.

The garden galleries will be brimming with perfect pieces for your home and charming finds for your garden. There will also be delicious food and drink offerings and tea and cake on the lawn. There will also be a line up of interesting demonstrations and talks with leading creatives.You can also explore the beautiful gardens, walled garden and parkland.

Click here for more information.

Covent Garden Dance: Ballet Under the Stars

The unmissable summer event Ballet Under the Stars returns to Hatch House from 25–28 July.

This year will see another sensational programme with internationally acclaimed dancers from The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Béjart Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

The 17th-century walled Dutch garden is covered for the event where this international cast will perform a mixed bill programme in three 30-minute sections between gourmet dining courses. The programme as always will consist of classical, neo-classical and contemporary works. A magical night… every night.

Tickets from £185, including a three-course dinner with wine.

Image shows: Myriam Ould and Mickaël Lafon, Hatch House at Ballet Under the Stars. Photo Credit: Alice Pennefather

Book your tickets at events@coventgardendance.com for a spectacular evening of ballet in the magical setting of Hatch House or call 01749 813313.
Hatch House SP3 6PA

Click here for more information.

Bath Bach Choir: Laudate!, 6 July, 7.30pm-9.30pm

This summer Bath Bach Choir presents an exciting and inspiring evening of orchestral and choral music by two masters of Baroque music, Bach and Marianna Martines. Join the choir in the awe-inspiring setting of Bath Abbey to hear some of the finest works of the 18th century!

The choir will be joined by the virtuoso Geldart Ensemble to perform Bach’s Magnificat in D major, marking the 300th anniversary of the first performance of this splendid work. The choir regularly includes in its programmes works by the outstanding composer whose name it proudly bears; the Magnificat is a long-standing favourite with singers and audiences alike.

The choir will also perform two sublime pieces by one of Bach’s near-contemporaries, Marianna Martines, a lady admired by both Haydn and Mozart but whose compositions have been unjustly neglected for centuries – until now.

Click here for more information.

The Iford Manor Jazz Festival returns!

Running from 20-23 June, enjoy some sensational jazz by top musicians in the idyllic gardens of Iford Manor.

One event not to miss is the garden jazz on Saturday 22 June, featuring a tribute to Blue Note Records from QCBA.Immerse yourself in jazz, food, drink, dancing and beautiful gardens & countryside with this special evening in Iford Manor Gardens.

Quartet QCBA, led by Quentin Collins (trumpet) and Brandon Allen (sax), accompanied by Ross Stanley (organ) and Ian Thomas (drums) will deliver a high energy homage to some of the best known artists from Blue Note’s golden period during the 1960s. Expect to hear classics by Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, Donald Bryd and Herbie Hancock.

Indulge in a live fire asado on the Great Terrace from Iford’s Head Chef Matthew Briddon, or bring your own picnic to enjoy in the gardens. In between sets, jazz DJ Mike Vitti plays music to enjoy while eating, or later to dance the night away…

Click here for more information, or book here now.
Iford Manor, Iford, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 2BA

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair - Sunday 9 June

The award-winning monthly Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair (BCAF) is committed to bringing the best of contemporary art to the heart of Bath. It has created a regular space where artists can network, share ideas, connect with the public, and where the public can connect with art. Visitors can see the works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and much more, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. 

Sunday 9 June | 10am - 5pm | Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath
For updates and exhibiting artists visit the website: bcaf.co.uk

Artwork by Michael Sutherland

Capturing A Moment, 2–7 July

An exciting new exhibition in Walcot Chapel, Capturing A Moment brings together six artists working in an eclectic mixture of styles and mediums ranging through textiles, photography, woodfired ceramics and painting.

The unifying theme encapsulates the relationship between maker and subject and that alchemical moment where through medium and process the moment is captured.

Preview is on Tuesday 2 July from 6.30pm–8.30pm. The exhibition is open daily 10am to 6pm. Free admission, all welcome.

Walcot Chapel, Walcot Gate, Bath BA1 5UG

For more information please contact Usha Pearce
tel: 07734 114827; usha.pearce@gmail.com

Image credit: Beverley Ferguson

Team Bath Netball Super League players
open Freshford Church School netball court

Freshford Church School welcomed Team Bath Netball Super League players Phoebe Maslen and Jayda Pechova on Tuesday this week to officially open the school’s new netball court.

The players demonstrated key skills and passes to all of the pupils and, together with head teacher Andrew Wishart, cut a ribbon to declare the court open. Members of the Freshford School netball club then enjoyed a training session with Jayda and Phoebe.

Andrew Wishart said: “For our children to have this morning training with Phoebe and Jayda, two brilliant netball players from the elite Team Bath, was an inspirational experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives, offering a dynamic demonstration of just how far the children can take their skills if they dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their purpose and their ambition. A huge thank you to everyone at Team Bath.”

A small village primary school, Freshford has limited outdoor space, so the staff and the PTA must be creative in finding ways to give all the children opportunities to play sports and outdoor activities within the school. Donations are welcome from local businesses, parents, and the local community. Click here to donate.

PTA contact: Jo Taylor
joannataylor@live.com 

Team Bath: Stephanie Bryan, Marketing & Communications Manager
sjb267@bath.ac.uk 

Fosse Lane, Batheaston, BA1

Offered for sale by Camella estate agents

Nestled in a charming locale, this exquisitely modernised 3 bedroom cottage presents a harmonious blend of contemporary features and timeless appeal. The property boasts an array of recent upgrades, including a new kitchen, and an environmentally conscious touch with the installation of 9 solar panels in September 2022, complemented by a self-sufficient 6 1/2 kW battery. Additional enhancements include off-street parking with EV car charging, an Electromax boiler for efficient heating and hot water, and a captivating vista of Solsbury Hill and Bathampton Meadows from the new wrap-around decking. The interior exudes a sense of sophistication, with vaulted ceilings enhancing the spacious feel of the 3 double bedrooms, while the elevated positioning ensures panoramic views and tranquillity, offering a serene retreat within walking distance of local amenities and convenient bus links to the city centre.

Outside, the property offers a generous garden area with immense potential for creating a bespoke outdoor haven. The elevated position not only provides stunning panoramic views but also offers a sense of seclusion and peace, ideal for relaxation and unwinding amidst the beauty of nature. The recently installed wrap-around decking encompasses the property, extending the living space outdoors and providing a scenic setting to entertain, dine al fresco, or simply bask in the tranquillity of the surroundings. Although the garden may benefit from some TLC to unleash its full splendour, the grounds offer a canvas of possibilities for creating a private oasis where one can savour the enchanting vista and revel in the beauty of this idyllic setting | Offers in excess of £500,000

Click here for more information.