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| Plus, a winter warmer recipe and an Academy Award-nominated film |
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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours in Bath
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BATH LIGHTS UP | AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT
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| Counting down to Christmas |
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Have you seen Bath's brilliant illuminated advent calendar yet? Engineering firm Buro Happold has numbered the windows of its building on Lower Bristol Road to resemble a festive countdown. No.15 Great Pulteney’s sponsored window (one of 26 being supported by local businesses) is set to light up on, appropriately, next Tuesday (15 December). The installation is a tribute to the NHS. Also, as it has been doing since August, No.15 will donate £5 from every room night booked (through to 31 January 2021, inclusive) to Hospitality Action.
no15greatpulteney.co.uk; burohappold.com
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CHRISTMAS TIME | GETTING FESTIVE
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| Happy Christmas Jumper Day |
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To celebrate Christmas Jumper Day, we're getting in to the festive spirit with this fabulous jumper from Joules. Framed with a simple round neckline, this long-sleeved jumper is also the perfect winter warmer.
Christmas Jumper Day raises money for the charity Save the Children. This year, more than 3.7 million have already signed up to the day and it's still not too late! Grab your festive knits and make a donation if you can!
Joules Festive Dog Print Jumper, Navy; £49.95; johnlewis.com
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OUR TRIBUTE | REMEMBERING AN ICON
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| We remember Dame Barbara Windsor |
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Following the sad news of Dame Barbara Windsor's passing, we remember her radiant joy in an interview from our magazine from December 2010 where she shared her memories and favourite tunes with Mick Ringham ahead of her panto season at the Bristol Hippodrome. She will be sorely missed.
Remembering Babs...
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DECEMBER ISSUE | OUT NOW AND LOOKING GOOD
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Great writing, great reading
The December issue is just out and we hope you'll love this month's read. As always, there's a lot of great reading to enjoy by our team of wonderful writers and contributors as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. 15,000 copies are delivered door to door, and we print a good supply of extra magazines so you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our stands at Waitrose, Sainsbury, M&S Foods (Twerton Mills), (Tesco Weston Village) and the Holburne Museum - all are topped up regularly.
There's nothing better than the real read but you can visit our website to read online.
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WEEKEND RECIPE | A FESTIVE VEGGIE LOAF
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| Recipe by Melissa Blease |
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| Parsnip, chestnut and cranberry loaf |
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The inherent sweetness of parsnips is grounded by the mellow earthiness of chestnuts and uplifted by the fruity tang of cranberries in this glorious vegetarian centrepiece, perfect for the festive season.
Ingredients
550-600g parsnips, peeled and halved lengthways
200g cooked chestnuts (readily available in vacuum packs)
500g cranberries
3 onions, peeled and chopped
100g walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
15g pack of sage
175g caster sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp runny honey
Approx. 6 tbsp butter
Method
- Gently sauté the chopped onions in butter in a large non-stick pan until translucent and very soft (about 12–15 minutes). Chop all but 6–8 leaves of the sage (setting the leaves aside for later) and sauté with the onions for 2 minutes. Tip the onions and sage mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, put the cranberries and sugar into a pan and simmer for about 8–10 mins over a high heat, stirring regularly until the sugar has melted, the cranberries have popped and you have a glossy, sticky 'jam.'
- Pulse the chestnuts and nuts together in a food processor until finely chopped. Mix the nuts into the onion and sage mixture with the breadcrumbs and the beaten egg; season well and stir thoroughly.
- Boil the parsnips in salted water for 4 minutes. Drain well and, when cool enough to handle, slice into long strips.
- Heat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin, line the base and short sides with greaseproof paper and grease the paper as well. Line the base of the tin with strips of parsnips. Melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp runny honey and brush across the top of the sliced parsnip base. Roughly chop the leftover parsnips and stir into the nut mixture.
- Layer half of the nut mixture on top of the sliced parsnips in the loaf tin, pack down well and smooth the surface. Spread with 1/3 of the cranberry sauce and top with the remaining nut mixture, packing down and spreading neatly as before (The loaf can be prepared in advance up until this point and chilled in the fridge, with the cranberry sauce, for up to 24 hours.) Cover the loaf with foil and bake for 55 minutes.
- To serve: sizzle the reserved sage leaves in 2 tbsp hot butter in a small pan for around 1 minute, until crisp. Heat the remaining cranberry sauce, loosened with a splash of water if necessary.
- Turn the loaf out onto a warm, decorative serving place, cut into neat slices, drizzle with the sage butter and crispy sage leaves and serve with roast vegetables and a jug of warm cranberry sauce.
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PRESENT PERFECT | TAKE FOUR GIFTS
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| SPARKLE WITH NICHOLAS WYLDE |
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From Nicholas Wylde’s exclusive Dazzle Collection, this 18ct white gold, large snowflake diamond pendant is a dramatic and sparkling winter treasure. The brilliant cut, claw-set diamonds weigh in at a total of 0.30ct. The 18ct snowflake is suspended from an 18 inch, 18ct white gold trace chain. So many wonderful pices and gifts on show too. Visit the shop or browse Nicholas's new website for ideas.
£3,580; nicholaswylde.com
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| ART PRINTS OF BATH |
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Custom prints of original paintings by local artist David Ringsell will give you a different perspective on the striking classic architecture of the city. Unframed Giclée custom prints can be ordered in three sizes: A2 - £120, A3 - £90, A4 - £75. The beautiful pieces come with narrow white border. The full gallery of David’s artwork and all the contact and ordering information can be found at: www.real-images.com
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| ARTISAN CRAFTS & DECORATIONS |
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Artisan Homeware is an independent Bristol-based homewares business bringing traditional craftsmanship to contemporary interiors. Besides handmade Boleslawiec Stoneware from Poland and UK-made luxury merino wool blankets and cushions, they have a whole web shop section dedicated to fairtrade and eco-friendly Christmas decorations. These vibrantly coloured Christmas Birds are handmade by artisans in Kashmir using traditional decorative techniques and are Fairtrade certified.
£28.95 for a set of six birds; visit the Christmas shop at: artisanhomeware.co.uk
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WRITTEN IN THE STARS
The Talisman Collection by top designer Simon Harrison. There’s one Talisman charm necklace for each of the 12 zodiac signs. Made from gold-plated sterling silver, each pendant shows two symbols of its Zodiac sign. It’s the perfect gift for a loved one or a treat for yourself. Can be worn stacked with one of Simon Harrison’s Zodiac East sign pendants to show your true cosmic DNA.
Shown here: Capricorn pendant, £75, coupled with the Sterling Silver Ox pendant, £75.
2021 is the year of the Ox... a good year. Shop online at: simonharrison.com or see more of his work at Alexandra May, 23 Brock Street, Bath.
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HANDMADE JEWELLERY | ELEGANT & BOLD
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| Unique handmade designs by Icarus Jewellery |
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Icarus Jewellery is an independent silver jewellery shop based in Bath since 2015. They are delighted to offer a great selection of handmade unique silver jewellery designs in their Bath store on the famous Pulteney Bridge and online shop.
icarusjewellery.com
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WEEKEND WINES | WORLD CLASS PROSECCO
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The Great Wine Co. is beyond thrilled to announce a new arrival, Della Vite Prosecco Superiore DOCG a crafted Prosecco brought to you by the Delevingne sisters, Chloe, Poppy and Cara. This is the first joint venture between the sisters, who have shared many of their happiest experiences over a glass of Prosecco.
Della Vite Prosecco is made by the Biasiotto family, who have been crafting superior Prosecco for over three generations in the heart of the Valdobbiadene appellation. The vineyards are sustainably managed, and the winery is solar-powered.
Della Vite Prosecco DOCG is rich, complex and extra-dry with a highly mineral palate and a soft lingering finish. The hints of crostini and chamomile open up plenty of potential for food pairings, or to just be enjoyed over great conversation and with stellar company.
This exclusive listing is available online or in their Bath shop, this is certainly a prosecco not to miss out on.
Della Vite Prosecco Superiore DOCG; £25
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FOODIE DELIGHTS | MINCE PIE MASTERCLASS
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Homemade mincemeat (vg)
In a large bowl, mix 1 peeled, grated Bramley apple, 150g currants, 75g chopped mixed peel, 125g muscovado sugar, 150g cold butter (grated) and 1 tsp ground mixed spice with 3 tbsp brandy and the juice and zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon. Cover with cling film and leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Variations: use rum, sherry, apple or orange juice instead of brandy. Add warming, spicy ginger, nutmeg and/or cinnamon to the mix. Swap the mixed peel for dried cranberries or finely chopped ready-to-eat dried apricots. Add 50g finely chopped pecan or pistachio nuts. Blend with 125g white marzipan, grated.
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| Sweet Pastry (vg) |
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By hand: rub 175g cold, cubed, unsalted butter into 350g plain flour and 50g sifted icing sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 2 egg yolks and 2–3 tbsp water and squeeze together gently to create a soft ball of pastry. In a food processor: pulse the flour, icing sugar and butter together until you reach the breadcrumb stage. With the blender running, slowly add the egg yolks and water, then pulse until the pastry comes together in a ball. Whichever way you do it, wrap your pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Assemble your pies in a lightly greased 12-hole cake/muffin tin, glaze with beaten egg, sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in a preheated oven (180ºC/gas mark 4) for 20–25 minutes.
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Once you've mastered the basic (very simple!) art of the Mince Pie, it's time to get creative...
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Mince Pie Meringues
Line the prepared 12-hole cake/muffin tin with pastry, add the mince pie filling and bake without lids for 12 minutes, or until the pastry is just crisping up. Meanwhile, whisk 2 large egg whites (saved from making the sweet pastry, perhaps?) with 125g caster sugar and a pinch of salt until stiff and glossy. Top each mince pie with a dollop of meringue mixture and continue to bake for 3–5 minutes until the snow white piles are lightly golden on the peaks.
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Puffy Mince Pie Pinwheels
Spread a quantity of mincemeat mixture over a shop-bought puff pastry sheet. With the longest side of the sheet towards you, roll up Swiss Roll style to create a long log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 18/20 slices and place cut-side down on a greased baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 15–20 minutes until puffy and golden.
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Crispy Filo Mince Pie Bites
Use 12 sheets of shop-bought filo pastry to create 24 bitesize mincemeat 'parcels'. Bake until crispy and dust with a little icing sugar before serving.
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Cheesy Mince Pies (yes, really!)
Splodge 1–2 tsp full-fat cream cheese or finely diced strong Cheddar on top of the mincemeat before topping with the pastry lid – perfect served after dinner, with port.
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OBJECT OF INTEREST | GET HAPPY WITH MALLORY
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Sporty and very elegant The Happy Ocean 40mm self-winding automatic is a beautifully crafted stainless steel watch that is water-resistant to 300m. Featuring a blue baton and dot dial with a blue and rasberry bezel and matching rubber strap. Chopard's signature five floating diamonds are playful and brilliant as they swim around the dial, sparkling in the light. £7,290.
Also from the Happy Ocean range is this pure silk Happy Ocean scarf. With exquisite colours and the rich intricate pattern of an ornate seascape, this is a wonderful piece to be treasured. £273. For details on the Chopard range and so much more, visit Mallory Jewellers and get happy.
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WILDLIFE WATCH | WARMER CLIMATES
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| The first swanfall at Slimbridge |
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The beginning of December has brought about the first 'swanfall' after a steady start at WWT Slimbridge.
Overnight on 30 November, 26 majestic Bewick's swans arrived at Slimbridge, after completing the final leg of their autumn migration. Encouraged by the onset of winter conditions to their breeding grounds in Arctic Russia, the Bewick's swans began their journey back in September and have since been enjoying the comforts and plentiful feeding opportunities at wetlands across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Hence the slow start to the Bewick's swan season at Slimbridge.
The 'swanfall' saw the exciting arrival of Slimbridge regular – Maisie, named after Slimbridge's Reserve Warden, Martin McGill's, daughter. Maisie arrived this year with her partner Mayfeld and their first two cygnets. At just three months old, these cygnets have completed their first 2,500km migration. Maisie first wintered at Slimbridge in 2014–15 where she was fitted with a GPS collar, therefore for a few years WWT were able to track her movements. Unfortunately during migration Maisie somehow lost the tracking collar. Maisie has been with Mayfeld since the winter of 2016–17 but this is the first time they have brought cygnets to Slimbridge.
Sir Peter Scott the founder of WWT dedicated much of his time to watching and studying Bewick's swans. He was the first person to recognise the value of bill pattern identification as a research tool. The WWT conservation team who are based at Slimbridge have been using this technique to identify and record individual Bewick's swans for more than 50 years, which is one of the largest conservation studies for a single species. Over that time, the comings and goings of individuals and family dynasties has led to over 10,000 swans being recorded, one of the longest-running studies on a single species in the world.
wwt.org.uk
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THE KIOSK | MAGAZINE MOMENTS
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Curated by Daniel McCabe – Magalleria
Lodestars Anthology is a journal packed with beautiful photography, thoughtful travel tales and original illustrations aimed at ‘curious travellers’. It focuses on one country per issue and somehow gets better every time. A couple of years ago they reprinted their very first issue and substantially revised to meet the new benchmark. That was the England issue and it has been our bestseller in this series. Now we have Wales, and it’s a stunner that could be the most popular outing yet.
£14; magalleria.co.uk
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | STORIES OF ART
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| Review by Topping & Co. |
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| On Photographs by David Campany |
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One for the photography aficionado in the family, Leading curator, David Campany brings an intelligent and thoughtful guide to an eclectic selection of photographs. We see work by Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Eggleston, Helen Levitt, Louise Lawler, and Rineke Dijkstra. There is stunning fashion photography by William Klein and one of Vivian Maier’s contact sheets, as well as images culled from magazines and advertisements. Highly readable, this book is an instant classic of photography writing with a gracious ode to Susan Sontag.
£25; toppingbooks.co.uk
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| Review by Topping & Co. |
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| Handmade in Japan by Gestalten |
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We adore anything from International Publishers, Gestalten who bring us cutting-edge visual culture worldwide. Handmade in Japan is a spectacularly beautiful, immaculately produced hardback that looks inside the workshops of the country’s artisans, revealing their endless pursuit of excellence, and what it means to dedicate one’s life to the stewardship of irreplaceable cultural heritage. From hand-painted kimono dyeing, sake brewing to wooden tray carving and paper making this lovely book is testament to the fact that Japanese crafts are alive.
£40; toppingbooks.co.uk
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The Story of Scottish Art by Lachlan Goudie
An entertaining, anecdotal yet hugely epic story of Scottish Art that spans the 5,000 years of creativity that defines a nation. This beautifully illustrated, whistle-stop tour will take you on a journey from early Neolithic symbols etched onto the landscape of Kilmartin Glen to Glasgow’s position as a centre of contemporary art today. Few people know more about Scottish Art than broadcaster and painter, Lachlan Goudie. His passion shines through his moving and personal narrative.
£29.95; toppingbooks.co.uk
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ON THE BOX | A CLASSIC NOVEL
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A deftly smart adaptation of the American classic from Greta Gerwig, her second solo directorial film after the brilliant Lady Bird. Saorise Ronan leads a glittering ensemble that includes Meryl Streep, Laura Dern and Emma Watson.
Little Women picked up a whole host of nominations at both the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs and is not one to miss this weekend.
Watch it today on Sky Cinema
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Digital events at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Throughout December, the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI) is hosting a selection of unmissable online events, exploring some of the world's most prominent thinkers.
On 15 December, Professor Robert Morrison of Bath Spa University will give a live lecture about Christmas in the Regency period, as experienced by some of its most notable figures, including poet John Keats and novelist Walter Scott.
On 17 December, viewers can also tune into a lecture with Professor Joanna Bryson of Hertie School of Governance entitled Artificial Intelligence and Human Lives: Looking forwards 2025-2070, which is about wealth, power, and intelligence, and how we are communicating these due to the digital transformation.
brlsi.org
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The Fast and the Foodies
The Fast and the Foodies – a brand new car exhibition complete with street food – is coming to Trowbridge on 13 December.
Part of plans to foster a vibrant new quarter at Innox Mills, the event will feature super cars, sports and classic cars, plus a variety of street food stalls. From some of the newest Lamborghinis, Porches and Ferraris to classic British and American cars such as the Capri, Mustang, an American hot rod and a 1933 Austin, there will be all kinds of models on display.
The event has been organised by the Innox Mills site owners in partnership with Driven Life, a Wiltshire-based community for
car enthusiasts, and The Anonymous Travellers Market. Running from 10am-2pm next to Trowbridge Station car park, social distancing measures will be in place at the event to protect both visitors and stallholders.
facebook.com/InnoxMills
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Bath Contemporary Artists' Fair
Bath Contemporary Artists' Fair goes from strength to strength and is committed to bringing the best of contemporary art from the city and beyond right to the heart of Bath.
Following on from the successful and popular inaugural October fair, the next event is on 13 December, where visitors can browse the brilliant works of well over 50 local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture and textiles, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station.
This lovely event has grown dramatically since its opening show, attracting the attention of admirers from far and wide. This Sunday, take a stroll down to Green Park Station and enjoy a little light escapism.
Image credit: Kristine O'Connor
bcaf.co.uk
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INTERIORS | COLOURS OF THE YEAR
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| The experts have spoken... |
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Colour experts, Pantone, have announced the Colour of the Year 2021 and this year it's a double whammy! The bright 'Illuminating' (yellow) is paired with neutral 'Ultimate Gray' for a two-tone combo to suit many schemes and spaces.
Check out Loaf's suggestions on bringing the two new hues into the home...
loaf.com
Shown here: Slim Jim Sofa; £1295
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | NEW TO THE MARKET
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| Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 |
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Connaught Mansions is an impressive Grade I listed development of apartments in Bath city centre. The building features grand communal areas including a ground floor reception area as well as an impressive hallway and staircases.
Number 43 is a beautifully presented two bedroom apartment situated on the second floor accessed either by stairs or lift. It is entered off the communal hallway into a private entrance hall with a storage cupboard. The grand drawing room is situated to the right of the hallway as you enter the flat. It is a wonderfully open room with high ceilings, period style ceiling cornice, a built in bespoke designed shelving unit and two sash windows overlooking Great Pulteney Street.
There is a well-equipped kitchen by the famous Mark Wilkinson with modern appliances, plenty of storage and large sash window. The master bedroom which is spacious and very stylish has two large sash windows overlooking Great Pulteney Street. Bedroom 2 is another light room with a large sash window also overlooking Great Pulteney Street. The bathroom has a full length bath with shower over and wash hand basin vanity unit and w.c. The sash windows have all been renovated with the Ventrola system. The property also has the added benefit of a private parking space at the rear. £495,000 Share of Freehold.
Fore more information about the property, contact winkworth.co.uk
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