Drink quench marks

Round & About

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Oxfordshire

Our beautiful part of the world is full of fantastic food & drink producers. We uncork some of our favourites to enjoy this summer…

If summer joy could be encapsulated in a sound, surely it would be the “pop” of a perfectly chilled bottle? And when you’re uncorking the fruits of your own labours, success is sweet indeed…

“This land is a b***** to cultivate,” says Henry Laithwaite as he stands on the undulating Chiltern slopes alongside his wife Kaye. “It’s so flinty that the harrow kept breaking when we started working the soil, which inspired our name. But it is a very special spot.”

Indeed, this beautiful Thames Valley terroir is one of the many magical ingredients (along with lots of hard work) which have helped conjure up the lush velvety blushing fizz we uncork and sample in Harrow & Hope’s adjoining state-of-the-art winery. This non-vintage brut rosé, made exclusively from pinot noir grapes, won a gold medal in the Sommelier Wine Awards. Produced using traditional methods and the precious fruit from these relatively young vines, Harrow & Hope’s sparkling wines are flying the flag for the Great British food and drink revolution. Visit www.harrowandhope.com

Here at Round & About Magazine we are passionate (not to mention greedy and thirsty) supporters of local pubs, restaurants and producers. After all, anyone working in the food & drink industry will know all too well that it takes a lot of hard graft to create the perfect recipe for punters to enjoy.

Chalgrove Gin

Gin has seen a surge in popularity and there are some interesting local producers in this spirited part of the world. Chalgrove Artisan Distillery use juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, cardamon and black peppercorns, honed in an alembic copper still, to create their OX44 Gin; visit www.chalgroveartisandistillery.com.

Did you know gin started out as a medicine (it was thought to cure gout and indigestion)? In the 18th century, alcohol was safer to drink than water and gin was cheaper than beer; it was untaxed until the government cottoned on, sparking hooch production. Much of the gin was drunk by women (with historians blaming it for child neglect and citing wet nurses giving gin to babies to quieten them), landing many in debtors’ prisons or the gallows, or driving them to madness, suicide and death (hence the term Mother’s Ruin). However, these days it’s a more joyful summer spirit, and can even be considered a beauty tonic…

Young In Spirit is the world’s first company which combines spirits with pure collagen. Oxford “gintrepreneurs” Camilla Brown and Liz Beswick have earned attention from Vogue and The Daily Mail, among others for their Collagin; www.collagin.co.uk.

The artisans at Toad in Oxford craft gin, absinthe, vodka and rye whiskey worth a shot – and there’s a new cocktail bar at Bicester village; www.spiritoftoad.com. And Mr Hobbs Gin, part of the Hobbs of Henley Experience, has launched two new fruit flavoured gin liqueurs; Rhubarb & Ginger and Raspberry & Elderflower www.mrhobbsgin.co.uk 

Is beer your tipple? Hoppy bunnies are spoilt for choice. For tours, tastings and hearty ales, check out Witney’s wondrous Wychwood Brewery (www.wychwood.co.uk). Cirencester’s Corinium Ales (www.coriniumales.co.uk), Chipping Norton’s Hook Norton Brewery www.hooky.co.uk. A passion for good beer and social justice fuel Botley’s Tap Social, where the team offer live music and street food every Friday and Saturday in August as well as the monthly comedy night and reggae night, www.tapsocialmovement.com. Ciderniks near Kintbury has been making natural ciders, pure apple juice and cider vinegar since 2003; www.ciderniks.com

Spice up your life…

Variety is the spice of life and there are so many restaurants to enjoy this summer. Michelin-starred Atul Kochhar (the father of Benares in London and Sindhu in Marlow) hosts Indian nights in August at his divine Hawkyns in Amersham; www.hawkynsrestaurant.co.uk. The Bottle & Glass Inn in Binfield has made a splash, gaining a nod from Harden’s Guide and a Michelin Plate; www.bottleandglassinn.com. For summer dining in style, check out The French Horn in Sonning (www.thefrenchhorn.co.uk), The Crooked Billet in Stoke Row (www.thecrookedbillet.co.uk) and The Nelson in Brightwell Baldwin www.thenelsonbrightwell.co.uk. Feast on fresh Lebanese and Middle Eastern delicacies (many vegan or veggie) including colourful salads and wraps at Comptoir Libanais in Oxford’s Westgate; www.comptoirlibanais.com
We also love the rustic summer vibes of The Highwayman (www.thehighwaymaninn-checkendon.co.uk). Cheers!

So, we’d like to know what’s your favourite pub or restaurant and why? Join in the conversation and comment below.

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Hooked on Peter Pan

Round & About

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Journey to Neverland thanks to an open-air musical production of Peter Pan by the Immersion Theatre team, writes Peter Anderson

Once again, the theatre’s artistic director James Tobias combines with composer Robert Gathercole for this latest adaptation of J. M. Barrie’s iconic story about a boy who never grew up.

“I’m incredibly excited to continue expanding Immersion’s portfolio of work,” James tells me. “Peter Pan is shaping up to be another
larger-than-life summer treat for families of all ages, complete with all the ingredients that make an Immersion show such a uniting, and above all fun family experience.”

So, what you need to do is follow young Peter, as he guides Wendy and the Darling boys on an awfully big adventure as they think happy thoughts and fly high to Neverland. Once there, they will meet a collection of well-known characters, from Peter’s friends – the Lost Boys, his close friend the cheeky Tinkerbell, and then of course there is the hilarious Smee and the most feared villain of them all, the evil Captain Hook. Filled with catchy music, heaps of audience interaction (oh yes there is!), and a laugh-a-minute script makes this a hilarious and exciting musical about the boy who never grew up, one where every member of the family will be hooked!

Speaking of Hook, Thomas Cove who plays him says: “It’s such a pleasure to be teaming up again with James Tobias and the great people at Immersion Theatre. It’s not often that chances to play such an iconic character like Captain Hook come along, so as soon as the casting came up, I knew it was something I wanted to be involved with. The team who have been assembled truly bring this timeless story to life. The show is packed with Immersion’s trademark high-energy, fantastic entertainment for all ages, and the beautiful open-air venues we’ll be visiting will be in for a treat.”

The performances are outside, so audience members can take their own picnic, chairs or rugs, and drinks will be served during the interval. After the performance you may also have a chance to meet members of the cast.

Peter Pan will be performed on lawns, in our readers’ areas on the following dates:
Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th August in Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Surrey.
Friday, 10th August In Langley Park, Iver, Buckinghamshire.
Monday, 13th August in Shaw House, Newbury, Berkshire
Sunday, 26 & Monday, 27th August in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

For details and tickets, visit www.immersion theatre.co.uk

Peter Pan by Immersion Theatre

https://www.facebook.com/immersiontheatreuk/videos/1205216526284960/

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Awakening the dragon!

Round & About

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Crowd participation will be very welcome this Saturday, 28th July, as The Henley Dragons celebrate it’s new racing boat with a naming ceremony – Boaty Mcboatface is not an option – but a rather more superstitious tradition will be followed. Club secretary Cat Cassell tells us all about it…

The Henley Dragons, who are part of the Eyot Centre, have recently accepted delivery of a new racing dragon boat. We are now in the throes of organising a ‘Naming of the Boat’ ceremony to be held on Saturday, 28th July, at 7pm, which is traditionally called ‘Awakening the Dragon’. We thought it would be a great opportunity to invite the public to come and celebrate this with us. We are to hold this event on the riverside at Hobbs of Henley who are sponsoring this event.

Rowers at Henley Dragon Club
Rowers at Henley Dragon Club

By way of background, in ancient China, the Dragon Boat with ornately carved dragon’s head and tail, was used for religious purposes as a way of appeasing the rain gods. The history of dragon boats can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago, along the banks of the life-sustaining rivers in Southern China, such as the Chang Jiang (now the Yangtze).

There are two main legends popularly related to the custom of racing dragon boats.

Awakening the dragon – Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

The traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month (varying from late May to middle June), which is traditionally considered a month of death and disease, evil and darkness, due to the high, summer temperatures (in China). Therefore, venerating the awakening Dragon was meant to avert misfortune and encourage rainfall, needed for the fertility of crops and prosperity of the people.

The Dragon Boat Festival was primarily held as a ceremony to awaken the hibernating ‘Heavenly Dragon’. Sacrifices, sometimes human, were involved in this ritual and it could be a violent clash with the crew members of the competing boats throwing stones and striking each other with cane sticks. Originally, paddlers (or even an entire team) falling into the water could receive no assistance from onlookers as the accident was considered to be due to the will of this ‘Dragon Deity’ and could not be interfered with; and, if people drowned it was considered a sacrifice for the greater good.

Dotting of the Eye Ceremony

The ceremony called ‘Eye Dotting’ or ‘Awakening the Dragon ‘traditionally involves a Taoist priest dotting the protruding eyes of the dragon head carved on the boats, thus ending its slumber. The ceremony is practiced at many Dragon Boat events throughout the world today. 

Traditional Chinese Lion dancers
Traditional Chinese Lion dancers

We have invited the new Mayor of Henley, Councillor Glen Lambert, to perform the ‘dotting of the eye’ – awakening of the dragon. The ceremony, in respect to Chinese custom, will open the dragon’s eyes, ward off evil spirits and prepare the river for voyage. The ceremony not only blesses and cleanses the area for competition, but also the spectators and competitors.  It is considered very bad luck to paddle or race in a dragon boat that has not been properly awakened or has its eyes closed.

This whole ceremony will be a big celebration and spectacle at the awakening of the dragon.  Among the naming, a traditional lion dance will be performed around the boat. We have engaged with the local lion dancers who will be putting on a vibrant, loud and spectacular performance for us, to share in our celebrations.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free evening event, with the ‘dragon awakening’ at 7pm.

Visit www.henleydragons.online

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Alex James: feast of fun

Liz Nicholls

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Oxfordshire

Liz Nicholls chats to musician, cheese maker and dad Alex James, 49, ahead of The Big Feastival which takes place 24th-26th August, in the Cotswolds

Q: How do you start planning each new Big Feastival?
“The first thing we do is invite The Cuban Brothers and Justin Fletcher; then we’ve got a party. Justin turns up and marches on stage with his little red nose on to sing One Man Went To Mow and brings the house down, without fail, every year. As time goes on it gets easier to attract the big stars. I’m delighted Marco [Pierre White] is involved this year; the whole British food revival started with him. Raymond Blanc and Pierre Koffmann complete the trio of culinary granddaddies.”

Q. Do you love the local food scene?
“Totally. We’re lucky with such a brilliant culture of food, starting with Daylesford just up the road and that’s drawn loads of brilliant chefs to the area. I love all the great pop-ups, farmers, producers…”

Q. Do you get to enjoy the festival once all the hard prep work is done?
“Yes; it takes all my charms and the odd cheese parcel, as well as loads of hard work. But when the sun’s shining and everyone’s jumping up and down, having a good time, it’s worth it. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun as this – it’s an absolute scream. I get the whole family involved; everyone’s got a role.”

Q. You make parenting look easy, with your big brood!
“Haha! Yeah but I do get stressed too, man. Having a big family teaches you to roll with the punches, focus on the horizon, keep pushing.”

Q. You seem very productive?
“I’ve made five children, six cheeses and seven records. That’s the only reason I can do a food, music and family festival. You’ve got to care to make it happen.”

Q. How do you stay so svelte, making so much cheese!?
“Thanks for saying; I don’t feel it! I’ve got two new cheeses out this year so each one is quite a bit of time in the gym. It’s difficult not to invent cheese without eating loads of f***ing cheese!”

Q. Where do you want to travel next?
“Marco and I were talking about this the other day – he wants to go round Europe. South America, for me, is mind-blowing. The last time I was in Chile with the band I had a great meal and there wasn’t one ingredient I recognised. There’s interest in doing a festival down there, actually. I love travelling as a family; it’s so easy to travel in the 21st century.”

Q. Do you still love astronomy?
“Yeah; I watch lots of videos on YouTube; science, physics. It’s a good way to zone out at the end of a long day. Since the kids arrived I’ve got more down-to-earth concerns but my love of astronomy has gone into a more abstract realm of higher maths.”

Q. Who’s your favourite author?
“I like to re-read those books I’ve always loved, especially Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson.”

Visit www.thebigfeastival.com

Hurry! Enter for our The Big Feastival Competition – ends Friday, 27th July

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Super natural photography

Round & About

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Local photographer and wildlife enthusiast Ewan Jones shares his love of all creatures great and small, right on our doorstep

Feathered, furry, scaly or smooth, I love animals of all shapes and sizes. As a small boy, my bookshelf was full of monumental wildlife encyclopedias.

Growing up in Dorchester on Thames and moving to Clifton Hampden at the age of eleven, I was blessed with seeing countless creatures that many from my generation have not had the privilege of.

I distinctly remember one Sunday morning, my parents excitedly whispering across the kitchen to alert me to the spectacle in the garden. There, in all its splendour, was a tiny weasel running back and forth to the garden shed, climbing up the walls, crawling underneath it, at a pace that even made a child tired. I think I fell in love.

As a young adult, I shared my nature passion with a special friend. We’d go on walks together in the hope of seeing mustelids, especially weasels or stoats… Any nature-lover could have told you I was practically hoping to win the lottery. My friend had a camera, a pretty good Canon with a decent lens. While I was looking on, in the hope of a miracle, they’d stop at every tree, attempting a snap of any bird or butterfly that crossed our trail.

At first I was rather unimpressed by their slowing of my searches, but when I saw their results when we got home, my preferences quickly began to change. It was no longer all about the mustelids, it was about the joy and the beauty of all the creatures, and capturing them in a moment of perfection. It was time I got myself a camera.

Many pass-me-downs and purchases later, I am a well-prepared twitcher. I’ll travel far and wide to get a chance of adding new bird species to my collection. I’m lucky to have a Spanish mother so I can travel to the country, which is simply jam-packed with African migrant species.

Yes, I have a life list. Yes, I have my favourites. But to me, wildlife photography is about capturing the perfect posture, in perfect colour, in exquisite detail. Only then, is that beautiful creature yours.

Ewan’s tips!

Photography is subjective; everybody has a different view on what makes a beautiful photo. If you are a fan of colourful lighting, get yourself up at the crack of dawn for the early-morning sunlight. If you’re a fan of scientific accuracy and crisp detail, save up your pennies and splash out on quality gear. To locate rare species, especially local birds, I highly recommend www.oxonbirding.blogspot.co.uk. My humble advice to anyone wishing to take wonderful photos of nature is to start simple, put the hours in, explore your passion. Just get out there and take photos of everything that moves…. Oh, and a little photography course won’t go amiss, either.

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Magic markers: Morgan & West

Round & About

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Time-travelling gentlemen Morgan & West are touring their magic show. Peter Anderson caught up with the duo…

Q. Who inspired you [Rhys Morgan and Robert West] to get into magic?
Rhys: “Of course, like all of Britain, I grew up watching Paul Daniels on television on a Saturday night. Then I was a big fan of Derren Brown and I loved going to see his live shows. I bought his book Tricks of the Mind one Christmas when I was 20 and there were a few little tricks in it – coin vanishes and such. I started learning those and got hooked.”
Robert: “I spent much of my youth learning to juggle
different things and enjoyed learning new ‘tricks’. Magic was a logical, if somewhat backwards, progression from this when I was at university [Christ Church College]. That and fancy card shuffles were good to make it look like was really good at poker when playing with friends.”

Q. When did you both decide to work together?
Rhys: “We met at university doing a play.”
Robert: “Yes; a student production of Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters.”
Rhys: “I was The Fool and you were Hwel the dwarf, as I recall. We bonded over a shared sense of humour and also how the lighting design wasn’t great.”
Robert: “I spent a lot of time in college doing technical theatre so
Rhys asked me to light his next show.”

Q. Is there somewhere where you’d love to perform your magic act?
Rhys: “I think we’d both love to have our own West End run.”
Robert: “Successful West End run!”
Rhys: “Yes, I suppose anyone can just hire a theatre and do a show to an empty room. That would be awful.”

 

Time Travelling Magicians: Morgan & West

Q. How did you come up with the concept for this new Time-Travelling Magicians show of yours, and what can the audience expect?
Rhys: “Morgan & West started life as a very serious, Victorian-style act but we quickly realised that we liked being silly.”
Robert: “And Victorians, as people imagine them, weren’t silly…” Rhys: “They were not amused. So, the idea of keeping the look, which we really liked, whilst bringing the act to the modern day appealed. And thus, the time-travelling escapades of Morgan & West came into being.”
Robert: “So, the shows themselves are full of really good magic, lots of our own takes on classic tricks and also plenty of new stuff too. All topped off with silliness, humour, and charm.”

Q. You are also presenting a children’s magic show. What advice would you give to any child who wants to follow you and have a career in magic?
Rhys: “Spend your time learning from all art forms – literature, film, pictures, theatre – the lot. Join an am-dram group. Learn to perform. The tricks are actually secondary.”
Robert: “And have a fall-back plan. We can still teach if everything goes belly-up!”

For more information about these spiffing chaps, including other live dates, see www.morganandwest.co.uk

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Mock and roll

Round & About

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Old Woodstock in Oxfordshire is the setting for a centuries old fun-filled tradition of electing a Mock Mayor. Join the fun on Saturday, 21st July, writes Rachel Thompson

The tradition dates back to the 18th century with its origins in making fun of neighbouring New Woodstock with its fancy town hall.

After a break in the early 20th century, the festival was revived with enthusiasm in the 1980s. Last year’s event could not go ahead but the committee is back this year with a new chairman; Damian Thompson (the 2013 Mock Mayor) and enthusiastic new committee members!

After a procession of the outgoing Mayor and his officials in fancy dress, with a town crier at The Black Prince, candidates make speeches before the committee elects its new Mayor for the year, forming a procession across Blenheim Park to the New Woodstock Town Hall for dancing with Morris men and the real Mayor of Woodstock…then the Mock Mayor is ducked in the River Glyme and a good time is had by all!

With traditional games, stalls, tug-of-war, Punch & Judy and a children’s entertainer before live music from Woodstock’s Unsociable Media and Indie Zone and a barbecue later, the event (2.30-5.30pm for the ceremony and fete and 6-10.30pm for the evening) promises fun for all.

www.facebook.com/mockmayor

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Show time

Round & About

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This month, admire a wealth of creativity thanks to Eynsham artists’ work on show.

Eynsham Arts Group is an all-inclusive, friendly and proactive group for local artists and all those with an appreciation of art. Their summer exhibition opens on Eynsham Carnival Day, this year on Saturday, 7th July.

Artists who make up the group range from beginners to professionals and use a variety of media; oils, acrylics, pen, pencils, photographic prints and watercolours. Julie Sailing-Free and Jenny Bowden of the group say: “We aim to promote painting and drawing locally, while providing a forum for the exhibition of, discussion and promotion of local artists.”

Exhibitions are held four or five times a year in The Bartholomew Rooms in Eynsham Square and the summer exhibition will begin on Saturday, 7th July, from 9am until 5pm. It continues on Sunday, 8th July, from 10am to 4pm; and then from Thursday, 12th July until Sunday, 15th July from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free.

The start of this exhibition coincides with Eynsham Carnival Day when the square will be busy with stalls and Morris Dancers, a shirt race through the village stopping at local pubs along the way, followed by a procession at midday, before the carnival proceeds to the playing field where there will be dog shows, motorcycle displays, a multitude of stalls, Tug-O-War, pig races, a fun fair, live music and much more!

Artwork is varied and of a high quality, reflecting the enormous and diverse talent in Eynsham and surrounding villages and towns. The group also runs an ongoing exhibition at The Swan Hotel in Acre End Street, Eynsham, where members mainly display work representing the village, the Cotswolds and surrounding areas as well as Oxford architecture. No appointment is necessary – open hours are noon until late every day.

“Although many of our artists sell work locally, nationally and internationally,” adds Julie, “many of our members belong to our group for the appreciation of art itself.”

As well as the group’s frequent exhibitions, there are meetings on the last Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm. The speakers are varied and provide talks and/or demonstrations and all visitors are welcome. Guests can turn up and pay a small fee at the door. New members can join any time – visit www.eynshamartsgroup.org.uk

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Nit wit

Round & About

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Abingdon mums Julia King and Julia Thomas will be out and about this month promoting their great new book Super Nit Rescue Mission

A super hero is not the classic character trait that instantly springs to mind when pondering the subject of headlice. But instead of reaching for another lotion of bug-killer, Julia Thomas picked up a pen and began musing about these uninvited beasts.

This singing teacher, who works at St Helen’s School in Abingdon, says: “I’ve got really thick, curly hair, and so do my children. Getting rid of headlice hurts, and I guess writing this story was a coping mechanism for us all. Creating a book on this irritating subject was my motivation to help other families talk about it, and help their kids not to feel ashamed.”

Why a superhero? “Well our hero is not from this planet – he’s lost on Harry’s head,” continues Julia. “He’s a good guy; and fights the pirate nits, headed by Captain Louse. He wins, and in return for ridding Harry’s hair of bad nits, gets a lift back to his space ship.”

Julia joined “heads” with her writer friend Julia King to create this heart-warming tale, about nasty headlice. The pair are mum-and-stepmum to the same daughter as well as mums to their half siblings.

Visit www.juplicatebooks.co.uk

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Material world

Round & About

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Graeme Rowe of Kingston Bagpuize explains more about Little Weave which aims to educate children through storytelling with a pinch of old-school ethics!

I’m old enough to remember when there were no computer games, food was healthy and simple, and children were shielded from bad habits.

These memories inspired my wife Asua and me to launch our interactive website. It includes stories parents can read to their children featuring new characters. Parents can create stories and pictures with their children to be published on the website. The aim is to build a community educating young children through creating and sharing fun stories.

Each Little Weave story is written with a subtle undertone promoting ethics and a healthy lifestyle. For example how to be polite and helpful to people, especially the elderly; eat fruit and vegetables and enjoy stimulating hobbies.

All of the new Little Weave characters also have characteristics that everyone can relate to including worrying, forgetfulness and clumsiness.

The Little Weave website clearly sets out the personalities of the 10 characters and offers a guide on how parents can create stories with their children. Once uploaded online and reviewed internally, the stories will be featured on the website. People do not need to be professional authors to have their work featured online. We are new to writing and enjoy the challenge of creating something new each time.

To make the stories fun, the theme for Little Weave is sewing. The online village has buildings made of material, with buttons for windows and zips for doors. Every aspect of the landscape is sewn together from brightly coloured fabric. The 10 characters are all soft and cuddly with a colourful check-patterned material and include Button the Rabbit, Cotton the Cat and disco dancing Lord Tweed the Goat.

The inspiration for Little Weave came from Piyanooch, a Thailand-based businesswoman who sells hand-sewn clothes and accessories. We worked with Piyanooch’s team to develop bright colourful T-shirts, bags, blankets and cushion covers with hand-sewn characters and detailing, all made from 100% cotton. Manufacturing takes place in Northern Thailand. Each seamstress sews around tending to their farms and looking after family members.

We hope you enjoy reading the tales and creating stories with your children!

Find out more at www.littleweave.com

  • Button the bunny
  • Dazzle the dog

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