Great West Way Travel Magazine
MY GREAT WEST WAY
Whether you want to indulge in a splash of Edwardian opulence, down a chilled glass of Britain's finest fizz or take a ride in a Rolls Royce phantom, these three locals hold the keys
Three local business owners tell us what is special to them, and what they love best about living and working on the Great West Way
TOM NEWEY IS STILL reeling at the success he has had with his Alder Ridge vineyard, eleven years on from its launch. “Times are changing,” he says. “Who would have ever thought they'd find an internationally recognised vineyard along the Great West Way?” Critics said it was too hairbrained and wouldn't work so Tom set out to prove them wrong and was rewarded with the cat's whiskers when he went and won silver for his Blanc de Noirs at the International Wine Challenge in 2016 - not bad for his very first vintage.
“Of course we have had our ups and downs, not least, with the challenge of dealing with the ongoing situation of COVID-19, and the weather will no doubt continue to surprise us with its uncertainty. I watch the weather a lot more than I used to but for the time being – and I hate to say this – global warming is working in our favour. The chalky ridge and the flinty topsoil have many of the key characteristics of the Champagne region, which not only means strong grapes but a beautiful place to live.
Visitors are welcome to come and explore our stunning Southerly facing vineyard over the summer months. We host a series of vineyard tours between June and September - so please book with us for 2021." (Private tour packages start at £35pp)
Tom's best thing about the Great West Way:
It promotes slow travel, which means we get our heads out of our sat navs and take time to appreciate our surroundings on our journey”.
Tom's favourite day out: “A gentle browse – and a spend - in my favourite town Marlborough while I am waiting for my electric car to charge, followed by a wander in Great Bedwyn and lunch at The Three Tuns.” →
RICHARD ALDHOUS HAS been a car enthusiast all his life. Now a director of Calne's Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum, he started working here as a car parking attendant. “Back then, we were three staff, now we are a grand nine,” he says. “We will never be as big as Beaulieu or Haynes but we don't want to be, we are quite happy being small but spectacular. We have everything here from the expected to the unexpected, including all those makes you can remember from being a kid, like the Trojan, Morris Minor, Model T Ford, Austin 7s, gleaming Daimlers, a prototype Mini – you name it.”
Refreshingly free from the glitz and the trailer queens, Atwell-Wilson is packed to the rafters with a whacky collection of about 100 everyday classic cars (some available to hire), lorries, motorcycles, mopeds and push bikes from days gone by, set against the backdrop of a 1930s garage. Pretty much all the vehicles are in useable condition rather than being pampered showpieces and poking round them is like taking a casual, rather fun stroll through motoring history.
“I feel as happy as a sandboy living and working here in Calne,” says Richard. “There is so much here to discover. Calne has always been a place of discovery – first you had Priestley discovering oxygen in Bowood, which in turn led to discovering the process of photosynthesis. Not forgetting the good old pigs and the Wiltshire cure, invented here by the Harris family in the eighteenth century. When we lost the pigs, it is fair to say that Calne had a good 15 years of depression but now we have fallen back in love with ourselves and our community is as strong as any.
At the time of publishing, in order to protect volunteers and visitors, the Museum remained closed. Please check website for further details →
Richard's best thing about the Great West Way:
“I love that it focuses travellers on a route but then guides them north and south of it too, which means they do actually find little gems like us”.
Richard's favourite day out: “Cycling the track from Avebury to Calne and out to Chippenham with a stop off at The Lansdowne Arms on the way and dinner back in Calne at the Italian restaurant (Antica Roma) that's always booked up”.
MARK THWAITES, DIRECTOR at Thames Lido, has come up trumps with his restoration of both Bristol and Reading lidos, leading the charge in the renaissance of some of our finest Edwardian outdoor pools. “Thankfully our lee-dos are not what most people remember as lie-dos from childhood – all floating plasters, empty crisp packets and wagon wheel wrappers, “he says. “These are much more grown up – escapist places to be pampered and well-fed.” With his background in the fitness industry and his half Finnish heritage, Mark and Swedish developer Arne Ringner, have created glamorous outdoor oases, delightfully free of lane ropes, flags and pace clocks, secluded in glass-walled courtyards, with steam gently rising from the ambient 25 degrees C water.
Scandi-style saunas and massage rooms and a chi-chi restaurant complete the picture. Both the Thames and Bristol Lido have re-opened, please see websites for further details
Mark's best thing about the Great West Way:
“All the beauty and variety and tranquility you find along the way. Thames Lido has a natural place in this market since unwinding and being calm is at the heart of what we do.”
Mark's favourite day out: “Much as I like Reading, it would have to be in Bristol. For a long time Bristol battled against Bath for tourism but at last Bristol has broken through as a mecca for great music, culture, arts and restaurants – namely our very own at the Bristol lido”