folio free take one!
bristol & bath
the west’s best lifest yle m ag
january 2011 l No. 192
inside Top five unusual weekend breaks l Bristol designer and reality TV star Gilly Woo l Delicious recipe from Café Maitreya l WIN a Makery workshop & tickets to ss Great Britain l
FREE! 32-page Health & Beauty supplement WIN a makeover of a lifetime with Fresh Clinics!
Blast from the past Join us on a bespoke tour of the West’s museums in celebration of Bath’s Year of the Museum 2011
Beauty fashion food & drink health interiors people property what’s on l
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folio The best in the West
Soul food
H
ello and welcome to Folio’s first issue of 2011! If, after all the feasting, partying and socialising that December merrily brings, you feel it’s time to give body and soul a muchneeded rest, you’ve come to exactly the right place. As 2011 marks Bath’s Year of the Museum, we thought we’d give you a head start on some of Bath and indeed Bristol’s best museums, from the Holburne, which is due to reopen in May, to M Shed, a brand new museum telling the story of Bristol, which opens on the Harbourside this year. And if it’s culture of a more exotic sort you crave, flick to our travel feature - it may surprise you with some more unusual destinations. With soul sorted, we turn our attentions to the body in the form of local eateries serving up deliciously healthy fare, plus a try-this-athome recipe from multi-award-winning organic vegetarian foodie’s favourite Café Maitreya. Plus, of course, the pièce de résistance is our Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Guide, which you’ll find in the middle of your mag. So sit back, enjoy, and feel inspired…
People 4 Sandy Foxall-Smith, chief executive of St Peter’s Hospice 7 Tiggerish TV comic and local boy Russell Howard
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Features 10 A selection of Bristol and Bath’s many and varied museums 18 Top five unusual weekend breaks within easy reach of Bristol airport
What’sOn 22 Art, Events, Family, Film, Music & Theatre
Food&Drink 34 Healthy eating tips, plus how to order without ditching the diet 38 Mike Gartside sips tea-inspired cuisine at Papaji's 41 Melissa Blease curries favour at Eastern Eye 44 Delicious seasonal recipe from Café Maitreya
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LifeStyle 49 Niki Whittle gives the guys her style magic 52 TV star and local fashion designer Gilly Woo 54 Rachel Nott discovers all that glisters is gold at Pilgrim 56 VW’s Tiguan R Line and Peugot’s 207 Sportium 58 The latest education news
Rachel Nott Folio editor
HomeFront 66 Homeworx show us their grand design 70 Our interiors experts this month: The Loft
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Property 76 The latest property news 78 Simon Fry puts new builds in the spotlight
Competitions Health, Beauty & Wellbeing Guide 2011 Cover pic: Image courtesy of The Roman Baths, Bath & North East Somerset Council. See feature on page 10.
81 Fantastic prizes for you from The Makery and the ss Great Britain
Street chic 82 Simon Fry visits Cribbs Causeway to see what you’re wearing
Subscribe to folio Just send a cheque for £20 (payable to Folio) to our Bristol address and you’ll get the next 14 issues sent to your home - the only way to guarantee you’ll get every copy of the West’s fastest-growing lifestyle magazine. folio Bristol 4th Floor, Bristol News & Media, Temple Way, Bristol, BS99 7HD tel 0117 942 8491 fax 0117 934 3566 email editor@foliomagazine.co.uk folio Bath Bath News & Media, Floor 2, Westpoint, James West St, Bath BA1 1UN tel 01225 429801 fax 01225 447602 Editor Rachel Nott Deputy Editor Mike Gartside Group Editor Dave Higgitt Production Manager Cath Evans Creative Director Lee Caple Design Team Joe Braun, David Myring, Sarah Clark, Sarah Malone Picture Editor Joao Barata Sub-editors Jo Renshaw Publications Co-ordinators Emma Gorton, Ruth Stuart-Torrie Commercial Manager Becky Davis Advertising Simon Whitehouse, Nejla Unal, Ben Wright, Mike Swift, Adam Burrows, Danny Ford, Bex Baddiley Distribution Dave Higgitt Ring us now for details of how to reach our 75,000 readers - and if you’re a reader, contact our advertisers now! Do please let them know where you read about their services. Thank you. Folio articles preceded by the words ‘Folio Profile’ have been supplied by a third party, and the information contained within them does not necessarily constitute a direct recommendation by the publishers. However, we only accept submissions from bona fide companies whom we know from long experience to provide quality goods or services.
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motoring motoring
Q&A
S
THERE MAY BE TOUGH TIMES AHEAD, BUT ST PETER’S HOSPICE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SANDIE FOXALL-SMITH HAS HIGH HOPES FOR THE BRISTOL CHARITY
wORDS MIKE GARTSIDE
andie Foxall-Smith is chief executive of St Peter’s Hospice, Bristol’s only adult hospice, which provides free, specialised care for people with incurable cancer and other lifelimiting illnesses, as well as supporting thousands of family members. Have you always worked in healthcare? No, I trained at Marks and Spencer, where I gained vital skills in management to allow me to move into industry, then worked my way up through three major pharmaceutical industries, including Astra. But although I started my career in the retail sector, I realised very quickly that I preferred the broadness of the healthcare sector. Within five years of meeting my husband, a surgeon, I couldn’t think of joining any other profession. I’ve worked in healthcare for the past 25 years, now, and in the voluntary sector for the past three, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. What appealed to you about the job of chief executive at St Peter’s Hospice? St Peter’s Hospice is one of the best-loved charities in Bristol - everybody knows someone who’s been helped by them. I’d always volunteered in the care sector, and was keen to use my business skills to develop the organisation by enabling the charity’s money to go much further and diversifying our fundraising. How has the past year been for the hospice? While the people of Bristol are very loyal, times are hard for everyone and like all charities donations have been affected. However our chain of 47 charity shops in the region, which have been undergoing refurbishment, have continued to do well and last year raised £1.8m, which went directly into end-of-life care services. The closure of the Knowle hospice site in 2009 was sad and difficult for everyone, but it’s meant that staff now work as one team from one site in Brentry rather than being stretched between two sites. Our nurses are more active than ever in the community, looking after patients in their own homes, and as we now have a dedicated team of volunteer drivers - visits
to the day hospice at Brentry have increased by 50% since a year ago. Having everyone under one roof means patients have greater access to the social work team, complimentary therapists and other specialist services. Inspirational moments while working with the hospice? The words of Tom Drury come to mind. Tom, who’s 20, started volunteering here with his dad after the hospice cared for his mum, who died when Tom was 14. Tom’s dad passed away at the hospice last March. Tom told me: “When we had Dad’s diagnosis, I couldn’t believe cancer was about to tear my family apart again, but when the nurses at St Peter’s Hospice found out Dad was terminally ill they promised that, whenever we needed them, they’d be there for us. Dad had seen with his own eyes how tender and skilful they were. He knew they’d help him to die peacefully and trusted them to give me all the support I needed. Mum and Dad died too young, but St Peter’s Hospice gave them both a good end to their lives and I’ll continue to support them as long as they need my help.”
the past 10 years… Yes, a great Sandie Foxall-Smith honour, and completely unexpected! It was wonderful to be recognised, but what’s more rewarding is that the system we set up to help homeless people get back to work is still going on today. What does the future hold for the hospice, and healthcare in general? Healthcare should be part of the bigger community; partnerships with paid professionals and the voluntary sector are the only way forward. The voluntary sector has to work more closely with the public and private sectors, as more people in the future will need our help and support. Our population is ageing, and we at St Peter’s Hospice intend to be at the heart of delivering that care. Ffi www.stpetershospice.org
Prince Charles appointed you Ambassador for the West of England for your work in the homeless sector over
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Voted in the Top 50 antique shops in Great Britain 2010 by The Independent on Sunday
OLD BANK ANTIQUES CENTRE 14-17 Walcot Buildings, Bath
Situated on the London Road (A4), just a short walk from the top of Walcot Street. Old Bank Antiques Centre is the largest retailer of antiques in Bath, without being stuffy and too grand. This is how antiques shops used to look: a hoarder`s paradise. fifteen dealers spread through lots of showrooms in four shops with everything from 17th century to 1970s retro. Experienced and professional advice is always available. Customer parking is at the rear, accessed via Bedford Street. Deliveries can be arranged anywhere in the UK or the rest of world, at cost price. Furniture restorer on premises. Open seven days a week and most bank holidays Visit our website: www.oldbankantiquescentre.com Tel: 01225 469282 & 338813 Email: alexatmontague@aol.com
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The Wedding Works It’s your day........not ours!
Imagine the amazing day to come, your Wedding Day! Then imagine all that has to be organised... phew, where do you begin? At The
Wedding Works of course!
• Chair Covers & Sashes • Centre Pieces • Wedding and Table Stationery • Wedding Creche Service • Wedding Cakes & Wedding Flowers • Photography • Candy Buffet • Favours Why not pop in and have a chat or call to make an appointment. Look forward to seeing you at The Wedding Works
The Wedding Works 20 Filton Road, Horfield Bristol BS7 0PA W: theweddingworksbristol.com E: studio@weddingworksbristol.com Open: Tues – Sat 10.00am – 5.00pm
THE HOME OF DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY IN THE SOUTH WEST OFFERS ACCREDITED PART TIME COURSES IN DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
INTERVIEWING NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2011 INTAKE 3 year MASTERS PROGRAMME validated by Canterbury Christ Church University, Please see website for details NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN DANCE MOVEMENT AND THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS (1 YEAR BTEC Edexcel Award) - Interviewing now for September start.
Ffi: Dance Voice, Quaker Meeting House, Wedmore Vale, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 5HX Tel/fax: 0117 953 2055 e-mail: admin@dancevoice.org.uk www.dancevoice.org.uk
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motoring motoring BATH-BORN STAND-UP AND BBC FAVOURITE RUSSELL HOWARD TELLS US WHY HIS GLASS IS ALWAYS HALF FULL
Q&A
B
wORDS Juliette Phillips
orn in Bath in 1980, Russell Howard is one of the UK’s most popular comedians. He’s a regular panel guest on BBC2’s Mock the Week and Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Channel 4’s 8 out of 10 Cats, while his own show, Russell Howard’s Good News (in which Russell shares his own unique take on the week’s major news stories), is BBC Three’s highest-ever-rating entertainment series. Russell will be launching his nationwide 2011 Right Here, Right Now arena tour (recently extended due to high demand for tickets) with his Work in Progress warm-up show at Komedia in Bath on Sun 23 Jan, shortly followed by a three-night run at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory on 26-28 Jan. You were born in Bath and grew up in Bristol. Does the West Country hold a special place in your heart? I was indeed born in Bath, but my family moved around a lot before we returned to Bristol when I was 18. My very first standup experience was at a comedy club called Virgin Mirth on Park Street in 1998, and I went on to perform at the Bunch of Grapes behind the Hippodrome every Sunday for about five years. Were they hard times? No, they were great times! For me, everything started in Bristol, and it still feels like home today [Russell currently lives in Leamington Spa]. Who were your earliest influences? Billy Connolly, then Frank Skinner. But comedy just sort of came naturally to me; I didn’t plan, or aspire to be like somebody else. There were only around 20 people at my first ever gig, but it felt like thousands. Today, I perform in front of thousands millions, on the TV - but it feels like 20… Funny, that. Do you prefer doing live shows or TV work? Live gigs are, by their nature, far more random than a TV show. If an audience member suddenly decides to bellow, ‘I keep chickens,’ then great, we can all have a chat about that, which personalises the whole experience. But please don’t ask me to state a preference between live and prerecorded shows - that’d be like making me choose between my two children! Live
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stand-up can sometimes feel like a lovely release after being in front of a camera, though - I guess I feel a bit freer. How do you relax? Nothing gives me a sense of freedom like playing football. When you have the ball at your feet, there’s nowhere else to go other than concentrating on that ball. It’s so liberating to get outside of my own head for a while and do something instantly tangible, happening in that very moment. But generally, I don’t get stressed out. People ask me if doing stand-up is a tough job, but my girlfriend’s training to be a doctor - that’s what I call a tough job. You seem very content with your life… I’m most definitely a glass-half-full person I can’t see the point in concentrating on misery or taking the cynical point of view. If you concentrate on something negative, all you’re going to do is exacerbate it. We all get touched from time to time by the actions of others, irrespective of who you are and what
you do. You might as well attempt to make that experience a positive one. Do you notice a difference between audiences in Bristol and Bath? Yes, definitely! If you ask a Bath person what they’ve been up to lately, they’ll say, ‘Oh, this and that. Pottering, really.’ Pottering! That’s so Bath - they even describe doing nothing in an elegant fashion. Ask a Bristol person the same question, though, and they’ll probably use some sort of expletive - they tend to be a lot more down to earth. And I love that difference - it makes me laugh. Russell Howard’s Right Here, Right Now arena tour starts in Feb. Ffi: www.russell-howard.co.uk
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feature
Statue of The Goddess Minerva at the Roman Baths
Whether Roman goddesses, Marilyn Monroe, life in the Blitz or sea dragons tickle your fancy, it’s going to be a busy year for our guardians of the past. Melissa Blease takes a tour
Making
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feature BATH
This is set to be the year that brings history to life in the Heritage City, where the past continually reinvents the future. Bath’s Year of the Museum celebrates the completion of a major redevelopment programme at the Roman Baths, the opening of the refurbished Holburne Museum and the American Museum’s 50th birthday. The Bath in 100 Objects project, which launches this month, features 99 objects selected to showcase the amazing collection of historical artefacts curated by the city’s various museums (with the 100th object to be chosen by the people of Bath themselves). There will be special events and exhibitions throughout the year (including celebrations around World Heritage Day in April, a Museums at Night extravaganza in May and a full-on Heritage Open Week programme in October half-term), and a brand new World Heritage Audio Trail will be available as a free download from www.visitbath.co.uk to allow us all to appreciate the city at our own pace. Find out more (and look at a full calendar of events) by visiting the website below. In the meantime, we’ve selected a bespoke collection of Bath-based historical highlights to kickstart the party. Ffi Bath’s Year of the Museum. Web: www. visitbath.co.uk/museums Best for Families: The Roman Baths This year sees the culmination of a fiveyear programme of investment by BANES council, bringing this multi-faceted site (which includes Britain’s only hot springs, the most complete suite of Roman Baths in northern Europe, magnificent architectural and sculptural remains from the Temple of Sulis Minerva, a museum and the magnificent Pump Room, which has been the social heart of the city since the 18th century) into the 21st century... and beyond. The Development Plan has transformed the accessibility of the site, turning it into a family-friendly, interactive experience offering wow!-factor moments at every turn as history is brought to life before your eyes. An innovative multimedia approach introduces visitors to the characters, stories, myths, legends, facts
Top to bottom: designer trends from the 20th and 21st centuries at Bath's Fashion Museum; the surviving stones of the Temple of Sulis Minerva, showing the Gorgon's head in the centre at the Roman Baths; the magnificent Pump Room
and figures that have all played a part in keeping the Roman Baths alive for centuries. Roman Baths Stall St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 477785, www.romanbaths.co.uk Best for Fashionistas: The Fashion Museum In the historic Assembly Rooms, just a stone’s throw from the Circus and Royal Crescent, the Fashion Museum is home to an outstanding collection of more than 30,000 objects worn by men, women and children, dating from the late 16th century to the present day, and chronicling the tale of what - and what not! - to wear through the ages. Supplementing the permanent exhibits, stylish forthcoming events include Behind the Scenes (featuring reproduction corsets and crinolines to try on in an interactive display), What Will She Wear? (to celebrate the forthcoming royal wedding, showcasing a previously unseen archive of photographs of couture wedding dresses from the 1930s) and Dressing the Stars, which celebrates British Costume Design at the Academy Awards and displays original costumes worn by the stars of films such as The Duchess (filmed in the Assembly Rooms), Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love and Pirates of the Caribbean. Fashion Museum Assembly Rooms, Bennett St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 477789, www.fashionmuseum. co.uk Best for Uncle Sam: The American Museum Bath’s American Museum was founded in 1961 with an overall aim to ‘foster a better understanding of the history of the United States and its people’. Today, this unique monument dedicated to the art and culture of Uncle Sam boasts the finest collection of Americana (both ancient and modern) outside the USA. In order to mark the museum’s 50th anniversary this year, their Fab@50 event puts the spotlight on 50 treasures from the permanent collection specially selected to tell not only the fascinating story of America but also that of the museum itself. New facilities to be unveiled in the anniversary year include ➜ folio 11
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Experience Georgian life as it was originally intended to be lived at No.1 Royal Crescent
feature the dedicated Folk Art Gallery and the Coach House, which will be used for lectures, corporate retreats, musical events, films and educational purposes. Marilyn: Hollywood Icon will dominate the main gallery from March, featuring a selection of the inimitable (but oft imitated) screen goddess’s gowns and outfits, original photographs and posters and personal items all loaned by lifelong Marilyn fan David Gainsborough Roberts, who curates one of the largest collections of Monroe memorabilia in the world. American Museum Claverton Manor, Bath. Ffi: 01225 460503, www.americanmuseum.org Best for Ladies and Gentlemen: No.1 Royal Crescent Ever wondered what went on behind the scenes at one of Bath’s most prestigious addresses? Experience Georgian life as it was originally intended to be lived at No.1 Royal Crescent, a magnificently restored Georgian townhouse and living showcase for architect John Wood the Younger’s finest achievement. Go beyond the famous Palladian facade and explore authentic recreations of various rooms (including the Dining Room, Gentleman’s Study and Lady’s Chamber), each decorated in full-on gorgeous Georgian style. There’s a fully equipped Georgian Kitchen below stairs, and dedicated, specialist guides in each room bring the house to life with stories of the past. No.1 Royal Crescent Bath. Ffi: 01225 428126, www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk Best for Art Lovers: The Holburne Museum Having spent the best part of two years under intriguing wraps, the Holburne Museum will lift the curtain on its spiffing new look in May this year, revealing the restoration of this glorious 18th century townhouse, the construction of a spectacular modern extension and a new garden cafe. The new space promises to transform a museum known as ‘the jewel in Bath’s heritage crown’, allowing the existing collection (over 9,000 exhibits including works by Turner, Guardi, Stubbs and Gainsborough alongside a myriad of English and continental silver, porcelain,
Explore the original Theatre Royal at 12 Orchard Street
'Marilyn: Hollywood Icon', an exhibition dedicated to Ms Monroe, at The American Museum from March
majolica, glass and Renaissance bronzes) to be supplemented by space for major visiting exhibitions and educational facilities. Two very special exhibitions will help celebrate the Holburne’s relaunch: Peter Blake: A Museum for Myself opens in May, with Gainsborough Landscapes: Themes and Variations keeping artistic attention levels up from September. Holburne Museum Great Pulteney St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 466669, www.holburne.org Best for Theatre Luvvies: Old Orchard Street Theatre From the outside, 12 Old Orchard Street may not look particularly promising. But beyond the prosaic facade, discover a unique historical building that started life as the original Theatre Royal before morphing into a Catholic chapel where bishops were ordained, and eventually becoming one of England’s oldest provincial Masonic Lodges, still fully operating today. The building is open to the public on selected days for guided tours, including a peek into the fascinating Masonic Museum housed in the vaults. Old Orchard Street Theatre 12 Old Orchard St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 462233, www. oldtheatreroyal.com
BRISTOL
How did dear old Brigstowe grow from a collection of ancient hill settlements into today’s ambitious, creative, globally renowned city? Ah, me hearties; it’s time to go forth and discover how Bristol’s past became bang up to date. Best for… Everyone!: M Shed Based on the Harbourside site formerly occupied by the Industrial Museum, the innovative, exciting M Shed represents the future for British museums - and offers a fascinating tribute to the people that have made (and continue to make) the history of Bristol. This split-level, multi-purpose complex opens this year to offer visitors the opportunity to explore Bristol in a completely unique way: through the stories, memories, photographs, artefacts and experiences of the people who made it all happen. No Bristol stone will be left unturned as visitors trawl through the past and consider ways to create a powerful future. Learn about Bristol’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, the city’s wartime experiences, industrial heritage and engineering history and the contributions Bristolians have made to the global ➜
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feature cultural scene throughout the ages. Over 3,000 exhibits from the city’s museum and archive collections, access to over 150 restored and digitalised films and a programme of local, national and international exhibitions are all in the pipeline. Working exhibits on the Harbourside include steamboats, trains and cranes, and a glorious cafe will occupy a thoroughly refreshing indoor/outdoor space overlooking the evocative waterfront itself. Want to make your own mark on the UK’s most unique ‘living museum’? Visit the website for details about how you can make Bristol history by donating your own stories and memories to the museum and learn more about M Shed partnerships with the diverse communities of the city to encourage their involvement and contribution. M Shed Harbourside, Bristol. Ffi: www. mshed.org Best for Kids: Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery There’s so much to see, learn about and consider at Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery that it’s difficult to know where to start. So leap right in at the level that takes your fancy, from Egyptian treasures, a freshwater aquarium and The Curiosity Gallery (featuring objects from the World Cultures and Archaeology collections and a ‘mini museum’ for under-7s) and much, much more on the ground floor to amazing art from across the ages on the top floor, with delights including sea dragons, dinosaurs, wildlife galleries and mineral/fossil collections, and a gypsy caravan on the floors in between. The cafe is a standalone treat in its own right, and an ongoing programme of events includes wonderful workshops, school holiday activities, family fun days, summer walks, arts and crafts sessions and winter lectures. Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery Queens Rd, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 922 3571, www.bristol. gov.uk/museums Best for Landlubbers: ss Great Britain & The Matthew Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s maritime masterpiece the ss Great Britain was the
Top to bottom: Immerse yourself in Bristol's history at M Shed which opens this year; Brunel's maritime masterpiece the ss Great Britain; enjoy a fun and fascinating day out with the whole family at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
world’s first ocean-going, propeller-driven iron ship, built and launched in Bristol in 1843. After decades spent as a luxury liner, troop ship, cargo vessel and floating warehouse, this beautiful, historic craft was abandoned in the Falklands Islands in 1937, only to be rescued in 1970 when she was towed back to Bristol and fully restored to her former glory. Today, Isambard’s seafaring masterpiece is conserved for future generations under a ‘glass sea’ in the very dockyard where she was built, where she’s enjoyed being the recipient of a clutch of national and international awards including UK Museum of the Year and Enjoy England Large Visitor Attraction of the Year. Make a contemporary splash and experience what life was like for the ship’s Victorian passengers and crew courtesy of an audio guide and various interactive exhibits, making sure you don’t pass on the opportunity to visit the replica of John Cabot’s hardworking but eminently graceful vessel The Matthew when she’s anchored in the nearby harbour. Tickets to Brunel’s ss Great Britain (visit website for details, concessions and family ticket deals) allow free and unlimited return visits for a year from the date of purchase and include entry to the dry dock, museum and The Matthew (when appropriate). ss Great Britain Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Rd, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 926 0680, www. ssgreatbritain.org Best for Swoonsome Views: Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre OK, it’s not strictly a museum, but the visitor centre attached to Bristol’s most iconic architectural accomplishment - designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (see also the ss Great Britain above) - provides a fascinating backdrop to the bridge that creates that, well, backdrop. And seeing as dear old Isambard never actually lived to see his creation finished in 1864 (he died five years earlier), the least we can do to say thank you for bridging the Avon Gorge so elegantly is to learn a little bit about how this spectacular feat of engineering came about. The centre is open every day 10am-5pm; visit the website for details of interactive and guided tours of the bridge itself. Clifton Suspension Bridge Visitor Centre Bridge Rd, Leigh Woods, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 974 4664, www.cliftonbridge.org.uk
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Wedding Floristry Design
Edith Wilmot Florist Phone Bristol free 0800 1075488 Order online www.edithwilmot.co.uk Tel: 0117 950 8589 5 Carlton Court, WOT, Bristol BS9 5DE 16 folio
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www.venue.co.uk
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feature
Les Diablerets, Switzerland
Rachel Wilson and Mike White hop on a plane at Bristol Airport for five long weekends with a difference
Are we
nearly there? SWITZERLAND: snowy fun in Les Diablerets Where? Picture-postcard alpine hamlet in the mountains between Lake Geneva and Gstaad, Switzerland. What’s it like? Les Diablerets is an unspoilt mountain village, perched 1200 metres up in the lofty Vaudois Alps. Despite enjoying predictably spectacular scenery and pristine air, the place was extremely quiet and remote until the latter part of the 19th century, when better transport links opened it up as a destination for tourism. It’s now a family-friendly centre for adrenalineinducing capers (www.diablerets.ch). What to do there? In the snowy season, there’s plenty of downhill and cross-country skiing (including illuminated night trails), snow-shoe walking, snow biking and ice-fall climbing – but surely the pick of the bunch is Les Diablerets’ sledge track – 7.2 km of snow-walled run, swerving through wild forest scenery. You can
The Nile
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Bath Christmas Market
even try it at night for extra thrills… Or book ahead for summer to try canyoning (scrambling, swimming and leaping down river gorges), hydro-speed (also known as white-water sledging or riverboarding – not to be confused with waterboarding, which is much less fun), paragliding, dirt monster biking (a cross between mountain biking and motorcycling) or Tyrolienne traversing (extreme variant of a zipwire). Where to stay? Top end: Eurotel Victoria: fourstar luxury right in the heart of the village, run by the same family for more than 30 years. Doubles from approx £250. Ffi: www.eurotel-victoria.ch/ diablerets Middle: Auberge de la Poste: friendly two-star hotel in a traditional Swiss chalet, run by the same family since 1789 (beat that, Eurotel!). Double rooms from around £125. Ffi: www. aubergedelaposte.ch Budget: Mon Sejour: basic but comfortable hostel located slightly outside of Les Diablerets, with gaudily painted rooms and shared bathrooms. Rooms from around £28. Ffi: www. hotel-mon-sejour.ch How to get there? Easyjet fly from Bristol to Geneva from (as we go to press) £20.99 out and £13.99 return (plus a cheeky £18 surcharge if you want to take luggage). From Geneva Airport, transfer by train to Les Diablerets in a little over two hours, for around £50. Ffi: www.easyjet.com Did you know? In the Middle Ages, the granite cliffs looming on all sides of Les Diablerets were regarded as a dangerous and possibly evil place where the devil himself lay in wait for foolhardy travellers. Its name, as you’ll doubtless have guessed, is derived from the French ‘diable’ meaning ‘the devil’. EGYPT: ancient treasures in Luxor and the Valley of the Kings Where? A city in sun-drenched southern Egypt, on the banks of the lazy Nile. What’s it like? Ancient and modern: the current city of Luxor is about the same size as Bristol, and offers everything you’d expect from a bustling, cosmopolitan metropolis – but the place is most famous for being on the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes (and hence tends to earn monikers like ‘the world’s greatest open-air museum’), with the properly Indiana Jonesy ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, Egypt
This pic and below: Ghent houses more than 900 listed buildings
ThisLuxor right there in the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the languid Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. It is, of course, a tourist favourite – but with good reason: whether it’s the Nile’s lovely meandering, the mystery of Tutankhamen’s tomb or the enigmatic stare of the Sphinxes, it’s definitely one to stick on your list of must-sees. What to do? Take a day-cruise up the Nile. Try a tour round the East Bank on a ‘calèche’ (traditional horse-drawn carriage). Haggle yourself silly in the street markets. Sneak out at night for the Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temples, and if you’re feeling flush, take a dawn hot air balloon ride from the West Bank, up over the Nile: watch the sun rise, and gaze down, godlike, over the Valley of the Kings and Queens, the desert stretching out beyond… Book through Hod-Hod Soliman – it works out at about £65 a head, including a felucca ride across the Nile and back (email: hodhodoffice@yahoo.co.uk). Where to stay? Top end: Sofitel Winter Palace the former palace of Egyptian King Farouk, nestling in tropical gardens beside the Nile, built in 1886 and now reinvented as a Victorian-style hotel. Double rooms from £350 a night; Imperial suite with Nile views, over £1,100. Ffi: www. sofitel.com Middle: Nefertiti Hotel: unassuming midrange hotel with air-con, pool table, small gym and roof bar with views over the river to the Avenue of Sphinxes and Luxor Temple. Doubles from around £20 a night inc breakfast. Ffi: www.nefertitihotel.com Budget: Nubian Oasis Hostel Luxor: a yellow tower block on the East Bank, offering bike hire, big breakfasts and a flag-bedecked roof garden for sundown lazing. Private, double bedrooms from around £4.60 a night. Ffi: www.nubianoasis.com How to get there? Thomson fly Bristol to Luxor for £189 inc taxes. Ffi: www.thomson. co.uk Did you know? In keeping with the other rulers of ancient Egypt, long-reigning female pharaoh Hatshepsut (1508-1458 BC) wore a traditional fake beard.
BELGIUM: beer, bikes and balloon rides in Ghent Where? A city in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, which began as a wee settlement at the confluence of the rivers Scheldt and Lys. What’s it like? Quaint cobbled streets and winding canals, and thanks to a lucky lack of bombing in WW2, 900-plus listed buildings that beautifully illustrate what a wealthy city Ghent must have been in medieval times. What to do? Belgian beer-making is famously diverse and inventive – nowhere more so than the Gruut Brewery, where they use special spices instead of hops: take a tour and sink a few at the end (www.gruut.be). Hire a bike (www.maxmobiel.be) and pedal out along the banks of the River Leie to Sint-Martens-Latem, a former artists’ colony in a lush and peaceful nature reserve. Get a bird’s eye view of all Ghent’s glorious medieval spires and rooftops by taking a hot air balloon ride over the city (around £115 a head with www.dreamballooning.be). If you get there before the end of January, make time for the city’s Festival of Light – a tour to take in the best of the Ghent’s dramatic scenic lighting, best begun from the City Museum (www.stamgent.be). Be disgusted by the brutal weaponry of the Middle folio 19
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feature Ages and taste life inside a medieval prison at the fairy-tale gothic 12th century Gravensteen (‘Castle of the Counts’). On the food front, make sure you taste some of the local speciality, ‘gentse waterzooi’ (a creamy fish and vegetable stew). And for an odd night out, try the Trappist aleheaven of Dulle Griet (www.dullegriet.be), where the beer is served in wooden vases so elaborate that you have to leave them one of your shoes as a deposit. Where to stay? Top end: Hotel Monasterium Poortackere: an astonishing neo-Gothic ex-nunnery, built in 1278. The Hogwarts-style dining room is worth a visit in itself. Doubles from around £100. Ffi: www.monasterium.be Middle: Ecohostel Andromeda: a lovingly restored, eco-friendly canal boat within walking distance of the centre, where you can get a double room (and a Fairtrade organic breakfast) for less than £60, or a bed in a dorm from around £20. Ffi: www.ecohostel.be Budget: De Draecke Youth Hostel: on a quiet street right in the city centre, offering cheap beer Bremen's Town Musicians
and cheerful rooms with private bathrooms from around £15 a night. Ffi: www.vjh.be/gent.htm How to get there? Fly Brussels Airlines from Bristol. As we go to press, flights cost from £20 out, £92 return. Ghent is less than an hour’s train ride from Brussels (£20) and there’s a train station at the airport. Ffi: www.brusselsairlines.com Did you know? Ghent claims the illustrious title of ‘Vegetarian Capital of Europe’, with more vegetarian restaurants per head of population than London, Paris or Berlin. LAPLAND: don’t forget your jumper Where? Northerly swathe of Finland, where reindeers outnumber people. What’s it like? Just as you imagine – Santa and snow and spooky lights and strange extended nights, but add husky dog safaris, 0.4 saunas for every Finn, and the Midnight Sun Film Festival (www.msfilmfestival.fi)... and you’re getting closer to the real thing. Nature dominates, from scenic fell-scapes to bogs rich with birdlife and oddly looping waterways. Lappish culture is an exotic mix of influences from Russia, Norway and Sweden. Temperatures can hit as low as -50ºC, so remember to pack a nice thick woolly jumper. What to do? Immerse yourself in that greatest of Finn traditions, the sauna – best followed with an exhilarating dip in an ice hole (go to www. immelkartano.com for more information, particularly on the traditional smoke saunas). Try ski-trekking, canoeing or dog-sledding (www.huskyadventure.com). Hike out into the wild to see spectacular waterfalls and windswept fell-tops, then bunk down in one of the many open huts that are available free of charge for a night or two – a bit like Scottish bothies, but in the Arctic Circle. Check www.laplandfinland. com. Where to stay? Top end: Arctic Snow Hotel: yup, a hotel made of snow! Surprisingly cosy once you’re in bed. And don’t worry, loos and showers are in an adjoining (heated) log building. Doubles from around £200 a night. Ffi: www.arcticsnowhotel.fi Middle: Fell Centre Kiilopaa: a friendly, outdoorsy place offering hotel, hostel, cute cabins and simple bunk rooms. There are 200km of marked trails nearby for cross-country skiing. Ffi: www.kiilopaa.fi Budget: Matkatupa Youth Hostel: low-frills Lapland
lakeside hostel offering bunks in dorms from £17, or a share of a private room for four for about the same price. Ffi: http://tinyurl.com/ Matkatupa How to get there? See www.transun.co.uk or call 01865 265200 for more info. Flights depart in December from Bristol starting at £429. Did you know? Lapland’s indigenous people – the Sámi – prefer not to be known as Lapps, as this name was originally an insult. GERMANY: the greatest free show on earth, Bremen style Where? A port city in the north west of Germany, on the river Weser. What’s it like? Southern Germans consider northern Germans to be dour and dull. Bremen disagrees. Home to Beck’s Brewery, this 1,200-year-old city blends history with science, aerospace with gardens, the Brothers Grimm with Germany’s biggest samba festival, plus a bit of comic drag theatre on the side. While the ancient German ‘purity’ law of ‘Rheinheitsgebot’ dictates that only water, barley and hops go into Beck’s beer, it seems that anything goes in Bremen. Take, for example, the world-famous Bremen Town Musicians: a donkey, dog, cat and cock who frightened off some robbers by singing and are immortalised in a bronze sculpture. Touching the donkey’s hooves brings luck, apparently. What to do? Ever wondered how astronauts go to the toilet? Take a tour at EADS Astrium to brush shoulders with space engineers and find out how to take showers, eat and empty your bowels in space. Head to the city’s waterfront for some action - in particular Schlachte, for trendy bars, restaurants and cafes. The beginning of the year brings two key festivals: the thrills and spills of the six-day cycle races (13-18 Jan: www.sechstage-rennen.de) and the samba-drumming, street-filling Bremer Karneval (25-26 Feb: www. bremer-karneval.de), described as ‘one of the greatest free shows on earth’. Where to stay? Top end: Park Hotel, Bremen: decadently appointed domed mansion set in glorious parkland, overlooking a lake. Double rooms from £165. Cycles for hire and spa treatments available. Ffi: www.park-hotelbremen.de Middle: Courtyard by Marriott Bremen: it’s an anytown Marriott, but a safe bet for a comfortable city-centre crashpad, with doubles from £64. Ffi: www.marriott.co.uk Budget: Townside Hostel: for £17 a night. Located in the city’s most vibrant quarter. Ffi: www.townside.de How to get there? You can fly to Bremen from Bristol with OLT, but it’s really expensive (we struggled to find a return flight for under £500) - you could doubtless get there for less on the train. Though it would take a while. But think of all the reading you could do. And the scenery! Ahhh… lovely trains. Ffi: www.olt.de Did you know? Every year on 6 Jan, three ‘wise men’ in silly ceremonial kit and a tailor weighing no more than 99lbs walk out onto the frozen Weser river to partake in ‘The Ice Wager’, which involves lobbing stones out onto the ice to test whether the river is frozen solid. The final test comes when the tailor is ordered to walk across the river to see if he can reach the other side without getting his feet wet. folio 21
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Silents are golden l “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long shot.” The words of Charlie Chaplin will not be heard at this year’s 2011 Slapstick Festival, seeing as his films were all silents, but you can see plenty of his on-screen antics, along with comedienne Shappi Khorsandi, who will be talking about her love of the moustachioed mishapper and his influence on comedy at the Bristol Old Vic. The highlight of the festival - a celebration of silent comedy through the ages - is the annual Slapstick Gala on Fri 28 Jan at Bristol’s Colston Hall, hosted by TV favourite Chris Serle. Expect big-screen showings of silent comedy classics featuring the likes of Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Mr Chaplin himself (given a jazzy live accompaniment by a 25-piece big band). A newly discovered
Chaplin film will be premiered alongside a new film by Who Killed Roger Rabbit animator Richard Williams, while Tim Brooke-Taylor will be
comedy gentleman Rob Brydon will talk to Barry Cryer about his top 10 film and TV comedy moments. Dad’s Army veteran Ian Lavender will also make an appearance. There are only a few silent film festivals across the world, in Italy, the US, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand and, as of 2011, Scotland. Here’s your chance to revel in a form of comedy that’s been around since the Renaissance and to take life’s little ups and downs with a bit more of that Chaplinchampioned ‘long-shot’ approach. And if that’s not enough to tempt you, the festival even boasts its very own signature Dawkins Slapstick Ale - a 5% dark ale with a difference.
remembering the comic genius that was Marty Feldman. Bill Oddie, recently departed from our Slapstick Festival 2011 27-30 Jan at Arnolfini, Bristol Old Vic, Colston Hall & screens, makes a comeback Watershed, Bristol. Ffi: www.slapstick.org.uk contribution, and innocuous TV
exhibitions
talk of the town l Ringing in the new as well as bringing out the old, this year’s The Year of the Museum in Bath events cast their eye both back into the murky past and forward to the next swathe of new developments. Bath’s towering history thrums on all sides - and now you can go to www. visitbath.co.uk to download a new, free World Heritage Audio Trail to help you appreciate the city at your own pace. The story of Bath is, of course, written in more than just its architecture, and in acknowledgement of this, New Year’s Day also marks the launch of Bath in 100 Objects, a showcase of some of the city’s more fascinating artefacts. Ninety-nine of these have already been chosen by experts at Bath’s museums,
including 2,000-year-old relics like the perfectly preserved bronze and gold-leaf Minerva’s Head from the Roman Baths, and the homemade telescope that local astronomer Herschel used to discover Uranus. The 100th object is to be chosen by Bath residents themselves and announced at the end of the year. Keep an ear to the ground (and an eye on Folio) as the year goes on, as special exhibitions and a series of citywide events are planned for World Heritage Day in April, before Museums at Night and the reopening of the Holburne Museum in May, and Heritage Open Week during the October half-term. The Year of the Museum in Bath Ff: www.visitbath.co.uk/museums
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Rich pickings l Richard Thompson gets twitchy if he doesn’t write songs. And he’s been writing songs for a very long time now, having come to prominence 40 years ago as the teenage guitar virtuoso adding the spit and spark to Sandy Denny’s smoothly sung melancholia with folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention. The nascent solo career was initially overshadowed by the extraordinary work emanating from his marriage to duetting partner, Linda Thompson - their output unflinchingly captured everything from the high highs to the bitter split. And he’s been prolific ever since. Last year saw the release of the three-volume Richard Thompson Songbook, and then there was the
underworldly Cabaret of Souls tour (2009-2010), while Richard will be touring the Richard Thompson Band album Dream Attic from this January. Typically pioneering, this latest album features new material that’s been recorded in front of a live audience. Mojo has described it as some of his ‘toughest’ writing yet, taking on murderers and bankers, a pop star who flies around in a private plane, and suicide bombers. Asked what keeps him going in his sixties, Richard says: “It’s just a drive... If you’re not driven, maybe you shouldn’t bother.” Richard Thompson Sat 22 Jan, Colston Hall, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 922 3686, www. colstonhall.org
events
family
artful splodgers l The main museum may have been closed for the building of a muchanticipated extension, but the Holburne’s Art for All programme has been busy ensuring that the little fingers of everyone from newborns to 11-yearolds are kept artfully engaged during the lull. This January, new mums can sign up for Brilliant Babes sessions (Tues 11, 18 & 25 Jan) where they can socialise and make artwork with their babies’ ‘help’ in a safe, fontanelle-friendly environment. Those with pre-schoolers
are invited to join the popular fortnightly Toddlealong singing/storytelling/craft workshops (Fris 7 & 21 Jan), while ages 7-11 can show off their artistic flair in a monthly Saturday Art Club (Sat 14). This month’s theme is Janus, the Roman god with two faces - one looking back, one looking forward. A bit like the Holburne itself, come May. Children’s Events at Holburne Museum Great Pulteney St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 820829, www.bath. ac.uk/holburne
garden of earthy delights l Ever since it put down roots in its (relatively) new location in Stoke Bishop, the Bristol University’s Botanic Garden has been blooming with fascinating public events. Each Saturday from 8 Jan to 12 Feb, arborist Tony Titchen will lead a series of workshops on tree identification, including plenty of chances to get out and admire the leafy grandeur of local specimens. On Thur 20 Jan, curator Nick Wray shares tales of his plantloving travels in Cuba, and on Sat 29, painter Aza Adlam offers a day-long taster in the art of miniature painting. University of Bristol Botanic Garden The Holmes, Stoke Park Rd, Stoke Bishop, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 331 4906, www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/ BotanicGardens
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january diary For full details of entertainment and events in Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham and the surrounding areas, Venue magazine, the region’s only comprehensive what’s on guide, complete with features, interviews and local news, is available, weekly, in all good newsagents. Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter in Oscar-baiting Britflick The King’s Speech. Opens 7 Jan. See Film
Film 7 JAN 127 Hours James Franco stars in Danny Boyle’s drama based on the true story of a mountaineer who had to chop off his own arm to survive.
27-30 JAN Slapstick Festival See picture story, and Other Events and Theatre listings • Arnolfini, Bristol Old Vic, Colston Hall & Watershed, Bristol (www. slapstick.org.uk)
7 JAN The King’s Speech Tom
(The Damned United) Hooper’s handsomely staged story of the future George VI’s attempts to overcome his crippling stammer, with the assistance of an Australian speech therapist. Colin Firth is getting all the plaudits in the lead role, but the film also features Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall and Derek Jacobi. 7 JAN Abel Diego Luna directs a
drama about a strange young boy who blurs reality and fantasy as he takes over family responsibilities in his father’s absence. 7 JAN Season of the Witch
Fantasy in which a bunch of 14th century knights collar a witch whom they believe is responsible for the Black Plague. Nic Cage stars. 7 JAN The Next Three Days Paul
Haggis directs Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Shannon as a couple whose life is turned upside down when she’s accused of murder.
28 JAN Barney’s Version Paul
Giamatti stars in an adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s final novel: hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, cigar-smoking, decidedly non-PC 65-year-old Barney Panofsky’s reflections on his life. 28 JAN Biutiful The epic new film
14 JAN The Green Hornet Hipster Michel (The Science of Sleep) Gondry directs Seth Rogan, Cameron Diaz and Edward Furlong in a superhero adaptation. The trailer doesn’t look promising.
21 JAN I Spit on your Grave Controversial remake of the ‘video nasty’ in which a woman seeks revenge on the attackers who brutalised her in her cabin retreat and left her for dead.
14 JAN True Grit The Coen
Ward Carpenter’s first feature since Ghosts of Mars is a period drama about an institutionalised woman who is terrorised by a ghost.
brothers remake the John Wayne flick about a gnarly US marshal who helps a stubborn young woman track down her father’s murderer. Cast includes Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. 21 JAN Black Swan Darren
US horror flick promising a ‘twisted and unusual’ take on the cabin-in-the-woods formula.
Aronofsky’s bonkers psychological thriller about the rivalry between a veteran ballerina and her young rival. Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis star.
14 JAN Conviction Hilary Swank
21 JAN The Dilemma Vince
stars in the true story of a singlemom high-school dropout who put herself through law school to represent her brother as he attempts to overturn his unjust murder conviction.
Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly star in Ron Howard’s comedy-drama about a man who discovers that his best friend’s wife is having an affair.
14 JAN The Cabin in the Woods
Magdalene Sisters with a gang violence drama set in 1970s Glasgow.
21 JAN John Carpenter’s The
21 JAN Morning Glory Roger
Michell directs a TV industry romcom starring Rachel McAdams as an upstart producer who attempts to revive a struggling breakfast show with warring co-hosts. 21 JAN My Soul to Take Wes Craven horror in which a serial killer returns to his home town to stalk seven children who share the birthday of the day he was supposedly done in. 21 JAN NEDS Actor-turned-
director Peter Mullan follows The
from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director of 21 Grams and Babel. Javier Bardem took the Best Actor gong at Cannes last year for his performance as Uxbal, who drifts in the limbo between life and death, trying to provide for his son and bipolar wife while dodging the law and wrestling with guilt induced by a murky past. 28 JAN Hereafter This year’s awards bait from Clint Eastwood. Written by Peter (Frost/Nixon, The Damned United) Morgan and starring Matt Damon, Cecile de France and Bryce Dallas Howard, it’s a drama centred on three people who are touched by mortality in different ways. 28 JAN Tangled A 3D animated version of the Grimm brothers’ Rapunzel from the director of Bolt, with Mandy Moore as the voice of Rapunzel. 28 JAN How Do You Know? Owen
Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson star in a love triangle romcom from As Good As It Gets director and Simpsons writer James L Brooks.
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what’son 28 JAN The Mechanic Jason
Statham takes the Charles Bronson role in a remake of the 1972 action flick about a hitman who takes on an apprentice to avenge the death of his mentor.
SOUNDS THROUGHOUT JAN Jazz at
Future Inns Another cracking month of live jazz and occasional blues in a sophisticated setting. See website for full line-up • Future Inn, Cabot Circus, Bristol (0845 094 5588, www.futureinns. co.uk/jazz-club-bristol)
8 JAN Vic Godard & the Subway
Sect Tour promoting the rerecording of the original 1977 Subway Sect LP with a new lineup • Thunderbolt, Bath Rd, Totterdown, Bristol (0117 929 9008, www.bristolticketshop.co. uk)
13 JAN Andy Sheppard/Dan
Moore Trio: Take the Coltrane ’01 - Ballads Fiftieth anniversary celebration of John Coltrane signing to Impulse! Label • St George’s Bristol, Great George St (0845 402 4001, www. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk) 14-16 JAN Bristol Acoustic
Music Festival Three days of some of the best unplugged music in Bristol • St George’s Bristol, Great George St (0845 402 4001, www.stgeorgesbristol.co. uk)
19 JAN The Cult ‘New Blood and
Deeper Cuts’: a new tour from
the band featuring emotive vocals, violent guitars and driving beats • O2 Academy, Frogmore St, Bristol (0844 477 2000, www. o2academybristol.co.uk)
Friday 04 February KENT DUCHAINE & LEADBESSIE £8.50 / £10
Bristol (0117 902 0344, www. tobaccofactory.com) 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 & 29 JAN
picture story • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall.org)
Jesters Comedy Club Food, four quality stand-up acts and an aftershow boogie • Jesters Comedy Club, Cheltenham Rd, Bristol (0117 909 6655, www. metropolisbristol.co.uk)
25 JAN Alexandra Burke X
11-29 JAN Under Milk Wood:
22 JAN Richard Thompson See
Factor winner’s debut tour ‘All Night Long’ includes her two no.1 hits and dance routines. With support from Carrie Mac and Parade • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall.org)
Live on Air Mayhem ensues as two radio actors prepare to perform Dylan Thomas’s poetic classic • Brewery Theatre, North St, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www.tobaccofactory.com)
27 JAN Metronomy Live
Top stand-up acts, a meal from the River Cottage menu, and dancing till bedtime • Komedia, Westgate St, Bath (0845 293 8480, www.komedia.co.uk)
electronica from a band that has remixed for the likes of Franz Ferdinand and the Gorillaz • Thekla, The Grove, Bristol (0117 929 3301, www.theklabristol.co. uk) 31 JAN Paul Carrack Promoting
his new album I Know That Name, the ex-frontman of Mike and the Mechanics and former Squeeze member is back on tour • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www. colstonhall.org)
THEATRE, COMEDY & MUSICALS UNTIL 10 JAN Peter Clifford: I
Can’t Believe My Mind Brainboggling magic • Brewery Theatre, North St, Southville, xxx
Gok Wan films his Fashion Weekender finale in Cabot Circus, 28 Jan (see Other Events).
Saturday 15 January NEARLY THE GOAT MATINEE’S AT 2P.M & 4P.M FOR CHILDREN 5 AND UP £6 / £4
12 JAN Krater Christmas Cracker
12-16 JAN Robin Hood Panto
capers for all the family • Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Rd, Bath (01225 463362, www. rondotheatre.co.uk) 13-16 JAN Peter Pan on Ice
Acrobatic reinterpretation of JM Barrie’s ageless tale, courtesy of the Russian Ice Stars • Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade (0844 847 2325, www. bristolhippodrome.org.uk)
Saturday 05 February MARI WILSON’S THREESOME £15 / £17.50 / £20 Sunday 06 February JAZZ MORLEY £7 / £6 Thursday 10 February THE PHIL BEER BAND £15 Saturday 12 February ‘TAINTED LOVE’ FOR ST. VALENTINE’S DAY £10 / £8 Saturday 26 February COCO BOUDOIR £12 Sunday 27 February MOISHE’S BAGEL £12 / £15 Friday 04 March 20TH CENTURY FOXES CABARET FROM THE AGE OF GLAMOUR £15 / £13 Saturday 05 March ‘ENCHANTED UNDER THE SEA 50’S DANCE £11 / £9 Friday 18 March THE BUSH TECHNOLOGISTS £12 / £10 Saturday 19 March JULIET KELLY CELEBRATING THE DIVAS OF JAZZ £8 / £10 / £12 Sunday 20 March 12 - 8p.m SOUTH WEST GOT RHYTHM (HIP HOP) £5.00 on Door
14, 15, 21, 22 & 29 JAN Krater
Comedy Club Munch a meal from the River Cottage menu, drink, and guffaw at three top stand-ups • Komedia, Westgate St, Bath (0845 293 8480, www. komedia.co.uk)
Chapel Arts Centre Lower Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1QR www.chapelarts.org 01225 461700 Arts Cafe - Mon - Sat 9.30 - 5.30
15 JAN Nearly the Goat Puppet-
enriched time-travelling Christmas comedy play for ages 5+ • Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath (01225 461700, www. chapelarts.org) 15-16 JAN Faulty Towers Dining
Experience Cringe-packed dining experience-cum-comedy show • Komedia, Westgate St, Bath (0845 293 8480, www.komedia.co.uk)
21 JAN Paul Kerensa British
Comedy Award nominee/BBC writer presents new stand-up show Borderline Racist • Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Rd, Bath (01225 463362, www.rondotheatre. co.uk) 21-22 JAN Terry Alderton
Energetic, physical stand-up,
➜
EVERY MONDAY Groundswell open mic night EVERY THURSDAY Pepper your Leopard EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY Top live DJ’s playing the best sounds around. Open until 2am. EVERY SUNDAY Comedy Cavern (see comedy listings for details). HAPPY HOUR 6.30-7-30pm HOUSE DOUBLES £3.50 FREE WI-FI . SKY SPORTS ON HD SCREEN POOL TABLES IN THE CELLAR BAR Food served daily from 11am-9pm. Serving Vegetarian/Vegan foods. 20% discounts on food to students with NUS card. 15 George Street, Bath, BA1 2QS 01225 424 104 // www.theporter.co.uk
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BRISTOL CENTRAL TENNIS CLUB off Derby Road, St Andrews. BS7 9AQ www.bctc.org.uk or ianmemsec@hotmail.co.uk Located near the County Ground, 2 miles North of Bristol centre
New to the Game? Seasoned Pro? Everyone welcome! Adult coaching courses for Improvers
If you haven’t played much since school, this is for you! 5th May for 10 weeks - 7-8pm Cost is £90 (including 6 months membership)
Competitive league and weekly club play for all What the club offers: Adults & juniors individual or group coaching | 4 floodlit courts No charge for floodlights | Monthly and annual tournaments Modern clubhouse and bar Gift Vouchers available
Do Not Crush! ….were the three words written on the small cardboard box that had lived in the Vendor’s loft for thirty years. Inside the box was this remarkable Napoleonic Prisoner of War made automaton with dancing figures, soldiers and a blackamore worked by an elaborate network of cogs operated by a turning handle. Entered in Clevedon Salerooms November Specialist Sale the 18cm high automaton created interest from around the globe. Internet bidders, telephone bidders and bidders in the room fought to secure this rare example before the successful purchaser, a London private collector took the bidding to £23,200, providing further evidence that there is no shortage of investors in antiques in the present economic climate. If you have items in your loft that you may be thinking of selling why not bring them to one of Clevedon Salerooms Free Valuation Days 10th, 11th, 12th & 24th, 25th, 26th January 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 5:30pm.
£23,200
FIne Art Auctioneers & Valuers The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon BS21 6TT Tel: 01934 830 111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com
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january diary packed with impressions • Comedy Box, Hen & Chicken, North St, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www.thecomedybox.co. uk)
millionairess returns to a small and struggling European town • Mission Theatre, Corn St, Bath (01225 428600, www. missiontheatre.co.uk)
22 JAN Raise the Roof! City of
26-28 JAN The Fix Hard-hitting
Bristol Choir and a live band lead a singalong of hits from the musicals • St George’s Bristol, Great George St (0845 402 4001, www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk)
American political drama • Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Rd, Bath (01225 463362, www. rondotheatre.co.uk)
22 JAN That’s Me on the Left, in
the Parka Bob Karper’s nostalgic and funny musical autobiography show • Rondo Theatre, St Saviours Rd, Bath (01225 463362, www. rondotheatre.co.uk)
22-23 JAN Love Letters Straight
from Your Heart Songs to lovers lost and current, suggested by the audience in advance - an event that’s ‘somewhere between a wedding reception, a wake and a radio dedication show’ • Tobacco Factory Theatre, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www. tobaccofactory.com)
23 JAN Russell Howard The
much-loved local mirthmonger presents new tour ‘Work in Progress’ • Komedia, Westgate St, Bath (0845 293 8480, www. komedia.co.uk) 24-29 JAN Verdict Murderous
drama from Agatha Christie, starring Dawn Steele • Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose (01225 448844, www.theatreroyal.org.uk) 25-29 JAN The Visit Events take a
turn for the sinister when a
26-28 JAN Russell Howard See 23
Jan, above • Tobacco Factory Theatre, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www.tobaccofactory. com) 26-29 & 31 JAN, 1-5 FEB Calendar
Girls Inspiring feel-good show based on a true story, starring Lynda Bellingham and Jennifer Ellison • Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade (0844 847 2325, www.bristolhippodrome. org.uk)
27 JAN Neil Innes: A People’s Guide to World Domination Slapstick Festival event. Tuneful comedy from the selfproclaimed ‘Seventh Python’ • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www. colstonhall.org) 29-30 JAN Jenny Eclair The wry
comedienne presents new tour ‘Old Dog, New Tricks’ • Tobacco Factory Theatre, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www. tobaccofactory.com) 30 JAN Stephen K Amos: The
Best Medicine More heartfelt stand-up from the BBC2
One of a selection of new works created especially for the city of Bath by landscape master David Tress, on display in Landmarks at the Victoria Art Gallery. See Art
what’son favourite • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www. colstonhall.org)
ART & EXHIBITIONS RUNNING ON 3-30 JAN Theo Booth Solo Show
Newest paintings from ‘the master of modern Cubism’ • Rostra & Rooksmoor Galleries, George St, Bath (01225 448121, www.rostragallery.co.uk) 22 JAN-10 APR Maelfa Mixed-
media installation work that ‘touches upon a sense of poignancy associated with disappearing communities and failed utopian aspirations’ • Spike Island Studios, Cumberland Rd, Bristol (0117 929 2266, www.spikeisland.org. uk) RUNNING UNTIL 5 JAN Going Places Top local
photographers explore the beauty and mystery of the urban, rural and imagined landscape • Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster Parade, Bristol (0117 963 7673, www. grantbradleygallery.co.uk) 8 JAN Characterful
Constructions Unlikely sculpture from five artists with a shared love of the found object • Chapel Row Gallery, Bath (01225 480114, www. chapelrowgallery.com)
13 JAN Caroline Hyman FRPS
Limited edition hand-coloured botanical images and monochrome prints documenting rural crafts • Royal Photographic Society, Wells Rd, Bath (01225 325733, www.rps. org) 15 JAN The Christmas
Exhibition Rare and collectable ceramics by Modern British artists alongside limited edition prints by the likes of Chagall, Miro, Picasso, Kandinsky and Matisse • Bristol Gallery, Millennium Promenade, Harbourside (0117 930 0005, www.thebristolgallery.com)
19 JAN The Diana Dresses
Special exhibition of 10 frocks that belonged to the late Princess of Wales • Fashion
Museum, Bennett St, Bath (01225 477173, www. fashionmuseum.co.uk) 28 JAN Mad Gyms and
Kitchens: A work in progress Multimedia exhibition investigating the benefits of exercise and nutrition in the pursuit of wellbeing • ICIA Art Space 1, University of Bath (01225 386777, www.bath.ac.uk/ icia)
30 JAN Flight: 100 Years of the Bristol Aeroplane Company Exhibition showcasing a century of aviation innovation in the West of England • Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd (0117 922 3571, www.bristol. gov.uk/museums) 2 FEB Life in Victorian Britain Exhibition exploring the sometimes overlooked architecture, politics and everyday life of Bath’s Victoria era • Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge St, Bath (01225 477233, www. victoriagal.org.uk) 6 FEB What Next for the Body International commissions and site-responsive works exploring the breakdown of the human body and wondering at what point our corporeal form ceases to be ‘us’ • Arnolfini, Narrow Quay, Bristol (0117 917 2300, www.arnolfini.org.uk) 6 FEB David Tress: Landmarks One of Britain’s most highly regarded landscape artists presents a new exhibition of new paintings and graphite drawings created especially for Bath • Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge St, Bath (01225 477233; www.victoriagal.org.uk) 27 FEB White Horses and Hill Figures Vibrant exploration of the huge chalk figures carved into the hillsides of Wiltshire and beyond • Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Long St, Devizes, Wilts (01380 727369, www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk) ONGOING Maggie C: Pet
Portraits Striking animal portraits undertaken by commission • Fizz Gallery, Hill Rd, Clevedon (01275 341141, www.fizzgallery.co.uk)
ONGOING Dress of the Year
Creations by Mary Quant, Versace, John Galliano and
➜
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Mark Simmons
photogr aphy
Natural Weddings - Music - Documentary t: 07778 063 699 w: www.marksimmonsphotography.com
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january diary others • Fashion Museum, Bennett St, Bath (01225 477173, www.fashionmuseum.co.uk) ONGOING Helmut Lang Four
linked displays including over 20 ensembles by Lang, who recently donated a collection of his output from 1997-2005 • Fashion Museum, Bennett St, Bath (01225 477173, www. fashionmuseum.co.uk) ONGOING The Art of Giving
Celebration of the artwork donated by local people, including a painting by Paul Klee, never previously on public display • Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge St, Bath (01225 477233, www.victoriagal.org. uk) ONGOING Photographing
Fashion: British Style in the 1960s Ernestine Carter’s photographs of a famously fashionable decade • Fashion Museum, Bennett St, Bath (01225 477173, www. fashionmuseum.co.uk)
CLASSICAL, OPERA & DANCE 1 JAN New Year’s Viennese
Spectacular Start 2011 with the London Gala Orchestra and soprano Paula Sides in a whirl of romantic waltzes and popular songs • Bath Forum, St James’s Parade (01225 463362, www. londongalaorchestra.com)
20 JAN Brendan Cole: Live and Unjudged A night of dazzling dance from the Strictly… star • Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade (0844 847 2325, www.bristolhippodrome.org.uk) 21 JAN Charles Hazlewood and the
Army of Generals Conductor Hazlewood leads his ensemble through works by Haydn, Schnittke and Mozart • St George’s Bristol, Great George St (0845 402 4001, www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk)
22 JAN Bath Choral Society BCS
sing works by Maurice Durufle • Bath Abbey, Kingston Buildings (01225 463362, www.bathabbey.org) 27 JAN Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra Winter warmers from Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall. org)
what’son
29 JAN Treorchy Male Choir Superb male-voice choir • St George’s Bristol, Great George St (0845 402 4001, www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk)
OTHER EVENTS 16 JAN Giant Flea Market
Hundreds of stalls laden with preloved collectables • Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset (01278 784912, www. sheptonflea.com) 28 JAN Gok's Roadshow Fashion guru Gok Wan will be filming his Channel 4 programme in Bristol and is inviting local people to come along • Cabot Circus, Bristol 4.30pm Ffi www. cabotcircus.com 28 JAN Slapstick Silent Comedy
Gala See picture story • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall.org) 29 JAN A Homage to Chaplin
Slapstick Festival event. Rare screening of a film tribute, with live piano accompaniment • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall. org) 29 JAN Harry Langdon’s Best
Comedy Shorts Slapstick Festival event. Graeme Garden picks his favourite clips from the silent comedy star • Colston Hall, Colston St, Bristol (0117 922 3686, www. colstonhall.org) 29-30 JAN Celebrating Buster
Keaton with Ian Lavender/Barry Cryer’s Top Comedy Moments Slapstick Festival event. Two cracking comedy events • Bristol Old Vic, King St (0117 987 7877, www. bristololdvic.org.uk) 30 JAN Chaplin: The Great Dictator
with Shappi Khorsandi Slapstick Festival event. See picture story • Bristol Old Vic, King St (0117 987 7877, www.bristololdvic.org.uk)
30 JAN Love Baby Festival A celebration of all the people involved in supporting pregnancy, birth and parenting in Bristol and beyond • Paintworks, Arnos Vale, Bath Rd, Bristol (0117 971 4320, www. paintworksbristol.co.uk)
FAMILY OUT & ABOUT
UNTIL 4 JAN Carters Steam Fair
Popular vintage fairground sets up on Bristol’s harbourside with rides
Ring in the new: soprano Paula Sides, who sings alongside the London Gala Orchestra at Bath Forum’s New Year’s Day concert, New Year’s Viennese Spectacular. See Classical
for all the family • Harbourside, Bristol (www.carterssteamfair.co. uk) UNTIL 9 JAN Cabot Circus
songs by Neil (The Divine Comedy) Hannon • Bristol Old Vic, King St (0117 987 7877, www. bristololdvic.org.uk)
Skating Rink Eco-friendly rink made of synthetic, recyclable ice, with a large polar bear at the centre lit by 1,900 eco-friendly LED lights • Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol (www.cabotcircus. com)
8 DEC-16 JAN The Adventures of Pinocchio The much-loved story of the wooden puppet who longs to become a real boy. Ages 6+ • Tobacco Factory, Southville, Bristol (0117 902 0344, www. tobaccofactory.com)
UNTIL 27 FEB Winter Wonderland
13-15 JAN The Snow Queen City
Huge Christmas attraction incorporating 1,000 sq m outdoor ice rink, Santa’s Castle (till Fri 24 Dec) and market stalls. Adv booking recommended • The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol (0117 903 0303, www.mallcribbs. com)
of Bath College performing arts students perform the magical Hans Christian Andersen tale for ages 6+ • The Egg, St John’s Place, Bath (01225 448844, www. theatreroyal.org.uk)
EXHIBITIONS UNTIL END JAN The Incredible
Journey A celebration of the 40th anniversary of the great ship’s return to Bristol. Listen to memories of those involved in the rescue mission, marvel at a spacehopper invasion, and watch a new animated film • Brunel’s ss Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol (0117 926 0680, www.ssgreatbritain.org)
UNTIL MAY The Bang and Boom Show Expect bangs and blasts, flames and fizzes in a new show for ages 5-11 exploring the wonders of chemistry • At-Bristol, Anchor Rd, Harbourside (0845 345 1235, www.at-bristol.org.uk) PERFORMANCE 1 DEC-15 JAN Swallows and Amazons New musical for all ages adapted from the Arthur Ransome classic and featuring
13-16 JAN Peter Pan on Ice The
Russian Ice Stars perform an adaptation of JM Barrie’s famous story – on real ice! • Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade (0844 847 2341, www. bristolhippodrome.org.uk) 16 DEC-23 JAN Aladdin CBBC’s
Gemma Hunt joins EastEnders’ Ricky Groves and Bath legend Chris Harris for the popular panto • Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose (01225 448844, www.theatreroyal. org.uk)
22 JAN Storm in a Teacup Tale of a lonely lighthouse keeper’s struggle to make friends. Ages 4+ • The Egg, St John’s Place, Bath (01225 448844, www.theatreroyal. org.uk) 28-29 JAN The Tin Soldier Powerful storytelling theatre based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and aimed at ages 7+ • The Egg, St John’s Place, Bath (01225 448844, www.theatreroyal.org. uk)
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food&drink FESTIVE FEAST
More sprouts, please! l With over 10,000 meals to prepare for the festive season, staff at DoubleTree by Hilton, Cadbury House in Congresbury were drawing up their biggest shopping list of the year as they looked forward to an extremely busy Christmas. Ingredients needed for December included no less than two tons of turkey, three tons of potatoes, half a ton of brussels sprouts and half a ton of stuffing. Chefs were also awaiting the arrival of 500 litres of double cream, one ton of ham hock, 500 gallons of gravy and 10,000 pigs-in-blankets. They sourced many of the ingredients from local suppliers, and everything was freshly prepared each day. The quantity of Christmas fare being prepared at Cadbury House evoked memories of the menu that famously featured at the Bush Tavern in Bristol back
calves’ heads, cow heel and reindeer tongues were also available, should anyone fancy it! “John Weeks, the Bush’s famous innkeeper, advertised that he had one of the finest and best stocked larders in the kingdom, attracting travellers from as far afield as London,” says Mark Hands, group general manager at DoubleTree by Hilton. “Following the recent transformation of DoubleTree by Hilton, I’d like to think it’s now regarded as the best venue in the South West for all forms of celebration, although I don’t think we’ll be adding collard eels, golden plovers, reindeer tongues or hogs’ feet to the menu just yet!” in the 1790s, which included perhaps the longest and most unusual selection of food ever served in the West. Among the variety of treats on offer were a
turtle weighing 47lb and birds such as woodcocks, peahens, larks, teal and snipes. Game included partridge, wild duck, hares and doe venison, while
DoubleTree by Hilton, Cadbury House Frost Hill, Congresbury, Bristol, BS49. Ffi: 01934 834343, www. cadburyhotelbristol.co.uk
CURRY OSCARS
The glittering prize l The Rajpoot in Bath have won numerous accolades over the years, but their latest gong is rather special. Shortly before Christmas, they collected their fourth consecutive Best in the South West Award at the British Curry Awards, hosted by Bristol-born comedian and TV/radio presenter Justin Lee Collins. Having fought off competition from several renowned local restaurants, Rajpoot proprietor Ahmed Chowdhury was clearly delighted: “This is a testament to the hard work of all our staff and the support of our customers. It’s getting harder every year to win this award, and I’m immensely proud.” Over 1,000 guests gathered in London for the ‘Curry Oscars’. Among the celebrities,
politicians, top chefs and restaurateurs were Chris Tarrant, Christian GuruMurphy, Gary Rhodes, Singh Kohli and Heston Blumenthal, who himself received a special award. Justin Lee Collins amused guests with the story of how his father had become friends with Rajpoot owner Ahmed 30 years ago, after working at another of his restaurants, The Ganges of Bristol. Ahmed, who opened Rajpoot 31 years ago with his brother Mahmud, said, “It was great to see Justin again. I remember when he was a little boy coming into our restaurant. I wouldn’t recognise him now, though, with his long hair!” Rajpoot 4 Argyle St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 466833, www.rajpoot.com
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food&drink PUB AWARDS
Winning streak l Bath’s Marlborough Tavern has won Best British Food Pub of the Year at the prestigious Publican Awards, the leading awards for the pub industry. Owner Joe Cussens (who’s recently also taken over the Chequers on nearby River Street with business partner Justin Sleath) says, “The Marlborough’s head chef, Richard Knighting, was also shortlisted for Chef of the Year. Only four chefs in the country made it to the final - testimony to Richard’s hard work in finding quality local suppliers and developing the menu with new, innovative dishes.” The Marlborough was also a finalist in the Best Gastro Pub category.
ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY
Get fresh l Resolve to make your food shopping easier, affordable, tastier and more enjoyable this year. Riverford Organic deliver weekly essentials like veg, fruit, eggs, milk and meat fresh to your door (though you don’t have to order every week, and don’t need to be at home for delivery). Everything is chosen for its flavour: if a potato doesn’t pass the taste test, Riverford don’t grow it. Every week you’ll get up to eight new recipes to inspire you to cook and feed your family better. You’ll
Marlborough Tavern 35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath. Ffi: 01225 423731, www.marlborough-tavern.com
discover how seasonal produce can be the starting point for every meal, and quickly expand your cooking repertoire. Riverford’s website is bursting with recipes, and if you ever run out of ideas just call the team at the farm for help. It’s great value, too. Riverford’s award-winning organic veg boxes are around 20% cheaper than supermarket organic veg, and delivery is free. Riverford Ffi: 01803 762059, www.riverford.co.uk
Q&A
PHIL HAUGHTON
Local, ethical and organic food entrepreneur, and Better Food Co MD Tell us about your food philosophy Most of my life, I’ve been driven about food justice: farmers getting a fair return for providing us with better food and taking care of our environment; care and dignity for animals; justice for foodchain workers and consumers. Everyone has a right to good food. The food industry and supermarkets have denied many of this right. You’ve just opened a new shop on Bristol's Whiteladies Road… I’m passionate about reclaiming high streets to serve local communities for a better quality of life. Since ‘metro’-style supermarkets popped up, greengrocers, butchers, bakers and fishmongers have dropped away rapidly. The only thing that will change this is local people who want choice, and entrepreneurs prepared to offer that. Our new shop
offers a very organic choice, showcasing 65 local producers. We’re part of making Whiteladies Road a special place again, a real foodie’s paradise. Funniest food-related story? Christmas, 25 years ago, trading from home, I put our first delivery of 20 local, organic turkeys in our back bedroom for the night. Whoops! Shut the bloody cat in. Actually, she only tried one - chewed at a leg but obviously didn’t think much of it. We hoped the last person due to collect their bird wouldn’t turn up… They did. After our solemn apologies, they got me to cut the leg off, then wrote to say the turkey was great and the talking point at Christmas dinner! The Better Food Company Proving House, Sevier St, St Werburghs, tel: 0117 935 1725 & 94 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol, tel: 0117 946 6957. Web: www.betterfood.co.uk
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Lebanese Cuisine 95 Queens Rd, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1LW 0117 9739734 info@sandsrestaurant.co.uk www.sandsrestaurant.co.uk
Arabian Nights
Enjoy an evening of Eastern Promise Thursday 28th January ÂŁ16.95 per person An opportunity to try lots of different dishes in true Lebanese style. A Mezza which includes several hot and cold dishes, followed by a main course. Lebanese sweets and Arabic coffee. Includes Live Belly Dancing.
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feature
Good for you! Melissa Blease sheds those Christmas pounds without so much as a backwards glance at the latest miracle diet
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food&drink Whether eating out or cooking at home, fresh ingredients are the key to healthy eating.
A
ccording to a whole heap of surveys, a vow to shed excess pounds tops the new year’s resolutions chart for UK citizens. Ever savvy to market trends, ‘miracle’ meal replacement diets are available as multi-pack deals throughout January, and while such offers may be tempting, the prospect (and the sometimes slightly sinister side-effects) of embarking on a drastic starvation programme is pretty grim. If, however, we ignore the lure of a quick fix and concentrate on a tasty, longterm healthy eating regime instead, the path to dieting success is paved not with denial but delight. Contrary to popular belief, the fresh produce available in January is surprisingly vibrant and lends itself well to all manner of lively dishes that are light on both waistline and wallet. Satsumas, rhubarb, cranberries and oranges are all at their juicy, seasonal best right now; use them as a base for smoothies or to top a hearty bowl of porridge in the morning, and you’re set to keep the hunger pangs at bay until lunchtime - no sweet snacking required! Make time to prepare batches of vegetable-based, fat-free casseroles and soups (beetroot, carrots, parsnips, cabbages and luscious leafy greens are currently all in plentiful supply) that can sit in your fridge or freezer in readiness for the addition of simple grilled chicken or fish, and you’ve got an array of healthy
homemade ‘ready meals’ to fill a lunchtime flask or warm you up on a chilly winter’s night. Dress to defy the weather and take plenty of brisk walks or cycling trips, and bear in mind that it’s easy to snack when we’re thirsty: there are times when a glass of mineral water split with fresh fruit juice is all we need to make us forget our cravings for a Mars bar, and today’s fresh, imaginative alternatives to alcohol-based tipples make cocktail hour a breeze. Restaurants don’t have to represent the dieter’s downfall. The key thing to remember when eating out is that you’re in charge of how much (or rather, how little) you eat. You’re not obliged to scoff a supersized meal just because it’s been put in front of you, and those who love food but hate waste (and bulging waists!) have no qualms about requesting the now de rigueur doggie bag for uneaten extra portions. Enjoy what you can eat instead of obsessing over what you can’t, and use your common sense (remember that?). Have a healthy snack before you leave the house so that you don’t arrive at the restaurant starving (oatcakes with cottage cheese or low-fat hummus are satisfyingly effective). When ordering, choose a baked potato instead of mash or chips, and clear soups instead of creamy ones, or consider skipping the main course altogether and opting for two starters instead. Salads may seem like an obvious choice, but beware: mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw, pasta, croutons, cheese, salami and creamy dressings are off the healthy-eating menu. Combinations based around oven-roasted vegetables, mixed leaves and grilled fish or meat, however, make for a filling, low-fat, nutrient-packed treat (especially if you choose a light dressing and ask for it to be served on the side). And remember the golden rule: sip water throughout the meal, even if you’re allowing yourself a couple of glasses of wine – it’ll fill you up and slow you down. Ready? Let’s take our healthy eating regime out on the streets…
demuths, Bath, is a haven of nutritious, wholesome food.
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food&drink Mezze
Traditional Lebanese food at Sands, Bristol, is based on fresh ingredients.
Traditional Lebanese food is based around fresh, healthy ingredients, including lots of vegetables and plenty of grilled fish and meat. An excursion to the longstanding, cosy haven of exotica that is Bristol’s Sands doesn’t mean that you have to take a holiday from the diet... but leave those baklavas alone! Sands 95 Queens Rd, Clifton, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 973 9734, www.sandsrestaurant.co.uk
Buffet
Japanese
Japanese food offers a veritable banquet for health-conscious folk – it’s high in flavour but low in animal fats, dairy and sugar, with many dishes based around fresh (often raw) fish, seafood and vegetables. Noa is the newest stylish kid on the Clifton block, offering an elegant backdrop against which to enjoy a stunning selection of fresh, vibrant fare. Obento, meanwhile, flaunts a vast selection of delights including teppenaki and kare (Japanese curry dishes) alongside the standard sushi and sashimi offerings, all to eat in or take away. In Bath, Yen Sushi was the first restaurant to bring kaiten (conveyor-belt selection dining) to the Heritage City, and today this cheerful Far Eastern diner straddles the whole Japanese gamut from sushi and sashimi to cheerful ramen (noodles in soup) via bento (rice) boxes and fascinating side dishes. Noa Japanese 12-13 Waterloo St, Clifton, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 973 2881, www.noajapanese.co.uk Obento 69 Baldwin St, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 929 7392, www.obento-bristol.co.uk Yen Sushi 11-12 Bartlett St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 333313, www.yensushi.co.uk
Fries-free meat at the Firehouse Rotisserie.
Serve yourself from the vibrant buffet at Jimmy Spices - the most recent addition to Bath’s sparkling SouthGate shopping complex - and discover a sparklingly fresh selection that belies the standard buffet fare, bringing the authentic flavours of Thailand, China, India, Mexico and Italy together on an array of hotplates and woks, supplemented by bespoke stirfried dishes cooked to order before your very eyes. Step away from the deep-fried starters (poppadoms, bhajis, pakoras, spring rolls, etc), creamy curries, cheese-laden pizzas and, of course, the dessert bar, and head instead for steamed dim sum, chargrilled kebabs, vegetarian curries, baked fish (find it amid the Italian selection) and fabulous fresh vegetable and fruit combinations at the salad bar. Jimmy Spices SouthGate, Bath. Ffi: 01225 426802, www.jimmyspices.co.uk
Chargrilled
The classic grilled meat/salad combo can be a dieter’s best friend - especially if you let an expert rustle it up for you. Find impeccably sourced, well-hung steaks, chargrilled happy chicken and fabulously fresh fish and seafood combinations at Bath’s Hudson Steakhouse and/or the Bristol and Bath incarnations of the paean to California dining that is the Firehouse Rotisserie. Say no to fries (or share a portion if you really can’t resist) and opt for a sumptuous salad instead, asking the kitchen to hold back on creamy dressings. Firehouse Rotisserie Anchor Square, Harbourside, Bristol, tel: 0117 915 7323 & 2 John St, Bath, tel: 01225 482070. Web: www.firehouserotisserie.co.uk Hudson Steakhouse, Bar & Grill 14 London St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 332323, www.hudsonbars.co.uk
Meat-free
It is a fact universally acknowledged that cutting down on animal fats can have a beneficial effect on our health, wealth and wellbeing in general. Splurge on imaginative, largely organic meat-free treats at the venerable vegetarian haven that is Bath’s Demuths and discover tasty, innovative dishes that are guaranteed to liven up jaded tastebuds while putting a spring in your step. Similarly, Bristol’s Café Maitreya offers imaginative, award-winning organic veggie (and vegan) flavour-laden food in chic but friendly surroundings. Meat? You simply won’t notice it isn’t there. Cafe Maitreya 89 St Marks Rd, Easton, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 951 0100, www.cafemaitreya.co.uk Demuths 2 North Parade Passage, Bath. Ffi: 01225 446059, www.demuths.co.uk
At the Hudson Steakhouse grilled meat, can be the dieter's best friend.
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food review
food&drink
Papaji's
Mike Gartside discovers tea and sympathetic flavours in Clifton
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bar, a kitchen and a teasmith’s . . . Papaji’s is an intriguing idea and one that promises an easternflavoured emporium of delights. Proprietor Andy Dodd has an enthusiasm for India and, specifically, tea, which has inspired him to become a master of the craft and even develop a range of tea-based cocktails. Having opened up Papaji’s over a year ago, he redesigned the interior just before Christmas, with the help of iconic local interior designer Simple Simon, and re-vamped the menu to give it, literally, a more tea-infused feel. Yet the delights of the leaf are just one element in a cuisine that, at the heart of it, takes its inspiration from Europe and its ingredients from local sources. As my other half and I discover, stepping off Whiteladies Road into Papaji’s glittering interior, up the stairs into the cosy dining area, there’s plenty to sample here for both the adventurous and those who want to play it safe. Head chef Juan Garzon has put together a menu that balances east and west. So, in the starters menu, we have pan-fried masala chicken livers, caramelized onions and carom seed mashed potatoes alongside Cornish mussels in a tomato and curry leaf broth, while, for mains, there’s chai tea poached south coast haddock, cardamom and saffron basmati rice vying for attention with lightly spiced rack of lamb. As we’re agonising over these lip-smacking choices, Andy serves us a crisp, delicious Itynera sauvignon blanc, to accompany a premeal nibble of Papaji’s bean dip and bread pleasantly curried and toasty for a cold winter’s evening. We settle on the sandalwood breast of chicken, crispy bacon and cucumber yoghurt with Mamaji’s chutney, followed by pan-fried south coast sea bass, pata negra pepper sauce, with saffron and mustard seed Lyonnaise potatoes (His) and south coast whiting and prawn fishcakes, winter leaves and the chef’s ‘Béarnaise air’, followed by slow-cooked venison, amchoor and winter vegetable stew, with black mustard seed and parsley mashed potatoes (Hers). The presentation is faultless, the sandalwood chicken served on a curved, slatestyle platter which lends a sense of occasion. The meat is tender, with a fine, crisp coating of spiced breadcrumbs. The chutney and the chicken balance well, while the cucumber yoghurt adds a bright freshness to the dish, although it’s hard to taste the delicate sandalwood amid the competing flavours. Across the table, the fishcakes again have the
right texture of crispiness and tenderness, while the Béarnaise foam is well executed. As the main course approaches, Andy thoughtfully offers my partner a glass of warm red to accompany her venison. Again, both dishes are beautifully presented, the sea bass a teetering tower of taste, the venison a homely stew ideal for warming the cockles of a chilly evening. The fish is perfectly cooked, melting in the mouth and well complemented by the bright colours (both visually and tastewise) of the pepper sauce, while the pata negra (an Iberian cured ham), adds some sharpness. The venison, I’m told, is a plate of good, tasty comfort food. Andy is keen to impress on us the local provenance of the ingredients, explaining that most of his meat is supplied direct from a butcher in Taunton, chickens are sourced from Frome, while fish is delivered daily from the south coast. Having been brought up in India, his own personal experiences have shaped the menu and, indeed the name of the restaurant (Papaji is the name he called his own father as a child). Yet his tea training has taken him all over the world and he sources ideas from Morocco, Malawi, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Java, as well as the sub-continent. We leave Papaji’s convinced that, with such a clear vision and passion for his idea, Andy Dodd is the man to make this tea-influenced European cuisine work.
Contacts Papaji’s 109 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol Tel: 0117 946 6144 Web: www.papajis.co.uk
“The chutney and the sandalwood chicken balance well, while the cucumber yoghurt adds a bright freshness to the dish.”
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Bath Cider Festival Friday 11th February 7.30pm - 11pm
Saturday 12th February 11am - 4pm & 7.30pm - 11pm Price: £7 in advance | £8 on the door
Over 100 ciders and perries will be on offer including award-winning ciders from Ben Crossman’s, Rich’s, Thatchers, Broadoak and Heck’s (Somerset), Gwatkin (Herefordshire), Gwynt Y Ddraig (Wales), and Mr. Whiteheads (Hampshire). Hog roast rolls and cheese platters will be available, as well as a range of soft drinks for the drivers. There will be live entertainment with music from the Mangledwurzels, creating the perfect cider-drinker atmosphere.
Bristol Cider Festival: Friday 28th January Brunel’s Passanger Shed Temple Meads Price: £7
Saturday 29th january
11am-4pm Brunel’s Passanger Shed Temple Meads Price: £7
Saturday 29th January
7.30pm-11pm / Brunel’s Passanger Shed Temple Meads Price: £7
For all events please tel: 01225 330 304 email: clsbath@aol.com www.clstickets.co.uk
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food review
food&drink
The Eastern Eye Ever wondered what’s really going on behind all those awards and foodie accolades? Melissa Blease goes in deep
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anuary can be such a difficult month to struggle through: the parties are over, the decorations have come down and the season to be frugal is suddenly upon us. And tempting though the concept may be, hibernation is just not a viable option. A tried-and-trusted method guaranteed to raise generally low morale, however, is well within easy reach. If you ask a Bathonian to point you in the direction of their favourite curry house, it’s a sure-fire bet that you’ll find yourself meandering along Quiet Street, heading for a restaurant that has more celebrity endorsements than Touche Éclat and a plethora of glistening gongs from all manner of food guides including Les Routiers, Rick Steves, Lonely Plant, Fodor’s and the British Curry Awards… “But it’s January, remember!” I hear you wail. “The spirit may be willing, but the wallet is weak!” But fear not. Despite such a grand reputation (and surroundings to match), even a full-on banquet at the Eastern Eye is an eminently affordable treat, served with a flourish that totally belies the prosaic prices. In keeping with the general locale, the restaurant is situated in a gorgeous Georgian townhouse with a big history. Beyond a rather modest exterior, the upstairs dining room boasts high, domed ceilings, big picture windows and walls painted with elaborate Indian murals. The menus do the whole bling thing, too: following a full explanation of how Indian food ‘works’, every dish is flagged up with highlighters denoting heat, sugar, nut, wheat and dairy content, while vegetarians are extremely well catered for. Staff are cheerful and welcoming from the off, and if you happen to spot manager Muhammed Hafeez Malik hosting the floor, make friends with him fast: he’s blessed with the seemingly effortless ability to make guests feel like A-list ‘slebs... and what he doesn’t know about the EE’s extensive menu isn’t worth knowing. We started our Eastern adventure with a tower of fresh, crisp poppadoms (oh come on, it’s obligatory) before moving swiftly on to Dhaka chicken roll (marinated, gently spicy chicken wrapped in a soft, very fresh parata) and a green pepper stuffed with a similarly styled filling before being barbecued in the tandoori oven: supremely satisfying, comforting overtures that carried off the desired tastebud-tickling trick to great effect. To follow, lamb tikka taka tak for Him, chosen partly because he just liked saying the name of the dish but mainly because the combination of lamb, curry spices and
cinnamon offered maximum appeal on a chilly winter’s night. Being a contrary critic forever in search of novelty, I opted for king prawn kumpo garlic, billed as ‘Chinese food, Indian style’. My dish translated into a deep pot of lightly battered prawns in a mushroom, green pepper and spring onion-laden sauce similar to a classic black bean base but still somehow distinctly ‘Indian’ in flavour. His tikka taka tak, meanwhile, was as satisfying to eat as it was to order: sweet, spicy and sumptuous. A side of tarka dhal was as good as this cosy, comforting supporting act can get, the rice came in a fluffy, steaming mound, and a fluffy pillow of peshwari naan deserves a standalone mention for being the freshest that I’ve ever tasted. The wine (just ask Mr Malik for a recommendation and I guarantee that he’ll find the perfect tipple) flowed, while a pistachio and almond kulfi proved to be utterly compelling. A frozen limoncello was thrust upon me (and, hey, it would have been rude to resist), and still the bill refused to scrape much above £70 - a small price to pay for a supper that restored equilibrium, gave flagging sprits a much-needed boost and left us both with a warm and satisfied glow. If the Eastern Eye offered accommodation, I’d gladly take up residence for the whole of January.
Contacts Eastern Eye 8a Quiet St, Bath Tel: 01225 422323 Web: www.easterneye.com
" Despite such a grand reputation, even a full-on banquet at the Eastern Eye is an eminently affordable treat."
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EXPERIENCE ZEN at Bristol Harbourside
Enjoy views over Millenium Square with one of our delicious cocktails in the opulence of ZENBar. Drink offers throughout the week.
50% off a la carte main courses Sunday - Wednesday evenings.
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0845 371 3888 | 0117 920 9372 WWW.ZENHARBOURSIDE.CO.UK INFO@ZENHARBOURSIDE.CO.UK
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• Authentic Freshly Cooked to Order Japanese Dishes • City Centre Location • Private Rooms with Karaoke Facilities • Ideal for birthdays, office parties and special get-togethers • Teppanyaki Grill and Sushi Bar • Set Lunches from £6.95 per person, Dinners from £11.00 per person Now open 7 days a week Students only - 10% discount & special packages for birthday parties (from £10 per person) just show us your NUS card
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Must book a table and present this advert. Terms & Conditions Apply. Please phone 0117 9209370 for details
50% off Sushi with this advertisment Valid Sundays to Thursdays until 30/1/11
69 Baldwin Street, Bristol BS1 1QZ Tel 0117 925 4882 (Next to The Old Fish Market Pub) www.obento.co.uk
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recipe Mark Evans Age: 43 Nationality: British Restaurant: Café Maitreya l Amid a growing interest in the
organic market and seasonal cooking, Mark Evans arrived in Bristol 15 years ago. Having worked in London and Australia, he did stints at Bristol’s Jamesons and Anthem, ending up at Café Maitreya by accident. “The then owner was a friend of mine - I went to help out and got sucked in! Having cooked meat and fish for a long time, the idea of vegetarian cooking - building something from scratch using lots of ingredients rather than one main protein source - was challenging and so much more creative.” Mark took up the reins as chef/owner five years ago, and his cooking philosophy is about continuing to push boundaries. “Vegetarian restaurants tend to hop around the world with their dishes, but we want to take a more northern European, local stance – using British and French ingredients rather than just putting on curry dishes that tick the boxes.”
Mark Evans at
Café Maitreya Address: 89 St Marks Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 6HY Telephone: 0117 951 0100 Web: www.cafemaitreya.co.uk
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regular scooper of awards, Café Maitreya has earned itself the accolade of Best Vegetarian Restaurant, rated by everyone from the Observer Food Monthly and Which?’s Good Food Guide to the Vegetarian Society. ‘Award-winning stuff … great food by anyone’s standards,’ wrote one critic. But despite the awards, Café Maitreya isn’t pricey or pretentious. This small, smart restaurant is charming, friendly and intimate, with an open-plan kitchen that allows you to see the chefs preparing your meal. Staff are warm, knowledgeable and helpful - the guiding ethos seems to come from the name ‘Maitreya’, meaning ‘loving kindness’ in Sanskrit. As you might expect, this isn’t your typical vegetarian fare. The menu is seasonal, creative and thoughtful, revealing classic French influences while being stylish and modern. Combinations are subtle but flavours are strong: chef/ owner Mark Evans sources organic and local produce to get the best quality, and
“Cafe Maitreya has carved itself a niche for topquality food that just happens to be vegetarian”
bases his changing menu on what’s fresh and in season. Café Maitreya has carved itself a niche for top-quality food that just happens to be vegetarian. In fact, many of Maitreya’s regulars aren’t vegetarian – they just appreciate great food and friendly, professional service. Head for the bustling and exotic St Marks Road in Easton to find this oasis of top-notch food. One word of waning, though – book in advance!
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[re
food&drink
Sautéed carrot and almond cakes with haas avocado, warm sprouting salad and orange thyme dressing Ingredients Serves 6 For the cakes: Bunch of 6-8 medium organic carrots 1 tblsp rock salt 8 cloves garlic (6 whole, 2 finely chopped) Small bunch thyme (half finely chopped) 1in fresh ginger (roughly sliced) 300g ground almonds 3 large shallots (peeled & sliced) Juice of half lemon Salt & pepper to season 200g organic mixed bean sprouts 3 haas avocados For the dressing: 2 large oranges (fine zested & juiced) 1 dessertspoon smooth Dijon mustard 1.5 dessertspoons maple syrup 2 tblsp chopped thyme Salt & pepper 150ml good organic sunflower oil/good oil (not olive oil) To make: This seasonal treat is light, flavoursome, warming and healthy! Pre-heat oven to 160ºC. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil, sprinkle with
the rock salt, and add six whole cloves of garlic, half the thyme, the cloves and the chopped ginger. Place the carrots on top of this, encase in the foil and roast for 30-40 mins. Meanwhile, toast the ground almonds in the oven for five mins or until just golden. Sautée the shallots lightly with the two cloves of chopped garlic until translucent. Transfer to a food processor, chop the roast carrots and add to processor with the lemon juice, and purée. When almost smooth, add the toasted almonds and season. Allow carrot cake mix to cool for 10 mins, then you can shape the cakes and shallow fry when required. Fry for 1-2 mins each side or until golden. Serve with haas avocado and sprouts. To make the dressing, in a small pan gently reduce the zest and juice of the orange by half. Allow to cool for 5 mins, then transfer to a jug. Add the mustard, maple syrup and chopped thyme. Slowly add the oil while blending with handblender (the dressing is almost like a mayonnaise emulsification). Keep adding oil slowly until all is blended and smooth. Finally, season and serve with carrot cakes and avocado.
Recommended... La Campagne Viognier (Languedoc) It often comes as a great surprise to consumers that wine could be anything other than vegetarian or vegan in nature - after all, it’s made from nothing but grapes. However, there’s one key stage, called fining, during which animal products can be used. Fining is the removal of undesirable substances from the wine after fermentation - often this is done by use of proteins obtained from milk, eggs or even fish. Vegan wines, obviously, aren’t fined with such animal proteins. Looking at the ingredients for this dish, I’m imagining a delicious sweetness from the carrot and almonds that needs to be matched with a certain amount of richness in the wine, so I’m plumping for a Viognier. La Campagne Viognier from the Languedoc region of southern France, one of Matthew Clark’s many vegan wines, provides floral spice and a touch of peach alongside that sought-after note of richness on the palate.
S c w sp d
Ing Ser
For t Bun 1 tbl 8 clo Sma 1in f 300g 3 lar Juice Salt 200g 3 ha For 2 lar 1 de 1.5 d 2 tbl Salt 150m
To m This Prewho Plac Mea light roas toas and spro To cool the o add avoc
Ffi: www.matthewclark.co.uk
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La Ca It ofte - afte can b of pr at the matc Lang peac Ffi w
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lifestyle JEWELLERY
Designs from Denmark l The Bristol outlet for Danish jewellers Pilgrim recently celebrated their first anniversary in style, with a party for customers at their shop at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. The store’s individually designed, hypo-allergenic jewellery, charms and watches for women are all produced by the designled Danish company, who pride themselves on producing jewellery that’s ethically manufactured, elegantly designed and lovingly handcrafted (see also Shop of the Month). The pieces in their ranges are classic with a contemporary twist – striking, quality and good-value jewellery. This winter, Pilgrim’s focus is on the contrast between ‘the raw and the feminine’. Their creations combine classic elements from the 1950s with ‘rough’ details courtesy of the
likes of skulls and leather. Colours are a daring combination of military greens, a metallic mix and romantic classic tones: go on a playful journey, mixing the metals and materials as the mood takes
you, or use the jewellery to upgrade your everyday look. It’s been a busy first year for Pilgrim, and Bristol shop owner Anna Woodman and her team are now looking forward to an even busier second year,
introducing new jewellery collections and launching a range of stunning handbags. You can browse the latest collections (with prices starting from £5.90) either in store or online. Pilgrim founders Annemette Markvad and Thomas Adamsen spent Pilgrim’s early years travelling around Denmark, selling jewellery in the streets and at rock festivals. They swiftly began exhibiting their wares at trade fairs in Denmark, and later on family and friends became involved with the business. They’re a creative and socially committed bunch who support Medecins sans Frontieres by producing special MSF products, sold for the benefit of this humanitarian medical aid organisation. Pilgrim The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 950 5398, www. pilgrim.dk
LINGERIE
Party on! l Who said the party season was over? Exclusive Bath lingerie boutique Hannah Dulcie has the perfect remedy for those post-Christmas blues: round up your friends and book in some girlie giggle time for a night out at a free Hannah Dulcie boutique lingerie party. Be inspired by beautiful lingerie, while learning correct fitting and style and enjoying plenty of bubbles and nibbles. You can try and buy from exclusive new ranges including Stella McCartney, Myla, Mimi Holliday and La Perla Studio, and the host will receive a complimentary pair of Hannah Dulcie undies. Showcasing leading designer collections that are generally available in department stores such as Selfridges, Harrods and Liberty, Hannah Dulcie’s philosophy is to bring a little bit of London to Bath. Hannah also brings years of experience in designing her own brand of lingerie using distinctive Liberty fabrics. She’s best known for her bespoke underwear range - with usually just one piece available in each size, these truly unique, sought-after items are available in top independent boutiques or via Hannah’s own website. Whether you’re after sophisticated, sexy, silky or simple lingerie, professional advice from the store’s skilled consultants will help you to get the perfect fit. Hannah Dulcie 13 Milsom Place, Bath. Ffi: 01225 489000, www.hannahdulcie.co.uk
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lifestyle LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER
Evergreen scenes PERFORMING ARTS
Role call l Stagecoach Theatre Arts have been nurturing and developing young people’s potential for over 21 years. With over 700 schools worldwide and more than 40,000 students, Stagecoach is the longest running and most successful performing arts schools network in the world. As well as delivering quality performance arts training, they ensure that each child gets the most out of their experience by building life skills and confidence while having a lot of fun and meeting new friends. Often copied, but never equalled, Stagecoach have remained the market
leader for children’s performing arts, reaching beyond the scope of normal after-school clubs. In addition to the opportunity to take internationally recognised examinations, students get regular reports and awards for longstanding achievement. There’s also the option to audition for professional work in film, theatre and modelling via the Stagecoach Agency. Stagecoach hold classes across Bristol and the surrounding areas. Ffi and to find your nearest school: www.stagecoach.co.uk
l Bath photographer Ed Collacott, known locally for his sumptuous countryside photographs, has just published his first book, ‘Landscape Britain’, a welcome addition to any coffee table. The tome boasts over 100 images of this country’s mountains, forests, coasts and open spaces, capturing the deliciously changeable moods and character of our green and pleasant land. “Its a project I’ve been thinking about and developing for many years,” says Ed. “Everything finally came together in the last 12 months.” At the back of the book, an anecdote section puts the images into context and adds insight into his way of working. Landscape Britain Park Lane Press, Corsham, ISBN 978 0 9566874 01, £25. Ffi: 01761 436377
Q&A
KEVIN CLUTTERBUCK
MD of Sirloin, Bristol’s answer to Calvin Klein Where did you get the idea for making underwear out of bamboo? I was fed up with not being able to have stylish underwear made from anything apart from cotton. Cotton’s the only thing out there for quality underwear, but the quality never lasts. A friend was developing nappies using bamboo, and it’s just perfect for luxurious, natural underwear. What’s so great about bamboo? As cashmere is to wool, bamboo is to cotton. The fibres are so comfortable, smooth and antistatic - it doesn’t cling to the skin. Bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, and that quality is transferred into the fabric, so it takes moisture away from the body, kills germs and keeps you fresher for longer. People with skin complaints find that bamboo doesn’t irritate the skin. What about the growing process? Bamboo is 100 per cent sustainable and biodegradable. With a natural defence against bacteria, it can thrive without pesticides or fertilisers. And it’s one of the world’s fastest-
growing plants – some types can grow four feet per day. The yield from one acre of bamboo is 10 times greater than cotton, and it needs a fraction of the water. I can see bamboo taking over from cotton at some point. What are your plans for the future? Our men’s underwear currently comes in two colours, two styles and four sizes, but I’m planning to bring out a range of women’s underwear, too, and maybe leggings – perfect for cold weather. Underpants are just the starting point! Sirloin Web: www.sirloin.co.uk (Bristol stockist: Ooh La La, The Mall, Clifton Village)
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fashion
lifestyle
Boys will be boys
Niki Whittle turns her attention to the male of the species
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The military trend has been huge in menswear this winter, and this knit from Crafted, available at Republic, is a great way to update your outfits without looking as though you’ve tried too hard. The colour will go with everything and it’ll keep you warm when it’s blowing a gale.
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Layers are perfect for this season’s changeable weather. Don’t be afraid to mix different colours and prints together, as that will create a more individual look. This outfit from House of Fraser is a perfect example. The multi-coloured long-sleeve lumberjack shirt is by Jack & Jones, the grey cardigan is Polo Ralph Lauren, the navy cardigan is by G-Star and the jeans are Carhartt. Combined, they create effortless style.
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Garment Quarter in Bristol is full of designer clothing that will get you noticed. This knit by Vivienne Westwood is a must-have layer this winter - throw it over any outfit and ooze panache.
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Add style credentials to your outfits this season by adding a vintage-look Levis jacket like this cord Sherpa one, available at John Lewis.
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Barbour jackets are making a comeback, and this chocolate number from John Anthony will see you through the worst that the British weather can throw at you. Teamed with the Paul Smith scarf and tailored shirt (also available at John Anthony), it will brighten up the most dismal January day.
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You guys look great in hats! Wear this one from Marks and Spencer during the day to spice up your everyday look, or wear it on a night out to get all the attention.
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fashion 7
If you’re struggling to know what to wear in the evenings this month, look no further… Velvet is a big trend this season, and this jacket from Next is a perfect example. Not only will it keep you warm, but it will get you looking sharp and sexy, too.
lifestyle
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These biker boots from Marks and Spencer are practical and look great with jeans. Tuck them in to sport a grungy look, or wear them under jeans if you prefer something a little more polished.
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Denim is a wardrobe basic. This pair of jeans by Cast Iron, available at SW71 in Bath, deliver such a versatile style. They can be worn during the day with a multitude of layers, or teamed with a tailored jacket for more refined, dressier occasions.
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Converse hi-tops are a classic. Japanese fashion house Comme Des Garcons and Converse have collaborated to produce this fine pair of sneakers, available at Garment Quarter in Bristol. The design is simple but playful - great for something a little quirky.
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If you’re a fan of all things grunge, you need a denim shirt like this one by Replay from John Lewis to complete the look. Throw it over your favourite band T-shirt, or multi layer over a hoodie, and you’re good to go.
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Marc Wallace has recently opened a store in the South West, bringing his signature style and London chic to Bath. This contrast tartan collar and cuff design, available online, is perfect for understated style that screams confidence.
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contacts
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Garment Quarter 25 Penn St, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 329 4405, www.garmentquarter.com House of Fraser/Jollys Cabot Circus, Bristol & Milsom St, Bath. Ffi: www.houseoffraser.co.uk John Anthony Cabot Circus, Bristol & High St, Bath. Ffi: www.john-anthony.com John Lewis The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Ffi: www.johnlewis.com Marc Wallace Edgar Buildings, George St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 466155, www.marcwallace.com Marks & Spencer Broadmead and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol & Stall St, Bath. Ffi: www.marksandspencer.com Next Cabot Circus and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol & Stall St, Bath. Ffi: www.next. co.uk Republic Cabot Circus and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol & SouthGate, Bath. Ffi: www. republic.co.uk SW71 11 New Bond St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 447680, www.sw71.co.uk
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you... WE WANT TO HEAR FROM
Tell us about your big day or wedding plans; let us know all about the gorgeous dress you discovered or about that perfect venue. Ask us any questions you have about planning for your nuptials or share some useful tips of your own. Email the editor at h.mottram@bepp.co.uk and you could be gracing the pages of our next edition.
NEXT ISSUE OUT 4TH FEB folio 51
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fashion
lifestyle
Woo-hah! Anna Britten talks to Bristol designer – and reality TV star – Gilly Woo as she prepares to launch her first ready-to-wear collection 52 folio
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fashion
G
ill Cockwell’s been the sanest person on BBC One for the last few Tuesday nights. As a participant in the Beeb’s entertaining Shepton Mallet-based ‘Turn Back Time – The High Street’, she’s embroidered hankies, made nightdresses out of valance sheets and drawn crayon up the back of her calves in the name of period chic. All while remaining a beacon of cheerful fortitude as shopkeeping families squabble and weep all around her. Think Molly Ringwald in ‘Pretty In Pink’ – in a bustle. Though she described her recent televisual timetravelling as a “dream come true – I live in the past anyway!”, she won’t be auditioning for ‘I’m A Celebrity…’ any time soon because of the day job. She’s been making couture dresses in her Bristol workshop for a decade, establishing the label Gilly Woo (her dad’s childhood nickname for her) in 2007. “My client base includes anything from a 16-year-old girl going to a prom and not wanting the same dress as everyone else to an 80-year-old going to her grand-daughter’s wedding. But the typical Gilly Woo woman is probably an independent career woman in her 30s and 40s – very smart and stylish, who likes to be different, appreciates craftsmanship and treasures her clothes.” Despite a huge client base, and the fact her creations are sported by neighbourhood trendies such as Phantom Limb and Massive Attack vocalist Yolanda Quartey, her reputation so far has been of someone not quite part of the Bristol fashion scene. She accepts this situation with typical good
lifestyle humour: “I’ve always struggled in my relationship with Bristol! It’s weird – it’s where I was born and bred. I love it and I don’t want to live anywhere else – I’ve lived in Spain and Dublin too – but Bristol is definitely not the best place for my business. Bristol people are so cool and urban – they’re almost too cool to dress up. Bristolians need a bit of coercing to get into high-end glamour but once they’re there, they love it. I’m really hoping that Bristol will start loving glamour more and more.” And well they might since Gill has recently launched her first ready-to-wear collection. Now, instead of commissioning an elaborate, walletbashing showstopper, local women are able to buy gorgeous, mix-and-match corsets, skirts, boleros, shrugs, belts and corsages through local boutiques at off-the-peg prices. “People see me and my clients out in our dresses and say, ‘Oh, I wish….,’ but they don’t have the budget. So it’s something I always had in mind, but it takes an awful lot of development and money and time to get it right. The reason it’s taken me this long is because I wanted it to be perfect – to fit all body types and suit different ages and personalities. With the bespoke dresses, there are some styles which keep being repeated time and time again. I wanted to make them more accessible – they’re a lot cheaper, about half the price but made to the same couture standards. “If it takes off in the way I hope, I’ll be spending an awful lot more time designing – in a different way. I’ll be thinking about lots of different occasions for women, so we might do outfits that are good for weddings, Ascot, polo, and in the winter we’ll be thinking about parties and balls. And once a collection is finished, that’ll be it – vintage Gilly Woo.” FFI: 0117 924 6656 OR WWW.GILLYWOO.COM
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shopping
lifestyle
Shop of the month Rachel Nott gets a sparkle in her eye at Pilgrim
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hoosing jewellery, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, is always a special moment - the perfect way to treat yourself or to show your affection for someone else. Which is where Pilgrim comes in… Selling individually designed, hypoallergenic silver and gold-plated fashion jewellery, charms and watches for women, Pilgrim prides itself on being design-led and producing jewellery that’s classic with a contemporary twist. The result? Beautifully designed, highquality jewellery that offers exceptional value for money. Staff at the Bristol shop at Cribbs Causeway understand the pleasure of choosing jewellery - the experienced team are on hand to advise you every day of the week. Browse online or pop into the store to have a look at the latest ranges, all elegantly designed and lovingly handcrafted. Each piece has been thoughtfully designed and carefully made with an individual twist to create jewellery that, in their own words, is ‘as outstanding as you are’. Items from their new collection start at just £5.90. Pilgrim is the only UK franchise of acclaimed Danish brand Pilgrim, established in Denmark 27 years ago. They’re renowned for employing ethical practices and nurturing a culture of care and consideration. Pilgrim The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 950 5398, www.pilgrim.dk (Open Mon-Fri 9.30am–9pm, Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 11am-5pm)
Chloe, Emily (Pilgrim's store manager) and Anna (Pilgrim's store owner) look forward to welcoming you at their tantalising Cribbs Causeway shop
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motoring
The extras factor
Andy Enright test-drives Peugeot’s special edition 207 Sportium
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here are more attention-seeking rivals out there, but if you fancy getting extras for nothing, Peugeot’s 207 Sportium special edition makes all kinds of sense. The 207 remains a class act, enjoying far better build quality and driving characteristics than its mystifyingly popular predecessor, the 206. And while special edition models are often the last resort of manufacturers trying to shift tired models, this is anything but. The choice of a VTi 95bhp petrol or Peugeot’s HDi 92bhp diesel engine shouldn’t disappoint too severely. Performance is predictably leisurely, and both put power to the front wheels via a slightly flabby five-speed manual gearbox. Refinement and ride comfort are both 207 strong suits, and once you’re used to the high seating position, you’ll learn to trust the car’s front end when pushing hard through corners. Visibility
isn’t helped by the thick windscreen and C-pillars but steering is accurate and brakes reassuringly firm. Cabin materials look and feel sturdy, and while rear legroom isn’t as good as in some rivals, compensation comes with the 310-litre boot capacity. The Sportium badge brings with it
alloy wheels, power steering, six airbags, remote-control central locking, electric front windows, reach and rake adjustable steering, a CD stereo, ABS (with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist and a trip computer), electrically operated and heated door mirrors, manual air-conditioning, front fog lights, rear parking aid, Peugeot connect USB with Bluetooth and perhaps the juiciest bonus - a Nokia 5230 smart phone and sat nav. It’s nothing revolutionary, but the promise of all that added equipment on top of what’s a very competent and affordable supermini is nevertheless appealing. The two engines are of more interest to those looking to keep a cap on day-to-day running costs but, aside from the misleadingly sporty name, this 207 – starting at £12,595 for the threedoor petrol version - is an honest contender.
“Bang is the perfect solution, highly creative, ultra professional and an absolute pleasure to work with.” Richmond Event Management
bangdesign brand/print/web/publishing/photography contact us venue publishing, 4th floor, bristol news & media, bristol bs99 7hd tel 0117 942 8491 email d.higgitt@venue.co.uk / d.myring@venue.co.uk
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lifestyle
Walk the line
Steve Walker checks out the R Line trim on VW’s Tiguan compact 4x4
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olkswagen might not have a glittering history of producing rugged 4x4s but got further than most rivals in equipping the Tiguan compact 4x4 for offroad work. The R Line is designed for maximum style and impact in more refined surroundings - this is the Tiguan for parking outside trendy urban eateries, not driving through a field of turnips. Performance is brisk, with the less powerful diesel covering the 0-60mph sprint in 10.5s, the more powerful one dipping under nine seconds and the TSI petrol a second faster than that. The diesel engines marry their punchy low-end performance with first-class refinement, thanks in part to their commonrail fuel injection architecture. VW have done a great job of endowing it with nimble handling and rigid body control. The ride is well judged, staying smooth and supple, even over rough surfaces. The deeper bumpers and side skirts might scupper the car’s off-road
The Tiguan was already one of the sharpest vehicles in its class to drive, and in R Line form it plays up to those strengths. Enhanced styling inside and out add to the appeal and there’s also a lengthy equipment list, as you’d expect from a range-topping Volkswagen. The pricing positions the car at the upper end of the compact 4x4 sector but it rarely feels less than a high-class product and does a good job of justifying the premium. ability but they help to produce its purposeful stance, along with the blistered wheel arches. The Tiguan is based on the Golf hatchback, with elements of the Passat suspension thrown in, but VW have done a typically thorough job of converting their family hatch favourite into a 4x4, using a modular sub-frame that’s aluminium at the front and steel at the rear. The Tiguan was also the first vehicle to receive Volkswagen’s electric steering system, designed to eliminate kickback and enhance accuracy.
Car Volkswagen Tiguan R Line Price £24,640-£25,525 CO2 emissions 167-234g/km Performance 0-60mph 7.9s/max speed 155mph Fuel consumption [2.0 TDI 140] (urban) 35mpg (extra urban) 52mpg/(combined) 44mpg Standard safety features ABS, ESP, four airbags
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education
lifestyle
Top marks Josh Arnew hears from one local school with something to shout about l The Royal High School in Bath are deservedly proud of their latest report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), which provides a very positive endorsement of the quality of education and the high level of achievement: ‘From the Early Years Foundation Stage to the sixth form, the quality of pupils’ achievements, their learning, attitudes and basic skills are excellent.’ Inspectors also acknowledged the success in this year’s public exams, which saw the school’s best ever A-level results, with 84% of grades at A* to B. The inspection also looked at pupils’ wellbeing and the standard of pastoral care. The personal development of pupils of all ages was described as ‘outstanding’, and inspectors commented: ‘Relationships between staff and pupils and among pupils of all ages are excellent, supportive and
relaxed.’ Headteacher Rebecca Dougall was particularly delighted with the unequivocal praise for the Junior School’s Early Years Foundation Stage,
Home help l If your children could do with some additional help with their education this year, leading home tutoring provider Fleet Tutors have over 33 years’ experience in oneto-one academic tutoring and come recommended by The Good Schools Guide. Their qualified, experienced, enhanced CRBchecked tutors, all of whom have proven track records, are renowned for delivering excellent academic results through highly tailored personalised tuition programmes. Tuition in all academic subjects and at all levels is available, including primary, 7/8/11/13+, Common Entrance, GCSE, A1/A2-level and beyond. They also cater for special needs, remedial education, children with dyslexia and gifted children.
for children aged five and under. The quality of provision for this age group, its effectiveness and the outcomes for the children were all rated as ‘outstanding’. “Our Junior
School colleagues are doing a fantastic job,” she says, “and pupils will benefit right the way through their time with us from having such a positive start.” Since taking over the headship at the beginning of the year, Rebecca has been working with colleagues on the school’s development plan, which will set the direction for the school over the next few years. “One of the issues for us is the high demands placed on our pupils in the GCSE years,” she continues. “Many of them choose to take 11 or more subjects and it’s important that they have sufficient time for valuable cultural, sporting and other activities. I’m pleased to see that the inspectors have endorsed our process of review to address this.” Royal High School Lansdown Rd, Bath. Ffi: 01225 422931 (nursery & juniors)/313877 (senior & sixth form), www.royalhighbath.co.uk
THE RIGHT VALUES l “It’s official!” Wycliffe tell us. “Official figures released recently show that Wycliffe is now one of the top UK schools for GCSE and A-level results.” The news comes from two sources: the Department for Education and the University of Durham. “For A-levels, the government says that Wycliffe is in the top 7% of schools UK-wide, and Durham report that the school’s GCSE results this year put it in the top 5%.” Both these results use value-added analysis, which takes into account students’ ability on starting courses and then compares final outcomes. Wycliffe’s head, Margie Burnet Ward, says, “This is spectacular news. Our constantly improving academic standards and practices
are really paying off, and we’re achieving it while retaining our well-earned reputation for pastoral and cross-curricular excellence. We value individual growth and don’t select on academic ability. We know that this can lead to lower places on national league tables when using less sophisticated methods of comparison, but we think it’s important that we teach those with modest abilities as well as those with their sights set on places at top universities. These figures show that we serve both equally as well.” Wycliffe Stonehouse, Glos. Ffi: 01453 827634, www.wycliffe.co.uk
Fleet Tutors Ffi: 0845 644 5452, www.fleettutors.co.uk
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Rose Hill Westonbirt
Tetbury • Gloucestershire • GL8 8QG www.rhwestonbirt.co.uk folio 59
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Nailsea School 'working together' Ofsted Rate Nailsea School as Good with Outstanding Features l Ofsted Inspectors visiting Nailsea School on 16th and 17th November 2010 complemented the students’ personal development and creativity. Their physical fitness and behaviour also came in for praise; “Most students show good levels of fitness and persevere to improve their work.” “Behaviour in lessons is exemplary and students appreciate the broad range of opportunities provided for them.” The excellent examination results at both GCSE and A Level at Nailsea School, and the overall improvement year on year in examination grades have matched the investment in facilities. “I was delighted when Ofsted phoned to say they were coming” said David New – Headteacher. “The opportunity to show off the quality of the
student experience and our facilities at Nailsea School was very welcome.” The inspection looked particularly at Art and Physical Education [PE]. Their judgements included the following statements; “Student’s personal and creative development through the subject [Art] is a strong feature of achievement” and “Sixth Formers are able to select from a repertoire of techniques....working sensitively and speedily to stimulate a fast flow of ideas.”Inspectors do not use words lightly so when an inspection report says that “All teachers use praise well” and “Lessons include a broad range of teaching methods to motivate, stimulate and engage students in learning” the school is justifiably proud of its performance.
Year 4 and 5 Students Practice Being Curious for a Day l Nailsea School is hosting a regular Primary Day for cluster primary partners – each student experiences a full lesson in Media, English, Science and Technology themed around ‘curiosity’ and offering younger students a unique insight into secondary school education. Some of the reactions from Grove Junior School students included: “We learnt to be safe and aware of our surroundings especially in the super lab.” “We would definitely come again.”
“I had so much fun!” “We liked your huge field and the all weather pitch.” “We made a really cool car.” “The younger students have really valued the opportunity to see our state of the art facilities” Ms Jones, Assistant Headteacher stated. “We have been really impressed with the way they have integrated with older students whose behaviour, as always, has been exemplary.”
The Link - Sharing Potential l Nailsea School is setting up a not-forprofit organisation, The Link, which will run extra activities to provide for a wide range of needs within the community – leisure, family and adult learning, and a variety of artistic and cultural possibilities. By bringing different groups into the school, community links will be enhanced and user awareness of opportunities will be increased. Working in partnership with other providers, The Link will provide complimentary facilities within the community to deliver greater breadth and variety of provision. Students thought that The Link should have its own identity. Community was the significant word. Students felt strongly that this should be evoked in both the name and the logo, along with the key themes of ‘working together’ and ‘sharing’. In particular they wanted The Link to be a bridge between the school and the community. For more information visit our website www.nailseaschool.com or contact Miss R Kettleborough 01275 866787.
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homefront bedrooms
Dreaming of Tuscany l Get your new year off to a stunning start by making a stylish statement in your bedroom with an exquisite new Italian bed from Giusti Portos, a prestigious Tuscanybased company renowned for their distinctive opulent look. For those who expect only the best, whatever the time of day, Giusti Portos’s exclusive bed collections, Angelica, Ducale and Perlage, provide the ultimate in night-time sophistication. The collections, all 100% handmade in Italy, offer everyday luxury and the very best in sumptuous Italian design. Forged from solid iron by expert craftsmen, each gorgeous bed is lavishly finished by hand, making each one an unrepeatable work of art. The Angelica and Ducale beds are both handforged, solid iron beds and feature a delicate silver leaf pickled finish, while
Ducale also comes in a worn iron finish. The Perlage bed, in solid forged iron sheet, is available in a pearl or red pearl finish. Thanks to traditional Tuscan artisan techniques, the result is, ingeniously, both rich and dreamily stylish, and every design is bespoke, just for you. Each shape that the wrought iron assumes on the anvil, the fusion of the brass and the carving of the wood mean that no two pieces are the same. Whether it’s boudoir opulence or baroque grandeur you’re after, the keyword is quality. Visit Bristol stockist Park Furnishers in Bedminster to have a browse, be utterly seduced and create a mesmerising focal point in your bedroom. Park Furnishers Willway St, Bedminster, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 966 9253, www.parkfurnishers.co.uk
radiators
Finishing touches l New textured, quartz finishes add to the exceptional range of colours and finishes that are one of the Bisque hallmarks. In line with the trend for a more eclectic mood in interiors, with a mix of different textures, the quartz finish complements smooth surfaces in kitchens or soft furnishings in living areas. In a range of the latest colours for 2011, from beige to orange and volcanic, the quartz finishes have a slight shimmer that draws the eye. Bisque’s ‘Classic’ radiator in quartz finish (main picture) starts from £490.80 (including VAT). Or maybe you fancy a trip over the rainbow this year? The ‘Hot Spring’ radiator (smaller picture), designed by Paul Priestman for Bisque, is now available in iridescent colours that have a striking two-tone effect. The ‘Hot Spring’ radiator starts from £620.40; price for iridescent colours on application. Bisque Showroom 15 Kingsmead Square, Bath. Ffi: 01225 466367, www.bisque.co.uk
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homefront new shop
the wow factor
exhibit
l Hill Road’s reputation as one of our finest bijou shopping and dining destinations is about to get another boost, with the opening on Fri 28 Jan of one of the most exciting new ventures on the road to date. Familiar Hill Road faces Jane Brake (Estuary, Pale Blue) and Mary Hadlow (The Cellar) have joined forces to open what promises to become one of the West Country’s most prestigious independent interiors suppliers. “We’re about the wow factor, individuality, thinking outside the box, statement pieces, creativity and fun,” say the duo. Furniture and accessories have been sourced from the UK, France and Spain some old, some new, but all totally individual and innovative, and affordable too. “Everything from beautiful pale turquoise dressers to decadent boudoir pieces, and Victorian day beds to contemporary bookcases handpainted in zebra stripes or florals.” Pop into La Maison on 28-29 Jan to enjoy a glass of wine... and prepare to be wowed!
l Finish off those mince pies, get your skates on and make a B-line for Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery while the 12 Days of Christmas are still with us – there’s a ‘tree with a difference’ on show till Thur 6 Jan that’s definitely not to be missed. The Framing Workshop’s upside-down tree is constructed with layers of handpainted and gilded frames. Back in the middle ages, don’t you know, Christmas trees throughout Europe were hung upside-down to represent the Holy Trinity – a custom still seen in some parts of the Continent today.
La Maison 30 Hill Rd, Clevedon, Ffi: info@ lamaisoninteriors.com
framed!
Victoria Art Gallery Bridge St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 477233, www.victoriagal.org.uk The Framing Workshop 80 Walcot St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 482748, www. theframingworkshop.com
kitchens
Heart of the home l If you’re hankering after a new kitchen, make think:KITCHENS in Southville your first port of call. To celebrate their sixth anniversary, this family business, renowned for their friendly, personal service, are giving away half-price installations from their awardwinning design and installation team. From the first 3D design proposal through to the final fitting, their primary concern is your complete satisfaction. Whether it’s traditional or contemporary, everyone’s got their own idea of the perfect kitchen, so think:KITCHENS design to suit your individual personality and practical needs. As the team here know, the kitchen is the heart of the home, and while it’s true that successful kitchen design is worth more than the sum of its parts, the choices when it comes to the smaller details can make a huge
difference. think: KITCHENS work with you at every stage of the design process to ensure that your kitchen is precisely tailored to your needs and lifestyle. Add to this their vast range of distinctive, leading-brand appliances and accessories, and you’re on your way to the kitchen of your dreams. With their own fully trained fitters, think:KITCHENS can guarantee work of the highest standard. And by taking control of your project from design to completion, they can let you get on with your life. Their pride and expertise will be reflected in your handcrafted kitchen and the superlative service they provide in the name of affordable luxury. Pop in to read what hundreds of satisfied customers have to say about them. think:KITCHENS 254 North St, Southville, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 966 2112, www.thinkkitchens.co.uk
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Kitchen Confidential Lloyd and Anne’s very dark and narrow kitchen was well made, but old and tired, with flaking paint, once pretty detailed doors gathering dust and grease, rotten and water-damaged wooden surfaces, and appliances on their last legs. Our home improvement gurus, Homeworx Design & Build, rose to the challenge… THE PROJECT A light, unique, traditional kitchen. THE BRIEF Lloyd and Anne wanted to introduce light, a feeling of space, and more durable materials for cabinets and worksurfaces, while retaining their old worktable and herb cabinet. Appliances
needed replacing with smart, new, highquality ones. THE SOLUTION Homeworx used furniture constructed of solid MDF for durability - it doesn’t react to heat and moisture, or move in the same way as wood. The paint finish incorporates a hardener and lacquer for long-lasting durability. They chose durable worksurfaces to add light and reflection, paints to give a sense of space, a touch of warmth and an accent of colour, and underfloor heating and a limestone floor to add warmth. The sleek-looking Neff appliances are renowned for their quality and functionality. A new tap, internal accessories and bespoke oak inserts and storage racks made this an extremely practical and pretty kitchen.
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homefront GRANITE SURFACES and clever storage The wooden surfaces in Lloyd and Ann’s old kitchen had become water-damaged and rotten. Homeworx put ‘Kashmir White’ granite on the worksurfaces to add light and reflection, and for durability. Ingenious pullout internal accessories make for easier access to cupboards.
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LIMESTONE FLOOR AND UNDERFLOOR HEATING Homeworx installed underfloor heating in the new kitchen, along with a new Jura Limestone floor. This made the room feel cosy, and also tied in nicely with the granite and pewter handles.
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l Lloyd and Anne were fond of their old oak worktable and herb cabinet and worked it into the new design. Homeworx gave the worktable a new lease of life with a rubdown and a coat of oil, and a matching granite surface. They also made a new matching oak herb cabinet to house the overflowing spices.
FIRED EARTH PAINTS The colours Homeworx chose were Fired Earth ‘Flake White’ to give a sense of space with a touch of warmth, and an accent colour of ‘Tyrian Rose’ to add interest and break up the monotony of a kitchen full of one colour. This bespoke oak storage solution creates a mini pantry.
TESTIMONIAL
The wow factor “We were excited by the design on paper, but the finished result exceeded our expectations: we have a fabulous new kitchen that seems to have grown in several dimensions, even though it fits in the same old space! “It’s a much brighter, more open and comfortable space in which to work, and some of the features will make life in the kitchen so much easier - and more fun! “The overall look and the attention to quality and detail mean that it has that wow factor at least, that’s what friends say when they see it!” Lloyd & Anne, Waterfront, Bristol
NEW OAK HERB CABINET AND RESTORED WORKTABLE
SOLID FULL-STAVE OAK ON NEW CABINET
l Homeworx broke up the granite worksurfaces with solid full-stave oak on the new chest of drawers that they made, to warm up the room and tie in with the oak worktable and herb cabinet. Homeworx Design & Build Tel/fax: 01275 845011, mob: 07809 152636, email: info@homeworxbristol.co.uk, web: www.homeworxbristol.co.uk
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JANUARY DISCOUNT EQUIVALENT TO NEW VAT RATE
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Agua Bathrooms & Wetrooms From initial design through to completion, we tailor our services to suit your individual requirements. With a network of skilled tradesmen and access to the latest materials, we are dedicated to providing our customers with a top quality finish. Let Agua turn your bathroom dreams into reality. Call us today on 07738207125 - Daniel or 07710298523 - Peter e: info@aguabathroomsandwetrooms.co.uk AGUA Bathrooms & Wetrooms Ltd 4 Carmarthen Close Bristol - BS37
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think:kitchens
Affordable Luxury
to celebrate 6 years of customer satisfaction we’re giving away
Hal f P r ic e installation from our award winning design & installation team.
the finish starts here...
think:kitchens 254 North Street • Southville Bristol • BS3 1JA 0117 9662112 www.thinkkitchens.co.uk
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homefront
Ask the Experts L ocated in the heart of the Heritage City, the multi-faceted Loft has brought ‘lifestyle shopping’ at its elegant best to Bath and offers a whole new dimension to the shopping therapy experience. Housed in a fully restored Regencystyle building in one of the most characterful corners of the city centre, The Loft is home to fabulous fashions from Blue, home interior inspirations from Obi and Moo, and Richard (head honcho of both the perennially popular Firehouse Rotisserie and the awardwinning Hudson Bar and Grill) Fenton’s brand new Tuscan-themed Cafe Lucca. What treats can we expect to find in store? Progressive and quirky fashion ranges from Blue, stylish homeware, furniture and design services from Obi and Moo, and the opportunity to explore the tantalising, authentic flavours of Tuscany at Cafe Lucca: three exquisite experiences complementing each other, all under one roof - resulting in 7,000 sq ft of shopping therapy! Where did the inspiration behind the Loft concept originate? Blue was founded over a decade ago by Suzanne Temple, and offers innovative, individual, high-quality women’s clothing, shoes and accessories that aren’t available on the high street. Suzanne’s success originally grew out of sales of clothing in her blues club and has come on in leaps and bounds since its inception, with a popular store already thriving in Cheltenham’s fashionable Montpellier area and a lively online presence. Obi and Moo - who also have a shop in Montpellier - was founded by Madeline Loker in 2003, and offers stylish and affordable furniture, homeware and gifts to inform, inspire and enable customers to create a modern, eclectic and enviably stylish home. The original concept for The Loft was conceived by Madeline and Suzanne - they realised they had a similar customer base and loved the idea of developing a ‘lifestyle store’. The cafe was an essential component of the overall vision, and it’s lovely to welcome a brand new Richard Fenton venture to Bath - Richard is a local legend in his own right!
Talk us through a ‘typical’ tour of the space You could say the tour starts outside, with the window displays on Bartlett Street. The current display is a joint effort between Blue and Obi and Moo, and has already attracted some marvellous feedback from customers as well as from the agents for the designers we stock - one said that it’s one of the best presentations of their collection they’ve seen in the world! Inside, the building’s original fittings have been revealed and refurbished, and the Loft team have aimed to create a free-flowing environment with distinct areas for fashion, home interiors and relaxing in the cafe. The interior design and colours were the work of Madeline from Obi and Moo, and the company have supplied the furniture, mirrors and lighting throughout to offer a consistent style and feel. While you’re exploring The Loft, look out for the films (usually the classic black and white variety) projected onto the large back wall above the fireplace. What can Folio readers look forward to at The Loft over the next couple of months? Blue are consistently reviewing their range and have firm, longstanding relationships with some of the best international designers, so expect seasonal
Folio discovers how unique concept store The Loft has put Bath’s Bartlett Street firmly on the interiors map From furniture to high fashion... it's all at The Loft
changes. Obi and Moo currently feature products and ranges from the internationally renowned interior specialist Flamant as their main supplier (The Loft will be the company’s UK flagship store), but they’ll also be introducing other selections from small, select suppliers over the coming months as a result of trips to the main European home design exhibitions. The Loft looks forward to welcoming a remarkable florist to their community this year, and intends to accommodate the occasional pop-up shop within the store to support local art graduates and showcase the work of established artists. What would appear on a typical Loft wish list? That’s an almost impossible question to answer as there’s so much going on, and you’ll be left literally spoiled for choice. Start with ‘I’m inspired!’ and ‘I love it!’ and you’ll end up with ‘Can I take it all, please?’ And what’s for lunch? As you’d expect from one of Bath’s best-loved foodies, the salads, breads, panini, antipasti and Italian coffee range is fresh, fabulous and properly authentic. The Italian cakes, tarts and pastries are irresistible, and the cafe is licensed, too. If you’ve never tasted Tuscan wines and proper prosecco, prepare to become an expert!
Contacts The Loft 1 Bartlett St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 335387
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Bedsteads-uk.co.uk
Antique Beds and Furniture In Brass, Iron, Wood & Upholstered Wood
Bedsteads have opened their revamped showroom at their medieval barn near Backwell; only 7 miles from Bristol. They are expanding their range of beautiful antiques and bespoke furniture to include not only the amazing range of beds in brass iron and wood but also gorgeous furniture for other rooms in the house; finished in gloriouse woods and vintage retro paint finishes. With all their years of experience in restoration and conservation these skilled craftsmen have maintained their ability to produce pieces that will delight one and all. They can supply bases and mattresses if needed; or give you a price to restore treasures you already own. So take a trip down tthe A370 and find that something to delight you. Easy parking and beautiful surroundings where you can enjoy the experience.
Restoration service and bespoke furniture making also available
Chelvey Court Barn, Chelvey, Backwell, Bristol BS48 4AA.
Tel: 01275 464 114
Blinds, Shutters & Canopies of all kinds @ factory prices
GUARANTEED QUALITY SALES - REPAIRS - SERVICE For a free consultation ANYWHERE / ANYTIME! Call us now 01454 775 177 • Conservatory Blinds • Vertical, Roller • Venetian, Pleated Etc. • Electric Blinds • Fly Screens • Shutters • Awnings, Canopies, Recovers • Much, much more!.... Come see us at: Charisma House, 2 Down Rd, Winterbourne, Bristol BS36 1BN www.charismablindsbristol.co.uk
ee Fr ller
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s
the next generation of window
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the timber alternative stormproof window & door range
exclusively at mpowell windows
Email.
mpowellwindows limited showroom unit 1, knowles road, clevedon, north somerset. bs21 7xs tel. 01275 879333 fax. 01275 792254 info@mpowellwindows.co.uk www.mpowellwindows.co.uk
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Need to create extra space? Cotham Hut’s beautifully handcrafted Shepherd’s Huts offer a unique and comfortable outdoor solution. Built to order, these huts can be used in a variety of different ways, from a garden office to a guest bedroom or simply as a cosy hideaway den. Every aspect of these fully insulated huts can be customized to include wood burning stoves, full electrical supply, under floor heating, additional windows, side doors, beds and tables. Cotham Huts designs are based on the traditional huts used by shepherds in the 19th century. The huts were used to provide shelter and warmth for shepherds as they tended their flock, therefore the huts are mobile - so you can take yours with you if you ever move! Available in two sizes, Shepherd’s Huts are ideal for urban gardens as well as other larger open spaces.
For further information please visit our website www.cothamhuts.co.uk or contact Paul Jady on; t 0117 974 1998 m 07929 989 701 e pauljady@yahoo.com 74 folio
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news
property
Face of the Future John Savage sets out his vision for Bristol 2050
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eet John Savage CBE. Joint MD of GWE Business West (responsible for our local Chambers of Commerce), John is a mover and shaker behind Bristol 2050 – a vision of how the city could (and, says John, should) look in 40 years’ time. Inspiration for Bristol 2050 – a project that’s already invested £250,000 in a town-planning team, with the results to be published in May - has come from a Chicago city plan conjured up over 100 years ago, as John explained in a recent interview with local publication South West Business. “It was created by an incredible town planner who envisioned growth in the city that ordinary Chicago folk couldn’t have imagined in 1909,” says
John, “and the remarkable thing was that the authorities in Chicago stuck to the plan.” First up: expansion. John wants to see the green belt between Bristol and Bath scrapped, and a
home insurance
The big freeze
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ith the recent cycle of freeze, thaw and refreeze, insurers have seen an increase in household insurance claims for burst water pipes. “Previously hidden cracks in pipes caused by water that expanded into ice during low temperatures can lead to burst pipes and leaks, which can devastate property and possessions,” explains John Griggs, principal technical officer at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. “Some claims are for as high as £70,000,” says Mark Cliff from household insurers Ageas Insurance. “A burst pipe can leak 400 litres of water in an hour - around two bathtubs full of water that could end up drenching electrical circuits, personal possessions, TVs and stereos and causing devastating damage to walls, ceilings and floors. The first thing to do is turn the water supply off at the mains - this will deal with the cause of the problem.” And check what your policy covers, says Steve Foulsham from the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). “It’s essential to have adequate insurance in place to cover the costs of water damage.” Visit the websites below for free factsheets prepared by Ageas Insurance and BIBA to help homeowners protect themselves from the effects of freezing weather and subsequent thaws.
“dog-leg” of green-field expansion out towards Bristol Airport. “I’d like to see a lock gate at the end of the River Avon to stop the river being tidal, which would open it up for all kinds of
watersports.” We need to sell the city to businesses to encourage inward investment, says John, and encourage more industry into south Bristol to lift people out of poverty. Public transport, meanwhile, is a mess, according to John. “It needs to be sorted out, because, I believe, by 2050 very few people will be able to afford to run their own private cars. Imagine if we had a proper tram system connecting all the outlaying suburbs, so people really could get to work quickly and cheaply. “Bristol ranks about 35th in the list of European cities’ GDP, second only to London in the UK,” John told South West Business, “but we’re working at 40 per cent of the capacity of Frankfurt – Europe’s most prosperous powerhouse. I believe we can do better than that.”
Property of the issue
Blackberry Drive, Frampton Cotterell, South Glos, £385,000 This well presented and spacious four-bed detached family home is within walking distance of local schools and amenities. The property comprises an entrance hall, study, 14ft dining room, 16ft lounge, 21ft fully fitted kitchen/breakfast/family room with integrated appliances, utility room and cloakroom. On the first floor there are four double bedrooms - two are ensuite, while the other two share a Jack and Jill bathroom. There’s a lawned area to the front of the house, and a pathway leading to the front porch with quarry tiled flooring. French doors open from the kitchen/breakfast/family room onto a large paved patio area to the rear of the property, from where steps lead up to the large, attractive lawned area, which is low maintenance and bordered by high fencing. There’s also a double garage with rear access to the garden. This large property is located in a sought-after executive residential area in the village of Frampton Cotterell on the River Frome, with the nearest large town, Yate, approximately three miles away. The village is about eight miles north east of Bristol, with easy access to the M4, M5 and M32 motorways. The house is being offered for sale with no onward chain. Ffi House-Hut estate agents. Tel: 0117 975 8636, web: www.house-hut.com
Ffi www.ageas.co.uk, www.biba.org.uk
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Thrill of the new Older properties have their charm but you can put your own stamp on a contemporary dwelling. Simon Fry takes a look at new build homes
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homefront
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hether it’s popping the seal on a coffee jar, christening a diary or driving a car off a forecourt, there’s an innate frisson in the new. Likewise, nothing compares to putting a key into the lock of your new home – especially if it really is a new home – for the first time. New-build properties provide unique opportunities to express your personality. Without those signs of wear – and sometimes questionable design taste – left by the previous occupants, you’re free to, quite literally, make your mark. And the fact that such buildings often incorporate environmentally sound design means that what matters to you is reflected in the bricks and mortar around you. Moves to reduce modern life’s environmental impact are certainly evident at The Moorings, where some residents boast wind-powered vehicles. Crest Nicholson’s latest waterside development at Port Marine in Portishead includes nine luxury villas, each with its own 35ft marina mooring. The development also features an eclectic seven-storey building featuring 31 two-bed apartments, with many enjoying spectacular waterside views. Buying any property involves weighing up pros and cons. Choose something older and you gain from period features that lend character, but you also have to consider time and money spent keeping up appearances and functionality. Laura Osborne, sales manager for The Moorings says, “New properties have very low maintenance costs, with no old lead piping or dangerous electrics to replace and no re-roofing to consider, in addition to brand new kitchen and bathroom suites. They feature highly effective insulation and a range of environmental features including recycling facilities, composters and water butts, making them far more energy and resource efficient than older properties.” How we get about has changed dramatically in the time since, for instance, Victorian houses were built. Parking your car in front of your period terrace may be problematic, given that it was probably put up before cars – and the whole concept of parking – even existed. Such consideration is integral to new-build developments, with The Moorings’ properties featuring cycle stores, allocated parking spaces and garages providing great security and time saving. In Cirencester, the town’s former cattle market has been transformed into a stunning new Linden Homes development, Market Quarter, with eco-friendliness very much in mind. Properties feature water-saving devices as standard, as well as A-rated, highly efficient Ideal boilers, with Stelrad compact radiators incorporating a Honeywell programmer and thermostatic valves, further decreasing heating bills and environmental impact. All insulation has an ozone-depletion potential of zero and a low global warming level, while Linden Homes are aiming for 75% of the wood used for finishing to come from a certified sustainable forest source.
Crest Nicholson's, The Moorings, Port Marine, Portishead
The development’s layout encourages non-car transportation, with landscaped grounds designed innovatively to focus on the safety of the pedestrian and cyclist, with admirable lighting on winter evenings. For still further peace of mind, each home is independently surveyed during construction by the National House Building Council, which will issue its tenyear warranty certificate on completion of the home. Another attractive feature of new-build properties is that they can be located close to public transport provision, as is the case with Linden’s Essence Montpelier development, within ten minutes’ walk of Bristol’s Montpelier Station. Urban living brings the benefits of having work and leisure nearby. Live music, clubs and even carnivals are close at hand, but if you’d rather chill to your own tunes, Essence Montpelier properties feature new acoustic and soundproofing technology as well as high insulation levels to reduce the cost of running utilities. Neat design is all around, from the development’s stunning central atrium to its properties’ windows, which reflect heat in the summer and keep you warm in the winter. New-build projects give the developer a blank canvas on which to create the perfect environment, potentially echoing the visions of the garden city movement and the creation of employee villages elsewhere in the UK, at Bournville, Port Sunlight and Saltaire.
Linden Homes' Market Quarter, (left), and Essence Montp Cirencester elier, Bristol (main image and right)
Although a much smaller development, Elan Homes’ Mortimer Gardens, near UWE in Bristol, demonstrates a similarly allencompassing remit. Launched in October, this peaceful ‘urban village’ even incorporates a crescent of townhouses, bringing a Victorian feel, as though in homage to the forward-thinking pioneers of that era. Sales executive Annabel Davis says, “Mortimer Gardens is a great place to work. We’re building up a real community feeling here and there are plans for shops and restaurants to open nearby. The development is surrounded by beautiful woodland, making it feel peaceful and away from anywhere, although it’s actually very close to Bristol city centre and all the link roads, making it a very appealing place to live.”
Contacts Elan Homes Ffi: 0845 481 8803, www.elanhomes.co.uk Linden Homes Ffi: 0845 676 0130, www. lindenhomes.co.uk Port Marine Ffi: 0808 100 6009, www. portmarine.co.uk
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competitions Win £100 to spend at The Makery
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f you’re already acquainted with The Makery in Bath, you’ll no doubt have fallen in love with this creative haven. Their hugely popular workshops include everything from furniture revamping, sewing, upholstery and cushionmaking, to knicker-making. The beautiful workshop inspires creativity, making the most daunting of tasks appear surprisingly easy. And there are regular workshops for children during the holidays, so they can get creative too. And now the lovely Makery folk are opening a brand new shop on Northumberland Place in Bath – a retail venture supplying you with all the tools and materials you’ll need to make things yourself. Everything’s been carefully chosen to be beautiful as well as functional – it’s a veritable treasure-trove of make-it-yourself kits, gorgeous gifts, handpicked fabrics, vintage haberdashery, buttons, ribbons and trims. Best of all, they’re offering one lucky Folio reader £100 in Makery vouchers. Spend them all on their wonderful workshops, or up to £25 at the new Makery Emporium and the rest on workshops. It’s up to you! To enter the competition, simply answer the following question. Where in Bath is the new Makery retail outlet?
Email your answer, with ‘Makery Comp’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co. uk by Monday 17 January. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).
The Makery 146 Walcot St & The Makery Emporium 16 Northumberland Place, Bath. Ffi: 01225 421175, www.themakeryonline.co.uk
Win a pair of day passes to the ss Great Britain
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ere’s your chance to win one of five pairs of day passes to the multi-award-winning SS Great Britain, where there’s plenty to entertain the whole family. Descend under the glass ‘sea’, step back in time in the Dockyard Museum, and see, hear, touch and smell what life was like for Victorian passengers and crew on board Brunel’s ship! Explore the ship’s foodie past with edible challenges, enjoy re-enactments, trails and egg races, and visit the Brunel Institute’s free ‘Sea Hear’ storytelling (first
SS Great Britain Great Western Dockyard, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 926 0680, www.ssgreatbritain.org
the winners Congratulations to Jan Cattermoul (pictured), winner of our Win Christmas Competition, who received a Highgrove Hamper, a Bath Ales gift pack, sessions at Thermae Bath Spa and Fresh Clinics, a meal for two at Jamie’s Italian in Bath and tickets to Fairbridge West’s Christmas Concert for correctly identifying 'A Christmas Carol' as the Charles Dickens tale in which Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character. Congratulations, also, to Freddie Wolf, who won the ultimate shopping experience with Cabot Circus and House of Fraser. The correct answer was: b) Zest.
pic: david norton
Family fun on ss Great Britain
Tuesday, monthly). To enter the competition, just answer the following question: Who designed the SS Great Britain? Email your answer, with ‘SS Great Britain Comp’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co.uk by Monday 17 January. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).
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StreetChic
Our man Simon Fry visits Cribbs Causeway to find out what you’re wearing this month – and why “I like this top’s colour and design and Jane Norman clothes in general. I admire Fearne Cotton’s dress sense – she’s not afraid to be herself. I’m particularly fond of Karen Millen’s fabric and design – I fell in love with a silky Chinese dress!” Name Piper Harrison Age 23 From Patchway Job Full-time mum Wears New Look beret, Jane Norman top, Dorothy Perkins leggings, Ugg boots, Swarovski necklace
“I appreciate fashion – it’s part of my job – but I like to be different and I have my own take on clothes: I travel a lot and see a lot of things.”
“When it’s cold I like to wear bright colours. I admire Cheryl Cole’s look - she’s petite and always looks cool. If I had to spend a lot of money on clothes, I’d go to Zara or Topshop, but I’d rather put it towards a house!” Name Sam Nobbs Age 22 From Westonzoyland, Somerset Job Primary school teacher Wears Jacket from Warehouse, dress and tights from Topshop, Faith boots, handbag from Accessorize
“We’re looking for a dress for Sam’s party! I usually wear colourful clothes that are comfortable and casual and maybe a bit boho. I’m self-employed and wear outfits like this to work.” Name Heather Nobbs Age 43 From Westonzoyland, Somerset Job Works for window company Wears Next gilet, White Stuff dress, French Connection top, Next leggings, boots from Topshop, bag from M&S, Pandora bracelet
Name Julia Ireland Age 32 From Westbury on Trym, Bristol Job Men’s footwear designer Wears Vintage necklace from a charity shop, Boden jumper, Hermes handbag (“bought from a Blackboy Hill charity shop for £6!”), leggings and shoes from M&S, Uttam leg warmers, socks bought in India, vintage rings from Wells market, scarf bought in Devon
“I don’t like wearing trousers out of work as I have to wear jodhpurs all the time when I’m there! I don’t read fashion magazines but I like to pick up bargains like this scarf, which I chose for its colours.” Name Ellie Williams Age 19 From Gloucester Job Stable girl Wears Red Herring jacket, scarf and gloves from H&M, top, shorts and bag from Primark, tights, socks and boots from Next, Pandora bracelet
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www.venue.co.uk
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