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JULY 2012 l No. 210
Independents day Fourth of July isn’t just for the Americans. This side of the pond, Mary Portas wants us all to get behind our local businesses, so let’s hear it for the
HIGH STREET!
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JULY 2012
HIGH HOPES
It’s a familiar story across Britain… Shoppers are leaving the humble high street in their droves, preferring the free parking and ‘everything under one roof’ offering of out-oftown super-malls. Meanwhile, high streets pretty much everywhere are struggling, with many retailers finding that increasing rents just don’t stack up against less-than-healthy sales, forcing too many of them to turn their signs to ‘Closed’ for the final time. The result of all these boarded-up premises? A downward spiral of fewer quality independents, and more pound, pawn and charity shops - the sorry face of a community that’s quickly losing its heart and soul. Fortunately, however, one highly influential woman has made it her mission to put that heart and soul back into the high street. She’s even been commissioned by the government to conduct a review of town centres and come up with various initiatives to help to regenerate them. This woman is, of course, Mary Portas - and based on bids from all over the country, one of the 12 areas that she’s chosen to focus on is East Street, Bedminster. It’s very welcome news for locals around the area, myself included - I can’t wait to see how the £100,000 will be put to use. For more on the Portas Pilot scheme, see Suzanne Savill’s feature on page 14.
Have an inspirational month,
Rachel Nott Folio editor
Cover image: MARY PORTAS DELIVERING HER HIGH STREET REVIEW TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION & SKILLS. ALL IMAGES OF MARY PORTAS: CROWN COPYRIGHT @folioeditor
@eatingoutwest
FEATURES 6 Four local authors worth writing home about, plus Foyles’ pick of the best summer reads 14 Suzanne Savill discovers how small shopkeepers are rising to the chain-store challenge 20 Our Avon Wildlife Trust walk this month is around city- centre nature reserve Royate Hill
WHAT'S ON 21 Robin Askew’s preview of the latest film releases 22 Mike White’s top things to see and do this month 24 Coming to a theatre near you, as chosen by Steve Wright 26 Highlights from the art world 28 Julian Owen takes the pulse of the music landscape 30 Bath’s new open-air music festival, Sulis Sound Track 33 Anna Britten gets set for the school holidays
6 LOCAL AUTHORS
COMPETITIONS 37 WIN an overnight stay at Berwick Lodge plus a designer tray and mugs from Howkapow!
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EATING OUT WEST 40 Melissa Blease finds out who to turn to to get your kids eating good food 45 Seasonal eating 46 Review: Bridge Cafe at the Avon Gorge 48 Review: Oakhill Inn 49 Review: Garden Cafe at the Holburne 50 Review: The Spot 51 Dates for your diary 52 Recipe from Louise McCrimmon at Harvey Nichols
How to pack like a pro
30 Catch Jools Holland headlining at Sulis Sound Track Festival
LIFESTYLE 56 Anna Britten gives your holiday packing a makeover 59 Niki Whittle on how to wear shorts 60 John Lewis is this month’s top shop 62 The latest beauty buys 64 Ellie Pipe comes over all Alice in Wonderland at No.3 Hairdressing in Bath 65 Spotlight on craniosacral therapy 67 Report from Red Maids’ Medics Conference 69 Anna Britten picks up some valuable language skills 72 We test drive the latest-generation Audi A3
HOMEFRONT 77 Tony Fox of Crystal Clear is our interiors guru 78 How to create a calm home office 82 Trish Gibson’s tips for growing scabious 84 Property showcase: Meeting House Farm, Wrington
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Our team of gurus help you turn your picky eater into an omnivore
FINALE 90 A peek inside Gill Cockwell’s handbag
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Delicious summer recipe from Louise McCrimmon at Harvey Nichols
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FEATURE
SPREAD THE
Word Mike White meets four local authors worth writing home about and recommends some top summer reads
T
he Bristol and Bath area has a long literary lineage, from Jane Austen to JK Rowling (born and raised in Chipping Sodbury, since you ask) and the proud tradition of writerly creation continues to this day. Here we take a peek between the covers of four freshly wrought books from round these parts, and find out about the talented wordsmiths who wrote them.
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FEATURE
Thoughtful ➻ Southville resident Emylia’s debut
EMYLIA HALL
novel The Book of Summers was picked out by Elle magazine as one of this year’s most anticipated novels, and has been chosen by Richard and Judy as one of their top summer reads. “It’s a coming-ofage story about a young woman who relives years of treasured childhood summers in Hungary after she receives a scrapbook from her estranged mother’s lover,” explains Emylia. “It’s about the complexity of family relationships, the power of memory, and how through it all we must find a way to make our peace with the past.” Although the book’s inspired by Emylia’s own childhood summers abroad, Bristol will always be “inextricably linked” to her writing. “I moved here in 2007 with real clarity of purpose; I wanted to write a novel, and try to get it published.” She’d always read voraciously as a child, went on to study English Literature at university, and had long dreamt of being a writer, but she let herself get “swallowed up by a job”, and had somehow forgotten where her true
aspirations lay. “By moving to the West Country and leaving behind the kerfuffle of our old lives, my husband [comic-book writer and one half of the Etherington Brothers] and I were able to concentrate on our creative endeavours. Bristol was an adventure for me right from the beginning because I felt free here. My imagination soared, and The Book of Summers is the result.” What makes the book such a good summer read is that, although it offers escapism, it’s anything but frothy. “It has a definite melancholic edge. I hope the setting of rural Hungary, with its endless lakes and intense heat, proves beguiling. And that the characters, with all their human imperfections, draw readers into their world. Everyone in the novel is beset by longing – and how they cope, or don’t cope, with that desire is the point on which the story turns. I like to think it’ll also stir memories of childhood summers among readers – those sun-kissed days that feel as though they’ll last for ever.” THE BOOK OF SUMMERS BY EMYLIA HALL (HEADLINE REVIEW, £7.99). FFI: WWW. EMYLIAHALL.COM
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FEATURE
Creative ED COLLINGS-WELLS
➻ A writer still learning his craft, Ed is one
of the project leaders behind Headspace, a new anthology produced by Creative Writing undergraduates at Bath Spa University. Although his own work doesn’t appear in the book – “I was too busy making it happen!” – Ed is rightly proud of Headspace. “It’s a mixed-genre anthology, a collection of writing from 57 authors, released in two editions: an online edition and a limited-run print edition.” The print edition includes one piece of writing from each author; online you’ll find several pieces from each author and biographies, too. An important part of Headspace is the anthology’s online legacy project – it’s hoped that the website will become not just a collection of written pieces, but a place where students in the future can also add digital media content - recordings of poetry readings, visual art, short films that link to the work on the site. “It’ll be an open album that grows over time,” says Ed. The anthology itself is hugely varied – there’s no set tone or theme. “All the authors wrote to their own styles and did their own thing.” There are poems and plays, skiing accidents and sci-fi, sexual misdemeanours and Serbian prostitutes. “It’s a lucky dip. You never what you’re going to get next. This is a collection to take you anywhere and everywhere.” HEADSPACE CREATED BY ED COLLINGSWELLS. A LIMITED NO. OF COPIES HAVE BEEN PRODUCED AS WE GO TO PRESS, PRICED £6.99. EMAIL P.MEYER@ BATHSPA.AC.UK TO GET YOURS. FFI AND FOR FULL ONLINE VERSION: WWW.HEADSPACE ANTHOLOGY.COM
Funny
CATHERINE BRUTON
➻ Bath-based Catherine is a busy person – a
journalist, teacher, mum-of-two and successful novelist to boot (her debut We Can Be Heroes was one of The Sunday Times’ top books of 2011). She’s just about to head out on a rain-lashed bike ride with her husband and kids when we call for a chat about Pop!, her latest teen-fiction book. “It’s been described as ‘Billy Elliot meets the X Factor via Shameless’ - which I think is a fairly good description,” she says. The story follows three teenagers pursuing the talent-show dream in the recession-hit North West. “It’s very much a contemporary story: oil refinery strikes, a kid with Olympic dreams, the impact of recession on families, and plenty about talent-show TV.” The three kids decide that the only way to escape their “really rubbish” lives – broken homes, bankruptcy, a community divided by strike – is by entering a TV talent show. “I’d like to think it’s hilarious but also heartbreaking. It’s definitely meant to be funny, as the kids set out to exploit what they perceive to be the rules of talent TV. The main character thinks she can manipulate the system; the other two get dragged along as she gets herself more and more embroiled in it.” And instead of solving all their problems, it makes things worse – although, in the end (without spoiling the plot), the kids manage to solve many of the problems that their parents couldn’t. It’s aimed at
readers “from nine to 99. It’s crossover fiction, the kind of writing that appeals to both kids and adults, in the same way as Mark Haddon and Michael Morpurgo.” Although the action is very much set in the North West, the South West has had a big influence on the book. “I’m hugely inspired by the kids I teach at King Edward’s School in Bath. They influence the way that I write, and inform the characters – often just little things they say, the way they interact. Now they spend their time reading my books and going, ‘Ooh, is that me? Is that so-and-so?’” Catherine’s fictional characters are just that, though: fictional. “They’re a mishmash of people I know: my brother and sister, the kids I played with when I was little and also the kids I teach now – although the deputy head at King Edward’s has a cameo in the new book, much to the delight of my pupils.” It’s important to Catherine that she makes her readers laugh, but she’s also trying to look at “some of the issues that shape the world that young people are growing up in today. I’m a huge talent-show addict – I love the X Factor and BGT – but I’m definitely satirising the role that ‘talent TV’ plays in society nowadays. It appears to offer the fairytale ending that people crave, especially in times of economic instability, so I wanted to explore that – our views of celebrity and fame and the way that they’re shaping children’s psyches. I want people to come away thinking about all of that, hopefully having had a good laugh along the way.” POP! BY CATHERINE BRUTON (EGMONT BOOKS, £6.99). FFI: WWW. CATHERINEBRUTON.COM
➻
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PROFILE
ARTEMIS
HOME OF CATHERINE AMESBURY DESIGNER JEWELLERY & GIFTS
T
he brains behind familyowned jewellery and gift shop Artemis are motherand-daughter team Catherine and Carrie. Best known as the home of Catherine Amesbury Contemporary Jewellery Design, Artemis has the complete collection available to browse and buy. There’s also an in-house workshop where you can sit and
take your time to customise or commission bespoke pieces in a relaxed atmosphere. Artemis also stock a whole host of gorgeous gifts, all linked by their beautifully feminine nature. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of treasures, where you’re guaranteed to find something for every occasion, from unique Sri Lankan handcrafted pottery and Eco-Fashion handbags to decorative lights, stylised soaps, velvet and silk accessories, as well as small token gifts and decorations. ‘Downstairs’ at Artemis, local artists are featured each month in a gallery space, giving them the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work alongside Julia Rowe and her resident Fused Glass Workshop. You’ll also find a selection of cards by local artists.
ARTEMIS 214 GLOUCESTER ROAD BISHOPSTON, BRISTOL BS7 8NU TEL: 0117 924 1003 WEB: WWW.ARTEMISBRISTOL.CO.UK
Everything in the shop comes beautifully gift-wrapped in a unique boutique style that Catherine and Carrie have only ever seen in La Clusaz, a picturesque skiing village in the French Alps. “Because we
believe that the difference between ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’ is that little extra,” say the duo, “we hope that we can go one step further to help you find that perfect gift.”
Open late 3-5 nights a week Open Sunday Broadmead and Bath
£5 Off *
any service over £30 T&C’s apply
*£5.00 discount terms & conditions: Offer is valid until 1st August 2012. This voucher is required to obtain the discount. Only one voucher per client is accepted. Not in conjunction with any other promotion or discount. The Management reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time. For Barber Brown Only.
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FEATURE
Page Turners
Expert booksellers at Foyles in Bristol recommend their top 10 summer reads…
Sexy
VICTORIA FOX
➻ Victoria is busy moving into her
new flat in Clifton when we call, unpacking boxes and wrestling with flat-pack furniture. Her new book, Temptation Island, is, she tells us, “a glitzy, sexy beach read, in the Jackie Collins model – what’s called a ‘bonkbuster’”. It’s an epic (600+ pages) saga, pulsing with sexual encounters between all the main players. Victoria is endearingly breathless as she talks about it: “It’s set on a super-exclusive celebrity island getaway, which is masquerading as a rehab facility for LA starlets, but is actually hiding a scandalous secret. Three women are drawn to its shores and not everybody will survive,” she laughs. “I want to shock and surprise. My idea with these books is to bring back the classic 1980s bonkbuster – inspired by the heyday of writers like Jilly Cooper, Shirley Conran and Judith Krantz. Over the past 10 or 15 years, the genre has lost a bit of sparkle, and I’m bringing it back. I want to offer readers something that makes them go… oh my god! It’s no holds barred – anything goes in my books.” In short, it’s a “fun, sexy, trashy beach read”. Temptation Island might seem a far cry from drizzle-soaked Bristol, but the city has had some influence on her writing. “After living in London for five or six years, I’ve only just moved back to Bristol, but I went to boarding school here between the ages of 13 and 18.” There’s a boarding school in the book, but Victoria is quick to emphasise
that “what happens at that boarding school is not what happened to me, because it’s all rather sexy and… surprising. But definitely some of the experiences I had in Bristol coloured or at least contributed to these boardingschool sequences in the book.” Authors often ‘write about what they know’, and the raciness of her writing has led to speculation about Victoria’s own sexual history. “It’s strange… If you were to read, say, a crime novel about a murderer, you wouldn’t say to the author, ‘Oh, you must have killed somebody, to be able to describe this.’ But with sex, for some reason, it does seem to strike a chord with people and they assume you’re writing from experience - which can be pretty embarrassing when you think about the stuff that I’ve written about!” But she takes it all in her stride – the line between fiction and reality is clear enough in Victoria’s mind, at least. “The book’s not based on real people. If it was, I’d be in the midst of a libel suit with several Hollywood bigwigs. The appeal of my books is that they offer a complete fantasy, an experience of total transportation away from people’s everyday lives. That’s why they remain popular in times of recession, because they do offer that gateway into another world.” TEMPTATION ISLAND BY VICTORIA FOX (MIRA BOOKS, £7.99). FFI: WWW. VICTORIAFOXWRITES. CO.UK
Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace (Ebury Press, £12.99) • Previously a comedy writer, Wallace has really managed to pull the humour from his nonfiction across into his novel. A generous, romantic plot, slapping a smile across your face at every page. Bridesmaids by Jane Costello (Simon & Shuster, £7.99) • This laugh-out-loud debut should leave you with a tear in your eye as you follow Evie through the trials and tribulations of being a bridesmaid. The Second Coming by John Niven (Random House, £7.99) • Touching and funny in equal measure, Niven takes a substantial plot and raises hell with it. It’s confrontational about religion, but as a novel it works wonders; you’ll thunder through it. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Transworld/Black Swan, £6.99) • An intense story about choices that will appeal to both teens and adults. Mia has to grow up, but which path will she take? Wit, sadness and a wonderful plot combine to make this novel great. The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst (Pan Macmillan, £8.99) • A must-read for the summer. Class, history and Englishness covered by a master-storyteller, told through a series of friendships and encounters stretching from before the first world war to the present day. Snake Ropes by Jess Richards (Sceptre, £17.99) • Two girls living on an unnamed island just off the edge of the map struggle with the complicated choices that come with burgeoning adulthood. The book is full of dark secrets and lost innocence, written with a style and tone that’s been compared to Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. The Deadman’s Pedal by Alan Warner (Vintage, £12.99) • Warner often goes under the radar of recognition despite creating great works (including the awesome Morvern Callar). In his seventh novel he explores desire, comingof-age transitions and the intricacies of class differences with wit, confidence and amazing language. The Thrifty Forager: Living off Your Local Landscape by Alys Fowler (Kyle Books, £16.99) • This gorgeous book is full of useful information on how to become a great urban forager, accompanied by some fantastic photography. We love it - and we think Bristol will, too. The Cloudspotter’s Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinner (Hodder & Stoughton, £9.99) • A wonderfully witty companion to this magical pastime. Full of facts and information but also legend and plenty of humour, this book is a joy to read for all. Summer Days & Balmy Nights: Simple Summer Food from Mediterranean Shores (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99) • Kick back and enjoy summer with this cookbook of exquisite delights. Easy to use, with tasty and colourful recipes, this one caters for all types of eaters. Our favourite cookbook of summer! FOYLES QUAKERS FRIARS, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL, OPEN MON– SAT 10AM-8PM, SUN 11AM-5PM. FFI: WWW.FOYLES.CO.UK
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FEATURE
ONE OF A KIND
CROWN COPYRIGHT
While Americans hang out stars and stripes flags for Independence Day, celebrations take place this side of the pond for Independents Day. Suzanne Savill reports
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FEATURE
LEFT: East Street, Bedminster, which will be benefiting from a £100,000 boost BELOW: Souk Kitchen is part of the buzzing North Street vibe
B
Left: Mary Portas at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, with her review of the future of the high street Above: The Town Team of the Greater Bedminster Community aim to use the Portas Pilot money to help Bedminster become internationally renowned as the home of street art and theatre, building on the impressive reputation of Grant Bradley Gallery, pictured
ack in the early 1950s, an Austrian called Victor Gruen, who had emigrated to the United States, envisaged a retail utopia. He wanted to create a shopping destination where people would gather in a central area and vehicles would be banished. The result was what’s widely regarded as the world’s first enclosed shopping centre, Southdale, which opened in 1956 in Edina, Minneapolis, in the United States - turning the Land of the Free into the Land of the Mall. It became the blueprint for malls subsequently built in the USA, the UK, and around the world. Often located on the outskirts of towns and cities, however, and dominated by major retail chains, they served to enforce the car culture that Gruen had found so abhorrent, and he became deeply disillusioned. More than half a century on, yellow flags and posters prominently displayed on shopping streets in Bristol during July will be providing a colourful illustration of how Gruen’s dream might be realised in a different way. The traditional American celebration of Independence Day on the Fourth of July has become Independents Day in Bristol - a date on which to actively support independent businesses. This year’s events (which
include flags of independence being hoisted at five locations in the city and a prize draw for people who have shopped or eaten in any of the city’s independent outlets) comes amid renewed focus on the role of traders, after the south Bristol suburb of Bedminster became one of 12 places around the UK to win £100,000 of government regeneration money, plus support from retail guru Mary Portas. Independent retailers currently account for 59 per cent of shops in Bedminster, where around 20 per cent of retail space (in East Street and the eastern end of North Street) is empty - a figure five per cent above the national average. Kristin Sponsler of the Bristol Independents campaign says, “Portas Pilots is a very practical initiative in that it provides money for high streets to put into action ideas that will help them to become more attractive to shoppers, and will encourage them to cooperate and work together, thus strengthening the identity and cohesiveness of their high street. “In some senses, this doesn’t help independents specifically, because the Portas Pilot schemes don’t differentiate between independents and chain businesses in a particular high street, but any schemes that help to keep local high streets distinctive and alive are going to help independents in the long run, we reckon. Our Independents Day
campaign will hopefully help raise awareness among shoppers about the rich bounty of independent traders still left in Bristol, and about what differentiates them from chain stores - the ‘clone town’ syndrome.” No longer, it seems, can small retailers run their businesses like Ronnie Barker’s fictitious shopkeeper Albert Arkwright, who strove to beat the growing competition from supermarkets by keeping his store open all hours. George Grace of the consultancy Town Centred, which advised on Bedminster’s Portas Pilot bid, says, “High streets are going to have to become destinations with multiple functions if they are to thrive. Plans for Bedminster range from street art aimed at creating vibrancy as well as a continuity between North Street and East Street, to a rickshaw service for transporting people through the area and reducing reliance upon cars.” The Town Team of the Greater FOLIO/JULY 2012 15
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FEATURE LEFT: The multi-purpose Tobacco Factory, created by architect George Ferguson, sparked a gradual regeneration of North Street (pictured below)
NUMBER CRUNCHING Bedminster Community Partnership, led by Ben Barker, aim to use the Portas Pilot money to help Bedminster become internationally renowned as the home of street art and street theatre. This will be done by building upon the existing Upfest arts event and the Show of Strength theatre project, with trails of locally made art and an outdoor theatre. East Street already has the Grant Bradley Gallery, located in a grade II listed building near Asda, which opened in 2005 and has gained an impressive reputation as an independent creative space for established and up-andcoming artists. The Portas Pilot submission for Bedminster described how regeneration through creativity would be a continuation of the minirenaissance that’s taken place over the past decade at the western end of North Street, since architect George Ferguson created the Tobacco Factory in a former Wills Tobacco building and established a theatre, cafe-bar, work units and a market. A yellow Bristol Independents flag can regularly be seen fluttering from a flagpole on the roof of the building, and staff wear T-shirts bearing the legend ‘Strike a Light for Independents’. George says, “We started doing it around the end of 2001. Back then it was largely symbolic - more of a nudge to raise awareness of the importance of independents. Now there’s the opportunity to do much more. The Portas funding means that Bedminster has the potential to become an inspiration and an exemplar to other urban areas. The neighbourhood high
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street has far more than a commercial role. It’s a meeting place, where it’s been shown that people engage with each other far more than in supermarkets.” Yet it’s unlikely that all empty shops will enjoy a new lease of life, according to Ned Cussen, director specialising in regeneration at Jones Lang LaSalle. He declares bluntly, “There are too many small shops in this country. The fact is that the retail sector is going through some fundamental structural changes. Retail is a very exposed area of the economy, and the independent sector is particularly vulnerable. Retailers have to adapt to survive, so it’s important to be different and to provide a service. But many retail premises will end up being used for other purposes, such as housing.” Certainly, in recent years Napoleon Bonaparte’s infamous jibe about England being a nation of shopkeepers has sometimes appeared to be in
➻ The Portas Pilot scheme attracted 371 bids. ➻ Twelve locations were selected to receive £100,000 of government funding, plus support from retail guru Mary Portas. ➻ Bedminster is the only one of the chosen areas that’s a city suburb and doesn’t have its own local council. ➻ Flags of Independence will be hoisted at five venues across Bristol on Wed 4 July: Stapleton Rd, St Nicholas Market, Tobacco Factory, Stokes Croft, Council House. ➻ The Town Team leading Bedminster’s Portas Pilot is planning to set up a Business Improvement District that would provide more than £150,000 a year from retailers to improve the area. ➻ A further £40,000 a year will be raised from landlords through a Voluntary Landlord and Developer Partnership. ➻ The largest Sainsbury’s in the South West was recently granted planning permission to set up in Bedminster, and as part of planning conditions the supermarket chain will have to provide £362,500 to protect existing high street retailers.
CROWN COPYRIGHT
Right: Mary Portas speaking at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
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.CO.UK
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FEATURE
CASE STUDIES ➻ Business is booming for some
independent retailers, despite competition from chain stores and supermarkets. We visit North Street in Bristol to hear about two Southville success stories…
SOUTHVILLE DELI
Clockwise from above: Erika Peto and Delia Adey of Flo-Jo Boutique on Gloucester Road; flourishing Park Street; and jeweller par excellence Diana Porter, whose beautiful shop is on Park Street
need of amending to ‘a nation of empty shops’. Many small Victorian shops in the Bristol area that survived the physical devastation of the blitz have instead shut in recent years after succumbing to the effects of recession, the internet, supermarkets, chain stores and two popular major shopping centres in the form of Cabot Circus and Cribbs Causeway. Yet independent success stories can nevertheless be seen in shopping streets around the city, ranging from the unique jewellery of Diana Porter on Park Street, Clifton Rocks on Queens Road and Catherine Amesbury at Artemis on the Gloucester Road, to the individual styles at Flo-Jo Boutique on Gloucester Road, and SoleLution shoe shop and Boutique 33 in Clifton Village. It’s a similar story further along the A4 in the elegant and affluent heritage city of Bath, where the Georgian crescents and terraces in muted and tasteful neutral hues could have come straight from a Farrow & Ball colour chart. Despite the undoubted attraction of the new SouthGate shopping centre, customers are still heading to independent retailers at places such as the Old Bank Antiques Centre at Walcot Buildings.
Back in south Bristol, in North Street, the way in which the area near the Tobacco Factory has turned back into a bustling retail parade provides eloquent proof of how small, independent businesses can have a place in 21st-century retail alongside the malls and the internet. The challenge now is to bring about a similar success story that stretches from the other end of North Street, through to East Street and West Street, creating not only a thriving retail area, but also a destination where people come to gather, and where vehicles have a limited presence. Victor Gruen, the man who came up with the vision of the world’s first shopping centre, but then came to despise what he’d created, would surely approve. FFI THE BRISTOL INDEPENDENTS WEBSITE HAS DETAILS OF EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS TAKING PLACE ON WED 4 JULY FOR INDEPENDENTS DAY, AND THROUGHOUT JULY. THESE INCLUDE A FREE PRIZE DRAW THAT CAN BE ENTERED BY ANYONE WHO SHOPS OR EATS AT ANY OF BRISTOL’S INDEPENDENT OUTLETS. WEB: WWW. BRISTOLINDEPENDENTS.CO.UK
North Street’s hugely popular deli has doubled in size since Paul Wick set it up 12 years ago. “When we moved to live in Bedminster,” he says, “there was a good selection of food retailers, but I couldn’t find everything I wanted, so I decided to open a deli. I’d been doing call centre work for 15 years and had little knowledge of retail, so what we stock has been very much led by the customers, many of whom are such regulars that we’re on first-name terms. “A lot of the items we stock aren’t available in chain stores, and we have a lot of specialised foods such as muesli with no added salt or sugar. Organic wholefoods have brought in a lot of customers, and local produce is very popular. We sell local cheeses, and we try to deal as much as possible with farms around Bristol. “We must be doing something right, because we now employ 10 staff and occupy what used to be two shops - a shop that was previously empty, and a shop used as an office - after doubling our floorspace in 2008.”
RARE BUTCHERS
Chris Cierpik has seen a monthly increase in customers since he opened Rare Butchers on North Street in January 2011. “I’ve been in this trade all my working life, and I wanted something in a nice area where they’d appreciate local meat and good quality. It’s been getting a bit busier every month. Customers queue along the road on Saturdays and at Christmas. “Steaks are very popular - I’ve got a guy called Ken who’s been cutting steaks since he was 16 and is now semi-retired. We’ve also got a Slovakian guy who makes amazing sausages. When a customer tries to pay by card, I know they’re new, because we don’t have a machine. When I ask how they heard about us, 99 per cent say word of mouth. “I usually work a 70-hour week, 6am to 6pm or even 9pm, but it’s worth it because I believe in what I’m doing.”them behind the counter
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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
Retro g Clothinble Availa
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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FEATURE
The wildflower meadow is a haven for butterflies and an amazing array of insects
ROYATE
HILL
T
his is the 20th anniversary of Avon Wildlife Trust’s campaign with the local community to save this inner-city wildlife site, and inspiring floor mosaics greet you at the Edward Street entrance, showing you why local people once rallied against developers. Climb the steps to your left and emerge at the top onto the old railway line. You’ll see lots of brambles, nettles and tall plants alongside the path, making a wonderful habitat where insects feed and lay their eggs – you might see the amazing iridescent green thick-kneed beetle, different sorts of ladybirds, orange cardinal beetles and even the occasional dragonfly (the big brown hawker dragonfly and the rare white-legged damselfly have both been spotted here).
BUTTERFLY HAVEN
As you approach the steep embankment on your left you’ll see that it’s a wildflower meadow. Have a close look for butterflies – there could be common blues and even the chequered marbled white, which only likes flower-rich meadows. You may spot straw-coloured chrysalises on the grass stems – these belong to the bottle-green, red-spotted burnet moths.
Watch the summer wildlife at this city-centre nature reserve with a very special place in the community’s heart…
On the other side of the path is a ‘forest’ of buddleia, which has colonised since the site was bulldozed in the early 1990s. It’s also known as ‘butterfly bush’, and if it’s warm and calm you may see red admirals, peacocks, commas and small tortoiseshells.
SHADE-LOVING PLANTS
Crossing the viaduct with its lovely views and attractive trees, you’ll notice lots of tall plants - you may spot hemp agrimony, and look out, too, for purple vetches in the flowery bays ahead. These sheltered spots are havens for all sorts of insects. Now you come to a more wooded area, where the shade supports new species such as the yellow wood avens and purple hedge woundwort (smell a crushed leaf and you’ll know why the herbalists gave it that name!). Ivy here has grown up to reach the light and formed its adult leaves, which look quite different to the more familiar three-lobed variety. Keep an eye out for the speckled wood butterfly, which likes these shady, sun-dappled places. AVON WILDLIFE TRUST OUR GUIDE COMES COURTESY OF THIS LEADING LOCAL CHARITY WORKING FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE. FFI: 0117 917 7270, WWW.AVONWILDLIFETRUST.ORG.UK
DID YOU KNOW…?
The embankments were constructed in the early 1870s to form part of the Clifton Extension Railway. They span 450 metres in a shallow curve, from Edward Street in the north west to Clay Bottom to the east, crossing Royate Hill and the Coombe Brook at their centre. The site was compulsorily purchased by the former Avon County Council in 1996, following a five-year high-profile campaign by local people to save it from development.
HOW TO GET THERE Travel to Eastville in Bristol on the A432 Fishponds Road. Turn onto Royate Hill Road by the Queen’s Head pub. Immediately turn right onto Edward Street and park on the left by the entrance to Greenbank Cemetery. The entrance to the reserve is next to this.
Look out for the pretty blush petals of the dog rose along the way
Take a moment to admire the mosaics depicting the Trust's win to reclaim this city-centre nature reserve from the developers
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WHAT’S ON
FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC
➻ WHAT'SON
FILM
COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU Robin Askew picks some highlights from this month’s cinematic crop
THE HUNTER
OPENS FRI 6 JULY In this Australian drama - an arthouse Jurassic Park? - adapted from Julia Leigh’s novel of the same title, a taciturn game hunter (the increasingly craggy Willem Dafoe) is hired by a shadowy military biotech company. His mission is to bag the last surviving Tasmanian Devil, long thought extinct, so that its DNA can be harvested for dastardly purposes. Undercover as an academic in Tasmania, he befriends Frances O’Connor and her children and gets on the wrong side of a band of murderous loggers who accuse him of being a hated ‘greenie’.
THE ATHLETE OPENS MON 9 JULY You may have noticed that there appears to be some kind of international sporting event taking place this month. Rather than throwing in the towel, the nation’s cinemas have decided to get in on the act. The 1981 Oscar-winner Chariots of Fire gets a digitally remastered multiplex reissue on July 13. At the Watershed, they’ve got a month-long season of films exploring politics, power and sport. The centrepiece is this new dramadocumentary about remarkable barefoot Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila. Back in 1960, he became the first African to win an Olympic gold medal, but his story later took a tragic turn.
MONSIEUR LAZHAR OPENS FRI 13 JULY Belatedly arriving in Bristol, this Oscar-nominated French-Canadian drama is yet another entry in the uplifting ‘inspirational schoolteacher’ genre. But the film’s champions insist that Monsieur is much more serious, compassionate, unsentimental and truthful than the genre usually allows. Mohamed Fellag plays an Algerian asylum seeker who passes himself off as a teacher to land a job in a Montreal school, where he draws on his own tragic experiences to help a group of 11-year-olds come to terms with the suicide of his predecessor.
SEEKING A THE WOMEN FRIEND FOR THE ON THE 6TH END OF THE FLOOR WORLD A frothy French OPENS FRI 20 JULY
OPENS FRI 13 JULY Steve Carell and Keira Knightley - now there’s a pairing you don’t see every day. Even more bizarrely, they’ve paired up for an apocalypse comedy that promises to wring chuckles from a very similar setup to that of Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia. A giant asteroid will polish off all life on Earth in 21 days. So insurance salesman Carrell teams up with extrovert neighbour Knightley for a road trip to track down his school sweetheart.
comedy for anyone who enjoyed Potiche or Romantics Anonymous, with another great buttoned-up bourgeois performance from the fabulous Fabrice Luchini. In early 1960s Paris, stockbroker Jean-Louis Joubert (Luchini) lives a comfortable if uneventful life with his neurotic wife Suzanne (Sandrine Kiberlain). One day, he visits the sixth floor of the apartment building that’s been in his family for generations. It’s occupied by a group of Spanish maids, whose joie de vivre awakens something in their starchy, respectable landlord.
KEEP READING FOR SEVEN FURTHER PAGES OF WHAT’S ON HIGHLIGHTS ➻ FOLIO/JULY 2012 21
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WHAT’SON
WHAT TO DO IN...
July
THE OLYMPICS, MUSIC FESTIVALS, TREASURE HUNTS AND HAVE-A-GO SPORTS TASTERS… THIS MONTH’S HOT TICKETS FROM… MIKE WHITE
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STAR-SPANGLED MANOR
Rich in history and culture, this festival of Americana covers many musical styles, from bluegrass and rockabilly to cajun and ceilidh. Appropriately, it all kicks off on Independence Day with a picnic and barbecue at the American Museum, then barrels all over Bath for five days and nights of floorboard stomps, old-time mountain singalongs and banjo-duelling knees-ups. BATH AMERICANA FESTIVAL 4-8 JUL, AMERICAN MUSEUM, CLAVERTON MANOR & VARIOUS VENUES ACROSS BATH & MIDSOMER NORTON. TICKETS: 01225 463362, FFI: WWW.BATHAMERICANAFESTIVAL.CO.UK
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STRUM ON DOWN
The guitar is perhaps the most influential instrument in modern music, there at the heart of almost every stadium-rocking riff and late-night ballad from the 1950s onwards. In recognition of this, the International Guitar Foundation (IGF), an arts agency ‘dedicated to the promotion, understanding and enjoyment of the guitar’ organises a series of festivals and summer schools each year. One of these happens in Bath, bringing masterclasses and workshops with world-class guitarists and an ever-growing line-up of performers, including legendary songwriter Richard Thompson and classical virtuoso David Russell.
BATH GUITAR FESTIVAL 20-27 JULY, VARIOUS VENUES IN BATH. FFI: WWW.IGF.ORG.UK
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WHO DUNG IT?
A mole discovers a pile of pooh on his head and is certain that it doesn’t belong to him – and so begins The Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business, a tale being unfolded as an afterschool story-walk-treasure-hunt around Arnos Vale Cemetery. Aimed at primary school children, it’s a quest to find out which pooh belongs to whom, with plenty to learn about our native wildlife along the way. It’s an outdoor event, so come dressed for the weather.
STOMPING STORIES: THE STORY OF THE LITTLE MOLE TUE 10 JULY, ARNOS VALE CEMETERY, BATH RD, BRISTOL, 3.45PM, £3 PER CHILD (CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT, ADULT ADMISSION IS FREE). TICKETS FROM BOX OFFICE IN EAST LODGE BUILDING, OR VIA: WWW. ARNOSVALE.ORG.UK
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WHAT’SON
A fabulous, packed programme this month comes courtesy of Frome Festival, with particular highlights including North Sea Radio Orchestra, whose beautiful ‘chamber pop’ has been described as ‘a cross between Vaughan Williams and Kate Bush’. With their own compositions and arrangements, and exquisite vocals, the seven-piece come armed with bassoon, cello, violin and piano. Riot of colour and sound Flap!, meanwhile, bring their special blend of jazz, honk and skiffle to the UK for the first time. They’ve been wowing festival-goers back home in Oz with their uptempo songs: witty, with a sly profundity and delivered with some serious verve. NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA FRI 13 JULY & FLAP! SUN 15 JULY, BOTH 7.30PM, ROOK LANE CHAPEL, FROME, £12/£10. FROME FESTIVAL 6-15 JULY. FFI: 01373 455420, WWW.FROMEFESTIVAL.CO.UK
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TAKE A LATE BATH
It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the Roman Baths were rediscovered and fully explored – strange to think that they lay there, covered under the city’s more modern developments for nearly two thousand years. Now they’re one of Bath’s most interesting sights, with ancient artefacts, ingenious Roman plumbing and unexpected revelations about the lives of people of Roman times, from their superstitions to their hairstyles. This month and next you can explore the surprisingly large site (much of which extends under the modern ground level, beneath adjacent streets and squares) late into the evening, soaking up the atmosphere by flickering torchlight, just as the Romans themselves must have done, thousands of years ago. ROMAN BATHS BY TORCHLIGHT JULY & AUG, ROMAN BATHS, ABBEY CHURCH YARD, BATH, 9AM-9PM, £12.50 ADULT, £8 CHILD (CONCS AVAILABLE). FFI: 01225 477785, WWW.ROMANBATHS.CO.UK
OLYMPIC KNOW HOW
‘Why do South Koreans turn out in their tens of thousands to watch the nation’s leading archers? Why do Turks venerate a 4ft 11in weightlifter? Why does Denmark come to a standstill during the women’s handball?’ Over four billion of us will tune in to watch the Olympics this year, but many of the events are pretty baffling. To truly appreciate the edge-of-your-seat drama involved, it helps to understand the nuances of technique, the backstory of the competitors, the finer points of strategy and skill. But where to begin? In the pages of a new book co-written by Bristol author David Goldblatt, that’s where. How to Watch the Olympics is a hugely informative and unexpectedly funny guidebook, explaining the history and idiosyncrasies of each and every Olympic discipline. It’s also littered with fascinating trivia - find out why butterfly stroke was invented, where waterpolo serves as the closest expression of warfare, and how shuttlecocks travel faster than tennis balls. The Games begin on Fri 27 July – your training starts now. HOW TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS BY DAVID GOLDBLATT & JOHNNY ACTON (PROFILE BOOKS, £8.99) FFI: WWW.HOWTOWATCHTHEOLYMPICS.COM
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The first modern Olympic Games (1896) started somberly, with speeches and hymns. Paris 1900 didn’t have any opening ceremony at all, nor did St Louis in 1904. But when the Games came to London in 1908 we put on a proper show, and ever since then the opening ceremony has been the most watched event at every year’s Olympics. The London 2012 extravaganza’s director is Danny Boyle, better known for directing Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire. What he’s cooked up for the Olympic show this year remains under wraps, but with a cast of over 15,000, it’s sure to be quite a show, so bring a picnic/ umbrella (delete according to weather) and catch all the action on Millennium Square’s massive screen, from the glitz of the opening night and on through the thrills and spills of the Games themselves. OLYMPIC GAMES OPENING CEREMONY FRI 27 JULY, MILLENNIUM SQUARE, BRISTOL, 7.30PM, FREE. BIG SCREEN COVERAGE CONTINUES UNTIL SUN 12 AUG PIC CREDIT: PAUL BOX
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PLAYING UP
FUN AND GAMES
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ROCK THE DOCK
It’s the dockside’s biggest party, bar none. But Bristol Harbour Festival is much more than just a nautical knees-up, offering three days of free entertainment, from live music and dance to circus and theatre, alongside a superb spread of food and drink. On the water, action ranges from creaking tall ships, brave rescue dogs and fire boats to steam tugs and a host of historical craft.
BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL 20-22 JULY, HARBOURSIDE, QUEEN SQUARE, CASTLE PARK AND KING ST, BRISTOL, FREE. FFI: WWW.BRISTOLHARBOURFESTIVAL.CO.UK
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WHAT’S ON PERFORMANCE
STEALING THE SHOW Grab a seat in the front row for Steve Wright’s hot tickets from the world of THEATRE, COMEDY AND DANCE
Emerging Welsh wizard Lloyd Langford will be performing at the Tobacco Factory on 20 July
BRISTOL BROUHAHA
BRISTOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
THEATRE Bristol’s annual Shakespearean smorgasbord returns for its ninth instalment this month, and as ever it features a fine mix of renowned touring companies and younger outfits, staging works from the Bard’s back-catalogue in a variety of indoor and outdoor venues. Check the website for a full rundown of what’s in store: our picks include the excellent Heartbreak Productions, a brilliant professional touring troupe who’ve been near ever-presents at the festival since its 2004 debut. They’ll be staging the feast of verbal sparring and playful gender politics that is Much Ado about Nothing at Ashton Court Estate (11-12 July). A week later (19 July), the excellent Illyria Theatre don battle dress for Henry V at Bristol Zoo Gardens, while the festival closes with a visit from the brilliant Lord Chamberlain’s Men. These arch-traditionalists stage Shakespeare’s plays as he would have known them (all-male cast and period dress and props included), which should make their alfresco Macbeth, pictured, (1 Aug, Brandon Hill) quite the spectacle.
FFI WWW.BRISTOLSHAKESPEARE.ORG.UK
HIS DARK MATERIALS
THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL THEATRE From 5-21 July, Nigel Harman (EastEnders bad boy Dennis Rickman) leads the line in this fizzing Georgian romp by Sheridan, whose The Rivals was a huge hit at the Theatre Royal in 2010. When Sir Peter Teazle marries a sweet young country lass, he’s counting on her driven-snow purity to safeguard his reputation - but doesn’t reckon with some of London’s most dedicated scandalmongers.
FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK
THEATRE Back in 2007, the youth wing of Bath’s consistently excellent non-pro troupe Next Stage mounted one of their most ambitious productions to date - a theatrical staging of Philip Pullman’s epic tale of parallel universes, armoured bears and souleating spectres. It was such a bold, brilliant success that they return to it this month, once again dividing the action into two, staged on successive weeks (3-7 & 10-14 July).
FFI WWW.NEXT-STAGE.CO.UK
FANNY AND JOHNNIE… Bristol’s Show of Strength have devised this tastebud-tickling show for performance in cafes and restaurants. Kate McNab and John Telfer play Fanny Cradock, iconic 1950s-70s TV chef, and husband/co-presenter Johnnie, as they bicker and name-drop their way through an evening’s TV cheffing. Audiences will also enjoy a two-course meal a la Cradock. Venues include Create (Fri 20), Riverstation (Sun 22), Hen & Chicken pub (27-28 July).
THEATRE
➻ July is always a red-letter month for comedians, who spend the summer road-testing the shows they’ll be taking up to that year’s Edinburgh Festival. A clutch of decent Edinburgh reviews will land you bookings up and down the country for the next six months, and push your comedy stock ever higher - no wonder, then, that comics are eager to try out their new material in front of discerning audiences. And they don’t come more discerning than Bristol. Now in its fourth year, the excellent Bristol BrouHaHa comedy festival spans nine days and two Southville venues: the Tobacco Factory theatre and the Comedy Box stand-up club just down the road. Some 25 acts will descend upon BS3 from 13-21 July, and there are some very appetising names on the list, too. On Mon 16 July, two of Britain’s finest sketch-comedy troupes share the bill at the Tobacco Factory. Quick-witted, physical and eye-poppingly inventive, Pappy’s and The Noise Next Door are both masters at the sketch and improv arts. Other big draws include the brilliant Richard Herring (Sat 21, Tobacco Factory) and the acerbic, bone-dry Andrew Lawrence (Sat 21, Comedy Box). We’d also steer you towards Lloyd Langford (Fri 20, Tobacco Factory), an emerging Welsh wizard with a wonderful line in gentle, bemused surrealism. FFI WWW.BRISTOLBROUHAHA. COM
FFI WWW.SHOWOFSTRENGTH.ORG.UK
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WHAT’S ON ART SCENE
PICTURE THIS
From wildlife illustrations to giants of 20th century conceptual art, our round-up of the very best on the local ART SCENE from Steve Wright
UNNATURAL
BRISTOL This new group show at the Royal West of England Academy imagines a weird and wonderful parallel universe, in which nature is metamorphosed into unexpected and unnatural forms. With contributions in both 2D and 3D from artists from around the world (Cornucopia by UK artist Angela Singer, pictured), Unnatural: Natural History presents varied and arresting imaginings of an alternative, often slightly unsettling natural world. “We asked artists from around the world to explore the theme of ‘unnatural natural history’ and the results are diverse and alluring,” explains Chippy Coates, one half of the show’s curators, Bristol/US-based Coates and Scarry. “It’s a blend of innovative art, creative ideas and lateral thinking.” Among others, you’ll find work by Kate McGwire, who creates otherworldly sculptural forms from feathers; Marco Mazzoni, who weaves a world, based on Italian folklore, of mystical women who seduce, bewitch, curse and cure; and Bristol-based Rose Sanderson, who’s made a name for herself adorning the stripped surfaces used by her painter/ decorator father with butterflies and birds.
Raw Materials: Four American Artists, 1972-2007, a new exhibition at Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery
AMERICAN ICONS ➻With its thought-provoking but
FFI WWW.RWA.ORG.UK
ROSTRA Later this month, Bath’s Rostra gallery (21 July-27 Aug) exhibits some beautiful wildlife illustrations by North Somerset artist Christina Holvey. The images are published in My Garden and Other Animals, a nature diary by TV wildlife presenter (and Christina’s other half) Mike Dilger that charts the couple’s year-long transformation of an overgrown garden into a wildlife haven: Mike will give a reading on the morning of Sat 21 July. BATH
FFI WWW.ROSTRAGALLERY.CO.UK
VICTORIA ART GALLERY After June’s inspiring Sculpture and Sport, Bath’s VAG continue to limber up for the Olympics with a show of huge sport-themed watercolours by Brighton painter Graham Dean. The artist has visited Olympic and Paralympic training camps to create small studies of athletes, which he then converts into the larger pieces that make up Fitter, Quicker, Longer (7 July-2 Sept). As well as documenting athletes in action, Dean’s paintings also study them in those quieter moments before and after the main event. BATH
FFI WWW.VICTORIAGAL.ORG.UK
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ANTLERS GALLERY BRISTOL This excellent nomadic gallery (which this month takes up residence in an empty shop unit in Quakers Friars) presents the first-ever UK solo show by Anouk Mercier, a Paris-born artist now resident here in Bristol. Excursus (6-29 July) features Mercier’s dreamlike paintings of strange landscapes, inspiring both wonder and unease. Melancholy, mythical and romantic, Mercier’s drawings celebrate the power of the imagination – as well as the dark heart that often lies behind these imagined idylls.
often slightly opaque slogans and installations, conceptual art is an often-misunderstood genre. But a new exhibition at Bristol’s City Museum & Art Gallery, showing work by four giants of 20th-century conceptual art, will help to lead audiences by the hand into this difficult territory. Raw Materials: Four American Artists, 1972-2007 (30 June-23 Sept) collects together work by four hugely influential American art icons: Jenny Holzer, Bruce Nauman, Ed Ruscha and Lawrence Weiner. The show features key pieces by each artist, including Nauman’s famous neon works, Holzer’s early street posters and wall texts by Weiner - plus various paintings from across the 50-year career of Ruscha, whose influences have included surrealism, pop art and the Beat Generation. You’ll find a diverse range of media on show, as befits these four artists who all pushed the boundaries of art and artistic creation, from film, light pieces and sculpture to texts, paintings and posters. All four artists also play with language, and the way it can be used to entertain, mystify and unsettle. They also play with their audiences, making us question what we’re seeing and how to interpret it. The indefatigable Ruscha once observed: ‘Art has to be something that makes you scratch your head.’ We’ll wager that this fine-looking assemblage of four art heavyweights will make you do just that.
FFI WWW.BRISTOL.GOV.UK
FFI WWW.ANTLERSGALLERY.COM
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WHAT’S ON MUSIC
THE BAND PLAYED ON WANDA JACKSON
Wanda Jackson’s life is as woven into the fabric of American folklore as rhinestones into a Nudie suit. She was born in Oklahoma in 1937 and four years later hit the dustbowl trail to California - vividly articulated by everyone from Steinbeck to Woody Guthrie - as her father sought a better life for the family. In 1943 he bought his daughter a guitar, took her to shows by country greats, and helped to set a course whereby, by 1956, she had her own radio programme and was playing highoctane bills with Elvis Presley. He encouraged a shift from country to something explosively new and exciting, and thus was born the First Lady of Rockabilly. Five decades of music-making later, she cemented her legendary status with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This month, aged 74, she arrives in Bristol to tour The Party Ain’t Over, an amped-up rip through rocking standards recorded with Jack ‘White Stripes’ White. We shall not see her like again. WED 18 JULY
FFI WWW.THEKLABRISTOL.CO.UK
PRIDE DAY
THE WAILERS TUE 3 JULY Reggae royalty is coming to town: The Wailers! Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett and co took up the honour/role of backing Bob Marley from 1974 until his untimely death in 1981. The pre-1974 apprenticeship wasn’t bad, either, having served as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s studio band, The Upsetters. Stir it up!
FFI WWW. O2ACADEMYBRISTOL. CO.UK
SAT 14 JULY As gay anthems go, It’s Raining Men probably trumps all but I Will Survive. And former Weather Girl Martha Walsh had plenty of previous, having started out in a disco duo with scene icon, the incomparable Sylvester. Throw in voicing tracks by everyone from Black Box to C+C Music Factory’s Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now), and you’ve got the perfect Pride Day headliner. Check website for details on the other 40+ acts, five performance areas, and daylaunching Parade.
FFI WWW. WEAREFEST.COM
LA BOHEME Sung in English, action playing out in both bar and auditorium, story transplanted from 1830s bohemian Paris to a contemporary urban setting… Robin Norton-Hale’s production of La Bohème is nothing if not aiming for maximum accessibility. Fear not, traditionalists - OperaUpClose aren’t presiding over a watering-down, but a freshening-up: you don’t get to bag an Olivier Award without flair and substance.
13-14 JULY
FFI WWW.TOBACCOFACTORYTHEATRE. COM
Catch Mahan Esfahani at St George’s on 12 July
CREDIT: MARCO BORGGREVE
From pop and rock via jazz and folk to classical and opera, Julian Owen chooses this month’s top concerts and gigs
A MONTH IN BRISTOL ➻ The musical arm of Bristol
Ladyfest pitches up in the Fleece from 2pm on 7 July, with music moving variously across the gentle (Rozi Plain, This is the Kit, Rachael Dadd) to the floaty (Mary Epworth) to the fabulously direct (Hysterical Injury, Rita Lynch) and a whole lot more. Can’t immediately name too many rivals, if we’re honest but, nonetheless, ‘the leading harpsichordist of his generation’ Iran-born Mahan Esfahani brings Bach classics to St George’s Bristol on 12 July. Sparkling entertainment comes to the gardens beneath the viaduct of Kilver Court on 14 July, as Bristol Old Vic help to bring forth a champagne-/food-enhanced musical journey with the Concordia International Ensemble. The Cello Ensemble and an ‘International Quartet’ ( Japanese violinist Satoko Fukuda, Cuban guitarist Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas, Northern Irish flautist Gareth McLearnon, Vietnamese accordionist Phuong Nguyen) combine to back leading soprano Joanna Marie Skillett in venturing across and beyond Latino jazz, Bach and Jimi Hendrix. Bristol Harbour Festival returns on 20-22 July with a welter of musical performances. Saturday looks the strongest day, with lyrical singersongwriter Siddy Bennett headlining Cascade Steps, and Queen Square hosting a dancelicious evening featuring Balkan jazz-folk aces Sheelanagig and recently reformed Bristol reggae legends Black Roots. Finally, queen of Texan folkcountry Nanci Griffith comes across the great divide to play songs from her new Intersection album at the Colston Hall on 23 July.
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WHAT’S ON DAYS OUT
RACE TRACKS Anna Britten saddles up for Bath’s new open-air music festival
PIC CREDIT: MICK HUTSON
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his month Bath Racecourse is about much more than galloping horses, and dogs getting their daily constitutional. Blossoming on its hard-working turf on Sat 21 July, Sulis Sound Track is a major, new, not-forprofit festival aiming to re-establish Bath’s reputation as the live music magnet it was in the 1960s and 70s. It’s the latest project of Bath Music Plus, the folks also responsible for persuading Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright to play in the gig-starved city this summer, as well as the Royal Wedding and Jubilee concerts in Royal Victoria Park. They’ve certainly scored an impressive headliner, in Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra (featuring Marc Almond), an act so in demand by promoters (he plays to over 200,000 people a year) that he can afford to pick and choose. The cheerful boogie-woogie maestro is a safe and classy bet to lure punters of all ages up to the endless plains of Lansdown with their picnic hampers and golf umbrellas and send them back down again happy. Jools shares the bill with a band he hosted on his TV show last year - Californian soul/rock/ blues four-piece Vintage Trouble formed two years ago over a shared love of vinyl and the old ‘juke joint’ sound. Since being voted Band of the Year 2011 by readers of Classic Rock, they’re currently thrilling festival audiences all over Europe. Esteemed English blues outfit the Matt Schofield Trio perform originals and covers earlier in the day. Their eponymous guitarist is one of only two living British artists in recording history to gain a maximum four-star rating in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings, and he also won Best Blues Guitarist at last year’s British Blues Awards. Purveyors of highly danceable dub-drenched ska-pop The Skints also join the line-up, building on their viral hit of last December, a cover of Katy B’s Katy on a Mission, and a performance at BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend. Expect to hear material from the East Londoners’ debut album Part & Parcel. The festival also offers a prime platform for some of the region’s most festival-friendly emerging acts, including Will and the People, The Lash, Ulysses and BA1 Records’ Tallis
Top to bottom: Vintage Trouble; The Lash; Will and the People; and headline act Jools Holland
Morris, Lily Stokes, Bite the Buffalo, Laura Doggett, Shauna Hutchinson and Georgia Vale. This being Olympics year, you might expect sport to be incorporated somehow. But this is no half-hearted gesture. Instead, you’ll find representatives from every sports club in B&NES and have the chance to sample fencing, archery, judo, hockey, athletics, cycling/BMX, volleyball, basketball, rowing, football, taekwondo, rugby, wrestling, boxing and golf. There are also mini activities for the under-fives and an O2 Roman 10 km race. Said Bath Music Plus co-founder Phil Castang: “It’s our Glastonbury meets the Olympics!” SULIS SOUND TRACK FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & SPORT S AT 21 JULY, BATH RACECOURSE. TICKETS (AVAILABLE FROM BATH BOX OFFICE: 01225 463362, WWW.BATHBOXOFFICE.ORG. UK/8948): FAMILY (2 ADULTS + 2 UNDER-16S) £70, ADULTS £34, UNDER-16S £16, UNDER-5S FREE. FFI: WWW. BATHMUSICPLUS.CO.UK
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WHAT’S ON From den building to an open-air production of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (top left) via a weekend of Victorian Soldiers (bottom left), there’s plenty to keep the whole family occupied this summer at a National Trust property near you
DAYS OUT
HERE COMES
THE FUN
Anna Britten packs her Power Rangers backpack ready for the school summer holidays
STORY LAB Bookworms! Pencil in time for this summer’s exciting hi-tech reading challenge taking place across Bristol Libraries. In return for reading six books, Story Lab offers kids of all ages a fold-out Story Lab model, scratch ‘n’ stiff stickers to collect, a certificate and medal, plus a free DVD hire and entry into a prize draw. Look out,
too, for storytimes and craft activities on the Story Lab theme. FFI WWW.STORY-LAB.ORG.UK
FASHION MUSEUM Having never met a kid who didn’t love Horrible Histories, we’re going to suggest you book sharpish for Birmingham Stage Company’s Terrible Tudor Tortures workshop on Wed 15 Aug (adult £5/child £3, 01225 463362, www. bathboxoffice.org. uk). Discover the crimes and punishments of Tudor times, act as judge and jury, and prepare to face an Assembly Room-full of
extreme horribleness. FFI BENNETT ST, BATH. TEL: 01225 477785, WEB: WWW.FASHIONMUSEUM. CO.UK
BRUNEL’S SS GREAT BRITAIN Tall tales and tall hats are on the bill here, with professional storyteller Sarah Mooney recounting adventures of the high seas on Tue 7 Aug, and Mr Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself dropping by for chats and photo opportunities from Fri 20 July-Sat 1 Sept (except Wed 25-Thur 26 July, Weds in Aug and Thur 30 Aug). Get your sea legs!
PIC CREDIT: PAUL BLAKEMORE
H
alfway through this month, like a runaway train, the summer holidays will be upon us. Mums and dads: you have no choice but to hop on board, cling on, and hope to make it through to the first week of September unscathed. Let us help take the ‘umm’ out of the summer holidays, with our guide to the region’s most familytastic days out.
FFI GREAT WESTERN DOCKYARD, GAS FERRY RD, BRISTOL. TEL: 0117 929 0680, WEB: WWW. SSGREATBRITAIN.ORG
LONGLEAT The safari and adventure park has been expanding over the
years like the girth of a chocoholic elephant. In addition to the lions and monkeys that you’re probably acquainted with by now, there are also birds of prey shows, Hunters of the Sky, throughout summer, promising spectacular new flying sequences, thrilling entrances and opportunities to get closer to (and maybe even hold one of) these feathered predators. Recently, Longleat also launched their own family safari trips to Tanzania, should you be in the market for a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. First trip will set off on Fri 17 Aug, with further dates in Oct, Nov and Dec. FFI LONGLEAT, WARMINSTER, WILTS. TEL: 01985 844400, WEB: WWW. LONGLEAT.CO.UK
HOLBURNE MUSEUM There’s a giant, multi-coloured kaleidoscope landing on the front lawn of the Holburne this summer, and it’s called Colourscape. Constructed from inflatable, interconnected FOLIO/JUNE 2012 33
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WHAT’S ON Get hands-on at the latest At-Bristol exhibition ‘Our World No More Waste’
SUMMER SCHOOLS & WORKSHOPS
chambers flooded with intensely coloured light, Colourscape is a sensory blast described as ‘like being wrapped up in a rainbow’. Roll up between Sat 18 and Mon 27 Aug, with a fiver per adult and £3 per child. In addition you’ll be able to play Ancient Greek and Roman ‘cultural games’ in free event Ancient Arts and Athletes on Sat 21 July, and combine art and walking in a Roses & Castles pot-decorating workshop and canal walk on Thur 2 & Thur 9 Aug (£2.50pp, children must be accompanied by an adult). FFI GREAT PULTENEY ST, BATH. TEL: 01225 388569, WEB: WWW.HOLBURNE. ORG
BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS As you may have ascertained from all the roars and screams around Clifton, 12 huge, roaring animatronic dinosaurs are summering at the zoo this year. Dinozoo is open every day until Sun 2 Sept. And for one night only (Sat 18 Aug, to be
precise), they’re inviting you to join them for a screening of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park on the main lawn. FFI GUTHRIE RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. TEL: 0117 974 7300, WEB: WWW. BRISTOLZOO.ORG.UK
THE NATIONAL TRUST As ever, there are frequent family activities at the not-so-ill manors of the National Trust this summer. You can practise Den Building for free, with countryside rangers, in woodland along the Bath Skyline on Wed 22 Aug, or head to Dyrham Park for the Love Food Festival (Sun 1 July), or take in the sights and smell of an Anglo Saxon Camp (Sat 14-Sun 15 July). Prior Park are inviting families to bring a picnic and stay up late with a series of Late Night Fridays (until 9pm) on Fri 6, 13, 20 & 27 July, while Tyntesfield host an open-air theatre production of Grimm’s Fairy Tales on Thur 2 Aug and a weekend of Victorian Soldiers on Sat 18-Sun 19 Aug. Most fun of all, there’s tree climbing with the Tree Frog
All aboard the summer story bus for swashbuckling tales from storytellers Martin Maudsley and Chris Brown
Climbing Adventure team on Fri 31 Aug. FFI WWW.NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK
AT-BRISTOL Another summer, another extraordinary new At-Bristol exhibition. Our World No More Waste launches on Fri 20 July and looks at how nothing in the natural world goes to waste. Using the museum’s trademark hands-on exhibits, kids can track hurricanes, present a weather forecast, examine air currents and change the way water moves. And don’t miss Living Timeline, an ‘augmented reality’ experience set in the Jurassic era. Visitors can tickle the trilobytes, persuade slimy snails to cross the ocean, and encourage ancient spiders to crawl up their arms - before squishing them flat. FFI ANCHOR RD, HARBOURSIDE, BRISTOL. TEL: 0845 345 1235, WEB: WWW.AT-BRISTOL.ORG.UK
SUMMER STORY BUS After the success of a similar venture at the past two years’ Bristol Storytelling Festival, tour bus firm City Sightseeing Bristol have joined forces with storytellers Martin Maudsley and Chris Brown to deliver three Summer Story Buses. Sat 14 July is local legends, while Thur 2 and Thur 9 Aug bring swashbuckling tales of the high seas. Trips last 1hr 15mins, cost £5.30 for adults and £3 for children, and depart from the Colston Hall at 5.30pm (adv booking advised). So that’s all the fun of an open-top bus ride around the city combined with the yarn-spinning skills of two of Bristol’s very best storytellers? Cheers, drive! FFI WWW.CITYSIGHTSEEINGBRISTOL. CO.UK/PUBLIC-TRIPS/TICKETS.PHP
➻ WildAbout Play Scheme (0117 974 7354, www.bristolzoo. org.uk/wildabout, email: jroby@ bristolzoo.org.uk) • Takes place in woodland near Cribbs Causeway and offers children aged 8-12 the chance to collect firewood, build dens, learn about wildlife, whittle spoons, listen to stories and more. ➻ Monkton Combe School Summer Holiday Activity Programme (01225 721116, www. monktoncombeschool.com) • Flexible holiday childcare for all at this Bath private school. Ages 4-8 will love Minis and its sports, games, daily swim, colouring competitions, art and theme days, while older kids up to 14 will do much of the same as well as drama, and PlayStation and Scalextric competitions. ➻ Traditional Irish Music Summer School (www. bathfolkfestival.org) • Runs from Mon 13 to Sun 19 Aug, for all ages, as part of Bath Folk Festival. Learn the essentials of Irish folk or sharpen your skills in fiddle, flute, tin whistle, guitar, and other instruments according to demand. From £90 for under-18s, family concs available. ➻ Bristol Film Academy (0844 870 8945, www.bristolfilmacademy. com) • Day- and two-day-long summer schools for young people, based off Park Street and promising state-of-the-art equipment and professional film-maker tutors. Choose from both rookie and advanced courses in DSLR cinematography, editing with Premiere Pro CS6 and stop-frame animation. Impressive discounts for 14-19-year-olds, especially via Facebook - see website for more info. ➻ Tobacco Factory Theatre Summer School (pictured) (www. tobaccofactorytheatre.com/plus/ events) • Runs from Mon 30 July to Fri 3 Aug for ages 13-18. An unmissable chance to explore physical and visual performance with Iain ‘Tid’ Tidbury (former director of Bristol Old Vic Young Company), Kwesi Johnson of dance collective Kompany Malakhi and ace designer Katie Sykes. FOLIO/JUNE 2012 35
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COMPETITIONS
WIN A NIGHT FOR TWO AT BERWICK LODGE! Berwick Lodge is a privately owned luxury boutique hotel perched high on a hill, surrounded by 18 acres of private garden and woodland, just 15 minutes from the centre of Bristol. Having opened in September 2009 after a five-year restoration period, the former 19th century manor house has been lovingly restored to its former opulence, blending the spirit and romance of the arts and crafts movement with a touch of the east. We have an overnight stay for two plus dinner to give away to one lucky Folio reader. Bring your poshest PJs. BERWICK LODGE BERWICK DRIVE, BRISTOL, BS10. FFI: 0117 958 1590, WWW.BERWICKLODGE.CO.UK
WIN A STAY & DINNER!
TO ENTER ➻
BERWICK LODGE Just answer the following question: In what year did Berwick Lodge open to the public? Email your answer, with ‘Berwick Lodge’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 20 July. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 6 Aug. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline). NB: dinner does not include wine.
➻
HOWKAPOW Just answer the following question: What type of wood is used for the Flowerpop tray? Email your answer, with ‘Howkapow’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 20 July. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 6 Aug. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).
THE WINNERS Francis Hotel Bath comp: Congratulations to Cathryn Spence from Frome who won an overnight stay for two, with breakfast and afternoon tea, at the Francis Hotel Bath. Correct answer: John Wood the Elder. Blokesbags comp: Congratulations to Toby Rome from Bristol who won a leather messenger bag. Correct answer: Lace.
fabulous COMPS
Enter today to be in with a chance of winning these great prizes!
WIN A DESIGNER TRAY AND TWO MUGS! No one does contemporarywith-a-retro-twist better than Bristol-based Howkapow, online purveyors of delightful designer ceramics, prints and posters, accessories, jewellery and gifts. Thanks to them, one lucky Folio reader can win this fantastic Flowerpop Pebble Tray, designed exclusively for Howkapow by Linda Ketelhut (and handcrafted from sustainable Scandinavian birch by a small family-run company in Sweden), as well as two matching fine bone china mugs. Your afternoon cuppa just got even more refreshing.
WIN A TRAY & MUGS!
HOWKAPOW FFI: 0117 373 1900, WWW. HOWKAPOW.COM
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NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES
➻ EATINGOUTWEST
GOURMET HAMPERS, COOKERY COURSES, BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AND MORE... PICNIC HAMPERS
GREEDY ITALIAN, ANYONE?
➻ So it’s picnic season at last - hoorah! Time to get out the hamper and start making those same old sandwiches for the umpteenth time… or is it? What if you had a ‘greedy Italian’ on your side instead, whipping you up some classic antipasti, a torta mediterranea and who knows what other goodies? Yes, this summer, Antonio Carluccio is once again offering to turn your alfresco dining experience from a sad heap of wilting cucumber into a rather tasty journey around the cuisine of his homeland. The Carluccio picnic hamper for two can come as a vegetarian option, too, and promises you a classic Italian four-course experience to share wherever you feel like it. It’s best outdoors, of course, but even if (god forbid!) it should rain, you can still snuggle up indoors and enjoy a taste of Amalfi sunshine, with antipasti, salads, savoury tarts, dessert and even a special-edition Carluccio’s chocolate bar to finish. Sophisticated stuff, then, but what about the kids? Naturally Antonio has that covered, with a mini picnic just for them, including a mini vegetarian pizzette and a chocolate sponge bear. All you have to do is order it 24 hours in advance to give them a chance to get it together - which only seems fair - or instead take pot luck with the ‘chef’s choice’ that’s available each day for the more impatient (or disorganised). So there’s no excuse for wilted cucumber any more, is there? Check your picnic options on the website, and order online or by calling either the Quakers Friars or Cribbs Causeway branch of Carluccio’s. CARLUCCIO’S TEL: 0117 933 8538 (QUAKERS FRIARS), 0117 950 8760 (CRIBBS CAUSEWAY). WEB: WWW.CARLUCCIOS.COM
NEW OPENING
HERE FOR THE BIERES ➻ Apparently some Clifton Kitchen regulars have been a bit miffed by the recent revamp that saw the Princess Victoria Street restaurant re-emerge as Bistro Biere, with a subtle contemporary paint job and abstract expressionist art replacing the jovial left bank-style murals. Perhaps they were trying to preserve something for former tenant Keith Floyd, whose nearmythical bistro started on the same spot 45 years ago. Happily, however, most have embraced the change, with the ‘bistro luxe’ evening menu bringing in lots of new customers. Owner Richard Marques-Jones’ idea was to stick to classic French bistro principles and change the menu every couple of days, but such has been the popularity of some dishes that public demand has
meant a rollover. One particular favourite is scallops with saffron nage (heavily reduced and spiced fish stock). “People keep coming back for it,’ says Marques-Jones, “so we daren’t take it off the menu!” The name flags up an evergrowing selection of classy beers from the new wave of American craft brewers (like dessert-favouring Brooklyn Chocolate Stout) or the more ancient Belgian Trappist beers, including the potentially head-mangling Kwak (8.4%). With evening meals already an established success, they’ll be opening for lunches in the very near future. BISTRO BIERE PRINCESS VICTORIA ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 946 7870, WWW.BISTROBIERE.CO.UK
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EATINGOUTWEST
DAIRY NEWS
FRUITY! SUMMER OFFERS
TOP TEN
➻ It’s been 10 years since the Spyglass opened on Bristol’s dockside. On the one hand, it seems like only yesterday; on the other, you can’t imagine a time when the popular floating BBQ diner wasn’t there. But, yes, we’ve had 10 summers announced by the return of the mouthwatering smoke from Spyglass’s grill and the clink of sangria jugs in the evening sunlight. And those jovial Spyglass people have given the old place a bit of a facelift, with a new bar and an open ‘forge’ fireplace, plus some tempting offers to help us all celebrate the completion of their first decade. One such deal, ‘Ten for Ten Pounds’, is a choice of 10 different wines for a mere tenner a bottle. And we’re not talking Boozebusters
plonk - these are interesting grape varieties such as Portuguese espiga tinto, Argentine malbec or French vermentino, and there’s even a manzanilla aperitif (37.5cl) and a moscato d’asti dessert wine (50cl) going for a tenner, too. They’ve also stuck with the £10 theme for a lunchtime offer, with lunchtime diners (MonFri 12noon-4pm) having the offer of a choice of main courses plus a tumbler of wine, glass of sangria or ginger beer, all for a tenner. They’re trying so hard that it’s a shame to have to tell them that we all love the Spyglass anyway… but here’s a tenner to be going on with.
SPYGLASS WELSH BACK, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 927 7050, WWW.SPYGLASSBRISTOL.CO.UK
➻ Not content with scooping
the Best New Dairy Product prize at this year’s Royal Bath and West Show for their Top Notch Zingy Lemon & Lime yoghurt, local all-organic dairy producers Yeo Valley have added a new flavour to their well-established fruit yoghurt range. Bringing the flavours of the autumn countryside, the new Yeoganic Damson & Plum yoghurt will be released as a limited edition, reflecting the increasing rarity of damsons as a hedgerow fruit across the country. Like the satisfyingly tart fruit itself, the yoghurt will reward those who manage to hunt it out with a distinctive taste experience.
FFI WWW.YEOVALLEY.CO.UK
COOKERY COURSES
BACK TO BASICS ➻ The Devilled Egg Kitchen Academy is out to challenge those who think cookery courses are only for pretentious people who want to learn the secrets of Umbrian charcuterie or perfect their mille-feuille. They can, of course, do all that fancy stuff, but they’re also keen to help everybody get the confidence to learn basic skills and start making good food for themselves. Throughout July they’re offering four classes for the price of three on a range of options that include a four-week ‘Basics in the Kitchen’ and a bloke-friendly ‘No Women or
Salads Allowed’ session teaching men to rustle up homemade burgers, curry and a classic toad-in-the-hole. The more ambitious can opt for a timely ‘Gourmet Picnic’ workshop, preparing posh nosh for alfresco eating in the school’s garden. Check the website for the full range of courses, plus news of their brand new kitchen due to open in early July. DEVILLED EGG KITCHEN ACADEMY DOWNFIELD RD, BRISTOL, BS8. FFI: 0117 973 2823, WWW.THEDEVILLEDEGG.COM
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EATINGOUTWEST FEATURE
KIDS IN THE
KITCHEN
Picky? Not a problem. Melissa Blease gets the kids cooking and solves parents’ five-a-day traumas in one fell swoop
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T
he long summer holiday is almost upon us, bringing with it a host of foodrelated tantrums from young fussy eaters. But the summer-holiday kitchen doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Prepare to change the face of your family-friendly menus for good…
FIONA FAULKNER: FUSSY EATING GURU Somerset-based kitchen goddess Fiona Faulkner is the author of 25 Foods Kids Hate… And How to Get Them Eating 24. She’s also head honcho of her own company, Toddler Chef (www. toddlerchef.com), and was recently invited to input into luxury travel company Scott Dunn’s new Explorers children’s menu (www.scottdunn. com/explorers). Here, Fiona tells us all about her journey to becoming the acclaimed ‘Fussy Eating Guru’ that she is today. “To put it succinctly,” she says, “I’m keen to explain to parents how and why children and young people eat differently to adults. It’s a fact, for example, that little people don’t always like vegetables, because their taste receptors are yet to develop. But remember, they look to us for
examples of how to respond to various flavours - sitting down with them and taking time to talk about our tastes means that we’re all actively enjoying food together. I also firmly believe in getting creative with food - blending peas into dips, or olives into savoury muffins, or sweet potatoes into pancakes, for example. But some days, all you need is a great set of recipes that you know you can always rely on - I created my own, but I’m very willing to share! “In 2005, I was in at the deep end of parenting, with three children under the age of two - one of whom, Finn, had started to become a very fussy eater. In desperation, I started to get creative in the kitchen, devising recipes to entice Finn to eat his greens (and reds, and oranges…), and seeing as roasted root vegetables are kind of sweet, I developed a butternut & banana smoothie, which the kids loved. As my recipes rolled along, my friends were flabbergasted at the change in Finn and asked how I’d done it - I’d unwittingly become a fussy eating guru! Within a few months I’d set up Toddler Chef, based around my own experiences, recipes and techniques. Word spread and eventually I was approached by an agent keen to see my work published. And in 2011, my fourth ‘baby’ was born - via a publishing house in London!” ➻
POPEYE’S PESTO ➻ A taste of Italy - with added sneaky greens! - that’s ready to serve in the time it takes to cook up the pasta.
INGREDIENTS
(SERVES 4) 150g fresh spinach leaves 20g fresh basil leaves 75g grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp lime juice 5 tbsp (or more) good-quality olive oil approx 250g dried pasta to serve
TO MAKE
Get the pasta cooking according to the instructions on the packet. Meanwhile, blend all the other ingredients together in a food processor before stirring through the cooked pasta - and that’s it!
RECIPE TAKEN FROM
25 Foods Kids Hate... and How to Get Them Eating 24 by Fiona Faulkner, also featured in the new Scott Dunn Explorers children’s menu (www.scottdunn.com/ explorers).
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Call us on Tel 01225 330555 for a quote. enquiries@eat5star.com www.eat5star.com Corporate Catering Wedding Catering Private Event Catering 42 FOLIO/JULY 2012
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Opening page (clockwise from top left): Elsie eating orange spaghetti; Finn and avocado ice cream; Mediterranean muffins; butternut smoothie; sweet potato pancakes; Christmas cookies made during Kids’ Cooking Classes at Komedia; courgette and lime sorbet. All images, except Christmas cookies image, taken from 25 Foods Kids Hate... and How to Get Them Eating 24 by Fiona Faulkner This page (left to right): creating mini masterpieces at Bertinet Kitchen; Spanish chicken and chickpea recipe made during Baby Bites toddler classes but also suitable for babies; Young Chefs Workshop at Demuths
FIONA’S TOP FIVE TIPS FOR PICKY EATERS The more we s-l-o-w down and involve kids in the kitchen, the more likely they are to want to eat what’s been made - so, nice’n’easy does it! Never underestimate the power of a cookie cutter when making sandwiches! Little people love interesting little shapes. For fillings, try combining blueberries and cream cheese, or grated carrot, cheese and hummus - an easy, tasty way to move them towards their five-a-day. Don’t use sweet treats as ‘bribes’ - it gives savoury food and vegetables a bad reputation. Instead, try referring to desserts as ‘the next course, for those who are still hungry’. Remember that small tummies only need small portions. I’d rather my kids enjoyed a spoonful of peas than endured a whole plateful. Think about creating a food blog with your child - it’s a creative way to give them a sense of responsibility when trying new foods. FFI WWW.FIONAFAULKNER.CO.UK
LITTLE CHEFS BRISTOL BABY BITES Ffi: 0117 951 2000, www.babybites.co.uk Aimed at demystifying the weaning and feeding process, Bristol-based Cordon Bleutrained chef (and mum to lovely Oscar) Louise Barnard shares her skills, tips and knowledge at a range of interactive, highly informative workshops designed to give parents the confidence to cook adventurous, healthy food for babies from weaning to 12 months-plus. Louise’s seasonal, organic dishes are full of flavours that the whole family can enjoy, but without all the salt, sugar and other ‘nasties’ that convenience
PIC CREDIT: EAT PICTURES
EATINGOUTWEST
food brings to the table. You’ll leave with around a week’s worth of dishes to enjoy straight away or freeze for later use, resulting in the healthiest, freshest ‘ready meals’ for miles around. To complement Louise’s workshops, she can tailor private events, demonstrations, courses, cookery parties and group bookings to your specific requirements. GOOD COOK SCHOOL Ffi: 0117 983 2521, www.thegoodcookschool.co.uk A relaxed, informal foodie academy on a mission to encourage children to enjoy making and eating new food through the excitement of preparing it for themselves. A myriad of courses covers the whole gamut of food-related fun, from sourcing and tasting ingredients to preparing, cooking and presenting scrumptious grub. Alongside the courses, a range of activities including bespoke workshops, children’s parties and sessions for schools completes the tasteful timetable.
BATH BERTINET KITCHEN 12 St Andrew’s Terrace, Bath. Ffi: 01225 445531, www.thebertinetkitchen.com He may be an award-winning doughboy, but Richard Bertinet isn’t above sharing his acclaimed skills with youngsters keen to follow in his footsteps. Book now (places sell out fast) and take your 8-15-year-olds along to his Kitchen on either Wed 22 or Thur 23 Aug, when a selection of masterclasses focus on Chocolate, Italian, Gastro and/or Macaroons. KIDS SUMMER COOKING CLUB AT KOMEDIA 22-23 Westgate St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 489070, www.komedia.co.uk/bath Following on from the huge success of their
Jubilee Kids Cooking School in June, Komedia Bath have decided to make these popular events a regular feature at the epicentre of this lively pleasuredome that also features an award-winning Canteen (proud recipient of the illustrious Soil Association Food for Life Gold Standard award). Kids’ Cooking Classes take place from 10.30am-1pm every Tue and Thur from Tue 24 July-Thur 30 Aug, and cost just £10 per child. Each young chef is guided through a selection of imaginative recipes such as Alien Tartlets and Space Ship Pizzas, while fun, food-related quizzes such as Guess the Taste, a homemade organic lemonade masterclass and a craft table for decorating purposes guarantee that attention levels are maintained throughout the whole session. Mums and dads, meanwhile, are invited to chill out in the Komedia Canteen while the little ones cook up a storm, while still remaining easily accessible for assistance purposes, should they be required. VEGETARIAN COOKERY SCHOOL 6 Terrace Walk, Bath. Ffi: 01225 427938, www.vegetariancookeryschool.com Rachel Demuth (hob goddess at the helm of the long-established veggie/ vegan haven demuths) regularly shares her skills with eager groups of followers though instructive, interactive workshops that focus on unpretentious and uncomplicated veggie food at her dedicated Vegetarian Cookery School. Rachel firmly believes that it’s never too early to start learning how to love food, so treat your budding young chefs (aged 11-16 years) to a very special workshop taking place at the VGS on Tue 24 July. This interactive four-hour session (£45pp) aims to build confidence and ability in the kitchen and encourage and inspire participants to cook for themselves and all the family. Everybody will eat what they make throughout the day (expect bread, stews, curries or tagines, pastas, muffins and more), and take the leftovers home to share. Goodness? You’ve got it! FOLIO/JULY 2012 43
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Sunday Lunch 12-4pm ÂŁ10.95 - 2 courses ÂŁ14.95 - 3 courses Half price for children under 12 years old includes 6 hours FREE Parking to allow you to shop at Cabot or Broadmead Shopping Centres before or after your lunch This offer is subject to change and can be withdrawn at anytime
Holiday Inn Bristol City Centre Bond Street, Bristol BS1 3LE United Kingdom T: +44 (0) 117 924 5000 E: f&b@hibristolcity.co.uk 44 FOLIO/JULY 2012
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EATINGOUTWEST
EAT THE
SEASONS
July is a bumper month for local crops, says Tony Benjamin. Take the time to find out where your next blueberry is coming from
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e know we should do it local, seasonal eating - what with saving the planet, doing our bit for the deficit, helping the farmers and such. No doubt such worthiness is more than enough for nice people, but for those of us who might need a little more motivating, there’s one really important factor missing from that list: the closer to the moment of picking that something gets eaten, the better it tastes. Try it out with soonto-be plentiful raspberries: make sure the first one you eat this year is locally grown (and ideally, though not essentially, organic) and pop it in your mouth as you’re leaving the shop where you buy it. Be prepared for a flood of nostalgic pleasure as the true taste of summers past tickles your grateful taste-buds. And if sticking to what’s in season can sometimes seem like a restricting way to plan your eating, then July is payback time. After the sluggish spring, and early summer’s more evenly paced arrivals, July is the month where the pedal hits the metal, and even the most avid eater is suddenly hard pushed to keep up. Overnight, it seems, the seas are awash with mackerel and sardines, just in time for them to get slathered in mustard or chilli paste and slapped on the barbie next to the new season’s lamb chops. Fancy a starter of dressed crab or lushly buttered globe artichoke? Well now’s the time, while you can keep the salad bowl brimming with curly lettuce, rocket, cucumber, watercress and fennel, and when, in terms of fruit, we’re
We’re a whisker away from the demise of the British cherry, so make sure you buy more and buy local!
suddenly dazzled by colour. In fact if, in order to rhyme with ‘holly’, Christmas is the season to be jolly, then July’s inundation of all shades of berry must make it the month to be merry. And why not? Who wouldn’t enjoy a blueberry muffin or cheesecake made with freshly picked blueberries, or a homemade bakewell tart with a rich raspberry layer? Seek
out the last of the strawberries and redcurrants and catch the first of the blackberries, and you’ll have the best possible ingredients for a classic English summer pudding, surely one of the finest things ever to have been invented to make use of stale bread. Right now, all this delicious abundance should come with a British postcode, so the trick
“Make sure the first raspberry you eat is locally grown and pop it in your mouth as you’re leaving the shop. Be prepared for a flood of nostalgia as the taste of summers past tickles your taste-buds.”
is to be vigilant, especially in the supermarket, and take the time to find out where your next blueberry is coming from. Ideally, give the multiples a miss altogether, and pop into your friendly local greengrocer where you could find things grown as locally as Somerset and Gloucestershire. If you still want to be worthy, then the word is cherries and the date is 18 July. Fifty years ago this country was more than self-sufficient in cherries, with the springtime fields of Kent an annual riot of pink blossom. But 90 per cent of those orchards have now gone, and in 2011 only five per cent of the cherries we bought were homegrown. In short, we’re a whisker away from the demise of the British cherry, a prospect that’s given rise to Cherry Aid - a campaign that sounds like a none-too-pleasant fizzy drink but is in fact simply trying to get us all to buy more British cherries, thus encouraging farmers to plant more trees and reverse the trend. The main event will be National Cherry Day on Wed 18 July, with a countrywide wave of cherry-related fun to be had (check their website for details), but you can also do your bit in the simplest way possible: find British cherries, buy British cherries and eat British cherries. You’ll get all that lovely summer sweetness, with just a little hint of smugness into the bargain. If only all eco-battling tasted so good!
CONTACTS CHERRY AID WWW.FOODLOVERSBRITAIN.COM/ ABOUTUS/10 HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR SEASONAL RECIPES… WWW.BBC.CO.UK/FOOD/SEASONS WWW.EATSEASONABLY.CO.UK WWW.EATTHESEASONS.CO.UK
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
THE BRIDGE CAFE
Avon Gorge views, a jazz soundtrack and AA-rosette English flavours… this is the quintessential Bristol experience, reckons Tony Benjamin
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bout halfway through our meal at the Bridge, an idea struck The Lovely She. “I think I’ll bring the London posse here,” she said, meaning a party of visiting Australians making their first foray into BS postcode land. I could see where she was coming from - if you want to ensure a ‘feelgood’ experience of Bristolian charm, then this has to be a good destination. With its subtle soundtrack of good modern jazz, our windowside table offered a splendidly immediate view of Mr Brunel’s gorge-spanning handiwork against Leigh Woods’ dark foliage and a pink-tinged evening sky. The thoroughly English spread we were eating was having an equally agreeably comfortable effect on the inner man/woman. They’re now in their third year of AA-rosette status, and there’s no doubting the quality standards at the Bridge Cafe, the restaurant based inside the Avon Gorge Hotel. The arrival of new head chef Rowan Babe a year ago meant a change in direction, however, and the Union Jack was firmly nailed to the mast with his well-chosen selection of English flavours. Actually, it’s fairer to call them British: Glamorgan sausage and leek & caerphilly cheese tart bring a decided Welshness, and there’s even scotch egg among the starters. TLS goes for that cheese tart starter, a generous slice rich in well-balanced flavours on a firm shortcrust base, with a pea-shoot salad that pleases her even more. I picked Bath chaps and was initially surprised by what arrived - thin circular slices that had been crisply fried on both sides. The result was a mouthburst of soft-centred porkiness that redefined the chaps (but in a good way) and also went down perfectly with the unusual rosé malbec that we’d spotted on the wine list. There was another surprise awaiting with the main courses -
“I was initially surprised by my Bath chaps: thin circular slices crisply fried on both sides. The result was a mouthburst of soft-centred porkiness that redefined the chaps – but in a good way” though not for me, as my sea bream was a predictably good-looking fish bejewelled with capers and shining with butter. Her plate, however, had a generous cube of slow-roasted belly pork perfectly topped with curling crackling, but perched on murkycoloured mashed potato. Wasn’t this supposed to be bubble & squeak, and wasn’t there going to be black pudding? It was an ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’ moment - the menu actually offered ‘black pudding bubble & squeak’ (with no comma). The pudding had been crumbled into the mash, while the shredded cabbage was actually sitting under the meat. Once that was established, all was, according to She, very well indeed, with the ‘bubble’ having a haggis-y pepperiness that again added something to a well-known classic. That bream, meanwhile, proved as succulent as it looked. Puddings offered an English option in bakewell tart, and
although the use of strawberry rather than raspberry slightly scandalised She, I have to report that it was deliciously free of the cloying sweetness that has been imposed on it by Mr Kipling and his ilk. She was soon mollified, anyway, when her honeycomb ice-cream was followed by a pot of mint tea made from real mint, an attentive touch that confirmed the excellent service we’d received all evening from our various waiters. When it came to the reckoning, factoring in a couple of glasses of wine each and side-dishes with the main courses, it panned out at £80, a pretty reasonable sum for such well-prepared stuff and, to be fair,
we’d gone for the full monty - their three-course Sunday lunch goes for £19 and comes with exactly the same view, albeit in daylight. I suspect the London posse will get to see it very soon, and they’ll definitely find that a visit to Bristol can leave a very pleasant taste in the mouth.
CONTACT
THE BRIDGE CAFE AVON GORGE HOTEL, SION HILL, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 8955, WWW.THEAVONGORGE.COM THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
Excellent local flavours and a splendid sense of place make for a top Bristolian experience
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
THE OAKHILL INN
Melissa Blease pays a long-overdue visit to this traditional inn run by the duo behind Bath’s Garrick’s Head and the King William
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haven’t visited the Garrick’s Head (the classy but classless, friendly hostelry next to Bath’s Theatre Royal) for more than three days, the bar staff start considering sending out a search party. If I don’t eat at the King William (a second Charlie and Amanda Digney venture on London Road, highly acclaimed for top-notch grub) at least four times a year, my taste-buds get all huffy about what they’re missing. And yet, until this review, I hadn’t managed to make the gentle pastoral pootle to Oakhill (on the Fosse Road between Radstock and Shepton Mallet) to check out Charlie’s other child, the Oakhill Inn, a glorious pub-withrooms (and lovely garden), home to head chef Neil Creese, who proudly flaunts an AA rosette for his efforts, alongside all manner of related acclaim. So, satnav set (ie, me with a dogeared map on my lap), we headed south of Bath... and 25 minutes later I was home from home - take the Garrick’s Head/King Williamstyle flourishes (reclaimed/vintage furniture and fittings; Farrow & Ball paintwork; chunky, funky cosiness) and set them down in Brit-trad A-road inn surroundings (flourishing foliage; low ceilings; ancient fireplaces), and prepare for easygoing familiarity to breed the polar opposite of contempt. Although the bar area looked very inviting (especially the bit with the squishy sofas), we took to a table in the dining room, a spacious affair offering a glimpse of the kitchen through a charming little hatch, and featuring French windows that lead directly into the garden (which unfortunately was off limits due to - yup, you guessed it - rain). It being an, er, autumnal summer, I opted for soup to start: a sweet, earthy, golden - yes, golden! - beetroot incarnation (£5.50) wrought from the skittish candy-striped variety and its very good friend the carrot, served with a slab of Neil’s perfect homemade bread. Dearest, meanwhile, couldn’t resist the allure of a warm salad of
“My grilled rump was accompanied by creamy dauphinoise potatoes and a vibrant green sauce: a depth charge of pure lamby flavour, sweet and grassy but richly textured in a totally grown-up way” deeply flavoursome slow-roast pig’s cheek and salty bacon topped with a perfectly poached egg (£6.95) - a choice for which he was richly, satisfyingly rewarded. For mains, I took a skip down lamb lane, choosing grilled rump accompanied by creamy dauphinoise potatoes and a vibrant green sauce (£14.95). In the nicest possible way, this dish comes with a gentle warning: rump of lamb isn’t, in my opinion, an easy cut to deal with, with many chefs opting
for the reliable roasting option; take it to the grill, and the muscular element of this carnivorous treat won’t necessarily melt into a totally tender state. So yes, we’re talking chewy. But we’re also celebrating a depth charge of pure lamby flavour: sweet and grassy, but richly textured in a totally grown-up way - just do it, kids! Dearest’s carnivorous treat, meanwhile, offered far less of a challenge: a huge, well-hung ribeye steak that melted on the tongue,
served with the celebrated triplecooked chips that I’m so familiar with from my many Garrick’s forays, pepper sauce, a cheeky extra portion of sautéed wild mushrooms (which I couldn’t get enough of) and a huge salad (£17.95). A bottle of soft, juicy Tempranillo Albizu (£14) rose admirably to the task of complementing all the big, bold flavours in which we indulged ourselves with style and grace, and service was as fresh, friendly and confident as service gets. To finish, a strawberry & pistachio tart in a rich, short, crumbly pastry case, served with the creamiest, vanilla-infused ice-cream I’ve encountered in many a long year, and a deeply dark hot chocolate pot, crisp on the outside, wickedly unctuous within (both £5.95) buoyed us up for the journey home - although it has to be said, if Charlie D invited me to move in to the Oakhill, I wouldn’t say no.
CONTACT
THE OAKHILL INN FOSSE RD, OAKHILL, SOMERSET, BA3. FFI: 01749 840442, WWW.THEOAKHILLINN.COM THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
All-round contemporary pastoral perfection – highly recommended
48 FOLIO/JULY 2012
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
GARDEN CAFE AT THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM
Let them eat cake at this chic, contemporary Bath cafe
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TABLE TALK
hen innovative architect Eric Parry first unveiled his
MARKET FORCES
controversial plans for the historic Holburne Museum’s extension (completed last year), his vision caused quite a stir among Bath’s chattering classes. ‘No!’ barked the naysayers, outraged by Perry’s outright rejection of Heritage City ‘tradition’ (Bath stone, Georgian stylings - you know the script). ‘Bring. It. On!’ purred the supporters of the project, in breathless anticipation of a brand new dawn for a venerable Bath institution. But - oddly enough, for Bath - the forward-thinkers won the battle. And so it came to pass that the Food editor and I took to a table in a garden that offers a characterful juxtaposition twixt tradition and brave new
➻ When you think about it - and
“A gluten-free orange and almond ensemble seethed with fresh citrus flavour and a honey and oat loaf offered a standalone lunch experience in its own right” world, incorporating easy access to Sydney Gardens, the oldest (and, in my opinion, prettiest) park in Bath. That extension itself - dark and slightly foreboding, especially on cloudy days - may not be to everybody’s taste. But the cafe that dominates the ground floor is chic, airy and spacious, offering menus that pretty much adhere to the kind of modern food/art theme that culture vultures have come to expect from arty watering holes. Substantial seasonal salads, a dish of the day (usually a quiche), fresh homemade soup, well-dressed sandwiches and wholesome cakes offer easygoing sustenance from breakfast to early evening,
Joy Carey, author of last year’s Who Feeds Bristol? report
supplemented by a lively wine list and a range of fashionable thirst-quenchers of the Fentimans/Belvoir persuasion. As Mr Editor Sir was half an hour late for our date, I decided that I deserved the quiche/ two-salad combo of the day (£10.50), leaving him to plunder the sandwich stack, from which he chose a goat’s cheese, roasted red pepper & olive tapenade combo wedged between two slabs of fresh focaccia (£5.95), adding a further £6 to the bill by opting for his own doublesalad selection. My fresh, moist, flavoursome quiche was scrumptious and his focaccia a rollickingly good example of
the genre, leaving us with only slight niggles about too much spinach in one of the salads and not enough sugarsnap peas in another - such are the stresses that today’s modern arties have to cope with. Did we have cake? Of course we did! A gluten-free orange & almond ensemble (£3.80) that seethed with fresh citrus flavour and a honey & oat loaf (£2.50) that was substantial enough to offer a standalone lunch experience in its own right - as does this chic contemporary cafe with a great little museum attached. (Melissa Blease)
CONTACT GARDEN CAFE AT THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM GREAT PULTENEY ST, BATH, BA2. FFI: 01225 388569, WWW.HOLBURNE.ORG
THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
A lively update on the traditional ‘typically Bath’ experience
we hardly ever do - it’s a minor miracle that everyday crisp lettuces or fresh asparagus appear in your friendly independent neighbourhood greengrocer’s. Big supermarkets distribute their fruit and veg themselves, as 10 minutes on a motorway soon shows, but local independents rely on a few direct deliveries and a daily predawn trip to market. Happily there’s the Bristol Wholesale Fruit Centre (which also sells veg and flowers), one of only 26 remaining UK markets. The next nearest was Cardiff, now closed, and then it’s Birmingham or London - neither an easy option for Bath or Bristol, let alone Exeter or Truro. Writing last year’s Who Feeds Bristol? report made food activist Joy Carey (pictured) realise how crucial the market is. “It provides somewhere for producers who don’t sell to supermarkets to get easy access to independent shops. Otherwise they’d have to employ people to drive the extra hundred miles each way, with all the extra costs. It’s difficult for us to make those connections easily, but if we want an independent local supply of fresh produce, we must support the shops so that they, in turn, support the market.” Impressively unsubsidised, the Bristol market is itself independently run by a small collective of wholesale companies, but the departure of three businesses in recent years has left the others covering increased costs. Obviously they need an increased turnover to make it worth their while or, like Cardiff, it could just close, taking many grocery shops with it. As Bristol celebrates Independents Day on Wed 4 July, let’s all take our own oath of allegiance - to Local Greengrocers. (Tony Benjamin, Food & Drink editor) FOLIO/JULY 2011 49
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
THE SPOT
Tony Benjamin is pleasantly surprised by the great service and good euro flavours at this hotel restaurant
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10 OF THE BEST
ook for The Spot on the interweb and you’ll have a hard job finding it thanks to Holiday Inn’s top-down website structure. It’s a shame, because they’ve gone some way to establishing the restaurant as a ‘proper’ eating-out experience rather than a hotel dining room, with all the reservations (hah!) that might evince. It’s only been a year since Holiday Inn took over part of the Stokes Croft-straddling former Avon Council HQ. The Spot is up on the second floor, a large contemporary-styled room with a bar at one end, open kitchen area down the side and various seating arrangements. It’s big on TV - massively so in the bar, with screens running all the way round the room. This meant we could half-watch Ireland getting knocked out of the Euros but, less appetisingly, fail to avoid George Osborne and Mervyn King. More
DELIS
➻ A good picnic hamper needs some
“My rack of lamb atop minty petits pois and jus was delicious, needing only new potatoes to complement it. Pal J raved about his parmesan-garnished chicken supreme” engaging was the view outside the big window as Bristol’s city bustle went about its business. The food proved a good distraction from all this, happily, with Pal J tucking into his warm duck breast salad with relish or, rather, with sherry vinaigrette and pomegranate - a punchy flavouring that offset the meat’s gaminess. My bowl of mussels in cream & mustard sauce was similarly big-tasting and demanded loads of bread, which our friendly waitress quickly brought so that mopping-up could ensue. Main courses arrived in style, steel lids whipped away by white-
gloved hands to reveal artfully arranged meals within. My rack of lamb was cut in two to show the pinkness I’d asked for atop minty petits pois and jus - a delicious combination that only needed new potatoes to complement it. Pal J was sticking with his feathered friends and raved about the way his parmesan-garnished chicken supreme fell easily onto his fork and into his mouth. He reckoned his choice of cajun potatoes had been spot on, too, and the surprisingly muscular chablis we’d ordered kept our palates refreshed throughout. With the wine finished, I hoped the citric burst of lemon
& lime posset would keep up the good work, and though it was sweeter than I prefer, it was far from cloying, and Pal J had no complaints about his banoffee pie. So congratulations to the kitchen, and a big hand for the ready helpfulness of the waiting staff - both made us feel that we were spending our £80 in a proper restaurant. Restricting the TVs to the bar in the evening and setting up a decent website would definitely help to consolidate that feeling. (Tony Benjamin)
CONTACT
THE SPOT HOLIDAY INN, BOND ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 924 5000, WWW. HOLIDAYINN.COM THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
Good contemporary euro-eating - just needs a bit more freedom from its corporate clutches
tasty cheese, top-notch olives and that lush Neapolitan salami. Who you gonna call? ARCH HOUSE DELI Boyces Ave, Clifton Village, Bristol (www.archhousedeli.co.uk) • Awarded UK deli of the year in the 2011 Great Taste Awards for friendly, helpful service and great selection of produce. BEST OF BRITISH Bond St, Bath (www. bestofbritishdeli.co.uk) • As organic and locally sourced as it’s possible to be, offering a wide range of hampers for a classy picnic. BORDEAUX QUAY V-Shed, Bristol (www. bordeaux-quay.co.uk) • Famed for their in-house artisan bakery, and their deli sandwiches are always a cut above the average. CHANDOS DELI Bristol & Bath (www. chandosdeli.co.uk) • With seven shops across the two cities, you’re never far from this local mini-chain with their excellent range of top cheeses and charcuterie. DA VINCI Wellsway, Bath (www. davincideliandpizza.co.uk) • Very popular deli at the heart of its community, thanks to Vincenzo’s enthusiastic commitment to the finest tastes of Italy. GUILDHALL DELICATESSEN Guildhall Market, Bath (www.bathguildhallmarket.co.uk) • Right in the heart of the market’s bustle, the gleaming glass counter holds plenty of treats, with handmade pies a popular favourite. LICATA Picton St, Bristol (www.licata.co.uk) • For over 50 years, this family-run shop have been providing discerning foodies with delicious flavours from their Italian homeland. OLIVE SHED SHOP Gloucester Rd, Bristol (www.theoliveshed.com) • With an especially good line in olives and other wholesome goodies, this is a Gloucester Rd must-visit. ROSCOFF Northumberland Place, Bath (www.roscoff.co.uk) • As well as the cold stuff, Rosario Bavetta cooks his Sicilian grandmother’s lasagne recipe so you can take it away if you want. SOUTHVILLE DELI North St, Bristol (www. southvilledeli.com) • They help you wash down your pick of organic goodies with a good range of local beers and ciders and organic wines.
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EATINGOUTWEST
(News)
WHAT'S COOKING
Our monthly round-up of news from the foodie world
SUPER MARKETS
➻ Forget those trolleys and
barcodes and check out one of the West’s vibrant markets to catch the local harvest at its freshest…
ASHTON COURT FARMERS’ MARKET
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he ever-enterprising Windmill Hill City Farm have taken another giant leap by launching Bristol Farm Shop, an impressively stocked combination of shop and online food delivery service (free in Bristol for orders over £5). As well as locally sourced produce including butchery, deli delights and a full range of Mark’s bread, there are some 18 real beers, among other drinks, and a choice of ‘freshboxes’ including nine sustainable fish combinations (www.bristolfarmshop.com). Bath, meanwhile, has seen the Milsom Place launch of the first Deli@Jamie’s Italian, Mr Oliver’s new departure combining a shop selling everything from charcuterie and cheese to ‘bits and bobs’ for the kitchen with an informal eatery offering breakfast and lunch (www.jamieoliver.com). Things will get properly informal down at Bath’s Green Park Station on July 6 when Bristol’s StrEat collective arrive for the first of many invasions by the local mobile mafia who prove that a kerbside truck can deliver genuinely delicious food (www.streatfoodcollective.com). Look out especially for Cupp Tea Bar (pictured), a converted Citroen van where Lee Peacock and Amy Miles make Taiwanese ‘Bubble Tea’ from tea, milk, fruit and… tapioca. Already an established favourite in the USA and Australia, it should be a hit on this summer’s festival circuit (www.cuppteabar.co.uk). One group of lucky Bristol workers could
hit the festival circuit without even leaving the office thanks to a competition launched by BrisFest in conjunction with Pieminister Pies and Bath Ales. The lucky winners will receive a pop-up Festival Friday package of pies, ales and a complete line-up of talented local acts, all delivered to your workplace on a Friday in July. Simply check the BrisFest website, put in a bid before Fri 6 July and cross your fingers (www.brisfest.co.uk/festivalfriday).
Courtyard of Ashton Court mansion house, Bristol, 10.30am–2.30pm. Every Sat BATH FARMERS’ MARKET Green Park Station, Bath, from 8.30am. Ffi: www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk. Every Sat HARBOURSIDE MARKET No.1 Harbourside, Canons Rd, Bristol, 11am4pm. Ffi: www.no1harbourside.co.uk. 1st Sat of month LONG ASHTON VILLAGE MARKET Long Ashton Community Centre, Keedwell Hill, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41, 9.30am-1pm. Ffi: www.longashtonvillagemarket.co.uk. 1st & 3rd Sat of month WHITELADIES ROAD FARMERS’ & FAIR TRADING MARKET Outside auction rooms on corner of Whiteladies Rd & Apsley Rd, Clifton, Bristol, 8.30am2pm. Ffi: www.sustainableredland.org.uk. 2nd Sat of month WESTON-SUPER-MARE FARMERS’ MARKET High St, Weston-superMare, 9am-12.30pm. 2nd Sat of month KEYNSHAM FARMERS’ MARKET High St (next to Clock Tower), Keynsham, Bristol, BS31, 9am-1pm. Ffi: www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk. 4th Sat of month WESTBURY-ON-TRYM MARKET Medical Centre car park, Westbury Hill, Bristol, BS9, 9am–1pm Every Sun TOBACCO FACTORY MARKET Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol, BS3, 10.30am-2.30pm. Ffi: www.tobaccofactory.com. 1st Sun of month SLOW FOOD MARKET Corn St, Bristol, 10am-3pm. Ffi: www.slowfoodbristol.org. Every Wed & Fri BRISTOL FARMERS’ MARKET Corn St, Bristol, 9.30am–2.30pm 3rd Sun of month.
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EATINGOUTWEST (Recipe)
“I’m a firm advocate of every chef having a solid grounding in all the traditional skills, but also believe you need a good understanding of newer techniques.”
RESTAURANT PROFILE
SECOND FLOOR RESTAURANT ADDRESS: HARVEY NICHOLS, QUAKERS FRIARS, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL BS1 3BZ TEL: 0117 916 8898 EMAIL: RECEPTION.BRISTOL@HARVEYNICHOLS.COM WEB: WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS.COM
A
winning combination of modern British cooking and the finest ingredients has earned the Second Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols an enviable reputation as one of the region’s finest places to dine. Decorated in decadent gold, and with two AA rosettes to its name, the restaurant’s ultra-chic setting and impressive menu have won a legion of fans, from national food critics to the city’s trend-setters. On the top floor of the luxury department store, with commanding views across Quakers Friars, it offers all-day dining with dishes created by award-winning head chef Louise McCrimmon, who’s been at the helm since the store opened in 2008. Louise’s aim, since day one, has been to offer constantly updated dishes that cater to changes in season, incorporate new techniques and satisfy evolving tastes. “Bristol’s reputation as
a great place to dine has strengthened over recent years,” she says. “I was thrilled when I arrived here to find somewhere with such a vibrant food scene, and it’s great to now be an established part of that.” It’s the perfect place to take a break from your shopping – start the day with a delicious Full English or toast your retail therapy with that most British of pastimes, afternoon tea. Lunch and dinner offer tempting threecourse menus as well as a la carte dining, all accompanied by an unrivalled wine list that’s recently been awarded an AA Notable Wine List award, recognising an outstanding contribution to promoting the understanding and appreciation of wine – it’s one of just 231 establishments to achieve the honour. Folio readers are offered a complimentary glass of prosecco with lunch or dinner until 30 July 2012 – just mention Folio when making your booking.
CHEF PROFILE
LOUISE MCCRIMMON ➻ “I knew I wanted to cook from a young age and have had my head buried in cookery books since I was a child. Food was my thing – reading about it, trying recipes and getting in the way in the kitchen! “I was lucky enough to train at Leiths School of Food and Wine where I learned the classic techniques that have become the backbone of what I do today. I joined Harvey Nichols at the Leeds store as chef de partie and worked through the ranks. When Harvey Nichols opened in Bristol, I was delighted to be given free reign of my own kitchen. I’ve shared my passions for seasonality and well-sourced local ingredients with an enthusiastic audience. “I’m a firm advocate of every chef having a solid grounding in all the traditional skills, but also believe you need a good understanding of newer techniques to bring exciting flavours and textures to your dishes. For example, we use sous-vide to great effect, especially with game, poultry and belly pork, which we currently cook for 48 hours to produce succulent, melt-inthe-mouth meat.”
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EATINGOUTWEST
ELDERFLOWER & RASPBERRY JELLY WITH ELDERFLOWER SORBET
P
erfect for a summer dinner party, this delicious dessert can be prepared in advance, with only a final stress-free flourish necessary before serving.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE ELDERFLOWER SORBET
◆ 225g caster sugar ◆ 600ml water ◆ 3-4 lemons ◆ 100ml elderflower cordial FOR THE ELDERFLOWER & RASPBERRY JELLY
◆ 150ml elderflower cordial ◆ 350ml water ◆ 5 leaves gelatine ◆ 125g raspberries
TO MAKE ELDERFLOWER SORBET Put the sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil slowly, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Boil for seven minutes. Add the zest and juice of the lemons and
the elderflower cordial; add more cordial to taste if required. Allow to cool, strain through a sieve, chill and churn in an icecream machine.
ELDERFLOWER & RASPBERRY JELLY Mix the cordial and water together. Cut up the gelatine and put it in a heatproof bowl. Cover with a splash of cordial and leave to soften. Place over a pan of simmering water and allow the gelatine to melt. Pour over the rest of the cordial, stir and pour through a sieve. Half fill your chosen mould with the jelly mix and add a couple of fresh raspberries. Put in the fridge to set. Leave the remaining jelly at room temperature. When the jelly in the fridge is set, pour over the rest of the mix, add some more raspberries and return the mould to the fridge until the entire jelly is set. To serve, dip quickly into hot water to release the jelly, turn out and serve with elderflower sorbet, fresh raspberries and some raspberry sauce.
RECOMMENDED INNOCENT BYSTANDER PINK MOSCATO ➻ This sparkling rosé is the perfect accompaniment to desserts, and will complement the elderflower & raspberry jelly beautifully, with the crisp, light finish enhancing the dish’s fresh flavours. This is a true moscato, made from 100% muscat grapes. Each bottle was made in the small batch winery in the Yarra Valley in Healesville, Victoria, Australia. Harvested in the cool of the night, the fruit is chilled and crushed to extract a hint of pink from the black muscat. The juice undergoes a stainless-steel ferment with aromatic yeast, before being cold filtered to trap in the natural bubbles. Nose: fairy floss, sherbet, pink grapefruit, musk humbugs, mandarin. Palate: rhubarb crumble, toffee apple, a persistent fizz with a brown pear and tamarillo skin finish. FFI AVAILABLE FROM THE WINE SHOP AT HARVEY NICHOLS, £7.50
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FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING
➻ LIFESTYLE
GORGEOUS UNDERWEAR, FASHION AWARDS, MAKE-UP TIPS AND MORE... NEW STORE
IN THE MOOD ➻ Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis has launched his 12th Boux
Avenue store. Bath’s SouthGate shopping centre is now playing host to the glamorous label - which promises to set lingerie lovers’ hearts racing with its sultry styles and flirtatious fabrics. Offering nightwear and swimwear, too, the lingerie label has been designed ‘with a woman’s mood in mind’. The Summer 12 range features an array of flirty fabrics, pretty prints, pastel hues and block brights, as well as everyday bra solutions. Modelled by face and body of the brand, professional dancer and TV personality, Ola Jordan, the collection is aimed at women looking for beautiful, quality lingerie at affordable prices. Boux Avenue pride themselves on attention to detail, superior customer service and inclusive size offerings, with options that range from 30A to 40H, and from eight to 20. In store, you can expect to receive exceptional help and attention to detail from staff, and a free concierge service with complimentary expert bra fittings. ‘Service is paramount,’ say Boux Avenue, ‘and both the online and retail store environments focus on this to give Boux Avenue a unique appeal.’ Stores are beautifully designed, with a contemporary stylish feel in chic monochrome. Three different light settings in the fitting rooms emulate day, dusk and night, and lingerie is cleverly displayed in drawers according to size. Launched in 2011, Boux Avenue have made ‘beautiful lingerie, swimwear, nightwear and accessories accessible to every woman’. From everyday bras to seductive chemises, playful teddies to frilly knickers, pyjamas to bikinis, this is the perfect place to go if you want to discover a new lease of life for your lingerie drawer.
BOUX AVENUE 5 SOUTHGATE PLACE, BATH. FFI: 01225 438628, WWW.BOUXAVENUE.COM
HEN & STAG PARTIES
SOMETHING NEW about to marry, as our church is one of the loveliest in Bristol and a very popular choice for wedding receptions. We’re often asked to provide circus-based entertainments for receptions, too, and the trapeze rig always generates interest and excitement. These new workshops are to give hen and stag parties the chance to experience a fun and thrilling activity that’s offered by very few other places and never in such a stunning setting as ours.” Workshops (for groups of 10-plus, from £25pp) last 2.5 hours, with tutors on hand throughout. Participants can also try their hand at circus skills such as juggling, plate spinning, tightwire and acro-balance as well as trapeze. FFI CONTACT WILL PRITCHARD ON 0117 935 3260, EMAIL: WILLIAM@CIRCOMEDIA.COM (SEE ALSO WWW.CIRCOMEDIA.COM)
PIC CREDIT: STEPHEN LEWIS
➻ One of the UK’s most unusual wedding reception venues is now running circus skills workshops for hen and stag parties at a grade I-listed former parish church in Bristol. The 18th century church of St Paul the Apostle in Portland Square is the only church in Europe to have a full-sized trapeze rig permanently fixed above its nave, allowing circus aerial acts to train and perform amid Georgian pillars, stainedglass windows and intricate carvings. Usually, the 10m-high rig is reserved for students taking full- or part-time courses with Circomedia, one of Europe’s top-rated circus-theatre schools. But a surge of interest from hen and stag groups is now prompting the school to lay on trapeze, silks and ropes workshops tailored especially for them. Will Pritchard, manager of Circomedia’s entertainments agency, explains: “We’ve always had a lot of contact with couples
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LIFESTYLE
FASHION AWARD
THE MIDAS TOUCH
➻ Fashion design student Chloe Jones from Bath Spa University has bagged the Womenswear
and overall George Gold Award at the highly prestigious Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) Awards. Earning herself a not inconsiderable prize of £21,000, she joins a prestigious list of previous Gold Award winners including designers such as Christopher Bailey (chief creative officer at Burberry), Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney, Antonio Berardi and Giles Deacon. Chloe was selected from the GFW Bath Spa University catwalk show by a team of judges including fashion journalist Hilary Alexander, and went forward as one of 10 finalists. Following interviews involving a portfolio of work, the final decisions were made by artist and style icon Daphne Guinness, fashion journalist and fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune Suzy Menkes, Matthew Williamson, i.D magazine editor Holly Shackleton, Harrods fashion and beauty director Marigay Mckee, and Fiona Lambert, brand director at George, the main sponsors of Graduate Fashion Week.
FASHION DESIGN AT BATH SPA UNIVERSITY FFI WWW.BATHSPA.AC.UK
WE L❤VE...
The cute handmade accessories for pampered pooches at Bath-based online company Mutts & Hounds (muttsandhounds.co.uk). Red Dachsund Linen Neckerchief, £15. (Fabric designed by Emily Bond)
MAKE-UP DAY
STEALING BEAUTY ➻ Learn all the tricks of the trade, for both natural and glamorous make-up, at thespa at DoubleTree by Hilton, Cadbury House. On Tue 10 July (1-8pm), Danielle Tomlinson, make-up artist for Jane Iredale, will host an event featuring talks, practical sessions and access to vouchers and offers. “Make-up application is a fine art,” says spa manager Michelle Ferguson. “Done well, it can highlight your best features, complement a style and disguise any imperfections. Done badly, it can be a disaster. Danielle will look at your skin tone and colouring, guiding you towards the right colours and products.” The £15 booking fee (pre-booking essential) can be redeemed against two or more Jane Iredale products purchased on the day. FFI 01934 837231, EMAIL: THESPA@ CADBURYHOUSE.COM
SALON NEWS
WHO’S THAT GIRL? ➻ Bristol’s RSR Mens Hair have recently welcomed a new addition to their talented team, with a new stylist arriving at their Baldwin Street salon. In addition to an NVQ Level 2 in Hairdressing, Emily brings more than six years of experience to the RSR team. RSR customers may recognise Emily from her popular appearance on ITV1’s Take Me Out, where she made quite an impression. It’s a busy time for RSR, who have just celebrated three successful years on Baldwin Street, thanks to their loyal customers and their unrivalled reputation for combining the finest traditions in men’s grooming with the latest in contemporary style. RSR owner and lead stylist Rachael Lavis says, “We’re delighted to welcome Emily, and she’s already proving to be a very popular member of our team.” As RSR proudly declare, ‘RSR was created for people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, who don’t feel they have to conform. And now you don’t have to!’ RSR MENS HAIR 37 BALDWIN ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 07599 401402, WWW.RSRMENSHAIR.CO.UK
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FASHION LIFESTYLE
Some
WEAR NICE? Anna Britten maps out a fuss-free holiday capsule wardrobe
T
here are three basic rules to holiday packing… One: a garment needs to travel well. So lose your linen and toss your tailoring. When you unpack your suitcase in your Moroccan riad, or mobile home in Dorset, you need stuff you can just unroll and throw on. Easy care, easy wear, easy peasy. Machine-washable viscose, we love you. Two: a garment needs to go with loads of other stuff in your suitcase. If it doesn’t, it will simply have to make do with a postcard - unless you have a huge excess-baggage budget and a chauffeur waiting in arrivals. So, to be a sensible holiday packer, think variations on practical beige, white, and tones that complement them. Three: wherever you’re going, if you’re British then it will at some point pee, lash and pour down. You therefore need something waterproof to tuck among your beach bonkbusters and aloe vera gel, nose-wrinkling though this prospect might be. We scoured the high street for the ultimate scrunchable, matchable, all-weather capsule holiday wardrobe and this is what we found…
DAY OR NIGHTWEAR,
this jolly number will squeeze into the last corner of your suitcase and require minimal ironing (if any). Summer floral print playsuit, Warehouse £30
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LIFESTYLE
FASHION
A PERFECT PLAIN WHITE TEE
with, literally, a twist. People Tree ensure it’s 100% Fairtrade and organic cotton, too. Hettie white bow top, People Tree, £26 FLOWER CHILDREN OF THE 1960S knew how to dodge the ironing. Steal their style with this tiered chiffon maxi skirt. For sultry evenings, or while waiting for your leg wax. Woodstock maxi skirt, Phase Eight £75
GO-WITH-EVERYTHING NUDE BALLET PUMPS
to take you up sand dunes and down jetties in fashion-forward safety. Minnie pump, Dune, £65
REJOICE! WHITE JEANS have finally shaken off the Liz Hurley association to become a big trend for SS12. Emmanuelle Alt wears them. Skinny’s good, but we love the subtle bootcut on these. Healey straight-leg white jeans, Crew, £65
CONTACTS
THEY’LL FOLD UP TO NOTHING,
but take you anywhere. Flowing pyjama trouser, in paisley print with a nice wide waistband that will hide all those Magnums. Paisley silk trouser, Ella by Viyella, £99.90
YOUR COMFY, UNTAKEOFFABLE FITFLOPS
HOLIDAYING IN THE UK? Since most of your snaps will feature you in a raincoat, better make it a cool one. Blossom Kagool, Paul’s Boutique, £50
CREW BRISTOL: PHILADELPHIA ST, QUAKERS FRIARS & PRINCESS VICTORIA ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE. BATH: UPPER BOROUGH WALLS. FFI: WWW.CREWCLOTHING.CO.UK DUNE THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL & UNION ST, BATH. FFI: WWW.DUNE.CO.UK PAUL’S BOUTIQUE CULT, SOUTHGATE, BATH. FFI: WWW.PAULS-BOUTIQUE.COM PEOPLE TREE FFI: WWW.PEOPLETREE.CO.UK PHASE EIGHT BRISTOL: THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY & WHITELADIES RD. BATH: BROAD ST. FFI: WWW.PHASE-EIGHT.CO.UK SOLELUTION BOYCES AVE, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL & 114 HIGH ST, PORTISHEAD. FFI: WWW.SOLELUTION.CO.UK VIYELLA THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW.VIYELLA.CO.UK WAREHOUSE BRISTOL: CABOT CIRCUS & THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY. BATH: NEW BOND ST. FFI: WWW.WAREHOUSE.CO.UK
got their holiday swag on? FitFlop Rokkit Supernavy (also available in pewter), SoleLution, £65
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mark simmons photography
Loren Lopez - Blue Candy E.P - www.myspace.com/lorenlopezmusic
mUsiC || doCUmentary || natUraL WeddinGs t: 07778 063 699 w: www.marksimmonsphotography.com
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LIFESTYLE
FASHION
Dressy Niki wears… silk top from Topshop last year, jacket from Zara £49.99, necklaces from Warehouse and Accessorize a few years ago, shorts (see other picture caption for info), shoes from Russell & Bromley last year
HOW TO WEAR...
SHORTS Niki Whittle bares her legs
I
f you’re anything like me, you’ll have one pair of shorts that sit at the back of the wardrobe and only come out on holidays. I often see people wearing shorts around town or on a night out and think that I should experiment more with mine, but I seem to have a fear of wearing them anywhere other than on the beach. But this summer, I’ve decided to get over it! And if you want to join me, this year is the best yet for shorts. They’re everywhere, in all lengths and colours, making it much easier to find a pair that you’ll like. When you’re looking for a style to suit you, consider the length as well as the shape. They need to finish at a flattering part of your leg: if these shorts, for example, were any shorter, they would cut me off right across my saddlebags - and trust me, that’s not a good look! Once you’ve found your perfect pair (and they are out there), experiment a little - you’ll be surprised how many outfits you can pull together (I know I was). The casual look pictured here is probably my favourite. It’s super comfortable and looks relaxed without looking plain perfect for shopping on a balmy day. I also wanted to see if I could make shorts work for something a little dressier. By teaming them with a jacket and a pair of heels, they instantly look smarter. What do you think? Will you be leaping into your shorts when the sun shines? I hope so!
FFI WWW.NIKIWHITTLE.COM / WWW.HIPSHAPESANDBRISTOLFASHION.BLOGSPOT.COM
Casual Niki wears… top from TK Maxx £25, shorts from Gap last year (but Monsoon and Topshop have similar styles), earrings bought on holiday, flipflops from Gap last year
3
OF MY FAVOURITE
SHORTS THIS SEASON…
HOBBS: £110
TOPSHOP: £30
MONSOON: £30
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SHOPPING LIFESTYLE
From furnishings to fashion, John Lewis really does have everything under one roof
SHOP OF THE
MONTH Why does John Lewis hold such a special place in the nation’s heart? Melissa Blease investigates
C
lassy but classless, and always offering a relaxing shopping experience, John Lewis is the much-loved flagship department store that dominates Cribbs Causeway. Easily accessible to shoppers from Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas, and open seven days a week, it has to be one of the most reliable, dependable shopping experiences the region has to offer. But apart from reputation and convenience, what makes John Lewis so very special? “John Lewis staff are ‘Partners’ in the business, and this co-ownership creates a special feel within the company,” says Cliff Vanstone, general manager of the Cribbs Causeway branch. “Our Partners work hard to offer customers everything they need under one roof: the best fashions, furnishings and household goods of all kinds at competitive prices and with excellent service and free delivery. Supported by our network of suppliers around the world, John Lewis department stores were voted Britain’s Favourite Electricals Retailer and achieved the top accolade for customer service in the ‘Verdict Consumer Satisfaction Index’ published in April 2012.” But how has the store managed to uphold this wonderful reputation, despite the recent
“John Lewis staff are ‘Partners’, and this co-ownership creates a special feel within the company”
financial crisis? “The current climate has certainly changed the way customers approach the marketplace,” Cliff acknowledges. “But our core principles have been the key to our continued success. We’re committed to providing the highest standard of quality, price and service in everything we do, and this is all part of our unique ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ policy. You can trust that we will always stock the best-quality products. We set highly competitive prices and our Partners are extensively trained to offer helpful, impartial advice. Our business is very much powered by our principles, and upholding these values allows us to develop a trusting and lasting relationship with our customers, which is unsurpassed by any other retailer.” Cliff is also deservedly proud of the unparalleled range of services that supplement and complement the John Lewis shopping experience, from fashion and nursery advice to lighting and flooring fitting, appliance installation to technical support, and bespoke interiors to complete home design. The Kitchen Planning service, for example, costs just £50 (fully refundable against all costs, should you go ahead with the plan) and includes a visit from an experienced kitchen planner to measure your available space and work out design details to create a room that suits your lifestyle. They will then provide a supply-and-fit estimate and
The flagship store at Cribbs Causeway is a destination in itself
a plan of your design with colour elevations. A Home Design Service and Nursery Advisory offer bespoke solutions along similar lines, while a Fashion Advisory Service offers expert advice on all the latest trends and accessories, from a wide choice of brands including Reiss, Ted Baker, Planet, Phase Eight, Coast, Whistles and John Lewis’s own collection. A Gift List scheme, meanwhile, makes wedding lists, birthdays and gift shopping for any special occasion a breeze. “Gift Lists take the guesswork out of the gifting conundrum for everybody,” says Cliff. “The system ensures that you buy or receive the gifts that you or your close friends love.” And we’d say that, overall, the entire John Lewis shopping experience works along exactly the same lines. JOHN LEWIS THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 959 1100, WWW.JOHNLEWIS.COM
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Summer Overnight Spa Break
NEW CHROMATICS The hair colour you've been waiting for • No Ammonia • No Odour • 100% white coverage Hair feels up to 2x stronger! products are used in the Salon 6 Rockleaze Rd, Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NF Tel: 0117 9682663 www.carlohairandbeauty.co.uk
Natural Diet and Remedies
Express Manicure Express Pedicure ESPA Salt & Oil Body Scrub
Do you need help with obesity, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart problems... and other illnesses? consultations
talks
cooking classes
for more information please contact: J. Davis BA, KI cert. Tel: 07411186385
Macrobiotic Consultant betterhealthbristol@gmail.com
1 night, 2 days was £195, now £139pp Valid until 31st August 2012 subject to availability
THE WEST’S BEST
lifestyle
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BEAUTY LIFESTYLE
3
CREAM OF THE CROP
FESTIVAL READY
Simply the name, Crème de la Mer, inspires the confidence we all want to feel when entrusting our precious skin to any lotion or potion. Their latest confidenceinspiring product is a foundation that’s light enough for even the sunniest, hottest (or wettest and chilliest) summer day. This light, water-borne foundation will leave your skin glowing, while also shielding it from harsh rays with SPF18 protection. Tourmaline provides an anti-oxidant effect, and Smart Seaweeds will leave your skin feeling deeply moisturised. CRÈME DE LA MER SPF18 FLUID TINT £55, AVAILABLE AT HARVEY
While you may have nailed down your beauty regimen for summer, it simply won’t do to take your entire product entourage with you to a festival or day out. Never fear. Keep skin feeling fresh, clean and moisturised with this on-the-go Carrots kit. The travel kit includes body butter, hand and elbow cream, hydrating shower gel and lip butter (a summer essential), all harnessing the antioxidant beta-carotene power of everyone’s favourite orange vegetable. YES TO CARROTS ON-THE-GO KIT £14.99, AVAILABLE FROM WWW.FEELUNIQUE.COM
NICHOLS, BRISTOL
STUFF Kate Hacker grabs her summer must-haves
1
LIGHTEN UP
Bring the bright, sunny attitude of summer with you everywhere you go with this fresh palette of nail lacquers. Indulge in sunny feelings to the tips of your fingers by donning tones of yellow, lavender and milky peach. Prefer darker tones? The black is creamy and softened, so you can wear it even during the hottest months. The MAC Beth Ditto collection is exactly what you need to kick your summer style off on the right foot – or finger.
MAC BETH DITTO NAIL LACQUER £9, AVAILABLE AT DEBENHAMS, BRISTOL & JOLLY’S, BATH
BRIGHT AND PERKY
Keep redness down and your spirits high with this pocket-size complexion corrector from Benefit. A truly all-in-one tool, this compact includes a creamy yellow to neutralise redness, a hearty dark-circle-denying concealer, and a pink brightener to bring out the light in your eyes. These colours will flatter in every way and banish worries of skin imperfections, leaving you free to enjoy the season. BENEFIT PERK UP ARTIST £22, AVAILABLE AT BOOTS,
TOP TO TOE
Treat yourself to a refreshing whole-body experience every time you step into the shower or bath this summer. Shed the blues of a rainy spring and don your summer skin with gently exfoliating sunflower wax beads. Infused with luxurious pomegranate, sunflower, jojoba, pumpkin and sesame oils, this smoothing body scrub will leave your skin soft, protected and happy. CRABTREE & EVELYN SKIN SMOOTHING BODY SCRUB £17, CRABTREE & EVELYN, NEW BOND ST, BATH
DEBENHAMS, HOUSE OF FRASER, JOHN LEWIS
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BEAUTY LIFESTYLE
NO.3
BEFORE - a usually tense Ellie is put instantly at ease by No.3’s warm and welcoming team
HAIRDRESSING Eleanor Pipe gets the Alice in Wonderland treatment at this gorgeous boutique salon
N
estled in Bath’s Saville Row, No.3 Hairdressing salon has a refreshingly unique quality to it that made me feel not unlike Alice in Wonderland. Owners Kelly and Francesca have created a bright and airy boutique salon, with quirky decor that exudes an air of rustic elegance. Now, I must start by making it clear that I don’t, on the whole, enjoy going to the hairdresser’s. I don’t like sitting staring at myself in a mirror, I don’t like having my head yanked this way and that, and I particularly dislike the usual look of judgement as a hairdresser surveys my tangled rats-tails. I tend to view a trip to the salon as a necessary evil to be put off for as long as possible. The team at No.3 - without exception, a stylishly beautiful bunch - should, by rights, have been intimidating, but such was their warmth and enthusiasm that, upon entering, I instantly felt completely at ease. After my initial friendly greeting, the petite and dazzlingly personable Lucia bounded forward to introduce herself as my stylist, together with the lovely Holly, who was to be doing my full head of highlights. Lucia decked me out in the obligatory gown, and sat me down to begin my consultation. This was a revelation to me - so thorough, and with every care taken to consider my individual style and personality. First step of my makeover was the colour. I was led upstairs to a tranquil room, vaguely reminiscent of an artist’s studio. Huge wooden mirrors on easels are positioned about the place, with the hair-dye tubes on display, adding a vibrant splash of colour. With infinite skill and
“Such was their warmth and enthusiasm that I instantly felt at ease” for step two, the cutting.
patience, Holly got to work, mixing the colours and deftly applying them. I, meanwhile, got to work enjoying the coffee - a proper cafetiere, no less, served on a gold-plated tray! Now that’s how to make a girl feel special. With my foils in, all that was left for me to do was relax and soak up the ambient atmosphere. I opted for a tea next – served, of course, in a proper china teapot. Magazines were on hand for my perusal, and the high-calibre kind, too: thick, glossy reads (no thin, dog-eared copies here). Holly pointed out a delightful, secluded courtyard in which clients can relax between treatments, and though I looked longingly at the miniature paradise, the torrential rain found me selecting a nail varnish from an array on hand for just such an occasion. My upstairs treat culminated in a divine-smelling hair treatment and head massage. Then it was back downstairs AFTER - with her full-bodied, choppy new do, Ellie feels ready to face anything the day throws at her!
If the upstairs salon is an artist’s studio, downstairs has the feel of an art gallery - equally serene, but with a more minimalist order to things, and with large wooden mirrors perfectly positioned to showcase the finished masterpieces. Usually a tense, torturous experience for me, sitting in the seat while Lucia expertly crafted my locks was quite simply a joy. Clearly in the hands of an expert, and one that relished her craft, I gazed in wonder as she artfully snipped my long, lank strands into a new, full-bodied, choppy style. She applied Bumble and Bumble products which, rather than flattening my hair to my head, as is usually my experience, ensured that the style remained long after I left the salon. I stepped back onto the rainy streets of Bath a new woman. Unfortunately for me, unlike for Alice, time had not stood still, and a few very real hours of my working day had just been spent in the salon. Was it worth it? Absolutely! And with all the confidence of someone with new shiny golden locks, I’m sure that my boss will agree.
CONTACT NO.3 HAIRDRESSING 3 SAVILLE ROW, BATH. FFI: 01225 443222, WWW.NO3HAIRDRESSING.CO.UK
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LIFESTYLE
HEALTH
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY ➻ Lisa Watts (pictured right) has been a consultant and senior practitioner at Cedar Falls Health Farm’s Natural Therapy Clinic for nearly 20 years, and a registered craniosacral therapist since 1997. She’s now a highly skilled intuitive therapist working at both Cedar Falls and her own private practice at York House in Taunton. “Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, effective way to relieve back pain, headaches, stress, tiredness and chronic health conditions,” Lisa tells Folio. “The therapy is based on osteopathy practices as developed by doctor William Sutherland in the early 1900s: he discovered there was an expression of energy throughout the body that linked our physical, mental and emotional health through every cell, courtesy of a rhythmic movement called craniosacral motion. Restrictions in the body’s functioning show up in the way this motion is expressed - or limited. Craniosacral therapy is a subtle and profound form of healing that encourages the natural flow of that motion.” Having suffered in her early twenties with ME, Lisa received cranial work from an
the body desperately struggles to keep going, causing overload and a separation of the mind-body connection. Using the lightest of touches on a fully clothed body, a craniosacral therapist can track where in your body the restrictions are being held and help to release them. Clients often notice a deep sense of relaxation that they’ve never felt before, pain often eases, and stresses and tensions in the neck and shoulders melt away, giving a sense of renewed energy and a clearer mind.” osteopath and discovered a remarkable source of healing. “Craniosacral therapy is a totally holistic approach, encouraging the body’s own capacity for self-repair. Many clients come to me with a sore neck or bad back, feeling stressed and tired, or maybe dealing with personal issues such as divorce or bereavement. Under these circumstances,
CEDAR FALLS HEALTH FARM TAUNTON, SOMERSET. FFI: 01823 433904, WWW.CEDARFALLS.CO.UK (CEDAR FALLS OFFER CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY AS PART OF THEIR NATURAL THERAPIES RANGE, NORMALLY PRICED £60/1HR SESSION. THROUGHOUT JULY, HOWEVER, FOLIO READERS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS EXCLUSIVE TREATMENT OF THE MONTH OFFER AND BOOK A 1HR CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY SESSION FOR £48)
PETANQUE
KISS AND TELL ➻ The City of Bath Petanque Club has instigated a novel way to raise money for acclaimed national charity Cancer Research UK. CBPC founder Chris Garratt set up the Fanny Petanque Club (which takes its name from the French petanque tradition where anyone losing a match without scoring a single point had to kiss the bottom of a waitress called Fanny) in memory of his friend, former Bath Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive David Keith, who died of cancer two years ago. Support came from Bath sponsors the Real Italian Pizza Co and Minuteman Press, with Media Solutions designing the website. To celebrate Bastille Day (Sat 14 July), the Fanny Club have organised a Petanque/ French Boules tournament at Hartley Farm, Winsley, near Bradford on Avon, with all proceeds further swelling the good-cause coffers. Keen to get involved? Visit the website for more information. FFI WWW.FANNYPETANQUE.CO.UK
HATHA YOGA
STRESS HOTSPOTS ➻ Discover how yoga can help release tension in those
notorious stress-attracting hotspots (neck, shoulders, back) at a Summer Workshop with acclaimed yoga practitioner Kaire Kotsalainen, on Sat 21 July at Bristol Grammar School Sports Centre. The two-hour session (open to all levels and suitable for complete beginners) costs just £20 and will include instruction in simple techniques and basic asanas, learning about how correct posture and alignment can relieve tensions, and finishing with a guided meditation to leave you feeling more carefree, receptive and joyful. See the website for details of Kaire’s regular Hatha yoga classes (Wed, Southville Centre, Beauley Rd, Bristol) and one-to-one personal tuition.
FFI WWW.YOGAWITHKAIRE.COM
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7-18 years old? Love Musical Theatre? Only one place to be!
CHIPPING SODBURY SCHOOL Bowling Road,Chipping Sodbury p66.indd 1
9.30-4.30 on each day Wed 25th July, Thur 26th & Fri 27th July 7-18 year olds. Three one day workshops, Each one is different, Three times the fun if you attend all three!!!
Call Matt on 0800 9702456 or email yate@stagecoach.co.uk 6/27/2012 4:16:16 PM
LIFESTYLE
EDUCATION
Workshop featuring a human body ‘patient’ simulator at Red Maids’ School’s Medics Conference
CAREERS
CARRY ON DOCTOR Red Maids’ director of sixth form Hugo Besterman with Dr Karine Akande, one of the guest speakers at the school’s Medics Conference
➻ With competition for places at medical school hotter than ever, Bristol’s Red Maids’ School in Westbury on Trym recently organised a major Medics Conference to tell girls about the range of careers available in medicine and how best to access them. Approximately 250 Year 10 girls from state and independent schools across the South West travelled to Red Maids’ to hear from experts working in various medical fields. Among the key subjects discussed were organ transplantation, intensive care medicine, brain surgery, and research into the origins of osteoporosis derived from the ‘Children of the 90s’ study. “We have a long tradition of girls progressing from Red Maids’ to study
medicine,” says Hugo Besterman, director of sixth form. “This year alone, more than 33% of our current Year 13 pupils are heading to medical school or university to study medicine-related degrees. This event allows us to share our expertise and that of our visiting professionals to help girls to access careers in medicine.” Keynote speakers among the 30-plus medical professionals included Dr Karine Akande, consultant anaesthetist in intensive care at Southmead Hospital, and Dr Gavin Stoddart, consultant radiologist and head of the School of Radiology at the Severn Deanery in Weston-super-Mare. Workshops included careers in the pharmaceutical industry, getting into medical school, working in developing countries, improving human health through biomedical research or working in clinical laboratories, and balancing careers in medicine with family life. It’s generally recognised that single-sex schooling helps girls to succeed to a higher level in science subjects, and Red Maids’ consistently achieve excellent results in science and maths. Last year, for example, 84% of students achieved an A* or A grade in their biology A-level, while 64% achieved an A* or A grade in their maths A-level. Mr Besterman adds: “A number of our speakers were women who successfully balance their career with family commitments. A positive message that came across was… You can have it all, and medicine is a fantastic career choice for women.” FFI WWW.REDMAIDS.BRISTOL.SCH.UK
PERFORMING ART PROJECTARTS
BEND IT!
PRIMARY MATHS
IT ALL ADDS UP
➻ Pupils from schools across Bath who are
helping to mould the future of Bath’s cityscape could see their pieces of art immortalised as part of Crest Nicholson’s Bath Riverside development. Yes, we’re talking Plasticine, the modelling clay invented in Bath more than 100 years ago by head of Bath School of Art and Design William Harbutt. Schoolchildren will be using the bendy stuff that we’ve all known and loved to create sculptures based on the theme of ‘Elements’. A panel of judges will choose the best designs, which will be cast in bronze and eventually incorporated into the landscape of the 44-acre development. Embracing the industrial heritage and significance of the location, the theme was inspired by the history of chemical production on the Western Riverside site as a result of the introduction of gas power to Bath.
Bath pupils get creative with Plasticine which was invented over 100 years ago by Bathonian William Harbutt
➻ More than 20 state primaries and independent schools came from as far afield as Chepstow, Moreton in the Marsh and Cheltenham to take part in the inaugural Year 5 Maths Challenge hosted by Rose Hill Westonbirt School near Tetbury, in conjunction with Westonbirt School. Ninety-five children spent a funpacked afternoon solving all sorts of intriguing maths challenges, and the day was topped off with a scrumptious tea. Congratulations to the winning pupils from St Gregory the Great, and well done to everybody involved. FFI WWW.RHWESTONBIRT.CO.UK
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Transcendental Meditation® as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The only scientifically proven tool for personal development! for
Clearer thinking More energy Freedom from stress
Your local Bristol Transcendental Meditation Centre patrice.gladwin1@virginmedia.com
Call to book into a free Introductory Talk, or just with your questions: 0117 914 7127
“Regular TM helps me seize the day, spy the opportunity and grab hold of my own destiny with both hands. Everything used to feel like a constant struggle; now I‘m doing better and better and my life is easier and easier.” Kitty Tebbetts, film producer
www.t-m.org.uk
Learn Japanese! YU jls specialises in providing Japanese courses for various levels. We offer weekly evening courses in Clifton. New courses will start from October. For further information please visit www.yujls.co.uk or email us at info@yujls.co.uk or ring 07530 161439
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THE HOME OF DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY IN THE SOUTH WEST OFFERS ACCREDITED PART TIME COURSES IN DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
6 DAY INTRODUCTION COURSE July 9th - 14th August 13th - 18th
INTERVIEWING NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2012 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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LIFESTYLE
SPEAK Anna Britten tells us why we should all be learning the lingo
Y
ou realise two slightly uncomfortable things about yourself during a bumper summer of sport. One, it’s going to take more than a week on the Dukan diet to get Jessica Ennis’s ripped abs. Two, it’s a good job no one expects you to speak a foreign tongue as well as the non-British This pic and above: Bedminster tapas bar El Rincon runs super-friendly Spanish classes
UP!
sportspersons so effortlessly do on a daily basis in interviews. But if English is the lingua franca, why bother? Well, for a variety of practical, aspirational, intellectual and sentimental reasons. Emigration, study abroad, having a family member or friend with a different mother tongue to yours – they’re all obvious motivating factors. And even if your job (real or dream) doesn’t specifically require language skills, having them will give you the edge whenever foreign colleagues, customers or clients hove into view. Imagine the kudos of understanding secret chatter and casual comments that no one else does, and the money and time saved by not using interpreters, as well as the greatly improved relationships. As Nelson Mandela put it: ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.’ Even if your only contact with nonEnglish speakers is on holiday, don’t underestimate the smug fun of having
SKILLS
Rihae Yuh of Yu Japanese Language School
a few words and phrases on the tip of your tongue – not only does it enable you to venture off the beaten track, it will also get you friendlier service and erase the ‘hapless tourist - please exploit’ tattoo on your forehead. And with even a GCSE-level knowledge of a language, you can have fascinating conversations with local people. “I was talking to this Greek fisherman…” is a great opener to any contribution on the eurozone debate. Using words that no one else understand can be very handy, too: Welsh speakers worked as code talkers during the Bosnian war, and in the war zone of a home with children, parents with a foreign language in common can always win the upper hand. Here are a few of the more interesting prospects around these parts. At the very least you’ll be able to impress your friends by translating hijo de puta! and chto za huy! after each missed penalty/double fault/ snapped javelin. Run by experienced teachers/tutors Yuko Hasegawa and Rihae Yuh (pictured), Yu Japanese Language School (www.yujls.co.uk) specialise in providing Japanese language evening courses from beginners through to advanced. All teachers are native speakers, and they also offer preparation courses for JLPT and GCSE. Bristol courses, lasting 30 ➻ FOLIO/JULY 2012 69
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SKILLS LIFESTYLE
Left: Stewart Redpath and Fabienne Vailes of the Language Experience, and above, Redland High School where classes take place
weeks and starting in October, are held at the Polish Club (St Pauls Rd, Clifton), and one-toone tuition is also available. International House in Bristol (www. ihbristol.com) offer Czech, Dutch, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish and Welsh alongside the usual French, German, Italian and Spanish. Enrol now for their autumn term, which starts on Tue 4 Sept. Group classes run on Tuesday evenings; one-to-one classes can be arranged to suit your availability during the week. Bedminster restaurant El Rincon are busy setting out the sillas for a new season of their own, famously friendly Spanish classes this month – whether you fancy it in groups,
private, at home or in the office, give them a buzz on 0117 939 3457. Avon Chinese School (www.avonchineseschool.org.uk), meanwhile, based at the Bradley Stoke Community School, have been teaching children since 1996, and are now also running a trial adult class on behalf of the South Gloucestershire Chinese Association. For full details, email avonchineseschool@gmail.com Bristol’s English Language Centre (www. elcbristol.co.uk) are perhaps best known as a TEFL college for visiting young Jürgens and Marie-Claires, but did you know that they also run a 10-week course in Arabic? And finally, the Language Experience (www. languageexperience.co.uk), run by Fabienne Vailes and Stewart Redpath, aim to ‘bring the best-quality, learner-centred experience to Bristol and surrounding areas’. Alongside evening classes, they can also provide intensive booster classes for GCSE and A-level students, as well as tailored programmes for businesses and international businesspeople. Languages include Mandarin, Arabic, etc, alongside your bog-standard Spanish, French and German. Sadly no Klingon or Wookie, though...
OFSTED NEWS
ADULT EDUCATION ➻
A new government report on adult education and apprenticeship provision for the West of England has found that good services are delivered across the board. Ofsted visited West of England Consortium services providing part-time learning for 5,047 adults and 323 apprenticeships in construction and engineering in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Among the key findings, it reported that learners develop good social and personal skills and many progress to further courses, voluntary work or paid employment. Says Cllr Clare Campion-Smith, Bristol council’s executive member for Children and Young People: “It’s very satisfying to have confirmation from both Ofsted and adult learners themselves that we’re delivering good-quality services to the people who need them most.”
GET SOME SKILLS
WHAT’S ON IN JULY…
ARCHAEOLOGY (contact Kate Selway on 0117 954 6050, email: sart-summerschools@bristol.ac.uk) • Bristol University’s public events schedule for July offers both earthy and spiritual types plenty to get stuck into. Archaeology Summer School lasts five days and runs three times between Mon 2 and Fri 20 July. It offers beginners an Introduction to Archaeology, including classroom tuition, surveying and practical excavation experience, while more experienced students get to practise Advanced Excavation Techniques in the stunning grounds of Berkeley Castle (pictured). BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS (Low Impact Living Initiative. Ffi: 01296 714184, www.lowimpact.org) • Not-for-profit environmental organisation Low Impact Living Initiative (LILI) are running a series of courses over the summer. The day workshops, held in a 12-acre apiary near Thornbury, north of Bristol, run 10am-4pm on Fri 6 July, Sat 14 July (full, but call for waiting list) and Fri 24 Aug, with a more extensive two-day course on Fri 7-Sat 8 Sept. Expect plenty of hands-on coaching and experience in recognising, handling and caring for bees, putting a hive together and guidance on equipment. Charcoal making, grassland management and compost toilets are also all on the agenda should you fancy making a completely self-sufficient summer of it. SPIRITUALITY & WELLBEING (contact Diane Thorne on 0117 331 8318, email: diane.thorne@bristol. ac.uk • On Thur 12 July, those of a less earthbound nature can enjoy Professor Ursula King’s evening lecture and discussion on Spirituality and Wellbeing at the Watershed. Admission is free, but you’ll need to book. BATH CITY FARM (01225 481269, email: helen@ bathcityfarm.org.uk) • BCF are hosting a range of family-friendly workshops this summer to help people learn how to live a greener life. A free clay oven-building workshop run by Liz Clarke will take place over the weekend of Sat 21-Sun 22 July. Places are limited so booking is essential.
Learn how to live a greener life at Bath City Farm
FFI: WWW.OFSTED.GOV.UK (FOR A COPY OF THE FULL REPORT)
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MOTORING LIFESTYLE
THE SMART
MONEY
Andy Enright gets under the bonnet of the latest generation of Audi’s popular premium hatch
T
he Audi A3 has always been about quiet confidence. You don’t buy one of these if you’re an attention seeker or want to show off how much money you’ve spent. It’s a car that blends in with real panache, and its owners
quite like that. Nonetheless, the latest A3 is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary: it doesn’t look strikingly different to the previous model, merely a little neater and sharper. Put the two generations side by side, though, and you can see how all the major dimensions have been incrementally tautened, teased and primped, showing Audi at their slick, intelligent best. The styling might be lowkey and the engineering eminently sensible, but there’s a polish to this vehicle that escapes virtually all its rivals. Efficiency and economy are excellent, even with the punchier engines, and the high-tech options are extremely tempting. Engines announced so far include 1.4 TFSI (122PS) and 1.8 TFSI (180PS) petrol engines and a 2.0-litre TDI (143PS) diesel. The 1.8litre petrol deploys its drive through a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, while the 1.4-litre TFSI and 2.0-litre TDI bring a good old six-speed manual gearbox. Even the 1.4-litre TFSI powers the A3 from rest to 62mph in 9.3 seconds, and on to a top speed of 126mph, and the 180PS model takes just 7.2 seconds for the same sprint.
The exterior is recognisably A3, but a little sharper, with those familiar squinty front lights. The interior has a typically spare look, but enjoys classy touches such as the seveninch satnav screen that emerges from the top. This is controlled by the latest generation of MMI dial, with a very clever feature. The touchpad that first appeared on the A8 is now integrated into the top of the rotary controller. Slick - but what did you expect from Audi? Options include a panoramic glass sunroof, heated seats and deluxe electronic climate control. The new A3 is also superbly well connected, allowing you to network with the internet, music players and even other vehicles. Passengers can surf and email with up to eight mobile devices via an integrated WLAN hotspot. The driver, meanwhile, gets features such as navigation with images from Google Earth, a web radio function, Google Points of Interest search by voice control and
DETAILS LAUNCH DATE 1 SEPT 2012 PRICE £19,205-£26,560 MPG 50.4-68.9 POWER 105-180BHP LENGTH 4.24M WIDTH 1.78M HEIGHT 1.42M
Google Street View, plus Audi online traffic information that takes the movement data from the thousands of smartphones and navigation units that are travelling on the road - check average speeds, predicted journey times and recommended reroutes. Clever stuff indeed. This new A3 will be easier on the wallet than its predecessor. Despite being a quicker car, the new model is more economical and emits less carbon dioxide than the previous generation. The diesels will give a great mpg return: on the combined cycle test, the quick and excellent 2.0-litre TDI covered 68.9mpg equivalent to CO2 emissions of just 106g/km. But petrol drivers can expect good returns, too: the 1.4-litre TFSI offers an impressive 54.3mpg on the combined cycle. And, typically for an Audi, this car will challenge the very best in its class for residual values - you can expect it to hold onto around 50 per cent of its value three years down the line. Speed demons, meanwhile, can rest assured: a highperformance S3 version is also in the works. An A3, let’s not forget, is a Golf in a posh frock, and one that commands a somewhat heftier asking price. That won’t change with this latest model. Nor will the fact that there will be many quite happy to pay that premium. Is that wrong? Is it cynical? Not really. The A3 serves a need, and serves it very well. The latest model is, by any reasonable measure, a smart, admirable and technically brilliant thing.
CONTACT
BRISTOL AUDI LYSANDER RD, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 958 1450, WWW.BRISTOLAUDI.CO.UK
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KITCHENS BATHROOMS HOME IMPROVEMENTS SHOPPING GARDENING PROPERTY
➻ HOME FRONT
GARDEN DESIGN, WOW-FACTOR RADIATORS, EXPERT FRAMING AND MORE... GARDENING
MAGIC OF THE MED
➻ Fancy a piece of the Mediterranean in your own backyard? It’s
yours - however small the space. According to Nick Woodhouse, garden designer at Bath-based interior and garden design company Woodhouse & Law, Mediterranean planting lends itself well to our climate, particularly in the light of global warming and recent worries about low water-table levels. “The backbone of a traditional Mediterranean garden is its function as a space for outdoor living,” says Nick. “Somewhere to socialise and relax, but also somewhere that allows respite from the midday sun - a seating area perhaps, but with shelter given by a pergola draped in vines. Materials are traditional - terracotta, stone and wood - and of all the senses, smell is second here only to sight. “Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is unquestionably first on my list. This superbly drought-tolerant shrub not only provides yearround interest with its green-grey foliage, but its flowers also provide the most intoxicating smell in the summer sun. Dining in the Mediterranean is such a social event and requires further core herbs at the ready in the garden - for instance, bay (Laurus nobilis) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), which provide additional fragrance to the touch. “Space allowing, further structure in the garden tends to be provided by evergreen trees and shrubs. Dramatic pencil-shaped Italian cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens ‘Pyramidalis’) add height interest, while the olive tree is the quintessential reminder of warmer, sunnier climes. Fortunately for us, olives are hardier than we might give them credit for. As long as their roots aren’t waterlogged or frozen, they can withstand temperatures as low as -10C. For some additional colour, include santolina or cistus, or intersperse terracotta pots packed with geraniums.”
WOODHOUSE & LAW FFI: 01225 892054, WWW.WOODHOUSEANDLAW.CO.UK
AWARD
NATIONAL TREASURE ➻ Congratulations to Martin Tracy, owner of Bath’s Framing Workshop, for winning a Lifetime Exemplar Achievement Award courtesy of the Fine Art Trade Guild, the UK’s art and framing industry governing body. The award recognises Martin’s contribution to the industry during his 23 years in business, cementing his national reputation as an ambassador for high-street framers. Martin (pictured with Annabelle Ruston, editor of Art Business Today) is a frequent lecturer at trade shows, workshops and seminars throughout the UK. Among other things, the award recognises Martin’s contribution to Bath through sponsorship projects, including Bruce Munro’s Field of Light at the Holburne, Bath Festivals Box
Office and the Bath Chronicle Business Awards. “I’m deeply flattered and humbled to receive this recognition at a national level,” says Martin. “It’s a credit to my staff that we’ve built such a consistent and respected reputation.” Louise Hay, Fine Art Trade Guild CEO, adds, “This is the first time an award of this stature has been granted. Martin works tirelessly – and not just to promote his own business; he’s also selflessly contributed to the promotion of our industry at a national level for many years. He thoroughly deserves to be recognised in this way.” THE FRAMING WORKSHOP 80 WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 482748, WWW.THEFRAMINGWORKSHOP.COM
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HOMEFRONT
Q&A
TALKING RUBBISH
The Junk Buster, an eco-friendly, hassle-free alternative to skips ➻ Tell us about the Junk Buster
We’re Bristol’s fresh-faced, on-demand, environmentally-friendly waste-removal company. We operate two-man teams in shiny trucks who arrive in your chosen time-slot, clear your unwanted items from anywhere on the premises for you (from single items to multiple truckloads), and always sweep up after ourselves. Our customers are charged simply by the volume of the truck they fill, with an upfront quote, making it structured and transparent. What happens to the rubbish that you pick up? A key value of ours is ‘Reduce, Re-use and Recycle’, so we do everything in our power to re-use first, then recycle. We do this by offering re-usable items to charities, and then finally
recycling with Environment Agency-licensed waste-transfer stations. What area do you cover? Currently, a 40-mile radius of Bristol. Is there anything you won’t collect? We’ll pretty much collect anything as long as it’s not asbestos, petroleum, toxic waste, paint, solvents, motor oil, or medical or biological waste. There are certain items technically classified as hazardous waste, though, which we can collect, such as computer monitors, TVs, fridges, freezers, fluorescent tubes, car tyres and car batteries. THE JUNK BUSTER FFI: 0117 373 8251, WWW.THEJUNKBUSTER.CO.UK
WE L❤VE...
Orla Kiely’s distinctive patterns, and dream of snuggling under this Scribble Stem duvet (£75 for a double). Find in store or online at John Lewis, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. Ffi: 0117 959 1100, johnlewis.com
GARDEN FURNITURE
HEAVY METAL ➻ All Ironart garden furniture is handmade by a small team of artist blacksmiths in their Larkhall workshops on the edge of Bath. Their Lansdown range – available in three sizes and as comfortable as it looks – is designed with a contoured profile and ergonomic laidback seating position to support the curve of your back. Each one is finished with rivet details and beautiful handforged tapered arm scrolls. Ironart galvanize everything for rust-resistant longevity and ease of maintenance before finishing in a range of durable heritageinspired colours. IRONART OF BATH UPPER LAMBRIDGE ST, LARKHALL, BATH. FFI: 01225 311273, WWW.IRONART.CO.UK
RADIATORS
DESIGN CLASSIC ➻ From its impeccably uniform chrome finish to the ingenious, patented technology used in its construction, the eye-catching Zanzibar Collection, which sees its 10th anniversary this year, is one of the most striking and celebrated designs from Bisque. They’re the British company who’ve been bringing innovative, extraordinary radiators to the UK for more than 30 years now. Based on Shanghai’s and Manhattan’s skylines, Zanzibar’s multi-faceted design changes the way most of us are used to thinking about the world of heating and radiators. The Zanzibar Tower (pictured) is an Italian-designed radiator created for Bisque by Francesco Dori, who describes it as ‘strikingly modern, yet timeless in the mathematical simplicity of its design’. A patented, hollow connecting screw allows the pipes to be chromed before assembly for a perfect uniform plate finish. At 179cm high, with prices from £3,424.80, the Tower comes in gleaming chrome or Argenta finish. Bisque’s Zanzibar Ladder, meanwhile, is a contemporary, ladder-style radiator, whose Italian design features an elegant, light-catching geometric pattern. As with the Tower, finishes are Argenta or chrome, with prices from £1,384.80, and it comes in three different sizes. These are the folk who bring innovation and excitement to the world of radiator design. From statement pieces for large spaces to sleek, space-saving towel radiators and compact school-style models, Bisque have something to enhance any interior, whether it’s traditional, contemporary or somewhere in-between. BISQUE 15 KINGSMEAD SQUARE, BATH. FFI: 01225 466367, WWW.BISQUE.CO.UK
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Ideal for weddings, private parties, corporate events, club nights and festivals!
To hire our booth for your special day contact us at
enquiries@itsyourbooth.com or visiting our website itsyourbooth.com Its you booth_FP.indd 1
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HOMEFRONT
Q&A
CLOSE UP WITH
TONY FOX
Expert advice on how to update an old conservatory from the director of Bristol-based Crystal Clear WORDS: JOSIE DRUMMOND
L
ocal windows, doors and conservatory specialists Crystal Clear can enlighten us all on transforming tired conservatories into enjoyable all-year-round living spaces. Their experienced team can advise on the latest design-led features and eco-upgrade packages, ensuring that your refurbished conservatory looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside. By simply replacing old, dated materials, you can enhance your home and rediscover your extra living space. Tell us a bit about Crystal Clear and the services that you offer We’re a long-established, Bristol-based company that specialise in windows, doors, conservatories and orangeries. Our first and upmost priority is to give a seamless experience of professionalism, quality and trust throughout the whole project, from conception through to completion. We specialise in all types of conservatories, from small refurbishments to complete conservatory builds, from foundation to finial, including electrics, plumbing, flooring and decorating. Crystal Clear has the complete solution.
Crystal Clear supply and fit the latest materials and products so you can be sure of a high quality finish with cutting edge style
If we see a house we’d like to buy, but the conservatory looks old and scruffy, will we have to budget to pull it down and start again? Conservatories start to look tired and shabby for a number of reasons, particularly first-generation conservatories which used materials that aren’t as high quality as the materials we use in the latest conservatories we supply and fit. If the conservatory is leaking, it may be due to slipped polycarbonate, poorly installed products and rotting timber, all of which can be cost-effectively replaced. What about old, tired-looking conservatories that are chilly in winter and too warm in the summer? Do they usually need replacing or can they be improved and updated? If you’re not able to use your conservatory as much as you’d like to and it’s letting the rest of your home down, it’s time to look at ways you can refurbish it and start to enjoy it again. It’s important to consider your budget and what you’ll use the space for, as well as any changes you may like to make to the look. You can refurbish your old, little-used conservatory and make it usable all year round by redesigning and replacing some of the components for much less than you may think. There are three cost-effective ways to revive your tired conservatory: 1. Replace the roof – this will retain more heat in the winter and reduce your heating costs. 2. Replace the roof, windows and doors – this can update the style of your conservatory, in addition to improving security and energy efficiency. 3. Replace the entire conservatory or modify the base – this allows you to incorporate new products such as bifold doors. After refurbishing a home, the conservatory can sometimes end up looking a little dated. What can be done to make it look more contemporary, without completely replacing it? As a Registered Installer for Refurbish My Conservatory, we supply and fit the latest materials and products, which can replace ageing products and transform your current conservatory into a more contemporary one, while also improving security and energy efficiency. You can choose from a wide range of colours, designs and upgraded materials,
Revive a tired conservatory with a new roof that retains more heat in winter and keeps your heating bills low
including the latest generation of high-spec Ambience Glass, which helps to keep the conservatory cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You could also consider our new Cornice product, which conceals the gutter and hides the ends of the glazing bars, thus adding more detail and smooth, clean lines, resulting in a more contemporary-looking conservatory. If you’d prefer your conservatory to look and feel more like an extension of your home, rather than a separate structure, our new Livin Room product could be ideal: internal boxing-out detail creates the feel of an orangery without the cost. CRYSTAL CLEAR 22A EMERY RD, BRISLINGTON, BRISTOL, BS4. FFI: 0117 971 7880, WWW.CRYSTALCLEARBRISTOL.CO.UK
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INTERIORS HOMEFRONT
NICE
WORK
Whether your office is a whole room or a tiny cupboard, Lesley Taylor helps you get it right
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ifteen years ago, home offices were almost unheard of and considered a luxury by many people. These days, they’re increasingly becoming a ‘must-have’; wherever possible, new-build developers are including a study in new home designs. With the sea change in working habits, many of us are now desperate for a quiet hideaway within the home in which to concentrate and escape the distraction of energetic children, bickering teenagers or even just a blaring TV. We’re not all lucky enough to have an entire room to
transform into a dedicated office, but a bit of improvisation can do the trick when space is tight. In my interior design capacity, this is one of the most frequent challenges I face when I’m redesigning a home. So many households are crying out for a practical place where the kids can do their homework and the adults can run their businesses, and while many have been able to make more dramatic changes to their home such as loft conversions or even transforming the shed into a peaceful work haven, this isn’t always viable. So what are the cheaper alternatives? Many homeowners are often surprised at how much space is wasted throughout their home, with hallways and landings often thought of as being unusable, yet these areas can often be the perfect place in which to create an office environment. Even when a home feels overcrowded, there’s invariably a way to rearrange a room and improve its functionality. Manufacturers across the board have created a wide range of space-saving home-office solutions - with the help of a few innovative designs and ideas, a fully functional office can even be created within the living or dining room. Most people who don’t have a whole room to dedicate to their home office are opting for modern, minimalist styles that are specifically created to sit comfortably in an area of the home where space is at a premium. Your office furniture should, of course, be in keeping
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enough to help clear the mind and allow you to focus. Take advantage of the wall areas, and keep an eye out for innovative shelving and storage designs that will keep the area tidy and uncluttered – you don’t want a messy desk in your well-ordered living room. In the comfort of your own home, hard work doesn’t have to feel like such a chore, so get your creative mind to work and make the most of the space around you.
keeping with your furniture and decor, but must still perform a practical function. And while it’s important for the study area to maintain a sense of distance from the rest of the room, the secret is to make sure that it flows into the overall design - the last impression you want to make is that the computer table has been plonked in the corner of the dining room because that’s the only place where it will fit. For a sleek, minimalist interior, opt for a computer desk that comprises a glass top or has a contemporary metal frame for a discreet, yet stylish look. Wood finishes are perfect for a traditional home, but avoid chunky items in a compact space – these can easily start to make a room look cluttered. Furniture with a touch of rustic charm or a distressed finish is great for adding a sense of character – too many office spaces tend to take any sense of character away. Previous page: Make the most of the available storage space with this oak unit from Next Above: This compact desk from Marks & Spencer’s Sapporo collection is ideal for small spaces Above right: Create a minimalist look with a glasstopped desk (grahamandgreen. co.uk) right: One of interior designer Lesley Taylor’s home-office design projects
If, on the other hand, you’re fortunate enough to be able to dedicate a whole room to your home office, you have far more flexibility regarding the style of furniture that you choose. You could experiment with a completely different design to the rest of the home, making your home office a thoroughly individual space. Unlike an office at work, you can transform your home office into a personal space to suit your tastes as well as your practical needs. Forget the formalities of a work office, where your desk may consist of the odd photo or two; at home you can add quirky accessories and sentimental pieces to create a room to enjoy, making the hard graft that you’re going to be doing there feel so much easier. While you need to make the best use of the space that’s available to you, do remember that the best working areas are usually those that feel spacious
Add a vintage touch with this pharmacy lamp (grahamandgreen.co.uk)
CONTACTS IKEA EASTGATE SHOPPING CENTRE, EASTVILLE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0845 355 2264, IKEA.COM/GB JOHN LEWIS THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 959 1100, JOHNLEWIS.COM SHANNON 68 WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 424222, SHANNON-UK.COM SPHERE LIVING DESIGN QUEENS AVENUE, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 929 2365, SPHERELIVINGDESIGN.COM VITA INTERIORS 118 WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 465906, VITA-INTERIORS.COM
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the
wooden blindcompany
bespoke shutters & blinds
Expertly measured & installed by us, We are a local, family business, With over a decade of experience. Contact us now to be inspired!
t: 0117 960 6289 www.thewoodenblindcompany.co.uk
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FOLIO BRISTOL & BATH
FREE TAKE ONE! THE WEST’S BEST LIFEST YLE M AG
BEST CELLARS WHERE TO GO TO
APRIL 2012 l No. 207
LEARN YOUR PLONK FROM YOUR PINOT
WIN
A CORNISH HOTEL BREAK BY THE SEA!
THE WEST’S BEST
lifestyle
MAGAZINE
With a busy spring ahead for Bristol and Bath's art galleries, Folio surveys the very best that the local art scene has to offer
HOTTREND! HOW TO WEAR FLORALS
➻ Beauty
➻ BEAUTY
fashion health interiors property
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FASHION HEALTH INTERIORS PROPERTY FOOD
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FOLIO FOLIO BRISTOL & BATH
FREE TAKE ONE!
BRISTOL & BATH
THE WEST’S BEST LIFEST YLE M AG
MAY 2012 l No. 208
FREE TAKE ONE! THE WEST’S BEST LIFEST YLE M AG
JUNE 2012 l No. 209
EATING OUT WEST
BEST EARLY
BRISTOL’S
WIN
A JAMES MARTIN KNIFE BLOCK SET!
FASHION
OUR STYLE EDIT FROM Cabot Circus EATING OUT WEST
BES T OF BRITIS H
BEST PLACES TO EAT ALFRESCO
Fly the flag with PIXIE LOTT and friends at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway's Jubilee concert!
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FASHION HEALTH INTERIORS PROPERTY FOOD 4/25/2012 10:59:03 AM
BIG GREEN WEEK NEW
BIRD MENUS
HOW TO SURVIVE LEARN VALUABLE BUSHCRAFT SKILLS
7-PAGE WHAT’S ON SECTION!
WIN
AN OVERNIGHT STAY FOR TWO!
Watershed celebrates its 30TH BIRTHDAY
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FASHION WHAT'S ON INTERIORS PROPERTY FOOD 5/30/2012 7:16:37 PM
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GARENING HOMEFRONT
IN THE
GARDEN
Ideas and inspiration from Trish Gibson to help you make the most of your garden this month
GROW SOMETHING SPECIAL SCABIOUS
F
eathery pincushion flowers on wiry stems, scabious come in a wide range of sizes and colours but they’re all easy to grow and can flower for month after month from now on. They last well in the garden and also as cut flowers. Scabiosa ochroleuca has a small base of feathery leaves from which emerge tall airy stems laden with the softest yellow flowers that will mix with pretty much any colour scheme. It will come back every year and also seed itself around a bit.
Growing tips Scabious aren’t fussy about soil and are reasonably drought tolerant – the one thing they don’t like is wet soil. They perform best in sun or light shade. Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers.
JOBS FOR JULY
The palest yellow wispy flowers of cream scabious will flower till October
➻ OTHERS TO TRY ‘BLACK CAT’ Fashionably deep crimson-black and velvety, this scabious is best treated as an annual as it might not carry on year after year. Sow in March or late August. Its flowers are stunning – about 4-5cm across – flecked with white.
Pick sweet peas regularly to encourage continued flowering. Catch seed from early flowering perennials such as foxgloves and aquilegias. Sow oriental salad leaves such as mizuna, pak choi and mustard greens.
WE’LL BE BUYING… Some dear little recycled glass lustre vases, so that we can take a close-up look indoors at some of our favourite garden flowers. Packs of six vases, £20 plus £4.90 p&p, from Hen & Hammock.
FFI WWW.HENANDHAMMOCK.CO.UK
‘CLIVE GREAVES’ With its lavender-blue flowers with delicate petals like crumpled tissue paper, this scabious blends well in cottage garden borders, where it looks great planted in drifts.
KNAUTIA MACEDONICA As with ‘knee’, you don’t pronounce the ‘k’…! Deep crimson, with dainty flowers held high on slender stems, this popular perennial brings a good contrasting colour accent to mixed beds of mostly pastel shades.
THIS MONTH WE’LL BE VISITING... Yeo Valley - for one of their all-day garden tours, including a comprehensive garden visit, a talk on organic ways to make compost, info on how to keep weeds and pests under control, and a special chef food demo. FFI YEO VALLEY GARDEN TOURS RUN ON 10 & 24 JULY, AND 4 & 18 SEPTEMBER, £30PP. WEB: WWW.YEOVALLEY.CO.UK
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15 Market St, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire Ffi: 01225 309383 www.ourgreenroom.co.uk
CHILL OUT This Weekend
Whatever you want to do this weekend we’ve got it covered FREE in Friday’s Post FOLIO/JULY 2012 83
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PROPERTY HOMEFRONT
VALLEY OF
DREAMS An imposing manor house is the jewel in the crown of this large estate near Wrington. Josie Drummond reports
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PROPERTY
T Set in the beautiful landscape of the North Mendip Hills, the Meeting House Estate is an absolute dream come true
hey don’t come much more des res than this private estate snuggled away in the North Mendip Hills. Available as a whole Lot and comprising about 360 acres in total, Meeting House Farm, to the east of Wrington, comes with a five-bedroom manor house, self-contained one-bedroom annexe, two further cottages, commercial lets, arable land, pasture, woodland and a family shoot. On south-facing slopes on the north side of the valley, the Meeting House Estate is in a protected, elevated position. The main manor house, in the heart of the estate at the end of a long, private drive, has seriously impressive views to the south and west across the Congresbury Yeo valley, which links Blagdon Lake to the Bristol Channel. Constructed about 24 years ago, the Meeting House forms a courtyard, with gardens enclosed by high- and low-level stone walls. Double wooden doors open into a large reception hall, with a sweeping staircase to the first floor, and a cloakroom, coat cupboard and boiler room. From the magnificent drawing room, French doors open onto a stone terrace and grassed courtyard with a corner pergola. You’ll also find a dining room with open fireplace, large utility room/laundry room and pantry, kitchen/breakfast room/sitting room, billiard room, boot room, cellar, another cloakroom, and a conservatory leading out to a vegetable garden, plus five bedrooms, three of them ensuite. To the east of the main drive, the semidetached Hortswood Farm comprises an entrance porch, boot room, utility room with WC, kitchen with wood burner, living room with open fireplace and doors to the garden, and a dining room. Upstairs are four bedrooms, including a master bedroom with built-in wardrobes and a family bathroom with twin sinks. There’s a workshop, general store and single garage attached to the house, and outside is a large garden with kennels. Next
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door is the smaller, three-bedroom Hortswood Cottage - upstairs, a single door connects the two properties, which have previously been lived in as a single dwelling. Both cottages are currently occupied by estate employees. Behind the cottage, a number of agricultural buildings are currently being used by the estate for storing machinery and firewood, including a four-bay, block-base and timberclad barn, open-fronted general store and two steel-portal framed barns. The latter have been converted from agricultural use to commercial and are let on a business lease to a company manufacturing bespoke kitchens, with the side of one of them converted into offices. The rolling countryside is currently split between arable land growing a cereal rotation of wheat, oats, barley and oil seed rape (about 69 acres), pasture used for grazing sheep (about 82 acres) and about 77 acres of flower meadows. Mainly classified as Grade 3, the land has been let to a neighbouring farmer on a farm business tenancy. In recent years most of the pasture land has been wildflower meadow, with some grazing. About 115 acres of woodland provide the basis for an existing shoot. The woods have been laid out to take advantage of the natural undulations of the land to encourage high, challenging birds. There are eight principal drives, allowing for half a dozen days per season. The shoot hasn’t been operated for the past few seasons, and for ease of management, the release pens have been dismantled. Once safely ensconced in the manor house, you’ll be 11 miles from Bristol and 22 from Bath, with good access to the M4 and M5. Should you ever want to leave, Bristol Airport is three miles north, and there are regular trains from Yatton, five miles away, to Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington. Feeling really flush? In addition to Lot 1, featured here, the Meeting House Estate, sprawling gorgeously over more than 400 acres, also includes a four-bedroom farmhouse in 11 acres of private parkland, with woodland to the rear (Lot 2), 23 acres of mature broadleaf woodland and an arable field of about 12 acres (Lot 3), a twobedroom cottage (Lot 4), and about 7.8 acres of arable land on the south side of Long Lane (Lot 5).
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PROPERTY
MEETING HOUSE FARM WRINGTON, NORTH SOMERSET, GUIDE PRICE £4,250,000 ➻ The entire Meeting House Estate is available for sale as a
whole (guide price £5,750,000), or in up to five lots by private treaty, including Lot 1, the Meeting House Farm.
FFI VIEWING STRICTLY BY CONFIRMED APPOINTMENT WITH STRUTT & PARKER: SALISBURY (01722 344010) & LONDON (0207 7629 7282). FFI: STRUTTANDPARKER.COM
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BRISTOL LIVING
PIECESOFME
GILL COCKWELL Bristol-based stylist, designer, dressmaker and costumier with a fine line in corsets
G
ill Cockwell (trading as Gilly Woo: www. gillywoo.com) began her sewing career at the tender age of six and was sketching designs and fashioning garments by the time she was 10. Since 2000, Gill has been building a brand that’s become synonymous with quality, individuality and style, and she’s now a master craftswoman, making unique bridal gowns, cocktail dresses and occasion wear. She particularly concentrates on silhouette and form, and her made-to-measure corsetry-based designs are exquisitely cut to smooth and shape the wearer’s natural contours. She’s out to celebrate and accentuate feminine curves and make the wearer feel sculpted and sexy. As part of her evolving portfolio, Gill has also become an experienced stylist, working regularly on magazine photoshoots and TV shows.
Bell’s Diner in Montpelier is the starting point for Gill’s perfect night out...
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Best piece of advice I’ve ever been given… If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. What’s in my handbag…? Mobile phone, gel tears, lipgloss, perfume atomiser, Filofax, keys, chewing gum, purse, book, Folio - no, really! I just picked it up from the coffee shop before I answered these questions! - leather gloves, sunglasses and a laptop charger. My perfect night out in Bristol… The taster menu and wine flight at Bell’s Diner followed by disco dancing with drag queens in Old Market. Tell you a secret about me…? I can cartwheel in high heels.
Favourite book… Mrs Harris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico, first published in 1958. Favourite film… The End of the Affair. Biggest career highlight… A client travelled all the way from Australia to have me make a bodice for her.
Gill’s bridal gowns are truly the stuff of makebelieve
Gilly Woo pics: David Cotter
Gill’s exquisitely cut corsets are designed to make any woman feel sculpted and sexy
Favourite things to do in my downtime… Read, write, think, drink, run.
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