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IN THE MOOD FOR SOME LOVE? The snow has thawed, but will your heart be melting this month? Yes, it’s that Valentine’s time of the year, when relationships are affirmed… or possibly ruined if you failed to get your partner an appropriately romantic gift or treat. Follow Folio’s advice, of course, and nothing can possibly go wrong! Melissa Blease has all sorts of suggestions for a great February 14 in her guide to modern love (page 4); Anna Britten follows suit with some charmingly soppy ideas for a holding-hands day out (page 25). And if your idea of a loving gift stretches beyond a bunch of wilted roses, check out our Valentine’s gift guide (page 62) or contemplate the lure of lingerie in our fashion spread (page 56). If you don’t fancy buying the girl of your dreams the underwear of her dreams, you could always try winning some – see the competition on page 28. If you’re single, you might need cheering up on February 14. Look no further than our comedy special (page 10), a timely reminder of just how vibrant and chucklesome the local scene has become in recent times. Another reason to be cheerful: as promised, we’ve upgraded our what’s on coverage still further this month, doubling the size of both the Performance (page 20) and Music (page 22) sections. Much more quantity, then, but no reduction in the quality of the journalism that has always made Folio stand out from the crowd. I hope you enjoy your month as much as I’m sure you’ll enjoy this magazine.
FEATURES 4 Melissa Blease can help you make the most of Valentine’s Day 10 There’s a lively spring ahead on the West Country’s comedy circuit.
WHAT'S ON 14 What to do in February 16 In our recently expanded film section, Robin Askew previews February’s major releases. 19 An update on the local art scene 20 Bigger and better: two pages of theatrical and comedy highlights for February 22 Another expanded section! Top gigs and concerts for the month, and an interview with Lady Nade 25 Make the most of Valentine’s Day with Anna Britten’s tips on local romantic outings
4 SPREADING THE LOVE
COMPETITIONS 28 WIN exquisite lingerie and an innovative travel bag
EATING OUT WEST 32 Melissa Blease goes bargain hunting at some of Bristol & Bath’s top restaurants 38 Tony Benjamin looks forward to this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight 40 Restaurant review: Nonna’s Cucina Italiana 42 Restaurant review: Aqua Italia 44 Restaurant review: Graze Bar 45 Restaurant review: Alma Tavern 46 Recipe of the month 48 Pub of the month: Kings Arms 51 Shop of the month: The Bath Cake Company 53 What’s cooking: news and markets
10
Funny business comedy special
LIFESTYLE 56 Fashion: Suzanne Savill checks out outfits that could inspire a red-hot romance 60 Shop of the month: Bristol Costco 62 Valentine’s Gift Guide 66 Beauty: Ellie Pipe is all a-glow after a professional spray tan – in her own kitchen 69 Health: recovery retreats, safe surfing 71 Motoring: the Mk7 Golf 73 Education: Clifton High’s trip to Cologne 74 Skills: hone the art of live performance 78 Travel: Walk the Inca Trail. Or the Gower
Dave Higgitt Acting Folio Editor
HOMEFRONT
@folioeditor
@eatingoutwest
86 Beat the blues with a budget-saving new year revamp 90 Transform your conservatory 92 Seasonal gardening tips 94 Property showcases: two stunning local houses
56 Learning to love lingerie
81 Go for a luxury break in The Gower
Subscribe to Folio! Just send a cheque for £24 (payable to Folio) to our Bristol address or phone with credit/debit card details and you’ll get the next 12 issues sent to your home, or 6 issues for £13 – the only way to guarantee you’ll get every copy of the West’s fastest-growing lifestyle magazine. Ffi: 0117 934 3741 Folio Bristol Bristol News & Media, Temple Way, Bristol, BS99 7HD tel 0117 942 8491 fax 0117 934 3566 email dave.higgitt@b-nm.co.uk or editor@foliomagazine.co.uk Folio Bath Bath News & Media, Floor 2, Westpoint, James West St, Bath BA1 1UN tel 01225 429801 fax 01225 447602 Editor Rachel Nott Acting Editor Dave Higgitt Studio Manager Cath Evans Art Editor Sarah Malone Designer Dan Srokosz Sub-editor Tom Phillips Commercial Director Becky Davis Publications Co-ordinators Ruth Wood, Emma Gorton Advertising Bex Baddiley, Adam Burrows, Ellie Pipe, Ben Wright Distribution Simon Butler Marketing & social media Nic Matthews Ring us now for details of how to reach our 75,000 readers – and if you’re a reader, contact our advertisers now! Do please let them know where you read about their services. Thank you. Folio articles preceded by the words ‘Folio Profile’ have been supplied by a third party, and the information contained within them does not necessarily constitute a direct recommendation by the publishers. However, we only accept submissions from bona fide companies whom we know from long experience to provide quality goods or services.
42 Restaurant review: Aqua Italia FOLIO/FEB 2013 3
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FEATURE
SPREADING THE
Love Whether you’re already happily matched or still looking for love, Melissa Blease can help you make the most of Valentine’s Day
L
ove it or loathe it, Valentine’s Day – the annual love-in shebang (or sickly schmaltz fest, depending on your perspective) – comes around every 14 February. But not everybody will be in the mood for lurve. You might still be reeling from the shock induced by a recent relationship finale. You might have decided to accept that you just ain’t gonna find that all-too-illusive soul mate. You might be thinking that there’s no room in your life for a relationship, or that the partner you do have doesn’t need any fuss making over them just because of a date on the calendar, or that you’d really like to give it a go with a ‘special someone’ but just don’t know how to catch their eye. Or, you may be embarking on a first date... blimey, the permutations are endless! But whatever your situation, circumstances or attitude this Valentine’s Day, being caught in Cupid’s line of fire doesn’t have to hurt.
Clockwise from this pic: relax in the open-air rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa (see page 8); enjoy modern British cuisine in Tudor surroundings at Thornbury Castle; cocktails at TGI Friday’s with Bristol Social Group (see page 6); a taste of the good life with Grape Vine Social (see page 6); do extraordinary things with Spice (see page 6); pamper yourself at the Vale Resort (see page 8)
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FEATURE
GOOD MOOD FOOD ➻ Whether you’re planning a hot date or dinner with a mate, we know where you can feed your heart’s desires this Valentine’s Day. Set in four acres of gardens on the fringes of the UK’s most beautiful Georgian city, the Bath Priory epitomises grace and style at its most luxurious. The food is fantastic, the surroundings are gorgeous and the level of luxury is the stuff that dreams are made of – this elegant, luxurious retreat feels as though it’s in a world of its own, when actually it’s only a brief hop from the city centre itself. And it’s got a Michelin star. What more do you want? Well, a taste of France might be nice. All those who have eaten at Casanis – a mini-oasis of Gallic delight tucked away on one of the prettiest lanes in Bath – claim that chef Laurent Couvreur’s seductive, authentic French menus easily beat music to the number one spot in the ‘Food of Love’ stakes. Steaks! Now there’s an idea. Firmly established at the heart of the eclectic Walcot Street/London Road scene, the Hudson Steakhouse is a super-stylish, supremely easygoing split-level NY-style bar and grill specialising in top-notch contemporary versions of surf’n’turf, perfect steaks (all with impeccable credentials) and cocky cocktails. Meanwhile, in Bristol... Formerly an authentic Arts & Crafts-period manor house, now a glorious boutique hotel and restaurant, Berwick Lodge – just 10 minutes away from the M5/M4 – is set in 15 acres of private garden and woodland, offers views across the Bristol channel... and boasts superstar chef Chris (Bell’s Diner) Wicks at the helm in the kitchen, all of which combine to guarantee a magnificently memorable, magical experience. Fancy dining out like royalty? The crowned heads of Europe turned it into a playground, all manner of titled posh folk have cavorted in the gardens and the kitchen has inspired numerous gastro-anecdotes, many of which food writer Nigel Slater was happy to share in his award winning autobiography ‘Toast’: for glorious modern British cuisine in historic Tudor surroundings, we salute Thornbury Castle. While you’re there, take a peek at (or even stay in?) the Duke’s Bedchamber, where King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once stayed for a slice of gothic romance at its very best. BATH PRIORY WESTON RD, BATH BA1 2XT. FFI: 01225 331922, WWW. THEBATHPRIORY.CO.UK CASANIS 4 SAVILLE ROW, BATH BA1 2QP. FFI: 01225 780055, WWW. CASANIS.CO.UK HUDSON STEAKHOUSE 14 LONDON ST, BATH BA1 5BU. FFI: 01225 332323, WWW.HUDSONBARS.CO.UK BERWICK LODGE BERWICK DRIVE, BRISTOL BS10 7TD. FFI: 0117 958 1590, WWW.BERWICKLODGE.CO.UK THORNBURY CASTLE THORNBURY, BS35 1HH. FFI: 01454 281182, WWW.THORNBURYCASTLE.CO.UK ➻
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FEATURE
Below: Enrich your social life – do samba!; right: go for a weekend break with Bristol Social Group; inset: supper clubs are a Bristol Social Group speciality
SINGLE ON VALENTINE’S DAY? ENJOY YOURSELF! ➻Fans of live music are very well provided for in Bristol and Bath, not least of all ➻ If you’ve recently experienced a courtesy of easy access to a vibrant festival break-up and still feel a little rough scene. But don’t overlook our lovely, lively around the edges, don’t attempt to go it permanent venues in your search for alone on Valentine’s Day – and don’t, concert tickets to make your heart sing. At whatever you do, allow yourself the crystal ball HQ, we predict that the opportunity to call or text your ex in a following tickets will become this year’s “tired and emotional” rage. Instead, hottest properties as winter gives way to arrange to hook up with friends who spring: Bournemouth Symphony understand: remember, many couples Orchestra Hollywood Blockbusters (15 ignore V-Day altogether, while fellow Feb), maestro of movie music Ludovico single friends may really appreciate the Einaud (13 April), Moscow State opportunity for a good night out, Symphony Orchestra (16 May) and whatever the date on the calendar. Or the Bristol Ensemble Beethoven Series (2 consider inviting friends and/or family July), all at Bristol’s Colston Hall (www. members to your place for a V-Day getcolstonhall.org) … Caitlin Rose (26 Feb), together, or offer to take young relatives Space (8 March), The Beat (12 April) and – or your friends’ kids – out for a special Chas and Dave (8 May), all at The Fleece Valentine’s Day treat, leaving mum and (www.thefleece.co.uk) in Bristol … The dad free to “act all soppy”. You’re not Moody Blues (23 June) at Bristol avoiding Cupid, you’re helping him out! Hippodrome (www.atgtickets.com/venues/ Once you’re back on your feet again, bristol-hippodrome) … Philip Glass (14 don’t spend any more time looking back May) at St George’s Bristol (www. over what didn’t happen – it’s time to stgeorgesbristol.co.uk) … Justin Currie (25 look forward to what’s to come. Forget Feb), Hawkwind (3 April), The Levellers on-line/speed dating, overpriced (13 May) and Midge Ure (17 May), all at agencies and small ads listings; follow Komedia Bath (www.komedia.co.uk/bath). your real passion in life, and work on ➻becoming the person your dream partner would want to fall in love with. From samba dancing classes to cookery schools, book clubs and film societies to foreign language courses and circus skills masterclasses, it’s time to indulge your life-long passions away from your search for that illusive “other half” – and remember: “it is into the fullest lives that love is most likely to fall.”
SINGLE?
GET SOCIAL! ➻ Social groups 2013-style exist in a vibrant, fun-lined bubble far, far removed from the ageold, clichéd image of awkward gatherings attended by long-term, ageing singletons who have to be home by 10pm to have their cocoa with mum and dad – and the best groups are meeting up right here on our Bristol and Bath doorsteps. The Bristol Social Group is a “socialising organisation” that arranges events including supper clubs, parties, weekend breaks, holidays and all manner of activities designed to offer members a ready-made group of friends, an instant social life... and the prospect of meeting that special someone in a natural, relaxed manner. Membership normally costs just £100 for one year – but we can do better than that. The lovely, lively Bristol Social Club folk are offering Folio readers a special offer membership package for just £50 – yup, a whopping 50% discount. All you need to do to qualify is state offer code “SG Folio 13” when you make your application, but do it now: this offer expires on 31 March 2013. Urban Social is a one-stop shop bringing online dating services, speed dating, singles parties, news, gossip and Be On TV notices (one way of making sure you’re really out there!) together as one slick, stylish portal, resulting in an online singles community that’s specifically aimed at young urban professionals. Urban Social host loads of events in Bristol and Bath, including speed dating, wine tastings and champagne parties. Or you could, of course, just sit back and join in from the comfort of your own home.... Grape Vine Social offers speed dating parties with a subtly stylish difference, offering single people the chance to taste wine, champagne or
cocktails – and get a flavour of the people who are sipping alongside them at the same time! If the idea is popping your cork, visit the website for details of the next Bristol event taking place in Po Na Na on Queens Road, Friday 22 February, when the £25 ticket includes six different wines to taste, a wine quiz, a party in a funky late-night bar and the opportunity to mingle with a crowd of sociable singles just like you. Tasty! Spice, meanwhile, is described as “the social, adventure and activity group for ordinary people who want to do extraordinary things”. There are currently over 10,000 Spice members nationwide, all of whom are offered a packed schedule of activities to choose from every month. February events in Bristol include a Crazy Golf ‘adventure’, a Cider Tasting evening and a Masterchef Challenge (yes, really!), while Bath members have got a Skyline Walk, pub quizzes and the Not-aValentine’s-Dinner to look forward to. Monthly membership starts at £12, but Preview Nights are free to attend, and offer a glimpse of what you can look forward to if you decide to Spice up your life this year. BRISTOL SOCIAL GROUP 08456 121770, WWW. BRISTOLSOCIALGROUP.COM URBAN SOCIAL WWW.URBANSOCIAL.COM GRAPE VINE SOCIAL WWW.GRAPEVINESOCIAL.COM SPICE BRISTOL AND BATH 07429 598414, WWW. SPICEBRISTOLCARDIFF.COM ➻
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FEATURE This pic: indulge in a Dozen Red Roses Massage at Vale Resort; inset: complimentary robes are part of the package at Thermae Bath Spa
SOPPY SHOPPING!
SPA-ING PARTNERS ➻ Can there be anything more romantic – or indulgent – than a spa treatment? We don’t think so. So think outside the box (of chocolates) this year, and undertake a treat-for-two. If, however, you don’t happen to have a special smoochy ‘someone’ in your life, don’t wait – take your mate! What can be more uplifting than splashing out with a friend? Forget a bunch of red roses. Men who want to treat their partner to something a little bit more imaginative this Valentine’s Day are set to create a swoon-fest with this one: the Dozen Red Roses Massage at the Vale Resort in South Wales, waiting to be booked as part of a romantic overnight break. Wales’s largest spa – undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous in the UK – has taken the traditional gift of a dozen red roses and given it a unique twist by developing a one-off massage treatment inspired by the ancient symbol of love and beauty. The massage treatment uses warm oils infused with the sweet fragrance of pure rose to deliver a relaxing, all over body treatment finished off with a glass of bubbles. Gentlemen, meanwhile, haven’t been overlooked: while their partner is being pampered, He can enjoy a Mood Enhancing Massage which works warm tangerine and patchouli oil deep into the muscles of the back, easing out stress and tension. The Romantic Valentine’s Break includes champagne and chocolates on arrival, a three-course dinner in the Vale Grill, full Welsh breakfast and a full day
enjoying the Vale Spa’s new relaxation and leisure facilities and spa treatments, with prices starting from only £265 per couple. For further information contact the reservations team on 01443 667800 or visit www.vale-hotel.com Or perhaps a trip to the Heritage City is in order? If so, you’d be a ditz to overlook the delights of the Thermae Bath Spa. Their Time for Two package offers a choice of treatments, a two-course meal in the Spa’s Springs Restaurant and four hours to relax and bathe in the natural thermal waters just as the Celts and Romans did nearly 2,000 years ago, for just £189 per couple. Meanwhile, old and new romantics alike couldn’t fail to be entranced by the Twilight Package: relax in the open-air rooftop pool and take in the beautiful views while the sun goes down over Bath, bathing the historic buildings in rich, golden hues. Indulge yourselves in a threehour package that includes complimentary use of towel, robe and slippers and a light supper all for £42 per person. The Twilight package-for-two, meanwhile, costs £80 per couple – delicious. THE VALE RESORT HENSOL PARK, HENSOL, VALE OF GLAMORGAN CF72 8JY. FFI: 01443 667800, WWW.VALE-HOTEL.COM THERMAE BATH SPA HOT BATH ST, BATH BA1 1SJ. FFI: 0844 888 0844, WWW.THERMAEBATHSPA. COM
➻ We’re all aware of the uplifting effects of a bout of retail therapy on any day of the year and as Valentine’s Day approaches, the shops are packed with all kinds of tempting delights: gifts, outfits, luxury food and drink – the high street has gone into lurve-struck overdrive! If, however, you’re not romantically inclined, it can all get a bit too – well, sickly to say the least. Want to know how to cope? We say: know exactly what you’re looking for before you go a-wanderin’, and take our shopping list with you – and for our purposes right here, right now, there’s not a single teddy bear holding a stuffed satin heart in sight. The Mall in Bristol has really pushed the boat out for Valentine’s Day this year, offering allkinds-of-everything-special to create a romantic backdrop and add a subtle splash of sensuality to your domestic environment. In a hurry? Dash into John Lewis and grab yourself a bottle of Palmes d’Or – whether you’re planning to pop that cork for a loved one, a group of friends or even simply treating yourself (’cos, hey, you’re worth it!), it’s one of the fabbest fizzes on the V-Day block. If you’re off on a special date (or maybe just in the market for one?), you’ll find a stunning selection of evening dresses at Coast and Karen Millen (they do great bags too - less romantic, possibly more useful!). But don’t overlook what’s going on underneath that fabulous outfit. Chic lingerie has a retro twist this season, and you’ll find a selection of simply gorgeous lace longline bras in neutral peach tones of the kind that’s guaranteed to add 1950s-style glamour to your boudoir routine. There are some stunning sets available in Topshop, La Senza, M&S, Next and John Lewis, at surprisingly skimpy prices too – gentlemen, don’t say we didn’t warn you... All told, The Mall’s your ultimate one-stop Valentine’s Day shopover. THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL BS34 5DG. FFI: WWW. MALLCRIBBS.COM
Top: stunning dress; right: Dalmation Print Tote & Fashion Weekend Tote. All items from Karen Millen, Cribbs Causeway
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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, London Road, 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 Visit our website: www.oldbankantiquescentre.com Tel: 01225 469282 & 338813 Email: alexatmontague@aol.com
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Top three pics, left to right: veteran promoter Steve Lount; Bath Comedy Walk legend Noel Britten; from Canada to the Tobacco Factory Craig Campbell
FEATURE FEATURE
Funny BUSINESS There’s a lively spring ahead on the West Country’s comedy circuit. Steve Wright picks your best bets for a recession-busting belly laugh
Middle left: Ava Vidal, a Bath Comedy Festival highlight; bottom left: Riproar promoter David Trew; inset: the laconic Jim Smallman appears at Riproar; above: Hal Cruttenden, also coming to the Bath Comedy Festival
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FEATURE
T
Above: Pete Firman brings his comedy magic to Komedia; below: the brilliant and surreal Boothby Graffoe heads to the Rondo
here are two theories about live comedy in a recession. One has it that, during tough times, people need more escapism and that, consequently, live stand-up flourishes: another argues, sensibly, that there is simply less money floating around and some or all clubs will suffer. And, indeed, the last few years on Bristol and Bath’s comedy scene have been eventful, with a handful of new comedy nights springing up, others waving goodbye, and others still managing to do both the aforementioned in the space of a year or two. The headline news, though, is that the best local comedy nights are still flourishing. Bristol’s top survivor is The Comedy Box, which programmes nights both at its own club above the Hen and Chicken pub in Southville, and a little further down the street at the Tobacco Factory Theatre. It’s run by Steve Lount, a local comedy veteran who has been programming comedy in Bristol for over 20 years and who, during the 1990s and early Noughties, saw (and helped) the rise of locally-based comics including Bristol Uni students Simon Pegg, David Walliams, Matt Lucas and Marcus Brigstocke, plus local boys Stephen Merchant and Justin Lee Collins. More recently, Steve has programmed the brilliant annual Bristol BrouHaha comedy festival, which over the past few years has attracted the likes of Rhod Gilbert, John Bishop, Milton Jones and Sarah Millican, and which is scheduled to reappear from 11-20 July this year. And how is the Comedy Box faring as we head towards the busy spring season, Steve? “Stand-up has enjoyed a remarkable boom in recent years,” he reflects. “But for a scene to thrive you have to have venues which are supported by the local population and Bristol certainly has those.” “I am really proud of what we have created,” Steve continues. “It’s taken a long time but I like to think that we have set the bar quite high with regard to live comedy in Bristol. We’re not the biggest comedy venue in town but I believe we put on the best shows. You only need to look at our schedules to see that. All the small to medium touring shows come through the Hen and Chicken and Tobacco Factory, and many of these acts go on to play the Colston Hall or the Hippodrome. But even our weekend stand-up ‘club’ nights feature the kinds of acts that would perform their own solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival.” So, Steve: what about that comedy-in-a-recession conundrum? “It’s a popular idea that during a recession people still seek out entertainment to help forget their woes and live comedy, especially, benefits from this desire. But these days there is so much competition from home entertainment there is almost no need for someone to step outside their own front room. Live big-name comedy is huge at the moment but this success is driven by television – not by a desire for people to go and support their local comedy venue.” Elsewhere in Bristol, David Trew ran, for many years, the brilliant Jesters Comedy Club on Cheltenham Road, and now hosts the Saturdaynight Riproar Comedy sessions at Bristol Cathedral School’s Cresswell Centre. David’s belief is that Bristol has fallen down the UK comedy rankings of late. “Alongside the regular venues, you have the autumn big-name shows at Colston Hall, and the occasional other gig that crops up.
Compare Bristol to Birmingham, Leicester, Cardiff or London, however, and we’re sadly lacking – even when you compensate for bigger populations in some of these cities. That said, the clubs that do exist tend to punch above their weight. Riproar has been pulling some fantastic numbers through the door, running some great shows, and carrying on where Jesters left off. According to the comedians, the room is one of the nicest in the country – and this makes one hell of a difference to just about every aspect of a comedy show.” What Bristol needs, David argues, is a classy, big, city-centre venue, capable of attracting the household names as well as running the top-notch, weekly comedy nights, “These aren’t easy to come by of course, and many would have it that, live, standup has had its day. All I can say at this point is that I’m working on it!” Watch this space… Other Bristol options include Jongleurs Comedy Club in the centre of town, which lures three or four circuit comics every Saturday and most Friday nights for an evening of mainstream, high-octane comedy. Colston Hall and, more occasionally, Bristol Hippodrome will lure the big-name comics and folk you’ve seen on the telly. Right at the other end of the scale, Kingsdown’s Wardrobe Theatre, Southville’s Cookers Comedy and Clifton’s Oppo Comedy should be on your radar if you like your comedy intimate and adventurous – and your comics emerging. Over in Bath, much of the energy of the local comedy scene across the last two decades has come down to Geoff Whiting, who founded his Mirth Control comedy empire back in 1998. The UK’s largest independent comedy booker, Mirth Control books over 90 comedy clubs and venues nationwide – and has recently expanded into Europe with regular comedy nights in Croatia, Malta, Romania and Hungary. From 1997 until 2011, meanwhile, Geoff booked and compered the Sunday stand-up nights at Bath’s Comedy Cavern. A stone-walled basement underneath the Porter pub on George Street, the Cavern was an extraordinarily intimate basement venue that could generate a uniquely communal atmosphere. Acts like Russell Howard, Stephen Merchant and the two Carrs, Jimmy and
Stephen Merchant (right) and Justin Lee Collins: their rise to fame began in Bristol
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FEATURE
Highlights for 2013 BRISTOL
BATH
➻ COMEDY BOX
➻ KOMEDIA
Check out Romesh Ranganathan (Fri 19 & Sat 20 April), an exciting prospect on the UK circuit whose withering views on married life and parenting should resonate with a large tranche of the Comedy Box’s audience.
FFI: WWW.THECOMEDYBOX.CO.UK
➻ TOBACCO FACTORY
The hugely wellconnected Bristol comic Mark Olver
Alan, cut their comic teeth there down the years. It was a sad moment when the original Cavern finally folded – but the night has cropped up in various new venues since, and is currently in residence at the friendly Victoria Pub & Kitchen next to Royal Victoria Park. Another key Bath figure is Noel Britten, who started performing while a student in the city in 1985, got together some stand-ups and then finally launched his distinctive Bizarre Bath comedy walk in 1992, which he has run more or less every evening during the summer ever since. Bath also boasts two superb festivals with comedy running right through their DNA: April’s Bath Comedy Festival and the vast and freewheeling Bath Fringe (May-June), of which comedy is always a strong strand. A newer arrival is Komedia, the elegant comedy and music venue housed in a former cinema in Westgate Street. “2013 looks an exciting year here at Komedia, with visits from some top-class comics,” says the club’s marketing manager Erica Pease. She’s right: this year’s line-up includes visits from Jimeoin, a relaxed, amiable Irish comic with an amusingly mobile set of facial expressions and vocal deliveries, and the incomparable Richard Herring. Also popping in is Count Arthur Strong, the beautifully-realised alter ego of comic Steve Delaney: a legendary Lancastrian variety performer and raconteur who has graced Britain’s music-hall stages since the 1950s. Now prone to frequent bouts of memory loss, the Count’s conversation is littered with malapropisms and loopy syntax. Wonderful stuff. In its four years to date, Komedia has welcomed the likes of Russell Howard, Ross Noble and Jenny Éclair, while the Saturday night Krater Comedy Club sessions bring three or four top touring comics each week. No surprise that Komedia Bath has won chortle.co.uk’s Best Venue (Wales and West) twice since opening. And what about the recession chez Komedia? “We are seeing a pretty steady trend with the number of ticket sales and the amount people spend on food and wine on the increase,” says Erica. “A recession simply forces people to choose their entertainment more carefully. Bath is so jam packed with cultural activity with a now year-round programme of festivals and events that audiences have to be more picky.”
Stalwart stand-up Lee Hurst returns to Bristol this spring (Sun 24 Feb) with his new show ‘Too Scared to Leave The House’, while The Lumberjacks Show (Tue 7 & Wed 8 May) features three splendid Canadian comics – Stewart Francis, Craig Campbell and the superbly theatrical Glenn Wool.
FFI: WWW.TOBACCOFACTORYTHEATRE. COM
➻ RIPROAR COMEDY
We like the look of the Sat 17 Feb bill at Riproar, featuring Alistair Barrie, Joe Rowntree and David Whitney, a shoutily amusing posh boy from a military family, who’s also a professional bagpiper. Book, too, for Sat 23 March, which features sets from the laconic, engaging Jim Smallman and comedian and former Times obituarist Liam Mullone, who mixes sharp cynicism with sophisticated wordplay.
FFI: WWW.RIPROARCOMEDY.CO.UK
➻ COLSTON HALL
Don’t miss Pete Firman (Thur 4 April), “the new poster-boy for British comedy magic” (Daily Telegraph), as he returns to the road with an all-new box of tricks. Fresh from BBC1’s ‘The Magicians’, with his own trademark blend of comedy and jaw-dropping magic. Not for the squeamish.
FFI: WWW.KOMEDIA.CO.UK/BATH
➻ BATH COMEDY FESTIVAL
Highlights for BCF ’13 include The Comedy Road Show Special (Mon 1 April), featuring three acts who have all graced the Michael McIntyre Comedy Road Show: Hal Cruttenden, Ava Vidal and Mike Gunn. There’s also a return for the hugely popular White Wine Arts Trail (Sun 31 Mar), a citycentre tour aboard a Routemaster bus, with plenty of wine and performances from Arthur Smith and Bath comedy/ theatre troupes old and new, Natural Theatre Company and New Old Friends.
FFI: WWW.BATHCOMEDY.COM
➻ RONDO THEATRE Larkhall’s friendly fringe theatre always has a strong comedy strand running through each season. A spring highlight is the visit of Boothby Graffoe (Sat 2 Mar), an eccentric – and brilliant – musical comic with a hint of Spike Milligan’s surrealism about him. FFI: WWW.RONDOTHEATRE.CO.UK
Book sharpish for the brilliantly insightful, high-octane Essex lad Russell Kane (Fri 5 Apr), and don’t miss some more skewed observations on the state we’re in from cerebral R4 fave Marcus Brigstocke (Tue 16 Apr). Last but not least, the Count of Camp Julian Clary brings his brand new show here on Wed 15 May.
FFI: WWW.COLSTONHALL.ORG
➻ THE WARDROBE THEATRE
Don’t miss The Wardrobe’s Comedy Preview Week (Mon 11-Fri 15 Feb), five nights of top headline acts roadtesting their new stuff before going on to national tours and TV appearances. No details as yet, but it’s programmed by the hugely well-connected Bristol comic Mark Olver, and previous acts have included Russell Howard, Seann Walsh and Jon Richardson.
FFI: WWW.THEWARDROBETHEATRE.COM
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WHAT’SON
FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC
➻ WHAT'SON
WHAT TO DO IN...
Feb
FAB FROCKS, CHOCOLATE, LION DANCES AND TANGOS … MAKE A DATE FOR THIS MONTH’S HOT TICKETS
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SWEET DREAMS
Giving a box of chocolates on Valentine’s is a tired old cliché; instead, take your main squeeze on a multi-sensory tour through the history, magic and science behind the delicious brown stuff. Bristol’s M Shed opens a new interactive, scent-enriched exhibition this month exploring the stories of Bristolian chocolate makers from the last three centuries, reminiscing about some muchloved chocs of yesteryear and examining why the stuff tastes so delicious, with a selection of themed events along the way, like the Chocolate Valentines event on 14 Feb, which includes champagne and truffles before a screening of the film Chocolat starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. CHOCOLATE 2 FEB-6 MAY, M SHED, BRISTOL, £5/£4 CONCESSIONS/CHILDREN £3 (UNDER 5 YEARS FREE). CHOCOLATE VALENTINE’S 14 FEB: £6/£5 CONCESSIONS. BOOKING ESSENTIAL ON 0117 352 6914. FFI: MSHED.ORG
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FROCK OF AGES
From Vivienne Westwood’s bondage trousers to an Edwardian champagne dress, Bath’s Fashion Museum pulls out some surprises to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Founded as the Museum of Costume in 1963 by writer, costume designer and dress collector Doris Langley Moore, the museum continues to wow fashion fans with its extraordinary collection of historic and contemporary dress. Alongside Westwood’s punkish creations come a gold embroidered Georgian court dress and a 19th-century gauze bustle day dress, as well as some of the finest work by more modern designers including Ossie Clark, Chanel and Christian Dior, highlighting the breadth of the museum’s collection and key moments in fashion history over the last four centuries. All in all, a very stylish show – but don’t worry – there’s no dress code for visitors. 50 FABULOUS FROCKS FROM SUN 2 FEB UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR, FASHION MUSEUM, ASSEMBLY ROOMS, BENNETT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 477789, WWW.MUSEUMOFCOSTUME.CO.UK
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A TALK ON THE WILD SIDE
From Iron Age legends to Victorian ghosts, local storyteller Martin Maudsley (pictured) spins out an evening of heartwarming yarns and unexpected events inspired by the people and places of Bristol’s ancient Downs.
WILD TALES AND LOCAL LEGENDS OF THE DOWNS 5 FEB, BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, 7-8.15PM, £5. FOR AGES 14+. CONTACT THE AVON GORGE & DOWNS WILDLIFE PROJECT TO BOOK: 0117 903 0609 OR MLEIVERS@BRISTOLZOO.ORG.UK
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JUST DESSERTS
Tyntesfield is an atmospheric Gothic mansion set in its own fabulous estate at Wraxall, just outside Bristol. Now owned by the National Trust, it hosts a series of life-enriching events every Friday, from stargazing to treasure hunts. This month’s Feelgood Friday highlight is ‘Delicious Desserts’ – a tempting afternoon of cooking demonstrations from one of Tyntesfield’s chefs. Learn how to make two sumptuous puddings, ask questions, get some expert advice and then tuck into one of the chef’s sweet creations for afters TYNTESFIELD FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: DELICIOUS DESSERTS 8 FEB, TYNTESFIELD, WRAXALL, BRISTOL, 2PM, £20. FFI: 01275 461 900, WWW.NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK/TYNTESFIELD
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TEA AND TANGO
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BRYAN FERRELL
WHAT’SON
HAPPY NEW YEAR
If your New Year’s celebrations were a bit of an anti-climax, here’s a second chance, as Bath’s Museum of East Asian Art brings a lion dance, acrobats, Chinese traditional dance and martial arts demonstrations to celebrate the Lunar New Year – there’ll also be magic, games and Chinese and Asian craft and activities stalls running throughout the day.
LUNAR NEW YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA 17 FEB, ASSEMBLY ROOMS, BATH, FROM 11.30AM, FREE. FFI: 01225 464640, WWW.MEAA.ORG.UK
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QUARK LIFE
Every parent you speak to seems to think that their child is some kind of genius. But has your anklebiter mastered particle physics yet? Thought not. Give them a headstart at this hands-on workshop with Kerrianne Harrington from the University of Bath, as she takes a lively look at the tiniest bits of the universe, stripping life down to subatomic level. It’s the inside story of the CERN collider and the elusive Higgs Boson, retold for kids – beats CBeebies hands down on the genius stakes. PEERING INTO NOTHING 9 FEB, BATH ROYAL LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION, 16 QUEEN SQUARE, BATH, 1-4PM, £2 CHILDREN/£4 ADULTS. BOOKING ESSENTIAL. FFI: 01225 312084, WWW.BRLSI.ORG/ YOUTHACTIVITIES.S
VINTAGE VALENTINE’S TANGO TEA DANCE 10 FEB, THE REDLAND CLUB, BURLINGTON ROAD, BRISTOL, ARRIVE AT 2PM FOR AN OPTIONAL TANGO DANCE CLASS WITH TEA DANCE FROM 3-6PM. £15 FOR TEA DANCE, £5 FOR CLASS. FFI: 07981 756965, WWW.TANGOWEST.CO.UK
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DENICE STOUT
Take a trip back to the roaring 20s at this carefully styled afternoon of rhythm and romance, inspired by the steamy salons of inter-war Buenos Aires. A chance to learn this sensuous Latino dance in an old-style dancehall – try the tango, then scoff an elegant afternoon tea served on vintage crockery. Glamorous 1920s fancy dress is encouraged – there’ll be a photo booth to capture you in all your finery.
CROW FOR IT
Expect murders and conspiracies on this fascinating walk across Bristol’s ancient Downs with naturalist Richard Bland. Maybe even a flying train. Murders of crows that is, and conspiracies of ravens – for this is a walk to learn about the various members of the much-maligned crow family. The flying train? A ‘train’, as Richard could doubtless tell you, is the collective noun for jackdaws. Now you know. AS THE CROW FLIES 24 FEB, THE DOWNS, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, 9-10.30AM, £3. BOOK WITH THE AVON GORGE & DOWNS WILDLIFE PROJECT AT BRISTOL ZOO ON 0117 903 0609 OR MLEIVERS@ BRISTOLZOO.ORG.UK
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WHAT’S ON FILM
SCREEN STEALERS Robin Askew picks some highlights from this month’s cinematic crop
FLIGHT
OPENS 1 FEB A spectacular 20-minute crash landing sequence kicks off director Robert Zemeckis’s return to live-action from performance-capture animation. Pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) uses all his skill to land a stricken aircraft, saving the lives of 98 passengers. Naturally, Whip is acclaimed as a hero. The trouble is that he’s also a drug addict and alcoholic who’s prone to going on all-night benders before flights. Now the airline requires a scapegoat to take responsibility. Whip is forced to face up to his recklessness in this complex, intelligent addiction drama. (15)
SONG FOR MARION
A LIAR'S THIS IS 40 Judd Apatow’s AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Another film aimed squarely at the ‘Quartet’ market of more mature cinema-goers. The surprise is that it’s directed by Paul Andrew Williams, whose last effort was the grisly horror flick ‘Cherry Tree Lane’. Vanessa Redgrave plays a biddy who deals with her cancer diagnosis by throwing herself into the local choir, run by schoolteacher Gemma Arterton. As her condition worsens, she attempts to involve her grumpy husband Terence Stamp. A film for anyone who enjoys watching prim pensioners tackling slightly risqué pop hits. (PG)
Subtitled ‘The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman’, this animated adaptation of Chapman’s autobiography is co-directed by Terry Jones’s son Bill, who was also behind ‘Monty Python: Almost the Truth’. Fourteen different animation studios, including two Bristol ones (A for Animation and ArthurCox), were used to tell this unreliable yarn. Chapman’s own voice is taken from a reading of the book just before his death, while Michael Palin voices his father and Terry Jones voices his mum. (15)
OPENS 8 FEB
OPENS 14 FEB
OPENS 8 FEB
Valentine’s Day gift to us all is a sequel of sorts to his 2007 hit comedy ‘Knocked Up’. ‘This is 40’ focuses on two of the minor characters from that film, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Apatow’s wife Leslie Mann), as they approach middle age. Keeping it in the family, the Apatows’ daughters play the children of the fictional couple. As you might expect, the film anchors its gross-out comedy in emotional honesty as Pete and Debbie struggle to keep the spark of their relationship alive through mid-life crises, career challenges and the pressures of parenthood. (15)
CLOUD ATLAS OPENS 22 FEB It’s been so long since we heard from ‘Matrix’ directors the Wachowski brothers that one of them has had time to undergo a sex change to become a sister! This follow-up to 2008’s poorly received ‘Speed Racer’ is adapted from an “unfilmable” novel by David Mitchell. It’s one of those globetrotting “everything is connected” dramas that links characters and stories ranging from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant lead the cast, playing a variety of different roles. This is certainly film-making on a grand scale, with a reported $100 million budget. (15)
FOR MUCH MORE FILM, VISIT WWW.VENUE.CO.UK 16 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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WHAT’S ON
HIT OR MISS? Robin Askew reviews the new Hitchcock bio-pic and the film they’re calling this year’s ‘King’s Speech’
My bloody Valentine! Bruce is back
THE REEL THING ➻ Fancy spending Valentine’s
HITCHCOCK
OPENS 8 FEB Weirdly, Sacha Gervasi’s ‘Hitchock’ ends more or less where the BBC’s excellent recent drama ‘The Girl’ began. That makes comparisons between the two films inevitable. Anthony Hopkins straps on the fat suit as a showier but no less leery Hitch than the Toby Jones incarnation. Helen Mirren, meanwhile, plays a rather more glamorous Alma – aka Mrs Hitch – than Imelda Staunton did on the telly. Gervasi, who wrote ‘The Terminal’ for Spielberg, opts for a loose adaptation of Stephen Rebello’s book ‘Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of ‘Psycho’’. This means he isn’t hostage to a single viewpoint as the BBC film was. Unlike the chameleon Jones, Hopkins never disappears inside the character, but he does succeed in capturing the essence of Hitch. Casting a star of Mirren’s magnitude means that Alma’s contribution to the creative and marital partnership is never
overlooked. ‘Hitchcock’ is at its best in the nuts ‘n’ bolts of the fascinating background to the creation of ‘Psycho’, the announcement of which was greeted with near-universal hostility. Paramount refused to finance the project, prompting the couple to risk everything by remortgaging their home. Hitch also tussled with the censor throughout. Scarlett Johansson gives an able performance as Janet Leigh, the latest blonde object of Hitch’s sadistic affections, and the shooting of the legendary shower sequence is suitably electrifying. James D’Arcy contributes such an uncanny impersonation of Anthony Perkins that you can’t help but wish there was more for him to do. There are plenty of other superlative moments – none more so than when we see Hitch gleefully ‘conducting’ audience shrieks of terror during the film’s premiere. (12A)
HYDE PARK ON HUDSON OPENS 1 FEB “This year’s ‘The King’s Speech’” is the mantra adopted by publicists for ‘Notting Hill’ director Roger Michell’s period drama. Unfolding over a weekend in 1939, it explores the secret relationship between frisky, wheelchair-bound US President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Bill Murray, less soporific than of late, pictured right) and his demure narrating distant cousin Daisy (Laura Linney). Complicating matters is a royal visit to FDR’s country estate by stammering King Bertie (Samuel West, giving a rather more low-key performance than Colin Firth) and snooty Queen Liz (Olivia Colman, perfecting an expression of regal disdain), who seek US support for the impending war with Germany. In the battle of the Presidentially-themed Oscar bait, this handsomely staged yet slight and frothy yarn stands little chance against Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ juggernaut and never quite sheds the taint of
opportunism. Much of its middlebrow humour derives from Elizabeth’s fear that FDR is making fun of the royal couple. The film also suggests, rather improbably, that the fabled ‘Special Relationship’ hinged upon Bertie’s game consumption of a vulgar hot dog during a picnic. Although Daisy is positioned at the centre of the story, Linney’s role is a rather thankless supporting one to the developing bromance between wily FDR and inexperienced Bertie. Olivia Williams winds up stealing it as feisty Eleanor Roosevelt, who’s unimpressed by the flummery surrounding royalty and turns a blind eye to her husband’s multiple infidelities. (12A)
Day with Bruce Willis? No, that’s not a joke. In a move that could be interpreted as a cruel ruse to fuel relationship bust-ups, Fox have chosen 14 February as the release date for A Good Day to Die Hard (that’s ‘Die Hard 5’, for those who are still counting). If loud and sustained vengeance conducted by an elderly action hero is not your idea of a romantic night out, there are alternatives. Two of the major cinema chains, for example, are dusting down a pair of Baz Luhrmann classics for one-day-only re-releases. Take your pick between Moulin Rouge at the Cineworld or William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet at Vue. Tweenies get supernatural love story Beautiful Creatures, adapted from a popular ‘young adult’ novel. This jumps the gun a bit by opening on Wed 13 and is the latest attempt to fill that enormous Potter/Twilightshaped franchise hole in the release schedules. Down at the Watershed, they’re celebrating in more traditional style with Roman Holiday. Recently restored, William Wyler’s 1953 romance features an Oscar-winning performance by Audrey Hepburn as a princess who falls for reporter Gregory Peck in Rome. Its subtext about the quest for freedom acquires an added piquancy with the knowledge that it was written pseudonymously by blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. Rather more ‘alternative’ is the Cube microplex’s choice. American artist Frances Stark’s feature-length digital animation My Best Thing takes its dialogue from encounters she had with two young Italian men on a video dating site! FOLIO/FEB 2013 17
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WHAT’S ON ART SCENE
PICTURE THIS
From photographic distortions to dynamic landscapes, Steve Wright rounds up the best exhibitions and events
REALITY CHECK This fine-looking exhibition at Bath’s fledgling 1-17 FEB artspace 44AD brings together a selection of award-winning contemporary artists and photographers: the common thread they all share is an interest in distorting, via a range of artistic strategies, the world seen through their lens. The line-up includes Jonny Briggs (whose work is pictured here), winner of the New Sensations art prize in 2011, and John Stezaker, a surreal, funny and often disturbing collagist who unashamedly cuts up other people’s pictures in the name of his art. Elsewhere, Alison Jackson is best known for her lookalike photographs of celebrities – perhaps most famously an image apparently portraying Princess Diana, Dodi al Fayed and their mixedrace love child. “These artists use the camera not to show the truth, but rather as one of the weapons in their armoury to convey their preferred message,” explains 44AD’s Katie O’Brien. “Images are distorted and manipulated – altered, cut, layered, collaged, appropriated, painted or stitched over; the scene portrayed may be enhanced, added to or entirely faked; the images allude to other meanings, question accepted ideas or refer to social, cultural or internal worlds.”
Matthew Houlding's retro-futuristic collages feature at the ICIA
GALLERY PICKS
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
FFI WWW.44AD.NET
INNOCENT FINE ART 2 FEB - 2 MAR Clifton Village’s excellent Innocent Fine Art gives us a break from the bleak midwinter with this summery group show. You’ll find some beautiful canvasses (pictured) by Glos painter Sally Stafford, whose dense, intricate floral studies draw the viewer in from afar – before disintegrating into hundreds of dazzling kinetic shapes as you get close.
FFI WWW.INNOCENTFINEART.CO.UK
CENTRESPACE
WINTER STORIES
1-11 FEB This adventurous artspace, tucked down a snaking alley off Corn Street in the centre of Bristol, kicks off its 2013 programme with a joint exhibition by artists Victoria Topping and David Addison. The duo both made their mark designing imagery for the local club scene, and now return to Bristol for this joint outing featuring large-scale paintings, prints and site-specific installations, many of them collaborative.
2-3 FEB Bath Artists’ Studios present this performance of song, music and story evoking the winter landscape, alongside an exhibition on winter themes by BAS artists. Wiltshire’s own folk group The Yirdbards (the picture above is from their album artwork) will recall the winter season past and present, with the help of traditional narratives by ‘peasant poets’ Stephen Duck and Mary Collier and contemporary themes on winter by writer Peter Please.
FFI WWW.CENTRESPACEGALLERY.COM FFI WWW.BATHARTISTSSTUDIOS.CO.UK
FOR MUCH MORE ART VISIT, WWW.VENUE.CO.UK
➻ Other arty highlights this month include a solo exhibition for sculptor and collagist Matthew Houlding at Bath University’s ICIA Art Space 2. ‘Under the Black Sun of Joy’ (22 Feb28 Mar) features a selection of new work by this artist whose sculptures and collages draw us into a fantastic, retro-futuristic world, inspired by architectural forms and models (www.bath.ac.uk/icia) ... Arnolfini’s first big show of 2013 is Version Control (2 Feb-14 Apr), in which artists and performers including Felix Gmelin, Tim Etchells, Andy Holden and Nora Schultz explore the nature of performance within contemporary art, asking such questions as: how do our encounters with objects and images affect our thinking and actions – and how do they perform together with us? (www.arnolfini.org. uk) … Bedminster’s Grant Bradley Gallery has some roots planted firmly in the local artistic landscapes, as this month’s exhibition demonstrates. Cornucopia (9 Feb-2 Mar) features work by some 30 artists associated with the life drawing classes at Bristol Grammar School. Studies of the human form will, of course, be to the fore – but you’ll also find landscapes, abstract work, painting, sculpture, mixed and electronic media (www. grantbradleygallery.co.uk) … Last but not least, we like the look of Roadtrip USA (11 Feb-8 Mar, Photographique, Bristol), a photographic journey through the American South West by Bristol photographers Jade French and Phil Harris. The duo travelled, last spring, from Los Angeles to Roswell, New Mexico and thence up through the Canyons to San Francisco: this is their visual document of that journey of contrasts (www.photographique. co.uk). FOLIO/FEB 2013 19
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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 and COMEDY
SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOBACCO FACTORY Winter’s end brings the return of this brilliant Bristol company, celebrated for their gripping, intimate, superbly acted and directed performances of the Bard’s repertoire. SATTF’s 2013 season kicks off with the meaty ‘Richard III’ – the tale, only loosely based on fact, of the ruthless Duke of Gloucester who charms, deceives and murders his way to power – and of his ultimate downfall at the hands of his own cousin, the future Henry VII. John Mackay, a 2001-03 SATTF veteran who has spent the intervening years with the RSC, returns as the hunchback king. 14 FEB-30 MAR
FFI WWW .SATTF.ORG.UK
PERICLES
BORGES AND I Nominated for a Total Theatre Award, Idle Motion’s ‘Borges and I’ explores our relationship with books, reading and the imagination – via the life and writing of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges whose stories conjured forth images of labyrinths, tigers, mirrors and a universe of libraries. Idle Motion bring these evocative stories to the stage through the use of multimedia, 200 books and a book group in which a couple meet through a shared love of literature. 19 FEB-2 MAR
21 FEB-2 MAR After two triumphant Christmas shows, graduating students at Bristol old Vic Theatre School continue their intensive last year of study (and performances) before launching into their professional lives. Next on their schedule, at Clifton’s Redgrave Theatre, is ‘Pericles’, the epic tale – roughly half of it, it’s thought, written by Shakespeare – of the wanderings of the prince of Tyre.
FFI WWW. OLDVIC. AC.UK
FENCES Lenny Henry stars in this great American drama at Theatre Royal Bath. Part of August Wilson’s hugely-praised cycle of plays about the African American experience, and set between the Korean and Vietnam wars, ‘Fences’ tells the story of Troy Maxson, a once-gifted athlete who was denied his chance at the big time by the policies of segregation. Maxson takes out his anger on his sports-obsessed son and loyal wife. 20 FEB-2 MAR
FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK FFI WWW. TOBACCOFACTORYTHEATRE.COM
AN INSPECTOR CALLS 6-9 FEB Rondo regulars Core Theatre tackle J B Priestley’s, suspenseful thriller, set on the eve of World War One. The pretty Sheila Birling is the daughter of a prosperous manufacturer, and recently engaged to eligible bachelor Gerald Croft. After a celebratory dinner with her family and fiancé, though, Police Inspector Goole pays a visit. Very soon, all present are forced to confront their role in the ghastly suicide of Eva Smith – a poorly-paid worker at Sheila's father’s factory.
FFI WWW.RONDOTHEATRE.CO.UK
FOR MUCH MORE PERFORMANCE, VISIT WWW.VENUE.CO.UK 20 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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WHAT’S ON
Wanna see a Fake Moon Rising? Checkout Inbetween Time
Graham Fellows is John Shuttleworth
COMEDY ROUND-UP ➻ Could this be the year that
INBETWEEN TIME 14 - 17 FEB This month sees the return of this brilliantly leftfield festival, with four days of envelope-pushing live art and performance. Fifty extraordinary artworks will spill out from Bristol’s leading arts venues (Arnolfini, Circomedia, Wickham Theatre…) and into the city’s streets, docksides and living rooms. Highlights include ‘Fake Moon’, a spectacular piece of public art by international artist Simon Faithfull, in which an intense ball of light will rise across the evening sky (in fact, it’s a giant balloon containing powerful film lights, and it will track the arc of its celestial namesake).
Elsewhere, ‘Night Tripper’ will lead audiences through the twilit trees for a special concert featuring strange performers, curious instruments and an invisible choir. Inspired by the voodoo culture of Haiti, ‘Night Tripper’ draws on old myths surrounding the healing and destructive powers of nature. Make time, too, for ‘We See Fireworks’, a Bristol-created light and sound installation formed from hundreds of voices gently unfurling in the darkness. See website for full rundown. FFI WWW.IBT13.CO.UK
MAURICE’S JUBILEE 4-9 FEB After a turn in the theatre’s Christmas show, Olivier Awardwinning theatre and TV star Nichola McAuliffe makes a quick return to Theatre Royal Bath with this self-penned comedy. She stars alongside Julian Glover (pictured) – who plays a retired jeweller hoping for a very special reunion with Her Majesty.
FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK
A VERY OLD MAN FEMALE WITH ENORMOUS GOTHIC WINGS Bath’s Ustinov Studio 27-28 FEB
Perennial Bristol favourites Kneehigh Theatre return to the Old Vic with puppeteers Little Angel to adapt this short story by Gabriel García Márquez. We’re promised a startling world of ruined beauty and magic reality where everyone dreams of their five minutes of fame and riches, and the extraordinary takes flight. 5-16 FEB
welcomes this celebration of female Victorian Gothic writers – including Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Wharton and Elizabeth Gaskell. Rebecca Vaughan (pictured) is the lone, haunted woman unfurling chilling tales of the macabre and terrifying: award-winning director Guy Masterson (‘Under Milk Wood’, ‘Morecambe’) supervises proceedings.
FFI WWW.BRISTOLOLDVIC.ORG.UK
John Robins hits the big league? The Bristol-based comedian cut his teeth on the same local comedy scene that spawned Russell Howard and Jon Richardson, both now arenafilling household names – and 2013 could be Robins’s year to join them. He’s an engaging stand-up, with some great tall stories. Sample his wares at Southville’s Comedy Box on Fri 8 & Sat 9 Feb (www. thecomedybox.co.uk) … Just across town at the friendly Riproar Comedy (Cresswell Centre, Bristol Cathedral School), the pick of this month’s visiting comics is Chris McCausland (Sat 23 Feb), a blind comedian and children’s TV star – and a likeable, self-effacing presence on stage (www.riproarcomedy. co.uk) … Chris is also at Bath’s Komedia on the same night (busy night for him): other Komedia highlights this month include John Shuttleworth (pictured above, Mon 4 Feb – also at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol on Sun 3 Feb). Sheffield’s finest synthesizer player and twaddle talker, Shuttleworth is the eccentric, Little Englander alter ego of comic Graham Fellows (www.komedia.co.uk, www.tobaccofactorytheatre. com) … We’d also steer you towards Kingsdown’s bijou Wardrobe Theatre, above the White Bear pub, where the excellent Hal Cruttenden will be previewing his new set on Thur 7 Feb. Cruttenden pokes copious fun at his own middleclass obsessions and blind spots (www.thewardrobetheatre.com)
FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK
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WHAT’S ON MUSIC
THE BAND PLAYED ON From folk and country to bebop and classic Vivaldi, Julian Owen picks this month’s top gigs and concerts
COSMO JARVIS SAT 23 FEB African rhythm, ska beat, a big melodic scale-straddling, hair metal guitar solo of the type that was supposed to have been killed by punk. Thus, the first three songs the last time we caught a set by Totneshailing Cosmo Jarvis. Admirably, any correlation with musical fashion was pure happenstance – this was a man simply playing whatever the heck felt right. There was a single, silk-thin common thread, mind: a bounce-pop coating. And the biggest compliment of all? The whole stylistic smorgasbord sounds not contrived but utterly, flowingly natural.
THE LOUSIANA BRISTOL FFI: WWW.THELOUSIANA.NET
GILAD ATZMON
RICHARD HAWLEY O’HOOLEY & TIDOW Singular live music WED 20 FEB
experience in which an old school crooner and oft filthy-mouthed working men’s club comic inhabit the body of a gruff-yet-twinkling Yorkshireman. Romance is writ large, both in lyric and attitude, as twanging 50s guitars cascade in shimmering waves – there’s enough space and beauty in his songs to tempt local planners into building a small village on them. Best, as gig attendees will discover, there’s that sweepingly gorgeous, inimitable voice; you can ape a style, but you can’t buy resonance. COLSTON HALL, BRISTOL FFI WWW.COLSTONHALL.ORG
SAT 2 FEB They’re about as far from folk stereotype as it's possible to get. Because the civil partnershipped Heidi Tidow and Belinda O’Hooley, bring forth wit, lush harmony and lilting melancholy straight out of folk’s top drawer. Both Yorkshire raised, both with family roots in Ireland and concomitant familiarity with traditional Irish music, the duo arrive in Bristol to take tracks from second album, ‘The Fragile’, and demonstrate why they were heralded best act at the 2012 Cambridge Folk Festival.
FOLK HOUSE, BRISTOL FFI WWW.FOLKHOUSEMUSIC.COM
SUN 10 FEB Over a decade to the good, and after significant personnel changes, award-winning saxophonist Gilad Atzmon’s Orient House Ensemble lives on as vigorously as ever. That was certainly the case when we last saw them round these parts, as the band leader’s Coltrane-ish soprano vocalisations brought Bristol’s Future Inn boiling into a bebop frenzy. They’ve been making good on all their globe-straddling in the meantime, as tracks from latest album – ‘Songs Of The Metropolis’ – will make clear, with Chapel Arts Centre set to be treated to sweeping compositions paying tribute to the world’s great cities.
ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT FRI 1 FEB As their name suggests, the core of the OAE’s repertoire stems from the 18th century. But it’s a little more fundamental than that, too – established in 1986, it’s a fully democratic orchestra, shorn of permanent musical director, and with players actively guiding artistic direction. Thus the widelyheld view they’re our finest period ensemble, and thus our anticipation of the freshness they’ll bring to performing Vivaldi’s timeless, The Four Seasons, when they arrive in Bristol.
ST GEORGES, BRISTOL FFI WWW.STGEORGESBRISTOL.CO.UK
CHAPEL ARTS, BATH FFI WWW. CHAPELARTS. ORG
FOR MUCH MORE MUSIC, VISIT WWW.VENUE.CO.UK 22 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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WHAT’S ON
LADY SINGS THE BLUES Julian Owen meets Lady Nade ➻ Lady Nade is one of Bristol’s finest lesserknown musical treasures, boasting a smoky jazz voice as timeless in tone as it is blue in flavour. Besides frequent gigging elsewhere, she also hosts a monthly night at the Canteen on Stokes Croft, coming up next on Mon 11 Feb. If someone only every goes to big name gigs at the larger venues, what are they missing out on? Cheap drinks! No, on a serious note, you miss out on the intimacy of a place like the Cori Tap, Folk house or Cafe Kino, for example, where you’re sat or stood so close to the artist that you feel on stage with them – not a million miles away, or shoved to the back, because you bought the £57 cheaper ticket. You can see the sweat dripping off their face, not sweat dripping off the walls; you can see the passion on their face, not the anger on your mate’s face for having to queue for 60 minutes to get in.
THE MONTH AHEAD
You undertook a formal schooling in music at Bristol’s Access To Music. How has that helped you? It gave me confidence, developed my singing and performance ability, and opened more possibilities for other work in the music industry besides singing, e.g. session work, promotion and teaching. On which note, are you still mentoring on the young person’s REMIX scheme at Colston Hall? I’m now there as a fully qualified music leader. It helps my writing working with kids aged 4-11 – they’re so imaginative, and I can be quite the perfectionist, so they remind me how easy it is to let go and write a song about anything from flying cheese to pandas on the moon. What would a life without music look like? Scientific studies show that music can help melt away a bad mood, and even help us concentrate. Without music I think life would look like a scene out of ‘The Walking Dead’, only with no survivors. I’d miss being able to have a good old dance round my room to ‘Beggin’’ by Frankie Valli, or winding
down at the end of an evening with Nina Simone’s ‘Work Song’. Imagine a life before MP3 players, and you’re about to live abroad for a year – what three CDs do you cram into your luggage? Nina Simone – ‘Wild is the Wind’; Stevie Wonder – ‘Songs in the Key of Life’; and Carole King –‘Tapestry’. FFI: WWW.LADYNADE.WORDPRESS.COM
CAITLIN ROSE TUES 26 FEB There’s nothing ‘alt.’ about the country music of Caitlin Rose. A Nashville native from the age of seven, still only 25, hers is a sound rooted squarely in the 60s, equal parts smooth, warm, heartbreaking and glowing. Classic country arrangements, all keening pedal steel heartbreak in a minor key, music as craft. She’s the most wonderfully, movingly, naturalistic singer. As Venue’s Kristen Grayewski said: “Her notes hang in the air, tuneful fairy lights, concerned more about conveying subtle, present complexity of feeling than power – think the way Patsy Cline
sings the word ‘crazy’.” Most importantly, perhaps, there’s hedonism here, with underlying melancholy. Much as twee alt. country artists would have you believe otherwise, country never was about tending vegetable patches; country is about sex and drinking, about the giddy highs and empty lows of doing what you need to do to get by. Contrary to the title of second album, ‘The Stand-In’ (due for release the day before the gig), Rose – waspishly, playfully, lewdly funny in her between-song stage banter – is the real deal. THE FLEECE, BRISTOL FFI WWW.THEFLEECE.CO.UK
➻ Hardly a rarity, but it’s always special when the warmly intimate environs of the Thunderbolt play host to someone you’ve largely only seen play the biggest of stages. It’ll be just such an occasion when million-selling songwriter Steve Cradock – best known as guitarist in Ocean Colour Scene and long-time Paul Weller sideman – drops by on 2 Feb. A good month, too, for lovers of fine texture: on 18 Feb Calexico will be bringing their beauteous, brass-inflected desert-noir to the O2 Academy Bristol, as they tour seventh studio album, ‘Algiers’; on 6 Feb, meanwhile, the Adrian Utley Guitar Orchestra will be reprising ‘In C’, as a 20-strong band of electric guitarists and keyboard augmentation takes on Terry Riley’s minimalist meisterwork for a special live recording in St George’s Bristol for Invada Records. Those of a poppy disposition are advised that elfin singer, Nerina Pallot, is set to drop by the same venue on 9 Feb, while the same night sees Everything Everything hop aboard Thekla. It’s also that time of year when we get to exclaim “Them? Really?” at the acts selected for the annual NME Awards Tour, as it draws into the O2 Academy Bristol on 19 Feb. We’ve certainly no issue with the headliners, as inspired popsters Django Django top a bill also featuring Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace. Roots lovers should note Colston Hall appearances from Martha Tilston and Richard Thompson (pictured) on 21 and 23 Feb respectively, while bottleneck blues merchant Kent DuChaine will be rollin’ and tumblin’ round Chapel Arts on 8 Feb.
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WHAT’S ON
WHAT’S ON DAYS OUT
STEPPING
Newton Park: about as romantic as it gets (pic courtesy Bath Spa University)
OUT Woo-hoo! It’s Valentine’s Day. Not night. Day. Make the most of it with Anna Britten’s tips on romantic outings around Bristol and Bath
V
alentine’s Day isn’t just about the evening – the oysters and the candlelight. It’s much less pressurised, cheaper and fun to go out smooching during daylight hours. Doing so also sends the message that you like your companion vertical and in a coat just as much as horizontal and in garments reading “Keep away from fire”. So, this Valentine’s Day, don’t be like that bad man in the Lana Del Rey song who makes his chick play video games all day. Go out and do something romantic. ROMANTIC WALKS Romantic walk demands undulations. It demands shimmering water. Swans,
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willows and ickle bridges are all good, too. One of the most romantic walks you can take around these parts is hidden away on Bath Spa University’s Newton Park campus, on the Bristol side of the city. This 120 hectare fantasia of lakes and pathways was designed in 1761 by Capability Brown and is leased from the Duchy of Cornwall. Best of all? You don’t have to be a student to enjoy it (www.bathspa.ac.uk). Need some colour in your cheeks? Said to have inspired Tennyson and Coleridge, Poet’s Walk in Clevedon takes you westwards away from the pier ’n’ lollies side of things on an inspiring, circular walk along a coastal path and through woodland (www.clevedon.gov.uk/ clevedon.html). Or, having reassured yourselves you won’t be impeding any flood rescue
efforts, drive down to the very cute village of Kingsbury Episcopi on the Somerset Levels and saunter along the River Parrett towards Langport. A network of easy paths and trails, wildlife and spring flowers await – and maybe the amazing murmurations of swallows, if you’re lucky. Start or end with a noggin at the Whyndam Arms pub. ART In films and TV shows, couples are forever going soppy in front of massive paintings. Good news! You can find massive paintings all over our two cities. Some of them even have loved-up couples in them. Gawp at Stanhope Forbes’s earthy ‘Home-Along: Evening’ in the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery (museums.bristol. gov.uk), or Thomas Jones
Barker’s fabulously romantic ‘The Bride of Death’ at Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery (www. victoriagal.org.uk). The Arnolfini (www.arnolfini.org. uk) has a brand new Ai Weiwei you can impress a handsome hipster with. And if your honey-pie is an animal-lover, take them to the brilliant ‘Reigning Cats & Dogs’ at the RWA (www.rwa.org.uk). Wherever you go, whoever you take, just stand next to them, say: “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” If they say “Yes…” and hold your gaze, you’re legally allowed to try to snog them. STATELY HOMES Walking round posh old piles is conducive to love because it conjures a more chivalrous time. Linger in the vicinity of empty ballrooms and fourposter beds whilst your ➻ FOLIO/FEB 2013 25
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WHAT’S ON
This pic:Thomas Jones Barker's fabulously romantic 'The Bride of Death' (see Art, previous page); below: go to At-Bristol's alternative, adults only V-day party
imagination fills them with heaving bosoms and dashing suitors/comely ladies. Everyone knows every inch of Tyntesfield is romantic. In fact, anything stamped National Trust or English Heritage is a pretty safe bet for a date. Unfortunately, most such establishments don’t reopen for the season until the end of March. One that does, however, is Newark Park in Gloucestershire, on account of its impressive but short-lived snowdrop display from 9-17 Feb (though not Mon-Tue). It also happens, in our view, to be one of the most romantic stately homes in the region. Small and quaint enough to feel homely, yet architecturally arresting enough to imagine helicopters landing near, it gazes down from its Cotswold perch all the way across to the Mendips beyond. The sprawling parkland makes for some lovely strolling. Bits of BBC One’s 2008 production of ‘Tess of the d’Urbevilles’ were filmed here. OK, they were the murder and prison bits, but you have to admit they still looked pretty charming. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT Hold hands and get a bit fluttery to the sentimental sounds of Wagner, Chopin, Mozart and more at a Valentine’s Day Concert at St George’s Bristol. Russian pianist (for maximum romance, they have to be Russian) Mikhail Kazakevich pounds and tinkles the keys for an inspired programme of favourites featuring a variety of famous composers at their most
ardent, plus a second half devoted to some of Liszt’s grandest arrangements of song and opera. There’s a free glass of prosecco with tickets in the top two price bands. NB Take a cushion, as convention has it you should actually swoon at the Liebestod (www. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk). If that all sounds a bit serious, opt instead for the lighter sounds of C’est L’Amour at the Colston Hall – conveniently scheduled at 6.30 and 9pm, to suit all dining styles – in which the Ensemble Gallique marries French chansons from the likes of Edith Piaf, with Ravel’s chamber music, swing, Grappelli-inspired jazz violin and more, all to moustachiotwirling effect (www.colstonhall. org). And if you absolutely insist on acting like it’s 2013, singing trio
the Cabaret Freaks promise contemporary love songs amongst the old chestnuts in a Valentine’s Cabaret at Bierkeller (www.bierkellertheatre.com). Finally, in his one-man show ‘The Boss Rules: How Bruce Springsteen Changed My Life’, affable journalist and broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor explains how the Boss’s words helped him, amongst other things, find the woman of his dreams. Don’t expect belly laughs but, instead, gentle humour and plenty of insight into what it’s like to fall in love with and marry someone from a completely different culture. The fortysomething raconteur also invites the audience to share their personal dilemmas and offers advice mined from the lyrics of ‘Born To Run’, ‘The River’ et al (www.rondotheatre. co.uk).
YOU COULD ALSO... Here are a few more suggestions to make February 14 go with a bang. ➻ Go to At-Bristol's
alternative, adults-only V-Day party Heart-stopping attraction to dissect hearts, play around with thermal imaging and heart monitors, drink wine and gaze at the stars in the Planetarium (www.at-bristol.org.uk/ afterhours).
➻ Climb Cabot Tower. ➻ Present him/her with tickets
to A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bristol Old Vic later this month (www.bristololdvic.org.uk)
➻ Make them heart-shaped eggs for breakfast (pop a cardboard outline in the frying pan).
➻ Cook them something hearty
you bought at the Love Food Valentine’s Day Festival on Sun 10 Feb (www.paintworksbristol.co. uk).
➻ Buy them an old annual from the year of their birth at Beware of the Leopard books in St Nick’s market (www. stnicholasmarketbristol.co.uk).
➻ Make them some fancy
knickers at The Makery – or send them off to make their own (www.themakeryonline.co.uk).
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COMPETITIONS
WIN EXQUISITE LINGERIE It is traditional in this, the month of St Valentine, for our thoughts to turn to romance and roses. We’d warrant, however, that you’ve never seen anything to sweep you off your feet quite like this: the Rose ensemble from exclusive design house, Fleur of England, straight from their timeless romantic collection for spring and summer 2013. Inspired by the pink rose, that classic symbol of grace, its perfect freshness and delicate colour is captured in the softly padded plunge bra and shortie, wherein French eyelash lace and appliquéd lace roses are combined with petal-pink silk, and are respectively worth £90.50 and £59.50. A set from the Rose collection fits Fleur of England’s proud history of cultivating new standards in style, detail and fitting, and is available to you, lucky reader, in this month’s competition. The lucky winner will sit snugly – not to mention stylishly – in the knowledge that their new luxury lingerie has been lovingly designed and crafted in the UK and EU, courtesy of highly trained lingerie designers using fabrics, trims and inspiration from all over the world FFI WWW.FLEUROFENGLAND.COM
WIN
£150 LINGERIE SET
TO ENTER ➻ FLEUR OF ENGLAND
Just answer the following question: Which flower inspired this addition to Fleur of England’s romantic collection? Email your answer, with ‘Fleur of England’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Wed 13 Feb. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by week commencing Mon 18 Feb. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline), and state your sizes for bra (e.g. 34B) and bottom (S/M/L). Terms and conditions: Prize subject to sizing and availability.
fabulous COMPS
Enter today to be in with a chance of winning these great prizes!
➻ PACAPOD
Just answer the following question: How much does the PacaPod Oban weigh? Email your answer, with ‘PacaPod in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co.uk by Wed 13 Feb. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by week commencing Mon 18 Feb. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline), and state your preferred colour choice for Oban (black wax or glossy red) and Changer-Toy pod (giraffe in pink, leopard in red or zebra in navy). LAST MONTH'S WINNERS Win pampering vouchers Congratulations to Emma Jones, who won the £200 to spend with Spabreaks.com. Correct answer: over 2,000 packages. Win a meal for four Congratulations to Jane Coulston, who won the meal at Clifton Sausage. Correct answer: Spitfire Ale.
WIN
WIN INNOVATIVE TRAVEL BAG
TWO BAGS WORTH £100
As any parent of babies or young children will tell you, it’s not the addition to the headcount that makes leaving the house such a hassle, but the dizzying array of provisions that need to come along too. Well, we can offer one lucky reader the perfect solution: the PacaPod Oban (£75) is a brilliantly innovative messenger-style bag, light of weight (less than 1kg, at just 950g), robust of design, and packed with clever features. An award-winning ‘baby organisation system’ tucks neatly inside the back ‘cargo’ section, and contains two completely detachable ‘pods’ for storing feeding and changing items, keeping them hygienically separate. Cunningly flexible, too, as pods can be quickly unclipped and attached to any buggy or luggage trolley. Our friends at PacaPod are even throwing in the ingenious Changer-Toy pod (£24.95) – clipping inside the Oban’s organisation system, use it as a load-lightening minichanger or let the nippers use it as their own backpack. They’ll love carrying treasured toys in clever pockets and one of three boldly colourful animal designs; you’ll love the peace of mind that comes with detachable safety reins. FFI WWW.PACAPOD.COM
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FEATURE
One of Portbury Wharf 's most attractive residents: the barn owl
FEATURE
PORTBURY WHARF
GARY THOBURN
NATURE RESERVE
T
his is a very special place, where wildlife has found sanctuary in a variety of habitats between Portishead and Royal Portbury Dock. Grazing marsh, large open pools, rhynes, hay meadows, raised pastures and secluded
Open pools and hay meadows are dominant features of this walk, providing an invaluable wetland habitat for, amongst other rare species, water voles (above)
Winter brings a special magic to this wildlife-rich nature reserve beside the Severn Estuary
ponds are all found here. The circular walk around the reserve starts from the layby on Sheepway. Follow the way marker through the gate and continue forward until you reach the welcome board. Head up the slight incline to the next way marker and turn left on to the inland sea embankment. Go through the lower gate which leads you to a lovely walk along the bank of the main rhyne. The rhyne network provides an invaluable wetland habitat for rare species such as the water vole and otters. Turn left along Wharf Lane after you have passed the pedestrian culvert. Continue forward to the first wooden gate on the right, and pass through it to find the North Pools hide. Birds that may be seen here during winter include lapwings, little grebes, shovelers and teals. After leaving the hide, walk forward towards the estuary through the grass ride or pathway until you arrive at the tower hide. Take in views of the foreshore, estuary and Welsh hills. Head back along Wharf Lane to reach the South Pools hide. After leaving the hide continue along Wharf Lane, passing the old barn buildings, and continue forward until you reach the cattle pen at Wharf Lane. Head through the restrictor gate and follow the bridleway back to the Sheepway layby. Keep an eye fixed across the grasslands and you may spot the resident barn owls or little owls.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Romans were the first to enclose and drain the marshes alongside the Severn Estuary, creating a landscape of cattlegrazed fields surrounded by rhynes (the local name for drainage ditches). The rhynes at Portbury Wharf are rich in wildlife. Return later in the year for dragonflies and damselflies skimming across the pools and rhynes on calm summer days. There are special Avon Wildlife Trust events at Portbury Wharf, including owl prowls and dawn chorus,
evensong and bat walks. Admission to the reserve is free. AVON WILDLIFE TRUST OUR WALK COMES COURTESY OF THIS LEADING LOCAL WILDLIFE CHARITY. FFI ABOUT AWT, ITS 35 NATURE RESERVES, WALKS, EDUCATION WORK AND WAYS TO SUPPORT OR JOIN THE CHARITY, VISIT AVONWILDLIFETRUST.ORG.UK
HOW TO GET THERE By car From the A369 Portbury Hundred, turn onto Station Road (signposted for Sheepway). Follow the road along for roughly one mile, and park in the layby on the right before the humped bridge where the road crosses the old railway tracks. Please park considerately and do not block the horse gates in the layby. By bus First Bus service 359 stops at the Sheepway entrance to the new bridleway. Go to www. traveline.org.uk ffi. Access The main footpath network around the reserve together with three bird hides let you enjoy Portbury Wharf at all times of the year, without causing disturbance to wildlife. The reserve’s wetland fields are particularly sensitive to disturbance during the nesting season (March to end of July), and during this period the seasonal path may be closed. This path may also be closed during very wet weather. Don’t forget to bring wellington boots! FOLIO/FEB 2013 29
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NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES
➻ EATINGOUTWEST ROMANTIC SURPRISES, PANCAKE DAY, ALBANIAN LIVER AND MORE… NEW OPENING
MEET MEZZÉ ➻ So it’s 2008 and the banks are crashing, recession is rolling in, unemployment starting to soar and credit is definitely crunched. What do you do? Why, start a whole new chain of restaurants from scratch, of course! That, at least, was how one family business decided to face the troubled times and, against all the financial odds, it’s proved a great success. Called Mezzé Restaurants, the company strategy has been to tastefully refurbish a sizeable out-of-town establishment and install a stylish menu of small plate food drawn from every Mediterranean food culture. Thus classic Greek dishes like ispanak, stifado and prawn tava sit alongside Spanish favourites albondigas, chorizo con rioja and patatas bravas or Italian nibbles including arancini and frittata. There’s a choice of Moroccan dishes like borek, tagine and kofta and even Albanian liver for the adventurous: something for everyone, in fact. Their first venture – Mezzé at The Royal George – soon became an established success in Thornbury and was followed in due course by Mezzé at The Green Dragon in Downend and Mezzé at The Ship and Castle, Congresbury, both equally well received. Now the group’s fourth venue is about to open about ten miles south of Bristol at the Warwick Arms in Clutton. The former Trade Mark Steakhouse beside the A37 Wells Road has been transformed with a new cocktail bar, a la carte restaurant and eightbedroomed boutique hotel, as well as heated alfresco dining area, enclosed children’s playground and Marshfield ice-cream parlour in the newly landscaped Mediterranean garden. In keeping with Mezzé’s community-based philosophy, local residents and businesses will be invited in for a sneak preview before the doors are thrown open on 9 February and all is revealed. FFI WWW.MEZZÉRESTAURANTS.COM
AWARD-WINNING BRASSERIE
Gilded lily ➻ Last year was pretty good for the Allium Brasserie, the new bistro
restaurant at the Best Western Abbey Hotel, and its presiding culinary genius Chris Staines. It took less than 12 months for the chef to bring his Michelin-starred know-how gained at places like Foliage in Knightsbridge and Marco Pierre White’s Oak Room to the brightly refurbished hotel dining room in Bath and create a stir in the city’s fine dining circles that has yet to die down. After months of critical acclaim the place not only won the Best Newcomer gong at the Bath Good Food Awards in December but came a runner-up in the highly competitive Best Restaurant category, too. And things continue to soar in 2013 – just as they were celebrating their first birthday in January, who should come along but the Guardian’s Jay Rayner. He loved the place, appreciated the service and raved about the “sheer quality and attention to detail” of the food and wine list. But even Rayner’s high praise doesn’t mean laurels are being sat on, and February sees a special ‘early bird’ Bath Bachfest supper on Sat 23 and oeniculturalist Angela Mount will help Chris Staines launch a new wine list on Wed 27.
ALLIUM BRASSERIE BEST WESTERN ABBEY HOTEL, NORTH PARADE, BATH BA1 1LF. FFI: 01225 461603, WWW.ABBEYHOTELBATH.CO.UK
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EATINGOUTWEST DIARY DATE
VALENTINE'S DAY
BROTHERLY LOVE
➻ The camera loves ’em, doesn’t it? Having
famously scooped the title of Ramsay’s Best Restaurant in the 2010 series of Mr Shouty’s Channel 4 show, you’ll now be seeing one of the Sanchez-Iglesias brothers appearing as a competitor in the new series of ‘Great British Menu’. The siblings, whose Casamia in Westbury-on-Trym is Bristol’s only Michelinstarred restaurant, have famously always operated as a double act both on-screen and in the kitchen, but for the BBC2 programmes Peter will be facing the camera alone. “I was a bit nervous about doing it on my own,” he admits. “But Jonray told me to grow up and get on with it!” The series started on 28 January with Peter competing in the regional heats in a bid for a place at the national finals in March. The brothers will be back together in the kitchen for Valentine’s Day, however, as
TOP OF THE POP-UPS
they have ambitious plans for a special oneoff “multi-sensory experience” including romantic surprises. Details of the evening are being kept top secret, other than the hint that “each course is sure to stimulate diners’ senses with unusual seasonal ingredients and innovative combinations” and a promise that the evening will deliver memorable moments. In anyone else’s hands that might simply sound pretentious, but given Casamia’s reputation for gastronomic invention and Heston-style theatricality, this year’s 14 February could well prove to the lucky few who get a table that it’s not music that’s the food of love, it’s food.
➻ Here’s some dates to mark in your diary: 13-27 May. What’s the significance? That’s when the tipis of Eat, Drink, Bristol Fashion will be returning to Queen Square, Bristol. Why are we telling you now? Firstly, because last time some 10,000 people took advantage of this top-quality showcase of the best culinary talent from Bristol and surrounding areas, with many of the chef’s special meals being booked out well in advance, and secondly, because we think it’s brilliant that this ultimate pop-up food extravaganza is not going to have been a one-off. Kudos to Josh Appleton, Chew Magna’s Michelin man and the Story Group’s Luke Hasell for not letting 2012’s rain put them off, and we’ll be watching www.eatdrinkevents. co.uk for more details as they appear.
CASAMIA 39 HIGH ST, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM, BRISTOL BS9 3DZ. FFI: 0117 959 2884, WWW. CASAMIARESTAURANT.CO.UK
EAT, DRINK, BRISTOL FASHION QUEEN SQ, BRISTOL, 13-27 MAY. FFI: WWW.EATDRINKEVENTS.CO.UK
FOOD FEST
WE'RE LOVING IT ➻ Trust those observant folk at the Love Food Festivals to notice a unique coming together of food-related events in midFebruary and cunningly place their first event to mark the occasion(s). The big event will be down at their spiritual home in Bristol’s Paintworks on Sun 10, which happens to be the Chinese New Year, and specially invited street food Viet Vite and Niang’s Thai Snacks will provide suitably Eastern delights to usher in the Year of the Snake. But looking ahead only two days, Tue 12 will be Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) and so they’ll be offering
pancake-making (and flipping) sessions at Love Food as part of their regular workshop and activity programme. And then, of course, it’ll be Valentine’s Day on the 14th, and what better way to treat your loved one than with handmade chocolates or other gourmet treats from the many stalls? A heart-shaped pork pie, perhaps? They’ll even have some of those. LOVE FOOD FESTIVAL IS ON SUN 10 FEB FROM 10.30AM-4PM AT PAINTWORK EVENT SPACE, BATH RD, BRISTOL, BS1 6HE. FFI: WWW.LOVEFOODFESTIVAL.COM
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EATINGOUTWEST
DEALS ON
MEALS
Melissa Blease tracks down the most enticing top-value restaurant treats in Bristol, Bath and beyond.
TIFFINS At longstanding, family-run Indian food hotspot Tiffins, the prices have remained unchanged since 2007, but the reputation for authentic, freshly prepared, fully vegetarian Gujarati food continues to go from strength to strength. Enjoy a lunch box (any curry with rice) for just £5 or a full-on veggie feast for two people (two curries, rice, chapatis and papadoms) for £14.50. 151 St Michael's Hill, High Kingsdown, Bristol BS2 8DB. ffi: 0117 9734834 www.tiffins-bristol.com
4500 MILES FROM DELHI If the name of the restaurant gives you food for thought, then think on: there are huge bargains to be found just 0.2 miles from Bristol city centre at one of the West Country’s liveliest Indian restaurants. Tuck into a two-course lunchtime, eat-all-you-like buffet for just £7.95 (£10.95 for three courses in the evening). Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST. ffi: 0117 929 2224, www.4500miles.co.uk/bristol
BRISTOL GLASSBOAT The Glassboat is a veritable Bristol institution, renowned for gorgeous harbourside views, top-notch food and lovely service. You may be surprised to hear, then, that lunch here is a deliciously affordable treat. Choose from a dazzling array of eight starters, eight mains and five desserts every Tue-Fri lunchtime at this highly acclaimed floating gourmet extravaganza and pay just £10 for two courses or £12 a full-blown three-course feast. WelshBback, Bristol BS1 4SB. ffi: 0117 929 0704, www.glassboat.co.uk
BURGER JOINT Boisterous burgers at bargain prices! Who wouldn’t say yes to that? Grab any burger to eat in, two sauces, one side and a drink between 12noon-3pm Mon-Fri for just £7.50, or any burger, one topping and one side for £4.95 from 3-5pm Mon-Thur (eat in or takeaway). Students, meanwhile, get 15% off the total bill (eat in or takeaway) Mon-Thur. 83 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol BS8 2NT. ffi: 0117 329 0887, www.theburgerjoint.co.uk
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EATINGOUTWEST MUD DOCK CAFÉ Morning coffee and a pastry for £3, lunch and a soft drink for £5 (£6 to include wine or lager), afternoon tea and a cake for £3 or a two-course dinner for £10 – the deals go around the clock every weekday at the Mud Dock Cafe, the characterful harbourside hangout that, once you’ve parked up at, you won’t want to leave. 40 the grove, harbourside, bristol BS1 4RB. ffi: 0117 934 9734, www.mud-dock.com
ZEN HARBOURSIDE Choose a starter and a main course at the fabulous Far Eastern gourmet adventure that is Zen Harbourside for just £4.90 every weekday lunchtime. If that news has whetted your appetite for a full-on, non-stop exotic cabaret, the Emperor’s Endless Banquet allows you to choose from over 100 dishes and eat as much as you like for just £17.50 Sun-Thur evenings and £18.80 Fri-Sat. First Floor, Explore Lane, Millennium Sq, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TY. ffi: 0117 920 9377, www.zenharbourside.co.uk
PLANET PIZZA Stellar pizzas at down-to-earth prices: that’s the Planet Pizza guarantee we all know and love. Visit any time on a Monday or Tuesday, though, and prices plummet faster than you can say “bargain”! All 12” eat-in pizzas are on BOGOF – that’s buy one, get one free for a whole 48 hours. Meanwhile, all 9” pizzas are only a fiver each Mon-Fri until 6pm. 32 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6LA. ffi: 0117 907 7112; 187 Gloucester Rd, Bristol bs7 8bg. ffi: 0117 944 4717, www.planetpizza.co.uk
GOLDBRICK HOUSE The multifaceted, split-level merrymaking zone that is Goldbrick House is a veritable haven of affordable deals and offers, such as a two/three-course lunch/early dinner (Mon-Sat 12noon-3pm, evening bookings between 6-6.45pm) for £10/£13. Meanwhile, kids eat free in the main restaurant (one child per every paying adult, 12noon-3pm), Kir Royales are BOGOF between 12noon-3pm Mon-Sat and there are Golden Hour champagne and cocktail bar bargains to be found from 4-8pm Mon-Sat. Cheers! 67-69 Park St, Bristol BS1 5PB. ffi: 0117 945 1950, www.goldbrickhouse.co.uk FOLIO/FEB 2013 33
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BATH KILTED CHEF Enjoy a welcoming glass of prosecco followed by head chef Dougie Bonar’s sumptuous four-course Tasting Menu featuring delights such as poached Cornish sole with asparagus and langoustine mousseline cooked in a smoked lobster and smoked salmon cream and rack of lamb with homemade haggis on any Tue-Thur evening throughout February (excluding Valentine’s Day) for just £35pp. 7a Kingsmead Sq, Bath BA1 2AB. ffi: 01225 466688, kiltedchef.co
THE CORK Choose from a selection of daily-changing deal dishes or sandwiches and enjoy your choice with a soft drink at this welcoming city centre watering hole from 12noon-6pm Mon-Fri for just £5, or upgrade the deal to include a glass of house wine or a pint of Amstel lager, Symonds Reserve cider or Box Steam Brewery ale for an all-inclusive £7. 11-12 Westgate Buildings, Bath BA1 1EB. ffi: 01225 333582, www.thecork.co.uk
COSY CLUB Kickstart the week Cosy Club style: brighten up your post-5pm menu every Monday with a burger followed by a brownie or a banana split for just £8.95. Tuesday evenings, meanwhile, are all about tapas: choose any three from a huge selection and enjoy with a glass of house wine for just £8.50. Cosy indeed! Unit R4, Southgate Place, Bath BA1 1AP. ffi: 01225 464161, www.cosyclub.co.uk
THE CHEQUERS The menus may be supported by a hearty recommendations from the Michelin Guide and a Bath Good Food award, but The Chequers most certainly isn’t a snooty destination diner. Far from it: the set lunch menu Mon-Fri (two courses £12; three £15) is guaranteed to lift dreary spirits without freezing the bank balance. Check it out! 50 Rivers St, Bath BA1 2QA. ffi: 01225 360017, www.thechequersbath.com
MARLBOROUGH TAVERN It’s Tavern time! Treat yourself to a juicy, locally sourced steak and all the trimmings on the first Monday of every month for just £9.95 at the Marlborough Tavern – and accompany it with a bottle of red wine for the same great price. Or tuck into a double AA Rosetteendorsed two/three-course lunch for just £12/£15 every Mon-Fri, 12.30-2.30pm. 35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA1 2LY. ffi: 01225 423731, www. marlborough-tavern.com ➻
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TAKE AWAY AND INFORMAL CAFE STYLE SEATING At Tiffins we cook and serve traditional home cooking style Gujarati food. We cook in only little amounts pure sunflower oil and do not use ghee, or any artificial colouring or flavours. All dishes are cooked individually, in the traditional way, and all the dishes are displayed in front of you for you to choose and mix and match as you wish. Our menu changes daily with a selection of 7 veggie curries and 2 meat curries to choose from. Dishes can be taken home cold to heat up later or we can heat it up for you.
EVENTS CATERING Tiffins offer event catering to tailor-made to suit your budget and needs.
www.tiffinsbristol.com
Prices unchanged since 2007!
11-12 Westgate Buildings. Bath. BA1 1EB. www.thecork.co.uk
FINALIST FOR BEST TAKE-AWAY 2010 by BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards.
151 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, BS2 8DB 0117 973 4834 www.tiffinsbristol.com info@tiffins-bristol.com
The Best Guide to Eating Out
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EATINGOUTWEST
BATH
JIMMY’S WORLD GRILL In search of a fast, family- and wallet-friendly meal deal? Jolly along to Jimmy’s World Grill, where you can eat as much as you like from a buffet that brings Thailand, China, Japan, India, Mexico and Italy together on an array of hotplates and woks, with a salad station and a dessert buffet ensuring all bases are covered for just £7.99 every Mon-Fri lunchtime. 6-8 Dorchester St,Southgate, Bath BA1 1SS. ffi: 01225 426802, www.jimmysworldgrill.co.uk
GASCOYNE PLACE If you haven’t sampled GP Head Chef Ross Shaw’s delectable menus yet, now’s the time to take a nibble. Deduct a whopping 15% off your total food bill at Gascoyne Place when ordering two courses from the a la carte menu any every MonThur evening throughout February (excluding Valentine’s Day) simply by showing a friendly member of staff this page before you place your order. 1 Sawclose, Bath. ffi: 01225 445854, www.gascoyneplace.co.uk
NONNA’S CUCINA ITALIANA Lunch is a leisurely experience at Bath’s newest Italian eatery (see glowing review on page 40) – in fact, it takes us all the way through to early supper. And it’s a molto civilised bargain, too: enjoy two courses for £9.95 (three £11.95) every day from 12noon-6pm. Fancy calamari fritti followed by pollo siciliana followed by tiramisu? It’s waiting for you... 39 Gay st, Bath BA1 2NT. ffi: 01225 427919, www. nonnasitalianrestaurant.co.uk
OUT OF TOWN: AWAYDAY DEALS
MONTPELLIER CHAPTER Thursday night is steak night at Cheltenham’s uber-glam, contempo-charming boutique hotel housed in a lovingly restored Regency villa at the heart of très chic Cheltenham. All sumptuous steaks are half price when you order a starter or dessert from the a la carte menu in the Chapter’s stylish restaurant, all the way through to the end of February (excluding Valentine’s Day). Chapter Bayshill Rd, Montpellier, Cheltenham, GL50 3AS. ffi: 01242 527788, www.montpellierchapterhotel.com
BYBROOK RESTAURANT AT THE MANOR HOUSE HOTEL Escape to the most beautiful pastoral hotspot for miles around (that’ll be Castle Combe, then) and discover a really big deal at a Michelinstarred restaurant. Order a three-course lunch at the Bybrook Restaurant at the Manor House Hotel and your guest pays just £15 every Tue-Sun lunchtime until the end of March (excluding Mother’s Day and Easter Day). Castle Combe, nr Bath, Wiltshire SN14 7HR. ffi: 01249 782206, www.manorhouse.co.uk FOLIO/FEB 2013 37
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FAIR'S
Hive talking: Nicaraguan honey farmer Agueda Avendado visits Bristol as part of Fairtrade Fortnight
FAIR
Fairtrade has been changing the way we buy food for 25 years and it’s still making a huge difference across the globe. Tony Benjamin looks forward to this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight.
I
f it matters to you – and rising sales figures, year on year, suggest it matters to more and more people – there’s a definite feelgood factor about that blue, green and black Fairtrade logo. In a world of cut-throat capitalism and supermarket shenanigans, it seems to offer the prospect of buying something in a way that hopefully does a little good in some far-flung part of the globe. And though we’re all a lot more savvy about food miles these days, that needn’t be a contradiction when it comes to importing what we can’t grow ourselves. Fruit like bananas and cocoa beans grown organically in natural environments before being
shipped (and not flown) are increasingly energy-effective. With the annual Fairtrade Fortnight on the horizon this month, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate how far the movement has come since its inception 25 years ago. What started as a highly politicised activity with an occasionally erratic product range has grown into a massive international trading operation, with UK sales running at £1.3bn in 2011, and boasting quality brands like Green & Black’s Chocolate, Café Direct coffee and Clipper teas. What’s been great about this growth, according to Bristol Fairtrade co-ordinator Jenny Foster, is that it has been consumer led. “There’s lots of supermarket ‘own brand’ Fairtrade
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EATINGOUTWEST
Top pictures: quality brands have transformed Fairtrade into a massive international trading operation
products now, but when the Fairtrade Foundation first approached Tesco they had no interest at all. They saw it as just being for sandal-wearing hippies,” she recalls. “But over time they experienced so much demand for the few things they did sell that they had to come back and find out how to get more products. Now that big brands like Cadbury, Nestle and Tate & Lyle are using Fairtrade produce, it brings more and more farmers into the Fairtrade networks.” This is important because, along with the notion of a more fairly negotiated price for their wares, being part of Fairtrade brings personal and social benefits like better employment conditions as well as education and health care for farmers’ families and communities. There’s an emphasis on gender equality, too, and according to Jenny Foster, Fairtrade’s involvement can be the first time women in many cultures have been supported in running their own business. Nicaraguan Fairtrade honey farmer Agueda Avendado, who will be visiting Bristol during
Fairtrade Fortnight, is a great example of how the process works. Like many Fairtrade initiatives it started really small: Agueda and three of her workmates needed to earn more money to pay for their children’s education. They didn’t have any land to work so hit on the idea of beekeeping as a way of making the most of their situation. They jointly bought 10 hives, then used the money raised from the sale of honey to buy more. Now they have 30 hives and the four women have been accepted into Miel de Bosque, the Nicaraguan ‘Forest Honey’ co-operative that specialises in organic and Fairtrade principles. As a result their business is thriving, the proceeds are helping to pay for Agueda’s son Rommy to go to medical school and what started as a sideline has taken over Agueda’s life. In 2007 she took up the post of Head of Co-operative Development in her local region of Boaca, encouraging others to adopt Fairtrade status and thus spreading the social and economic benefits even more widely through the community. Her visit to Bristol is being arranged through BLINC, the longstanding support group
ST
➻ long
that links the city with many development projects (and football teams) across Nicaragua. During her stay, Agueda will be visiting a number of schools across Bristol and South Gloucestershire and sharing the stage with Levi Roots to present the South West Fairtrade Awards; she will also be the main speaker at the International Women’s Day event at the MShed, Bristol on 8 March. FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT RUNS FROM FEB 25 TO MAR 10, WITH EVENTS ACROSS BRISTOL AND BATH. FFI: WWW.FAIRTRADESOUTHWEST. ORG.UK; BLINC FFI: WWW.BRISTOLNICARAGUA. WORDPRESS.COM
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con of th dau mos mul well time sugg som cele but them Her cana • Bl smo • Pi baco stick min •M onio chee • Fil pest • Po hors roas
EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
NONNA'S CUCINA ITALIANA Melissa Blease gets a taste of the dolce vita at Bath’s newest Italian restaurant.
B
ath isn’t short on Italian-themed eateries. From longstanding institutions to the latest links in the glossy, ever-expanding chains, there’s pretty much a trattoria to suit every taste and budget, ranging in reputation from the imbarazzare to the veramente terribile by way of a plethora of prosaic pizzas, lacklustre pastas and risottos that could be put to good use on a building site. So, when news of a new Italian restaurant hit the foodie grapevine towards the end of 2012, I wasn’t exactly first in the queue on opening day. But just a few short weeks later, I’m happily ciao-ing down on a hefty portion of humble pie. Soon-to-be newlyweds Angelo and Laura chose to name their restaurant Nonna’s – the Italian word for grandmother – in homage to the classic, homecooked southern Italian food they were both reared on. And between them, the couple certainly have a long, strong lineage of Italian heritage to back up their claims of authenticity; Laura is a branch of the Licata family tree responsible for the acclaimed delicatessens in Bristol’s Picton Street and Gloucester Road. Chef Angelo, meanwhile – well, I could taste his history from the moment the homemade caponata and breadsticks arrived at our beautifully-laid table for two at the front of the slick, chic contemporary bistro formerly known as Enzo (which was good, but not this good). For starters, shimmering slabs of seductively creamy buffalo mozzarella – an intrinsic component of my proper insalata caprese – the like of which I’ve yet to encounter in almost a dozen years of doing my job. For Him, a massive portion of Sicilian arancini: huge fried risotto balls filled with boisterous beef ragu and molten mozzarella. You
“I dived in to a sumptuous seafood risotto generously studded with a roll call of zingingly fresh piscatorial delights.” know the supermarket versions of arancini that are trending right now? Compared to Angelo’s creations, they’re a downright criminal bastardisation of the genre. Having now eaten at Nonna’s, I can confidently predict that Angelo’s homemade pasta is an otherworldly experience too. Heck, I’m even going to be so bold as to take a punt on the fact that even I – a vehement pizza-avoider – wouldn’t find fault with his quattro formagi, either. But for our purposes right here, we stuck to the route recommended by Laura – and if you, like us, find yourselves spoilt for choice
when choosing from the wellbalanced menu, I guarantee that her advice will do you proud. I dived in to a sumptuous seafood risotto generously studded with a roll call of zingingly fresh piscatorial delights including tiny octopuses so cute that I couldn’t bear to eat them and subtly donated them all to Him instead – not that His dish needed any supplementing at all: all hail Nonna’s pollo siciliana, which puts the all-too-often overlooked (in restaurant world, anyway), “unglamorous” chicken thighs and drumsticks in a starring role, slowly cooked in a rich tomato sauce seething with onions, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, lashings of oregano and several glugs of bold red wine. This being proper Southern Italian cooking ’n’ all, there was little space left to fill at the finishing line, so we shared a creamy fruit pannacotta so light it belied its reputation for being the world’s most calorific dessert while we drained our bottle
of velvety Sangiovese del Rubicone and enjoyed a spontaneous display of magic tricks courtesy of our lovely waiter. But apart from that dazzling display, there are no tricks and nothing to hide at Nonna’s. Our supper at grandma’s came in at around £60 including wine – exceedingly good value on all counts, from ambience to service to, of course, the memorably tasty, fully authentic Italian grub. If you’re after a fully-fledged dolce vita experience, you simply won’t find better in Bath.
CONTACT
NONNA’S CUCINA ITALIANA 39 GAY STREET, BATH BA1 2NT. FFI: 01225 427919, WWW. NONNASITALIANRESTAURANT.CO.UK
THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
Really, really good real Italian food, in really lovely surroundings - highly recommended
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
AQUA ITALIA Tony Benjamin enjoys a taste of Italy in this stylish, friendly eatery on Whiteladies Road
T
hey must be doing something right at Aqua Italia. It’s a bitterly cold Tuesday night and it’s started snowing, making the streets slithery again and the pavements treacherous. It’s the kind of evening when pulling the curtains, opening a bottle and watching whatever rubbish is on the telly suddenly seems the wisest course. So we feel somewhat pleased with ourselves having struggled on bicycles to Whiteladies Road. How exceptionally determined must we be? But Aqua Italia is rammed before we even get there, a happy buzz to complement the welcome warm air and bright lights. Not so exceptional then. We peel off our cold wet gear by the large and light bar where cocktails are being shaken and customers meeted and greeted. It’s a stylish anteroom but, having booked, we’re whisked straight to a window table with a view of flurrying snowflakes outside that adds to the sense of warm wellbeing within. As, in my case, does a crisply modern glass of Dolcetto from the very reasonable all-Italian wine list, the Lovely She preferring a chilled Campari and soda aperitif, Italian-style. There’s a pleasant pulse of what sounds like 80s go-go music under the hubbub in the high-ceilinged room, and the calm and friendly efficiency of the two waitresses slipping between tables is already impressive. I am hungry in a way that may prove compromising to a rational review so quickly attack my meat antipasto on its white rectangular platter. It’s gratifyingly rich and enjoyable, however: soft meats with bright flavours, notably a velvety coppa stagionata, a clump of torn buffalo mozzarella and a plop of crunchy garlic-infused celeriac coleslaw. There’s a generous plateful of lightly crushed yellow and red vine tomatoes in front of the Lovely She,
“Things go quiet in appreciation of pig perfection: a crisp sheet of crackling lifts to reveal smooth, soft creamy meat that soaks up the pungency of the ragout” with shreds of the same cheese and well-dressed rocket that more than justifies the promised ‘hint’ of chilli: more like an outright allegation, She feels. As we wait for our mains to arrive a candle-lit cake is delivered to the table over the way and we all learn that someone called Alex (Alan?) is being wished a happy birthday by his mates. It’s interesting how cheesy that would seem in TGI Fridays and yet here it has a kind of charm, adding to the ambience without detracting from its comfortable smartness. People keep huddling past in the flaky dark outside until our plates arrive, her blush-pink lobster ravioli set on a luridly green mattress of ‘sweet pea puree’ framed by a black slate platter, while my generous brick of slow roast pork belly is pooled, ‘Tuscan style’, with dark borlotti bean and rosemary ragout on a wide plain white bowl,
plus a fair-sized side dish of gnocchi bathed in beige gorgonzola sauce riddled with crunchy walnuts and wilted radicchio. Things go quiet in appreciation of pig perfection: a crisp sheet of crackling lifts to reveal the marshmallow-soft underfat and smooth, soft creamy meat that soaks up the pungency of the ragout. The gnocchi have bite but aren’t chewy or floury, the cheese sauce aromatic with crunchy nut surprise. In short, hungry or not, I am pretty bowled over by this. “Funny how you always find pork fat whatever the menu,” She observes. Indeed. Her tricolour pasta dish is a lighter affair, just what she wanted, the subtle fishy taste battling with the richness of the sauce and crushed peas. By this point She’s got a fruitful glass of Sicilian Inzolia and I have a more robust Verdiccio and it’s all just a bit “holiday in Piedmont”. Nice.
Hunger pangs more than allayed, I savour a trio of baked figs, ovensmoked, with honey mousse, catching the almond waft of She’s panacotta over a cup of Italianstrength espresso that brings things to exactly £70, give or take. That’s pretty good going for three full courses in a smart and friendly room with a BS8 postcode, especially given the excellence of that pork.
CONTACT
AQUA ITALIA 153 WHITELADIES RD, BRISTOL BS8 2RF. FFI: 0117 973 3314, AQUA-RESTAURANT.COM
THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
Smart casual dining that doesn’t skimp on flavour and looks after you well
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
GRAZE BAR BREWERY & CHOPHOUSE
Bath’s ultra-modern new eatery specialising in beef and ale
T
TABLE TALK
here was a chill wind blowing through the Heritage City on the evening we headed off in the direction of Bath Spa Railway station. Indeed, it certainly wasn’t the kind of night on which one would choose to huddle on a freezing cold platform. Fortunately, however, we were setting off for dinner at Graze, the latest shiny new eatery to open its doors at the shiny new Vaults complex (and a sister venture to Graze’s existing Bristol incarnation). Trainspotters will love Graze. Should you be so inclined, you can sit within what feels like touchable distance of the gleaming locomotives that go speeding by at regular intervals. But despite all the
WE EAT HORSES, DON'T WE? ➻ So now we know: when ap-
“If you’re pushing the wagon out this V-Day, new romantics have found their ultimate ticket to ride.” high-speed action beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, inside is warm, cosy and ultra-inviting, comprising a spacious bar area, a buzzing open kitchen, an on-site micro brewery (we’re on Bath Ales’ territory here) and plenty of alfresco opportunities for when the time is right. As it’s all an impressively dazzling paean to contemporary architecture, the overall experience is more ‘Close Encounters’ than ‘Brief Encounters’. But if modern romance is your thang, you’ve certainly come to the right place, and the all-important menu should stoke up your pistons too, especially if you’re of the carnivorous persuasion.
Anyone for a Shergarburger?
Graze is rightly proud of its traditional, well-hung beef. But a full-blown steak-out here doesn’t come cheap – the star of the show (a magnificent 14oz bone-in rib eye) flaunts a brave £27.95 price tag. But if you’re pushing the wagon out this V-Day, new romantics have found their ultimate ticket to ride. We not-so-modern lovers, meanwhile, embarked on our journey with perfectly seasoned devilled kidneys from the ‘Toasts’ selection (£7.25) and Cornish squid with aioli (£7.95), the kidneys proving to be a super-comforting, piquant contrast to the vibrant, lighthearted squid. For mains, a supremely satisfying Graze
Burger for me (£13.95, including fabulous chips and creamy coleslaw) and 10oz rib-eye (£23.95) for him. While the steak rather disappointingly didn’t quite live up to expectations on the flavour front, He fortunately chose to supplement it with a £1.50 jug of bone marrow gravy that meatied-up his meat to the max. Service, meanwhile, was exemplary throughout, and portions so generous that the need for a pud was negated altogether; overall, an interesting voyage of discovery awaits you at the gleaming new Graze.
CONTACT
GRAZE BAR, BREWERY & CHOPHOUSE 9 BRUNEL SQUARE, BATH BA1 1SX. FFI: 01225 429392, WWW.BATHALES.COM
THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
Chic ’n’ cheerful, lovely service
plied to economy burgers, ‘awardwinning’ means taking a prize in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The latest food ‘shock’ story may have generated more column inches than the waistlines caused by the burgers themselves, but what has it revealed? That you can make things really, really cheap if you put crap ingredients in them? That profiteering food companies will do anything to make rubbish food even more cheaply? That supermarkets won’t go out of their way to catch them if we’re stupid enough to buy the goods? Since the BSE scandal of the 80s none of that should have come as a surprise. The real shock, for many British consumers, was the thought that they might have eaten horsemeat, and we don’t really do that, do we? It’s somehow less ‘nice’ than eating fluffy little lambs, big-eyed calves or scampering rabbits. And yet it’s not against UK law to serve up Dobbin steaks and, until it fell out of fashion in the 30s, horsemeat was sold and cooked here. There’s no health risk with horses bred for eating and it’s widely consumed the world over, often as a delicacy as well as cheap fodder. With world meat prices steadily rising, it could just be that by infiltrating horsemeat into our diet ‘by mistake’, the supermarkets are softening us up for a whole new range of value products still at the design stage. Shergarburgers, anyone? (Tony Benjamin, Food & Drink editor)
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EATINGOUTWEST
(Review)
THE ALMA
TAVERN
Tony Benjamin discovers fresh flavours and generous portions at the popular Clifton watering-hole.
S
WINE MERCHANTS ➻ To explore the world of the grape a good, independent wine merchant to answer questions and offer advice is a thing to be treasured. Here’s some top tipple tipsters …
ANDY STAGG
o what did you eat?” a friend asked, on hearing I’d dined at the Alma. I mentioned a couple of dishes and eyebrows raised: “Blimey! Sounds quite posh!” My companion had also been impressed. “I knew they did good Sunday lunches, but …” The Alma Tavern, under new management and freshly repainted, has clearly upped its game on the food front and chef Gary Crossan’s ever-changing evening selection is a wideranging and intriguing set of dishes. Choosing is tricky – the more tempting-sounding the more the risk of over-ambition, perhaps – but the reassuringly sensible wine list is a good place to start and a well-balanced Barbera arrives. As a fan of offal I’m seriously tempted by milk-braised monkfish liver but the exotic lure of ox heart ‘anticuchos’ wins. No, I’d never heard of it, but it’s a Peruvian street dish of thin strips, marinaded and flash-fried, and it’s surprisingly tender and flavoursome. The companion had baggsed Dorset crab and golden beetroot risotto, a choice she’s well pleased with for its easy breath of chilli oil among the other subtle tastes. There’s a similar deftness to the truffle dauphinoise potatoes that accompany my Ashton Court venison steak. This nuanced potato dish was perfect in texture and flavour, with just a dab of the oil behind its ears, leaving the limelight to the game-rich meat and florid celeriac puree. It proved a fine warming log fire of a plateful for a cold night, as
10 OF THE BEST
“This nuanced potato dish was perfect in texture and flavour, with just a dab of the oil behind its ears, leaving the limelight to the game-rich meat.” did the bacon-wrapped cod medallions on bubble-andsqueak with pungent cider and tomato salsa across the table. A generously proportioned dish, the clean freshness of the plain-cooked fish shone out, flaking easily to the fork and melting on the tongue. But the OMG moment, as those young people say, was still to come: as I tucked into my unadventurous but satisfying spiced apple crumble with English egg custard there was a sharp intake of companionable breath followed by a terse command. "Try that!” she said, pointing to the melting scoop on her pear tatin, and I duly took my first ever mouthful of Stilton ice-cream. OMG, indeed. All
the creaminess of that excellent cheese with, once again, a restrained representation of its potential punch and, washed down with a tawny port, a great way to finish off. All in all, then, a fine and fulsome ‘quite posh’ meal for £75 (including drinks), with friendly attentive service in the nicely secluded, oakpanelled dining area.
CONTACT
THE ALMA TAVERN 18 ALMA VALE RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL BS8 2HY. FFI: 0117 973 5171, WWW. ALMATEVERNANDTHEATRE.CO.UK
THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH
There’s definitely much more than Sunday lunches going on at the Alma
AVERYS 9 Culver St, Bristol, BS1 5LD, www.averys.com • Ancient Bristol family institution whose cellars under Park St are crammed with great discoveries. CLIFTON CELLARS (pictured) 22 The Mall, Bristol, BS8 4DS, www.cliftoncellars.co.uk • Popular tasting sessions and monthly variety selection cases aim to broaden your palate. CORKS OF COTHAM 54 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6JX, www.corksof.com • Long-trusted explorers of the wine world with food-matched tastings at top diner Flinty Red. GRAPES AND GRIND 101 Gloucester Rd, Bristol, BS7 8AT, www.grapeandgrind.co.uk • Well-settled Gloucester Rd newcomers with great stocks of wine plus artisan beers and a Wine Club that delivers. Q WINES 33 The Mall, BS8 4JG, www.qwines. co.uk • Their useful website keeps you up with their regular offers, interesting mixed cases and regular tutored tastings. RS WINES Parklands Rd, Bower Ashton, Bristol, BS3 2JW, www.rswines.co.uk • Fascinating on-line portal to impeccably sourced and sustainable ‘real wines’ made by small producers tracked down by specialist Raj Soni. GREAT WESTERN WINE Wells Rd, Bath, BA2 3AP, www.greatwesternwine.co.uk • Last year’s International Wine Challenge champion retailers and a reliable place for whatever you fancy, wine-wise. GODWIN & GODWIN London Rd, Bath, BA1 6AW, www.kensingtonwinewarehouse.co.uk • Proud specialists whose stock is based on visiting vineyards and choosing for quality and the people that make it. TASTING ROOM 4 St Saviours Rd, Bath, BA1 6RT, www.tastingroom.co.uk • You can get a flavour of Will Baber’s highly-rated stock of wines and whiskies at tutored sessions or private soirees. RAISIN WINES 132A Walcot St, Bath, BA1 5BG, www.raisinwine.co.uk • Though expert specialists in boutique producers from South America, Raisin’s tastings roam much wider in search of enlightenment.
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EATINGOUTWEST
RESTAURANT PROFILE
KILTED CHEF RESTAURANT & BAR
ADDRESS: 7A KINGSMEAD SQUARE, BATH BA1 2AB TEL: 01225 466688 EMAIL: TASTY@KILTEDCHEF.CO.UK WEB: WWW.KILTEDCHEF.CO.UK
D
esigned by Sue Chalmers, who now manages the restaurant, and whose previous career saw her design various projects for clients including Cunard, Marriott, Holiday Inn and privately owned hotels and restaurants, the ambience of the restaurant is both chic and subtle, using taupe, copper, gold and charcoal grey, with accents of warm red, crisp white table linen, candles and subdued lighting, offsetting the vibrancy of Dougie’s food. “Dougie and I wanted to create an interior which would work both day and night, appeal to a broad age group and market, and remain classic and not date quickly,” says Sue. “We also believe that the long dining experience of days gone by has been lost to fast food or mainstream establishments, where a three-course
meal is served and you’ll be out of the door in an hour and a half. We want to bring back the slow dine, the night-out experience, where you start with canapés with your aperitif, and an amuse bouche when you are seated, and a choice of a la carte or taster menu which will last two hours minimum because you won’t be made to feel like the next diners are waiting for your table! When you book a table with us it’s yours for the afternoon for a lazy lunch, or evening for a sumptuous dinner.” You will also not have to choose or be charged for side dishes. “We both hate it when you have to pick your vegetables or potatoes. Surely the chef should know what is best to accompany the meat or fish you are choosing? And then to charge extra, turning a basic main course from £18 to £25-£30, seems ridiculous.”
CHEF PROFILE
DOUGIE BONAR Following the success of his previous restaurants of 10 years – which saw him cooking for Princess Anne twice and his restaurant being regarded as one of the best in Scotland – Dougie opened a new contemporary dining restaurant in Bath called the Kilted Chef, and three months later business is booming. Dougie’s high-class cooking has been in his family for many generations, with his greatgrandmother a pastry chef to the Queen Mother at Glamis Castle, now the home of the Earl of Strathmore. His grandmother and mother were also regarded highly for their cooking. “I think it was the achievements of my great-grandmother that provided me with the interest and motivation to aim high with my cooking,” he says. Ensuring that the best ingredients are sourced from sustainable, national farms and suppliers, Dougie’s passion for contemporary food has led him to strive to make the Kilted Chef one of the top restaurants in Bath.
46 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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EATINGOUTWEST
RECIPE
of the month
LOIN OF VENISON WITH SCOTTISH LANGOUSTINES WITH A VANILLA INFUSED JUS AND BEETROOT & ARTICHOKE DAUPHINOISE RECOMMENDED INGREDIENTS SERVES 4 PEOPLE ● 4 x 4oz venison loin ● 4 slices of pancetta ● 12 langoustine tails ● 1 leek ● 1 small bag of spinach ● 4 chopped shallots ● 1/3 vanilla pod ● 1 tsp chopped tarragon ● 1/4 pint double cream ● Small glass of white wine ● Small glass of red wine ● Herbs to garnish ● 1 tbsp butter FOR THE BEETROOT AND ARTICHOKE DAUPHINOISE ● 1lb beetroot ● 1 sliced red onion ● 1/2 pint double cream ● 6 roughly chopped artichoke hearts ● 4 eggs ● 1/2 pint full-fat milk ● Grated parmesan ● 1/2 tsp garlic puree ● 1/2 tsp chopped tarragon ● Salt and pepper
TO MAKE Place the sliced beetroot, onion and artichokes in a deep, buttered metal tray. Mix the eggs and cream together with the garlic puree, salt, pepper and chopped tarragon and pour over the sliced vegetables. Add grated parmesan and bake in the oven at gas mark four for 15-20 minutes until soft and golden brown. Seal the venison in a hot pan, and add salt and pepper, until brown all over. Transfer to the oven at gas mark four for five minutes to keep the meat pink. Chop the spinach, leek and shallots and sauté in butter until
wilted. Add the langoustines, tarragon, white wine and cream and cook this mixture slowly until it thickens. Take the venison out of the oven (and remove to rest) and pour the red wine and shallots into the pan and let the venison juices reduce. Place the venison on top of the dauphinoise, drizzle the red wine sauce over the top and finish with grilled pancetta. Serve with the langoustines mixture in a small cup to the side.
PITCHFORK SHIRAZ, MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA 2009 ➻ This shiraz (14.5%) displays a vibrant, youthful brilliant hue of good depth, lifted violet aromas, dark cherry and plum fruit flavours with peppery hints and chocolaty influences. The palate displays a good depth of fruit concentration, ripe, sweet fruit fleshiness, with a soft lingering aftertaste, which will sit well with both the richness of the venison, and the subtlety of the langoustine.
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EATINGOUTWEST
PUB
KING OF THE
of the month
HILL
Tony Benjamin drops in for a pint at the friendly, versatile pub at the top of Clifton’s Blackboy Hill.
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sked to describe a typical night at The Kings Arms, owner Ali Weaver is a bit stumped: “It’s funny, but this can be quite a different pub depending when you call in,” she says. “I’m here all the time and I see it change. We have lots of loyal regulars but they come for their own reasons.” Behind its grandly imposing Victorian
frontage at the top of Blackboy Hill, Clifton, The Kings Arms somehow pulls off the trick of combining smart and stylish décor with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The welcoming cosiness of the street-level lounge and dining room can only hint at what you’ll find once you head on up the spiral staircase. On the next floor the large room offers cosily lit alcoves while the curving sweep of the long, backlit bar just cries out for cocktail action. And things do indeed get ‘shaky’ on Thursday nights when it’s 2-4-1 on mojitos and the after-work crowd arrive in droves for an early warm-up for the impending weekend. With 18 cocktails available, it’s a popular feature, as is a wine list that offers imaginatively chosen varieties by the glass or bottle including a couple (MarsanneViognier and Malbec) that Ali picked for her own pleasure. Friday night is “all about the food” and there’s a lot of wine-list action as families, couples and groups of friends come to dine. Coming from a farming family out Frampton Cottrell way, Ali’s very well connected, and her family and friends keep a regular supply of farmhouse fresh meat, veg and eggs. “People talk about locally sourced food, but I know ours really is,” is
Ali’s proud claim. “And we make a lot of stuff ourselves, like chutneys and pickles. One of the chefs comes from New York and he’s making chorizo and pastrami. We’ve even converted an old fridge into a smoker to do our own smoked cheeses and garlic.” Their home-recipe pork sausages, custom made by high-class butchers Ruby & White, are a popular menu item, and Ali says that one of the vegetarian options seems to have made the pub a bit of a destination.“The macaroni cheese is amazing – people ring up to check if it’s on and some drive miles to get it.” Saturday night is party night, however, with a regular close-up magician and visiting DJs making the spacious pub a popular venue for private parties, too; and then Sundays the inevitable roasts bring a full house in off the nearby downs and regularly sell out by around 3pm. There’s always a separate tapas menu and a range of well-reputed burgers that come at 2-4-1 (Tue-Fri, 12noon-5pm). Presiding over all of this, Ali has a great staff team and the valued support of Dolly and Honey, her two amiable dogs, which not only keep a friendly eye on things from their ‘throne’ in the bar but also, somehow, manage to use Twitter (@KingsArmsDogs). It all adds to the friendly charm of a comfortably grand public house that’s well worth checking out, whatever kind of night you prefer. THE KINGS ARMS 168 WHITELADIES RD, BRISTOL BS8 2XZ. FFI: 0117 973 5922, WWW.KINGSARMSBRISTOL.COM
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FOLIO/FEB 2013 49
ad template 217.indd 2
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Beautifully marbled local steaks dry-aged
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50 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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EATINGOUTWEST
Shop
LIFE IS
of the month
SWEET
Melissa Blease finds sugar, spice and all things nice at The Bath Cake Company.
F
orget knitting, crocheting or cross-stitching – when it comes to on-trend domestic activities, sugarcraft is where it’s at. And if you need the equipment to fuel your creative passion, The Bath Cake Company is your onestop shop: an Aladdin’s Cave of indulgent, cake-related everything. “I founded the Bath Cake Company in January 2010,” company owner and cake designer Celia Adams recalls. “I set up a weekly stall at Green Park Market selling freshly baked cakes, sugarcraft equipment and cake-making supplies. We quickly began supplying some of Bath’s top cafés with our cakes and tray bakes, while many customers quickly turned into regulars as sugarcraft equipment was hard to come by in Bath. But our main USP was and continues to be providing fresh, delicious, beautiful cakes made from locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.” Today, Celia’s shop – on the axis between Walcot Street’s Artisan Quarter and the
independent oasis of Bartlett Street – has to be one of the sweetest shopping experiences on any block, offering something for everybody with cake-related inclinations, from all manner of baking accessories and equipment to those fabulous cakes, by way of a bespoke speciality cake-ordering and consultancy service and a lively timetable of cake-decorating classes. “When customers enter the shop looking,
The Bath Cake Company: an Aladdin's Cave of indulgent, cake-related everything
they’re immediately taken aback by the shelves stocked full of cutters, sprinkles, cake boards and much, much more. But it’s all laid out with easy navigation in mind, and we’re happy to order specialised items for our customers on those rare occasions that we don’t have what they’re looking for.” And if what you’re looking for is a Very Special bespoke cake, the process is as delicious as the end result. “We work closely with customers to produce something unique,” says Celia. “We can arrange tastings, and offer consultations where we look over different designs, ideas and sketches.” With Valentine’s Day in mind, Celia’s eminently loveable cupcakes can be delivered to homes and workplaces around Bath, while a Cupcake Bouquet has to be the ultimate alternative to flowers. If, however, you’re inclined to make your own cute cupcake treats for a special someone, a huge range of Valentine-themed sprinkles, cutters and sugarettes are guaranteed to fire up your romantic inspiration. But sweet treats aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. As the trend for sugarcraft grows, Celia predicts that frills will be in fashion this year. There are bunnies on the horizon for Easter, and iced biscuits are enjoying their own moment in the spotlight. “They make great gifts or wedding favours,” says Celia. “We can even ice them with guests’ names so they can double up as place cards. We’re also constantly developing original flavours for our cupcakes; we’re really enjoying baking with fresh fruits and we’re in the middle of designing our 2013 range of wedding cakes. I can guarantee that there are some pretty funky celebration cakes in the pipeline.” Sweet? Indeed!
CONTACT
THE BATH CAKE COMPANY 14 FOUNTAIN BUILDINGS, LANSDOWN MEWS, BATH BA1 5DX. FFI: 07834 270198, WWW.BATHCAKECOMPANY. 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
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EATINGOUTWEST
(News)
WHAT'S COOKING
Our monthly round-up of news from the foodie world This pic: enjoy 'bubbles and nibbles' with 'Casablanca' at Komedia; inset: catch another Mi Casa pop-up event this month
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… BATH FARMERS’ MARKET Green Park Station, Bath, 9am-1.30pm, every Sat (www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk) STROUD FARMERS’ MARKET Cornhill Market, Stroud, 9am-2pm, every Sat (www.fresh-n-local.co.uk) WHITELADIES ROAD FARMERS’ & FAIR TRADING MARKET Outside auction rooms, corner
of Whiteladies Rd & Apsley Rd, Clifton, Bristol, 8.30am-2pm, 1st & 3rd Sat of month (www.sustainableredland.org.uk) WESTON-SUPER-MARE FARMERS’ MARKET
W
hen the Loungers opened their latest place – Grupo Lounge – in Westburyon-Trym on 31 Jan, not everyone realised that it was actually the 25th in a chain that now stretches from Liverpool to Hove (and will soon reach Portishead, too) – not bad for so laidback an organisation. By contrast Laura Hart’s small (but perfectly formed) one-off bakery has successfully re-opened in new premises under the approach ramp to Temple Meads station, providing lucky commuters with excellent coffee and freshly cooked croissants. Guerrilla dining stars Mi Casa are celebrating the return of Hart’s Bakery with a pop-up ‘chef’s table’ sharing feast event in the bakery on 2 Feb – check www.micasapopup. co.uk to book. Enviable as Laura’s hardwon baking skills are, mere mortals can improve theirs at Coffee@Camden, Bath
on Sat 9 when they will be running a Valentine’s Day-themed cup cake-making workshops. The event is in aid of Love Your Air Ambulance month, a fundraising effort for a new helicopter and participants get to decorate six cakes to present to their loved one. Interested? Contact fundraising@ greatwesternairambulance.com to register for a class. There’s an enticingly romantic evening planned for the day itself at Komedia, where their Little@Komedia partnership with the Little Theatre Cinema will be offering the splendid combination of welcoming ‘bubbles & nibbles’, a two-course dinner and a screening of ‘Casablanca’ for a mere £60 per couple. Tickets available from the Little Theatre box office or call 0871 902 5735.
High St, Weston-super-Mare, 9am12.30pm, 2nd Sat of month. KEYNSHAM FARMERS’ MARKET Ashton Way car park, Keynsham, Bristol, 9am-1pm, 2nd Sat of month (www. somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk) WESTBURY-ON-TRYM MARKET Medical Centre car park, Westbury Hill, Bristol, 9am-1pm, 4th Sat of month. HARBOURSIDE MARKET No.1 Harbourside, Canons Rd, Bristol, 11am-4pm, every Sat & Sun (www.no1harbourside.co.uk) TOBACCO FACTORY MARKET Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol, 10am-2.30pm, every Sun (www.tobaccofactory.com) SLOW FOOD MARKET Corn St, Bristol, 10am-3pm, 1st Sun of month (www. stnicholasmarketbristol.co.uk) BRISTOL FARMERS’ MARKET (pictured above)Corn St, Bristol, 9.30am2.30pm, every Wed (www. stnicholasmarketbristol.co.uk) BRADFORD ON AVON FARMERS’ MARKET
Westbury Gardens, Bradford on Avon, 9am-1pm, third Thur of month. BRADFORD ON AVON COUNTRY MARKET
St Margaret’s Hall, Bradford on Avon, 10am-11.30am, third Thur of month.
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FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING
➻ LIFESTYLE
BRISTOL FASHION WEEK, NEW FLIGHTS FROM BRISTOL, POP-UP MAKE-UP AND MORE FASHION
COOL FOR CATWALKS
Overseeing the catwalks are (inset): ITV Daybreak fashion advisor Mark Heyer and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton
➻ If it’s not already in your diary, you’ll want to save space for Bristol Fashion Week. Returning to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway from Wed 20-Sun 24 March, the city’s biggest fashion event will serve up even more essential catwalk previews of this season’s hottest trends. Tickets for the fashion-forward showcase go on sale early this month, and if you’re after securing one of the best front row seats in the house, you’ll want to get in quick to buy your Platinum FROW ticket (£13.95; standard tickets £8.95). If you’ve been to Bristol Fashion Week before, you’ll already know that its daily catwalk shows aren’t populated by stick-thin, size-zero models. At BFW there’s always a refreshingly wide range of models of all sizes and ages on the catwalk, offering you the chance to see what this season’s must-have trends really look like and how you might wear them yourself. Overseeing proceedings and presenting each show are ITV Daybreak fashion advisor Mark Heyes and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton, who’ll be sharing their valuable fashion knowledge as well as keeping the crowds entertained with a witty combination of style advice and celebrity gossip. BFW guests are treated to complimentary M&S refreshments, a free stylish BFW goody bag full of things to sample, as well as a free Event Guide packed with discount vouchers, fashion advice and competitions. There’ll also be a chance every show to win a designer prize worth £100 from John Lewis. With two shows on Wednesday, four on Thursday and Saturday, five on Friday and three on Sunday, BFW is also staging a live blogging show at 4.30pm on Friday, when fashion bloggers from across the South West will be tweeting about their favourite looks for the new season. BRISTOL FASHION WEEK THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, WED 20-SUN 24 MARCH. FFI & TICKETS: WWW.MALLCRIBBS.COM
SALON REFIT
A CUT ABOVE ➻ Doug Hobbs and his team at Hobbs Hairdressing in Park Row have created something new and innovative for their customers to enjoy: a refit of the salon that brings together many unique elements. Doug has influenced a number of creative people in the city over the years, from graffiti artists to Bristol’s urban fashion and music scenes, and with this refit, he has come up with something to excite his loyal customer base. Having a cut, colour and treatment at Hobbs Hairdressing has become a whole new experience, with a coffee bar downstairs opening on to the beautiful garden and café seating area called the Hobbservatory, all designed for maximum customer comfort. The recent refit was inspired by Doug’s visit to New York and the buildings in and
around the TriBeCa district. Working with local artisan cabinet makers, blacksmiths and a variety of bespoke local suppliers, he has created a spacious, comfortable and edgy space. “It should be on the Bristol arts trail calendar,” one customer said. The refit’s as original as the famous Hobbs Shows, and Doug and his team have shown that they are still big on innovation, inspiration and style. “A happy and fun environment for both customers and staff is a priority,” says Doug. “We are known for our quality of care and personal approach and the refit has allowed us to take that approach to another level.” HOBBS HAIRDRESSING 50 PARK ROW, BRISTOL, BS1 5LH. FFI: 0117 929 1635, WWW.HOBBS-STYLE.CO.UK
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LIFESTYLE
MENSWEAR
SUITS YOU, SIR TRAVEL
HAMBURG AND FRANKFURT – TO GO! ➻ bmi regional will expand its European
network early next year with the launch of new routes from Bristol to Hamburg and Frankfurt. Hamburg will become bmi regional’s 17th scheduled destination, with initially five services per week from 11 Feb increasing to 12 per week from 8 April. The new six-per-week Frankfurt service will commence in late March. Hamburg is one of the most affluent cities in Europe. The city is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. Frankfurt is a world hub offering global connectivity. Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport, says: “Today’s announcement is a major statement of Bristol Airport’s
commitment to providing the connectivity which is vital in enabling the economies of the South West and South Wales to compete on a global stage. It forms part of an overall strategy to enhance services and facilities for the region’s business passengers, including commencement of a £600,000 project to create a new, improved executive lounge in the terminal. “When we ran a recent survey of ‘most wanted’ routes, German destinations featured strongly in responses from the business community. Hamburg is a key location for several major companies in the South West, such as Airbus and Imperial Tobacco.” The new routes are on sale at www. bmiregional.com.
➻ Leading menswear designer Marc Wallace – whose suits you might have spotted on Mark Ronson and Jake Wood (Max Branning,‘Eastenders’) – has launched its bespoke collection for spring-summer 2013. It’s all about fresh block colours, from electric blue to burnt orange, and its slim-cut trousers, fitted jackets, 1920s-style evening suits and Oxford bags use fabrics like light-weight wools and Italian cottons, and have been inspired by a transatlantic look: the vintage glamour of Las Vegas and ‘The Great Gatsby’. MARC WALLACE EDGAR BUILDINGS, GEORGE ST, BATH, BA1 2EE 01225 466155 WWW. MARCWALLACE.COM
POP-UP SHOP
LAB FAB ➻
After the success of its first pop-up shop in Little Southgate, Bath-based make-up, skincare and workshop brand LittleLAB is opening another in Milsom Place. The new pop-up shop welcomes its first customers from 1 February and will run until early March. Founded by make-up artist Katherine Spreadbury, who’s worked for the likes of Burberry and Vogue, LittleLAB offers professional make-up artist products and holds regular workshops where you can pick up professional tips and create your own look. The new shop will follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, offering a fresh, friendly environment, as well as LittleLAB’s characteristically welcoming approach to make-up and skincare (there are no bright orange sales assistants here). Visit the company’s blog for the latest information – or simply drop in at the new Milsom Place store.
LITTLELAB MILSOM PLACE, BATH, 1 FEB-EARLY MAR. FFI: WWW.LITTLELAB.CO.UK
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FASHION LIFESTYLE RED FOR PASSION This lace balcony bra and briefs are by Bristol-based luxury lingerie company Fleur of England and are from the Love Collection. Fleur of England red lace bra £98, red briefs £69.50, both from the Love Collection
LOV ING
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, nosewrinkling 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…
LINGERIE
This Valentine’s Day an increasing number of suitors are likely to be saying it with lingerie. Suzanne Savill checks Anna Britten maps out fuss-free out outfits thatacould inspire a red-hot romance holiday capsule wardrobe 56 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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LIFESTYLE
FASHION
VINTAGE STYLE
Fifties-style red and black high-waisted lace-trimmed briefs and matching red and black lace bra. Next, red lace bra set of two £22, highwaisted briefs £12
RED HOT
HOT PINK
R
WILD THING
Brighten up bedtime with this red chemise, which is part of a range of Valentine gifts at Tesco. F&F red chemise £6
A babydoll nightie – but in a vivid neon pink instead of baby pink. Dirty Pretty Things, Show Pony Neon Pink Babydoll £175
oses are red/Violets are blue/Red is the colour of romance/And Valentine lingerie too … OK, so maybe writing poetry is not exactly a notable talent of the Folio fashion desk. But you have to admit we’ve got a point. At this time of
year, red bras, knickers and nighties are becoming as prevalent as red roses, cards adorned with red hearts, chocolates wrapped in red foil, and red heart-shaped balloons. As romantic gestures go, receiving lingerie – in red, pink or any other colour for that matter – can create an interesting conundrum. From a pragmatic point of view, at least it is a gift that will last longer that flowers or
Leopardskin print is given a new look for this red chemise. George at ASDA animal print chemise £4
balloons, and unlike chocolates it won’t jeopardise any diets. However, as you open your present from your beloved (or an anonymous would-be suitor), you might find yourself wondering whether the old saying about how it is better to give than to receive is particularly applicable with regard to this sort of Valentine offering!
CONTACTS
TOTALLY DOTTY
Red and white polka dots combine to give a fresh look to this bra and briefs set. Debenhams red and white polka dot bra £24, matching briefs £7.50
RED AND BLACK FLOWER POWER
Say it with flowers in a different way with this pretty rose print nightie. M&Co rose print nightdress £5
Limited collection body in red, with a contrasting black side panels. Marks & Spencer, Limited Collection Body £29.50; necklace £15
FLEUR OF ENGLAND WWW. FLEUROFENGLAND.COM DIRTY PRETTY THINGS WWW. DIRTYPRETTYTHINGS.UK.COM MARKS & SPENCER BRISTOL: BROADMEAD AND CRIBBS CAUSEWAY. BATH: STALL STREET. WWW. MARKSANDSPENCER.COM TESCO EXTRA BRISTOL: EASTGATE; BRISLINGTON; BRADLEY STOKE. WWW. CLOTHINGATTESCO.COM M&CO YATE SHOPPING CENTRE; ST MARYS CENTRE THORNBURY; PORTISHEAD HIGH STREET; HIGH STREET, MIDSOMER NORTON. WWW.MANDCO. COM NEXT BRISTOL: CABOT CIRCUS; EASTGATE CENTRE; MALL CRIBBS CAUSEWAY. BATH: STALL STREET. WWW. NEXT.CO.UK DEBENHAMS BRISTOL: BROADMEAD; BATH: SOUTHGATE PLACE. WWW. DEBENHAMS.COM GEORGE AT ASDA BRISTOL: BEDMINSTER; WHITCHURCH; CRIBBS CAUSEWAY; LONGWELL GREEN. WWW. ASDA.COM/GEORGE
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FASHION LIFESTYLE
HOW TO WEAR...
Skullduggery Niki wears: jacket from Zara £29.99, top from Topshop (no longer available), trousers from Zara £29.99, shoes from NW3 from Hobbs (no longer available), scarf from McQueen at Harvey Nichols £160, bangle from House of Harlow, bag from Vintage.
EDGY ACCESSORIES
Personal stylist Niki Whittle reveals her inner rock chick
T
here is no denying that I love anything embellished with studs or skulls. I’m a rock chick at heart and can’t resist adding edgy accessories to my wardrobe. Skull studs and motifs have been cropping up everywhere lately, so much so that they’re becoming hard to avoid. Conventional buttons have been replaced with little brass skulls, scarves are covered in them and even shoes and belts are studded with miniature skulls. Now naturally there are some really gothic-looking items around, but you may be surprised to hear that there are also some really pretty, feminine pieces out there too. It’s actually quite a versatile trend that I believe can be adapted to suit almost any style. Keep things simple and add just one piece to your look. As I’ve said many times before, accessories are the easiest way to dip your toe in a trend – they don’t date as quickly as clothing and can be used to change the look of countless outfits. This skull scarf (pictured, top right) by Alexander McQueen is fast becoming a classic and is the perfect way to rock the trend as it’s not only versatile, but will remain a wardrobe staple for seasons to come. I’ve tended to opt for skulls on accessories rather than clothing, but there is such an array of tops, trousers and jumpers adorned in skull prints that I decided to jump outside of my comfort zone and try something new. Cue this cute top from Topshop (pictured, right): it’s pretty without being too girly and skulltastic without going all-out goth.
Pretty cute Niki wears: denim shirt from Levi’s £70, top from Topshop £16.99, jeans from Oasis £48, shoes from Converse at Office £42.99, name necklace from Tatty Divine, bangles from Indian markets.
FFI WWW.NIKIWHITTLE.COM, WWW.HIPSHAPESANDBRISTOLFASHION.COM
FASHION NEWS… ➻ If you want your very own fabulous frock with a little history, then you’re in luck, Scarlet Vintage in Bath have just launched their brand spanking new website www.scarletvintage.co.uk showcasing their extensive collection of vintage wear. Finding your wow dress just became a whole lot easier! ... Are you a TOWIE fan? Then you’ll be pleased to hear that Minnie’s Boutique is popping up in Cabot Circus for one weekend only on 2-3 Feb. The shop will showcase the boutique’s most popular brands, such as Minnies and Hybrid ... And finally, this year has got off to a great start for Bath Spa BA (Hons) Fashion Design student Stephanie Kitchen as she represents Bath Spa in the finals of 2013 Fashion Awareness Direct competition (FAD). The final will take place at London Fashion Week this month where her final design will strut down the catwalk in front of a top industry panel including Hilary Alexander. Good luck, Stephanie! … And don’t forget that Bath’s Fashion Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month by showcasing their 50 most Fabulous Frocks – see What’s On section for more. The exhibition starts on 2 Feb and will continue till the end of the year so there’s no excuse for missing it! 58 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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This pic: Scarlet Vintage; left: work by Stephanie Kitchen
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s ow s e Br he bl D s la H La ai & av w no
Luxury Waxing Boutique PREPARE TO BE PAMPERED
Free strip 1/2 leg wax in February * with any Brazilian or Hollywood Wax when you bring in this ad! *T’s & C’s apply. Offer expires 28/02/2013
www.stripwaxbar.com
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0117 916 8864
bristol@stripwaxbar.com
1/30/2013 3:24:04 PM
SHOPPING LIFESTYLE
SHOP OF THE
“Costco prides itself on high levels of friendly, informative service”
MONTH
Melissa Blease discovers a one-stop treasure trove of bargains at Bristol Costco
H
ere in the UK, most people think of wholesalers as foreboding, mysterious warehouses, usually only accessible to business folk after mundane office essentials or bulk-buy shelf-stockers. But many of us are overlooking one of the most exciting bargain-filled epicentres on the shopping block. Bristol Costco is an
illuminating experience open to all, whether you’re a business on the look-out for workplace necessities or a bargain hunter in search of high-end labels at lowcost prices. Originally established in Seattle, USA in 1983, Costco now operates 23 warehouses in the UK and over 600 worldwide, making it the seventh largest retailer in the world. The Bristol Costco warehouse opened in 2005, and has since grown to have a membership base of just under 50,000 members. But don’t let the M-word put you off! Membership is available in both trade and individual format. Trade members qualify by owning or operating a business, while individual membership is available to everybody in specific employment groups, including some of the South West’s largest employers such as Bristol City Council, Rolls Royce, BAE, EE and Royal Mail, as well as anyone who works in education, the NHS, the emergency services, finance/ banking and law. Membership costs just £20+VAT per annum for trade customers, and £25+VAT per annum for individuals; all members, meanwhile, get a complimentary spouse/domestic partner card. So that’s the small print sorted out. Let’s go shopping! Costco offers a whole host of benefits above and beyond that of your normal retail experience. Being amongst the largest
Bristol Costco: one of the most exciting epicentres on the shopping block
retailers in the world means that the company can use their global buying power and no-frills business model to drive down prices, resulting in one of the largest and most exclusive product category selections to be found under a single roof. From catering supplies, confectionery, domestic appliances, television and media to furniture, office supplies and office equipment by way of tyres, toys, hardware, sporting goods, jewellery, watches, cameras, books, homewares and a vast health and beauty selection, this really is your ultimate one-stop shopping experience. Costco will refund your membership fee in full at any time if you’re in any way dissatisfied with the Costco shopping experience, and the company also guarantee 100% satisfaction or your money back on every product you buy. Costco prides itself on very high levels of friendly, efficient, informative service, too. Still not convinced? Visit the Membership Desk at the Bristol Costco today and pick up a preview pass – we guarantee that you won’t leave the store without being astounded at what you’ve discovered. COSTCO BRISTOL ST BRENDAN’S WAY, AVONMOUTH, BRISTOL BS11 9EZ. FFI: 0117 916 0135, WWW.WAREHOUSES.COSTCO.CO.UK
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SHINE HAIR SALONS
25% DISCOUNT WITH NEW STYLISTS. Nina Romeu (EGO) Ashley Barry-Symonds (DR SWEDE HAIRDRESSING) Trudi Williams (BOJOBROWNS)
Quote Folio when booking. Offer valid through to 2013.
WE CARE • WE LISTEN • WE ADVISE MON Appointment Only TUES 10am-5.30pm WEDS 12.15pm-7pm THURS 10am-6.15pm FRI 10am-8pm SAT 9am-5.15pm
18 St Nicholas Street | Bristol | BS1 1UB | 0117 929 9749 www.shinehairsalons.co.uk p61.indd 1
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GIFTGUIDE LIFESTYLE
LA VIE EN ROSE The acid etching technique used in the making of these rings in Diana Porter’s popular Strata Precious range creates textured layers emulating the erosion of natural rock formations. The etching is complemented neatly by rose cut diamonds of varying colours, so one will make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for an English Rose. Rose cut diamond rings from £549. FFI: DIANA PORTER, 33 PARK STREET, BRISTOL, 0117 909 0225, WWW.DIANAPORTER.CO.UK
SWEETEST GIRL…
ALL FOR
LOVE
This is Artemis’s simply gorgeous Sweetie Necklace and Bracelet set, a timeless classic that has been lovingly created using hundreds of tiny sterling silver links and hand-crafted Thai silver hearts. All of their pieces can be customised to suit individual tastes – spoil someone special this Valentine’s Day. All Artemis designs are available in their shop or on their website. Bracelet from £55, necklace from £125. FFI: ARTEMIS, 214 GLOUCESTER ROAD, BISHOPSTON, BRISTOL, 0117 924 1003, WWW.CATHERINEAMESBURY.COM
Make your loved one’s Valentine’s Day one to remember with these ded presents, as recommen by Simon Fry
GORGEOUS GODDESS For Valentine’s Day, STRIP Wax and Lingerie Boutique have handpicked their favourite treatments, indulgent products and flirty thongs, then lovingly placed them in a sexy little black box and, using their signature STRIP ribbon, have tied it all up with love and attention... The Goddess Box comprises a Brazilian/Hollywood wax, eyebrow shape, scented sugar scrub, scented hand and body lotion and Hanky Panky thong. Usually priced £120, this is available at the special event price of £99. Clients not wishing to have the Brazilian/ Hollywood wax will be credited with £50 toward a treatment of their choice. FFI: STRIP WAX BAR BRISTOL 0117 916 8864
OOH LA LA The capital of France may well be the world’s most romantic place, so spice up Valentine’s Day night with this ‘Paris Paris’ lingerie set by Chantelle, available from Aria Lingerie, Bath. Bra £63, briefs from £34. FFI: ARIA LINGERIE, 3 GEORGE STREET, BATH, 01225 447700, WWW.ARIALINGERIE.CO.UK
➻
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MARK SIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY
Natural Weddings Tel: 0117 9140999 Mobile: 07778 063 699 www.marksimmonsphotography.com 64 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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LIFESTYLE
CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY AT THE RELAXATION CENTRE This Valentine’s Day take some time out with your partner to recharge, rejuvenate and relax with The Relaxation Centre’s Valentine’s Package – a spa session and one-hour treatment of your choice for £60 per person – saving £10! And for a truly indulgent Valentine’s treat, you can choose to enjoy a blissful massage lying alongside your partner. There will also be a free romantic gift for all couples. Please note booking is essential. FFI: THE RELAXATION CENTRE, 9 ALL SAINTS ROAD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL BS8 2JG, 0117 970 6616, WWW.RELAXATIONCENTRE.CO.UK
GIFTGUIDE
LOOK A MILLION DOLLARS … without spending them! Garnet is the state gemstone of New York, and these silver earrings with garnet will add glamour to your look on Valentine’s Day evening. They’re by Jacks Turner, one of the UK’s top emerging talents in contemporary jewellery design whose work in platinum brought her the prestigious Design Innovation Award. Available from Clifton Rocks, price £75. FFI: CLIFTON ROCKS, 100 QUEENS ROAD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, 0117 973 1342, WWW.CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK
ANIMAL ATTRACTION! Animal adoptions from Bristol Zoo Gardens are the perfect gift for your loved one, especially if they’re tricky-tobuy-for. Choose from 12 of the Zoo’s favourite animals. You’ll receive an adoption gift pack including a cuddly toy of your adopted animal, an adoption certificate, fascinating animal fact file, your name displayed proudly at the exhibit for a whole year and two tickets to visit your animal at Bristol Zoo Gardens. Gift box adoptions cost £45 and last one year.
SAY IT WITH FLOWERS
This hand-tied Sweet Hypnotic rose bouquet from Bath florist Flowers for Eddie is the stylish way to say ‘I love you’ this Valentine’s. Bespoke floral designs are available upon request and start from £40.
FFI: BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, 0117 974 7300, WWW.BRISTOLZOO.ORG. UK/ANIMAL-ADOPTION
FFI: WWW.FLOWERSFOREDDIE.CO.UK
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BEAUTY LIFESTYLE
MOBILE SPRAY TAN BRISTOL Ellie Pipe is all a-glow after a professional spray tan – in her own kitchen
I
’m standing in my kitchen, naked except for a disposable thong, it’s a Friday evening and I’m holding a zombie-esque pose while the lovely Shelley inspects my left inner thigh.... It all started because I was supposed to go to Australia this January, but fate (or, more accurately, finances) stepped in. Of course I’m sorry to be missing out on the sun and the sea, the good coffee and the waterproof dollar notes, but I’m also missing out on a tan. I like having that golden glow. I like looking down at beachbronzed feet rather than lily white hoofers. Then it hit me, this is something I can change. If, as they say, you can’t make it, fake it. So this is how I come to
be standing naked in my kitchen in the middle of January. This may be an unorthodox way to spend a Friday night, but it is one that I am very much enjoying. I don’t know if you have ever had a professional spray tan, but they can be a faff. As someone who is pathologically late, having an allotted appointment that I have to be on time for breaks me out in a cold sweat, then there’s the fact that you have to consider your clothing options very carefully before you leave the house for fear of staining your best outfit orange. Then there’s the journey home, with the not-quite-dried tan, the awkward shuffle to ensure it remains streak-free and doesn’t get stuck in any creases… The fantastic people at Mobile Spray Tan Bristol alleviate all of this tanning-related stress. It’s a simple enough concept and not even a particularly new one, but hats off to the genius who has made this service so easily accessible to us pasty people of Bristol. The whole process is easy as pie. First, I book my appointment online, a simple matter of putting in my postcode and viewing treatments (extensive: from massages to waxing to, of course, tanning) and availability. The time options are fabulously flexible and the prices are far more reasonable than I’d imagined. You also pay online, so no need to worry about having cash on you. I choose an appointment slot that gives me time to get home from work and chill out before the tanning commences. Chilled I am indeed by the time my beautician Shelley arrives; the radio’s on, the kettle boiled and all that remains for me
“If, as they say, you can't make it, fake-it”
BEFORE: a whiter shade of pasty
AFTER: from pasty to tasty! Ellie glows after her treatment
to do is point out a suitable corner of the kitchen for her to put up the tanning tent, and then, um, strip off. Once suitably attired in shower cap, disposable thong and paper stickers on my feet (all provided by Mobile Spray Tan), I need only stand in said tent and hold poses as instructed to ensure an even coverage – Australian tan here I come. Australian temperature it is not however: the fine tan mist that Shelley carefully directs over my body has a definite English chill to it. Good job that I’m in my kitchen with cup of tea to hand. Shelley, like any good perfectionist, spends some time ensuring that it is indeed a perfect finish, and then I’m done, my pale mottled complexion replaced with that of a bronzed goddess. Best of all, I’m in my own house, no awkward shuffle home, I may not even bother putting any clothes on for some time (although I can because Shelley has given me a warming blast of hot air to dry remaining stickiness). Within minutes, there’s no trace that Shelley has been in my kitchen, except, of course, my new glow: it’s a bit dark that first evening, but now, just a day later, I am looking wonderfully sun-kissed: I could almost imagine I’m on a Gold Coast beach – almost, but for these darn sub-zero temperatures! There’s nothing for it but to show off my newly acquired tan in the one place you can always count on in England – the pub.
CONTACTS MOBILE SPRAY TAN BRISTOL 0117 915 7545, WWW.MOBILESPRAYTANBRISTOL. CO.UK
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LIFESTYLE
HEALTH
CHIC CHOCOLATE
A BRAND NEW, CALORIE-FREE WAY TO INDULGE ➻ Luxury British
KEEP FIT
AT THE BATH PAVILION ➻ Make friends, have fun and keep fit at the Bath Pavilion, where a range of weekly activities take away all the excuses you use for not getting up off the sofa and getting out there! Tuesday afternoons (1.30-3.30pm) are all about line dancing, a gentle, sociable activity guaranteed to get your toes tapping. The rhythm speeds up a bit on Tuesday evenings (8-11pm) when ceroc – a lively but easy-to-learn fusion of modern jive and salsa – dominates the pulse-raising activities. And on Thursdays (5.45-6.40pm) the dynamic, energising zumba sessions promise to tone, sculpt and rid your body of excess pounds while having a lot of fun in the process. Classes start from just £3.70
(membership discounts available) and all abilities and ages are welcome. There’s a lively keep fit class every Tuesday morning too, but if you’re procrastinating wildly over choosing which classes to attend, the Pavilion’s Motivate 2013 event (Sunday 3 February, 10am-2pm) offers everybody the opportunity to kickstart their 2013 fitness regime with free taster sessions in a range of activities including badminton, boot camp training, personal training, netball and bokwa, a new, revolutionary keep fit regime. BATH PAVILION NORTH PARADE ROAD, BATH BA2 4EU. FFI: 01225 486902, WWW. BATHPAVILION.ORG
chocolatier and cocoa grower Hotel Chocolat has launched a new range of beauty products that guarantee a guilt-free, indulgent sweet treat. CocoaJuvenate (available online and in-store at branches in The Mall, Bristol and SouthGate, Bath) was developed at the spa of the same name at the company’s Boucan Hotel and Restaurant on Saint Lucia and makes full use of cocoa’s natural beautifying properties, being rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, with nourishing, softening and hydrating effects. Surprisingly, however, the range doesn’t smell of chocolate! Expect to experience invigorating scents inspired by the refreshing, uplifting tang of a freshly cut cocoa pod – who’d have thought it? Go forth and indulge without any trace of calorie-hangover guilt.
RECOVERY RETREATS INTERNET
SAFE SURFING
➻ As the internet has increasingly become an intrinsic component of family life, concerns about the dangers of unsupervised access have grown accordingly. Cyber-bullying, stalking, trolls, grooming, false identities – it’s enough to make you want to pull the plug altogether! And although the internet hasn’t (yet!) given us access to the power to turn back time, we can all join forces to ensure a safer experience for everybody, regardless of age. February 5 2013 is Safer Internet Day, a national event to raise awareness of internet safety and responsible surfing. This year’s theme is all about online rights and responsibilities, unified with the slogan “Connect with Respect”. There are many ways to get involved, including helping to spread the social media word and running activities with children and young people, schools, parents, carers; visit www.saferinternet.org.uk for further information.
AN INDUSTRY FIRST ➻ People who have recently undertaken treatment for
cancer crave relaxing, pampering treats more than ever before in their lives – but not every spa can offer the appropriate expertise or advice on the best or most appropriate treatments for people in recovery. While there are indeed some facilities that are best avoided when being treated for cancer (chemotherapy, for example, compromises the immune system), Recovery Retreats offer tailored spa packages for anyone who is currently undergoing treatment or has recently been treated for cancer, providing discrete consultations, safe treatments by specially trained therapists and activities that emphasise what you can do rather than what you can’t, resulting in spaces and opportunities where people can relax, be themselves, and enjoy a spa break at a time when they need it most. For further information, visit www.spabreaks.com/recovery_retreats
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Like many, you may have worked hard to be the weight you are or have goals to get there. You may be lucky and naturally keep your weight about right. Most probably however you have unwanted bumps and lumps of fat pockets resistant to weight loss or toning up. Liposuction is not for everybody and although often remains the best way to reshape is no longer the only realistic option. The first and only treatment ever to be FDA approved for fat loss has recently been developed. An amazing machine that can keep the skin warm while freezing and therefore destroying the deeper fat cells. The change in contour is permanent just like liposuction but without the need for surgical intervention. This really is an effective and plausable one hour or lunchtime procedure (unlike all the others that have claimed this before.). This is not another one of those skin tightening treatments for the body that has minimal effect! no cutting no needles no downtime safe comfortable convienient natural effective clinically proven
Simon Lee is Director of Plastic Surgery at North Bristol NHS Trust and Consultant Plastic Surgeon at the Spire Bristol Hospital
www.simonleeplasticsurgeon.co.uk
the fat freezing revolution.
It is not liposuction but really does have similar effects.
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MOTORING LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE
MOTORING
The Mk7 is completely fresh from the ground up, but is still unambiguously a Golf
SEVENTH
HEAVEN
The Mk7 Volkswagen Golf could be all the car you’ll ever need, says Andy Enright
T
he Volkswagen Golf is back for its seventh go around, and it’s a formula that’s tried, tested and popular with British buyers. This latest car feature a chassis with a choice of two rear suspension set-ups, and a brilliant 1.4 TSI petrol engine that can run on just two cylinders when required. After six model generations, 38 years and 29 million cars, it would perhaps be a little surprising if Volkswagen didn’t have the hang of building Golfs by now. You certainly wouldn’t expect anything radical or offbeat with the Golf Mk 7 and, without wishing to destroy a cliffhanger of a plot line, so it proves. This is a well-honed formula that works. Why mess with it? This car’s predecessor, the Mk 6, had been one of the more successful Golf models. Introduced in 2008, it built on the foundations of the Mk 5, offering better safety, better efficiency but a lower build cost. The Mk 7 might look like another refinement of that vehicle, but despite the evolutionary styling, it’s completely fresh from the ground up – but still unambiguously a Golf. Get under the skin of this latest Golf and you’ll find a chassis that’s a lot stiffer and is almost infinitely customisable. Interior refinement has improved enormously, with very little road noise filtering back into the
cabin. Tyre noise and engine sounds have also been muted to the sort of level you’d have expected from VW’s Phaeton limousine not so long ago. There are a number of engines to choose from, the petrol units comprising a fourcylinder 1.2-litre TSI unit producing 85 PS, a 1.2litre TSI with 105 PS, a 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS motor and the very clever 1.4-litre TSI 140 PS engine with Active Cylinder Technology. This powerplant can deactivate the central two cylinders under modest throttle loads in order to improve economy. The two diesel engines offered are a 1.6-litre TDI 105 PS and a 2.0-litre TDI 150 PS unit. Both are four-cylinder units that feature common rail diesel technology for power and efficiency. All but the entry-level versions get variable drive settings (Eco, Sport, Normal and Individual), resulting in a car that can entertain or cosset as required. The new Golf is not significantly weightier than a Mk 4, despite boasting massively improved safety features and more interior equipment. It’s miles bigger inside too. The driving position is almost unfeasibly adjustable
and unlike many family hatches, you can get properly hunkered down in the car if required. The sheer amount of steering wheel rake and reach means that both shorter and taller drivers will have little difficulty achieving a perfect seating position. The cabin’s a little wider than before, which helps with elbow room and there’s also a bit more rear leg room which is a welcome touch. The boot measures a hefty 380 litres, is well shaped and features a low loading height. Pricing starts from around £16,500 and there’s a premium of around £650 to go from the three to the five-door body style. All Golf models come with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee bag, five three-point seat belts and ABS braking with ESP stability control. The entrylevel ‘Composition Media’ system includes a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, a DAB digital radio, a CD player, an ‘MDI interface’ (for connecting iPod or MP3 player), Bluetooth telephone preparation and audio streaming for the eight-speaker stereo. All new Golf models also come with a fuel-saving Stop/Start system as standard, along with battery regeneration. In most areas, then, the Golf Mark 7 forges inexorably onwards. Less weight and more space is always a good combination and a number of efficiency measures have brought the petrol engines back into sharp relevance. The styling is evolutionary but includes a number of interesting details, cabin quality is well up to par and residual values look promising. In short it’s a Golf. A more polished, smarter Golf, but still a Golf. Reassuringly so.
CONTACT
HERITAGE OF BRISTOL PIONEER PARK, WHITBY RD, BRISLINGTON. FFI: 0844 502 7578 BATH VOLKSWAGEN LOCKSBROOK RD. FFI: 01225 428000
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.CO.UK
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LIFESTYLE
SCHOOL TRIP
OPEN DAYS
CHRISTMAS IN COLOGNE ➻“December’s trip to the
Christmas markets in Cologne was a fun and interesting way to practise our German and get a feel for German culture.” On Saturday after the end of term, 20 Clifton High pupils of various ages boarded a bus at 5.30am bound for Germany. “We travelled for hours on a coach and endured a rough ferry crossing, so were all glad when we arrived at the hotel, which had a hot meal and comfortable beds waiting for us. Over the next two days we had fun visiting markets with different themes (including Grimms’ fairy tales), the cathedral (over 500 steps to the top for an amazing view of the city) and the Lindt chocolate museum (showing the inner workings of the factory as well as having lots of tasters and big chocolate fountains, yum!). Everyone tried to speak as much German as we could. A highlight was walking around the particularly pretty Angel Market at night with a mug of hot Kinderpunsch.” (This
EDUCATION
ROYAL ENGAGEMENTS ➻ The late winter and early spring bring chances to attend open days at the Royal High School Bath. Head Mrs Dougall, director of college Mr Melton and head of the junior school Mrs Davis will be in attendance to meet prospective pupils and their parents in the senior school, college and junior school. Parents interested in boarding will be able to meet the senior headmistress. Open days are as follows: junior school 2 Feb 10am12 noon and 7 Feb 9.30-11.30am; senior school 28 Feb 9.30am-12noon; whole school 17 Apr ( juniors 9.3011.30am; seniors and sixth form college 1.50-3.30pm). FFI: TO PRE-REGISTER, PLEASE CONTACT REGISTRAR LYNDA BEVAN, 01225 313877, R L.BEVAN@BAT.GDST.NET
report contains a mixture of writing by Jack from Y7 and Jasmine, Laura and Lucy from Y9.) FFI: MRS JOHNSON 0117 933 9087, WWW. CLIFTONHIGH.BRISTOL.SCH.UK
TECHNOLOGY
QUIET PLEASE! PERFORMANCE PERFORMING ARTS
SHINE IN APRIL
➻ Easter is just around the corner and places at Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools are
already getting snapped up ahead of the summer term. Principal Heidi Hollis says that many parents are already booking in to start in April. “April is the perfect time to start something like Stagecoach. Children’s energy is buoyant as the days get longer and warmer, and our dance, singing and drama classes help them to express all the learning and growing they’ve done in the past few months. We specialise in helping children develop strong skills to present themselves to the world – a strong confident voice, an eager creative mind, and the coordination and physical stamina to see through a challenge. Our classes are run with the team in mind, so every child gets a chance to shine.” There are eight branches of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools in the Bristol/Bath area, all following Stagecoach’s tried and trusted format of singing, dance and drama classes for ages 4-18, with small class sizes and specialist coaches.
FFI: HEIDI 0117 953 2500, WWW.STAGECOACH.CO.UK
➻ Colston’s School and the University of Bristol are collaborating in a project to enable young people to engage in nanotechnology. Dr Paul Hill, deputy head (academic), has launched NanoX, which he is leading in partnership with the university’s Centre for Functional Nanomaterials (BCFN). Nanotechnology is the development and application of materials and processes at the nanoscale – the scale of individual molecules. The NanoX launch event took place at the university’s Centre for Nanosience and Quantum Information, known as the quietest building in the world. Dr Hill was joined by BCFN graduate teaching and research fellow Dr Annela Seddon, BCFN director Dr Terry McMaster and PhD student Sam Olof. NanoX gives young people throughout Bristol and South Gloucestershire the opportunity to collaborate with lecturers and postgraduate students on a range of activities including lectures, social media dialogue and live debates. FFI: DR PAUL HILL, DEPUTY HEAD (ACADEMIC), COLSTON’S SCHOOL, 0117 965 5207, PAULHILL@COLSTONS.BRISTOL.SCH. UK, WWW.COLSTONS.BRISTOL.SCH.UK
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SKILLS LIFESTYLE
WHAT A PERFORMANCE ! Theatre Royal Bath Young People's Theatre perform (this pic): Hansel & Gretal; above: My Life in the Silents; bottom: Bugsy Malone
Where can you hone the art of live performance? Anna Britten reports
W
hether you’re a young ’un with your eye on the 2023 Oscars, or an adult with an exhibitionist streak, there’s a performing arts course for you somewhere nearby. Choose carefully – some schools are more vocational than others, some more geared towards fun. Some are rooted in the classics, others are more contemporary. Some audition, some don’t. All good ones, however, will talk to you at length about what you want to do before signing you up. So pick up your Stanislawski, your ‘Glee’ songbook and your stretchy trousers and start expressing yourself.
STAGE-STRUCK KIDS For children and teenagers looking for fun and a chance to shine PAULINE QUIRKE ACADEMY Where the ethos is on “fun, not fame,” and refreshingly devoid of the “make me a star” attitude. Running every weekend in Westbury-on-Trym, the Pauline Quirke Academy is aimed at children and teenagers
aged 4-18 who want to have a laugh, rather than compete against each other for the role of Romeo/Juliet. You don’t even have to audition to join. Anyone with a son will also appreciate the news that in certain PQA classes across the country boys actually outnumber girls – something the founder and ‘Birds of a Feather’ star puts down to the nontraditional, chap-friendly, constantly changing curriculum which includes making pop videos and mini silent movies as well as musical theatre and comedy/drama. Classes are divided into three age groups. Bursaries are available. FFI: WWW.PQACADEMY.COM
BRISTOL SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS Founded and run by West End director John ‘second cousin of Vanessa’ Redgrave, BSPA may squat halfway along Bristol’s aesthetically challenged Brislington Hill but its heart and mind is firmly “in the West End”. It teaches around 600 youngsters aged between 2 and 18, separated into Thursday and Saturday sessions (with an extra Friday session in Weston-super-Mare). Covering all aspects of theatre and training, with a huge pool of tutors, many of them industry professionals (head of drama is ‘Bella’ ➻
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Transcendental Meditation® as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The only meditation or self-improver tested by 40 years of top-level scientific research
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Call to book a free Introductory Talk, or just with your questions: 0117 914 7127
www.t-m.org.uk
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SKILLS LIFESTYLE
DEGREES AND DIPLOMAS For a firm foundation to a professional career ➻
Bugsy Malone gets the YPT treatment
from Tweenies!), BSPA boasts a 100% exam pass rate and a great reputation with agencies, producers and managers. Pupils not only get the chance to shine in in-house productions but have gone on to perform in musicals such as ‘Les Miserables’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘The Sound of Music’ on national tour and in the West End and can often find themselves on stage at their native Hippodrome. FFI: WWW.BSPA.BIZ
THE BIG ACT Fun hub of all things thespy based at the Cabot Circus end of St Pauls. In addition to producing professional theatre productions, providing professional training and dance classes for adults, and a variety of creative services to schools and other organisations, it also offers performing arts courses for young people aged 4-18 years, both in its own fully-equipped rehearsal studios and at other venues across the city. Choose from ‘Debut’ for ages 4-7, ‘Theatre School’ for ages 7-18, and the usual holiday courses etc right up to a new one-year Foundation Course in Musical Theatre. Students have filmed professionally with the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery Channel as well as providing professional voiceovers for the BBC. Get in touch for a chat and to arrange a free trial session. FFI: WWW.THEBIGACT.COM
STAGECOACH One name always comes up when thought turns to kids’ theatre schools, and with good
reason. Stagecoach was founded in the south-east in 1988 and is now operates the world’s largest network of part-time performing arts schools for ages 4-18. With branches in Canada and South Africa – as well as several across our own Bristol, Bath, Portishead, Trowbridge, Melksham etc – its claim to be “often copied, but never equalled” is hard to dismiss as mere PR puff. Classes are split equally between drama, dance and music and the best, long-term students across the country are invited to audition for the annual professionalstandard musical. Actors Jamie Bell and Emma Watson, singers Myleene Klass and Cher Lloyd are all ex-Stagecoachers. FFI: WWW.STAGECOACH.CO.UK
THEATRE ROYAL BATH YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE (YPT) Rigorous, popular and highly-regarded young people’s theatre group based around professional-standard productions including the annual summer Storm On The Lawn. YPT covers every aspect of live performance from acting to backstage (stage management, lighting, sound, wardrobe and audio-visuals) to urban arts (dance, MCing and acting). Countless alumni can now be found studying at the country’s best drama schools or treading the boards in professional theatre. Ex-YPTer Annie Hemingway, for example, has been all over the West End since graduating from RADA six years ago. FFI: WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK/ PAGE/3025/
Bristol University’s BA in Drama: Theatre, Film, Television was famously where Matt Lucas and David Walliams (pictured below) met and Mark Ravenhill cut his teeth (www. bris.ac.uk). Meanwhile, the University of the West of England (UWE)’s Drama degree was placed third nationally and first regionally in the most recent National Student Survey, with 96% of students satisfied with the quality of their course. You can combine it with creative writing or English (www.uwe.ac.uk). Bath Spa University (BSU)’s Foundation Degree in Performing Arts, meanwhile, is a practical course developing your vocal, physical, emotional and technical skills, allowing you to build these essentials in workshops and sessions and then channel this learning into rehearsal and production practice. It’s taught by Weston College in Weston-super-Mare (www.bathspa.ac.uk). FUN ONE-OFFS FOR OCCASIONAL GROWN-UP SHOW-OFFS Rock up to the Rondo in Bath for monthly, drop-in acting workshops for anyone from beginners to seasoned pros, and tackling all sorts of fields from ‘Shakespeare’s verse-made-easy’ to physical theatre and non-scary improvisation. Upcoming dates include Tue 26 Feb and Tue 19 Mar. And do check the Tobacco Factory Theatre for regular masterclasses and workshops for adults (www. tobacco factory theatre .com).
LITERACY, NUMERACY, COMPUTERACY
CODING FOR KIDS HEADS WEST ➻ Remember last year when technology leaders
such as Google chief executive Eric Schmidt were lining up to bash the UK’s record on teaching its children about computers? And then Michael Gove suspended the ICT curriculum, leaving no statutory guidance on what it should be teaching? Stepping into this vacuum is national volunteer network Code Club, which helps volunteers and schools find each other and creates projects for volunteers to teach at club sessions. It also aims to have coding clubs in 25% of primary schools in the UK by the end of 2014 (the year the Department of Education intends to publish the new ICT curriculum).
As Bath’s first Code Club opens for business at Bathwick St Mary primary school, more local schools, parents and volunteer computer-programmers (i.e. with a good working knowledge of Scratch, JavaScript, Python, Processing, Raspberry Pi etc) are being encouraged to set up after-school coding clubs in their area to teach children aged 9-11 how to thrive in the computer age – and keep the UK globally competitive to boot. Sound a bit dull? Not a bit. Think monster animations, finger-sized rock bands and colourful certificates. FFI: WWW.CODECLUB.ORG.UK
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THE HOME OF DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY IN THE SOUTH WEST OFFERS ACCREDITED PART TIME COURSES IN DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
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CALL 0117 9038844 OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COURSES AND ONLINE ENROLMENT SEE
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
WWW.BRISTOL.GOV.UK/ADULTLEARNING
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LIFESTYLE
TRAVEL LIFESTYLE
INTO THE
CLOUDS Into Latin America co-founder Stephanie Kitchin steps out on the world-famous Inca Trail through the Andes
T
he Inca Trail is one of the most famous treks in the world, and so delighted as I was to have the opportunity to hike in the footsteps of the Incas, I’m very aware I also follow millions of tourists’ steps and am not sure what to expect. After a very early start on the first day we travel from the heights of Cusco to the Sacred Valley with its patchwork fields and adobe farmhouses. Our trek starts by crossing a bridge over the raging Urubamba River. We often have to stand back to let our speedy team of porters pass and can only wonder at their strength and fitness. The porters are local Quechua people and when they are not working on the Inca trail tend to their farms. One of the positive effects of the Inca Trail’s popularity is that the government has stepped in to regulate the route and put in place rules and regulations to ensure that the porters are fairly paid and treated. My guide tells me that today’s hike is
“Peruvian flat”, which means it’s not flat at all, but that’s all relative as I find out later on in the trek. We follow the river for a while and the sun starts to heat up and I’m soon taking off the layers I left Cusco in. There are a few steep climbs but they are short, and although I feel the benefit of the training I did beforehand, I soon realise that running around Bristol is an entirely different kind of fitness. We make a left into another valley and there is a steady climb to our first campsite, Huayllabamba. It is already set up and we all regroup for a hot drink and a snack. This is followed by a delicious three-course dinner, which includes a kind of stew made from local tarwi: lupin seeds. There is a hush around the table as our guide describes tomorrow’s hike. The infamous Dead Woman’s Pass (or Warmiwañusca in the local Quechua language) looms above us. Thankfully, I make it at a steady pace, stopping to attempt to get a photograph of the hummingbirds that buzz in the low bushes at the side of the path. The view from the pass is slightly obscured by clouds which roll and swirl, revealing
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Clockwise from left: A glorious sunset over the swans of 1/30/2013 5:16:36 PM Slimbridge; a Black Tailed
LIFESTYLE
TRAVEL
TRAIL TIPS glimpses of the path ahead and cloud forest as far as the eye can see. After a rest we begin our descent to the sound of a rushing waterfall and the steady plod of boots on the granite steps. Our campsite is tucked away in the valley and after another fantastic dinner I sleep like a baby. From Pacamayo it’s another steep ascent to the small site of Runkurakay. The vegetation thins out again as we rise above cloud forest and into puna or high grasslands. The view from the next pass is no less stunning than the previous one and is in fact clear right over to a distant range of snow-capped mountains. The scale of the Andes hits me and I feel very small. Today is the longest in terms of distance, but after the pass the path evens out and we’re back in lush, mossy cloud forest. Even to the untrained eye, the variety of plants is astounding and we stop to look at orchids and prehistoric-looking ferns. On our last day we arrive at the SunGate and are blessed with a clear view
of the iconic South American landmark that I’ve seen so many photographs of over the years. Machu Picchu does not disappoint. We rest here in awe before exploring the site with our guide, who makes sense of the many different temples that demonstrate the close relationship the Incas had with nature and their surroundings. As we mingle with the daytrippers from Cusco and queue for the bus I realise this is the first time I’ve felt a sense of the place being crowded. Some treks are all about the end point but the uniqueness of the Inca Trail is perhaps that the journey is as good as the end point.
➻
Into Latin America’s friendly team of experts have a passion for Latin America and have all lived in or are still living in Latin America. If you would like to know more about the Inca Trail, alternative treks or would like information on nontrekking options, contact the team on info@intolatinamerica.com or 0117 230 5446. Ffi: www.intolatinamerica.co.ukm
Make the most of your Inca Trail experience TAILORMADE TRIPS are a great way to see Peru your way: speak with Steph or one of the other experts at Into Latin America and ask about how to create your perfect trip BOOK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE the trail is strictly managed and there are limited permits available WALK LIKE A LOCAL – slowly. There are no prizes for arriving first and you’ll take in much more of the scenery CHEW COCA LEAVES and drink coca tea. A sacred leaf for the Quechua people still today, it helps to ward off altitude sickness ADD AN EXTRA DAY so that you can revisit Machu Picchu after a good rest. You’ll be too tired straight after all that trekking to really take it in and do it justice LEARN A FEW PHRASES or even just greetings in Quechua and share coca leaves with the porters
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Your local Travel Agent for Latin America creating tailor-made holidays and unforgettable experiences. Whether you want adventure, trekking, wildlife or relaxation we will create your perfect Latin America itinerary. We have great ideas for couples, small groups, families and honeymooners. Our holidays combine great value with consistent high quality and a very personalised service. Come in for a chat or sign up for our newsletter to hear about local events where you can learn more about what Latin America has to offer. Destinations Peru | Ecuador & Galapagos Islands | Brazil | Argentina | Costa Rica | Chile | Nicaragua | Antarctica | Bolivia | Colombia | Panama
Into Latin America 25 Backfields Lane Bristol, BS2 8QW, UK 0117 230 5446 www.intolatinamerica.com info@intolatinamerica.com 80 FOLIO/FEB 2013
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LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE TRAVEL TRAVEL
GOWER
POWER
Dave Higgitt heads west for a whistle-stop tour of god’s own country
T
he default British holiday for West Country folks tends to be Cornwall. It’s a nice enough area, for sure, but when you start factoring in the lousy, caravan-clogged roads which lead there, and the overwhelming preponderance of harassed tourists you’re likely to meet when you eventually arrive, it makes less sense. Especially when you consider that countryside and coastline of equal beauty are to be found much closer to home. I speak, of course, of South Wales and its crowning glory, the Gower. Britain’s original Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the peninsular juts out into the Bristol Channel south west of Swansea and boasts an array of stunning, clean beaches, from the tiny Pwll Du to the vast surfers’ delight that is Rhossili. With archaeological sites galore, countless ancient woodlands, dramatic limestone cliffs, proper-job golf courses and fine
Top left: the appropriately named Room With A Bath; top right: Alison jumps for joy at Rhossili (well, it had stopped raining); inset: lions guard the gardens at the Gower Hotel; right: footballs as padding in the hotel’s Conservatory
country pubs, the Gower is a veritable paradise for the outdoor tourist. And all just a 90-minute drive from central Bristol. And although it can get reasonably busy in the height of the summer, the area remains relatively unspoilt and pleasingly undersubscribed. Never more so than in the rain-ravaged period between Christmas and New Year when my partner Alison and I headed west along the M4 for a 24-hour break from the stresses of urban life. Our destination was the Gower Hotel, nestling in a small valley in the Bishopston Conservation Area, bang next to the lovely 9th-century church of St Teilo. The hotel is an alluring boutique affair, with just 14 characterful rooms, including three topspec signature rooms. The off-season, relaxed nature of our visit meant that the wonderfully accommodating staff had plenty of time to give us a guided tour of all the facilities, and a few of the rooms. The hotel has been radically refurbished in recent times, and was gearing up for yet another spruce up in the next few days, though in all honesty it showed no signs of needing one. The people at The Gower are admirably focused on ensuring their visitors enjoy plenty of comfort and a little bit of luxury during their stay. We plumped for the aptly named Room With A Bath, featuring as it does one of those gorgeous roll-top, cast iron baths slap bang in the middle of the floor: so much more sociable than a boring old shower. Everything else about this super-friendly hotel was top notch. The artworks were in turn amusing and thoughtful, while the furnishings revealed some nice flourishes,
not least the denim-clad pouffes in the bar, and the stools in the conservatory which used old-fashioned leather footballs for padding. Our evening meal was a relaxing, appetising affair. Head Chef Daniel Crouch is very much a believer in keeping it seasonal and local, and we were suitably impressed by our mains of dry aged rib eye of Welsh beef and whole lemon sole. But this hotel’s primary function is as a launch pad for exploring the peninsular, so after a truly relaxing stay, we dutifully headed off the next morning, only slightly daunted by the unrelentingly atrocious weather. My partner’s childhood memories inspired us to go in search of Three Cliffs Bay; my SatNav and our combined navigating skills had other ideas. We ended up, well, somewhere, which had beaches and headlands, and braved a short stroll on that wonderful spongy turf that is a feature of so many British cliff-side walks: bracing and beautiful but necessarily brief. It was raining. And then some. Onward to Rhossili. God gave us a break at this point, temporarily stopping the deluge as we scampered down the path towards the sea, and enjoyed the energising solitude of having one of Europe’s great surfing beaches more or less all to ourselves. The clouds opened again and we admitted defeat, heading back to England damp but happy, determined to return to this amazing place at the earliest opportunity. Next time, we’ll check the weather forecast first.
CONTACT
,
THE GOWER HOTEL 11 CHURCH LANE, BISHOPSTON SA3 3JT. TEL: 01792 234111, WWW.THEGOWERHOTEL. CO.UK
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TRAVEL LIFESTYLE
USA
SOUTHERN SPAIN
TOP OF THE HILL ➻ Romance comes readily at this idyllic retreat for couples. Casa Loma (Hill House) is a charming one-bedroom cottage boasting a logburner for cosy evenings in and a roof terrace perfect for savouring sunsets and stargazing sublimely. Originally a barn attached to a farmhouse (hence the quirky, steep staircase), Casa Loma sits in the Andalusian mountain village of Sedella (population 700), where olive trees are tended, fields are ploughed by mule and the jasmine blooms fragrantly in summer. Downstairs’ blue and white colours are traditionally Mediterranean while warm Moorish styling adorns the en-suite bedroom. Outside, the private inner courtyard offers outdoor dining in warmer months while the roof terrace (which catches the sun from sunrise to sunset) boasts spectacular views of Mount Maroma (6,000ft). The sea can be seen
on a clear day. An inviting hammock beneath a pergola provides the perfect place for listening out for goats’ bells as they are herded on nearby hills. Three of Sedella’s four bars serve food, but with delivery vans bringing bread, fish and fruit to the village every day, you could cook your own fish in the log-burner’s glowing embers. Local shops sell provisions. Sedella stands 689m above sea level in the Tejeda National Park and Wildlife Reserve and provides plentiful scenic cycling and walking opportunities. A week’s stay costs from £115 pp or four nights cost from £66 pp – both based on two sharing. Property Ref: 9305. FFI: CALL SPAIN-HOLIDAY.COM ON 020 3384 7066 OR VISIT WWW.SPAIN-HOLIDAY.COM; EASYJET FLY REGULARLY FROM BRISTOL TO MALAGA: WWW.EASYJET.COM
GET YOUR KICKS…
➻ Although it may no longer officially exist (it was removed from the US highway system in 1985 after years of realignment and upgrading), Route 66 is as alive as ever in popular culture. The Rolling Stones’ version of the song first recorded in 1946 by Nat King Cole has had 1,297,814 hits on YouTube (at time of going to press) while it also featured in Pixar’s 2006 film ‘Cars’. Now a new package from Vacations to America lets you take the ultimate road trip. As the song states, the road winds from Chicago to LA, and the package’s 14 nights’ room-only accommodation, car hire, driving directions, maps and guide fully equips you for the 2,500mile journey. After two days in the Windy City, you’ll head on to Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada, before parking up in California. From £1,049 pp (two sharing) excluding flights. FFI: VACATIONS TO AMERICA: 01582 469777, WWW.VACATIONSTOAMERICA.COM; KLM FLY BRISTOL-CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELESBRISTOL: WWW.KLM.COM
CASTLE COMBE
SUITE PERFECTION
➻ Beautifully secluded and set
within 365 acres of breathtaking countryside, the 14th-century Manor House in Castle Combe boasts a warren of intimate lounges and roaring open fire places, providing the perfect setting to “wow” your loved one with an evening of fine food and romance. Your candlelit table awaits in the Michelin-starred Bybrook restaurant, where a lovingly created seven-course tasting menu, live pianist and romantic ambience are sure to make this the most memorable of nights. For those that wish to make their Valentine’s an even more magical occasion, why not stay the night in one
of 48 gorgeous bedrooms or suites? With the luxury of not having to leave after dinner you can cuddle up in one of the many lounges and in the morning enjoy a full Manor House breakfast in bed. Prices are £80 per person for a candlelit seven-course dinner for two on Saturday 9, Thursday 14 or Saturday 16 February, while £175 per person includes an overnight stay in a traditional guestroom, a candlelit seven-course dinner and breakfast on Thursday 14 February (£205 per person on Saturday 9 or Saturday 16 February). FFI: 01249 782206, ENQUIRIES@MANORHOUSE. CO.UK, WWW.MANORHOUSE.CO.UK
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FOLIO ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
CONNECT THROUGH
CAR SHARING
W
ould you like to save money in 2013? Have you thought about car sharing? It’s a great way to save money and meet new friends at the same time. Most of us share cars regularly with friends and family without thinking about it but there are times when we do regular journeys with empty seats because we don’t know anyone going our way (or have been travelling that way for years and haven’t considered sharing our journey). Car-sharing schemes are becoming increasingly popular with literally hundreds of people signing up in the UK every day. Whether you are travelling to work, taking the children to school or going out socially, the benefits of car sharing speak for themselves. Saving on fuel costs, cutting congestion and reducing your carbon footprint are the most obvious, but there are personal benefits to you and the community too. A real bonus of car sharing is the social aspect: through car-sharing schemes members are making friends with people in their local neighbourhood who otherwise they would never have met. A little like when a neighbour takes in that long-awaited parcel for you from the post office, a real sense of community spirit – which is often lost in today’s busy world – is developing in some areas. By sharing local knowledge and connecting with people in the local community, people are finding themselves trying new sports, discovering their local amenities and generally improving their social lives! Why not give it a go and find your car-sharing match? Remember to be flexible and find a solution that works for you; it could be that you try car
sharing just a few days a week to fit in with your lifestyle. You can sign up for free at travelwest.info (the local travel information website) where you can log on, register your journey and find your car-sharing match. Go for it! Try the savings calculator to see how much you could save each month, money that could be spent on social and leisure activities. Based on a ten-mile return journey and sharing with one other person three days a week you could save up to £353 a year (estimate based on a<1.4 litre petrol car).
WE ARE OFFERING 10 READERS A PAIR OF TRAVELWEST TRAVEL MUGS TO HELP YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY We’d love to hear your carsharing stories: have you met new friends, met a partner or taken up a new hobby or activity? Perhaps you’ve had a very funny journey you’d like to share with us. Just send in your name and email address together with your story to LSTFcomms@bristol.gov.uk by 1 March.
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KITCHENS BATHROOMS HOME IMPROVEMENTS SHOPPING GARDENING PROPERTY
➻ HOME FRONT
VINTAGE AND ANTIQUES FAIR, UPHOLSTERY EXHIBITION, STORAGE SOLUTIONS AND MORE...
NEW LOOKS
SPRING INTO STYLE ➻ This year’s trending interior styles are all about bright and breezy elegance, and the new looks on offer at House of Fraser cover all the bases, from the striking geometric patterns of the Urban Tribal range from the 2013 Linea spring-summer collection to the classic broad stripes and mores subdued tones of Linea’s Nautical furniture and accessories. This ‘Santalina’ striped sofa from the Nautical range (£2,699) is matched with a knitted cream throw (£75), Nautical striped cushion (£20) and ‘Postcard’ cushion (£25), while the bold, punchy designs of this bed linen (double duvet set £60; cushion £25) gives you a taste of the contemporary flavours of the Urban Tribal look. HOUSE OF FRASER THE CIRCUS, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW. HOUSEOFFRASER.CO.UK
UPHOLSTERY
GOOD AS NEW ➻ If you’ve not yet dropped in on The
Parlour Showrooms, the multi-purpose arts and performance venue at the bottom of Bristol’s Park Street, then February would be a very good time to do so – especially during week-long pop-up exhibition ‘Restoration’ which takes up residence in The Big Room from Thursday 21 to Tuesday 26 February. Showcasing the work of nine of the West’s up-and-coming new upholsterers, designers and makers, the exhibition features chairs and footstools, gorgeous printed mirrors, other homeware and some really rather special cushions. Among the nine skilled and imaginative artisans taking part are Bristolbased upholsterer and furniture rescuer Amy Wood (amywood.co.uk), printed homeware specialists Zedhead Designs (www. zedheaddesigns.com), photographer Sarah
MacFarlane (www.redkids.co.nz/things) and designer and maker of limited edition vintage mirrors Fiona Harron (www. riverrosedesigns.com). Some of those showcasing their work will also be giving demonstrations of their craft and artistry throughout the week as well. Promoting the importance of recycling and of restoring old furnishings to new life, ‘Restoration’ offers a timely opportunity to get a taste of the wonderfully varied and stylish range of work being created in the South West. RESTORATION THE PARLOUR SHOWROOMS, COLLEGE GREEN, BRISTOL BS1 5TB, THUR 21-TUE 26 FEB, 11AM-6PM. FFI: WWW. PARLOURSHOWROOMS.CO.UK
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HOMEFRONT
NEW RANGE
TILE GURUS ➻ With three of its nine-strong national
network of showrooms in Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham, Monmouth-based family-owned company Mandarin Stone has been demonstrating its passion for natural stone for more than twenty years now. Stocking more than 100 varieties of natural stone, it’s long been the go-to company for everything from granite, limestone and terracotta to travertine, slate and marble. Over the last year, however, Mandarin Stone has enjoyed great success with its Porcelain range and this month sees the company greatly extending that range and launching its brand new Decorative & Glazed range of tiles. Encompassing an eclectic mix of styles and cultural influences, the new range has been carefully selected and combines the best of antique and modern designs. From simple
STORAGE SOLUTION
STORE FOR LESS glazed splash-backs in a wide range of beautiful shades to decorative and unusually textured Italian tiles for both walls and floors, there is an abundance of options to choose from. The Palladio collection, for example, offers traditional designs adapted for stylish contemporary interiors in four shades; Cubista offers graphic and symmetrical designs for a retro feel; while the Tuscan wall tile collection creates a rustic and historical feel with base shades complemented by delightful décor tiles. All these new ranges can be viewed in the new Mandarin Stone brochure and on the company’s new website, both of which are launched on 1 February. MANDARIN STONE 15 REGENT ST, BRISTOL BS8 4HW; 15-16 BROAD ST, BATH BA1 5LJ; 16-17 MONTPELLIER ARCADE, MONTPELLIER ST, CHELTENHAM GL50 1SU. FFI: WWW. MANDARINSTONE.COM
➻ Like many good ideas, Storenextdoor.com is an extremely simple one: it’s a website which puts people who’ve got things they need to store in touch with people who’ve got storage space that’s going spare. Sign up as a ‘Badger’ if you’re looking to rent out your loft, garage or spare rooms as storage space, or sign up as a ‘Squirrel’ if you’re looking for somewhere convenient, low cost and fully insured to store your stuff. Whether you’re a Badger or a Squirrel, you can sign up for free – and watch a video about how it all works – on the Storenextdoor.com website. STORENEXTDOOR STORENEXTDOOR.COM
VINTAGE & ANTIQUES
HERE BE TREASURE ➻ Fashions come and go, but all things vintage will always remain in vogue.
But how to find those retro treasures to adorn your home without spending hours in antiques showrooms and charity shops? Well, that’s precisely where Bath Vintage and Antiques Market at Green Park Station comes in. Taking place on the third Tuesday and last Sunday of every month (and, from April, the first Sunday of the month as well), the market is a buzzy, one-stop destination for vintage and antique lovers. More than 60 traders set out their stalls, selling everything from high-quality furniture and homeware to silverware and ceramics, while the on-site café serves delicious refreshments and a DJ spins vintage tunes. What’s more, it’s free to get in, there’s ample parking and it’s only a short walk from the city centre.
BATH VINTAGE & ANTIQUES MARKET GREEN PARK STATION, BATH, LAST SUNDAY & THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH (PLUS FIRST SUNDAY FROM APRIL), 9.30AM-4PM. FFI: WWW. VINTAGEANDANTIQUES.CO.UK
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INTERIORS HOMEFRONT
A FRESH
Including a few new statement pieces such as this industrial light fitting can recreate the ‘wow’ factor. (Taylor’s Etc, www.taylorsetc.co.uk, 029 2035 8400)
I START Interior designer Lesley Taylor beats the blues with a budget-saving new year revamp
Updating your cushions and curtains is a simple way to bring sparkle back into a room. Shown here is Designer’s Guild’s autumn/ winter collection (www.designersguild.com, 020 7893 7400)
don’t know about you, but for me the festive season always seems to fly by. It’s such a busy time, with endless amounts of shopping to be done and never-ending trips to see family and friends, that when it all comes to an end it can often leave you feeling like a spare part. After the Christmas decorations come down and January bleeds gloomily into February, your house is often left with that same feeling of emptiness. All of a sudden, it’s lost its sparkle, with no glitz or glam to bring it to life. This new year, add some excitement back into your home with my simple tips. Updating your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune, so if your credit card is still burning from the big Christmas spend, don’t panic: there are solutions for all budgets. When it comes to any room of the home, a fresh lick of paint can make all the difference. This may sound straightforward, but you will be surprised at just how quick, easy and affordable it is to bring a new lease of life to a space just by treating it to a fresh coat. If you are working to a tight budget, choose a colour that will complement your existing accessories. Pick a certain shade from the pattern on your cushions or curtains so that these do not have to be replaced. It is important to remember that you don’t have to opt for a new colour scheme altogether as choosing a similar tone of paint to what you already have will still allow your home to feel refreshed. When you start painting you will probably be shocked to see that ➻
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INTERIORS HOMEFRONT
Above: Upholstering existing furniture can bring a fresh look to any room and revive existing pieces. Shown here is Romo’s ‘Manderley’ fabric (www.romo.com, 01623 756699) Right: Inject some post-Christmas glamour into your living space with a feature wall with Romo’s ‘Rubani’ wallpaper (www. romo.com, 01623 756699) Below: A rug can help to break up a carpet or wood flooring. Designer’s Guild has a beautiful range to choose from (www. designersguild.com, 020 7893 7400)
your white ceilings aren’t actually that white anymore, and you will notice scuffs and scratches along your walls which make them look a little tired. Within a weekend you can work your magic and revive any home. If you are looking to add more glamour to your home, think about incorporating wallpaper to act as a focal point in a room. Make a feature of an alcove or chimney breast by applying a decorative wallpaper pattern. By accenting a certain part of a room, your attention will automatically be drawn to this, making you focus on something different to what you would normally. This simple trick will make you feel as though you are stepping into a new living room or bedroom. Depending on the surface area you are looking to cover, this doesn’t have to be an expensive or time-consuming task, but if you aren’t able to cover the costs of a complete revamp, again just make sure that the style of wallpaper you
HOMEFRONT
choose coordinates with the furniture, flooring and accessories in place. If you don’t fancy getting out your paintbrush, there are still plenty of other ways you can bring that Christmas sparkle back into your home, one of these being replacing or adding to your collection of soft furnishings. When the Christmas tree comes down, your floor is often left looking vast and empty. The purchase of a rug can help to solve this problem by breaking up the carpet or wooden flooring in place. If you feel like taking up a new hobby for the New Year, why not have a go at covering your existing cushions with a beautiful new fabric? Or, if your budget does not allow for new pieces of furniture, then upcycling what you already have can make a massive difference. Alternatively, why not take a trip to an antique shop or car boot sale and see if you can find some bargains to work your magic on? Once all of the decorations are
INTERIORS
packed away, we all stand there and comment on how much larger the space now looks, but that’s not always a nice feeling to have. As soon as everything comes down, the home is often left feeling empty and lifeless. Purchasing a few statement pieces of furniture can help to rid this sense of openness, and placing a beautiful chest of drawers where the Christmas tree once was can help to bring a sense of togetherness back into a space. Revamping your flooring can also work a treat. If you live in a period property and have wooden floorboards that are starting to look a little tired, dedicate some time to sanding them down and giving them a fresh varnish. The same can be said for your carpets. Hire a professional carpet cleaner and you will be shocked at the transformation by the time you are finished. After all of the wear and tear a carpet faces day in, day out it is bound to look tired, but this doesn’t mean you have to rush to the shops straight away and buy a new one. Even your internal doors can start to look a little dated: varnish them if you can or shop around and see what replacements are available. When it comes to your kitchen, replacing the handles on your cabinets will provide an updated look. Or in your bathroom, update the brassware to refresh the appearance of your sanitaryware. All of these little changes can make a big difference to the look and feel of your home overall. Let the sparkle continue long after Christmas.
INFO INTERIOR DESIGNER AND MEMBER OF THE BIID LESLEY TAYLOR IS THE DESIGN DIRECTOR OF TAYLOR’S ETC BASED IN CARDIFF, 029 2035 8400, WWW.TAYLORSETC.CO.UK, HTTP:// BLOG.LESLEYTAYLOR.CO.UK
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Q&A HOMEFRONT
CLOSE UP WITH
CRYSTAL CLEAR
If your conservatory leaks and is never a comfortable temperature, it could be the perfect time to look at options that can transform it into a stunning, usable room
I
Replace your old conservatory roof with the latest energy-efficient glass and you'll have a room you can enjoy all year round
s your old conservatory starting to look a little shabby and feeling too cold in the winter and too warm in the summer? Has it become an unused room that is tired on the inside and the outside? For the many of us who thought that the only option was to pull our old conservatory down and start again, there is welcome news with the introduction of a range of options for refurbishing ageing conservatories and changing drab, leaky spaces into stunning, multi-functional rooms. James Mizen, managing director of local windows, doors and conservatory specialist Crystal Clear, enlightens us on transforming tired conservatories into enjoyable all year round living spaces.
Tell us about Crystal Clear and the services that you offer. Crystal Clear is a long-established Bristolbased company that specialises 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. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a registered installer for Refurbish My Conservatory and Ultraframe, both of which offer great products that transform ageing conservatories into attractive, usable spaces to enjoy.
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HOMEFRONT
Q&A
Leave the real world behind as you sip a glass of fresh juice in this heavenly setting
Create a stunning room that has the look and feel of an orangery, without the cost, with the new Ultraframe 'Livin Room' roof from Crystal Clear
We have a tired-looking, old conservatory, which we rarely use as it’s chilly in the winter and too warm in the summer. It looks out onto our lovely garden, so it seems a shame not to use it more. Do we have to budget to replace it or can we improve and update it? If you’re not able to use your conservatory as much as you’d like to, it’s time to look at ways to refurbish it and start enjoying it again. Conservatories start to look tired and shabby for a number of reasons, particularly first-generation conservatories which used materials which aren’t as high quality as today’s materials. If it’s leaking, it may be due to slipped polycarbonate, poorly installed products and rotting timber, all of which can be cost-effectively replaced. 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 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: Replace the roof – this will retain more heat in winter and reduce your heating costs Replace the roof, windows and doors – this can update the style of your conservatory, in addition to improving security and energy-efficiency Replace the entire conservatory or modify the base – this allows you to incorporate new products such as bi-fold doors
We’ve just finished refurbishing our home, but now our conservatory looks a bit dated! What can we do 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, including the latest generation of high-spec Ambience Glass, which helps 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 contemporarylooking conservatory. I’ve always fancied an orangery, but I imagine that we’d have to knock the existing conservatory down and start again if we want to have one. If you’d prefer for your conservatory to look and feel more like an extension of your home, rather than a separate structure, our new Ultraframe ‘livin room’ roof can be added to your existing conservatory frames to create a perimeter ceiling all round, giving the feel of an orangery without the cost. This turns an existing conservatory into a multiuse “real room”, and is ideal for square conservatories. This contemporary take on the more traditional, higher-cost orangery will transform your conservatory into a stunning room that looks more like an extension. You can also swap existing window frames for French or bi-folding doors to change the whole look of your conservatory and give you the orangery look and feel you’re looking for. Our 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.
CONTACT CRYSTAL CLEAR 22A EMERY ROAD, BRISLINGTON, BRISTOL BS4 5PF. FFI: 0117 971 7880, INFO@CRYSTALCLEARBRISTOL.CO.UK, WWW.CRYSTALCLEARBRISTOL.CO.UK
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GARDENING HOMEFRONT
IN THE
GARDEN
Ideas and inspiration from Trish Gibson to help you make the most of your garden this month
GROW SOMETHING SPECIAL WINTER SCENTS
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ost winter flowers are fragrant – they’ve evolved that way to attract the few insects that are out and about in the coldest months. Their blooms may be small, almost insignificant, but their scent more than compensates. Witch hazels are hardy and, whatever the weather, their wonderful spidery yellow, orange or burnt copper flowers appear early in the year. They often also give wonderful autumn leaf tints. Growing tips Witch hazels are deciduous and fully hardy, and prefer a good loamy or acid soil that remains moist in summer. They are slowgrowing so need only minimal pruning. The strong, spicily scented flowers of Hamamelis mollis are probably the earliest to bloom.
JOBS FOR FEBRUARY Prune mid- to late-summer flowering clematis by cutting back hard all the shoots to strong buds about 45cm from the ground. Continue planting any bare-rooted trees and shrubs, including hedging and fruit bushes. Sow broad beans and salad crops and cover with fleece or cloches.
The spidery flowers of witch hazel bring wonderful fragrance to the winter garden
➻ OTHERS TO TRY SWEET BOX Among the best winter-flowering shrubs for fragrance, the sarcoccas or Sweet Box are very easy: hardy, evergreen, drought tolerant and shade-loving. They can be clipped to a neat shape, and although the tiny flowers tend to be partly hidden, their scent is deliciously strong. VIBURNUM X BURKWOODII This medium-sized, evergreen shrub produces its clusters of fragrant, pink-budded white flowers from January to April. To fully appreciate its scent, plant in partial shade close to a path. Little pruning is needed – remove any misplaced/diseased stems in mid-summer. MAHONIA X MEDIA ‘CHARITY’ Slender spikes of pale yellow flowers, scented of lily-of-the-valley, start showing in November and carry on until March. This is a tall architectural plant, with dark green, holly-like leaves. It prefers shade but will grow in sun if the soil is moist.
WE’LL BE BUYING… This cheerfully coloured soft kneeler to protect our knees from the cold and damp while weeding and planting. It’s really comfortable and handy to carry. £24.95 plus £4.95 p&p. FFI: SARAHRAVEN.COM OR 0845 092 0283
THIS MONTH WE’LL BE VISITING... East Lambrook Manor Gardens to see the specialist collections of snowdrops and hellebores and other spring treats. East Lambrook is the quintessential English cottage garden that was created by gardening legend Margery Fish. The gardens are open every day in February with a National Gardens Scheme open day on Sunday 3rd. FFI: EAST LAMBROOK MANOR GARDENS, SOUTH PETHERTON, SOMERSET TA13 5HH, 01460 240328, WWW.EASTLAMBROOK.CO.UK OPEN 10AM-5PM, ADULTS £5.50, CHILDREN UNDER-16 FREE.
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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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PROPERTY HOMEFRONT
Gorgeous GEORGIAN Josie Drummond visits a Bath townhouse which combines period charm with practical living
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PROPERTY
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f you’re going to move to Bath, you’ll want to be able to look out over the beautiful heritage city you’ve chosen for your home – and you certainly couldn’t ask for a better view than the one you’ll get from 11 Darlington Place. Enjoying a superb position on the eastern slopes of Bathwick Hill, this well-proportioned Georgian townhouse offers fabulous views across Bath, from the nearby Kennet and Avon Canal to the Abbey and beyond. Mind you, this property is a little bit of history in its own right. Because of its special architectural and historical interest, the townhouse is Grade II-listed and boasts many original features, including period fireplaces, detailed cornice work to ceilings, carved door surrounds and sash windows with working shutters. The house, in fact, displays a fine balance of period charm combined with modern-day practical living, contemporary chic and, all importantly, homely and welcoming atmosphere. Spread over four floors, its light, airy and highceilinged rooms include a drawing room (with balcony), library, entrance hall, dining/family room, kitchen with walk-in pantry and, on the top two floors, four bedrooms (one en-suite and with a dressing room) and two separate bathrooms. This, though, is a versatile property, and the fourth bedroom, for example, would make an ideal study or home office. Outside, there is a coach house/garage, while the walled garden at the rear has been charmingly landscaped, incorporates a partly covered patio suitable for alfresco dining (when the weather’s a bit warmer!), boasts bounteous planting and is an ideal environment for young children to play in. A gate at the bottom of the garden gives access to Sydney Buildings. Naturally, all the delights Bath has to offer are within easy reach – as are the bus and railway stations. There’s a selection of local shops nearby; the University of Bath’s excellent sporting facilities are just up the hill; and there’s a good choice of private and state schools within easy reach.
11 DARLINGTON PLACE GUIDE PRICE £1.325 MILLION, BATHWICK, BATH, BA2 6BX FFI: PRITCHARDS, 11 QUIET STREET, BAT BA1 2LB, 01225 466225, WWW.PRITCHARDS-BATH.CO.UK
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PROPERTY HOMEFRONT
BRICK
HOUSE Eric Blair relishes the rich period character of this lovingly restored eighteenth-century family home
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HOMEFRONT
PROPERTY
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uilt in 1703, during the reign of Queen Anne, Brick House is an impressive and elegant detached period home. Lovingly restored to its former grandeur by its present owners, it’s Grade II listed and sits proudly within beautifully mature walled gardens. Occupying a level position on the outskirts of the popular North Somerset village of Yatton, Brick Houe is very conveniently placed for those who need or want to travel. Yatton railway station, with links to Bristol, London Paddington, Exeter and Plymouth, is comfortably within walking distance; the M5 is close by; and Bristol International Airport is a short 15-minute drive from the front door. The property could hardly be in a better location for commuters. Inside, Brick House’s accommodation is beautifully proportioned. Every care has been taken to enhance the property without losing any of its rich period character, and the result is a spacious and stylish family home. Period features include a handsomely crafted cut and string staircase, large sash windows with fully functioning shutters and window seats, cornicing and feature fireplaces. Not that this means the house lacks all or any mod cons: central heating and up to date bathrooms are amongst its modern amenities. Downstairs you’ll find a spacious lounge, stylish dining room, snug, utility and boot rooms and a wellproportioned kitchen/breakfast room complete with walkin pantry. Six bedrooms (five of them en-suite) occupy the remaining floors. Outside, a triple garage, driveway parking and a large one-bedroom detached bungalow augment the property’s desirability. As do the stunning views across the Somerset countryside. Families will welcome the quality of local schooling available, while Yatton and the surrounding area also offer good shopping opportunities as well as full range of social and recreational facilities, including football and rugby clubs and a number of welcoming village pubs.
NORTH END ROAD YATTON, NORTH SOMERSET, GUIDE PRICE £799,995 Ffi: HUNTER LEAHY, 71 HIGH STREET, NAILSEA, BS48 1A7, 01275 853222, WWW.HUNTPROP.CO.UK
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BATH LIVING
PIECESOFME
JOANNA CROSSE
Bath-based voice and presentation coach
Pics from top: Joanna's voice coach skills, now available on CD; Joanna adores the Theatre Royal, and her family's favourite eaterie is the Firehouse Rotisserie
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WORDS: SUZANNE SAVILL
oanna Crosse lives in Bath, but she used to spend much of her time away from the city travelling to television studios around the country. During her career she has provided voice training for media professionals at ITV, GMTV, BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. In addition, she has held coaching sessions for large companies. Nowadays, Joanna – a mother of three – is spending more time at home in Bath, and recently released a set of four CDs and downloads called ‘The Art of…’, which help people improve their communication skills in the workplace. My favourite part of the morning... If I’m honest, I’m not really a morning person. That doesn’t stop me getting up early every day. but I only ‘wake up’ after I’ve had a pint-sized mug of the strongest ground coffee on the market! Depending on my work commitments, I try to go swimming and then take my dog for a walk in the beautiful parks or surrounding countryside around Bath. My favourite aspect of my work... is the way that everything I do is based on helping people to find their voice, whether it’s in the home, workplace or creatively. I work with media and corporate professionals, and have had five books published. My latest work has involved producing four 45-minute coaching sessions, which have been released as CDs and downloads by the Bath-based company AudioGO . They are a practical guide to assertiveness, succeeding at interviews, raising your profile and giving a presentation.
delicious and you can’t find a friendlier environment in the city. My ideal venue for lunch or dinner in Bath... Firehouse Rotisserie has always been a favourite. It’s my family’s number one choice if there’s ever an excuse for a celebration! My dream shop in Bath... I do love Nicholas Wylde’s jewellers. Nic has remodelled some existing pieces of my jewellery and turned them into something truly memorable. For example, for my youngest daughter’s 18th birthday he designed a wonderful ring with stones taken from a family heirloom. My most memorable place in Bath... I absolutely adore the Theatre Royal. It’s a privilege to sit in such a prestigious theatre and watch such a wide range of productions. My top tip for speaking with confidence is… Be yourself. You can’t be anybody else so don’t be frightened of showing the true you. Of course, identifying your audience and targeting your message is key, and if you don’t prepare, then you prepare to fail. The people who make it look easy have always given a great deal of thought to what they want to say, so when it comes to speaking with confidence they’re much more able to be present and natural. FFI: WWW.AUDIOGO.COM/UK/AUTHORCOLLECTION/JOANNA-CROSSE
My perfect cafe for a coffee or tea in Bath... Made by Ben on Walcot Street. As the name suggests, everything is homemade whether you want a sandwich or an authentic Spanish tortilla – it’s all
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Nicholas Wylde's jewellers – Joanna's dream shop
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UNCOVER THE SECRET FOR YOURSELF. 14 individually designed rooms Contemporary Bistro Intimate Bar Beautiful Wedding Venue
thegowerhotel.co.uk The Gower Hotel, 11 Church Land, Bishopston, Swansea, SA3 3JT t:01792 234111 e: info@thegowerhotel.co.uk
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