The Bristol Magazine January 2016

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THE

Issue 137

WWW.THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MAGAZINE

£3.95 where sold

I

JANuARY 2016

UGH? A L A G N I AV ARE YOU H

C I K T S P A SL TES I R U O V A F L O WITH BRIST

LEAPING AHEAD: THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2016

LIFE & DEATH: START A CONVERSATION OVER COFFEE

SUPERCAR EVOLUTION: THE NEW AUDI R8 V10

FACE THE MUSIC: UJIMA RADIO’S JULZ DAVIS

HOT PROPERTY: HOMES FOR SALE FROM BRISTOL’S BEST AGENTS

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SALE - 25% OFF

Curtains and Blinds Sofas and Fabrics Bespoke Cabinet Furniture and Wardrobes

All types of reupholstery Traditional to comtemporary styles Antique and Vintage pieces

Sofa and curtain delivery time 2/3 weeks Bespoke Cabinet Furniture 3/5 weeks We have the largest selection of fabrics in Bristol and any sofa can be made in any fabric

FABRICS

terms and conditions apply

We are just past Clifton Down Shopping Centre 56/60, Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2PY Mon-Sat 9.30 - 5.30/Sun 12 - 5

TEL: 01173 292746

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THE | CONTENTS

JANUARY 2016

40 52

22 46

28 12 ZEITGEIST 5 things to do this month in Bristol

40 BRISTOL DEATH CAFÉ Helene Edwards discusses mortality

14 THE CITYIST My Bristol, book review and the buzz

16 BARTLEBY

44 FOOD & DRINK NEWS Top titbits from around town

46 WINTER RETREAT

Pushed for space

A fun family getaway in Cornwall

18 WINTER WOOLIES Cosy fashion from The Mall at Cribbs

20 FACE THE MUSIC Julz Davis picks his top ten tunes

22 THE YEAR AHEAD What to look forward to in 2016

26 BRISTOL AT WORK The Bristol Weaving Mill

28 SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL Side-splitting events with comedy greats

32 WHAT’S ON It’s a jam-packed January

36 ARTS & EXHIBITIONS Gallery highlights this month

48 VROOM VROOM Dara Foley test drives the new Audi

50 BRISTOL UPDATES News and views from across the city

52 WRITTEN IN THE STARS Contemplating magnitude

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JANUARY 2016

Braces removed at Beau Monde

72 RAINBOW RUN Sign up and support CHSW

76 OUT AND ABOUT A wild ramble with Andrew Swift

78 GARDENING Courses to inspire you this year

84 THROUGH THE KEYHOLE Step inside a beautiful period farmhouse

87 CITY PROPERTIES Bristol homes to buy or rent

54 FAMILY FUN What to do with the little ones

56 EDUCATION NEWS The latest from the city’s schools

58 FREELANCE MUM Meets CBeebies’ Andy Day

66 FIT & FAB Tips for winter wellness

Even more great content online: thebristolmag.co.uk 4 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

68 BEAUTY REVIEW

Follow us on Twitter @thebristolmag

ON THE COVER

Stephen Merchant is just one of the many comedy heroes coming to Bristol this month for The Slapstick Festival. Full details on p. 28

Like us on Facebook.com/ TheBristolMagazine

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COMING SOON

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THE | EDITOR

EDITOR’S PICKS BOOK Dancing on the Outskirts

by Shena Mackay, £16.99 A surreal and witty collection of short stories by the doyenne of the form – I can’t wait to curl up on the couch with this book

ALBUM Nightbird by Eva Cassidy This spine-tinglingly soulful album documents the night Eva and her band performed at the Blues Alley jazz club in Georgetown, DC

DVD March of the Penguins dir. Luc Jacquet Morgan Freeman narrates the heartwrenching voyage of these epic little guys across the frozen tundra of the Antarctic

from the

EDITOR WISHLIST

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer” – Albert Camus

R

eaders, let me state from the outset of our January edition that I have no intention of subjecting you to the tedium of a ‘health’ issue. At this cold, dark and altogether bleak time of year – when the party season has departed and left us with no money in the bank, but a few spare pounds around the waist – the last thing you need is me banging on about joining a gym in the futile quest for physical perfection.

And I feel justified in making this decision. Not because I am too heavy with the guilt of a gluttonous festive season to drag myself out for a run round the Downs – although that is partly true – but because this just doesn’t seem a sensible time of year to be further depleting our reserves through over-exercise and starvation. So instead, I vote we focus on nurturing our body and soul with warming winter goodness, so we’re well rested and ready to embrace the onset of spring.

So what better way to turn that frown upside down this month than to head along to The Slapstick Festival, which returns to the city for another side-splitting four days of silliness and merriment from Wednesday 20 – Monday 25 January. You can catch our cover star, Stephen Merchant, at St George’s, and see a whole host of other performers over the course of this comedy extravaganza. Find out more on p. 28.

Tempted? Well, that’s just the start of a brilliant year ahead for Bristol, as you’ll find out if you turn to p. 22 and read our teaser of top things to look forward to in 2016. Because even if you’re not ready to get up off that couch just yet, there’s no harm in popping a few dates in your diary for later in the year…

Or, if you’re dead set on a spot of exercise, I suggest you start with the muscle of your mind.

The ol’ noggin tends to go a bit soggy over the festive break, and there’s nothing better than a thought provoking read to grind those mental gears back into action. So turn to p. 38, where our new contributor, Helene Edwards, opens up a discussion about death and it’s relationship to the city. It happens to everyone, so isn’t it time we started talking about it?

Go on then – put the kettle on, snuggle down in front of the fire and enjoy our cracking January issue. Happy reading!

JENNY HAYES EDITOR

@thebristolmag

10 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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www.thebristolmag.co.uk

This January, I plan to keep the winter blues away by staying cosy indoors. But of course, to do so I’ll need the perfect lounging attire...

Colour block cape, £30 from Warehouse, www.warehouse.com Suedette slipper boots, £19 from Accessorize, www.accessorize.com

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ZEITGEIST

The top

5

things to do in JANUARY

PLAYING FOR LAUGHS

COMING UNPLUGGED AT COLSTON HALL? If you think that the Bristol Acoustic Music Festival is all about acoustic guitars and instruments – think again. For the 12th year running, Bristol record label Jelli Records presents a platter of local and national music acts both acoustic and very much plugged in on Saturday 23 January. Performing in the foyer are the likes of Ria Timkin, Jacanda, The Barry Walsh Band, Rishi Saluja and I Am Horse.

Festival workshops will continue throughout the day covering topics like starting out in the music business, singing lessons for beginners, song writing workshops and a presentation by the Musician’s Union. The Lantern will also play host to Stereo Kela, Heather Peace, Muha, The Phoneix River Band, Son of Dave and more.

Workshops are free to ticket holders, or £10 for non ticket holders. Tickets: £32.25. For details tel: 0844 887 1500, or visit: www.colstonhall.org

Britain’s biggest festival of silent and classic screen comedy returns to Bristol, bringing a ray of light to the dreary month of January. The Slapstick Festival takes place from Wednesday 20 – Monday 25 January, across the great city’s venues of Arnolfini, Watershed, St George’s and Colston Hall, and celebrates a host of famous names including homegrown stars such as Cary Grant, Shaun the Sheep and Steven Merchant. Other favourites returning for another year include Tim Brooke-Taylor, Marcus Brigstocke, Denise Doffey, Barry Cryer, Bill Oddie and Lucy Porter. And the flagship Silent Comedy Gala at Colston Hall on Friday 22 January is not to be missed. For more information, visit: www.slapstick.org.uk

Jane Eyre

CLASSIC REVIVAL Sally Cookson's acclaimed re-imagining of Brontë’s Jane Eyre returns to Bristol Old Vic for a single exhilarating performance following its transfer to the National Theatre. From her beginnings as a destitute orphan, Jane Eyre's spirited heroine faces life's obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart. Featuring the original cast and creative team, this is a not-to-bemissed piece of theatrical history. Book tickets at the box office on tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk

NOT TO BE MORBID But have you been to see the fantastic Death: The Human Experience at Bristol Museum? This thought-provoking exhibition asks you to pause and contemplate mortality, introducing you to ethical issues, differing attitudes to death and how different cultures deal with the end of life.

You’ll encounter hundreds of incredibly diverse objects – from a Ghanaian fantasy coffin to a Victorian mourning dress – that reveal captivating stories from across the world, from the earliest human societies to the modern day.

For details, visit: www.bristolmuseums.or.uk

JANUARY AT WATERSHED On a cold winter’s night, it takes a lot to beat curling up in front of a great film with a bag of popcorn. And since Watershed screens some of the best films around, you need look no further for cinematic inspiration this month. The programme kicks off with The Danish Girl (15), a beautiful biopic directed by Tom Hooper and starring Eddie Redmayne as a Danish artist who was one of the first recipients of sexual reassignment surgery, and other highlights include The Assassin (pictured, 12A) directed by Hsiao-Hsien Hou, and Youth (15) directed by Paolo Sorrentino. For more information, or to book tickets, visit: www.watershed.co.uk

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ist

THE CITY THE BUZZ

My BRISTOL We ask Lucy Shepherd, literary events organiser at Bristol Grammar School, what she’s doing this month...

What brought you to Bristol?

I came here in 1973 as a student, emerging four years later as a fully-fledged English teacher – and Bristol has been my base ever since.

Evening in or evening out?

My answer to that is climate-dependent. I need more of a lure for an evening out in winter than in summer!

What are you reading?

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler, a superb tale, beautifully spun, about three generations of a family and their interdependence. It unravels slowly, working backwards in time, revealing the life histories of the main characters.

Film or performance?

I love theatre and cinema equally, and live streaming combines the two. Next up? The Nutcracker performed by the Bolshoi Ballet.

Feline lonely?

Well we’ve got some good news for you. Not only is the Bag O’ Nails pub in Hotwells home to 15 cats, so you can enjoy a beverage while chilling with some seriously cute kitties, but dedicated cat café You & Meow is set to open in the city centre later this year. It might sound a little crazy, but the concept is huge in Japan, and as a city full of animal lovers it’s no wonder Bristol is one of the first places in the UK to embrace the idea. For the latest opening news, visit: www.youandmeow.co.uk

Book your tickets to...

The Lord Mayor’s Charity Gala Dinner 2016. Join Bristol’s finest at The Lord Mayor’s Charity Gala Dinner on February 25 at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. Enjoy a drinks reception followed by a sumptuous three-course dinner, high-quality live entertainment and auction with ‘auction king’ Jamie Breese. The dinner offers the ideal opportunity to host clients, meet other Bristol movers and shakers and to network, while supporting a good cause. The event raises money for The Lord Mayor of Bristol’s Children Appeal, which gives the city’s most disadvantaged children vouchers for food, clothing and gifts at Christmas. To book tickets at the early bird price of £65, or £585 for a table of 10, visit: galadinner2016.eventbrite.co.uk

What’s on your MP3 player?

‘Mental Phono’ you mean? I never left the 1970s, musically or technologically: the likes of Richard Thompson, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Ry Cooder and the Grateful Dead all have residencies in my head.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

The Pump House in Hotwells keeps luring me back: the great location, the roomy interior, the friendly staff serving fresh, flavoursome food.

Favourite watering hole?

My favourite watering hole is dry at present: the drinking-fountain at the top of Hampton Road, ideally placed for refreshment on my homeward walk from BGS. So the next best thing is the Rubicon café in Chandos Road.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

The Death exhibition at the Bristol Museum.

We are all going to die, yet somehow this subject is still very much taboo. Let’s hope people of all ages make time for Death.

What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing?

Having just acquired a shed I am beyond excitement, so my life as a cultivatrix is ludicrously stimulating.

Favourite local walk?

We have a dog who takes us regularly on a circular 90 minute walk: Failand, a rural idyll just 15 minutes from our urban doorstep, is her favourite.

Any projects/work in progress?

A packed Spring 2016 season of literary events at BGS. For details see our blog: literaryevents.bristolgrammarschoolorg.uk

BOOK OF THE MONTH...

Adventuresses by Jacki Hill-Murphy £7.99, paperback (Adventuress Publishing) It’s not every day you pick up a book and feel truly inspired, but that’s exactly what Adventuresses achieves – right from the first page. Written by local explorer, teacher, film maker, speaker and author, Jacki Hill-Murphy, it tells of her daring voyage in the footsteps of three remarkable women that history has all but forgotten. Initially, we meet Isabela Godin, the soul survivor of a 42-party expedition through the Amazon in 1769. Then, it is the tale of Mary Kingsley, the quiet doctor’s daughter who escaped the shackles of her family to conquer Mount Cameroon in 1985 and become one of the finest late Victorian travel writers. And last, but certainly not least, is the account of Isabella Bird, the indomitable 60 year-old who traverses the Himalayas on the back of a yak.

Throughout Adventuresses, Jacki skillfully interweaves historical narrative with her own hair-raising anecdotes as she treads the same perilous path as that of her heroines, creating a book that is at once dense in fact yet eminently readable. www.adventuresses.com

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

Filling up fast

I

saw a headline recently announcing that Bristol was Britain’s fastest growing city. This was obviously news, but was the news good or bad?

Unfortunately I didn’t have time to read the article then and there, and now I can’t remember where I saw it, so I will have to live with the uncertainty. Either we should be happy and excited that Bristol is a 21st century boomtown, or we ought to be desperately anxious that our resources, infrastructure and so on are being stretched to the limit.

Our little corner of the city is experiencing a quite literal population explosion. I may have mentioned this before, but if I listen carefully I can hear half a dozen babies wailing in the night (a surprisingly soothing chorus when none of them is yours); my entirely unscientific research suggests that there are as many as 25 crawlers and squawkers with a 200 yard radius. Is this what they were talking about in the article, I wonder? Has the adult population of Bristol suddenly decided it is time to breed?

It’s curious to think that in several years’ time these newborns will have grown into schoolchildren, who will need an entire primary school class to themselves. And this in an area where the existing schools are already full and one new school is already under construction. Will a second new primary school have to be built? And if so, where?

Not much more than ten years ago, when Ms Bartleby started primary school, there were not enough children locally to fill her year’s two classes, and on our street there was not a single other child her age. Since then there have been clusters of births, but even the biggest only created a gang of three boys (who are now quite large but still great pals). What we are experiencing today is phenomenal by comparison; in a decade’s time our street will be able to field a team in the Bristol under-11 football competition. Imagine Cheaper by the Dozen with all of Steve Martin’s children the same age and you’ll have an idea of what the future holds in store.

❝

HAS THE ADULT POPULATION OF BRISTOL SUDDENLY DECIDED IT IS TIME TO BREED?

❞

For a while babysitting will be the best business in town; then all those kids will turn 12 and 13 and the market will be flooded – unless there are even more whipper-snappers for them to look after. I suppose it is possible that the production of new babies will continue apace – accelerate, even – but what we are seeing now is probably a blip, a spike – an anomaly. If we were experiencing deaths on this scale, rather than births, there would be an enquiry.

People dying in clusters is understandably frowned upon, but there’s nothing to stop a whole load of unrelated couples, who share little except an approximate age and a very similar postcode, deciding to become parents at the same time. Perhaps, as one neighbour put it, there’s something in the water. But hang on… first they must all have chosen, independently and uncoerced, to move to the same place, and perhaps it’s this decision we should be looking at. No, that’s not going to work. At least two of the fathers involved have been here as long as we have, but have kept the pram firmly out of the hallway until now.

No doubt you could analyse the data in a hundred different ways, but what you can’t escape is the simple physical existence of all these babies, and the fact that the fabric of Bristol life will have to change to accommodate them as they grow up. Their presence will be a boon to local childminders, café proprietors, sweetshop owners and manufacturers of football kits, and a headache to the people whose job it is to make sure everyone has a school place and a doctor. But that’s how it is when you live in Britain’s fastest growing city: swings and roundabouts, and all of them full. n 16 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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See more online www.thebristolmag.co.uk

Contact us: Co-Editor Tel: Email:

Jenny Hayes 0117 974 2800 jenny@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Co-Editor Tel: Email:

Sam Coleman 0117 974 2800 sam@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Web Editor Email:

Demelza Durston demelza@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales

Kathy Williams Sue Parker Liz Grey

For advertising enquiries please contact us on: 0117 974 2800 Email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Financial Director Email:

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The Bristol Magazine is published by MC Publishing Ltd. An independent publisher.

The Bristol Magazine is distributed free every month to more than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout the city. We also have special distribution units in the following stores and many coffee shops, hotels and convenient pick-up points.

THE

BRIST OL MAGAZINE Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2016 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bristol Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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BRISTOL | FASHION

WINTER

warmers Wrap up and stay cosy with cool khakis and soft suede this season, says The Mall at Cribbs Causeway’s stylist

Fingerless Sheepskin Mittens Natural £69, Jigsaw

A

fter the glitz and glamour of Christmas, now’s the time to take your style back to basics, with luxe fabrics and calming colours to see in the new year.

The 1970s trend, which was huge last season, looks set to continue into 2016, so stock up on gorgeous suede jackets and boots, and don’t be afraid to experiment with a bit of fringing. A floppy hat is a stylish yet practical way to ward off the cold weather and, when topped off with a leather saddle bag, has a touch of Alexa Chung chic about it.

A midi-length A-line skirt is another great way to stay on trend right now, while having the added benefit of extra leg coverage when it’s chilly outside. If you’re petite, a wool dress with a shorter hemline, worn with opaque tights is a fabulous alternative.

The real secret of staying chic in winter is layering – polo necks, blanket wraps and gilets are all your friends when it comes to mixing and matching layers.

Faux Fur Scarf Neutral £59, Jigsaw

Telephone Coin Purse £6, Accessorize

Two Tone Abstract Leopard Scarf £50, Jaeger at John Lewis

Six trends to watch for in 2016: The holy triumvirate of tactile fabrics that were so fashionable this year will continue into spring, so feel free to splurge to your heart’s content on these gems from last season.

FRINGING/LEATHER/SUEDE

The big fashion houses are continuing their love affair with all things utilitarian this year – Burberry, Versace and Bottega Veneta all showed cool khakis, trench coats and functional shift dresses on the catwalk, so you can expect the high street to follow suit once again.

Lauren Studded Double Pack £10, Accessorize

MILITARY CHIC

Double Face Cropped Sleeveless Sweater £150, Jaeger at John Lewis

Brightly coloured stripe fabrics were all over the catwalks for SS16, and if it’s good enough for Dior, Balmain, Pucci and Dolce & Gabbana, then it’s good enough for us. If you spot any stripes in the sale, snap them up as they’re going to be hot hot hot this year. Expect to see this on a high street near you very soon!

Camel wrap coat with faux fur collar £54.99, New Look

LUCKY STRIPE

The 1980s called and it wants its sleeves back! Voluminous puffed sleeves will be back in a big way this year – Fendi, Erdem and 3.1 Philip Lim all showcased them in their SS16 collections and we expect this to hit the shops very soon.

Sable Panel Saddle £25, Accessorize

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Beige tote £24.99, New Look

Lola Heeled Ankle Boot £47, Accessorize

Where Victoria Beckham leads, the fashion world tends to follow, and this season her collection was all about clashing prints. Stripes with florals, checks with dots – you name it, you’ll be seeing it this year. Invest in graphic print separates now which you can mix up in the spring.

MIXED PRINTS

Underwear as outwear (last seen in the 90s on Courtney Love) is set for a huge revival this year. In-your-face lace fabrics and little slip dresses were on the catwalk at Givenchy and Celine and will be on a high street near you very soon. Salvage those nighties from the sale rack now and hang onto them!

PEEK-A-BOO

Please note that the items shown are taken from 2015 stock and are subject to availability.

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Navy Fairisle Scarf and Glove Gift Set £22, BHS

Autograph Jacket £249, M&S

Double Faced Reversible Coat £350, Jaeger at John Lewis

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NEW YEAR, NEW WEBSITE!

View our full range of unique kiddies clothes and toys online now!

34 The Mall, Clifton Village, Bristol, BS8 4DS T :0117 973 3788 E: hello@picklesandpoppets.co.uk

9 Canford Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3DB T :0117 950 5953 Twitter: @picklesnpoppets

W: www.picklesandpoppets.co.uk

Engagement Rings Wedding Rings Wedding Gifts

Stunning Engagement rings, Wedding bands and tailor-made rings Beautiful Gift Ideas for the bridesmaids, mother of the bride and for the groom A 10% discount on any pair of rings purchased & off any further gifts for your wedding when you mention The Bristol Magazine We also offer Bespoke Jewellery • Silver Jewellery • Watches Jewellery & Watch Repairs • Gold purchased (old jewellery & coins)

History, Tradition & Quality the only Kemps Jewellers since 1881 9 Calton Court, Westbury on Trym, Bristol, BS9 3DF

www.kempsjewellers.com

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FACE | THE MUSIC

HE’S A SOUL MAN Demelza Durston talks to carnivalist, activist, and all round Bristol legend Julz Davis about his life, work, and involvement with Ujima Radio

W

earing many hats, Julz Davis is a creativist at his established Curiosity Consultancy, a carnivalist and an activist for Bristol’s burgeoning and diverse community of creatives. He’s a joy to speak to – and someone you can’t help but feel inspired by.

For the past five years, Julz has dedicated his heart and soul to Bristol’s Ujima radio station. Ujima translates as ‘collective work and responsibility’ in the Swahili language, which would seem appropriate given the positive work the team are doing across the city. This year, they won the National Diversity award, despite being up against some tough competition. As Julz explains: “Ujima got its licence seven years ago, but it began 12 years previously. Our mission statement was to build growth and communication opportunities for Bristol. We’ve stayed very true to that ethos, evolving to serve the communities that are hard to reach and don’t have a voice in the mainstream.”

Not only does Ujima create inspirational content for its diverse programme across the station, it offers programmes for all sectors and is the only Bristol based radio station with a programme for the transgender communities. It also offers ongoing training opportunities for young people and those who might otherwise struggle to access tools that can enhance their lives and empower them, both now and in the future. One example of this, is the Young & Gifted programme which aims at providing a platform 20 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

| JANUARY 2016

for Gypsy Roma travelling communities (especially young people) to tell their stories to a wider audience across Bristol.

“Gypsy Roma communities can be one of the most difficult to engage with; we find that they put up barriers to protect themselves. We are working with this community to give them a sense of voice, and of place, so they can engage and integrate a bit better into the mainstream. They can use our radio station to tell their story in their way, enriching our listeners by sharing their rich cultural heritage”, says Julz.

Julz was born in Bristol. He credits his father with giving him the innate drive, self-sufficiency and confidence to pursue goals that are not only intrinsic to his own personal development, but also positively enhance the communities in his locality.

“My father has always been very bold and entrepreneurial, independent and creative in trying to find his way to solutions.

Being a young, black Jamaican – he’s kept his accent and he’s very proud of that – when he first came to England in the 60s it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of rejection, but he carved out a nice slice of life for himself,” he explains.

Julz moved away from Bristol when he felt that he wasn’t getting the opportunities he needed to move his life forward.

While in London, he established himself as someone with progressive ideas who was willing to make positive changes. He worked on the MOBOs, Notting Hill Carnival and Devizes Carnival to name but a few, but despite the successes Julz enjoyed

Main image: Julz joking around at Ujima Radio, where he hosts a drive time show and also mentors young people

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FACE | THE MUSIC in London, he finally decided to move back to his roots in Bristol, where he now works as a trustee for the Creative Youth Network and Carnival Network South.

“Before I came back to Bristol I was like ‘oh God, I’m coming back to retire – it’s so slow in the west country’. I’d been away for 12 years, but when I returned Bristol, felt to me to be a really dynamic, forward thinking, mobile city. Sure, it’s still got its challenges and issues, but there is opportunity,” he says.

Julz has always been of the thinking that in order to create a life you are proud of, you need to be prepared to ask the right questions, seek opportunities, and remain forever curious. It is these qualities, combined with his focus, and his humility and desire to empower others, that has given Julz the tools to make his mark in Bristol and its communities: “I get my humility, my emotional intelligence, and my community ethos from my mother – throughout my life she has always been very welcoming to other people. There are six kids, so the house has always been full and my mum has always, every Christmas, opened the door and invited homeless people to come and break bread, have food, have a bed. As a kid I didn’t quite understand it – I was protective over my own space – it took me until I was about 15, to actually get it. I’ve been very fortunate to be brought up in that environment.”

Where there might not have been an obvious window of opportunity when arriving back to Bristol, a lucky break came when he was offered a job with West One – a community project in conjunction with the organisation, Quality in the Community.

Until that point, Julz had been working in pirate radio – which, in hindsight, he knew wouldn’t stand the test of time: “I was offered this opportunity on the basis that I would pay it forward and give others a chance, as I had been given. This still today rings true to me and has stuck with me throughout everything I have done. It’s about making sure there is a platform for people to work from,” Julz says.

Certainly, this ethos is something that he has taken seriously, in everything he does. From his active involvement in community projects – be it organising the largest carnivals across the UK, to hosting live events, to offering support and development to sister projects – and the on-the-job training and mentoring he offers as part of Ujima.

“We see ourselves as a talent incubator,” he says, “but at the same time Ujima acts as a talent conveyor belt – we give our trainees the skills to go out into the job market, despite not necessarily having the educational background but to go out there, with confidence. What I do is also about asking the right questions to the right people to get to the right answers. Through curiosity, humanity has travelled to the bottom of the ocean, to the stars, we’ve discovered penicillin, we’ve maintained that curiosity.”

The fundamental forces at play, threading through Julz’s work and his approach to life, would seem to come back to a few, key ingredients – to remain curious, humble, and to not allow your mistakes to define you.

“Like everybody, I have had my times when I’ve doubted myself, and questioned who I am, and whether I doing the right thing. Certainly over the last five years I’ve made mistakes, but some of them have been the greatest learning opportunities, so I’ve really grown as a result of that. How do you use those moments of doubt to strengthen you rather than disenable you?

Remember that some of the biggest victories that you might get in your life are through your failures.” n

❷ Feeling Hot Hot Hot by The Mighty Arrow I have such fond memories of this song as a young boy growing up. With my mother being of Guyanese background, she loved to whine her waist and Soca was her Kryptonite. So when this song charted in the 80s it became our family anthem, which was played loud and proud on our Fidelity record player in our humble home as we celebrated as proud Knowle West-Indians. ❸ The Message by Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five Hip hop has had a profound and indelible impact on my life, and for me both Grand Master Flash and this song represents what true hip hop culture is about. It sends a socially powerful and empowering message rebelling against an unfair system over a super dope and infectious beat. The irony of this song is that while it’s some 35+ years old, its eerily relevant to the problems the world continues to face today. ❹ Ain’t Nobody by Chaka Khan What a song. I never tire of hearing it and, as a radio and club DJ, it’s a guaranteed floor filler and radio thriller. But I love this song for two epic reasons – first, it features on the iconic Break Dance movie and second, this was the song for my first dance at my wedding, sung live by Bristol’s queen of soul, Celestine. ❺ Candy by Cameo As you may have picked up, I love feel good music and I love to dance, so what I love about this song is that it inspires everyone from grandma to the grandkids to jump on to the dance-floor and in unison to do the candy dance, which I best describe as a soulful version of a square dance. It’s great to watch but even better to take part in, and it’s simple to learn. My advice is Google it, practice it in the privacy of your front room, and once you crack it get on the dance floor and get involved. ❻ I Can See Clearly by Johnny Nash Again a track from my childhood and it’s a super song that forms part of the soundtrack to my life. My parents had every Johnny Nash album and single and I’ve still got the vinyl in pride of place in my record collection. Again, it’s such a great feel good tune that reminds me it’s always darkest before dawn, and that a new and better day is just ahead. I also have to admit that its one of my iPod and karaoke favorites, and is sung loudly. ❼ Could This Be Love by Bob Marley Like so many people, Bob Marley makes my list, but my reason for picking this song is I recently got married and it was a curious spectacle of all the things that both me and wife love.

Our wedding was themed around Treasure Island and Bob Marley’s Could This Be Love was the song I picked to dance down the isle with my piratically themed groomsmen. For me, the words reflect how I felt about making that lifetime commitment to my wife. And yes, I did say dance down the aisle, any why not? It was arrrggghhhhhsome. ❽ Gotta Be by Desiree Another uplifting song which reflects my personal ethos about meeting the challenges that life throws at you head-on. It just says it all.

Julz’s top 10 tunes:

❾ You’re All I Need by Aretha Franklin At heart I’m a super soppy soul brother looking for a beautiful soul sister who I can just cosy up to in front of an open log fire on a cold winter night. Also, I selected this immortal soul classic as it beautifully showcases the vocals of the undisputed queen of soul, Aretha Franklin.

❶ Saturday Night by Oliver Cheatham A classic slice of 80s soulful funk and for me the ultimate feel good song. Whenever I hear it, no matter what kind of day I’m having it fills me with instant and overwhelming joy. It’s an irresistible song that will get me up and dancing no matter where I am. This includes being on the bus or even on the tube.

Yep, I’m that guy.

❿ Rebel Without a Pause by Public Enemy As a rebellious young black Brit growing up in the 80s, Public Enemy majestically articulated how a whole generation of disenfranchised youth felt. And through the power of word, rhyme and an audacious sonic soundtrack it gave us hope, identity and a new truth. They also gave people like me the confidence to tell it how it is. Fear of a Black Planet indeed! n

Catch Julz presenting his drive-time show on Ujima Radio, www.ujimaradio.com

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LEAPING AHEAD Happy new year Bristol – and what a year it’s going to be.

Here’s a round-up of highlights to look forward to in our fab city in 2016 Happy birthday Bristol Old Vic! Bristol Old Vic celebrates a whopping 250 years in May, and to mark this milestone birthday it is presenting a year-round programme of productions from each of the four centuries of theatre’s operation.

There’s also a Shakespeare play to mark 400th anniversary of his death and an open-house weekend, paying tribute to people of the city who built theatre in 1766 and who have fought for its ongoing survival through ever since.

Tom Morris, artistic director at Bristol Old Vic, said: “With the average lifespan of an 18th century theatre being just 17 years, 2016 represents a momentous year for the British theatre world and Bristol Old Vic. This unique anniversary will celebrate the passion of those people over the last 250 years and the visions we might bring to the next 250. Our artistic programme will include work from Europe, the US and from Bristol, showcasing new writing, classic text, devised work and musical theatre. It will celebrate the diversity, innovation and talent that has shaped Bristol Old Vic into the globally-renowned theatrical institution that it is today; a place where the future potential of theatre is thrashed out and discovered.”

Highlights include: ● Timothy West, one of Bristol Old Vic’s most illustrious actors, will once again tread the boards, but this time as King Lear in a poignant reworking of arguably Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, adapted by Tom Morris and in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

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● Richard Eyre’s staging of the classic Long Day’s Journey Into Night, starring British actors Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville. This is the first time that the acclaimed British film, theatre, television and opera director has directed a production at Bristol Old Vic, the place which inspired him as a schoolboy to work in theatre after seeing Peter O’Toole play Hamlet in 1957. ● A thread of 21st century work running throughout the year will be launched with the return of Pink Mist, the critically acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production written by poet Owen Sheers, and continues with a new coproduction with Kneehigh in June and a major new musical in November. ● The return of Bristol Old Vic’s smash hit Jane Eyre and the opening of the theatre in 1766 will be celebrated in a major revival of an 18th Century classic.

2016 also marks the 70th anniversary of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company, the first experiment in subsidised theatre outside London, and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which was founded at the theatre in the same year. Shakespeare will be celebrated in a bold summer collaboration with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, details of which are to be announced soon.

On top of all this, the 250th anniversary also heralds the final stage in the redevelopment of Britain’s oldest theatre. Building is set to start in summer 2016 and will transform the front of house spaces, create a new studio theatre, modern bar and restaurant facilities. The works will also see the return of the Grade 1 listed Coopers’ Hall to its original 18th century use as a ‘Grand Hall’.

Sounds like one big year-long party – hooray! Visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk for more information.

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BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, Mary Anne Hobbs pictured on the harbourside, © BBC

Jeremy Irons, Lesley Manville, Sir Richard Eyre in Bristol Old Vic’s Long Day's Journey Into Night

Shakespeare commemorated at the Tobacco Factory Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory returns for another season, marking 400 years since William Shakespeare died in 1616, with a production of his most famous play, Hamlet (running from Thursday 11 February – Saturday 26 March) alongside All’s Well That Ends Well (running from Thursday 31 March – Saturday 23 April).

Andrew Hilton, artistic director of Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory says: “As an actor I have played in Hamlet many times, but this will be my first production as director, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. All’s Well That Ends Well will be a very different challenge but will make an excellent partner; it is a play brimming with the kind of ambiguity of tone that I relish, as well as offering terrific parts for women (to whom the play really belongs), and some fine comedy.”

The two plays will be performed by a single cast of 15 actors, and will tour the UK together after the Bristol season. Following Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s visit to Neuss International Shakespeare Festival with Romeo and Juliet last year, the company will perform Hamlet at the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival in Romania in 2016.

Visit: www.stf-theatre.org.uk

EDITOR’S PICK...

Urban art on a large scale Hot on the heels of Banky’s hugely popular Dismaland art attraction in Weston-Super-Mare last summer, Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival, Upfest, has announced its return to Bedminster on 23 – 25 July, bringing live art to the streets for a ninth year and raising money for National Association for the Children of Alcoholics (NACOA). Hundreds of urban artists will paint over 30,000 sq ft of surfaces across Bedminster and Southville, alongside children’s activities, art sales, live music performances and graffiti battles.

Stephen Hayles, Upfest founder says: “The festival is expected to attract 30,000 visitors, over a third of which will travel from outside of Bristol and stay in our glorious city. The Upfest team are proud of the boost the festival gives to local traders and the wider impact it has across Bristol, and of the support we receive from the street art community, who paint for the crowds and create a brilliant legacy each year.”

Registration for artists opens on 29 February for 28 days, and a third of the 300 spaces will be allocated to Bristol artists. Visit: www.upfest.co.uk

Radio 6 Music Festival, Friday 12 – Sunday 14 February BBC Radio 6 Music presenters Steve Lamacq and Mary Anne Hobbs last month made the very exciting announcement that the 6 Music Festival 2016 is coming to Bristol with some of our city’s finest already confirmed to perform – Roni Size, Tricky, Beak and The Blue Aeroplanes.

Now in its third year – having previously been to Manchester in 2014 and on Tyneside in 2015 – the 6 Music Festival will take place in venues across the city including Motion, Colston Hall, O2 Academy Bristol, Basement 45 and Trinity.

BBC 6 Music champions music with an alternative spirit and the Bristol music scene encapsulates this, being steeped in a musical heritage with a hugely diverse scene, which will be reflected at the festival.

The full line-up of bands and artists and the dates the tickets go on sale will be announced on Tuesday 19 January, so listen out and check online at: bbc.co.uk/6music. The line-up for the 6 Music Festival by Day – a presentation of spoken word, poetry and performance events during the day time on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February – will be announced on Tuesday 26 January.

Mary Anne Hobbs said: “The 6 Music Festival is such a special event because it brings all the elements of what we do as a digital radio station into a physical space; the artists, the whole of the station’s staff and presenters, and of course our wonderful listeners.

This year, the festival is coming to Bristol, a place where music is such a primary element of the DNA of the city. It’s going to be a truly unforgettable experience.” n Don’t miss: Roni Size, DJ Krust and Dynamite MC will be returning with the first official showcase and live broadcast of Full Cycle from their home town. Their set will feature classic tracks and new material from the legendary drum and bass label.

Upfest 2015 Dale Grimshaw, Cosmo Sarson

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Gelada © Simone Sbaraglia

ONE FOR THE KIDS...

Harbourside comes a-live Turn your thoughts to balmy summer evenings, al fresco drinks and live music. That’s right, June sees the return of Bristol Summer Series – live outdoor concerts from some of the hottest acts from the music scene, live on the harbourside. Last year there was a huge turnout to see George Ezra, Kaiser Chiefs and Seasick Steve and, due to demand, there are whispers that the event may be extended to five nights this year. Watch this space for the line-up to be announced soon...

A new music venue for Bristol?

In the next few months we should find out whether the planning application for the Bristol Arena has been accepted, which would mean a new 12,000 capacity performance venue, located close to Bristol Temple Meads. You can keep up to date with the latest developments at: www.bristoltemplequarter.com/arena

Festival city welcomes another one to its line-up In its inaugural year, the Bristol Film Festival (BriFF) will debut on the 11 – 13 March celebrating the impact and influence of film. The festival will feature an exciting mix of activities and entertainment associated with film such as guided studio tours, talks by industry experts, music performances, pop-up, immersive screenings, screenwriting workshops and even film-related wine tastings. Events will take place in venues all across the city, including The Arnolfini, The RWA, Bristol City Museum, ss Great Britain and Bottle Yard Studios. Highlights include: an after-hours dusk screening of Night At The Museum in Bristol Museum; The Great Iron Ship screened on the ss Great Britain, including a bespoke tour, talk, and meal on board; Frida screened at the RWA; a Sideways screening and wine tasting at Averys; a talk on film and the fashion world; guided tours of the Bottle Yard Studios; concerts from the Bristol Ensemble exploring the relationship between film and music; and a global village featuring world cinema, street food vendors and other pop-up entertainment.

More dates for your diary: 6 February, Hobbs Show 28 April – 7 May, Bristol Food Connections 2 – 3 July, Grillstock 15 – 17 July, Bristol Harbour Festival 11 – 14 August, Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 20 – 25 September, Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival

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New residents at Wild Place Project There will be lots of monkeying around at Wild Place Project this year when a troop of gelada baboons move into a new, purpose-built enclosure in the summer.

Although often referred to as gelada baboons, these monkeys are not true baboons, but can be easily recognised by the cape of long hair over the shoulders of the males and the bright red skin on the chest of both sexes, which turns a brighter red when the females are ready to mate. It is because of this feature that gelada are sometimes known as bleeding heart baboons. Males grow to around 75cm in length, weighing around 20kg (44lbs), and females to 65cm and up to 16kg (35lbs). They are the last surviving species of a once widespread group of grass-grazing primates. In the wild, geladas live in the mountains of Ethiopia, sleeping at night on ledges on the steep cliff faces. They are protected from the extreme cold of their mountain habitat by the characteristic cape of thick fur.

Nigel Simpson, senior operations manager at Wild Place Project, said: “Gelada are a complex and challenging species to look after and we are very much looking forward to welcoming them to the Wild Place Project. They are fascinating to watch and we are sure they will be a great hit with visitors.”

On top of the baboons, you can also see cheetahs, wolves, zebra, meerkats, eland, lemurs, okapi, red river hogs and pygmy goats. There’s plenty of space for the kids the run around too, as well as a barefoot walking trail where you can take off your shoes and feel different textures under your feet. For more information visit: www.wildplace.org.uk

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BRISTOL AT WORK Our series of photographic portraits by Charlotte Stone shows Bristol people at work

High fashion, handcrafted at Bristol Weaving Mill

Philosophy for living

Free 4 week course

B

ristol has a long and rich history in the textile industry, but since the early 20th century there has been no active weaving mill in the city. All that changed with the arrival of Juliet Bailey and Franki Brewer, aka Dash and Miller Ltd, in 2010. And over the last five years this daring duo and their all-female workforce have been putting the city back on the world textile map.

“It all began in 2009,” says Juliet, “when Franki and I met while we were working in London. We decided to set up Dash and Miller Ltd, a woven textiles design studio. Initially, I was working from the shed at the bottom of my garden and Franki from her parents’ spare room. We each had a weaving loom, which was all we needed to start building a collection of woven textile designs that we then took around to show various designers and manufacturers in the UK and Italy.

“Before long we moved to a live-work studio in Banwell, and then in 2010 we were approached by UK based, 9th generation weaving mill, Stephen Walters & Sons Ltd, to start a womenswear collection with them. This grew over the past five years and now contains over 250 designs, some of which have featured in the catwalk collections of designers such as Pringle of Scotland, Jason Wu and Bottega Veneta.

“As our business grew, we explored new markets such as the USA and Japan, which enabled us to move to more central premises. We’ve been in our current Barton Road warehouse space since 2014. It has allowed us to expand our team and take on more designers, and also realise our dream of starting a new manufacturing company to complement Dash and Miller. And, in November 2015, we celebrated the official opening of The Bristol Weaving Mill.

“We work on a range of weaving looms, hand-sampling most of our designs for production first, which allows us to offer an incredibly quick and creative service that emphasises the importance of handcraft within the textiles industry. When it comes to producing the final cloth, though, we use an older production loom because this gives us more flexibility with the types of cloth we can create as the loom has a higher tolerance for using experimental construction and yarns.

“Because we work for designers ranging from John Lewis Home to Chanel, we use a variety of different materials. Our standard materials to work in are silk and other natural fibres, such as cotton and wool.

However, we use a range of incredibly fancy yarns from Italy for our high fashion customers that contain metallic yarn, cashmere and polyurethane, among other things.

“At The Bristol Weaving Mill we now also have the capacity and ability to work with smaller local producers of yarn, and are working on a number of projects such as The Bristol Cloth using locally produced Alpaca wool. We are also undertaking an exciting project with Bristol-based sustainable fashion designer Lizzie Harrison and her brand Antiform, to create a fancy tweed using only waste yarn from other UK manufacturers. This will be launched in the spring of 2016, so watch this space!” n Pictured is Juliet, co-owner of Dash and Miller and co-founder of The Bristol Weaving Mill. www.bristolweavingmill.co.uk

starts January 2016 The aim of philosophy is to set people free; free from pressure and free from worry; free to grow, free to be themselves. So it seems fitting that a philosophy course should be free. This four session mini-course, called Philosophy for Living , looks at life and its meaning, the world and its causes and applying mindfulness to every moment. Based on the classic philosophies of East and West, it invites us to see life as a place to test the words of the wise. Feel free to join us.

For those who wish to extend this introduction, a further 6 week course follows on immediately, cost £36 (concessions available).

BATH When? Tuesdays at 7.15pm starting 12th Jan 2016 Where? 30 Milsom St, Bath, BA1 1DG

BRISTOL When? Thursdays at 7.15pm starting 14th Jan 2016 Where? Friends Meeting House, Champion Square, Bristol BS2 9DB

If you would like to know more or to register please contact: Email: bathandbristolphilosophy@gmail.com Or call: 07873 230651 Bath and Bristol School of Philosophy: branch of The Fellowship of the School of Economic Science.

Registered Educational Charity 313115

www.bathandbristolphilosophy.org

www.charlottestonephoto.com

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SLAPSTICK THE BEST OF BRISTOL

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Slapstick 2016 promises to be a bigger and broader festival with salutes to Bristol-born stars, as Samantha Coleman discovers

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ritain’s biggest festival of silent and classic screen comedy – Slapstick – is promising to make January sunny in Bristol, no matter how wintry the weather, by giving us six days of laugh-out-loud events packed with famous names from the past and present, including homegrown stars Cary Grant, Shaun the Sheep and Stephen Merchant.

Running from Wednesday 20 – Monday 25 January, events will be at Watershed, Arnolfini, St George’s and Colston Hall – and as usual, the guest list does not disappoint. From Stephen Merchant sharing his top comedy moments to Robin Ince hosting the Silent Comedy Gala to musician Adrian Utley guesting with the European Silent Screen Virtuosi and reunions of the casts of TV classics At Last the 1948 Show, The Goodies and Here Come The Double Deckers, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy.

Many favourite guests will also be returning, including Tim Brooke-Taylor, Marcus Brigstocke, Denise Coffey, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Ian Lavender, Bill Oddie, Lucy Porter, Shaun the Sheep (in the company of two of the character’s Bristol-based creators), Rick Wakeman and Tim Vine (offering a salute to Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko).

Other highlights include a Way Out West strand dedicated to comedy Westerns; a screening of the Oscar-winning screwball comedy The Awful Truth, starring Bristol-born Cary Grant; Cecil B DeMille’s 1927 version of Chicago and an impressive range of rare, rediscovered or newly restored vintage films, among them gems from Mancunian Films, featuring the Northern wit of George Formby, Frank Randle, Jimmy Jewell and more.

Festival director Chris Daniels says: “With 25 events on offer over six days, Slapstick 2016 will not only be our biggest celebration of screen comedy yet but also our broadest – spanning 100 years of entertainment and surely generating enough laughter to guarantee that Bristol feels warm and sunny while Slapstick is on, even if it’s dull and frosty elsewhere.

We also hope that Bristol will enjoy a special glow of pride during the festival because there is nowhere else in the world where comedy fans can discover or rediscover so many legends of the past in the company of such an array of today’s foremost entertainers.”

Our top picks of this year’s festival: Rediscovered and Restored! [Cert: PG] with Serge Bromberg, Wednesday 20 January, 8.30pm at Watershed Film historian, archivist and detective Serge Bromberg is one of the world’s most successful finders – and restorers – of early films. Join him as he unveils (and accompanies live on piano) the latest early comedies to be restored by his Lobster Films company, including shorts from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, James Finlayson and Charley Bowers. Tickets: £9/£6.50.

Silent Comedy Westerns [Cert: PG], Thursday 21 January, 2pm, Watershed Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth

Oscar winning director and film historian Kevin Brownlow shares some of his favourite and lesser known Western comedy shorts, including early work by John Ford; a hilarious view of a beleaguered pianist playing for a Western in 1916 to a cowboys and Indians drama made in France in 1910 in which a horse-drawn Paris omnibus stood in for a stagecoach. Tickets: £8/£6.

Cary Grant: The Awful Truth [Cert: PG] Introduced by Lucy Porter, Thursday 21 January, 5.50pm, Watershed This is the Oscar-winning screwball comedy which led the influential film critic

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Pauline Kael to describe Bristol-born screen legend Cary Grant as the “slapstick prince charming” and established him as Hollywood’s go-to lead actor for light romantic comedies. In it, he co-stars with Irene Dunne as a married couple planning to divorce yet still set on sabotaging either’s attempts to start new relationships. With an introduction by stand-up star and festival favourite Lucy Porter. Tickets: £8/£6.

Cecil B DeMille’s Chicago [Cert: PG] Thursday 21 January, 8pm, Arnolfini This is the original screen version of the Jazz Age story that was later to become a hit stage and film musical – based on a real crime and starring Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart. Actor, comedian and Slapstick Festival patron Denis Coffey provides a background to the screening before introducing both the movie and its live accompanists: the European Silent Screen Virtuosi, featuring Guenter A Buchwald, Frank Bockius and Romano Todesco and guest performers including the Bristol Ensemble’s Roger Huckle. Tickets: £10.50/£7.50.

Anita Loos: Hollywood Pioneer [Cert: PG] with Lucy Porter, Friday 22 January, 1.30pm, Watershed Anita Loos is best known today as the author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes but she was also one of early Hollywood’s most talented and prolific scriptwriters. Here, stand-up star Lucy Porter offers insight into Loos’s fascinating life, friendships and career. Tickets: £8/£6.

Bill Oddie’s Saturday Banana [Cert: U], Saturday 23 January, 11.15pm, Watershed A family friendly programme in which the ever-appealing Bill Oddie recalls his own days as a presenter of the children’s TV series Saturday Banana and shares highlights from many other popular children’s shows of the 1960s and 70s. Tickets: £8/£6.

It’s Shaun the Sheep and Marcus Brigstocke, Saturday 23 January, 12.30pm, St George’s Bristol Comedian Marcus Brigstocke explores the international success of the Aardman character Shaun the Sheep in the company of two of the writers/directors behind the recent movie and the television series, Richard Starzak and Mark Burton. With film extracts and audience Q&A. Tickets: £5-£10.

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Passionate about Buster, with Ian Lavender and Rick Wakeman, Saturday 23 January, 8pm, St George’s Bristol Rock legend and Grumpy Old Men regular Rick Wakeman teams up with his good buddy, Ian Lavender (AKA Private Pike in Dad’s Army) to talk about their mutual passion for the stonyfaced master of silent comedy, Buster Keaton and introduce two of their favourite Keaton films: Go West and The Paleface, both accompanied live by the European Silent Screen Virtuosi, using new scores by Guenter A Buchwald and with Portishead’s Adrian Utley making a guest appearance. Tickets: £7-£19.50.

Hooray for Harold Lloyd with Barry Cryer and Friends!

Sunday 24 January, 2.30pm, St George’s Bristol Join Barry Cryer for a laugh-out-loud afternoon that will feature two of the finest silent comedies starring Harold Lloyd: Now or Never (US, 1921, 35mins) and I Do (US 1921, 25mins). There will also be an audience Kazoo-along led by Baz and his I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue colleagues: Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor, plus two additional animated shorts – one of them a rare and special Felix the Cat. Tickets: £6-£15.

My Top Comedy Moments: Stephen Merchant, Sunday 24 January, 7.15pm, St George’s Bristol Bristol-born Stephen Merchant returns to his home city to reveal which past performers, shows and scenes have made him laugh the most, and how this has shaped his own BAFTA and Emmy award-winning collaborations with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington on such hugely popular series as The Office, Extras and An Idiot Abroad, and his approach to stand-up. Tickets: £7£19.50.

Ken Dodd: Comedy Legend, Monday 25 January, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Ken Dodd will talk about, and share clips from his 60 years in show business and receive the 2016 Aardman/Slapstick Comedy Legend Award. Tickets: £8-£22.

Full details of the Slapstick 2016 programme can be found online at www.slapstick.org.uk or by following @SlapstickFest on Twitter or Facebook. Tickets can also be bought online, in person or by telephone from each event’s host venue.

This page, clockwise from left: Stephen Merchant, The Double Deckers, Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart in Cecil B DeMille’s Chicago, Ken Dodd and Buster Keaton in Go West Opposite page: Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length feature film, The Kid

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lways a highlight of the festival is the Silent Comedy Gala, which is being held on Friday 22 January at Colston Hall.

This year’s jam-packed evening offers a triple film bill, starring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Charley Chase, plus live music from the Bristol Ensemble and the European Silent Screen Virtuosi (who impressively improvise every score), hosted by stand-up comedian and radio presenter Robin Ince.

The evening kicks off with a landmark in world cinema: Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length feature The Kid, made in 1921, co-starring Jackie Coogan and advertised then as “six reels of joy”. To accompany the film, the much-loved Bristol Ensemble will provide a live performance of the orignal score. And to ensure that the splitsecond timing is absolutely perfect, the 16-piece orchestra will be conducted by Timothy Brock, a leading authority and composer of scores for silent film, in particular, Charlie Chaplin’s works. Since 1998, Brock has served as the Chaplin family’s score preservation and musical editor, and is the sole restorer of 12 published film scores composed by Chaplin.

“It’s a real pleasure to work with Timothy for the festival once again,” says Roger Huckle, leader of the Bristol Ensemble. “He knows every second of the film so we need to follow him very carefully to make sure we get the tempo changes exactly right in order for the comic timing of the film to work. It’s very exciting for us to be working in this way.”

Of course, being a silent film, the music is of equal importance to the acting in telling the story and conveying its tone, as Roger explains: “What a lot of people don’t know is that Chaplin scored all music for his films, and despite the obvious slapstick genre, there’s always a deep emotional line somewhere in the story where you end up feeling sorry for his character – which is made even more poignant through the music and the tempo changes. Silent film needs the music in order to exist.”

Which is why, when silent film first came out at cinemas and theatres, each venue used to have its own orchestra to play along to each new film that was released. “These orchestras had to learn new pieces all the time and quickly, which is a very particular skill,” says Roger.

This tradition of a live accompaniment to film died out when spoken film was invented, but it seems to be making a comeback and live scoring is being appreciated once again.

“What’s happening now is there’s a movement in showing movies, old and new, with their original scores,” says Roger. Hitchcock’s Psycho was recently shown at Colston Hall with a live performance of the score, and the audience loved it. “It’s an enlightening and captivating way to watch a film, especially when it’s one that you’ve seen before.”

So what are we to expect from The Kid? “The story follows Chaplin’s infamous character The Tramp, who cares for an abandoned child, but inevitably, certain events put that relationship in jeopardy. As the opening title says: ‘A picture with a smile-and perhaps, a tear.’ It was made in the 1920s so it’s quite a romantic score with a bit of a jazz and folk influence too.” n

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CULTURE BOOK Events to get your new year started with a bang

FROM JANUARY 08 8 JANUARY, 7.30PM

Nova Express, Cube Cinema Author Jack Sargeant presents Andre Perkowski’s epic adaptation of William S Burroughs’ novel.

Like the novel, Nova Express (2009) cuts-up, remixes, incorporates and detours through social satire, science fiction, film noir, and the image archive of the 20th century to create a visual response to the voices of Burroughs and others as they read routines from the book. Tickets: £5/£4 concs, visit: www.cubecinema.com 9 JANUARY, 10.30AM

Organ Elevenses, Holy Trinity Organist Greg Abrahams gives this month’s popular Organ Elevenses at Westbury-on-Trym Parish Church. Coffee and cake will be served from 10.30am and the 40 minute recital gets at 11am with a large-screen projection of the organist. A lovely morning event in one of the city’s most beautiful and historic churches. Suggested donation £5 on the door in aid of the Organ Fund, registered charity 1128488.

with a difference and sign up to this wildlife conservation evening course, which runs for eight weeks from January until March and is delivered by a variety of Bristol Zoo professionals including keepers, vets and members of the education and research teams.

Subjects covered include conservation threats, challenges and breeding, human-wildlife interactions, animal health and issues involving UK native species, such as invasive species and urban wildlife. Price: £120. For details, visit: www.bristolzoo.org.uk 15 & 16 JANUARY, 8PM

Family Play, Alma Tavern Theatre Family Play takes the idea of how a family should be structured and turns it on its head. Told through the eyes of a worldly-wise 8 year old, Family Play reveals the comedy and tragedy associated with all human relationships.

Never shy to deconstruct a dramatic world, writer Matt Fox deals with the real and surreal in equal measure to reveal the subjectivity of truth behind all family units. Tickets: £10/£8 concs, tel: 0117 973 5171 or visit: www.almataverntheatre.co.uk 16 JANUARY, 7.30PM

Bristol Ensemble, Trinity Henleaze UCR

FROM 14 JANUARY, 7PM – 9PM

Wildlife Conservation, Bristol Zoo Gardens Budding wildlife conservationists can make a New Year’s resolution

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Ed Byrne, Colston Hall

Ferment Fortnight, Bristol Old Vic

Family Play, Alma Tavern Theatre

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An entertaining and varied programme of chamber music kicks off Bristol Ensemble’s year,

JANUARY 2016

featuring Schubert's endlessly popular Trout Quintet, SaintSaëns’ Septet Op. 65 and de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance. Tickets: £16 for adults, £5 for under 25s, from Opus 13 music shop on tel: 0117 923 0164 and from Henleaze Post Office.

FROM JANUARY 17 17 JANUARY, 7PM

5 x 15 Short Lectures, Tobacco Factory Theatres Watch five speakers talk without scripts for 15 minutes each, and hear their true tales of passion obsession and adventure. This month, the speakers at this critically acclaimed storytelling event are Michael Eavis, David Nutt, Jay Griffiths, Matilda Temperley and Jess Thom. Tickets: £15/£12 concs, from the box office on tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com 19 JANUARY, 8PM

Ed Byrne – Outside Looking In, Colston Hall You’ll have seen this lovable comic on a variety of TV shows, including Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You, and now he’s back in Bristol to entertain us. Crammed with Ed’s signature wry wit, Outside Looking In is sure to have you crying with laughter, and add a silver lining to that January drizzle. Tickets: £20.43, from the box office on tel: 0844 887 1500 or visit: www.colstonhall.org

20 JANUARY, 7PM

The Making of The Hunt, St George’s Bristol The Hunt is a series with real-life, edge-of-the-seat drama. But it’s not about killing. It’s a landmark production about the sophisticated relationships between predators and prey. Over the course of the evening, you will hear about filming breakthroughs, personal dramas, scientific discoveries and aerial revelations, and be shown special clips from behind the scenes. Tickets: £15 (£5 under 16s), tel: 0845 402 4001 or visit: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk 20 – 29 JANUARY, VARIOUS TIMES

Ferment Fortnight, Bristol Old Vic Keep your eye out for the line-up for this fantastic fortnight of theatre. Ferment is the artist development department of Bristol Old Vic, and the vibrant group of theatre-makers from Bristol and the south west that the theatre supports. It’s the perfect time to catch something new, and watch the future of theatre unfold before you. Tickets: £5. For further details, tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: www.bristololdvic.org.uk 21 JANUARY, 7.30PM

Friends Lecture, Bristol Botanic Garden Topher Martyn, a former Botanic Garden trainee who is now head gardener at Syon House, speaks

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about his horticultural life. He fell into it while at university, when a spell at Vine House in Henbury, followed by a couple of years at Bracken Hill, made it clear that there was much more fun to be had playing outdoors than in the university library. Lectures are free to Friends, and visitors are asked to make a suggested donation of £5. For details, visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden 23 JANUARY, 10AM – 4PM

Scratch Orchestra, Gasworks Studio The All 4 Music Scratch Orchestra with Bristol Ensemble's Roger Huckle is the perfect way to start 2016 in a positive way. Bring along that old instrument that's been gathering dust in the loft and join us to play through some fun and accessible music in the brand new venue of the Gasworks Studio. Tickets: £27.50. For more information, or to book, visit: www.all4music.co.uk

bouillabaisse and even the world’s greatest sandwiches. Speaking of which, refreshments will be on offer on the evening too. Tickets: £7. For more information or to book, visit: www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

FROM JANUARY 27 27 JANUARY – 16 MARCH, 11AM – 1PM

Drawing Course, Bristol Botanic Garden Taking you from winter into spring, this is a drawing course which will provide you with guidance and instruction to exercise your observational skills and improve your drawing abilities. Over eight weeks, you will experience an ever changing variety of form, smell and colour within the diverse botanical collection in the garden’s glasshouses. Price: £90. For details or to book, visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden 29 JANUARY, 6PM

23 JANUARY, 8PM

The Best of ABBA, The Playhouse, WSM Waterloo: The Best of ABBA tribute show looks back at the sensational rise to stardom of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and AnniFrid and gives fans the opportunity to experience the thrill of a live ABBA show. The group’s unique sound is replicated with incredible attention to detail by a full live cast and band, and is completed with fab costumes and catchy choreography. Tickets: £20, tel: 0934 645 544 or visit: www.waterloobestofabba.co.uk 26 JANUARY, 6PM

Tim Hayward, Bristol Grammar School Join writer, broadcaster, restaurateur and unrepentant food geek Tim Hayward as he talks about his fabulous new book, The DIY Cook. The book takes a deconstructive and nerdy approach to culinary classics such as lobster thermidor, rarebit, steak Diane,

What The Frock! Comedy, Bristol Improv Theatre Join this legendary female comedy troupe as it returns to Bristol for 2016. Headliner Pam Ford, aka Cougar Pammy, is the ex-pub landlady who shares her ups and downs of being a single mum and magnet for toy boys... with hilarious consequences. Local comedian Kerry Cassidy is a relative newcomer to the comedy circuit after discovering that the stage is the perfect place to say all of those things that she used to mutter under her breath. Sam Savage has a string of Edinburgh shows under her belt, and the glowing endorsement of Frock! fan Jenny Eclair. Tickets: £10/£8 concs, visit: whatthefrockcomedy.co.uk 30 JANUARY, 7.30PM

Exultate Singers, Holy Trinity Church A Candlemas concert given by Exultate Singers in aid of Westbury-on-Trym Parish

The Hunt, St George’s Bristol © Gregoire Bouguereau

Church’s East/West Appeal including settings of the Nunc dimittis text and John Rutter’s sublime anthem, Hymn to the Creator of Light. Tickets: £10 from Opus 13 music shop on tel: 0117 923 0164 or visit: www.exultatesingers.org

Bristol Botanic Garden

31 JANUARY, 2PM

Make More Noise!, Curzon Cinema Clevedon’s Curzon is screening Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette, followed by Make More Noise, a collection of short films from the BFI National Archive, combining gloriously anarchic comedies, newsreels and documentaries to create a fascinating insight into the early 20th century struggle for women’s suffrage. For more details, tel: 01275 871 000 or visit: www.curzon.org.uk

Cerys Nelmes © Emily Coles

6 FEBRUARY, 10AM – 4PM

Come & Sing, Tyndale Baptist Church Come along and sing Bernstein and Tippett with the Bristol Choral Society. Enjoy a day learning Chichester Psalms and Spirituals from A Child of our Time, while catching up with friends and making new ones.

Tickets: £15 (£17.50 for under 18s). To book, tel: 0117 962 3223 or visit: www.bristolchoral.co.uk

EDITOR’S PICK...

5 – 7 JANUARY, 7.30PM

The Russian State Ballet & Orchestra of Siberia, Bristol Hippodrome

The Russian State Ballet at Bristol Hippodrome

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The highly acclaimed ballet company return in 2016 to bring three spellbinding shows to the Bristol Hippodrome. The Nutcracker is the most famous of all fantasy ballets, and as midnight strikes prepare to be swept away to a fairy tale world where nothing is quite as it seems. Or you could follow the enchanting folk tale of The Snow Maiden as she dances out of Father Frost’s protection and into the human world. Perhaps it is the unfailing beauty of Swan Lake, the greatest romantic ballet of all time, that will tempt you out on a cold winters evening and into the impressive splendour of the palace ballroom and the moonlit lake of swans. For tickets, tel: 0844 871 3012 or visit: www.atgtickets.com

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Make us your new year resolution

Chinese Vase

Musical Box

Majolica Game Dish

Damien Hirst Original

£6,400

£10,900

£17,350

£8,900

The items above all sold at our recent Quarterly Specialist sale, getting the New Year off to a great start for their former owners. The vendor of the Chinese vase found little difficulty parting with it, having purchased it only a short while before at a car boot sale in the Chew Valley for five pounds. We hold three free valuation days each fortnight at the Salerooms, but we can only send you a cheque for thousands of pounds if you decide to take advantage of this no-obligation service, like the owners of the above items.

There are many resolutions made and broken each January, but make us the one you do keep. It might be worth your while. We look forward to seeing you on a Valuation day. To speak to a Valuer contact the Salerooms on the number below or alternatively email images to valuation@clevedon-salerooms.com

Interiors, Antiques, Collectables & Jewellery Auction Thurs 7th January & Thurs 21st January On view day before, 10am – 7.30pm and sale day from 9am to start

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FREE VALUATION DAYS at the Salerooms

11, 12, 13 & 25, 26, 27 January 9.30 – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm

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Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon, BS21 6TT

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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CITY GALLERY Michael Simpson, Bench Painting No 67. [Bruno Resurrect] 2008. Oil paint on canvas.

Michael Simpson solo exhibition, Spike Island, 16 January – 27 March Wiltshire artist Michael Simpson makes large scale paintings in ongoing series that repeat and rework a number of key elements. Flat Surface Painting is his largest exhibition to date. Rooted in a fascination with 15th century Venetian and early Flemish painting, and inflected by Minimalism, Michael has developed a distinctive, darkly comedic artistic vocabulary with which to create works that move beyond their subject matter to question

the nature of painting itself. Included in the exhibition are works from Michael’s Bench Painting series (1989–2009), originally intended as an homage to the Italian Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno. Burnt at the stake for heresy in Rome in 1600, he is regarded as the last great medieval thinker, a martyr to a fully secular freedom of thought, and is known for his vision of an infinite universe and for realising the full implication of discovery that the earth revolves around the sun. Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road. Tel: 0117 9292266 or visit: www.spikeisland.org.uk for further information.

John Akomfrah, Vertigo Sea

Exterminate by JJ Adams

John Akomfrah: Vertigo Sea at Arnolfini, 16 January – 10 April Arnolfini hosts the UK premier of John Akomfrah’s acclaimed video installation Vertigo Sea. The three-screen film, first seen at the 56th Venice Biennale as part of Okwui Enwezor’s All the World’s Futures exhibition, is a sensual, poetic and cohesive meditation on man’s relationship with the sea and exploration of its role in the history of slavery, migration, and conflict. Fusing archival material, readings from classical sources and newly shot footage, the work explicitly highlights the greed, horror and cruelty of the whaling industry. This material is then juxtaposed with shots of African migrants crossing the ocean in a journey fraught with danger in hope of a better life and thus delivering a timely and potent reminder of the current issues around global migration, the refugee crisis and slavery, alongside ecological concerns. www.arnolfini.org.uk

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Moonfleet by Peter Wileman

JJ Adams at Clifton Fine Art, throughout January

For the New Year Clifton Fine art will be showing the work of JJ Adams alongside its regular stable of artists. A mixed media artist, JJ Adams has been described as the next Warhol. He uses images of icons of popular culture and customises them – his latest limited edition Surgery series is on X-ray film. Clifton Fine Art, 8 Perry Road. Visit: www.cliftonfineart.com

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Passion by Angie Kenber

New year exhibitions at Grant Bradley Gallery, 9 – 30 January A mixed media exhibition from three artists kicks off the gallery’s 2016 programme. Angie Kenber’s Almost Beyond Reach showcases new works influenced by the artist’s search for light and colour in unexpected places beyond the everyday. Sarah Cooke’s atmospheric watercolour life paintings manage to capture the essence of a live pose using washes of vibrant watercolour paint, wax resist and pastel or pencil lines to express the body, without superfluous lines or detail. Skyscapes by Simon Brogan is a series of photographs taken from his time on Orkney Island, which is low lying and therefore dominated by sky, sea and weather. The Grant Bradley Gallery, 1 St Peters Court, Bedminster Parade. Tel: 0117 9637 673, www.grantbradleygallery.co.uk

Blue Man by Sarah Cooke

Dark Guardian by Simon Brogan

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DEATH CAFÉ Helene Edwards heads over to Bristol’s most unusual café for a cup of coffee, a slice of cake and an open discussion of mortality, before exploring our city’s historical and contemporary relationship with death

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t’s gloomy outside. Mist is loitering around the streetlights and seeping into the black pavements. Inside, the log fire is flickering warm and the surrounding low tables are festooned with tea sets. Smiles are genuine and plentiful, and the chatter in the room is lively. We’re all strangers, and we’re here to talk about death.

This is what Death Café is for. To discuss, ponder, and share thoughts on the ethics, practicalities, logistics, beliefs, emotions, rituals, traditions, histories, memories, choices, anythings and everythings surrounding death. While there are colourful grey areas and welcomed differences in opinion, one thing is inarguable: that there’s a huge difference between talking about death and being morbid.

Bristol’s Death Café is just one small branch of a very special tree that’s growing far and wide. Started around five years ago, the premise is this: organise a neutral space for people to eat, drink, and talk about death. It’s a global, not-for-profit movement that allows people to consume, and not be consumed by mortality.

Emma Edwards, originator of Not Being Morbid – a Bristol collective focused on opening discussion around death – is also the facilitator for Bristol’s Death Café. Referring to its growing popularity, she explains: “I've had to start hosting it every two months instead of three, because the overall response has been very positive.” Yet despite this increasing readiness to talk about death, Emma acknowledges that, in our society, the hushed tones surrounding one of the only things that truly unites us are still too quiet: “That being said, I think death is still too hidden... it’s easier not to talk about death and dying when it is so hidden. Hopefully, though, this is changing.”

In the spirit of the fabulous Emma, to whom – like many people – death has arrived uninvited and unannounced at the party of her life and distracted some of her most beloved guests, we should embrace her positivity and pragmatism.

Imagine if the whole of Bristol was a Death Café. Imagine if we could all discuss, ponder, and share thoughts on the subject of death in Bristol together.

Imagine if every cup of tea, coffee or (let’s be realistic) pint was a catalyst for discussion about what actually happens when someone shuffles off this beloved mortal coil of ours.

Tombstones and twitter feeds There are the obvious places to start, and nowhere better than Arnos Vale cemetery, which is spectacularly full of life. Here, alongside the engraved tombstones, statues and poignant messages about lives lived and long gone, run popular exercise classes ranging from yoga to Pilates, via JumpFit and lightsabre combat… of course. All of these and more are advertised on the Arnos Vale Twitter feed. Yep, the south west’s first ever crematorium is into social media.

Arnos Vale is still a working cemetery, but it’s so much more too. Its café is open daily, and informative signs invite visitors to explore the beautiful grounds. There is – by all accounts – hustle and bustle. It’s also proving to be a popular location for one of the most auspicious and life affirming acts that we do: marriage. In fact, there were more weddings (29) than burials and internments (25) in 2015. As well as being a wildlife haven, it’s a focal point for our community too. And the tombstones aren’t hidden – they somehow seem to help celebrate life by reminding us of our transience. Hardly morbid.

Arnos Vale was saved from dying itself through the sheer determination of a few Bristolians. CEO Mike Coe explains: “It is a community project and aims to both remember and celebrate life. A regular schedule of events and activities take place through the year, something unique among cemeteries both in the UK and internationally.”

At this very special place we can see Bristol’s readiness to embrace death with the same kind of practical honesty as Death Café. In Mike’s words: “Arnos Vale is an example of something that most cities would see as a liability being turned into an asset.” At Arnos Vale, death isn’t just honoured, it walks hand in hand with the possibility of renewal and new life.

Suitable for dancing This isn’t unique in Bristol. Right in the centre of the city, ensconced in between concrete developments and dour buildings, sits the ancient Church of St John. Built right into the old city walls, it sits above a 14th century crypt that can be entered from Nelson-Street-Of-See-No-Evil-fame. Lying peacefully in the crypt is a medieval tomb, believed to be of the one-time sheriff of Bristol Thomas Rowley and his wife. Much like Arnos Vale, this prestigious burial place is now open for hire – as a rehearsal space, for performances, and for functions. It is, according to one online listing, ‘suitable for dancing’.

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Pain becomes paint Ask people what they associate with Bristol and a fair few will think of graffiti. And scattered among the sculptures, tombs and carved memorandums are also countless street art homages to those who would have appreciated them the most. These tributes shape the much-loved colourscape of our city – our collective aesthetic is influenced by empathy and emotion. Stashwell stays in St Werburghs, Neil is still at The Flyer, Matt Hibert (Mibsy) is, well, everywhere. There’s more, so many more. Too many to mention, and enough to never forget.

And then there’s the Grim Reaper. The personification of death, the harbinger of doom, the cloaked cadaver, and one of the most sought after pieces of graffiti in the world. Rewind.

Thanks to a certain probably-Bristolian graffiti artist, political activist, call-him-what-you-will-ist, a stencilled image of the Grim Reaper is so covetable it can be found behind glass in the M Shed. Originally painted on the side of the Thekla, apparently in retaliation to the council removing one of his tags, the reasons Banksy used this subversive image aren’t really all that clear. Not a problem: the stencil of death is now a world-famous exhibit.

Sticks and stones And this leads us nicely on to some of Bristol’s other prized possessions that pertain to the point of passing. Joining Banksy’s Grim Reaper at the M Shed is, among many other artefacts, the book of John Horwood.

Who was John Horwood? Why does he have a big old book?

And what has it got to do with death? The tome appears beautiful yet not unusual – ornately decorated, it looks smooth, tactile and inviting. It’s made from John Horwood’s skin. His actual skin from his actual body. The words Cutis Vera Johannis Horwood (The Actual Skin of John Horwood) on the front make no mistake of this.

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13 April 1821 in front of crowds of onlookers. Lovelorn and desperate, he threw a stone at the object of his affections – Eliza Balsum – with fatal and tragic consequences. The macabre book relaying the accidental murder, skewed trial and surgeon’s notes of his dissection remains, but Horwood was – at least partially – exonerated when his skeleton was finally buried with relatives in 2011. Oh how times have changed. The fact the book exists nods to a time when death was more prominent and visceral in the lives of Bristolians. The fact it still exists as an exhibit in the M Shed proves that Bristol is prepared to open conversation about its relationship with death.

From home itself And nothing could prove this more than Death: The Human Experience, Bristol Museum’s major winter exhibition for 20152016. Among the mourning clothes, a Death’s-head Hawkmoth and a Ghanaian fantasy coffin are curiosities from closer to home. From home itself, in fact. Bristolian funeral postcards from the early 1900s visually depict how death used to featured in our society. A Bristolian will dating back to 1600 reveals the relevance of lasting legacies. There are over 200 items exploring how Bristol and the wider world have approached, and still do approach, death and dying.

From this progressive and touching exhibition we can begin to learn how Bristol used to talk about death, as well as the dialogue that exists today. And its popularity speaks volumes: The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 exhibition (usually the most popular at the museum) attracted 31,000 people throughout its entire run. Death: The Human Experience has reached over half that (16,500) in its first month. There were 1,600 visitors in opening weekend alone.

Since records began Bristol’s collective conversation about death may be relatively

Main image, previous page: Frank discussion over a cuppa at Bristol’s Death Café, by Emma Edwards.

This page, clockwise from left: A statue at Arnos Vale Cemetery, by Helene Edwards; the tomb of Thomas Rowley and his wife at the Church of St John, by Helene Edwards; Banksy’s Grim Reaper, by Chris Cooper; a will from Death: The Human Experience, by Helene Edwards

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This page: Bristol’s most famous landmark is steeped in beauty and sadness, by Helene Edwards

new, but it’s thorough. Complementing the museum’s exhibition is a more locally-focused one at Bristol Record Office.

Documenting Death scours the city’s archives, and explores how Bristol has reacted to death since, well, records began. Our memorials are diverse: the City Stadium for Bristol rugby club (now Bristol Rovers) is dedicated to players killed in First World War, statues across the city honour people from Edward VIII to Samuel Morley, and Pero’s Bridge in the centre is a necessary reminder of our links to the savage slave trade. At this exhibition we can learn that one third of Bristol’s population died of the Black Death, and we were the first major English town to be plagued by it. We can see mourning cards and funeral invoices, a mourning pin containing a lock of hair, and parched and beautiful scrawls detailing the ins and outs of death and dying over the years.

We can see again that how Bristol has considered death has changed dramatically over the years. Out of chronological context, some things seem oddly crude. The petition sent in 1773 by affluent citizens of St Michael’s Hill to move the executions that were held there doesn’t sit right now. They weren’t vexed because it was too upsetting to be that close to the violent deaths, they were complaining because it reduced the value of their properties.

Quakers and cats Other examples of Bristol’s relationship with death can be even more idiosyncratic. Funerals and burials usually reflect social status and wealth and, with this in mind, let’s have a good old think about Redcliffe. In 1950 the Quakers donated their beloved burial ground (which they’d owned for 280 years) to the council for road widening. On the other side of the road, a gravestone for the cat at St Mary Redcliffe Church has remained untouched and in pride of place since 1927. Must have been a damn fine ratter, but still…

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The Bridge Occasionally, our attitudes towards death haven’t altered the form of the city, but the form of the city has altered our attitudes towards death. It would be remiss not to mention the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which is thought to be the second most popular suicide spot in England. There have, apparently, been over 500 suicides since the bridge opened in 1864. Some suicides are high profile, some have slipped quietly away, but all of them are tragedies. Preventative measures are being made and to an extent they’re working. Barriers along the side of the bridge were installed in December 1998. Until then, there were an average of seven suicides a year. And afterwards? Around three a year. There are also plaques advertising the telephone number of the Samaritans, and CCTV cameras have been installed. There are so many bridges and vantage points the UK. Why a suspension bridge in Clifton? A question we can’t really answer and hopefully one day we won’t have to.

Find the fire on a dark night As Death Café proves, talking about death isn’t morbid, it’s necessary. Because death is all around us. It’s in the old gates to the city, and under a saucer in a café. It’s in the wide roads, our exhibitions and our art, and the rays of morning light falling on our streets. Death isn’t going anywhere, and neither is Bristol. So visit the next Death Café and find the fire on a dark night.

Whether you want to discover advanced care directives, learn how to talk more freely with your family about what happens when you (or they) are gone, or just share your thoughts, it can only be a good thing. As Emma said at the start of the last café in November: “If you laugh you laugh. If you cry, you cry.” At least you’re doing something.

Dedicated to Georgie. Whose beautiful life taught our hearts to be full and strong. You may not be here anymore, but you’re not gone. n JANUARY 2016

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FOOD& Drink

NEWS TO TICKLE YOUR TASTEBUDS THIS MONTH

Food Connections is back for 2016

GET YOURSELF CONNECTED City-wide festival Food Connections is returning to Bristol for its third year, from Thursday 28 April – Saturday 7 May. The festival aims to bring people and good food together through a programme of more than 100 events taking place across the city over the nine days. Food Connections doesn’t follow the usual food festival format, but instead encourages and enables individuals, communities and organisations to host their own events, which are curated as part of the wider programme. This year, the organisers are calling for the people of Bristol to come forward with ideas for events that they would like to run as part of the festival programme. They must help people connect with one another, and all successful events will receive the help and support they need to site alongside the main city events that will be taking place. For more information, visit: www.bristolfoodconnections.com

COOKING UP A STORM

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

PACO TAPAS AND PI SHOP

Local resident Kalpna Woolf is a seasoned foodie and experienced family cook. Over her 20 year career at the BBC she has overseen some of our most loved food series, so who better to share her wisdom on eating well? Spice Yourself Slim is a ravishing book that combines delicious recipes and healthy eating, using the tastes, healing powers and weight loss properties of spices from around the world. Spice Yourself Slim is out on 14 January, priced £16.99. Snap up your copy in bookshops or online at: www.amazon.co.uk

Casamia, the Sunday Times’ fourth Best Restaurant in the UK, will be opening two new Bristol restaurants in the New Year. As part of the relocation to The General, Casamia will be using its new waterside location to open the two entirely different dining concepts: Paco Tapas and Pi Shop. Both will be located adjacent to the new Casamia premises and together the trio will face the pedestrianised Lower Guinea Street and the waterside, forming a vibrant hub of social activity and an exciting new gastronomic destination within the city centre. The Pi Shop will open in March, and Paco Tapas in 2016. For further information, visit: www.sanchez-brothers.co.uk

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Inspired by MasterChef? Need to get in a bit of kneading practice before the Great British Bake Off? Then sign up for one of Papadeli’s cookery classes this spring! You can learn Venetian cookery, master the art of bread baking, or try some tempting Middle Eastern delights.

For more information, or to book, visit: www.papadeli.co.uk

Bread baking courses at Papadeli

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A quality local independent Italian that's family run and well established.

WWW.PIAZZADIROMA.CO.UK 178 WHITELADIES ROAD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 2XU OPEN 6PM TO 11PM TUESDAY TO SUNDAY (AND BANK HOLIDAY MONDAYS)

T: 0117 973 4183

FROM A ROMANTIC MEAL TO A PARTY BOOKING, YOU WILL BE WELL LOOKED AFTER

THE MENU

SPECIAL OFFERS PICTURES & REVIEWS

ON OUR FACEBOOK &WEBSITE

15% off your food bill (eat in or takeaway) You must have the voucher with you, voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, voucher must be presented before ordering drinks or food, only one voucher per group or table, management reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time, applies to main menu only not specials board, please let us know that you are using the voucher at the time of booking to avoid disappointment.

A destination for great food and real ale, the Ram, situated on bustling Park Street, boasts sweeping glass ceilings, with English Heritage interiors offering comfy sofas to relax on with a hot coffee, or kick back with a pint after work, our friendly bar staff are happy to help and whatever you’re looking for we’ve got – whether it’s fresh, local, food, work lunches, family dinners, or a night to remember with friends.

Offering live music, events and available for private hire, the Ram is a brilliant Bristol venue, in the heart of the city.

Contact us to book now!

The Bristol Ram Pub, 32 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5JA, 0117 925 1975,

info@thebristolram.co.uk, www.thebristolram.co.uk Twitter: @therambristol Instagram: therambristol Facebook: The BristolRam

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WINTER | RETREAT

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WINTER | RETREAT

REVIEW

A FAMILY AFFAIR Jenny Hayes escapes the city to enjoy a weekend at the multi award-winning Bosinver Farm Cottages

Opposite, clockwise from top left: The stylishly decorated lounge of Laburnum Cottage; Rodney the rooster crows in the morning; the charming thatched cottage, Coliza; one of the wellequipped and spacious cottage kitchens; the family pool area This page, from left: Bringing in the pony; even big kids will enjoy the zip wire; animal feeding is a real highlight

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re you close to collapse after Christmas? Feeling more strung out than the tatty tinsel off the tree?

Then you need to swap your stresses for a slice of heaven at Bosinver Farm Cottages. Because, take it from me, nothing soothes the soul quite like staying in a thatched cottage so pretty it wouldn’t look out of place on a chocolate box, with views out over the undulating Cornish countryside, and the scent of the sea in the air.

My husband and I recently spent a weekend there with friends, and such were the restorative powers of the place I was completely cured of a serious case of the winter grumps within five minutes of arriving. And that’s simply because everything about this beautiful, family-run complex of holiday homes is designed to make guests feel welcome and relaxed.

We stayed in Coliza, a charming cottage that slept four between a generous double bedroom and equally large twin. It was attractively decorated throughout – with whitewashed walls offsetting exposed oak beams, and bold, colourful accents introduced through the soft furnishings – which made the whole cottage feel wonderfully bright and uplifting, even on a grey midwinter day.

This attention to detail in the décor was matched by the thoughtful and generous gestures that welcomed us to the cottage. From the cream-filled Victoria sponge cake we found in the fridge, to the box bursting with toys and activities to amuse the little ones, to the extensive welcome pack written by owners Farmer Dave and Nanny Pat, our every need had been anticipated and catered for.

So much so that when we rummaged through the cupboards in the kitchen, not only did we find all the crockery, cutlery and other cooking paraphernalia we could possibly need, but also all the equipment required for a spot of baking. Now, I’m no Mary Berry, but luckily one of our friends is able to whip up a mean scone in no time. So, after a quick trip to the nearby supermarket to pick up supplies, we were able to sit down to our very own cream tea in the comfort of Coliza. And, as we watched the sun set over the bucolic farmland that surrounded us, I felt for the first time in months a real sense of peace.

But we couldn’t sit around all weekend waxing lyrical about sunsets, as there were far too many exciting things to do on the complex to entice us out to explore. Just as inside the cottages,

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guests will find they are similarly spoilt with things to do across the complex, as there is a truly impressive array of facilities and activities on offer at Bosinver. If the weather is wet, there is a solar-heated swimming pool and steam room, as well as a games room complete with table tennis, dartboard and pool table to keep you occupied. And I can attest that the latter amused the big kids in our party for many an hour on our first evening there.

Or, if you’re lucky with the sunshine, then you can get out and explore the 30 acre farm, where you’ll find meadows, woodland, outdoor play equipment, and a fair few friendly animals to say hello to. Speaking of which, I highly recommend going along to one of the daily animal feeding sessions, whether or not you have children. Because, no matter what your age, there’s something about the simple pleasure of watching a duck scoop grain out your hand with its bill, or patting a goat as it munches its breakfast, that just makes you smile.

We could have happily amused ourselves on the farm all weekend, but we felt it just wasn’t right to go all the way to Cornwall and not spend some time by the sea, especially with so many beaches just a stone’s throw away. So, on the Saturday afternoon, we hopped in the car and drove to Porthpean Beach, where we enjoyed a blustery walk along the rugged coastal path before hunkering down on the pebbled beach to watch the winter waves crash against the rocks of the cliff. Then it was off for a walk round the glorious Lost Gardens of Heligan, just one of the many famous attractions in the area, before we headed back to the cottage for a welcome beer and well-deserved rest.

It’s no wonder Bosinver has won an impressive array of awards, including Gold Winner of Visit England’s Awards for Excellence. Combining luxurious accommodation with the opportunity to enjoy a healthy dose of real, down-to-earth fun, it’s a great holiday for everyone – from the very young, to the eternally young at heart. n Bosinver Farm Cottages are tucked away in a hidden valley near St Austell, about a three and a half hour drive from Bristol.

Prices range from £465 – £2,980 per week, depending on time of year and size of cottage. From the beginning of February to 10 March, you can stay for 4 nights and pay for 3, or stay for 7 nights and pay for 6 (excluding half term, 12 – 19 February). To find out more, or to book, tel: 01726 72128 or visit: www.bosinver.co.uk JANUARY 2016

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

EVOLVED: The new Audi R8 V10 pictured on the Suspension Bridge. © Photograph by TBM.

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

AUDI R8 V10 REBOOTED The all new supercar from Audi doesn’t just replace the orginal R8 – it throttles it. Dara Foley test drives

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pgrades, mainly thanks to Apple, are things that fill my heart with dismay. Everyone knows that if you are daft enough to choose to install the new OS or such, the chances are half the things you had just got used to will suddenly stop working, all the pictures on your phone will now be upside down, and every person on your contact list will receive an offer for Viagra – kindly sent from your email address. Seemingly most upgrades, whether we want them, need them or not, are usually illconceived and seldom fully tested before being unleashed on us.

So when Audi offered me the opportunity to drive their new R8 V10, the joy was a little muted. So brilliant and beautiful was the first R8 – which evokes a fond memory of driving it shortly after it was introduced in 2006 – that I could not imagine how it would be improved.

Thankfully the styling of new R8 V10 has not changed too much, and if the definition of supercar is to look fast, low, wide, sporty and be jawdroppingly beautiful, then all boxes can safely be ticked. The second generation model is completely new, however. The lines are slightly sharper and edgier than its predecessor, the honeycomb grille follows the trend for gaping air intakes, and the overall look is stylish and distinctive.

The car is also made 15% lighter using carbon fibre and aluminium, while the chassis has been modified to make the most of the all-wheel quattro drive. A glass window over the centrally mounted engine bay is a typical supercar treat, allowing a glimpse of the 5.2 litre V10 power pack. The V10 engine is a true thoroughbred, and is the same unit that powers the Lamborghini Huracan. Audi own Lamborghini, so as well as good looks, there’s a lot of shared engineering and pedigree included as standard… and reassuringly it has been tested, again and again.

As well as sharpened up looks and mechanics, it’s the high tech electronics and gadgetry that defines modern motoring, and while some supercars are slow movers in this market, the Audi R8 is packed. The steering wheel has an array of buttons and paddles, and through it you see a vivid dashboard that Audi call a ‘virtual cockpit’, which is a quite brilliant 12.3 inch wide TFT screen. Replacing all instruments, it displays the various modes, sat nav and metrics – all easily toggled through by the Audi advanced infotainment controls and the Audi drive select system.

This has been developed with the new TT and works perfectly.

The infotainment system is state-of-the-art and also offers a high speed internet connection with wi-fi for passengers. The Bang & Olufsen sound system, as you would expect, is crystal clear, even when thundering past other cars at speed – a testament to the all round cushioning of noise eliminating padding.

Supercars are rarely comfortable, but the V10 bucks this trend too as the two seat cockpit is plush, surrounded by a swathes of stitched leather and contrasting trim, and the quilted, fully adjustable bucket seats envelop you perfectly. It might have the looks of a Lambo, but the comfort is all Bentley – and yes, as you know, Audi also shares the Bentley stable.

Luggage space is limited to under the bonnet and a little space behind the seats. So that’s another tick for the supercar box.

The real fun starts when you press a not-so-innocent looking round, red Start button mounted on the steering wheel. Instantly the 5.2 litre V10 engine rages to life, and at 6000 rpm there’s a meaty roar coupled with a firecracker and pop. In full voice it is beautifully tuned, and broadcasts that it’s ready for action.

Driving a 540 horsepower supercar on the roads of Bristol is, for a brief moment, a little daunting. Threading its wide frame through Clifton’s narrow streets takes concentration, however Audi say it’s an ‘everyday supercar’ – and should be used around town. I like the idea and, to be fair, far too many Lambo’s and Ferrari’s are confined to garages under wraps as investments, cherished I’m sure, but really, where’s the joy in that?

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So, once the V10 had posed on the Suspension Bridge for a photo, it was time to take it out onto open road.

It’s a shame there are no fast hairpins around Cribbs Causeway to plunge the V10 into (or accelerate out of), or long Monaco-like tunnels to wind down a window and enjoy the roar, but the motorway allows the opportunity to appreciate a few more of its capabilities. The V10 delivers blistering acceleration (0–60mph in around 3 secs). Incredibly, it feels like a turbo, but the engine is normally aspirated and this liveliness is achieved by the super smooth, seven-speed, duel clutch transmission – and lots of clever software and mechanics constantly monitoring and nudging the performance with microsecond precision. Naturally we could only test it to a third of its top speed, but it does not take any imagination to know that it is perfectly capable of reaching 205mph.

With responsive, light touch steering the car is assuredly under control.

I remain impressed by the MK1 version but the new experience feels better – the handling is alert, sharp, and the car wants to go fast. It is a thrill to drive.

The Drive Select button mounted on the steering wheel offers a huge range of ride modes; Dynamic is standard (and excellent), but you can switch between Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual for any conceivable weather or road condition. The all-wheel drive being able to switch power to and from each axel is perfectly mapped for stability and control, regardless of what it’s like underfoot.

The 2006 model was Audi’s entry into the supercar market, and impressive it was, too. But this second generation takes the R8 V10 to a truly higher level, and, an upgrade that is better on all counts. This is a performance car and some, from a maker that is trusted, proficient and technologically ahead of its peers. Most impressive of all is the pricing, at £120,000 for the standard version. It may not be a supercar status price point, but it does mean you can afford to take it out of the garage, drive it, and enjoy every part of it.

If only all upgrades could achieve this level of customer satisfaction. n The Bristol Magazine’s test car was courtesy of Bristol Audi. Bristol Audi, Lysander Road, Bristol, BS10 7FF Tel: 0117 958 1450, or visit: www.bristolaudi.co.uk

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 49

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BRISTOLUPDATES NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY

WHEELS IN MOTION

It’s all go at McLaren

McLaren Automotive has announced that it will be opening a showroom in Bristol – its sixth retailer to be opened in the UK. McLaren Bristol will be responsible for the south west and complements the existing McLaren Automotive UK retailer network of London, Birmingham, Manchester Glasgow and, most recently, Ascot. The new facility will be located at The Laurels, Cribbs Causeway and will be operated

by Rybrook Holdings who already run McLaren Birmingham. McLaren Bristol is expected to be operational later in the year and will provide sales and aftersales services for all three tiers of McLaren models – Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series.

The McLaren showroom in Birmingham

SUPPORT FOR DOORS OPEN DAY

LEARN SOMETHING NEW IN 2016

ALL BOXED UP AND READY TO GO

TOURISM AWARD FOR BRISTOL?

The Architecture Centre has received major funding with grants of £65,000 from Historic England and £56,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a three-year project, enabling it to raise the profile of heritage in Bristol. The centre will use the popular annual Bristol Doors Open Day as a springboard to inspire new audiences, including schools and communities.

Visitors to this year’s event, which takes place on 10 September, will find surprising new venues springing up in different areas of the city, while volunteers will receive extra training and skills development.

Bristol City Council has launched a new campaign called Bristol Learns, designed to encourage people across the city to learn something new. It’s part of a bigger initiative called Learning City, where 50 organisations in Bristol have united behind the idea of improving learning opportunities for everyone. The campaign will focus on New Year’s learning resolutions which will be captured on Facebook and Twitter and shared on the big screen in Millennium Square.

Visit: bristollearningcity.com for suggestions of what you could learn.

If you walk to Temple Meads or across the Temple Circus roundabout on a regular basis, you’ll probably have noticed the speedy construction of a rather unusual development near the station car park. Made up of 20 repurposed shipping containers, the development is called Boxworks and it’s just opened for business. Each container can accommodate six to eight people and has been fitted out to offer high-spec, unique and flexible office space and as part of the Enterprise Zone, are aimed at businesses in the technology, creative and media sectors.

Destination Bristol has been shortlisted in the Destination Marketing Company of the Year category of the UKinbound Awards of Excellence 2015.

Ukinbound represents more than 300 member organisations on issues relating to inbound tourism. Their panel of independent experts shortlisted Destination Bristol in recognition of their efforts to raise the city’s profile overseas and attract international visitors. Winners will be announced in February so watch this space. To see the great work of Destination Bristol, visit: www.VisitBristol.co.uk

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SCIENCE | ASTRONOMY

WRITTEN IN THE STARS Jenny Hayes visits At-Bristol Science Centre to ponder the magnitude of stars

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SCIENCE | ASTRONOMY

Main image: The magnificent Carina Nebula, which has a combined absolute magnitude of –10.8 © ESO/T. Preibisch This page: A diagram illustrating the concept of stellar parallax

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t doesn’t take the brightest bulb in the planetarium to notice that some stars seem to shine far more brilliantly in the night sky than others, but it does require a bit of thought to work out why. It’s a conundrum that people have been pondering since the beginning of time, and the first person on record to propose a solution was the Greek astronomer, geographer and mathematician, Hipparchus of Nicea (c. 190–120 BCE).

Hipparchus, who is also credited as the founder of trigonometry and for discovering the precession of the equinoxes, ranked the stars he observed according to their brightness within six magnitude classes. The most luminous he classed at 1.0, those slightly fainter at 2.0, and so on until he reached 6.0, which denoted the stars that are barely visible with the naked eye.

Because it evaluates the brightness of stars according to their appearance to us from Earth, this system is known as apparent magnitude. Over the subsequent centuries many astronomers have refined Hipparchus’ theory, but it wasn’t until the midnineteenth century that the modern magnitude scale was developed. As astronomical instruments became more refined, it became clear that there were further distinctions between the brightness of the numerous stars Hipparchus had grouped within each of his six magnitude classes. Stars fainter than those classified as 6.0 on the ancient system were discerned, and it was also noted that some stars in the 1.0 category were far brighter than others.

In response, the scale was extended to include greater values on the fainter end of the scale and negative figures on the brighter end. So, although Arcturus and Sirius were both classed as 1.0 on Hipparchus’ scale, using modern instruments Sirius now appears brighter to us here on Earth. To reflect this, Sirius carries a negative value of –1.46 on the modern apparent magnitude scale, while Arcturus is given the higher (and dimmer) magnitude of 0.

The modern system also works on a logarithmic scale, so a first magnitude star is 2.5 times brighter than a second magnitude star, a second magnitude 2.52 brighter than a third magnitude star, and so on.

Given the bias of this system, it’ll come as no surprise to learn that the Sun is ranked at a dazzling –27 because of its proximity to Earth, yet it is actually not a particularly bright star in the scheme of things. A more accurate reflection of the intrinsic brightness of an object can be found using the system of absolute magnitude, which levels the playing field by assessing every star from a hypothetical distance of 10 parsecs from Earth.

When measured from this common basis, the Sun comes out with a fairly puny absolute magnitude of 4.83, and stars such as Deneb and Rigel are proved to be far brighter than Sirius with classifications of –7.2, –7.0 and 1.4 respectively. Interestingly, according to absolute magnitude, Arcturus is actually brighter than Sirius, at –0.31. Generally, the absolute magnitude of stars ranges from –10 at their lowest (brightest) to 17 at their highest (faintest), using the same logarithmic scale as that of apparent magnitude.

The absolute magnitude of galaxies and other extended objects such as nebulae, however, can be much lower than that of stars.

Although their light is radiated over an extended area in the sky, the measure of absolute magnitude treats it as if it stems from a single, star-like point. For example M87, the giant elliptical galaxy in Virgo, has a very impressive absolute magnitude of –22, making it as bright as about 60,000 stars of magnitude –10.

Almost as blinding as the science in this feature.

So next time you’re looking up at the stars remember that while you’d be apparently right in thinking that Sirius is brighter than Arcturus, you’d be absolutely wrong… n With thanks as always to Lee Pullen for sharing his time and knowledge. If you’ve been inspired to learn more about the stars this winter, then head down to the Planetarium to catch the excellent Winter Stargazing show in 3D – it’ll blow your mind.

For more details, tel: 0117 915 1000 or visit: www.at-bristol.org.uk

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Terminology Arcsecond Those of us who paid attention in our maths lessons will know that angles are usually expressed in degrees. But did you know that, within each degree, there are also further arcminutes and arcseconds? Its sounds complicated but don’t worry, it’s not. In fact it is exactly the same as the divisions involved when telling the time. Just as an hour is divided into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds, a degree is divided into 60 arcminutes and each arcminute into a further 60 arcseconds.

Parsec A parsec is a unit that is used to measure the distance of objects outside our solar system, based on the movement of the Earth around the Sun. Over six months, as the Earth’s orbit shifts from one side of the Sun to the other, the stars above us appear to travel across the sky. The distance that they appear to move is measured using parsecs and arcseconds – with every arcsecond in angle accounting for one parsec in distance (19 trillion miles).

Stellar parallax To find the precise distance to a star, astronomers use a method called triangulation. And the theory is very easy to demonstrate – hold a finger up in front of you, focus on an object in the distance, and close your right eye. Then close your left eye and open your right instead. You’ll notice that your finger seems to move as you switch between eyes, but this is just an illusion. Because you are looking at your finger from a slightly different angle with each eye, it appears to flit back and forth across the object in the background even though in reality it remains still. This phenomenon is known as parallax and, if you went so far as to measure the angle over which your finger appears to move, you could use it to work out how far your finger is from your face.

The same principle is applied by astronomers to measure the distance of stars from the Earth, and is accordingly called stellar parallax. As the Earth orbits the Sun, the stars seems to move in the sky above us, and by plotting the movement of a star over six months astronomers can use the parallax angle (p, measured in arcseconds) to find the distance travelled (d, measured in parsecs) using a very simple equation: d = 1/p

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 53

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FAMILY | WHAT’S ON

FAMILY TIME ▲

What’s on in Bristol for little ones to enjoy this month

Top pick...

Minibeats: Spring into Strings, St George’s Bristol, Sunday 17 January, 10.15am & 12pm For the second MiniBeats show of the 2015 – 2017 season, it will all be about the instruments of the string family: fabulous fiddles, mellow cello and viola. Featuring some of the super string players of the Bristol Ensemble, alongside presenter Laura Tanner. Suitable for ages 3-5 (10.15am) and 5-8 (12pm). Tickets £6 (plus fees), family ticket available. Contact the box office on tel: 0845 40 24 001 or book online at: www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk.

© Laura Tanner

DON’T MISS...

The Night That Autumn Turned to Winter, Bristol Old Vic Studio, Until 10 January The studio is once again transformed into a winter wonderland for younger audiences to enjoy, as the brilliant Little Bulb Theatre takes you on an adventure armed with songs, instruments, puppets and plenty of surprises.

Winter is on its way, and deep within the wild wood animals of all shapes and sizes are busy getting ready for the cold season ahead. Suitable for ages 0–7. Under 2s go free. Tickets: £13 from the box office on tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: bristololdvic.org.uk

The Light Princess at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Until 10 January In a kingdom far away, lives an extraordinary princess – a princess with no gravity. Her windows are forever closed, she can’t run free and light-hearted, and she can never take anything or anyone seriously. Especially not the prince who falls in love with her... Enter an immersive, intricate traditional fairytale world with castle turrets, green grass and fluffy clouds.

Alongside the impressive visuals is a beautiful a cappella soundscape too. Suitable for ages 6+.

Box office tel: 0117 902 0344 or visit: tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Monkey Trousers Theatre presents: Mr Gotalot’s Gotalot Shop, Kelvin Players Studio, Sunday 10, 17 & 24 January at 10.30am, 1pm & 3.30pm Once again, Monkey Trousers Theatre is bringing a new show of the hugely popular 54 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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family theatrical sitcom, Mr Gotalot’s Gotalot Shop, to the audiences of Bristol. Muggins the dwarf has travelled to the Gotalot Shop all the way from Santa School in the North Pole. He’s not very good at his lessons, and the other elves are mean to him, so he’s after something to help him pass his exams – but does Mr Gotalot have what he needs? Expect plenty of laughs, dancing, silliness, cheese, reindeer, Christmas magic and fun. Doors open 30 minutes before show time. Tickets: £7 each for aged 3 and above (babies on laps are free) or £25 for a family of four. Book at the Tobacco Factory box office: www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com or tel: 0117 902 0344.

Toddler Takeover: Crazy Creatures, AtBristol, Friday 15 January, 10am – 4pm A fun-packed day exploring the wonderful world of animals, just for the tiniest of explorers. Create brightly coloured bug accessories to wear home, flap your wings and shake your antennae at the beautiful bug ball, and join the Live Science team for storytelling.

And don’t forget to take a trip to the stars in the Space Explorers Planetarium show. Reduced entry. Book tickets online at: www.at-bristol.org.uk or tel: 0117 915 1000.

The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare, Redgrave Theatre, Saturdays 30 January & 6 February, 10.30am Specially created to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death, The Ruff Guide to Shakespeare is a glorious celebration of the work of the world’s greatest playwright presented by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Expect silly sketches, toe-tapping songs, dance routines and extracts from all the plays. The perfect introduction to Shakespeare through clear storytelling, live music and inventive staging. Suitable for Year 2 and above. Tickets £8 from the box office on tel: 0117 973 3955 or visit: www.oldvic.ac.uk

Winter Stargazing (2D or 3D), At-Bristol, until 6 March Experience space in awesome 3D for breathtaking views in the UK’s first digital 3D Planetarium. Discover the amazing astronomy we can see from our back gardens this winter and hear the story of mighty hunter Orion, and the noble bull Taurus. Regular daily shows, 2D: £2 or 3D: £3, in addition to standard admission. 3D only available for ages 6+ due to health restrictions. For further information and to book, visit: www.at-bristol.org.uk

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EDUCATIONNEWS UPDATES AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS

MAKE A MARK IN POLITICS

Political ambition at Red Maids’

It has been quite a year for Neha Mehta, an A Level student at The Red Maids’ School. It started with her being elected Bristol Youth Mayor last February, saw her achieve a straight set of A*Grades at GCSE in August and ended with a BBC television appearance. Neha said that her highlights had been sitting on the Learning City Partnership Board in her role as Bristol Mayor, and helping Bristol become a City of Learning for people of all ages. As well, Neha says “I’ve loved working with different Bristol communities and I do feel like I’ve made a difference.” Her BBC appearance in December was another memorable moment, that saw Neha appear alongside an MP and Baroness to discuss whether or not 16 year olds should have the vote. Not surprisingly, she argued very convincingly that they should! For more information about The Red Maids’ School, tel: 0117 989 8252 or visit: www.redmaids.co.uk

Neha on the Sunday Politics Show

A GOOD START

TO THE STARS AND BEYOND FOR QEH PUPILS

HABERDASHERS’ MONMOUTH OPEN DAY

Pupils from QEH have won first place in the regional heat of the UK Space Design Competition, and will now compete in the national final for the chance to represent the UK at NASA. The school was represented

by Andreas Richardson, Chris Hyland, Toby Speirs, George Cherry, Rory Neville, Caleb Smith, Alex James, Philip WakelySkinnarland, Hamzah Ahmed, Dominic Drake and James Palmer, whose design was described as “intricate and technically brilliant.” The national finals will be held in March 2016 at Imperial College London, with members of the winning team invited to the NASA Johnson Space Center for the international final. www.qehbristol.co.uk

With a 400 year track record of delivering educational excellence, the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools are geared to realising the full potential of girls and boys aged 3–18. Each child’s talents and strengths are nurtured alongside achieving the best academic results possible.

Appreciating that girls and boys learn differently, yet their development is enhanced by interaction, the school has created an environment where teaching styles, pastoral care, a co-ordinated sixth form timetable and co-curricular activities allow all pupils to flourish. The open day will be held on 16 January. www.habs-monmouth.org

Based in the heart of Clifton Village, Clifton High School’s Nursery and Reception offers a happy, vibrant and caring environment for both children and parents. Class sizes are small, and children are taught by specialist teachers and experienced teaching assistants.

Pastoral care is also exceptional. If you’d like to find out more, book in now for the open morning on Thursday 21 April. www.cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk

Having fun at Clifton High Nursery School

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Mum, voiceover artist and BBC Radio Bristol presenter, Faye Dicker, meets the Bristol businesses that make family life easier...

A

s a child of the 80s, one of my early television memories was Floella Benjamin presenting Play School. I thought she rocked. There was nothing about Floella I didn’t love – she was just so much fun. I even wanted my hair like her, with the really cool plaits.

Fast forward several decades and it’s equally enjoyable to see my girls watching their favourite programmes. Like many parents, I find Cbeebies a complete life-saver. Being able to give the girls a cup of milk and getting them to sit down to watch their favourite programme gives me those vital moments to get a few jobs done, safe in the knowledge they might just stay still for 10 minutes.

So when I had the chance to meet Cbeebies’ Andy Day, I don’t know who was more excited – them or me! There’s something about children’s presenters that gives them that larger than life personality – and you hope they’ll be as lovely in real life as they are on TV. He didn’t disappoint.

We chatted in a café on Whiteladies Road, just round the corner from the BBC. In less than no time, he was approached for photos – no surprise there – and in both cases it was by businessmen on their lunch hours, who wanted to get a photo taken for their children as “they won’t believe who Daddy bumped into today.” In every instance he was happy to please, putting down

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his lunch to have a quick snap and then taking the time to chat.

It’s one of Bristol’s proud boasts that Andy has now moved here, and his new home south of the river is the ideal location for filming Andy’s Wild Adventures at The Bottle Yard Studios in Whitchurch. He’s just finished a stint in panto at the Bristol Hippodrome and if that wasn’t enough he’s recorded an album, Andy Day and the Odd Socks – Who Invited This Lot? It passes the ‘would you listen to this album without the children in the car?’ test in our house! In fact, on more than one occasion I’ve heard my husband singing to himself the words to The Dinosaurs’ Football Legend Mega Match…

But that’s just it, his personality – in whatever he’s doing – shines through.

Whether he’s presenting on Cbeebies, or singing on his album, it’s infectious.

You can tell he has a genuine love for what he does, and it rubs off. His music has that feel good factor, which pulls on the heart-strings and lifts you up in equal measure. I wish I’d grown up with the musical soundtrack of Unique with it’s lovely message that it doesn’t matter what you look like, as we’re all different.

In every sense of the phrase – Andy is very much down with the kids. He’s cool in a ‘not even trying to be’ way. He’s got a fun vibe and loves performing – and while he’s used to sell out concerts as part of the Cbeebies tour, he’s equally happy putting on shows in more intimate venues, like The Tobacco Factory.

Ironically, Andy didn’t set out to become a Cbeebies presenter. Cbeebies was still a relatively new thing when he went to the audition and he hadn’t really heard of it. Let’s face it, if I wasn’t the mum to 1 and 3 year old, it probably wouldn’t be on my radar either. But given what a significant part it plays in Jemima and Suki’s childhood, I couldn’t be without it. And when we get in the car for a journey the first thing Jemima says is “Can we listen to Andy now please?” – it’s so delightful in every sense, it’s a joy to share this growing up stage. n You can buy Andy’s album online, visit: andyday.tv. He’s also guest speaking at February’s Freelance Mum event, visit: www.freelancemum.co.uk

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What has International House Bristol got to help you to start 2016 with great and achievable resolutions?

We offer 10-week language group courses in the following languages: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Welsh and Arabic.

T

he classes are small, maximum of 12, which makes it feel welcoming and friendly especially for those who are unsure about their level and their speaking skills. Practising communication skills is central to every lesson and the most important thing is for you to feel at ease and to just give it a go. This is why we also have classes entirely focused on conversation where the aim is for you to practise your speaking skills either in group or pair work.

Also, new this term is our Arabic beginners’ course for those interested in learning this language and finding out more about the fascinating culture. Building cultural awareness is part of our mission and is one of the things which make IH Bristol different to other schools because learning a language is not only about grammar and vocabulary, but also about the culture behind it. So, we combine the language and the cultural to give you a more rounded experience.

For those interested in literature, we have our new Book Clubs in French, Italian, Spanish and German starting this term. Students will work with a specially selected reader, which includes a CD designed for language learners at A2-B1 level. Each week, you will do some reading at home followed by some reading comprehension and grammar exercises as well as discussion in class. This is another great way to learn a language and discover books and literature in the target language.

Next term starts on 11th January. Find out more information on prices and special offers by visiting our website: www.ihbristol.com To achieve great things start with great decisions.

Hope to see you soon! IHBristol

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By Dr Andrew Daniel, Headmaster of Monmouth School

CODING A BRIGHT FUTURE I have heard it said that coding is the literacy of the 21st century.

With so many elements of our daily lives – every website, smartphone app and even microwave - powered by code, computing students are future architects of the digital age.

I’m proud to say that Monmouth School thoroughly embraces this vital subject.

Our passionate staff are continuously expanding the computing department and inspiring pupils to build projects outside of school, highlighting limitless possibilities and creating a real excitement around coding.

Last summer one of our pupils, Harri Bell-Thomas, became the third Monmouth boy in a row to be listed in the UK’s top 50 A level computing candidates.

This fantastic achievement came after Harri and two friends designed and built Watt the Duck, a genius combination of Raspberry Pi computers, sensors and a giant rubber duck, to revolutionise how data from oceans, rivers and lakes is collected.

The clever invention, which they entered into Young Rewired State’s Festival of Code, was victorious in the Code a Better Country category, and went on to become the people’s favourite finalist out of 16 in the public vote.

Coders under 18 from all over South Wales have been meeting at Monmouth School – one of 66 hyperlocal centres in the UK - ahead of this national competition to team up, design, build and test websites, apps and games.

This year will be the third time we have hosted this creative hub, and the standard of work produced by the pupils is going from strength to strength.

Lyndsay Hope, the School’s head of computing, runs monthly hyperlocal events throughout the year, open to budding coders from across South Wales.

With access to the latest cutting-edge technology, like the tiny Pi Zero computer, like-minded children come together to develop their skills.

They discover codes they’ve never used before, build friendships and discuss new ideas which could potentially change the world we live in.

With coding causing such a buzz, it’s very fitting that one group of Monmouth boys have even recreated the entire school in online game, Minecraft.. *The Schools have an established bus route covering the Thornbury area.

For more information, visit habs-monmouth.org, call 01600 710433 for Monmouth School or 01600 711104 for HMSG. WWW.THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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New year, new goals?

Part-time MSc Strategy, Change and Leadership

Scholarships now available*

Designed for busy managers to fit around a demanding management role, this part-time programme will help you to: • enhance your impact as a leader • understand organisational complexity and issues affecting success • improve your ability to manage change and uncertainty • make better choices about growth and strategic direction

Email Cheralyn Dark at efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk or Tel: 0117 954 6694 for details www.bristol.ac.uk/efm/courses/postgraduate/programmes/strat-change-leadership.html Come along to our Open Evening on Wednesday 20 April between 6-7.30pm.

To register, please email Cheralyn at efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk

*Selection criteria will apply.

Contact Cheralyn for details.

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HABERDASHERS’ MONMOUTH SCHOOLS A life-changing education is closer than you think

Reasons to choose the Monmouth Schools: With a 400-year track record of delivering educational excellence, the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools are geared to realise the full potential of girls and boys aged 3 to 18. The Schools passionately believe that: - Each child’s talents and strengths should be nurtured and allowed to flourish alongside achieving the best academic results possible.

- All of our pupils should go on to lead happy, fulfilled lives, recognising the importance of gaining access to their first choice universities or career paths.

- Developing confidence and a love of learning is the key to academic success, where specialist subject teachers and small class sizes ensure each child learns at their own pace and shines at what they love most.

- We should strive to deliver the best. This was recognised by the recent ESTYN inspection, which praised Monmouth School & The Grange for their sector-leading practice, highlighting our strong values and declaring the Schools as excellent in each category.

- Girls and boys learn differently, and yet their development is enhanced

by interaction. We have created an environment where teaching styles, pastoral care, a coordinated sixth form timetable and co-curricular activities are tailored to suit each child.

- Accessibility should be as broad as possible and so we offer competitive fees and a generous array of scholarships and bursaries.

- Sport enhances life outside academia, and we pride ourselves on the number of children representing the Schools and the 60 pupils with national sporting honours.

- Creativity and access to outstanding educational opportunities engage, enrich and inspire young people to express themselves through music, drama and art.

Entrance to the Schools is selective from seven, but great care is taken to assess children on a wide range of abilities and to look for potential. The Admissions Secretaries are happy to guide each family through the entrance procedure. For more information on the January 16 Open Day or on the 11+ entry assessment on January 30, please go to www.habs-monmouth.org, call 01600 710 433 for Monmouth School or 01600 711104 for HMSG.

RECEIVE THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE BY POST NEVER MISS OUT We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month, and there’s plenty of pick up points around town.

But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family, we offer a magazine mailing service.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM JUST £30 SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT: www.thebristolmag.co.uk/subscribe or call us on : 01117 974 2800 to place your order

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HEALTH | & BEAUTY

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

FIT & FAB

Start the new year as you mean to go on and get a spring in your step by looking after your body, inside and out

Winter saviours...

After the excesses of the party season, your skin may look dull and tired and feel dry. Lift and rejuvenate it with the help of these skincare essentials

■ A new interactive healthcare app to help the self-recovery of lower back pain has been launched on apple and android systems by a specialist physiotherapist from Bristol. The app is called getUbetter and was created by Dr Carey McClellan who lives in Redland and works at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

GetUbetter – lower back pain, is the first in a series of apps developed by McClellan that allow patients to self manage their own recovery journey. It is the first of its kind and could represent a transformation in the way healthcare providers can help support patients to recover from injury. GetUbetter – lower back pain, supports patients in returning to full health via an app-based program, that will see them from day one of their injury, through to recovery and beyond, with or without the need to consult a doctor or health professional. For further information, visit: www.getubetter.com ■ If you are struggling to keep the winter blues at bay, you can join a workshop on 22 January that will teach simple techniques to boost your energy and mood. The three hour workshop will explain simple, effective tools to counter self-limiting beliefs and make optimism your default setting. Leading the workshop are Sam Neffendorf, an experienced emotional health specialist and Hilda Kalap, an Eden Energy Medicine practitioner, who helps to awaken energies that bring resilience, joy and enthusiasm to your life. The workshops costs £30 and will be held at the Natural Health Clinic, Cotham Hill from 9.30am to 12.30pm. For more information or to book, tel: 07983216793.

• Bristol based AA Skincare has launched a new range of ethically sourced skincare gifts, made from pure essential oils and classic natural ingredients such as lavender, frankincense and sandalwood. We love the Refresh & Renew Face Kit (£31.50 from Amphora Aromatics Limited, Kingsdown House, Unity Street or www.amphora-retail.com) – the perfect hydrating collection to ensure skin stays fresh and supple whatever the weather throws at us this winter. From neroli and aloe to lavender and rosemary, a gorgeous mix of natural ingredients and essential oils help to revitalise and nourish skin. Inside you’ll find everything you need for complete revitalisation: seaweed & aloe eye gel, deep cleansing oil with rosemary & olive oil, lavender & tea tree cleansing gel and neroli & aloe moisturising face cream.

• The new Lifting Eye Serum from Creme de la Mer is a superstar product to address those fine lines and droopy lids. You’ll get a firmer, more lifted appearance, so you can look bright eyed and ready for the challenges that 2016 may bring. £180 from Harvey Nichols.

New year is shaping up nicely If you’re preparing for another season on the slopes, or just need to shed those extra Christmas pounds and get your exercise routine back in check, James Stark of Stark Fitness personal training offers his top fitness and nutrition tips to help you achieve your goals Nutrition: - Concentrate on your hydration levels by drinking enough filtered water.

Aim for around 40ml per kilo of body weight, this should get you nicely to optimum levels.

- Cut out all processed foods. These are usually high in calories and lack good nutritional value.

- Try and eat veggies with each of your main meals – even for breakfast.

- Eat smart fats, which are essential for good body composition and support hormone balance. When reducing carbs you need to get energy from somewhere so eat foods such as nuts, mixed seeds, real butter (not spreads) coconut oil, olive oil and avocado.

- Have a dry January. After a period of high alcohol consumption, let your body detoxify by not having any alcohol throughout January. Less calories too.

Fitness: - Perform a combination of full body resistance training workouts and high intensity interval training for the best fat loss results.

- Strength training is key for looking good in the mirror, get yourself a strength program and see the results happen.

- Make sure you do your stretching before training to ensure your muscles are nice and loose. Mobilising all the main joints properly prior to training will help you to train with better form and to a bigger range of movement. Bigger muscle contractions means more energy expelled.

- If you are off skiing, be sure to do a focused 2-4 weeks of legs training to take the pressure off when you’re on the slopes. Be sure to squat, do step-ups and lunge to get those pins ready.

For further information visit: www.starksfitness.co.uk

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CITY | BEAUTY

Beauty

BLISS SUPER SATCHEL – HARVEY NICHOLS EDITION, £185

NOTES

Bliss has collaborated with The Leather Satchel Company so you can ‘bag’ yourself a beauty boost of Harvey Nichols’ bestselling Bliss face and body products

NAILBERRY NAIL LACQUER, £14.50 A luxuriously light blue, Nailberry’s Baby Blue Nail Lacquer is your new staple shade. Free from formaldehyde, toluene, DBP and camphor, and cruelty free, indulge in this ultra long-wearing and highlypigmented polish

PASSPORTS AT THE READY You’ve survived the party season, now it’s time to avoid the post-festive blues with a winter escape – the perfect January pick me up.

Emma Hollingsworth, Harvey Nichols Bristol Beauty Manager, picks the top exfoliating, rejuvenating and hydrating beauty treats that will ensure you’re prepped, primed and ready to exude that holiday glow.

All products are available from Harvey Nichols Bristol or via Collect in Store from HarveyNichols.com

LAURA MERCIER BLUSH AND GLOW TRIO, £45 Laura Mercier’s Blush and Glow Trio creates the perfect sunny glow at any time of the year. Filled with three deluxe, travel-size baked powders and an adorable brush, it’s perfect to take anywhere and everywhere

NARS PURE RADIANT TINTED MOISTURISER SPF30 50ML, £29 Infused with naturally derived ingredients, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF30 has been shown to reduce the appearance of discolouration and dark spots with regular use for a clearer and brighter complexion

MAGNITONE BAREFACED VIBRASONIC DAILY CLEANSING BRUSH, £70 Magnitone’s all-new Vibra-Sonic Daily Cleansing Brush cleanses clogged pores and tones skin when used for just 60 seconds a day, leaving skin feeling super clean, naturally firm and fighting fit

ELEMIS SKIN BUFF 50ML, £28.50 Re-energise dull and lifeless skin with Elemis' deep-cleansing skin buff. The fine exfoliating granules slough off dead skin cells, leaving the complexion brighter and better able to breathe

DR HAUSCHKA NEEM HAIR OIL 100ML, £24.50 When massaged into the scalp, this intensive care oil stimulates the circulation calming itchy, flaky conditions, encouraging hair growth, strengthening fine hair and softening dry hair. Hair is left with a natural shine and feels soft and restored

EOS ORGANIC LIP BALM – LEMON DROP, £7.50 The Rosebud Perfume Company's EOS organic lip balm is 95% organic, 100% natural and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, EOS keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth

THIS WORKS PERFECT LEGS GRADUAL TAN 120ML, £38 This Works perfect legs gradual tan extremely moisturising and hydrating formula gives even the driest legs smooth and streak-free tan, adding subtle colour and sheen, while smoothing, hydrating and firming skin, so you can bare golden limbs at the first sign of sunshine

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BENEFIT SUNBEAM, £19.50 Benefit's golden bronze highlighter gives you a natural, sunkissed radiance. Dot and blend it over makeup on to cheek and brow bones for a bronzed glow that complements all skin tones

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HAPPY WAYS HAPPY DAYS

New Year, New Approach?

Try Solution Focused Hypnotherapy for help with: Anxiety & stress • Weight control • Addictions • Phobias Confidence & self esteem • Pain management • Depression Sleep • Motivation and many more...

Contact me today!

07786544967 • danielle@halcyon-hypnotherapy.co.uk

www.halcyon-hypnotherapy.co.uk

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NEW YEAR | NEW YOU

BEAUTY

PICTURE PERFECT Just four months after her first visit to Beau Monde Dental Care, Jenny Hayes is ready to welcome in 2016 with a stunning new smile

S

ay cheese! For most of my adult life, these words have prompted me to flee from the vicinity to avoid having my picture taken. But not this festive season, when the merest glint of a camera lens had me photo-bombing relatives left, right and centre in a shameless attempt to get my gorgeous new set of gnashers papped at every opportunity. For you see, readers, a mere four months after it was fitted by Dr Catherine Spalding and her wonderful team at Beau Monde Dental Care, my Six Month Smile adult brace was removed – just in time for Christmas. And having my crooked pegs transformed into perfect teeth was the best present I could have wished for.

Before I wax lyrical on the joy of my beautiful new teeth, let me just take a moment to explain the process I underwent to achieve them. The Six Month Smile system is, essentially, a fixed brace for adults. But it is a far cry from the hideous metallic ‘train-tracks’ we all remember from childhood. Instead this brace, with its clear brackets and tooth-coloured wires, is far more discreet. And, best of all, it is a straightforward system that focuses purely on the front teeth so the brace only has to be worn for an average of six months.

So I decided to take a leap of faith and see if a Six Month Smile brace could transform my terrible teeth into a perfect smile. As I’ve been a very happy patient at Beau Monde Dental Care for nearly three years, I knew that Catherine and her skilled team were the best people to perform this miracle. This is because everything at Beau Monde is focused on creating a welcoming and comfortable environment for patients. From the bright, crisp white waiting room – with its colourful accents of modern art, comfy seating and coffee table filled with glossy mags – to the friendly yet professional team themselves, the experience is exemplary.

Throughout the course of my Six Month Smile treatment, Catherine and her team provided me with the most meticulous level of care – and made me laugh more than I’d ever thought imaginable when visiting the dentist. I was also impressed by the 70 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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consideration shown to me throughout my treatment, such as Catherine making time at the start of each of my monthly appointments to explain what she would be doing over the course of the hour, and to remind me to just let her know if I needed a break at any point. Of course, I never had to utter a word, as she is both extremely gentle and precise in her work, and also sensitive to her patient’s needs – regularly pausing so that I could relax my jaw or have a rinse – which meant I never felt a moment’s discomfort throughout the course of the fitting or adjusting process.

I will admit, though, that the brace did feel a little odd when it was first fitted. But within a week I barely noticed it was there any more. In fact, the only subsequent time I was aware of it was when I inadvertently chomped down on a lovely crusty piece of bread – a no-no with a brace, and something that Catherine had made me fully aware of – and popped one of the brackets off. As you can imagine, I was rather embarrassed when I called Beau Monde to explain the situation, but Catherine just laughed, assured me it happened all the time, and had me in later that same day to replace it.

Other than that minor incident, my path to the superb set of teeth I now possess has been nothing but smooth. My only regret is that, now the Six Month Smile treatment is over, I will only see Catherine and the wonderful team at Beau Monde once a year for my routine check up. But don’t worry, even that thought can’t stop me stop me smiling! n Beau Monde Dental Care offers a full range of services, from routine dentistry for all the family, to more specialised cosmetic procedures like Six Month Smiles and teeth whitening. Six Month Smiles can take between 4–9 months depending on the treatment required. The cost for both upper and lower arches is £2,300, and Beau Monde offers a variety of payment plans to suit you. If you require more complex orthodontics, the Beau Monde team can refer to you a specialist orthodontist. For more information, tel: 0117 330 3495 or visit: www.beaumondedental.co.uk.

Images, from left: The blue smile of Beau Monde that welcomes patients in; the bright and attractive waiting area; a comfy chair and state-of-the-art equipment awaits you in the dentists’ rooms

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Almost 3,500 in Bristol living with cataracts, says research A

lmost 3,500 people in the city of Bristol are living with cataracts, according to research

by Nuffield Health. The figures equate to around one in a hundred people.

One of the most common causes of blindness in the world, a cataract is an eye condition that causes the lens to become cloudy and your vision to blur, and if left untreated, it can lead to complete sight loss.

Generally associated with the natural ageing process, we’re all at risk of developing cataracts at some point but those with diabetes or on steroid medication, and people who have suffered trauma, high UV exposure or who have a genetic pre-disposition, may find themselves experiencing the condition at a younger age than expected.

With almost 400,000 a year, cataract surgery is the most common procedure performed in the UK, and one of the safest. Mr Rafik Girgis is one of the leading Consultant Ophthalmologists in the country. Practicing at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield, he specialises in cataract surgery, among other acute eye conditions.

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Rafik Girgis said: “Cataracts can be really debilitating, preventing people from reading, driving and doing the normal day-to-day activities they enjoy. Through a very quick operation under local anaesthetic we can correct all this and have people back home the same day. For those with serious conditions it can be truly life changing.”

Cataract surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with a new clear lens, one eye at a time. While the qualifying criteria for cataract treatment through the NHS has become quite restricted due to budget restraints in recent years, at The Chesterfield patients can be treated at all stages of the condition and don’t have to join a long waiting list.

Rafik Girgis continued: “Those suffering with cataracts in both eyes can experience an imbalance in their vision following treatment on the first eye, leading them to feel unstable on their feet and

making them vulnerable to falls and accidents which can ultimately result in broken bones. Here, we’re able to operate on the second eye within two weeks on average.”

If you want to learn more about cataracts or cataract surgery, Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield is hosting a free Meet the Experts event with Mr Girgis on Thursday 27th January 2016. Places are limited and will be on a first come, first served basis.

For further information or to book a place, call 0117 405 8978 or visit www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital The Chesterfield, 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BN

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Lighten Up

Rainbow Run Fun Get involved, and help Children’s Hospice South West celebrate it’s 25 birthday

© John White Media

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Team of Two Tackle Weight Loss at Spire Hospital Bristol

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f you have tried other ways of losing weight, but have not been successful, weight loss surgery may be the solution for you. Spire Bristol Hospital is pleased to announce that consultant Mr Jim Hewes joins his colleague Mr Chris Wong in offering safe and effective weight-loss surgery (also known as obesity surgery or bariatric surgery) at the largest private hospital in the south west.

Spire Healthcare has been helping more and more men and women throughout the UK lose weight through surgery, transforming the lives of over 2,000 patients every year. The expert bariatric surgeons offer a range of obesity surgery procedures including gastric banding (gastric band), also known as lap banding, gastric bypass and gastric balloon insertion. They also offer sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch operations. All of the weight loss surgery is carried out within Bristol, with no need to travel any further.

Research has shown that weight-loss surgery is more effective in the long term than weight-loss drugs or diets. By tailoring their service specifically to the needs of the patient, the consultants working at Spire Bristol offer the best possible chance of success within a safe and clean private hospital.

This month the Hospital is actively supporting JanUary, a campaign established by the National Obesity Forum (NOF), which is dedicated to promoting National Obesity Awareness Week between Monday 11 and Sunday 17 January 2016. In conjunction with NOF, and the JanUary campaign, Spire Bristol Hospital will be providing free weight loss open evenings throughout January, offering the opportunity to book a free private one-to-one chat with a Specialist Weight Loss Consultant.

For more information on our forthcoming patient open evenings, to book a private consultation or for further information please contact Spire Hospital Bristol on tel: 0117 980 4080, email: info@spirebristol.com, or visit: www.spirebristol.com 72 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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his year, Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) will be celebrating 25 years since it was founded by Eddie Farwell and his late wife, Jill. CHSW helps and supports children and their families who are living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions which mean that sadly they will not reach adulthood. It is the only provider in the south west of respite, end of life and bereavement care for these families in a hospice environment.

One of the charity’s most well-loved annual events is the Rainbow Run, which this year takes place on Saturday 18 June. Participants can walk, run, skip or dance round the 5k course, but however you do it, you can expect to be covered in a kaleidoscope of colours by the end.

The Rainbow Run is a great day out for all the family, as well as being a fun way to support the essential work of CHSW. People participate for a variety of reasons – many chose to come along simply to support a great charity, but for others it is a more personal connection with CHSW that makes them want to be involved. Lucy Brookes has first hand experience of the care and support undertaken at Charlton Farm, one of four CHSW hospices, located just on the outskirts of Bristol: “We started attending Charlton Farm when our son Jack relapsed with Ewing's Sarcoma (bone cancer) when he was just seven years old,” says Lucy. “We knew Jack’s cancer could no longer be cured and that time was all we had, so we started attending Charlton Farm as a family so that we could build a relationship with all the staff at the hospice and feel comfortable and safe when the time came for us to stay there for end of life care.

“The care we received was outstanding and we will never be able to thank them enough for everything they have done for us as a family; they helped to make our really tough days feel a little brighter.

“A year before Jack died he said to us – ‘Mum and Dad, I want to raise money for the hospice. What can we do? Can you help me?’ Together we came up with the idea of a cake sale at home and Jack raised over £300.

When Jack died (age 11) we said we must continue to support Charlton Farm and raise money in Jack’s name for the hospice. The month after Jack died it was the Rainbow Run and we decided to take part.

“Quite a few of our family and friends also signed up for the event, and myself and my husband Steve threw paint at the runners! It was amazing to be a part of such an exciting event and we decided to take part in the event again the following year.

“It is so important for us to continue supporting Charlton Farm as we know what a very special place it is and we want other families to be able to receive the level of care we did. By continuing to raise money for CHSW we know that the service will always be there for other families.

We will definitely be involved in the Rainbow Run again this year but we haven’t decided how (although we do have a few ideas already). The atmosphere is always incredible with people dressed in amazing outfits, and it’s lovely to see everyone joining together for such a special event.

We would like to encourage anyone to take part to support CHSW.” n If you’d like to take part in this year’s event, then why not take advantage of the special early bird ticket prices, available until 31 January?

Adult: £13.50, children (5–15): £8.50, family (2 adults, 2 children): £38.

For more deatils or to register, visit: www.chsw.org.uk/rainbow

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Please contact us or visit our website for further information including details of clinic locations and prices for this private service

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Health & our ‘Winter Within’ Ahead of the ‘Winter Wellness’ Natural Health Open Day on 23rd January at Bristol’s CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine), Acupuncturist Amanda Hair explores the ancient Chinese belief that our own health mirrors the cycles of the natural environment.

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he ancient Chinese used hundreds of years of patient observations to develop what is now known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). By watching and recording the signs and symptoms of illness, they noticed how elements such as the weather, food, our emotions, nature, and the external environment impacted on the manifestation of disease.

Nowadays, we know so much more about how the body works from a scientific perspective, yet we can still add a beneficial dimension to medicine when we apply the theories of TCM to illness. Modern day Chinese hospitals blend science with TCM almost seamlessly and this two-system, integrative approach, enables Acupuncturists such as myself, to look at clients in a totally holistic manner, addressing a client’s physical and emotional health as a whole.

So, how did the Chinese use their observations of how the seasons affect our health, and how can we benefit from this wisdom in the 21st Century? We only have to take a look at what nature does through the Winter months to get our cues. In TCM theory, every season through the year corresponds or ‘controls’ one of our body organs. Winter is represented by the organ energy of the Kidneys and the Bladder, and these organs control the natural element of Water.

What does it mean by ‘controlling’ Water?

Observe how the water flows in your body.

Does the ‘Qi’ (pronounced Chee) of your Kidneys and Bladder need moving or increasing?

Some people have water which collects around their ankles or around the middle of their abdomen, and may find that no amount of exercise or dieting will move it.

Generally, these people have a very large and swollen, pale tongue

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with teeth-mark grooves on the sides of the tongue. They may feel extreme tiredness, be prone to over-sleeping and feeling cold.

Generally, this means that the water in the body needs warming and moving. From a western science perspective, these symptoms could correlate with those of a Thyroid problem.

If we look at nature in Winter, we see the trees dropping their leaves. In ourselves, our energy goes inwards so we can conserve and nourish, which is why we may feel like hibernating! We might think about dropping physical activities or going to bed an hour earlier, or having that lie in at the weekend.

December and January are the deepest, darkest months, yet, conversely, it is also the party season and we are encouraged to be very outward (Yang) in what is naturally a very inward (Yin) season. Being mindful of how much alcohol we drink, and keeping in check our late nights and partying is worth it to ensure we’re not over-expending our energy and depleting the Kidneys and Bladder.

When the energy of our Kidneys and Bladder is low, our immunity can suffer. We may notice that our back aches more or we have dark circles under our eyes. Food can increase the energy of our Kidneys, especially bone broths, hearty stews, and foods which don’t need a lot of energy to digest.

Eating seasonally and organically with lots of root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips, swede and kale, all contribute to the nourishment of our Kidney and Bladder energy.

A TCM practitioner, such as a CNM trained Naturopathic Acupuncturist, would assess their client’s energy by looking at the person’s tongue and feeling their pulse. In addition to carrying out Acupuncture at appropriate points on the body, they would recommend specific foods, for example, walnuts, black beans, black sesame seeds, all which energetically nourish and tonify the energy of the Kidneys and Bladder during the ‘Winter within’.

Amanda Hair

For a day of inspirational health tips book now for CNM’s

Winter Wellness Open Day Saturday 23rd January

Or attend a FREE Open Evening about part time CNM training for a Geoff Don career as a Naturopathic Nutritionist or Acupuncturist.

Thursday 14th January 7pm-9pm Details and booking for either event, at

www.naturopathy-uk.com 01342 410 505

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OUT | AND ABOUT

INDUSTRIAL DERELICTION Andrew Swift guides us on a riverside walk in Somerset, taking in former iron works sites along the way

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s a sequel to last month’s ramble through the ruins of Dark Hill Ironworks, this month’s walk visits ruins closer to home, in a steep-sided gorge deep in the country. Fussell’s Iron Works, near Frome, is one of the most important, and most atmospheric, former industrial sites in the west country, and lies just outside Mells, one of the Somerset’s most historic villages, which is where our walk starts.

Mells lies south of the A362 Radstock-Frome road, and there is usually room to park in Selwood Street, near the 15th century Talbot Inn (ST727492). From here, head west along Selwood Street until you reach a pair of gateposts surmounted by dogs.

Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, these form the entrance to the 16th century manor house, home of the 3rd Earl of Oxford and Asquith. The dogs are talbots, which featured on the crest of the Horner family who once owned the manor. ● Turn left past the entrance to the old rectory. After 200m, turn right by the village lock-up, built in 1728. After the tarmac ends, carry on along a narrow path as the main track swings right. Turn left down an old packhorse trail and right at the bottom past the Old Reading Room – once the Bell Inn – and alongside a mill race. The ruins of the 17th century mill can be seen ahead, just before you reach the road. ● Cross the road and turn left over the Mells Stream (which is also known as the Mells River). On your right are the gates to Mells Park, built by Lutyens but out of sight at the end of the drive. In the run-up to the end of apartheid, secret talks between the South African government and the ANC were held here.

Today, game shoots are held on the estate. ● Follow the road round to the left, before crossing over and turning left. After crossing the stream, bear right when the lane forks, and after 75m bear right along a footpath. After crossing a footbridge, head straight up a footpath and turn left along the

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road. After passing a row of 17th century almshouses on the right, cross the river again to reach Woodlands End, where six roads converge. The triangular shelter was designed by Lutyens in 1908 as a memorial to a member of the Horner family. Turn right, cross the road and bear left along a level road signposted to Great Elm. ● After 250m, turn right to follow a bridleway alongside the Mells Stream (ST733490). Although this steep-sided valley is now an idyllic spot, for centuries it was an industrial powerhouse. In 1744, James Fussell took over a disused mill in the valley to make edge tools. The company prospered; five more factories opened and, by the early 19th century, it was exporting scythes, billhooks and other agricultural hardware to America and Europe. ● After 200m, you come to the first signs of past enterprise – the remains of Fussell’s Upper Works, built around 1800, with an impressive sluice gate still in situ. After Fussell’s ceased production in the 1890s, the works became a water-powered sawmill and, according to an inscription on a stone, were last repaired as recently as 1952. ● The impressive cascade a little further on is the outfall from Whatley Quarry, which produces over four million tonnes of aggregate a year. You may well hear the distant rumble of blasting, preceded by wailing sirens, as another chunk of Mendip limestone is blown to pieces. ● The Upper Works are a mere taster for the Lower Works, a little further on. This is where James Fussell established his first iron works in 1744. At its peak, over 250 men worked here, but it has lain derelict for over a century and now the only sound is the roar of the fast-flowing stream that powered this industrial complex. It is one of the most evocative and dramatic industrial sites anywhere, its impact enhanced by dereliction and the lack of interpretation panels. For years, it was possible to wander

Main image: Along the valley of the Mells Stream, also known as the Mells River

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OUT | AND ABOUT

This page: Fussells Lower Works, a derelict industrial site with crumbling masonry, deep pits and rusting machinery

freely through the site; worryingly, on a recent visit there was evidence of fences and signs warning of danger. It is certainly a place where extreme care needs to be taken – crumbling masonry, deep pits, fast-flowing water and rusting machinery are a potentially lethal combination – so, if you can gain access, you have been warned. And if you have young children or dogs with you, they need to be kept under close supervision. ● From here, you can either head back to Mells or carry on along the valley (although further on the path becomes increasingly muddy and may flood after heavy rain). If you choose to head back, skip the next paragraph. ● To carry on, follow the path alongside the wall behind the ironworks. Carry on along a tarmac drive past houses, but, when this heads uphill, bear right, following a waymark along a muddy track beside the stream. When you come to a footbridge, cross it and continue alongside the stream. When you come to another footbridge, cross back. Ahead, you will see the railway that carries stone from Whatley disappearing into a tunnel. Bear left, and at the road turn left across the stream. Bear left uphill on the far side and, when the road swings right by Rosemount Cottage, carry on along a narrow footpath (ST747491). Head back down to the stream, and follow it back to Mells. ● At Woodlands End, head straight on uphill past the post office. Turn left by the war memorial, designed by Lutyens, into Selwood Street. To round off your visit, turn right along New Street, built around 1470 by Abbot Selwood of Glastonbury. If you turn right on entering the churchyard, you will see a collection of graves that reads like a Who’s Who of the 20th century. Asquiths lie interred alongside Bonham-Carters; a little further along are the graves of Monsignor Ronald Knox and Siegfried Sassoon. On entering the church, you are confronted by an equestrian statue by Sir Alfred Munnings, a memorial to Edward Horner who was killed in France in 1917. The wooden crosses that marked the war graves of Edward Horner and Raymond Asquith, the son of the prime minister, are also preserved here. n

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FURTHER INFORMATION...

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Distance: 4-5 miles

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Level of challenge: All on paved or well-used footpaths with no stiles. Extreme care needed in former industrial sites.

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Refreshment stops: Mells Post Office Cafe, open daily till 4pm; Talbot Inn (www.talbotinn.com); Bell, Buckland Dinham, on A362 (www.bellatbuckland.com)

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Map: OS Explorer 142

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GARDENING GARDENING

NEW BEGINNINGS Our garden expert Margaux Speirs encourages you to enjoy your garden as a new year resolution, and suggests taking up a gardening course to help you in your endeavour

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lot of us will have new year resolutions to do with our physical and mental wellbeing, whether to take more exercise, strengthen core muscles or posture, lose body weight, spend less time sitting down, or to take up something artistic or creative as a hobby. It seems to me that gardeners do all these things and more in the process of creating lovely outdoor spaces, so my new year message is to encourage more Bristolians to enjoy their gardens.

If you don’t feel too confident about what to do with the garden, then taking a course might be the best place to start.

There are courses to suit most budgets and calendars but here are a few ideas: • RHS approved courses are aimed at those intending to pursue a career in horticulture but the qualifications are also good for keen gardeners. You can choose between more theoretical or practical courses and both RHS Level 2 and Level 3 courses are taught part time in daytime, evening or Saturday sessions.

City of Bristol College (in Hengrove and Ashley Down Road) and Bristol University at the Botanic Gardens run these courses (but be aware that the university courses tend to book up months in advance).

• City of Bristol College also runs a part time course in organic and allotment gardening on Wednesday and Saturday evenings (£260 for three hours a week for a year).

• Jekka’s Herb Farm in South Gloucestershire runs a series of single day course on aspects of herb gardening but the courses are rather expensive at £175 for a day.

• Bristol City Council runs a whole range of Adult Learning courses on aspects of gardening at their Stoke Lodge centre, including Gardening for the Terrified over five Wednesdays, and a series of one-off courses such as create a cottage garden/cut flower garden/gravel garden etc, at appropriate 78 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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seasons throughout the year. Many of these are very practical courses, teaching you how to plant and prune and to get ideas and inspiration. Half day courses cost about £22 and full day cost £36 but may be less if you qualify for concessions.

The Special Plants Nursery just off the M4 on the way to Bath has a season ticket for £25, giving garden entry on open days from mid-April and if you go on Tuesdays at 11am or 2.30pm the owner, Derry Watkins, gives practical short talks on various aspects of the garden.

There are a number of gardening clubs in and around the city where members meet for talks and share knowledge and experience. Some of these are run by plant nurseries who may have a commercial interest and others are run by enthusiasts (some of them are very specialist eg. Bristol Cactus Society or Bristol and West of England Orchid Society). The Henleaze Garden Club is my local club and it has an impressive programme of speakers lined up for 2016.

If you don’t have a garden of your own to work in there are a number of community gardens around the city who welcome new members to volunteer to work in the gardens in exchange for sharing the produce as well as companionship and skills.

For example, Easton Community Garden is worked on Thursdays from 11am and there is no charge for members and no minimum time commitment. Golden Hill Garden in Horfield is worked on Wednesdays from 10am, growing edible produce and the Patchwork Community Garden Project is run in Bedminster and Southville, tidying up unused areas of public land by planting trees, shrubs and bulbs.

For those who are really serious about learning gardening skills, whether to make a career of it or in order to create a truly magnificent garden of their own, there is an excellent training scheme run by the charitable trust which organised

Main image: garden beds with young fresh herbs © Shutterstock

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GARDENING

the Women’s Land Army during the First World War, The Women’s Farm and Garden Association. The scheme is called The Work and Retrain as a Gardener Scheme but mostly it’s known by the acronym WRAGS (and it’s not just open to women). The basic concept of the scheme is that trainees garden for 15 hours per week for a year in a carefully sourced garden within a 20 mile radius of their home address under approved and capable instruction from the garden owner or head gardener. In return they are paid a small training allowance of £5 per hour by the owner of the host garden.

The quality of the training is assessed and monitored – both trainee and garden pay an upfront fee to WRAGS to cover these costs (£150 for the garden and £400 for the trainee). A great range of rural and urban gardens of varying sizes participate in WRAGS placements across the country, including some public and heritage gardens and even some royal ones. Local gardens which participate in the scheme include The Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Goldney Hall Gardens in Clifton and Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove. The list of practical skills to be covered during the year include soil cultivation and compost, planting techniques, propagation, pest and weed control, identifying and pruning trees and shrubs, planting and trimming hedges and planting and maintaining herbaceous borders.

Practical experience is supplemented by workshops run by the association. If you are interested in finding out more (whether as a prospective trainee or as the owner of a private garden who would be willing to take on an apprentice gardener under the scheme) have a look at the web site www.wfga.org.uk/wrags.html or contact the local representative, Louise Bastow, email: louisebastow@googlemail.com).

Happy New Year – enjoy your gardening and let me know if I can help with planning and design. n Margaux Speirs is a pre-registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and runs her business, Margaux Speirs Garden Design, from her home in Bristol. For further information, tel: 07903 779910 visit: www.margauxspeirsgardendesign.co.uk

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PLANT OF THE MONTH: I have a Daphne bhopal right outside my back door and its scent makes going outside a treat even on a damp January day.

There are many species of Daphne shrub, some evergreen and some deciduous, but the best scent is found in the woodland species, including Daphne odor and Daphne bhopal. These prefer a shady site though some may cope with sun for a short period of time. Some say they are hard to grow but as long as you give it a rich soil, neither waterlogged or exposed to drought, and put it in a spot where it is sheltered from cold winds it should thrive in Bristol as we don’t have very cold winters. When choosing, pick a variety which has won the RHUS award of Garden Merit (AG) such as Daphne bhopal 'Jacqueline Postil’ or the more fairly recent cultivar with variegated leaves, Daphne odor 'Automechanical'.

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STYLISH | INTERIORS

MAKE A FRESH HUE AND CRY

South West interior designer Clair Strong gives us her thoughts on interiors direction for the coming year

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antone announced its colour of the year for 2016 back in December. For the first time, its chosen hue is actually a blending of two colours: Rose Quartz and Serenity. Not so far away from the traditional shades we know as powder pink and baby blue.

The two shades have been paired together to evoke feelings of mindfulness and well-being, something that’s really important in the home, particularly in the bedroom. Pantone says: “Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion

PLAYING WITH COLOUR: Sofa.com is running the whole gamut, from this Whitby modular sofa in Blush pure belgian linen, to right a Bluebell daybed in Saffron smart velvet

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and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.”

Pantone’s annual decision always influences the year’s colour trends in fashion and interiors, and I expect this year to be no different. We’re already seeing gorgeous pale pink and hazy blue sofas from Sofa.com and matching accessories from brands like MiaFleur and Oliver Bonas. I predict a return to soft, pale hues across the board for Spring/Summer 16.

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ARTISAN GOODS As cottage industries go from strength to strength, more people are choosing artisan goods. There’s a really strong community of designers and makers offering beautifully crafted items, from furniture and textiles to pottery, tiles, glassware and everything in between. If you went to the Bath Christmas market, you’ll have seen this community in all its glory! Our love of handmade will continue to grow and I think we’ll see greater interest in local and globally sourced handmade items. There are so many benefits to buying handmade; the quality, the originality and the great feeling that comes from supporting a small business to name just a few. Don’t be afraid to mix artisanal items with goods from the high street and antique finds to create a unique space that reflects your personality.

The Winchester Tile Company handmade tiles

BOLD AS BRASS I first noticed the resurgence of this decidedly retro metal at the autumn 2015 Design shows. Brass was everywhere. It’s a deeply warm and inviting metal, so I’m pleased to see it back. Brass won’t be alone, I think gold and copper will continue their reign of popularity but I can already see designers favouring it over these two elements. From accessories, like pendant lamps and trays to tableware and furniture, brass has worked its way into every area of interior design. This metal is great because it can be used in so many different ways, and it ages beautifully. I look forward to seeing more innovations using this material.

BOLD AS: Idyll brass pendant lamp by idyllhome.co.uk and LoandBehold brass salad servers by FermLiving

SMART FURNITURE

HIGH CONTRAST Creating contrast will be at the forefront of many designers’ minds this year and they’ll be using colour, shape and texture to create depth and drama. Contrast is an interesting design technique because it builds atmosphere, evokes emotional interest and creates instant impact. But it can be quite jarring, and it takes a skilled eye to make opposing elements work together. It’s easy to over-do it, but is so effective when it works. It really brings life to a space. I hope we see more people take the brave step of introducing contrast in their homes.

Homeowners are becoming increasingly tech savvy, using smartphones and tablets to control things like the temperature or lights at home. I think we’ll see an increase in this sort of technology use in 2016, but we’ll also see more high-tech furniture reaching the mainstream market. IKEA has launched a range of furniture with in-built wireless charging, making the process a natural part of home life, so its designers chose the kind of furniture that’s used frequently (like side tables and lamps) and turned them into wireless chargers.

I think we’ll see furniture with all sorts of hidden talents designed to make our homes and lives more seamless and flexible.

Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, friendly, creative business based in Bath and London, providing services for residential and commercial clients. Visit: clairstrong.co.uk or contact: clair@clairstrong.co.uk.

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Sale now on!

Lighting the way is should be

Tel: 0117 963 5943 Email: info@thelightingstudiobristol.co.uk www.thelightingstudiobristol.co.uk

Formally known as The Lighting Warehouse

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Visit us in store at: Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4TA

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 83

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HOMES | ON SHOW

Through the KEYHOLE...

As part of a new monthly feature focussing on a property that we’d love to own if we won the jackpot, we take a peek behind the doors of a period farmhouse that has oodles of space dedicated to fun-filled family time

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wned by the same family for the last 25 years, you can tell that this period farmhouse has been a much-loved home where fun-filled memories have been made, considering that most of the space has been given to celebrating large family occasions and general entertaining.

The detached, stone-built Fieldgrove Farmhouse and its barns, outbuildings, secluded gardens and 10-acre paddock, are set at the end of a quiet lane in the countryside location of Bitton. But one can only imagine that quiet does not describe the atmosphere you’d find in a home like this.

Perfect for a large family who enjoy socialising, there’s a wealth of accommodation and space to play, whatever your age.

There are four double bedrooms, including two en-suites, as well as a charming attic room, which over the years has been used for sleepovers, teenage dens and playrooms. But perhaps one of the best selling points of this house is the fabulous ‘party barn’ in one of the converted outbuildings, boasting a games room fitted with a corner bar unit and a spacious mezzanine level at each end – currently used as a spare guest room and a family office. This is the place for a fine family knees-up to rival any of Gatsby’s shindigs; for the barn has French doors which give access to a heated indoor pool and raised spa pool and more triple French doors opening out to the rear garden and a hot tub. At the front of the house the private lawn is surrounded by mature trees and flower borders, and has a vinecovered gazebo with seating and a barbecue area. There’s no doubt that this impressive space has been designed to entertain 84 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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JANUARY 2016

and enjoy all year round.

The current owners bought the property in 1990, having been attracted by the idyllic, quiet situation, the lovely old buildings and land, and the potential they offered. Over the 25 years they have re-roofed the house, installed double-glazed windows and have sympathetically modernised the house internally, in particular opening up and refurbishing the former L-shaped and flat roofed kitchen to provide a large dining kitchen with a Victorian-style lantern at the heart of the house.

There are endless good times to be had here. A country house estate for modern family living. n

Main image: The heated indoor swimming pool and spa pool lead from the ‘party barn’ which boasts a games room, bar unit and mezzanine level

PROPERTY PROFILE Where: Fieldgrove Farmhouse, Bitton What: Period family farmhouse with 10 acre paddock, attached indoor swimming pool and outbuildings

Guide price: £1,750,000 Agent: Fine & Country Bristol, 147 Whiteladies Road Contact: T: 0117 973 308

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HOMES | ON SHOW

WWW.THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

JANUARY 2016 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 85

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CITY | BUSINESS

THE | COLUMNIST

THINKING PROPERTY ROBIN ENGLEY, ASSOCIATE AT KNIGHT FRANK ESTATE AGENTS BRISTOL

As Christmas arrives Knight Frank’s Bristol office reflects on another successful year. Sales within our town market continue to remain strong with some of our most prestigious sales happening within the family home and luxury apartment market. The obvious feedback still remains that stock levels in Bristol appear to be at an all-time low. Buyers from both the local area and much further afield are still continuing to register their interest in Bristol and the South West with all our office from Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham and Exeter all reporting an increase in the level of activity from buyers living in London.

Whilst Christmas historically reduces the level of stock coming to the market, we are still noting sales taking place within the city and indeed the country market. So much so that the country department within our office have agreed 6 sales within the last two weeks which is encouraging considering the time of year. In terms of town sales, both the city centre and Clifton remain high on peoples list whether they are investors or buyers looking for a home to live in. Demand also remains constant for Sneyd Park and Redland which offer superb access to local parks, The Downs and fantastic schools.

As we look towards 2016, our office head; James Toogood, Freddie Wright (country specialist) and myself (town specialist), continue to see a strong number of market appraisals taking place with new stock being photographed for a January launch. With two prestigious city markets so close together, Knight Frank Bristol are in a lucky position to have their own New Home/Residential Development division based here in Clifton who can closely work with the developers and investors alike whilst building on the same relationships in Bath where we have further a team dealing with the residential developments in the city and the surrounding areas.

With more than 12 years industry experience, my colleague Franki Watson comments on Bristol’s developments and market trends which mirror much of what is happening in Clifton, she says; ‘Bristol has seen a surge of regeneration not just in the centre but in surrounding areas as well bringing with it a real confidence to the market place. This confidence has really been reflected in the increase in numbers of off-plan sales, not just with seasoned investors but by first time buyers and second home owners.

We believe that much of this is fuelled by the lack of available properties in the sought-after locations and also lack of suitable properties for people looking for perhaps a low-maintenance option or who are price driven.

Close proximity to amenities and rail links are important and we shall all eagerly await the news of the reduction of travel times into London when they are announced.

Residential development is also attracting the more sophisticated buyer, with offerings of elegant period property conversions into luxury apartments, or stylish new homes set in large communal grounds or nestled on to good roads. Areas such as Clifton, Leigh Woods and Sneyd Park presents these opportunities ensuring these locations remain the aspirational residences they are known to be’.

There are two exciting sites that will begin to be marketed in the New Year and should you have queries reference to these within Leigh Woods, Sneyd Park and the city centre then please register your interest with Franki on francine.watson@knightfrank.com As ever, if you would like James and I to visit you and discuss the current market conditions and correct price and strategy for your home please feel free to contact me or drop in to our office on Regent Street, Clifton. n Robin Engley, Knight Frank, Regent House, 27a Regent Street, Clifton Bristol. BS8 4HR Tel: 0117 3171999

86 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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JANUARY 2016

NO FEES, NO FUSS A NEW DEAL FOR BRISTOL LANDLORDS There are many families in Bristol looking for private rented accommodation and landlords that have an empty property can make a difference. And better still, for landlords it’s a free service.

Bristol City Council is working closely with lettings agents and private landlords to deliver decent quality housing for people that can manage their tenancies and pay the rent, if the rent is affordable to them. To enable this to happen the council are introducing major new incentives to make it easier and more profitable for landlords to house the families.

The benefits being offered to landlords include: • Substantial payments in advance for new tenancies, negotiable terms.

• A deposit bond to the value of two months’ rent.

• For many rents above the maximum Housing Benefit level, a monthly top up paid in advance for tenancies over 12 months.

• Rent guarantee insurance for a year – paid for by Bristol City Council • Payments covering the cost of electrical certification.

• A named professional who will be available as the first port of call for you and your tenant during the tenancy.

If you are a landlord and would like further information on the new scheme or to find out how you can get involved then please email: private.renting@bristol.gov.uk or contact them on 0117 352 6888 n

KF PIF full Page January 16.qxp_PIF Full Page 18/12/2015 12:33 Page 1

BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

S

ituated on the outskirts of the thriving village of Chew Magna is this detached mill house with annexe. The property is situated in beautiful gardens with paddocks and stabling in a plot of around 3,9 acres. The interior styling is both traditional and grand and the house has some wonderful features such as the beamed ceiling in the dining room where there is also has a slate floor with reinforced glass showing the river bed below. The snug has French doors which open onto a decked seating era on the river bank. The kitchen is warmed by an oil fired Aga and there is a utility room and access to the integrated double garage beyond. The first floor drawing room has access to outside, with a Jetmaster fire and exposed beams, and access to the study. On this floor are 2 bedrooms served by a bathroom. Stairs lead up to the second floor where there is a master bedroom with Jack & Jill bathroom also serving 2 further bedrooms on this floor. The house benefits from a lateral 2 bed annexe with open plan kitchen / reception room, utility room and shower room.

Outside, electric gates provide access to the drive which leads to the front of the house with parking. Gardens are beautiful and take advantage of its river setting with level lawns, mature shrubs and trees, courtyard gardens and decked seating areas. There are 3 level paddocks with access either from the garden or the road. A stable block comprises 3 stables with power and light, as well as additional outbuildings.

Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 317 1999

WWW.THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

PORTBRIDGE MILL LIMEBURN HILL CHEW MAGNA • 5 bedrooms • 4-5 Reception rooms • 2-3 Bathrooms • Secondary accommodation • Stabling and outbuildings

Overs over £1,000,000 JANUARY 2016

|

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 87

Bristol & Clifton’s premier Commercial Property Agents Keep up-to-date with our latest news, deals, testimonials and market comments at our website: www.burstoncook.co.uk

(0117) 934 9977

Burston Cook January.indd 1

• • • •

Sales / Lettings Acquisitions advice Valuations Landlord & tenant

• • • •

Rent reviews Development advice Investment Dilapidations

• Property Management • Auction Services • And more... visit our websit for more info

21/12/2015 14:04

Bristol & Clifton’s premier Commercial Property Agents Keep up-to-date with our latest news and market comments at our website: www.burstoncook.co.uk

(0117) 934 9977

WHITELADIES ROAD CLIFTON

NORTH ROAD, BISHOPSTON

1,000 SQ FT office suite over a single floor refurbished to a contemporary standard – 2 car spaces.

3, 875 Sq ft office building.Mainly open plan. To be refurbished.

New flexible lease – low rent.

New Lease – Rent on application 10/12 GLOUCESTER ROAD Office suite c 978 sq ft plus 4 car spaces.

Convenient ‘Redland’ location.

Low rent and low rates…

OFFICES TO LET – CLIFTON Attractive light and airy period offices at 14 Frederick Place, close to Queens Road – Sizes from 1,920 sq ft to 3,183 sq ft – NEW FLEXIBLE LEASE – Rent O/A

CONTEMPORARY STUDIO OFFICE BUILDING

OFFICES TO LET – PORTLAND SQUARE AREA Two interconnecting period office buildings fitted to a contemporary standard – 3 car spaces + courtyard garden –

Convenient BS10 location –

From C 2,400 sq ft to c 5,200 sq ft –

1,232 sq ft – 5 car spaces–

NEW FLEXIBLE LEASE – Rent O/A

New lease – Only £11.50 per sq ft COTHAM ROAD, BRISTOL, BS6 FREEHOLD FOR SALE – DAY NURSERY Substantial property totaling a gross internal area of c 4,000 sq ft with existing Day Nursery use –

FOR SALE (MAY LET) OFFICE HQ – WORLE PARKWAY Modern office HQ of 4,575 sq ft + 26 car spaces – Only £395,000!

Freehold guide £975,000

JUBILEE HOUSE BS1

WHITELADIES OFFICES

Detached office building close to Queen Square and the waterfront. c. 1,800 sq ft

Office suite with on site parking – c. 750 sq ft of good modern airy space.

New lease only £13.50 per sq ft.

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon

Burston Cook January.indd 2

MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte BA Hons

New lease - £13.50 per sq ft

• • • • •

Sales / Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Landlord & tenant Auction Sales

• • • • •

Rent reviews Property Management Investment Sales / Purchase Development & Planning Dilapidations Advice

22/12/2015 13:49

www.maggsandallen.co.uk

0117 973 4940

Commercial Agency

22 Richmond Hill, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1BA

D EE IRED GR U T A REQ R ILA M I S

N W NE CTIO U TR S IN

D EE RED GR QUI E TA LE R R ILA SIM

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HENLEAZE

£25,000 p.a

Great opportunity to lease this extended ground floor fully fitted and trading Indian restaurant of circa. 1,000sqft with an integral 3 bedroom maisonette in an extremely popular neighbourhood. The property benefits from rear storage, a walk in fridge and both male and female toilets.

There is an ingoing premium sought of £70,000 to include all fixtures and fittings and kitchen equipment. Early enquiries recommended.

HENLEAZE

£22,500 p.a

Two shop units, in total approximately 1,165sqft situated in a fantastic position by the entrance of ‘Waitrose’ supermarket and the cinema in Henleaze within a short distance of the Durdham Downs. The units are in need of some updating and would be ideal for conversion to a café, restaurant, bar or alike (subject to obtaining all the necessary consents). Further benefits include communal rear parking.

N W NE CTIO U TR S IN

CITY CENTRE

£31,740 p.a

An elegant and charming Edwardian property boasting a corner position and offering approximately 2,700sqft of office accommodation over 4 storeys. The property is situated on the corner of Corn Street and Clare Street in Bristol City Centre. The accommodation which was previously used as a bank, retains many period features throughout.

N W NE CTIO U TR

EASTON

£650,000 plus / £50,000 p.a

Exciting Freehold Tenanted Investment which also offers potential for residential development subject to consent. Parcel of land approx.

20,000sqft, occupied by a detached supermarket (approx.

9,530sqft plus mezzanine) currently let to ‘Iceland’ at £39,000pa although vacant possession can be obtained.

N W NE CTIO U TR S IN

INS

CITY CENTRE

Commercial

£20,000 p.a

*** CURRENT OCCUPIERS RE-LOCATING TO UPPER FLOORS *** Fantastic opportunity to lease this prominent self-contained corner positioned shop in a busy trading location. The shop with basement measure approx. 390sqft in total and benefits from WC and kitchenette facilities. The property is located at the top of Corn Street opposite the Registry Office.

CITY CENTRE

Sales & Lettings

D ED EE GR UIR T A EQ LE R R ILA SIM

£175,000/£14,500 p.a

Attractive double fronted shop arranged as open plan retail space (approx 650sqft) with further store and kitchen and toilet facilities to the rear. Let until April 2016 producing £14,500 per annum.

Early Enquiries Recommended. The property is also available to let at £14,500pa.

Freehold & Leasehold Properties

Licensed Premises & Cafes

Lease assignments with premiums paid

A3/A4/A5 Premises urgently required

W ON NE CTI U TR S N I

Contact us today to arrange a free, no obligation valuation

CITY CENTRE

£18,000 p.a

** PROMINENT CORNER POSITION ** Fantastic opportunity to lease this Shop/Office (A1/A2) of approx.

1,100sqft in a very prominent central location. The unit benefits from great footfall, a larger than average retail frontage as well as rear access along with toilet and kitchenette facilities. Available by way of new lease with terms to be negotiated.

Job Vacancy - Trainee Negotiator Required to work in the Auction and Commercial Department at the Clifton office. Must be enthusiastic, articulate and presentable.

Own car is essential. Training will be provided.

Please forward CV to: Toby Fisher – tfisher@maggsandallen.co.uk

Commercial Team: 0117 973 4940

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SIM

WESTBURY-ON-TRYM

SIM

£12,000 p.a

Opportunity to lease this prominent corner property of just under 600sqft in a highly sought after location benefiting from fantastic retail frontage.

The property has been used for retail purposes for many years but may also suit other uses subject to gaining the relevant planning consents.

Further benefiting from kitchenette and toilet facilities as well as a small rear courtyard.

Estate Agents

D EE RED GR QUI E TA LE R R A IL SIM

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Lettings & Management

Maggs & Allen Commercial January.indd 1

HENLEAZE

REDLAND

£189,950/ £15,000 p.a

Attractive and well-presented retail unit with an office of just under 600sqft including basement, rear garden and further outbuildings providing additional storage space. Situated in a popular location on Zetland Road just off Gloucester Road within close proximity of the Redland Train Station. The property is also available to let at £15,000pa.

Auctioneers

E N IC PR CTIO DU E R

BISHOPSTON

£14,000 p.a

Very well presented shop of approximately 772sqft (Gross Internal Area) situated in a highly sought after position on ‘The Promenade’ Gloucester Road. The shop has been extensively refurbished and is offered for let on a new Full Repairing and Insuring basis. There is an ingoing premium of £10,000.

Commercial/ Investment

£16,550 p.a

First floor offices of approximately 1,324sqft with additional male and female toilet facilitates situated next to ‘Waitrose’ super market within close proximity to the Durdham Downs and Henleaze Road.

In addition there is parking to the rear, own entrance and benefits from partial UPVC Double glazing and gas central heating. New lease available.

Chartered Surveyors

CLIFTON

£16,000 p.a

Well-presented retail unit of approximately 870sqft (gross internal) with additional basement storage (approx 500sqft) and rear courtyard situated just off Whiteladies Road, Clifton. Would suit retailer, D1 user i.e beauty salon, dentist, chiropractor or A2 occupier (letting agents/ financial services) subject to obtaining all necessary consents. There is a £5,000 premium payable on this property.

Land/New Homes

Energy Assessors

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Redland £465,000

Cambridge Park – Three bedroom flat

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Clifton Office 0117 946 6007

Situated in a prestigious tree lined cul-de-sac is this beautifully presented and spacious Grade II listed garden flat. Conveniently located for the Durdham Downs and widely regarded as one of the most sought after locations in Redland. Offering three double bedrooms and a single garage to the rear this property also benefits from a private entrance. EPC - D

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Westbury-on-Trym £310,000

Westbury-on-Trym Office 0117 962 1973

Trym Road – Two bedroom house A mid terrace in a charming and handsome row of period cottages that almost caress the historic River Trym from their elevated position, with a leafy and green open front aspect. A short distance less than 50 meters to the highly regarded and popular Westbury-on-Trym C of E School make it an ideal purchase for small families. EPC - D

oceanhome.co.uk

Ocean January.indd 1

18/12/2015 10:10

Redland £500,000

Cranbrook Road – Four bedroom house Located in the highly sought after catchment of Redland Green School is this beautiful and spacious family home. The ground floor offers three reception areas, whilst the upper floors provide five double bedrooms. Outside is a large garden with storage sheds and patio area whilst the front provides ample off street parking. EPC - E

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Westbury-on-Trym £275,000

Blaisedell View – Three bedroom house A three bedroom modern take on a Georgian town house, arranged over three floors. Positioned on a private lane with only one other property located within it. Perfect purchase for young families with easy access to the motorway and public transport links that service Bristol so well. Private garden with lawn. EPC - TBC.

Ocean January.indd 2

18/12/2015 10:10

Westbury-on-Trym

Coombe Dingle

Westbury-on-Trym

1930’s four bedroom semi-detached family home with two reception rooms, 20m south westerly facing garden, separate kitchen, off street parking and single garage. No onward chain.

EPC E.

Positioned within a quiet cul-de-sac is this detached family home with four bedrooms, two individual reception rooms, kitchen/diner, conservatory, 18m family garden, integral garage and off street parking.

EPC E.

Victorian family home with three double bedrooms positioned within the heart of Westbury-on-Trym village. Modern kitchen/ diner, open plan lounge/diner, spacious traditional style four-piece family bathroom and a delightful rear garden.

EPC E.

Price Guide £575,000

Price Guide £450,000

Price Guide £425,000

Westbury Park

Henleaze

Henleaze

Superbly presented family home with five bedrooms, two receptions, kitchen/lounge/ dining area and a southerly facing garden.

Located within close proximity to Redland Green secondary school and Westbury Park infant and junior.

EPC E.

A characterful, 1920’s detached, three bedroom family home with two receptions, downstairs shower room, kitchen/diner, 24m family garden, chalet-style summer house with light and power and off street parking.

EPC TBC.

A spacious period ground floor conversion with three bedrooms, three receptions and private double garage as well as front and rear gardens and many original features throughout. No onward chain.

EPC D.

£750,000

CJ Hole January.indd 1

£525,000

Price Guide £500,000

18/12/2015 09:16

Clifton t: 0117 923 8238 (sales) t: 0117 946 6588 (lettings) clifton@cjhole.co.uk

www.cjhole.com Happy New Year. Here’s hoping for a peaceful one.

What can we expect from the housing market this year? We know that Buy to Let properties will see an increase in Stamp Duty from April 2016, an extra 3% on all second properties. Analysts suggest that house prices may rise by another 6% in the south-west, especially if interest rates remain firm. However they don’t expect private sector rents to increase further, because affordability is generally so stretched.

Here in Bristol things look very good for the property market.

There’s still an abundance of scaffolding and cranes in the city centre as regeneration proceeds at a rate of knots. The faster rail links to

London get ever closer. A new restaurant seems to open every weekjust take a look at the national newspapers, there’s a Bristol review almost every week. And the growing student population ensures the city remains young and vibrant.

I know I say it often. But it’s true. Regardless of the national property picture, or what prices and rents may or may not do in 2016- Bristol is right now perhaps the best city in the UK to live or invest.

Howard Davis MD Clifton Howard Davis M.N.A.E.A Managing Director - CJ Hole Clifton

NEW DEVELOPMENT - PROPERTIES READY NOW Southey House has been elegantly converted into a selection of 33 brand new studios, 1, 2, 3 bedroom and penthouses apartments, in the heart of the City. The light modern interiors have a fresh, contemporary feel and extremely high quality finish. From sleek work surfaces and capacious storage to tasteful flooring, every design detail has been carefully considered. EPCs Various

Prices £190,000 - £590,000

OPPOSITE CASTLE PARK IN CENTRAL BRISTOL Southey House covers seven storeys; apartments on the second and seventh floors have private terraces with unique views of the City and towards Dundry and Lansdown Hills. The open plan living/dining/kitchen space forms a chic heart to these stylish apartments. The building is fully wired to accommodate the very fastest broadband and technology. All the properties are available to move into NOW!! EPCs Various

Prices from £190,000 - £590,000

CJ Hole Clifton January.indd 1

18/12/2015 09:16

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MANAGEMENT • SALES • LETTING • CONSULTANCY

Clifton £1,450,000 An absolutely stunning, elegant yet comfortable Grade II listed Georgian house tucked away in a quiet most sought after location on the lower slopes of Clifton. The property has a very pretty mature private garden and overlooks communal gardens. No 1 The Polygon has an abundance of beautiful period features and far reaching views to the south of the City. The flexible accommodation is currently arranged as a cloakroom, reception room and traditional style kitchen to the lower ground floor with access to the mature well established garden. On the ground floor there is a pair of reception rooms with inter-connecting doors and a half-landing room. The first floor also benefits from two reception rooms with floor to ceiling windows that lead to a wrought iron balcony overlooking the communal gardens. The second floor has a large bedroom and bathroom, with a further two bedrooms and bathroom on the third floor. The house has a larger than average garden, garage and a private parking area at the rear of the property approached via North Green Street.

21 Princess Victoria Street

Tel 0117 970 6119

enquiries@propertyconcept.co.uk

Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BX

Fax 0117 970 6109

www.propertyconcept.co.uk

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

CLIFTON, Downside Road

ABBOTS LEIGH, Abbots Leigh Road

STOKE BISHOP, Stoke Park Road

guide: £2,500,000

guide: £1,800,000

guide range: £1,300,000 - £1,395,000

Selling in the Spring… or Now?

SOLD

SOLD

These pages display some of the many interesting and high quality houses and apartments recently sold by us across all price ranges and invariably achieving premium prices.

REDLAND, Lower Redland Road guide: £1,100,000

SOLD

We expect the strong pre-Christmas demand for homes to continue into 2016 from the very first day of the New Year.

If you are reading this and thinking that you really must get on and move house in 2016, then please contact us now so we can arrange a free market appraisal, without obligation, and discuss the right timing for you and how to best orchestrate the move, both to suit your circumstances and optimise the price of your property.

CLIFTON, Beaconsfield Road guide range: £1,000,000 - £1,100,000

SOLD

And if you are concerned that the current shortage of property will make it difficult to find your next home we have the experience and know-how to solve the problem.

Please call us on 0117 9466690 and speak to one of the partners.

WESTBURY-ON-TRYM, Henbury Road,

(Please note that the prices quoted are the advertised guide prices at the time of sale).

guide range: £1,075,000 - £1,150,000

SOLD

SOLD

REDLAND, Clarendon Road, guide: £985,000

SOLD

REDLAND, Salisbury Road

STOKE BISHOP, Queens Gate

HENLEAZE, Brean Down Avenue

guide range: £920,000 - £950,000

guide: £899,950

guide range: £830,000 - £865,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

0117 946 6690 www.richardharding.co.uk 124 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RP

Richard Harding January expand.qxp_Layout 6 21/12/2015 14:03 Page 2

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

WESTBURY PARK, Florence Park,

REDLAND, Elgin Park

WESTBURY-ON-TRYM, Stoke Lane,

guide range: £795,000 - £825,000

guide: £795,000

guide: £745,000

Selling in the Spring… or Now?

SOLD

SOLD

These pages display some of the many interesting and high quality houses and apartments recently sold by us across all price ranges and invariably achieving premium prices.

COTHAM, Southfield Road, guide: £675,000

SOLD

We expect the strong pre-Christmas demand for homes to continue into 2016 from the very first day of the New Year.

If you are reading this and thinking that you really must get on and move house in 2016, then please contact us now so we can arrange a free market appraisal, without obligation, and discuss the right timing for you and how to best orchestrate the move, both to suit your circumstances and optimise the price of your property.

BISHOPSTON, Codrington Road, guide: £625,000

SOLD

And if you are concerned that the current shortage of property will make it difficult to find your next home we have the experience and know-how to solve the problem.

Please call us on 0117 9466690 and speak to one of the partners.

(Please note that the prices quoted are the advertised guide prices at the time of sale).

CLIFTONWOOD, St Edwards Road guide range: £595,000 - £630,000

SOLD

SOLD

ST ANDREWS, Sommerville Road guide range £595,000 - £635,000

SOLD

HARBOURSIDE, Caledonian Road

BISHOPSTON, Manor Road

HARBOURSIDE, Deanery Road

guide: £495,000

guide: £465,000

guide range: £445,000 - £475,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

0117 946 6690 www.richardharding.co.uk 124 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RP

Fine & Country January.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2015 11:06 Page 1

Henbury | Bristol

Guide Price £1,195,000

An immaculate detached family house which has been sensitively yet extensively refurbished, sitting in generous gardens with gated off-street parking, complete with a heated swimming pool and no onward chain. Stunning full depth family kitchen. Drawing room, sitting room, study. Utility & cloakroom.

Extensive master bedroom suite. Guest bedroom suite. Four further bedrooms. Two further bath/shower rooms. Detached garage. EPC Rating: B.

Downend | Bristol

Guide Price £650,000

An exceptional modern home in a sought after location, with an abundance of light filled and adaptable floor space; complete with a detached double garage and private rear garden. Drawing room, dining / family room, study / bedroom 4, family kitchen. Utility. Master bedroom with en-suite bath & shower room. Two further double bedrooms. “Jack & Jill” shower room. Cloakroom. Detached double garage, generous off-street parking and private enclosed rear garden. EPC Rating: C.

Fine & Country January.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2015 11:06 Page 2

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Cotham - £1,100,000

Abbots Leigh - £795,000

A rare opportunity has presented itself with the arrival to the market of this impressive 6 bedroom period home in Cotham. A particularly elegant and stylish period home filled with character commanding an elevated position in this quiet side road and boasting the most incredible views across the surrounding area. EPC - D

A wonderful family home which has been substantially remodelled and extended by the current vendors, located in this quiet cul de sac adjoining farmland. This outstanding home offers incredibly good size family living space with 3 generous reception rooms to the ground floor all of which overlook the wonderful rear gardens and adjoining fields. EPC - E

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Westbury Park - £185,000

Henleaze – Guide Price £475,000

Set in the ever popular Westbury Park, this beautiful one bedroom top floor flat is ideally situated close to Waitrose and the Downs. Situated on this quiet tree lined road on the borders of Redland and Westbury Park. Offered with no onward chain. EPC - E

An attractive well proportioned 1930s 3 bedroom semi-detached house with decorative arched porch, good size delightful rear garden, off street parking and garage situated on a popular residential road in sought after Henleaze. This desirable family home enjoys an open aspect to the front down Oakwood Road and light and airy accommodation and early viewing is advised. EPC - E

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Properties urgently required in Clifton, Cotham, Westbury Park and Redland. Large number of proceedable buyers waiting for suitable properties.

Clifton – Guide Price £1,200,000 A beautiful example of a 5 bedroom Victorian townhouse, circa. 1870, that has retained many of its original period features with a versatile and generous size of around 3000 Sq.Ft. There is also the rare benefit of owning a garage accessed via a rear lane. EPC - D

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Sneyd Park - Guide Price £900,000

Westbury-on-Trym - Guide Price £650,000

A beautiful 5 bedroom, 4 reception room modern style detached family home situated in an excellent position close to the renowned Durdham Downs. The house is set in good size landscaped gardens with a south facing patio to the rear of the house. EPC - D

A stunning 4 bedroom Edwardian semi-detached house situated within walking distance of local shops and the highly regarded Elmlea School. EPC - D

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SO

Stoke Bishop - Guide Price £675,000

Properties urgently required in Stoke Bis hop, Westbury-on-Trym, Sneyd Park and Coombe Dingle.

Large number of disappointed proceedable buyers waiting for suitable properties.

A 1930’s detached 4 bedroom house set in a wonderful position being towards the end of a cul-de-sac in one of Stoke Bishop’s premier roads. There is enormous scope for extending this house (subject to obtaining necessary consents). EPC - F

LD

LD

SO

SO

Stoke Bishop - Guide Price £545,000

Westbury-on-Trym - Guide Price £445,000

A stunning 4 bedroom Edwardian semi-detached house situated within walking distance of local shops and the highly regarded Elmlea School. EPC - D

A beautifully presented and extended 3 bedroom semi-detached house with level rear garden situated 365m from Elmlea infant school and well within the Bristol Free School admission area. Offered with no onward chain. EPC - D

Leese & Nagle January.indd 2

18/12/2015 09:52

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