The Bristol Magazine August 2019

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THE

Issue 182

I

august 2019

MAGAZINE thebristolmag.co.uk £3.95 where sold

PORT O’PLENTY: The city’s sail cargo alliance THE ORIGINAL INFLUENCERS: 21 historical Bristolians EATING OUT: Top spots for tucking in ’90s GOLD: Bristol’s pioneering health study

CUTTING EDGE VEG

Our foodie special featuring meat-free BBQ magic from Bristol’s Genevieve Taylor, plus the local agri-tech furthering farming and food production

T H E C I T Y ’ S B I G G E S T M O N T H LY G U I D E T O L I V I N G I N B R I S T O L

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Image by Jack Wiseall

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Image by Jason Ingram

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Contents

August 2019

REGULARS ZEITGEIST

DELICIOUS GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

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16

Catch up on local news and meet cricketer James Bracey

BARTLEBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Summer is a veritable smorgasbord for Bristol’s spiniest beasts

BOOKS

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32

Holiday reads to roll up in your beach towel

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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76

A handy directory of some of Bristol’s best places to eat out right now

TECHNOLOGY

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58

How robotics is aiding agriculture and helping secure our foodie future

BARBECUING

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60

Creative veggie recipes from Genevieve Taylor’s latest book Charred

ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Local booze importer Xisto Wines on the city’s sail cargo alliance

HABITAT WILD BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

News snippets from the sector; and the burgeoning CBD scene

A handful of ways to get closer to nature on a summer staycation

THE CULTURE

GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Weston is a resort for all seasons – wistful in winter, but at its vibrant best in summer. Andrew Swift takes us back to its beginnings

Catherine Pitt takes a closer look at Bristol’s original influencers

INTERIORS

FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Poldark actor Ed Browning’s latest work was shot at St Paul’s Carnival

WHAT’S ON

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28

A cross-section of the city’s varied events scene

ADULT LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Fancy taking up a new hobby or learning a cool skill?

ART & EXHIBITIONS

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38

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A few bright tips from local lighting outfit One Eighty Light

SHOPPING

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 There’s something very British about an allotment site, and these hidden sanctuaries are increasing in number says Elly West

PROPERTY

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News and developments

TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

RENOVATION

Simon Horsford is seduced by the southern French city of Montpellier

Bristol is a city covered in scaffolding, but it isn’t just the skyline changing. Malcolm Croft reports

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We chat to the founder of Children of the 90s, who is now almost 80!

FOOD & DRINK NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 The latest from local foodies, restaurants and producers

BAKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Briony May Williams’s Pornstar Martini cheesecake

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Stylish inspiration for the home

What’s on at the city’s galleries?

SCIENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

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ON THE COVER

Elevate your veggies this month! Pictured: beautiful barbecued carrot, ricotta and toasted pecans, taken from Bristol cook Genevieve Taylor’s vibrant latest book Charred (Quadrille, £16.99) Image by Jason Ingram, recipe on p58

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THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN...

Agri-tech robots Tom, Dick and Harrick here were developed by Small Robot with Bristol Robotics Lab at Frenchay to tackle agricultural concerns and make farming more efficient

Hoping... ...Enough money is raised via crowdfunder to bring Darth Vader to the Balloon Fiesta (Ashton Court, 8 – 11 August). Spot Buster the Bulldog, Snow White, Simbaloo the Longleat Lion in the special shapes crew this year, as well as all-new addition Oh Bear, flying in from Taiwan.

from the

EDITOR

Pleased...

C

urrent mood: seriously inspired by all the people driving our city forward – whether it be in terms of community inclusivity, cutting-edge research, environmental positivity or foodie innovation. With that in mind, this issue we’re gently pushing a few of them into the spotlight.

Starting with food, Nick Flaherty has been finding out more about the amazing agri-tech development aiding farming and food production in Bristol; see p56 to discover what robo-prototypes like Tom, Dick and Harrick, pictured above, can do in the field. We’re also talking to the indie wine importer that has spearheaded the sail cargo alliance between Porto and Bristol (p60) – reinstating old shipping trade links and reconnecting us with our twin city and its fine products in a completely carbon-neutral way. Plus, if our front cover has you salivating and you fancy the sound of going meatfree on the barbie this month, look no further than p58 where we’ve a a couple of creative new veggie recipes from local chef Genevieve Taylor’s latest book Charred.

Elsewhere, Professor Jean Golding – founder of Bristol’s uniquely pioneering Children of the 90s project – turns 80 next month so we’ve also been finding out just how valuable the long-term health study has been, not just for the city but for research, education and health institutions across the world (p66). And on another wellbeingrelated note, Bristol’s first CBD coffee shop opened recently which prompted Crystal Rose to take a closer look at the fast-growing cannabidiol scene (p78). Meanwhile on p92 Malcolm Croft has been measuring the health of our property sector – Bristol is transforming before our very eyes but, he says, if you take to the streets, it isn’t just the skyline that’s changing.

On p20, historian Catherine Pitt looks at the city’s original ‘influencers’: in other words, a few Bristolians through time who helped stitch the fabric of the city. From daredevils, dancers and diarists, mascots and music hall stars, war poets and pilots, to leading scientists, activists and reformers, our five-page feature is a nod of thanks for the lives and achievements of some of the talented, notable folk born here over the centuries.

We’ve also got a few summer reads for consideration and a chat with Poldark actor and West Country fellow Ed Browning – who filmed his latest work at St Pauls Carnival – while Simon Horsford meanders around Montpellier and finds himself seduced by the southern French city, and Andrew Swift swots up on Weston Super Mare.

See you in September...

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR

@thebristolmag

12 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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@thebristolmag

...Grants are being made available to support life-improving projects empowering the city’s most disadvantaged people.

Community groups can now bid for Bristol Impact Fund to address challenges such as financial, food and fuel poverty, social isolation and unemployment. Grants run from December 2019 to November 2021 – visit bristol.gov.uk/peoplecommunities/grants-for-voluntary-andcommunity-organisations

Checking...

Team Bianchis talks over the wine list

...For vital signs from imminent new eatery openings; our snouts have been close to the ground for news of old-school Italian trattoria Bianchis Bristol on Picton Street and Marmo Restaurant & Wine Bar, moving into the old Bar Buvette site, on Baldwin Street. Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to visit Freddy Bird’s lovely new Westbury Park joint Little French, pronto.

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ZEITGEIST

top things to do in AUGUST

WALK ON AIR

ENJOY EATS AND BEATS Following last year’s success, Harvey Nichols Bristol is hosting a special event to launch its new brunch menu on 25 August (sittings at 12pm and 2pm). Its DJ brunch will see diners enjoy an afternoon of delicious food, cocktails and chilled summer beats courtesy of guest DJ Josh Tucker. Choose from dishes such as lamb kofta with roast courgettes and a yoghurt dressing or buttermilk chicken thighs with summer slaw and finish with beer-batter waffles, banana ice cream and caramel sauce, complemented with a flight of mini cocktails. Opt for either three brunch courses for £20, or three courses and mini cocktail flight for £30. Book via Eventbrite.

Europe’s largest annual meeting of hot air balloons kicks off this month, with more than 130 scheduled to take off from Ashton Court Estate. From 8 – 11 August, visitors can attend free of charge and watch as the balloons fill the sky over Bristol, as well as enjoying the stalls, entertainment and fairground rides on offer. This year, the fiesta will be celebrating Bristol’s great icons to tie in with the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s maiden flight and the 30th birthday of Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit. Captain Tim Orchard, former Concorde pilot and balloonist, will be showcasing his very special hopper balloon made from the original seats of the 1980s Concorde, while Aardman will be holding model-making workshops and there will be a chance to win a hot air balloon ride with Morph. Meanwhile, BBC Radio Bristol is creating a very special soundtrack for the famous night-glow events, playing homage to all the city’s most-loved and respected stars as the balloons tether and illuminate the sky like giant light bulbs above the crowds.

• bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk; aerospacebristol.org

STEP INTO SPACE

• harveynichols.com

Buzz Aldrin saluting the flag of the United States of America © NASA

DISCOVER Could you imagine a world without cappuccinos, chocolate, apples, strawberries or, dare we say it, even Somerset cider? Did you know that all these delicious things are dependent on insect pollination? Bees are key to our ecosystem and are threatened more than ever with extinction. On 31 August and 1 September, 10am – 5pm, the 10th annual Bee and Pollination Festival at the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden in Stoke Bishop will reveal how everyone can help bees and other vital pollinators survive. You can also browse the stalls and nurseries on show, watching demos and listening to enlightening talks. £8 entry, includes free tours.

BONUS PLANETARY HAPPENINGS

• my-earth.org; lukejerram.com

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• wethecurious.org

The moon, in the docks last month! (Image @JonCraig_Photos)

“Mum!” yelled the young boy, running into the harbourside pub. “The moon’s fallen into the docks!” Did you spot the somewhat Chicken Lickenesque sight of Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon installation inflated on the water recently? Well, keep your eyes peeled because there’s talk of it happening again this month, subject to the weather – follow Luke on Twitter (@lukejerram) for on-the-day updates for another chance to check it out. In the meantime, there are more concrete plans for his sevenmetre wide Earth artwork, Gaia, to be shown at the Wills Memorial Building, 16 – 18 August.

It features detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface and provides a free opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions to a surround-sound composition by BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones.

• botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk

14 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Pull on your imaginary moon boots and get ready to be transported into outer space as We The Curious celebrates the 50th anniversary of the moon landings in the planetarium. The Steps of Apollo 3D combines new, specially commissioned works by leading composers from Sound World with impressive 3D visuals across the centre’s dome, allowing visitors a unique experience exploring our fascination with space travel and the race to the moon. Screenings take place on 2 and 30 August, 8.15pm. £8.95 adult, £7.95 concession, recommended age 16+.

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

BRISTOL

Have you seen the summery new installation yet?

Meet Winterbourne-born Gloucestershire cricketer James Bracey

My garden gate backs onto Winterbourne Cricket Club, so at the age of five it made sense to give it a go – as a young lad who was sports mad. Winterbourne has been huge in my development and coaches such as Keith Ford really helped me realise what I could achieve, growing up. My main influence once I reached representative and county level has to be Tim Hancock, who coached me at SGS College and U17 county level. He really supported me in my transition from a good club batsman into a first-class cricketer.

Hip to be at The Square A new summer leisure space has launched in Millennium Square, with a ‘beach club’, roller disco, yoga classes, independent food traders, big screens for free film showings and more besides, all based around a recycled shipping container bar – Bristol Beach Club.

Upcycling is also a key focus throughout ‘The Square’, which has aimed to create a familyfriendly haven alongside entertainment for adults of all ages.

Created by Pure Spaces, working alongside We The Curious, The Square is running for six weeks, until 7 September. Visitors can enjoy a ‘taptail’ (cocktails on tap), street food from local purveyor Pepe Nero – a family-run business offering pizzas including vegan and gluten-free options – and butcher and steak restaurant The Cowshed – which is offering the best of its succulent flame-grilled BBQ meat – and the chance to relax in their own private cabana or on the deckchairs. As the evening rolls in, there’s music and competitive games, with dedicated pétanque and cornhole set-ups.

“Being born in raised in Bristol, its always great to come back,” said Ross Blake from Pure Spaces. “After the success of the Après Bar we were delighted to work again with We The Curious and offer something a little different to the people of Bristol.”

• thesquarebristol.co.uk

16 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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I started representing Gloucestershire at the age of 11. Initially I started purely to challenge myself; I’ve always wanted to play against the best opposition. I signed my first professional contract in March 2018 as a 20 year old – one of the most surreal moments as someone who has watched the county for so long.

It’s been a positive start to the summer, both for me personally and as a collective. We started with a good 50 over cup, narrowly missing out on the semi-finals. The Vitality T20 blast is always an exciting part of the calendar, taking place in July and August, with the Somerset home fixture always standing out as the game to win.

When it comes to pre-game rituals, I’m not a hugely superstitious person so I don’t have a lot happening! Only little things like the putting the same pad on first and packing my kit bags in the same order – no idea why...

I’ve always been a huge football fan so, growing up, I always liked watching the likes of Zidane and Scholes. In terms of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara was a wicket keeper/batsman that I always looked up to and I also loved the way Graeme Smith played the game. I’ve always been someone to play anything and everything. I always played football but also played rugby and hockey at school. Outside of sport I just love travelling around; I want to see as

much of the world as possible. Cricket has been really good for this through the overseas opportunities that it provides.

At the beginning of the year I was just hoping to play some white ball cricket (50 over and t20 cricket). I played the majority of the 50 over campaign which was pleasing and I hope to challenge for a t20 spot as well. I always wanted to better my runs tally in the county championship from last summer.

As a big Bristol Rovers supporter, Ian Holloway is one of my favourites – a great character, footballer and, nowadays, manager. I also can’t look past Marcus Trescothick as a top order batsman.

The balloon fiesta is on the to-do list this month, considering I haven’t been able to go for so long due to cricket commitments in the summer.

Avon Gorge is a beautiful spot in the summer. Recently I’ve enjoyed King Street and Wapping Wharf; there is always so much on offer.

In recent years I’ve done some coaching for the Gloucestershire Cricket Board County and District set-ups, as well as trying to help out the flourishing youth set-up at Winterbourne CC. In the next few weeks I am also heading into a couple of local schools to give insight into being a professional sportsman and its challenges, as well as some coaching sessions to promote the game. n

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BRISTAGRAM Some favourite snaps from the burst of colour and culture that was St Pauls Carnival!

Tag your Bristol pics: #thebristolmag

@t0m.wri

ght

Boys in the orphan home

Good move for Müllers A charity continuing the legacy of one of 19th-century Bristolian evangelist George Müller is moving into the orphanage he founded 162 years ago and opening a new museum within.

The George Müller Charitable Trust, known as Müllers, is moving out of its current premises in Cotham to a purpose-built office and museum in Ashley Down – going back to one of the original orphan homes opened by George Müller in 1857.

It was one of five Müller homes in Bristol that cared for 17,500 children and young people until the 1950s. At that point, the homes were sold to Bristol City Council and the charity transitioned to family-based care in smaller homes across the wider Bristol area. During that new phase, the Trust cared for hundreds of children up until the 1980s.

Hosting a grand opening on 11 September, at 45 – 47 Loft House, College Road, Ashley Down, 7.30pm, the newly refurbished premises will house an interactive museum complete with videos, the original architectural plans for the orphanages, costumes for children, and question cubes. There will also be a recreation of Müller’s study, using his original desk, annotated Bible, books and clock; plus an archive of the original 17,500 orphan records and a genealogy room where people can research their family history “The move back to our original orphan home is a great opportunity to reinspire the people of Bristol with the story of one of our city’s most amazing historical leaders,” said chief executive Dan Doherty, “and to relaunch our ambitious vision to bring Christian hope and wholeness to children and young people both locally and globally.”

George Müller was born in Germany in 1805. He had an unpaid prison bill at 16, became a Christian at 20, and started work in Bristol at 26. He founded his first orphanage in the city in 1836. In his later years he travelled 200,000 miles around the world (before aviation), preaching even holding a meeting at the White House with President Rutherford B. Hayes.

Today, the George Müller Charitable Trust provides resources and strengthens families and impoverished communities through financial partnerships and practical training.

io

parrstud

@martin @colinrayner

photograph

y

@kush1969

• mullers.org @johnhowen570

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

Fantastic beasts Follow us on Twitter @thebristolmag

T

he dog found a hedgehog in the park the other day.

I knew from his body language what it was because he’s encountered hedgehogs a few times before and he always reacts in the same way. His legs go stiff and his tail goes up. He retreats, barking, then advances. Then he retreats again. Yes, he’s stupid enough to chase a cat across a road, but he understands that hedgehog prickles probably hurt.

I grabbed the dog and dragged him off, and within about 30 seconds he’d forgotten hedgehogs even existed. Generally speaking the park is a kind of grassy smorgasbord for dogs, who feast on hotdog remnants and scraps of halloumi. Once upon a time people used to make a picnic and take it to the park, but now they bring stoves and cook dinner. At weekends you often come across tents and gazebos equipped with heavy duty grills. It’s as though people are competing to see how much stuff they can cart down to the park for the afternoon.

This is good news not only for dogs, but also for our hedgehog, which may have been attracted to the park in the first place by the easy pickings. I imagine that sexing a hedgehog is quite a risky business, but just for balance let’s assume our one is female. When we found her it was about nine in the evening, and she was making her way up a slope covered in rough grass, heading towards an area favoured by outdoor diners. After being so rudely disturbed by the dog she would have waited a while, then carried on. If you’ve never seen a hedgehog on the move I can tell you they are not slow. And they will eat anything.

The encounter in the park reminded me of an incident that has a place in family folklore. We were camping in the Wye Valley about 15 years ago, when the kids were little. One night Ms B woke me up.

“There’s something in the tent,” she hissed. I listened. She was right: something was rummaging about in the kitchen area. We were zipped up in the bedroom, and out there something was rootling in the dark.

“Where’s the torch?” whispered Ms B. “Out there,” I whispered back in my best Withnail and I voice. “Go and get it,” came the reply.

A new sound now began: a violent scrunching. Filled with the courage of Withnail, I suggested we leave Whatever It Was to feast in peace, but Ms B was not prepared to have our precious supplies ransacked. She unzipped the bedroom compartment and crept out.

As she crawled around, feeling for the torch, she suddenly squealed.

Prickles! Human and hedgehog retreated in opposite directions, and by the time the torch was found our visitor had disappeared, leaving a scene of devastation. By which I mean that a packet of pink wafer biscuits had been savaged, a bite taken out of every one.

Thinking back, there would have been plenty of other healthier options for the spiny interloper. Apples, carrots, maybe a banana. But no, the hedgehog headed straight for the wafers, tore open the packet and went to work. Had it picked up the scent from outside the tent and come in to investigate? Or did it go from tent to tent every night, trying its luck? For all this animal knew, we might have been the kind of people who eat hedgehogs (baked in clay, they’re supposedly very tasty). Yet it was prepared to take the risk for the sake of pleasure.

Fast forward to the summer of 2019 and as the sun sets and people pack up to go home, I imagine not just our hedgehog but a whole crew – a massive, even – of spiny beasts emerging from the undergrowth and moving swiftly and silently across the grass, noses whiffling at the enticing scents of burger crumb and pizza crust.

Hedgehog heaven. ■

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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 2019 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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HISTORY

Civil servant and administrator Albion Rajkumar Banerji

Self-portrait of war poet Isaac Rosenberg, dated 1911

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Vaughan: Principal and Fellows of Somerville College, Oxford Š Crispin Rogers; Bedells: Archive image courtesy of the Royal Academy of Dance

Prima ballerina Phyllis Bedells, who was a founder member and vice-president of the Royal Academy of Dance

Scientist Janet Vaughan

by Claude Rogers

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HISTORY

THE ORIGINAL INFLUENCERS So many talented and inspiring people have been born in our wonderful city over the centuries.

Historian Catherine Pitt takes a look at the lives and achievements of some of these Bristolians

W Banerji: Who’s Who in India Supplement 1, 1912/Wikimedia Commons; Rosenberg: Tate Britain/presented by David Burton, 1972/Wikimedia Commons

hen you think of the big names that have come out of Bristol over the centuries, the likes of Hollywood leading man Cary Grant and philanthropist and religious writer Hannah More may spring to mind. But what about all the others who have made a difference to the world? Here we look at the lesser known remarkable men and women (and one four-legged friend) from times gone by who are Bristol born and bred.

Dame Janet Vaughan (1899 – 1993) Pioneering scientist Born in Clifton, Vaughan attended Somerville College, Oxford, to study medicine. Her clinical training was in London where she was initially interested in blood diseases and transfusions. As a female doctor in the early 20th century, she found it difficult to access patients for research, and instead had to experiment on pigeons. In 1938, while a pathologist at Hammersmith Hospital, she created a national blood bank scheme and modified collection bottles. In 1945 she went to Europe to research starvation and worked at Bergen-Belsen in Germany with recently liberated concentration camp victims.

Vaughan’s later years were spent studying radioactivity on bone and bone marrow. She became principal at her old alma mater Somerville from 1945 to 1967, and received a damehood in 1957. Vaughan was fondly remembered as a figure in tweed, whizzing around Oxford in her yellow Mini, or entrenched in the Bodleian Library, oblivious to her whistling hearing aid.

Lady Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence (1867 – 1954) Activist Described by her school as a “corrupting influence on other children,” PethickLawrence’s rebellious nature was channelled as an adult into political and social campaigning. The deprivation she witnessed when she moved to London shaped her socialist leanings. She co-founded the co-operative dressmaking business, the Esperance Club, which guaranteed fair wages and conditions for women. In 1906 PethickLawrence joined the Women’s Social and

Political Union but was expelled in 1912 for her resistance to the WSPU’s growing militancy. Despite this she continued to champion women’s rights. She lectured in the United States, and was one of three women who risked their lives travelling through submarine-filled waters during the First World War to attend the Congress for Peace at The Hague in 1915. In a period of patriarchy, Pethick-Lawrence’s marriage was a rare one. Her husband agreed to doublebarrel both their surnames and the couple had separate bank accounts. She published her autobiography My Part in a Changing World in 1938.

Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerji (1871 – 1950) Civil servant There was nothing ordinary about the life of Albion Banerji, whose Indian parents visited England in 1871 at the invitation of the reformer Mary Carpenter. Banerji’s father, Sasipada, was an activist, and his mother, Rajkumari, was the first woman to visit England from the caste of Bengali Brahmins.

Subsequently Banerji’s birth in Bristol meant he became the first Bengali Brahmin to be born in Britain. To celebrate, he was named Albion after the Celtic word for Great Britain. In 1872 the family went back to India. Banerji returned later to study at Balliol College, Oxford, and in 1894 passed the Indian Civil Service exam. India was still part of the British Empire and it was the ICS that administered British rule. In 1907 Banerji became the first ICS employee to become a regional Diwan (equivalent of Prime Minister). As Diwan of Cochin, Banerji dedicated himself to the welfare of its state and people. When Diwan of Mysore in 1924, Banerji’s negotiations over the sharing of the River Kaveri’s waters were unpopular and even today he is a controversial figure in Mysore. In 1927 he became Prime Minister of Kashmir in 1929, but resigned on moral grounds. Knighted for his services in 1925 he wrote a number of books in his lifetime, and a major road in Cochin is named after him.

Norah Lillian Fry (1871 – 1960) Reformer Born into the local chocolate dynasty, Norah led a life of privilege and wealth. She also had

social reform in her veins, for her great grandmother was the renowned prison reformer Elizabeth Fry (1780 – 1845). Norah decided to follow her great-grandmother into investigating social issues, and put her time and money into bettering the lives of children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Fry visited families all over Bristol and Somerset to find out what they needed and she wrote up reports on her findings for The Royal Commission. In 1905, after seven years of active research, she set out her vision of inclusion for children, especially in schools.

Fry also campaigned for parish workhouses to be closed down and reinstated as hospitals or care units; one example of her successes being Shepton Mallett’s workhouse. In 1918 she became the first female councillor in Somerset and was a member of the University of Bristol Council for 50 years. Fry gave money towards the creation of a research department on mental health which in 1988 became the Centre for Disability Studies.

William Tierney Clark (1783 – 1852) Civil engineer When people think of civil engineers and Bristol, one name comes to mind – Isambard Kingdom Brunel. However Brunel was not a native of the city and he wasn’t the first to build suspension bridges. Tierney Clark was a local millwright’s apprentice when his engineering talents were spotted by civil engineers Thomas Telford and John Rennie who guided him into the profession. An early pioneer of the suspension bridge, in 1827 Tierney Clark designed the first of such structures to span the River Thames – that of Hammersmith Bridge in London.

He constructed other bridges in England and abroad, with his most famous being the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary; this was the first permanent bridge to span the Danube linking both sides of the city (opened 1849). An engineering award in Hungary is named after him and he also was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Society.

Sarah Ann Henley (1862 – 1948) Survivor Unwittingly it was barmaid Sarah Henley’s actions on a breezy Friday in May 1885 that led her to become a cause célèbre. Spurned

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HISTORY

Portait of civil engineer William Tierney Clark

by Miklós Barabás

by her fiancé, a porter at Temple Meads Station, Henley’s desperation led her to the parapet of Clifton Suspension Bridge. The bridge, since its opening in 1864, had been a favoured suicide spot for many. According to eye witnesses, Henley climbed over the railings and jumped before anyone could reach her. However her descent didn’t end quite how anyone expected: “She was blown…falling feet first to the water below…the wind blew under her wide skirt and her clothes acted like a parachute, gently slowing…the rate of her fall.”

[Thomas Stevens, eyewitness] Henley’s fashionably large crinoline skirt saved her life. She was rescued from the muddy river bed by two local men and taken to hospital. As she lay recovering, her story spread around the globe and she was inundated with proposals of marriage and monetary offers to do talks. Local poet, William E. Heasell, even wrote a poem about the incident. Henley, though, never spoke to the papers, quietly returning to relative anonymity. She eventually married, had a family, and died at the age of 85.

Isaac Rosenberg (1890 – 1918) War poet Considered one of the finest war poets, though lesser known than Sassoon and Owen, Rosenberg was born in Bristol – the son of Lithuanian Jewish refugees. The family moved to London when he was 12 and he began attending night classes at the Arts and Crafts School in Stepney Green. His first love was art but an interest in poetry began to grow. He studied at Birkbeck College and formed an artistic group known as the Whitechapel Boys. In 1911 Rosenberg left a job as an engraver to study at the Slade School of Fine Art, alongside Stanley Spencer, Paul Nash and Dora Carrington. In 1914 he developed bronchitis and moved to South Africa, returning to England in 1915 to find 22 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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work as an artist. Although critical of war, he reluctantly joined the army and in 1916 was sent to the Western Front where, in his spare time, he wrote poetry about his experiences.

On 1 April 1918 Rosenberg was returning from night patrol when he was killed. Even today his words speak of the ordinary man in the trench and the brutality of war.

Victoria Hughes (1897 – 1978) Diarist Born Victoria Rogers in Woodbury Lane, Hughes lived, worked and died in the city.

Her husband, Richard Hughes, had fought and was injured in the First World War. He was unable to work due to his injuries, so Victoria was forced to become the breadwinner of the family. Post-war Britain saw many economic struggles and many families of returning wounded men found themselves in similar situations. In 1929 Hughes became a lavatory attendant on Stoke Road, Clifton, later moving to Clifton Suspension Bridge’s toilets. What makes Hughes extraordinary is the fact she recorded her daily life over 30 years. The job was eye-opening for her as much as it is for her readers. From miscarriages to sexually transmitted diseases, Hughes heard and saw it all in the loos of Bristol. It was only in her retirement that Hughes’s family encouraged her to write her memoirs. In 1977, at the age of 80, she published The Ladies Mile.

Hughes was the first of her profession to have an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and in 2003 a blue plaque was erected for her in Bristol.

Charles G Stephens (1862 – 1920) Daredevil Stephens’ early life is as extraordinary as his death. Declared dead as a child from a mystery illness, he survived being hit by a runaway coal truck in a Welsh mine aged 16,

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Ethel Phyllis Bedells (1893 – 1985) Prima ballerina Known professionally as Phyllis Bedells, she was born into a theatrical family in Knowle.

Her father, Bruce Bedells, founded the Bristol Amateur Operatic Society (BAOS) and her mother was a singer and actress. Bedells attended weekly dance lessons in Clifton and made her first stage appearance aged eight.

In 1906, aged 12, she made her London debut performing First Oyster in Alice in Wonderland at the Prince of Wales’ Theatre.

By 1907 Bedells was a dancer at the London Empire Theatre where she became its first British prima ballerina in 1913. In 1916 she left to dance in the West End and Covent Garden, as well as in early film. Bedells studied dance with the greats including Anna Pavlova. In 1920 she became a founding member of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), and purchased No. 20 Vyvyan Terrace in Bristol to create a dance school.

Today No. 20 is part of the Bristol School of Dancing. Bedells retired from ballet in 1935 but became a teacher and examiner. A RAD bursary was created in her name and she also wrote an autobiography, My Dancing Days.

John Addington Symonds (1840 – 1893) Writer and gay rights advocate Described as a “delicate child,” it was at the University of Oxford that Symonds underwent a number of epiphanies that shaped his future both personally and professionally. Not only did he realise that he was gay, but through studying classical texts and art, Symonds realised that Victorian sensibilities had oppressed, and people were in denial about homosexuality in Ancient

Pethick-Lawrence: LSE Library/Wikimedia Commons; Tierney Clark: Csanády/Wikimedia Commons

Women’s rights activist and suffragette Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence

and lived through three and a half years in the trenches during the First World War. Post-war, Stephens worked as a barber in Bedminster, supplementing the family income by performing death-defying stunts, some with his wife Annie. In 1920 he planned his greatest stunt yet – to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. He wasn’t the first, but it was a great promotional opportunity. The barrel, equipped with straps, padding, an oxygen tank and an anvil, was displayed at The Empire Theatre in Bristol. On the morning of 11 July 1920, more than 200 people gathered at Niagara Falls. Ignoring all safety warnings about trialling the barrel beforehand, Stephens set off at 8.15am from Snyder Point, 5km from Horseshoe Falls. At 8.55am the crowd witnessed the barrel plummet over the churning Falls. Some 150,000 gallons of water per second fell onto Stephens. He never surfaced. Parts of the barrel and a severed arm (legend has it with the tattoo “Don’t forget me Annie” on it) were later recovered and buried at Drummond Hill Cemetery, Niagara. Stephens’ feat far surpassed his original aim; instead he goes down in history as the first ever person to die while attempting to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

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Social reformer Norah Lillian Fry

An effigy of medieval merchant Edmund Blanket in St Stephen’s Parish Church

Symonds: Studies in prose and verse, 1904/Wikimedia Commons; Fry: Special Collections, University of Bristol Library; Blanket: Bob Speel

Writer and gay rights advocate John Addington Symonds

Rome, Greece and Renaissance Italy. As a result he went on to translate numerous classical works, privately publish studies, and even write poems, all on homoerotic themes and inspired by his relationships. While lecturing at Clifton College and Ladies’ School, Symonds fell in love with a cathedral chorister, however the illegality of homosexuality at this time forced Symonds to seek a ‘cure’. After a number of brutal physical treatments he married Catherine North in 1864 and they had four children.

Symonds’ continued to have homosexual affairs. The couple eventually moved to Davos in Switzerland where Symonds could travel easily to Italy to study and meet lovers.

It was in Rome that he died, and is buried near to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley’s tomb.

Emma Head née Parker (c.1856 – c.1920) Freeborn daughter of an ex-slave Born in the city to a white, Irish mother and a black, ex-slave father, Emma represents the tens of thousands of un-named black and mixed-race Bristolians under-represented in our history. Emma’s father, Henry Parker, was born in Florida in 1826 and sold as a slave to a plantation owner when he was just a child.

Aged 20, Parker made his escape and, with help from a family of Quakers, he made his way north to where slavery had been made illegal. At Boston, Parker boarded one of the many British ships docked there and by 1850 found himself stepping ashore in Bristol, England. Although he had been born in the United States, on the 1851 census Parker described his birthplace as Bristol. Perhaps he considered the city to be the place of his rebirth as a free man. Parker became a lay preacher and local stonemason and, with his wife Louisa, went on to have seven children, including Emma. In 1871 the family were living in St Pauls where, even to this day, many of his descendants still reside.

Edwin Stuart Francis Cole (1895 – 1984) First World War flying ace Cole was a mechanical engineer but qualified to fly in December 1915. By April 1916 he was commissioned to the Royal Flying Corps, becoming a flying officer and serving in Number One Squadron. He flew a Nieuport Scout and would be sent on missions across the battlefields to scope enemy positions and engage with enemy aircraft; the life expectancy of such pilots was mere weeks.

Cole’s first of eight aerial victories that earnt him a Military Cross occurred in September 1916. He wrote letters to his family about his encounters and in May 1917 he wrote of a confrontation with a German Albatros D.111 flown by 28-year-old Alexander Kutscher: “At 9.45 we had a long reconnaissance and at the end of this when we were crossing the lines I spotted a brilliantly red coloured machine with three other machines…on our side of the trenches, all of us dived at them and a general scrap followed… it left me with one fellow… we each tried to better the other… when we got near the ground I managed to get in some good shots and down he came…” Post-war, Cole ran a garage in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, but in March 1939 returned to the skies as a flying officer for the Royal Air Force.

Declared unfit to fly in 1940 he was assigned to ground duties. Cole resigned his commission in 1954 having reached the rank of squadron leader.

Alice Chestre (d.1435) Merchant In the medieval period, women had little autonomy. Their father and then their husband would control their money and lives.

Chestre represents the unspoken for and hardworking women of Bristol during this period. Her husband, Henry, was a Bristol

draper and mayor who traded textiles with Ireland, Spain, Lisbon, Bordeaux and Brittany in return for iron and wine. On his death in 1471, not only did Alice take on responsibility for her husband’s debts, but very unusually proceeded to trade independently, even having her own ships and merchant mark. Alice’s status as a widow gave her a level of independence that married women didn’t have. Her wealth meant she had no need to remarry. Records of her philanthropy in the city survive – she gave Bristol its first crane at the Welsh Back in 1475 and is described in All Saint’s Parish records as a “blessed woman”.

Edris ‘Eddie’ Albert Hapgood (1908 – 1973) Footballer Hapgood showed prowess with a football from a young age. Living in the slums of St Phillips he was fined by a magistrate for breaking a window while playing the game in the streets. At school he played junior football at St Phillips FC and when 18 he was selected to play for Bristol Rovers. After a brief sojourn at Kettering Town, Hapgood left to go to Arsenal FC where he was signed for £950 (approximately £40,000 today).

Hapgood became captain of both Arsenal – winning five league titles and one FA Cup – and England (1933-9) during his career. He was captain for the 1938 match in Germany where the England team were ordered to give a Nazi salute. In the 1930s Hapgood was one of the first footballers to partake in advertising, in areas such as fashion and chocolate, and was the first footballer ever to write an autobiography, entitled Football Ambassador. Following the Second World War, Hapgood went into management, overseeing teams such as Blackburn Rovers, Watford and Bath City, and his final years were spent touring and giving talks to international football youth teams.

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WHO’S A GOOD BOY? His Master’s Voice by English artist Francis Barraud featuring Nipper looking into an Edison Bell cylinder phonograph in 1895. The part terrier, part Jack Russell later became the face of the record company HMV

often left to fend for herself while her husband headed off on his excursions.

However, instead of moping around, Belzoni made detailed records of the people that she met. She would also set off on excursions, such as to Jerusalem or Jordan, either alone or with locals in tow. In Egypt she is credited with discovering four tombs in the Valley of the Kings. When she retired she published numerous books about her adventures.

Watercolours she produced during her explorations can be found at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Robert Fitzharding (1095 – 1170) Nobleman

In the 14th century, one of Bristol’s main industries was weaving. During the reign of Edward III (1327 – 1377) the king had restricted the import and wearing of foreign cloth to encourage British industry. A number of weaving families from Flanders migrated to England in this period, and it is possible the Blanket family were one. We know that Edmund was a wealthy cloth merchant in the city, employing dozens of local weavers, and that he was also Member of Parliament for Bristol between 1362 and 1369. Victorian newspaperman Joseph Leech invented the myth that the woollen cloth called a blanket was named after Edmund who, allegedly, being cold one night, removed a strip of wool from a loom to cover his bed. However the word Blanket or Blanchette has been used in England and Europe since the late 12th century. More likely Edmund descended from a family who, on making such an item, were given the surname by association.

Sarah Anne Bright (1793 – 1866) Artist and photographer Women’s contributions to history have often been neglected. However Bright’s talent as a photographer has finally been recognised, after a case of mistaken identity. Born into a wealthy Bristol family, her father, Richard Bright, was founder of the Bristol Institute (Bristol Museum today).

Sarah was not merely a lady of leisure. At the family home, Ham Green, her father set up a chemical lab that he, his son Henry, and Sarah, used in early photographic experiments.

Sarah’s album of watercolour sketches and The Quillan Leaf photogram photographs was produced by Sarah Anne Bright in passed down 1839 was originally thought to be generations until,

by William Henry Fox Talbot 24 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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in 1984, a page from it containing a photo of a leaf (dated 1839) was sold at Sotheby’s in London. The photo was initially attributed to photographic pioneer William Fox-Talbot, but when taken in context with the album and comparing the handwriting on the photo with that in the album, researchers realised their mistake. In 2015, nearly 150 years after her death, one of the earliest surviving photographs in the world taken by a woman has been re-attributed to Bristolian Sarah Bright.

John Randolph Sutton (1888 – 1969) Music hall star Bristol is renowned as the birthplace of acting royalty like Cary Grant and Sir Michael Redgrave. It is also where ‘Britain’s premier light comedian’, best known as Randolph Sutton, was born. As a child, Sutton would spend his pocket money on trips to the Bristol Empire, returning home to enthusiastically recreate the variety acts he saw. As a young man, while holidaying at Burnham on Sea, he partook in a benefit concert and was such a success that he left his printing job in the city to begin life as an entertainer on the theatre circuit. By 1930 Sutton was topping bills all over the country and performed at the 1948 Royal Variety. In 1951 he made his TV debut and in 1966 even featured in Coronation Street. Sutton was a prolific recording artist known for singing On Mother Kelly’s Doorstep and The Sun Has Got His Hat On. Retiring aged 60 due to a bout of stage fright, he was coaxed back to star in Thanks for the Memory along with other music hall artists. Sutton continued to perform in his trademark top hat and tails until two days before his death in February 1969.

Sarah Belzoni née Bane (1783 – 1870) Explorer Little is known of Sarah’s early life in the city, but we do know that in 1813 she married Giovanni Battista Belzoni, an Italian strongman, explorer and archaeologist.

Giovanni was in England performing as a strongman to fund his next trip, and in 1815 he and Sarah travelled to Egypt. Belzoni was

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And finally...

Nipper (1884 – 1895) Mascot As HMV’s future remains uncertain, one thing that is secure is the place in history of a local pooch that has been the company’s logo for more than 100 years. Nipper, part terrier, part Jack Russell, belonged to Bristol scenery designer Mark H Barraud who lived in the Prince’s Theatre on Park Row. On Barraud’s death in 1887, Nipper went to live with Barraud’s brothers. One brother, Francis, was a painter who was often amused by the interest Nipper showed in his Edison-Bell phonograph. Although Nipper died in 1895 it wasn’t until 1898 that Francis decided to immortalise Nipper’s quizzical expression on canvas. Francis presented the finished painting to the Edison-Bell company but was promptly sent packing with the words, “dogs don’t listen to phonographs.” In May 1899, after altering the picture, Francis sold the painting and its slogan for £100 to The Gramophone Company of London. Initially entitled Dog Looking and Listening to a Phonograph, Francis soon shortened it to the more succinct His Master’s Voice (HMV).

A statue of Bristol’s canine celebrity can be found above a doorway on the site of Prince’s Theatre on Park Row. ■

Nipper: Francis Barraud/Wikimedia Commons; Sarah Anne Bright: Youtube/Wikimedia Commons

Edmund Blanket (d.1371) Clothier and wool merchant

Fitzharding was the son of Harding of Bristol, a senior official of King William II, and one of the few Anglo Saxon noblemen to retain their lands and status after the Norman invasion of 1066. Fitzharding inherited the family wealth and used it for philanthropic means, founding St Augustine’s Abbey in 1140 which is where Bristol Cathedral stands today. The Chapter House within is one of the few visible remains of his legacy. Fitzharding was also one of the financiers of the future King Henry II during The Anarchy (1133-1189) and as a result, when he became king, Henry granted Fitzharding the position of Baron of Berkeley in Gloucestershire. In 1153 he attained royal assent to rebuild Berkeley Castle. To secure his family’s future he married his heir and his daughter into the displaced Berkeley family.

Fitzharding became a canon in his own abbey and was buried on the site. In Bristol Cathedral today one can find a memorial plaque and window dedicated to Robert and his wife Eva.

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FILM

Ed Browning as Paul Daniel in Poldark

Man of many faces

The ability to make people dislike you is not normally a pivotal career requirement, but for an actor it’s pretty essential.

Poldark actor Ed Browning has recently embraced his inner anti-hero for a film called Carnival, so he tells Emma Clegg

A

ll filming is hurry up and wait,” says Ed Browning.

“There’s a huge amount of standing around, a lot of coffee and tea, a lot of chat; you get to know people really well.” I also discover, as we chat, that there’s a fair bit of waiting around when you are looking for work as an actor, with your life on hold as you wait for your agent to recommend you for a new part.

Fortunately, West Country-born Ed has had some good breaks during his 15-year acting career. Inspired by a standout drama teacher, Max Harvey, at Wellsway School in Keynsham – “he is one of the main reasons that I do what I do” – Ed went to Bath College to study performing arts. The two-year course propelled him straight into work, when he was offered a job in Channel 4’s comedy series Teachers starring Andrew Lincoln, which was filmed in Bristol. At the same time Ed won a new talent programme run by the BBC (he was chosen from 12,000 applicants nationally), the prize for which was a part in an episode of the BBC afternoon drama Doctors.

With this professional experience under his belt, Ed was fortunate enough to get an agent straight after college and to be in work without having been to drama school. “I said that I’d see if I got work through the agent and if I didn’t, then I’d go to drama school,” he says. “Personally I don’t think three years at drama school would have done much for me. I find acting is a very instinctive thing and I’ve learned a lot by working with other very talented actors.”

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He watches everyone constantly on set, he tells me – film technicians, lighting designers, actors and extras in scenes that are not his – and so every acting role brings him new knowledge and understanding about the industry.

I ask about the audition process: how do you know what to expect? Ed, who has run Bath-based courses on audition skills, has plenty of audition know-how, but there is often a large element of the unknown. “In a commercial audition (for a role in an advert), the casting director will know in 10 seconds, as soon as you walk through the door, if you are right, because they know exactly what they are looking for,” says Ed. He tells me of an actor friend who, in a commercial audition for a washing powder advert, wore a new white t-shirt to look the part. But in a theatre audition, Ed explains, the casting team might ‘workshop’ with actors for an hour to an hour and a half, because they know they will have to work with that person for weeks, and maybe go on tour, so they need to know that they are talented and also that they will work well within the team.

“One of the nice things about going into any audition is that you are not really sure what to expect. Whether you are auditioning or actually working, it’s an opportunity to play and that’s so much fun. Even if you go for a character that you don’t think you’re quite right for, you say ‘yes, I’ll give that a go’. Or play something a bit different just for the fun of it, and as you do this more, it becomes less and less nervewracking.”

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One character for which Ed has become known is that of Paul Daniel in BBC drama Poldark. His character, appearing in series one to four, is a miner and the brother of Mark Daniel, played by Matthew Wilson, who murders his wife Keren after she is unfaithful.

The internal shots, perhaps surprisingly, were filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, with the outdoor and coastal shots in Cornwall.

So how does the continuity and acting flow work? “I’ve never shot a production that shoots chronologically,” laughs Ed. But it’s surprising how quickly you get used to it.”

Ed explains that in the first series there is a scene where Paul and Mark Daniel go to visit Ross Poldark at his house – they knock on the door, Demelza answers and filming ends. It wasn’t until a full eight weeks later that the follow-on internal scenes were shot in Bristol. I learn, too, that Aidan Turner was already a good horse rider before Poldark and that his confidence on a horse was absolutely crucial to his role – he learned to ride when he was filming The Hobbit in New Zealand. Reeling with all this behind-the-scenes information, I ask if Aidan is as lovely as he appears. The answer, of course, is yes.

Scenes from the short film Carnival

...Ed’s new film was shot at St Pauls Carnival in Bristol and is full of vibrant colour and jubilant atmosphere...

Ed’s latest project is a short film called Carnival, which tells the story of an absent mother returning to visit her young daughter and wanting to build a future for both of them. While at the carnival she meets a man from her past, played by Ed. Produced and directed by Stuart Napier, the film was shot at St Pauls Carnival in Bristol and is full of vibrant colour and jubilant atmosphere. “Filmed in the middle of the carnival, the way it was shot was very free-flowing, but cameras are now so small it made it relatively easy. The cast had only met briefly beforehand and the challenge, as is common with short films, was to find the scene in the moment.”

Ed’s character, Darren, is not a likeable one. “When I first read the script I wasn’t entirely sure I was right for the character as he is quite an unpleasant guy. But Stuart didn’t want an obvious twodimensional bad guy. And it was a good opportunity for me to find a way of making that character convincing.”

Warming to the theme of playing unpleasant characters, Ed refers back to Poldark and Jack Farthing’s portrayal of Warleggan, where viewers take an instant dislike to him with his lack of warmth, his armoury of serpentine expressions and cruel, meddling machinations: “As an actor you have to like something about your character. Jack Farthing is the most delightful person but everybody hates him because of who he plays. You always need to research the character and find a way of liking him. I’m not sure I liked my character in Carnival, but I understood where he was coming from.”

What are Ed’s thoughts about becoming well-known? “I always go along with it when people say, ‘are you waiting for a big break?’. Yes and no. It’s my career. It’s every job I do. Whether it’s a small piece of theatre or a long-running series, every job I do is exciting and every job I do I want to do. You can’t sit back just waiting for that one opportunity. I can’t, anyway, because I’m not interested in fame and celebrity. I just love what I do.”

Very grounded in his hometown of Bath, Ed has no plans to leave the South West: “My family and my life are here, and there is just so much happening in Bath, as well as nearby in Bristol and Cardiff.

And while London is vibrant with theatre productions, it’s only an hour and a half away. I can’t imagine moving away.” ■ • Carnival will be screened in Bristol (with location and time to be confirmed) and will then be available online; carnivalfilm.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON IN AUGUST Watch the sun set over Bristol on board Brunel’s SS Great

Summer Sessions Dates throughout August, Bristol Old Vic Kick back and enjoy the summer as Bristol Old Vic hosts a series of free events in the theatre’s vibrant foyer. There will be live music nights on 8 August and 29 August with tunes from Jack and Tee and Peanut Shuffle Club.

There’s also an open mic night on 13 August, and a chance to put your showbiz knowledge to the test with a quiz night on 19 August; bristololdvic.org.uk

Valley Fest 2 – 4 August, Chew Valley Lake Step into a sumptuous weekend of eating, drinking, dancing, learning and lazing by the lake. Headlining the main stage will be Basement Jaxx (DJ set), Razorlight and Tom Odell, and you won’t go hungry as there are top chefs serving up tapas, artisan products and a five-course feast. There’s also wellbeing events, kids activities, and an ethical shopping area. Camping is free; valleyfest.co.uk

Vet. Detective.

Until 17 August, 7.30pm (2pm on 10 and 17 August), The Wardrobe Theatre A grizzly British crime drama parody from Bad Vs Evil. Threatening to destroy the very fabric of society, a vicious crime wave spreads throughout the animal kingdom. As the mystery of who, or what is responsible for the carnage spirals out of control, the job will fall to a seasoned and deeply flawed FIPU (Fauna Investigation and Preservation Unit) Detective. £12; thewardrobetheatre.com

AfroFest Bristol Summer Festival 3 August, 12 – 9pm, Trinity Centre A unique event showcasing the best of African culture through music, art, fashion exhibition, dance and more. This family-friendly event features two stages for live performances, a bouncy castle, workshops and food stalls. £18; 3ca.org.uk

Malory Towers Until 18 August, times vary, The Passenger Shed “How lucky I am to be going to Malory Towers!” Nostalgic, naughty and perfect for now, Malory Towers is the original girl power story. Join Wise Children for high jinks, high drama and high spirits, all set to sensational live music and breathtaking animation. A Wise Children and York Theatre Royal coproduction. From £21; bristololdvic.org.uk Holst’s Planets 3D 2 and 30 August, 7pm, We The Curious Enjoy Holst’s masterpiece in the unique setting of the UK’s only 3D planetarium. Be transported into the solar system and get close-up views of the mysterious worlds that inspired this iconic music. 16+. £8.95 adult, £7.95 concs; wethecurious.org 28 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Bristol’s Burning! 1831 Riots 4 August and 1 September, 3 – 5pm, M Shed The riots that took place in Bristol in October 1831 made up one of the most dramatic events in British history. In the immediate aftermath, the city was in tatters, with hundreds of protesters dead or dying. Explore the sites and learn about the causes and consequences of the citywide riots with M Shed’s expert guides on this walking tour.

Free, donations welcome; bristolmuseums.org.uk SESSION 7, 8, 9 and 11 August, times vary, The Station Following hugely successful performances last summer, SESSION returns to Bristol as part of a national tour. In this explosive outdoor gathering, Bristol-based performance company Still House joins forces with the Tottenham-based Steppaz Performing Arts Academy and north London’s music

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The Three Muskateers: A Comedy Adventure at Bristol Old Vic

production powerhouse Empire Sounds to create a high-energy night of dance and live music. £10 – £25; headfirstbristol.co.uk Women in the Space Race 8 August, 6.30pm, The Royal Photographic Society, Paintworks Man may have landed on the moon, but there are plenty of women who were integral to the development of space exploration and whose stories have often been overlooked. In this talk, find out about the lives of the women who made an impact on our knowledge of space. £3.50/£4; rps.org Feel Good Friday: Tyntesfield run 9 and 23 August, 9.40am – 12pm, Tyntesfield Blow the cobwebs away with a morning run round the Tyntesfield estate, enjoying spectacular scenery along the way. Open to all abilities. Around 5k. £3, includes tea or coffee. No need to book.

Fiesta Sunset 9 August, 5.30–9.30pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Jump onboard the deck of Brunel’s historic ship and watch Bristol’s balloon fiesta take over the skies. Grab a cocktail, enjoy live music and soak up the ship’s history as the sky fills with silky vessels. £8; ssgreatbritain.org RWA Summer After Hours 15 August, 6 – 8pm, RWA Experience the galleries after hours with drinks and three separate exhibitions to explore. Discover ‘Fire: Flashes to Ashes in British Art 1692 – 2019’ which brings together important historic, modern and contemporary artworks on the theme of fire, as well as the ‘Andrew Lanyon: Nature’s Laboratory’ and ‘Peter Ford RE RWA: Out of Order’ exhibits. £5/£8, includes a welcome drink; rwa.org.uk

SS Great Britain: Keith Stanton/Three Muskateers: Mark Dawson Photography

Discover the women who played vital roles in the space race such as Margaret Hamilton at The RPS

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LOCAL | EVENTS

EDITOR’S PICK...

OPEN AIR THEATRE: CRANFORD 21 AUGUST, 6.45PM, AVON VALLEY RAILWAY, BITTON STATION

Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company for a unique performance of Elizabeth Gaskell’s classic tale of small-town Victorian life which explores the coming of the railways to this sleepy community. £15/£19. A twocourse pre-theatre supper is available for £17.50, or take a picnic and bring along a blanket or seating; avonvalleyrailway.org

Gaia 16 – 18 August, Great Hall, University of Bristol’s Wills Memorial Building Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia is an impressive art installation by Luke Jerram which features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. The artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions in an atmospheric setting. A specially made surround-sound composition by BAFTA award-winning composer Dan Jones will be played alongside.

Free, no ticket needed; my-earth.org Savouring the seasons in Japanese prints 17, 28 August and 5 September, times vary, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Join senior curator Kate Newnham to explore seasonal motifs in the museum’s Japanese

prints exhibition. Learn about cherry blossom parties, moon viewing, foxes in disguise and snow rabbits. Free, no need to book.

Super Cider Saturday With The Wurzels 17 August, gates open 2pm, Bath Racecourse A proper day out at the races, West Country style, all washed down with a glass of cider and followed by a live performance by renowned Somerset legends, The Wurzels.

There will be seven races to watch, starting at 4.40pm, before the band kicks off the party at 8pm. From £12; bath-racecourse.co.uk Moby Dick 18 – 26 August, 7pm and 9pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Co-presented with Tobacco Factory Theatres,

Darkstuff Productions bring their critically acclaimed re-imagining of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to Bristol. Ishmael joins a whaling ship where the crew are suspicious of both the newcomer and harpooner Queequeg. As they journey further into the Pacific, friendships are forged and rivalries formed as the whalers realise their fate is in the hands of Captain Ahab and his hunt to kill Moby Dick. £14/£17; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Adam Scovell 22 August, 6.30pm, Spike Island Steeped in dusty melancholy and analogue shadows, Adam Scovell’s Mothlight is an uncanny story of grief, memory and the price of obsession. Hear about his debut novel and the inspiration behind it in this talk. £3/£5; ideasfestival.co.uk Continued on page 30

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Dance and music night SESSION returns for four nights only

Visit the RWA after hours this month

Luke Jerram’s Gaia installation will be on show at the University of Bristol’s Wills Memorial Building

Apple Bros: Burgers and Cider Festival 22 – 24 August, Three Brothers Burgers, Welsh Back Following its successful debut last year, Apple Bros will be returning for another year of boats, burgers, beers and cider. There will be local bands and DJs, face painting, glitter and family fun. Tickets are free, optional donation to Bristol Drugs Project.

The Three Musketeers 22 – 24 August, times vary, Bristol Old Vic Prepare for a hilarious new comedy adventure that will have you rolling with laughter from here to the French countryside. Armed only with a baguette and his questionable steed, join hot-headed D’Artagnan as he travels to Paris full of misplaced bravado to become a musketeer. Will things go to plan? It’s unlikely.

With four actors and more than 30 characters, expect a crazily chaotic adventure for all the family. From £13; bristololdvic.org.uk Producers Market 25 August, 10am, Tobacco Factory This thriving community market features around 40 food and craft stalls including a carefully selected range of produce, prepared, harvested, cooked, baked, designed and made in the local area. There’s a strong emphasis on ethical, eco-friendly, fair trade, organic and local products; plus activities for the kids from 11.30am – 2pm; tobaccofactory.com Fizz and fondue 25 August, 2 – 5pm, Prince Street Social The bank holiday weekend just got a whole lot more interesting. Head to Prince Street Social and enjoy a glass of prosecco on arrival, followed by a pot of cheesy goodness to share with your friends. £20pp. Minimum of four people per party. Booking essential; princestreetsocial.com The Gavin and Stacey Pub Quiz 26 August, 7.30pm, The Fleece OH, what’s occurring?! Do you know your Cinzano from your chicken bhuna? Have you really never been to Chieveley services? Think you’re the ultimate fan of Gavin and Stacey?

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Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test at this ultimate quiz night. Teams of six, £30 a table, a shot of Cinzano per person included, all ages welcome; thefleece.co.uk Early Man outdoor screening 27 August, 7.30 – 10pm, Museum Square, M Shed Bring along your cushions, blankets and favourite cinema snacks for this special outdoor screening of Early Man to coincide with M Shed’s latest exhibition Aardman: Animating Early Man. The exhibition will stay open late so you can see how plucky caveman Dug and his tribe were created from scratch. Free, donations welcome.

Steve Gunn 29 August, 8pm, The Exchange Drawing inspiration from the likes of Basho, Bull, Chapman, and Sharrock, New Yorkbased guitarist and songwriter Steve Gunn has produced volumes of critically acclaimed solo, duo, and ensemble recordings over his 15-year career. His 2014 offering, Way Out Weather, was described by The Guardian as “cosmic Americana”. 14+. £13.63; colstonhall.org West Country Quilt and Textile Show 29 – 31 August, 10am – 4.30pm, UWE Exhibition and Conference Centre Now in its fifth consecutive year; there will be more than 100 exhibitors including traders, artists, guilds, groups, competition quilts and other displays. Many textile and needlework techniques will be showcased including modern, contemporary and traditional quilts, dress making, embroidery, tapestry weaving, lace making, embroidery, eco-dying, crochet, and other quilting and needlework techniques. £12 on the door, £2 off advance tickets using the code QBM; westcountryquiltshow.co.uk The Downs Festival 31 August, The Downs The city’s largest one-day music festival returns for its fourth year with a line-up featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones and Bristol’s own IDLES. There will be live music, performances, art and talks throughout the

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day, with plenty of food and stalls to explore.

You can also pre-book a picnic box jampacked with delicious local items sourced by Picnic Catering, or try out the six-course festival menus in The Dining Tent. £15/£55 plus booking fees; thedownsbristol.com Iford Arts: L’elisir d’amore – Donizetti 31 August and 3, 6, 7 September, 7.30pm, Belcombe Court, Bradford on Avon Enjoy Donizetti’s comic masterpiece L’elisir d’amore in the beautiful surroundings of Belcombe Court. Bashful village boy Nemorino is besotted with the wealthy Adina but she rejects him. His desperation deepens when Adina apparently falls for a handsome man in a uniform. In abject misery he turns to the dreadful and dazzling quack Dr Dulcamara for a love potion… Gates open for picnics from 5.30pm. £130, under 18s go free; ifordarts.org.uk

PLANNING AHEAD The Coffee House Project 7 & 8 September, opening times vary, The Passenger Shed The first of its kind in Bristol, this is a caffeine-fuelled festival celebrating the local artisan roasters, independent food and drink retailers and home-grown baristas that champion all things coffee. There will be 50 exhibitors on show, plus workshops, talks, street food and live music. On the Saturday night, the official CHP party will kick off with espresso martinis, craft beers and local spirits. £13; thecoffeehouseproject.co.uk Disney’s The Lion King 7 September – 23 November, times vary, Bristol Hippodrome Set against the majesty of the Serengeti Plains and to the evocative rhythms of Africa, this multi award-winning musical uses breathtaking masks and puppetry to create theatrical magic. At its heart is the powerful and moving story of Simba – the epic adventure of his journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role as king. Ages six plus.

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BOOKS

Summer reading

Sun cream? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Reading material? Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered. Here are some essential books to squeeze into your suitcase this summer

VALUE

Convenience Store Woman

Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, £8.99, paperback, Granta Books Keiko is 36 years old. She’s never had a boyfriend, and she’s been working in the same supermarket for 18 years. Her family wants her to get a proper job.

Her friends wonder why she won’t get married. But Keiko knows what makes her happy, and she’s not letting anyone come between her and her convenience store… An English language debut for Sayaka Murata, this Japanese bestseller is just 176 pages, making it ideal as a short yet exciting read for the poolside.

Erebus: The Story of a Ship

Early in Queen Victoria’s reign, HMS Erebus undertook two of the most ambitious naval expeditions of all time. She first ventured further south than any human had ever been. On the second journey, she vanished with her 129-strong crew in the wastes of the Canadian Arctic. Her fate remained a mystery for more than 160 years.

Then in September 2014 her wreck was discovered at the bottom of the Canadian Arctic.

Monty Python legend and globetrotter Michael Palin brings this ship’s extraordinary history back to life, following its epic voyages to its catastrophic ending.

Leading Men

Christopher Castellani, £8.99, paperback, Orion Shedding light on one of the greatest love stories of the 20th century, Castellani reflects on the desires, ambitions and charm of the glamorous literary circles of 1950s Italy. In July 1953, at a glittering party in Portofino, American playwright Tennessee Williams and his longtime lover Frank Merlo meet Anja Blomgren, a quiet young Swedish beauty and aspiring actress, and this encounter alters their lives forever. Covering half a century, Leading Men explores the burdens of fame, the acting world, and living in the shadows of greatness.

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The Most Fun We Ever Had

Claire Lombardo, £16.99, hardback, Orion Described as one of the most anticipated summer reads, this gripping debut explores complex family dynamics, parenthood and hidden secrets. Spanning nearly half a century, and set against the quintessential American backdrop of Chicago, The Most Fun We Ever Had follows the Sorenson family. At a family wedding, loved-up parents Marilyn and David look on at their four daughters, each of whom are battling their own difficulties and anxieties, fearing they might never find the same kind of love that their parents share. 16 years later, the sisters’ already troubled lives are thrown into turmoil when a teenage boy who was put up for adoption years ago unexpectedly appears in their lives, and family stories of infidelity, resentment and laughter are revealed.

DISCOVER

Michael Palin, £8.99, paperback, Cornerstone

RELISH

REFLECT

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The Lido

CHAMPION

Libby Page, £7.99, paperback, Orion Featured in the Guardian’s round-up of the best new faces of fiction in 2018, this feel-good read follows Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26 – dreamers, campaigners and outdoor swimmers. Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but the world around her is changing. Only the local lido where she swims remains a reminder of the past and her beloved husband. Local journalist Kate has just moved to the area, determined to climb the career ladder. When the lido is threatened with closure, Kate sees this as an ideal story opportunity, but for Rosemary it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand and prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim – it’s the heart of the community. This is a tale of loneliness, belonging and reconnecting with the world and people around us.

LAUGH

Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors Matt Parker, £20, hardback, Penguin

What makes a bridge wobble when it’s not meant to? Or how do billions of dollars mysteriously vanish? The answer is maths. Or what happens when maths goes wrong. Mathematician and comedian Matt Parker explores and explains a whole host of glitches, near-misses and mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman empire and a hapless Olympic shooting team. Discover the bizarre ways maths trips us up and find out about its essential place in the world. This is the first ever maths book to make it as a number one bestseller and it will have you laughing, debating and challenging the maths that makes up our world. n

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FURTHER LEARNING

GET ON COURSE

Who said old dogs can’t learn new tricks? Here’s a few adult courses available around the city if you’re in the market to take up a new pursuit, challenge or discover that hidden talent and add to your bow

HOTPOD YOGA

GIFT FRIPPERY

Following rave reviews in Vogue, Women’s Health and The Huffington Post, to name just a few, Hotpod Yoga has become a huge hit – this is yoga in its most potent form.

Expect to sweat harder, stretch further and immerse yourself deeper. The warmth of the pod (a sultry 37º) and the physicality of the flows will work your body, while the dim lights, heady aromas and immersive soundscapes will calm your busy mind. The classes cater to all abilities as the Hotpod teachers provide a wide range of variations to all positions. Their hands-on approach to teaching gives everyone plenty of one-onone time, ensuring students feel supported and encouraged to deepen and expand their practice. Use the discount code BRISTOLMAG for a free first class.

Have you ever longed to gift wrap with style but not known how to? Amanda White, from Gift Frippery, has all the secrets and there is nothing she likes more than inspiring others. At every two-hour workshop she provides quality papers and real ribbon for you to work with, and each workshop is a mixture of hands-on fun and demonstrations. You can choose your own workshop from the giftfrippery website and in the autumn there will be a newly designed course particularly for book groups.

Find Gift Frippery on Instagram where there are also IGTV videos to help you wrap.

• Unit 2, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN; 07872 910358; hotpodyoga.com/studios/bristol

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FURTHER LEARNING

CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AT THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY For anyone wanting to improve their photography skills, the Royal Photographic Society offers a range of workshops designed to develop both computer-based and practical photographic abilities.

As well as an inspirational gallery, the RPS’s new building, located at Paintworks in Bristol, is equipped with a digital darkroom and is used for one or two-day workshops including Lightroom and Photoshop. For those wanting to develop their cameras skills across subjects as diverse as street, architectural, garden, night-time shooting or baby photography it uses nearby studios and locations.

• Find out more at: www.rps.org/workshops

CLIFTON WINE SCHOOL

Image: Portraiture workshop / Simon Ellingworth

Clifton Wine School is a local, independent wine education company which specialises in hosting wine tastings and wine courses in Bristol and Bath. Courses are open to everyone and no previous wine tasting experience is necessary. The school is owned and run by Ruth Wiles DipWSET, who has completed the WSET diploma qualification and is a qualified educator and assessor with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Wine courses and wine tastings focus on learning about the tipple in a fun, relaxed and informal environment. There are numerous courses taking place throughout the coming months, during the evenings and at weekends in central locations in Bristol and Bath. Options include introduction-to-wine evenings, food pairing, the chance to focus on individual wine regions, WSET awards and eight-week ‘World of Wine’ courses. Cheers!

• 0117 3706576; info@cliftonwineschool.com; cliftonwineschool.com

LEARN TO STITCH WITH THE EXPERTS The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), famous worldwide for its expertise in hand embroidery, teaches in Bristol. The school offers a range of embroidery courses for beginners through to the advanced, in everything from stunning goldwork and silk shading to traditional Jacobean and blackwork. Students can choose to study day classes and the certificate and diploma in technical hand embroidery. The RSN’s close links with royalty started when it was founded in 1872, and still continue to today with its skilled embroiderers and tutors stitching the wedding dress of the Duchess of Cambridge and The Queen’s coronation robe.

• 8 Old School House, Kingswood Estate, Bristol BS15 8DB; 020 3166 6938; royal-needlework.org.uk

CREATIVE GLASS GUILD Creative Glass Guild in Bristol offers a wide range of courses in glass art. Whether you’re looking for a new hobby or hoping to develop your existing skills in glass, they’ve got a course for you – from introductory sessions in stained glass, glass fusing and slumping, glass painting and bead making, through to masterclasses with internationally celebrated tutors. There are more than 40 courses to choose from and all are run from their studios in St Philips. Give the team a call to find out more information or to request a brochure and take a look at their website.

• 0117 958 8820; info@creativeglassguild.co.uk; creativeglassguild.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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FURTHER LEARNING

BRISTOL BOTANIC GARDENS The University of Bristol Botanic Garden offers professional RHS courses for those who are looking to further their career or interest in gardening and horticulture, as well as a wide variety of short courses and workshops. Set in a fantastic location within the beautiful garden, the teaching rooms provide a calm and tranquil environment away from the demands of everyday life. Upcoming short courses include herb workshops, photography at twilight, and seasonal autumn gardening. Keen horticulturalists can add to their continuing professional development by studying the L3 Royal Horticultural Society evening courses starting in September 2019. For full details please visit the website.

• botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk

THE COLLEGE OF NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE CNM has a 20-year track record of training successful practitioners in natural therapies, in class and online. There is a wide range of courses available here in Bristol, at diploma and post-graduate level, as well as short courses. The CNM course range is extensive, covering areas such as nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, cooking for health and food photography. David Kirby (below), CNM naturopathic nutrition student, decided to retrain after many years as a London black cab driver, poor health and a stressful lifestyle. He has found the experience to be lifechanging and is relishing the opportunity to pass on the positive benefits of natural medicine as a naturopathic nutritionist. Head to the website to find out more and discover where your potential lies.

RWA DRAWING SCHOOL

• 01342 410 505; naturopathy-uk.com

Set in the beautiful RWA gallery, the RWA Drawing School is a hub for adult creativity in the centre of Bristol. Led by brilliant tutors, be inspired by the opulent Grade-II building and changing exhibitions. Try your hand at sketching from a live model at portrait and figure drawing (starts 23 September) and the life drawing drop-in (starts 2 October).

Otherwise, you might dip your toe into a range of shorter workshops for all abilities, including Illustration for Picture Books (24 September – 22 October) and Mexican Printmaking (6 – 20 September); embrace the unique approach of the master print-makers of Mexican history.

• 0117 9735129; drawingschool@rwa.org.uk; rwa.org.uk/drawing-school

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE IH Bristol is part of a worldwide group of more than 150 language schools that are passionate about providing excellence in language courses. With over 30 years’ experience, International House guarantees a professional service, with modern foreign language courses designed for students of all ages, levels and learning styles. Courses are based in Queen’s Avenue in Clifton and are taught in an immersive style, with little or no English spoken during classes, which has been proven to be the best way to learn. There are various ways to study, including conversation classes, book clubs and group classes or a combination of methods.

The school also offers one-to-one classes, study abroad and in-company learning.

So whether it’s Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese or Welsh that takes your fancy, new worlds await...

• 0117 9067660; info@ihbristol.com; ihbristol.com

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FURTHER LEARNING

THE MAKERSHED The Makershed is a creative space for doing, making and learning new skills. The workshop is situated within the St Pauls Learning Centre in the city centre and whatever your level of experience you’re assured a friendly welcome within a supportive learning and making environment. Go take part in workshops and courses in traditional hand-tool woodworking, furniture making, tool maintenance, pallet wood workshops, upholstery, upcycling or DIY. The Makershed welcomes complete beginners and more seasoned makers alike. There are courses on weekdays, evenings and weekends, with concession rates available for weekday classes if you are in receipt of income-related benefits. Course dates for September – December 2019 are available now for booking through the website.

LEARN TO BUILD YOUR OWN KAYAK

• 07599 670365; hello@themakershedbristol.co.uk; themakershedbristol.co.uk

Lightweight, beautiful and strong; skin-on-frame boatbuilding combines traditional construction with modern materials. Over a week, you’ll learn to hand-cut joints and steam-bend oak to form your kayak’s custom-fitted wooden frame; lashing and pegging it together without any nails or glue. Then you’ll sew, colour and coat the skin with a high-strength coating, before paddling away!

Working from the historic Underfall Boatyard, you’ll be a chiselthrow away from the slipway and pumps that have powered Bristol’s floating harbour since the 1800s. It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert craftsperson or complete novice. Go along, make memories and learn new skills.

• Contact Ant Mace at Shipshape Boatbuilding; 07949 546662; hello@shipshape.works; shipshape.works

100 DAILY WORKSHOPS EVENT

AT CRAFT4CRAFTERS SHOW, BATH & WEST SHOWGROUND

Go along to the Craft4Crafters show 17 – 19 October and learn a fabulous new skill with a huge variety of workshops to choose from. There will be felting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, needlecraft, batik, stitch and embellishment with textiles, weaving and spinning, macramé, creative glass, paper shades, Powertex sculptures, wire jewellery making, papercraft, stamping, marbling, hobby craft and so much more. Plus, find over 150 stands from the finest craft and textile suppliers and an extra hall with an incredible quilt and textile exhibition including a stunning embroidered White Walker from Game of Thrones. For further details go to website below and book your tickets now.

• craft4crafters.co.uk

THE BRISTOL BREWERY SCHOOL Try your hand at brewing craft ales at The Bristol Brewery School, where you will receive the highest quality training delivered in a fun, unstuffy and practical way with inspiring beer knowledge and a full range of beer courses. Naturally there will be plenty of opportunity to taste some of the finest beer with the head brewer and expert tutors who make it in the tap room. There’s a variety of courses of different levels and lengths, from fun tasting sessions, crash-course brewing for beginners and how to set up your own microbrewery, right up to a five-day, internationally recognised qualification in general brewing.

• 07837 976 871; info@bristolbreweryschool.co.uk; bristolbreweryschool.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART Here and There, The Guild Gallery, 17 August – 7 September Paintings, drawings and prints that explore the landscapes of the UK and Spain, from prolific Bristol painter Paul Needles. Comparisons are drawn between the lush landscapes of the West Country and the rugged Tramuntana mountains of Mallorca, between the waves and sun-drenched beaches of the costas of southern Spain and the waterways of Britain. Concentrating on light and colour, the paintings draw the onlooker into the scene and engage them with the same excitement felt by the artist. Includes drawings and studies; some made in situ, others from photographs. Many of the studies are preludes to some of the larger pieces but others stand in their own right.

• bristolguildgallery.co.uk

Weston Super Mare 2019

Clifton Arts Summer Open, The Undercroft, 3 – 18 August For the 110th year, Clifton Arts’ free summer open exhibition will showcase the work of hundreds of artists from Bristol and further afield. As last year it will be at the ‘Undercroft’ beneath the Victoria Methodist Church on Whiteladies Road, alongside the RWA. Over 350 original pieces of work will be on show, with paintings and sculptures dominating the event. Clifton Arts has a membership of well over 200 and they contribute about a half of all the exhibits, but the exhibition is open to all artists: amateur, part-time and full-time professional. It is a great opportunity for the artists to have their work hung and displayed and seen by thousands. And there are prizes awarded by independent judges drawn from the city’s top art experts. While it has a long lineage, it is always fresh and full of surprises.

• cliftonartsclub.co.uk

Bright Path, until 28 September, Rainmaker Gallery

The Healing Power of Owls

by Jac Solomons

Self-taught Chickasaw artist Billy Hensley draws his inspiration from the world around him even when his paintings seem abstract. Through the shifting light of his rhythmic lines emerge twilight hues, shadowy forms and creatures of the natural world. The bold stripes of his canvases reference the appliqué embellishments of ‘ribbon shirts’ and ‘ribbon skirts’ widely worn by Native tribes today. This colourful attire is a way to celebrate and assert Indigenous individual and collective identity, and combat the invisibility of Native peoples in North America. A visually rich exhibition that hints at the countless lives lived by Indigenous people whose stories, both everyday and inspirational, have frequently been eclipsed by layers of colonial indifference and oppression. Hensley challenges us to look more deeply into the world that surrounds us in order to appreciate the lives and lifeforms often obscured and overlooked. Please note that the gallery will be closed from 11 August – 2 September.

• rainmakerart.co.uk

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Linear Study II by Billy Hensley

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EXHIBITIONS Alex Rotas (image by Happy Hour Productions)

No Limits, College Green, 1 – 28 August Photographs showing that age is no barrier to active living on display as part of a new drive to persuade older people to make bolder keep-fit choices. The free outdoor exhibition, mounted by Active Ageing Bristol, showcases images by Bristol photographer Alex Rotas, of international champion athletes aged from 55 to 100-plus and of locals participating in fitness activities. “My pictures of elite older athletes are proof that at 60, 70, 80, 90 and above the human body is capable of a lot more than most of us think,” says Alex. “But I recognise we can’t all be recordbeaters and medal winners. So, I am also exhibiting images of everyday Bristol seniors demonstrating that it’s possible to gain physical, mental and social benefits from any level of physical activity.” The oldest of the athletes featured is Man Kaur, still competing internationally as a shot putter at 103; another is Bristol’s Anne Dockery, a member of the GB team which topped the medal table at the most recent World Masters Athletics Championships in Spain.

• alexrotasphotography.co.uk; activeageingbristol.co.uk

Linda Brothwell: Conversations in Making, Stonehenge, until 24 November See the first contemporary art exhibition at Stonehenge, featuring 40 works in silver and copper, made by Linda Brothwell in her Bristol studio on Spike Island. The show is inspired by Stonehenge, the prehistoric objects found in the landscape around it and by conversations with present-day Image by Jo Hounsome makers and tradespeople working in the area – from a thatcher to a tattooist, a cobbler to a leather worker and a key cutter to a hairdresser.

Space Steps, Royal Photographic Society, until 29 September An exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing – one of humankind’s most extraordinary adventures.

The exhibition explores the journey of Apollo 11, illustrated by some of the Apollo prep most remarkable images ever © NASA captured on film. It also traces the story of the earlier Mercury and Gemini space missions and the Apollo programme up to 1969, paying tribute to the crucial role that women played. Recognising the importance of space exploration today and providing a contemporary focus, the exhibition will present Ascension, an interactive installation by Mexican-British photographer Monica Alcazar-Duarte, exploring how space scientists working in facilities across Europe, are engaging in a new space race.

• rps.org

• english-heritage.org.uk

Cornwall Continuum: Post-War to Present Day, Clifton Contemporary Art, 8 – 29 August The group of artists that settled in Penwith during the 1950s were among the leading British modernists of their era. Explore the lines of influence and inspiration between post-war and contemporary Cornish art that continue to resonate through the decades. From Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and Barbara Hepworth, to Maggie Matthews, Tony Scrivener, Masako Tobita and Andrew Bird, the gallery will reveal the relationship between people, place, time and the elements playing across them.

• cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

Cornish Harbour by Tony Scrivener

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FOOD & Drink

TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS Shop and stop for a summery bite

TO MARKET, TO MARKET! Harvey Nichols’ Second Floor Restaurant has launched its ‘Summer Market’ Menu – featuring three sun-drenched dishes and a refreshing cocktail for £23. Created using seasonal ingredients sourced locally, the menu features three starters, three mains and three desserts. Choose between dishes such as seared Charentais melon, feta cheese and sherry dressing to start, followed by crispy pork belly, roasted minted courgettes and spiced roast pepper sauce and a griddled peach pavlova with mascarpone cream to finish. To round things off, those who dine from the menu will be offered a complimentary cocktail – Cherry Blossom Negroni with Roku gin, a Tokyo Highball with Toki whisky or a Kyoto Mule with Haku vodka – to cleanse the palate between courses.

The menu is available until 29 September, Tuesday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm. To book, email reception.bristol@harveynichols.com or call 0117 916 8898.

ROSETTES IN AZTEC WEST

• harveynichols.com Tandoori monkfish for us, please

Newly relaunched restaurant The Curious Kitchen at the Aztec Hotel and Spa has been awarded a second AA rosette for executive head chef Marc Payne’s new menu.

Marc has used traditional techniques such as smoking, curing and pickling to ensure everything is homemade and brings out the best of local produce. “This was a well-balanced menu showing sound technical skill,” said the AA inspector. “The accuracy of cooking along with the balance of flavours all exceeded the current one AA rosette award in place.”

Gareth Ireland, hotel GM, added: “Over the last two years we have transformed our restaurant – from the décor through to the menu. I am delighted for The Curious Kitchen team who all work tirelessly to produce this exquisite level of dining experience.”

TOUR THE SUBCONTINENT

• aztechotelbristol.co.uk/food-drink

Clifton’s Mint Room has launched a special new menu to take diners on a tour of the vast subcontinent, without the need to leave the city. Executive chef Saravanan Nambirajan has conjured his most creative menu yet, featuring the likes of Sri Lankan-style lobster with rice noodles, wild rabbit with crispy dosa and tandoori grilled monkfish with mango salad and caviar. His dishes are as easy on the eye as they are delicious and there’s a standalone gluten-free and vegan menu too. And while Indian desserts aren’t usually anything to write home about, the Bombay mess and Indian-inspired cocktails are not to be skipped.

• mintroom.co.uk

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Homeslice!

Brilliant Bristol baker Briony May shares what she’s been making this month

A

cocktail with a side helping of prosecco: oh, go on then!

Having been the most popular cocktail in the UK in 2018, the Pornstar Martini continues to be in high demand. Made up of passion fruit liqueur, vanilla vodka and lime served with a shot of fizz, it was invented in a London bar back in 1999 and its name was designed to be provocative and get those ordering it out of their comfort zone. I love a cocktail-based bake so after some thought, I decided this combination would make for a delicious cheesecake with lime zest in the base and fresh passion fruit; accompany with some bubbly!

Pornstar Martini Cheesecake 200g oaty biscuits 85g unsalted butter, melted Zest of 2 fresh limes and juice of 1 lime 650g cream cheese, room temperature 200g caster sugar 150ml soured cream 2 tbsp cornflour 2 medium eggs and 1 medium yolk, beaten Passoa passion fruit liqueur; 4 tbsp then 2 tbsp (optional) 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 passion fruits, seeds scooped out Topping: 3 passion fruits, seeds scooped out 2 tbsp Passoa passion fruit liqueur (optional) Juice of 1 lime 1 passion fruit, cut in half Method: • Heat oven: 180°C fan. Grease and line an 8-inch spring form tin.

• Bash biscuits with a rolling pin. In a bowl, mix butter, lime zest, juice and biscuits. Press into base of tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside. Turn oven down to 160°C. • Mix together cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth. Mix together soured cream and cornflour in a small bowl. Add to cream cheese mixture. Mix to combine. Add eggs. Mix to combine. Add 4 tbsp Passoa liqueur and vanilla extract.

• Pour over base. Mix passion fruit seeds, 2 tbsp Passoa and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Pour in a circle into the cream cheese.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Turn oven off, crack open door and leave cheesecake to cool in open oven. Chill for 2 hours.

• Mix fruit seeds, lime and Passoa in a bowl. Heat on low to reduce liquid for 5 minutes. Remove cheesecake from tin. Spread seeds over cheesecake. Top with halves of remaining passionfruit. ■ • Follow Briony @brionymaybakes. Illustration by Cat Faulkner THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | HARBOURSIDE

the delicious guide the best places in Bristol to eat, drink and enjoy ‘Spoilt for choice’ is a bit of a cliché, but it couldn’t be more appropriate when looking for places to eat in and around Bristol – whether we’re grabbing some street food on the go, embellishing a mate date with coffee and cake, satisfying an impromptu supper urge, or wining and dining a loved one by candlelight. Here, we share with you the places we’re desperate to try out or return to. Tuck in to the delicious guide for a summer 2019 round-up of some top culinary spots in the city...

CASAMIA The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol BS1 6SY Tel: 0117 959 2884 Web: casamiarestaurant.co.uk We’d be very surprised if this little culinary jewel wasn’t already on your radar. With only nine tables, Casamia is an intimate, family-run restaurant serving a daily tasting menu that changes depending on the seasonal offerings available – it is also recognised as one of Bristol’s most highly regarded dining experiences. This Michelin-starred venue is housed in a beautiful listed building, overlooking the water in Bathurst Basin. Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and his team have been creating innovative, epigrammatic dishes that reflect the uniqueness and diversity of Bristol since 1999. Among its many accolades, Casamia was voted first place in Hardens 100 and eighth in The Good Food Guide 2019. Pre-booking is crucial.

ADELINA YARD Queen Quay, Welsh Back, Bristol BS1 4SL Tel: 0117 911 2112 Web: adelinayard.com Tucked away in the Welsh Back area of the harbour, this hidden foodie gem is chic yet unpretentious. The brainchild of chefs Jamie Randall and Olivia Barry, Adelina Yard is an imaginative restaurant transforming locally sourced, seasonal produce into sophisticated modern European dishes, all served in a humble, intimate setting overlooking the quay. Choose from the lunch menu, a la carte or tasting menu, where each ingredient is treated with the utmost care, from farm to fork. For an integrated fine dining experience, and to witness the buzz of the kitchen, book the chef’s table which seats up to six guests.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | HARBOURSIDE

NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE 1 Canon’s Road, Bristol BS1 5UH Tel: 0117 929 1100 Web: no1harbourside.co.uk This buzzing venue takes deliciousness seriously. The team says: “Our mums always told us not to rush our food and that’s why we like the ‘slow food’ philosophy – food that’s delicious, with no nasties and a fair price to producers”. They enjoy serving up meat dishes, but think it should be a treat, so the menu includes a range of vegetarian, gluten free and vegan options too. Guests can also fill up on bar snacks and cakes – perfect with No. 1’s locally roasted coffee. They have been awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s highest rating of three stars in recognition of their sourcing policy, how they dispose of waste, their use of renewable energy, commitments to staff and for being an active member of the community.

BROKEN DOCK

PACO TAPAS

Millennium Promenade, Bristol BS1 5SY Tel: 0117 325 0898 Web: brokendock.co.uk

The General, Lower Guinea Street, Bristol BS1 6SY Tel: 0117 925 7021 Web: pacotapas.co.uk

The team behind independently run Broken Dock care about quality. They’re known for cooking their entire menu ready to order and sourcing ingredients locally around Bristol. Thanks to the city’s ever-changing and competitive standard of dining, the team has learned, along the way, how to really stand out among the restaurant crowd. Lounge beside the water on a sunny evening, overlooking Brunel’s SS Great Britain and Ashton Court and see for yourself why this is the ideal space to relax while enjoying high quality dishes.

Whether you’re brunching with friends in the day, dining with your loved one at night or trying the award-winning Sunday roasts with the family, Broken Dock has got you covered.

Inspired by Basque-style barbecue, Paco Tapas brings the tastes and flavours of Andalusia to the city of Bristol. Winning its first Michelin star less than one year after opening, it has quickly become a popular spot to indulge in modern Spanish cuisine. Found next door to Casamia (and owned by the same family), this bold and invigorating venue serves traditional, elegant tapas, and cocktails blended with some of the finest regional sherries – just ask the chef’s father, Paco, who the restaurant is named after. Whether you are coming in for para picar, an evening cocktail or some exquisite small plates, Paco Tapas is the perfect harbour dining experience.

THE PUMP HOUSE Merchants Road, Bristol BS8 4PZ Tel: 0117 927 2229 Web: the-pumphouse.com At the quiet end of the harbour, where the docks meet the River Avon, sits The Pump House – a stylish gastropub that once operated as a pumping station during the Victorian era. Chef Toby Gritten took over more than a decade ago, and the venue has grown from strength to strength ever since.

It offers a seasonally changing a la carte menu, bespoke tasting menus (served Monday to Saturday, with 48 hours noticed required) and very popular Sunday roasts. And with more than 400 types of gin on the menu, it’s always gin-o’clock at this venue. The Pump House offers gin dinners and foraging experiences led by Toby, and garnishes are handpicked from its own greenhouse. Available for private hire.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | HARBOURSIDE

RIVERSTATION The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB Tel: 0117 914 4434 Web: riverstation.co.uk Riverstation, known for being the former headquarters of Bristol’s riverside police, features an all-day café/bar downstairs, a glass-fronted restaurant upstairs and ample terrace space to enjoy breathtaking views of the river.

A seasonal, no-frills menu is on offer, serving British classics with a twist of elegance. Dishes can be accompanied by a fine selection of local beers and ciders, an international wine list or a well-crafted cocktail menu. Private hire is available on the pontoon and restaurant for larger groups, or in an exclusive dining room for smaller parties. Perfect for any occasion, whether you are after a coffee by the river or a place to celebrate a special occasion.

GLASSBOAT Welsh Back, Bristol BS1 4SB Tel: 0117 332 3971 Web: glassboat.co.uk The Glassboat was never meant to be a restaurant – in fact, it started out as a working barge in the 1920s, then became a floating botanical garden in the ‘80s. Today, the venue is considered one of the best dining spots in Bristol, not only for its panoramic views of the waterside – and not just because it is on a boat – but because it serves some of the most exquisite French and English cuisine in the city. It is also available for full private hire, is licensed to hold weddings and civil ceremonies, and is open seven days a week.

Perfect for any occasion, whether it’s lunch with a business colleague, a romantic dinner, or a sophisticated private party.

SEVERNSHED The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB Tel: 0117 925 1212 Web: severnshedrestaurant.co.uk Rumoured to have once been the private boathouse of 19th-century engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, today the Severnshed is a chic and stylish restaurant serving a mixture of British and international food, including charcuterie, burgers, grills, risotto and seafood.

Open 12pm to 11pm Sunday – Thursday and 9am to 1am Friday – Saturday, this venue is ideal for breakfast and brunch meetings, lunchtime light bites, as well as evening meals and two-for-one cocktails. What’s more, you can dine right on the river enjoying superb views of the harbourside.

GRAIN BARGE Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4RU Tel: 0117 929 9347 Web: grainbarge.com Enjoy craft ales and locally made pies in a pub is enviably situated on a converted barge with large windows for fine views of the river. Ample space and frequent live music continue to attract locals and visitors to this buzzing spot. Having started out as a working barge in 1936, used to transport barley and wheat – hence the name – the Grain Barge is now moored up on the opposite side of the river from Brunel’s SS Great Britain. This venue can cater for up to 20 guests and the Hold Bar can be exclusively hired for private functions with up to 100 guests.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | WAPPING WHARF

ROOT Unit, 9 Cargo 1, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WP Tel: 0117 930 0260 Web: eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk/root Root puts vegetables at the heart of every meal, serving regional fresh meat and fish as side options in its innovative dishes. Head chef Rob Howell celebrates all things natural, local and sustainable, and aims to apply this ethos to his work at every stage. Expect small plates such as cheese and onion arancini, beetroot with blackberries, hazelnuts and seaweed or spiced potato gnocci with courgette and peas. Root has a terrace overlooking the harbour and has become a popular spot among vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Head to the heart of Wapping Wharf, to the top of the stack of renovated cargo containers, settle in and enjoy a view of the waterfront as well as great, conscientious food.

BANDOOK Unit 17, Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf, Bristol BS1 6ZA Tel: 0117 336 2845 Web: bandookkitchen.com Head down to Cargo 2 at Wapping Wharf and you’ll stumble across this intimate Indian kitchen that takes its inspiration from the age of British rule in the subcontinent. Cosy and relaxed yet imbued with the gently faded elegance of eras gone by, Bandook’s dishes have traditional Indian street food at their heart, albeit with some 21st-century updates. From comfort food classics such as grandma’s curry, samosa chaat and crisp cauliflower pakoras to tacos, sliders and cocktails with an Indian twist, Bandook is an authentic Bristol favourite, which keeps calling you back for more.

THE ATHENIAN Unit 16, Cargo 2 First Floor, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WD Tel: 0117 408 0467 Web: theathenian.co.uk Since opening at the end of 2014, The Athenian has proven itself a culinary force at Wapping Wharf. The team here are all about serving up delicious Greek street food that’s healthy and sustainable. Souvlaki is a main focus here – skewers of grilled meat or vegetables. On the menu, you’ll also find Greek staples including gyros, oregano fries, halloumi fries, croquettes, as well as salads, dips and dessert in the form of homemade doughnut balls.

WOKY KO Unit 7, Cargo, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WP Tel: 0117 403 1698 Web: wokyko.com Woky Ko’s exciting menu has been crafted by previous MasterChef finalist Larkin Cen, and exemplifies his passion for taking traditional Asian street food, and giving it a unique, playful twist.

This cargo container turned cuisine hotspot serves up delicious fresh food in a casual, fun dining space where guests can watch the ‘wokstars’ as they cook up a sumptuous feast of noodle and rice dishes, bao buns and Xiao sharing plates. Finish off the experience with Woky Ko’s much-raved-about salted caramel ice cream bao – because there’s always room for dessert! When you’ve ticked those off, visit Woky Ko: Kaiju for ramen at Cargo 2.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | OLD CITY & CENTRE

THE OX 43 Corn Street, Bristol BS1 1HT Tel: 0117 922 1001 Web: theoxbristol.com Housed in a former basement bank vault and surrounded by Pre-Raphaelite murals, The Ox is one of the most highly celebrated steakhouses in the heart of the old city. Low lighting, warm features, and cool jazz playing in the background give this venue an intimate vibe. Steak is truly at the fore – handled by the expert chefs who cook prime cuts of meat to absolute perfection. The Ox also lays claim to a top-notch Sunday roast. The restaurant is open for lunch from 12.30 – 2.30pm, Thursday – Friday and for dinner from 5 – 10.30pm, Tuesday – Saturday. As a cousin to Hyde & Co and The Milk Thistle, there’s always an impressive array of expertly crafted cocktails, plus a range of drinks.

THE MILK THISTLE Quay Head House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 1EB Tel: 0117 929 4429 Web: milkthistlebristol.com A venue for the discerning drinker, The Milk Thistle is the sister of Bristol’s original prohibition bar, Hyde & Co. Spread across four floors and hidden in plain view right in the city centre, it’s a haven of beautiful architecture, eclectic decor and exceptional cocktails. The venue includes a clandestine hidden vault, a decadent lounge bar and The Attic; a gorgeous dining room and bar ideal for private parties, all in addition to The Parlour bar, which serves up some of the best cocktails in the city.

HARVEY NICHOLS 27 Philadelphia Street, Bristol BS1 3BZ Tel: 0117 916 8898 Web: harveynichols.com/restaurant/bristol-dining As well as all the lovely shopping one can enjoy at Harvey Nichols, the Bristol store also has one of the best gourmet food markets, a quality wine shop, and a fabulous, all-day restaurant.

With its chic setting – think gorgeous golden seating, luxurious finishes and soft lighting – it’s the perfect place to enjoy a light lunch, indulgent afternoon tea or a sumptuous dinner. It has also hosted some high-end collaborations, with the likes of Duck & Waffle and Bristol’s own Box-E. For special occasions, be sure to bag the private dining room for 12 if you can. Additionally there is, of course, every shopper’s oasis – the second-floor bar which offers a seasonally changing drinks list including great cocktails as well as wines and champagnes available by the glass. Open day and night, the restaurant and bar are accessible after the store closes via an express lift from the Penn Street entrance.

BAMBALAN Podium Level, Colston Tower, Colston Street, Bristol BS1 4XE Tel: 0117 922 1880 Web: bambalan.co.uk After bursting onto the Bristol food scene, Bambalan soon became the place to be, thanks in part to its fabulous location, allowing diners to enjoy sunset drinks, ping pong and music on a spacious terrace overlooking the city. Regular events throughout the year include the sell-out summer sessions featuring the likes of legendary DJ Norman Jay MBE and regular DJ residencies from some of Bristol’s finest. The menu – a medley of Mediterranean fare – includes their much-loved babs, flatbread pizzas, salads and wood-fired meats. As if that isn’t enough to tempt you, the cocktail menu is full of fun-loving mixes including the Bristol-themed ‘Cheers, Drive!’ and tropical Bam White Sangria.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | OLD CITY & CENTRE

THE CLOCKWORK ROSE

LA PANZA

16 St Stephen’s Street, Bristol BS1 1JR Tel: 0117 927 6869 Web: theclockworkrose.com

20–21 Lower Park Row, Bristol BS1 5BN Tel: 07985 103839 Web: facebook.com/lapanzabristol

The Clockwork Rose is Bristol’s first Steampunk cocktail bar, creating a vision of a Neo-Victorian world in a unique lounge setting. Each cocktail is inspired by the adventures of Captain Sebastian Commodore who, as legend has it, would return to The Clockwork Rose after his escapades and regale the bar with tales of his deeds. In May, The Clockwork Rose was named Best New Cocktail Bar 2019 by LUXlife magazine.

La Panza is a new café at the top of Christmas Steps. Owner Riccardo Damiani creates a rustic and laid back setting, harnessing the features of the old building, which is reminiscent of an old house in Italy.

There is a beautiful walled secret garden that gives a unique Mediterranean experience and hosts live bands and other events.

Riccardo is eager to share his excitement at building something of his own from scratch, going back to the roots of the cuisine of his childhood.

The food is genuine and authentic; the quality and simple combination of the ingredients speaks for itself. Riccardo’s wish is that customers feel at home in the unpretentious surroundings where they can experience the authenticity of the food made according to years of tradition. The menu changes every two weeks and features homemade focaccia bread sandwiches, rustic seasonal pasta dishes,

BURGER THEORY

DOUGH

37–38 St Stephen’s Street, Bristol BS1 1JX Tel: 0117 929 7818 Web: burgertheory.co.uk @burgertheoryuk

30–34 Baldwin Street, Bristol BS1 1NR Tel: 0117 450 9360 Web: doughpizzarestaurant.co.uk

Burger Theory, the creative burger people, believe that everyone deserves a good burger. From their colourful twostorey restaurant with a large outdoor seating area in the vibrant city centre, the team serve burgers inspired by world cuisine for everyone from meat eaters to vegans alike with all ingredients sourced free-range and locally. The customisable menu includes free-range chicken, pork and beef, as well as vegan patties, homemade sauces, pickles and glutenfree buns. Also serving local beers, ciders, fresh milkshakes and classic cocktails, there’s something for everyone at this relaxed and friendly Bristol independent. We’ve got a theory that you’re going to love this easygoing burger spot.

A proudly independent, family-run business, Dough combines years of expertise and the best ingredients to bring you firstrate pizza and Italian food, every time. With a focus on pizza for everyone, Dough offers 12 alternative health-giving bases, from turmeric to hemp, grano arso, multigrain and more, alongside traditional sourdough. Gluten-free and vegan pizzas are a particular speciality.

You’ll find all the classics from margheritas to marinaras alongside pizza parcels, star-shaped pizzas and gourmet specials such as The King with mozzarella, sautéed porcini mushrooms in white wine, Argentinian king prawns slow-cooked in smoked paprika, rocket pesto, truffle oil, pink pepper, parsley and lime zest, based on seaweed dough. Warm, family-friendly service, dough-spinning entertainment and plenty of Italian charm ensures that any visit is a memorable one.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | CLIFTON

BRAVAS 7 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6LD Tel: 0117 329 6887 Web: bravas.co.uk Bravas is all about freshly prepared, high quality Spanish tapas. It combines the welcoming atmosphere of a local pub and the quality of food expected in a great restaurant. The venue got its inspiration by way of frequent visits to Spain and enjoying the unpretentious and inexpensive food available there in the local tapas bars. It has a daily changing menu to ensure the best fresh and seasonal products are available. Complementing the mouth-watering tapas on offer is a fantastic range of Spanish wines and beers. Needless to say, booking is advised, although there are 16 stools in the window area for unreserved dining when spontaneous tapas are needed. Spanish sandwiches and a takeaway menu of tapas are also available.

AQUA 153 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2RF and Welsh Back, Bristol BS1 4RR Tel: 0117 973 3314 Web: aqua-restaurant.com Since opening in 1998, Bristol’s Aqua restaurants have been established as firm favourites with the city’s lovebirds. They showcase a love of Italy – both its culture and superb food. The a la carte menu is fulsome and offers a great variety of dishes from fig and mozzarella salad to breaded calamari and homemade Italian meatballs. Surprisingly, Aqua is also a purveyor of Sunday roasts – a perfect hangover cure if ever there was one. Whether dining with your other half or bringing the family, the staff will make sure you are well looked after.

BAR 44

PRIMROSE CAFE

18–20 Regent Street, Bristol BS8 4HG Tel: 0333 344 4049 @bar44bristol Web: bar44.co.uk

1 Boyce’s Avenue, Bristol BS8 4AA Tel: 0117 946 6577 Web: primrosecafe.co.uk

Opened in August 2018, Bar 44 – Tapas Y Copas has become a must-visit venue on the Bristol food scene. Offering its own award-winning take on modern Spanish tapas, doors open at midday every day and food is served until 10pm. Bar 44 has something for everyone with express business lunches, Spanish sharing roasts on Sundays, a children’s menu and an enviable Iberian drinks list. Old bank vaults have been converted into atmospheric private dining rooms for special occasions and extensive vegan and vegetarian menus prove extremely popular.

Sherry is a prominent fixture, along with an intriguing Spanish cocktail list. Relaxed, friendly and knowedgeable service allied with great food and drinks in beautiful surroundings.

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Primrose Cafe has been a Bristol favourite for almost 25 years. Nestled in the heart of Clifton Village, the café provides ideally located seating on the private roof garden, tucked away inside the cosiness of the building, or outside on the street where you can watch the world go by. Stop by for afternoon tea and cakes, or Sunday brunch – the menu has a variety of choices depending on how hungry you feel. The owners also take the time to make sure that all their produce is ethically and locally sourced.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | CLIFTON

CLIFTON LIDO & SPA Oakfield Place, Bristol BS8 2BJ Tel: 0117 933 9530 Web: lidobristol.com A cool oasis inside a courtyard of Georgian terraces, Clifton Lido is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Bristol.

Their restaurant and poolside bar are open to everyone – which is why you often see those in suits and robes sitting side by side. Overlooking the pool, the award-winning restaurant serves up tasty Mediterranean and North African food. Lunch is served from 12 –2.45pm, dinner from 6 – 9.45pm. The Swim and Eat package means you can take full advantage of the pool before tucking in to your meal. Or why not book in for a day at the spa too?

HUBBOX

PINKMANS BAKERY

113 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PB Tel: 0117 973 1090 Web: hubbox.co.uk

85 Park Street, Bristol BS1 5PJ Tel: 0117 403 2040 Web: pinkmans.co.uk

The Hubbox journey of food enlightenment started in St Ives, Cornwall, and the good food, good beer and good times have steadily worked their way up the peninsula, landing in Bristol in summer 2017. An essential stop-off for American-inspired street food, Hubbox has an extensive menu of award-winning burgers made using 21-day dry-aged Cornish rare-breed beef, New York-style hot dogs produced in the UK using 100% free-range, oak-smoked pork, and fries that are hand cut and double fried. It also stock draught and bottled craft beers as well as Origin coffee, maltshakes and soft drinks. Food and the provenance of suppliers is something it’s hugely proud of.

Pinkmans is an independently owned café specialising in sourdough baking and situated at the top of historic Park Street. The beautifully displayed bakery counter and shop add to Pinkmans’ buzzy feel, with the option to sit in the stylish café and watch the bakers hard at work in the open kitchen. Named as one of the top 25 bakeries in the UK by The Sunday Times, it offers a tempting selection of freshly baked pastries and cakes, sourdough breads, sandwiches, soups and salads. It also serves fantastic pizza from its wood oven and is fully licensed – it does a pizza, beer and soft serve icecream deal for £12 every day from 5pm. Pinkmans is most renowned for its near-legendary doughnuts, which have quite the following and sell by the tray load.

Pinkmans is open every day from early morning until late evening – weekend brunch is especially popular.

THE IVY CLIFTON BRASSERIE 42–44 Caledonia Place, Bristol BS8 4DN Tel: 0117 203 4555 Web: theivycliftonbrasserie.com The Ivy Clifton Brasseriecan be found at the centre of Clifton Village, located on the corner of Caledonia Place and The Mall. Open seven days a week, it offers accessible, all-day dining for local residents, businesses, shoppers and visitors to the area, and brings some of the familiarity of The Ivy brand to endlessly chic Clifton Village. Tables are held back for walk-ins, allowing guests to drop in throughout the day at their leisure, and the menus are all encompassing, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, light snacks and dinner; not to mention a specially created cocktail menu featuring a variety of classic and contemporary selections, all served in a relaxed and friendly environment.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | CLIFTON

CLIFTON VILLAGE FISH BAR 4 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton Village, Bristol BS8 4BP Tel: 0117 974 1894 Web: cliftonvillagefishbar.co.uk Perfect for that Friday night fish supper, the award-winning Clifton Village Fish Bar is renowned for being one of the top fish and chip shops in Bristol, and is proudly MSC certified. For the past seven years the team have been the proud owners of the five-star quality award from the National Federation of Fish Fryers for their outstanding fish and chips. What’s more, they were also awarded the Good Food Award for Fish & Chips – Gold Seal for 2018 for consistently maintaining high standards. They provide customers with exceptional quality, offering a selection of sustainably sourced fish, from Icelandic cod to fresh landings from Cornwall, alongside fresh British potatoes peeled daily.

HYDE & CO 2 Upper Byron Place, Bristol BS8 1JY Tel: 0117 929 7007 Web: hydeand.co Hidden in plain sight on Clifton Triangle is Hyde & Co, Bristol’s original prohibition bar. Find the bowler hat, knock on the door and if you’re lucky you’ll get a seat. With low lighting, a gentlemen’s club feel and eclectic decor, Hyde & Co is widely regarded as one of the city’s top cocktail joints. The current menu pays homage to Bristol’s most infamous drinking dens, both past and present, all crafted by some of the best bartenders around. We recommend the Maison Derrière!

You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time when you set foot through the door.

CLIFTON SAUSAGE

Image by Gareth Aldridge

7 Portland Street, Bristol BS8 4JA Tel: 0117 973 1192 Web: cliftonsausage.co.uk This friendly joint is showing how British food should be done. With warm interiors and a touch of class, this venue is the perfect spot for good honest grub. As the name suggests, sausages play a huge part in the dishes here, all of which are served with mash, champ (mash with spring onions) or Mash of the Day and onion gravy. However, a selection of British starters, mains and puddings ensures all tastes are catered for. The Clifton Sausage is perfect for a business meeting, lunch with friends, or a romantic dinner for two. The ideal venue for a cosy, heart-warming dining treat.

MINT ROOM 12–16 Clifton Road, Bristol BS8 1AF Tel: 0117 329 1300 Web: mintroombristol.co.uk Executive chef Saravanan Nambirajan uses his Michelin-starred background to craft exquisite dishes rooted in traditional Indian cuisine, with added creative flair. Located among the honeyed stone terraces and squares of Clifton Village, Mint Room effortlessly mixes past and present in both menu and decor. Leather seating, dark wooden furniture and vast expanses of glass are offset by tactile exposed red brick walls. Start any dining experience with a signature cocktail while you decide between the likes of south Indian style lobster meat with idiyappam or slow-cooked Wiltshire lamb shank with caramelised onion, tomato and yoghurt sauce. There are also separate gluten free and vegan menus as well as a Tour of India tasting menu with matching wine flight.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | CLIFTON

HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PH Tel: 0117 973 3926 Web: hmssbristol.com Her Majesty’s Secret Service (HMSS) began its mission in 2015 with the simple objective of uniting two reasons people go to bars – to have drinks they enjoy in an atmosphere they love too. It set its sights on providing constantly evolving, creative and fun cocktails, in a setting without pretence and always siding with humour. Menus draw inspiration from iconic British cultural elements and wit, whether the focus is espionage or landmarks from around the country, with beautifully creative beverages. Service is nice and casual yet intimate from Monday – Thursday, with the party kicking off on weekends...

BROWNS 38 Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RE Tel: 0117 930 4777 Web: browns-restaurants.co.uk Browns brasserie and bar occupies part of the old Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, which was modelled on the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Located at the top of Park Street, Browns is a popular dining spot for brunch, lunch, and dinner – all dishes are made using quality, fresh and seasonal ingredients. Their afternoon teas make for a quintessential British treat, served between 3pm and 5pm, for £16.95. For something a little different, try one of the luxury toasties or indulge in lobster risotto, prawn and crab linguine and succulent steaks.

We recommend sampling one of the delicious signature cocktails. Browns also serves up gluten free, vegetarian and vegan menus.

NOA

360 CAFE AT CLIFTON OBSERVATORY

12–13 Waterloo Street, Bristol BS8 4BT Tel: 0117 973 3212 Web: discoverclifton.co.uk/business/noa

Litfield Road, Bristol BS8 3LT Tel: 0117 974 1242 Web: cliftonobservatory.com

Noa serves both contemporary and traditional washoku (literally, ‘food of Japan’) – fresh ingredients are seared at high temperature to seal in natural flavours. On the menu you will find traditional starters like miso, wakame salad, as well as crispy tempura, tonkatsu, harumaki and sashimi cut and served in an array of styles depending on the fish you choose.

And of course, sushi is created by highly-skilled chefs and accompanied by a choice of side dishes. Diners can choose to sit in their cosy Manga lounge or the Gojira dining area and cocktail bar.

Enjoy a meal with a view at the newly opened 360 Cafe, at the Clifton Observatory. The café offers both indoor and outdoor seating, overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Avon Gorge and the city of Bristol. Visitors are invited to snack on a variety of locally sourced refreshments (sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and pasta and salad pots), indulge in some lovely cakes or sip a nice coffee and gaze out at the scenery that surrounds. If it’s a nice day, head on up to the roof terrace and enjoy breathtaking views of the area. During the summer, 360 Cafe is open seven days a week, Sunday –Wednesday 10am – 5pm and Thursday – Saturday 10am – 10pm.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | IN AND AROUND BRISTOL

THE BRISTOL FOOD TOUR Facebook: @thebristolfoodtour Email: thebristolfoodtour@gmail.com Web: thebristolfoodtour.com The Bristol Food Tour (tBFT) provides a unique opportunity to experience Bristol’s best independent businesses, hear their stories, and share historical and cultural information on their tours. They’ll take you on a culinary adventure that will leave you full of inspiration, knowledge and, most importantly, delicious food. tBFT’s friendly and personal tours include insider information about Bristol’s culinary stop-offs from expert guides, cultural and historic tidbits about the local area, and lots of different and mouthwatering foods from a variety of places. They have a range of tours running every Saturday across the city, and they take bookings for private tours in the week.

They also sell gift vouchers – the perfect present for your foodie loved ones.

THE CANTEEN 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY Tel: 0117 923 2017 Web: canteenbristol.co.uk

OTIRA 5–7 Chandos Road, Bristol BS6 6PG Tel: 0117 973 3669 Web: otira.co.uk A small, rustic, independent restaurant in Redland. New Zealand Chef owner Stephen’s love for his country is reflected in the menu, which might feature pork and puha, kina with fire pit moi mois, or partridge BBQ over juniper. Next door enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and Argentinian inspired tapas at Chandos Social Tapas Bar.

THE OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY 25 West Street, Old Market, Bristol BS2 0DF Tel: 0117 373 8199 Web: oldmarketassembly.co.uk An independent venue for people to enjoy delicious food, live music and performance art. Having received the highest rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, The Old Market Assembly is proud to offer a seasonal and sustainable flexitarian dinner menu showcasing local supplier produce with creative, flavourful dishes. A nutritious, tasty kids menu is available on holidays and weekends and the pre-theatre menu gives you plenty of time to enjoy great food before a performance. The Old Market Assembly boasts an enviable drinks list including locally distilled gins and vodkas, great Bristol brewed beers and ciders, and responsibly sourced natural and biodynamic wines. The perfect place to grab an after-work drink, or soak up the Sunday atmosphere with roast dinners served from 12 – 7.30pm every week.

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2019 sees The Canteen turn 10. The aim of this busy, popular venue was to bring ethically sourced, affordable food, locally sourced drinks and free live music to everybody, everyday – and that’s exactly what they do.

Their constantly evolving menu includes a range of vegetarian, gluten free and vegan options.

The Canteen always tries to buy locally and seasonally to support UK producers and reduce the negative impacts of importing produce.

The salad leaf comes from a small farm in Frenchay called Edible Futures, and is delivered by bicycle.

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THE DELICIOUS GUIDE | FURTHER AFIELD

THE ETHICUREAN Barley Wood Walled Garden, Long Lane, Wrington, Bristol BS40 5SA Tel: 01934 863713 Web: theethicurean.com Set within a gorgeously picturesque walled garden with breath-taking views of the North Somerset countryside, The Ethicurean can only be described as a joy for all of the senses. Taking a walk through the extensive and carefully maintained kitchen garden is a feast for the eyes in itself, but sitting down to eat in the rustic former orangery is where the love affair really begins.

Offering fantastic gastronomic delights and, somehow, value for money all at the same time, the menu changes twice daily – depending on the produce from the garden – and offers the utmost in local and seasonal produce. Highly recommended are the Sunday lunches, which have achieved almost legendary status. Book far in advance to avoid disappointment.

THATCHERS CIDER SHOP

THE CURIOUS KITCHEN

Myrtle Farm, Sandford, Somerset BS25 5RA Tel: 01934 822862 Web: thatcherscider.co.uk

Aztec Hotel and Spa, Aztec West, Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4TS Tel: 01454 201090 Web: aztechotelbristol.co.uk/food-drink

Thatchers Cider Shop, right at the heart of Myrtle Farm, has its rustic shelves brimming with every single one of the ciders from its range. From the Cider Barn special vintages, to sparkling apple wine Thatchers Family Reserve; from a new five-litre keg of Thatchers Gold, to bottles of Old Rascal and Green Goblin – they’re all in pride of place. Of course the Cider Shop wouldn’t be the same without the team’s traditional ciders in their barrels – try before you buy straight from the tap. For a special occasion, choose from a range of baskets and gift boxes.

Newly relaunched restaurant, The Curious Kitchen in Almondsbury, is bringing ageold traditions back to the forefront with its Britishinspired menu. Showcasing the team’s skills, the menu is influenced by classic techniques, such as smoking, curing and pickling. From infused mayonnaise to cured or smoked meats and fish, these much-loved practices bring out the best of the local produce throughout the Kitchen’s menu. Recently awarded 2 AA Rosettes, The Curious Kitchen is located in the modern Aztec Hotel and Spa, and is the perfect place for weekday dinners, weekend family catch-ups and leisurely afternoon teas. The al fresco terrace is perfect for summer dining, while the Garden Room hosts up to 24 people for private dining events.

BEESE’S RIVERSIDE BAR Wyndham Crescent, Bristol BS4 4SX Tel: 0117 977 7412 Web: beeses.co.uk Beese’s riverside bar is a real hidden gem, situated in a secluded spot along the banks of the River Avon. A firm favourite among locals and visitors alike, and reachable by a charming little ferryboat in Conham, it’s the perfect place to whet your whistle, watch the boats cruising up and down the water, and escape the busyness of Bristol city centre. Sandwiches, snacks and salads are on the menu, as well as a range of mains and desserts – and a Sunday roast that’s spoken about city-wide. On a Friday night, come along and dance the night away while bands play live music. Beese’s is also available for wedding receptions and exclusive private hire. This is a particularly popular spot during the summer months. ■

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FOOD | TECHNOLOGY

?

D O O F F O O R P E R FUTU Nick Flaherty finds out more about the amazing robotics research and agri-tech development aiding farming and food production in Bristol

F

or several years there has been a rather scary sign at the entrance to Stokes Croft. This is a countdown for how many harvests we have left before the soil collapses, and it’s not that many years. Technologists in Bristol have been working to address that challenge in a number of ways, from vertical, indoor farming to more efficient farming techniques.

Humanity must increase food production by 70% to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050, and that has to be achieved with 25% less farmland, degraded soils and in an ever more unstable climate. So existing methods of agriculture will not be enough to feed ourselves, as the Stokes Croft sign points out.

LettUs Grow is an award-winning start-up in Bristol developing technology for aeroponics, or growing crops without soil in large vertical racks. The crops, from herbs and strawberries to even small trees, are grown under LED lights with all the nutrients provided by a mist of water and the plants grow in a ‘soil’ of coconut husk and hemp. This is much more efficient in the use of water and energy, as the light can be tuned to the needs of the particular plants.

“Aeroponics uses 95% less water than farming as it’s a closed loop system where everything is filtered and re-used,” said Ben Crowther, co-founder and chief technology officer. “We use more power but the benefit is that you can position production right by the point of consumption or distribution.”

The company has teamed up with renewable energy supplier Octopus Energy to provide the electricity at night to grow the crops when there is spare capacity, for example from wind turbines.

“We use specialist horticultural lighting that is tuned for different types of crops, generally on red and blue with differing levels of green and white,” he said. “You can definitely increase yields for all crops.

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For things like strawberries, a mix of light and temperature will make very particular things occur – for example, you provide cold shock to strawberries which makes them better for transport, and different frequencies of lighting to make them flower. We work with a worldleading researcher on circadian rhythms for plants at the University of Bristol on how we can apply this to our misting technology.”

The company has been part of a start-up incubator run by the John Lewis department store. One of the ideas they are looking at is to have the vertical farms at its distribution centres or even as part of the department stores, providing food directly to the shop floor.

“The John Lewis deal is an interesting opportunity for future collaboration,” he said. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to work with a well-known UK brand to do exciting stuff. That could be in a number of areas, whether its in-store or otherwise. Vertical farming can provide a very stable rate of supply, really reliably for a low carbon cost.

“We don’t think it should replace hectares of fields,” he added.

“Indoor farming, greenhouse and open field farming each have their different roles. If you can grow it in a field, then grow it in a field – it makes much more sense. But in many places it’s just not possible as it uses too much water, pesticides, or the soil is degrading quite rapidly.”

That is a challenge being addressed by another start-up using Bristol technology. “The costs of farming have gone up massively – maybe 85% or so over the last 20 to 25 years, but crop yields and the money coming out of farms have stayed largely the same,” said Ben Scott-Robinson, CEO of Small Robot. It has been working with the Bristol Robotics Lab at Frenchay on a series of robots that can be used to make farming more efficient.

Photos by Jack Wiseall

India with aeroponically grown lettuces in a research farm

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FOOD | TECHNOLOGY “Farmers can’t afford to take risks, so we developed Farming-as-aService as a way to tackle their concerns and help them adopt robotics,” said Scott-Robinson. With Farming-as-a-Service, instead of buying a robot, the farmer simply pays for the delivery of a healthy crop for a fixed amount per hectare. This moves farmers away from paying for costly machinery and offers instead a service based on the operating costs.

The prototype robots, called Tom, Dick and Harrick, all perform different functions. The smallest robot, Tom, sits on the farm in a solar powered ‘kennel’, and regularly races around the field measuring the state of the soil and the crops. It sends all this data back to the internet when it gets back to the kennel, and can call out its larger siblings to come and plant, water or harvest crops.

These larger robots – Dick and Harrick – are based around a novel chassis that is designed to fold up to fit into a van so they can be easily shipped to the farm but are still much lighter than a 30 tonne tractor.

They drive themselves around a field using a module that squashes the weeds into the ground instead of using weed killer. The team is also looking at using a laser close to the ground to burn through the stem of a weed. One advantage of regular collection of data by Tom is that the intervention can happen when a weed is small enough to be blasted by the laser.

For fertilising and watering, the boom on Harrick has a precision nozzle that can direct a controlled amount of liquid fertiliser onto the crop. To do this, the module needs to know how high up the plant to spray, and this depends on the condition of the plant, so there is a lot of image processing and computer analysis need. This dramatically reduces the amount of fertiliser required for a field and also reduces the amount of water that needs to be carried across the field. When finished, the robots can be packed up into the van until Tom decides they are needed again, saving the farmer hassle, time and money with this ‘farming as a service’ that will roll out in 2021.

The challenges of producing food efficiently with minimal resources for millions of people are significant, and the continuing innovation and technology development in this city is helping to solve those challenges. Quite a thing to be proud of. ■

Billy harvesting aeroponically grown basil

Checking plant root growth

• lettusgrow.com; smallrobotcompany.com

Farmers can’t afford to take risks, so Small Robot developed farming-as-a-service as a way to tackle their concerns.

The prototype robots, Tom, Dick and Harrick, perform different functions to make farming more efficient. Harrick here has a novel foldable chassis and drives itself around using a module that squashes the weeds into the ground instead of using weed killer. For fertilising and watering, the boom has a precision nozzle that can direct a controlled amount onto the crop

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FOOD | RECIPES

Meat-free magic

Depart from the done-to-death and elevate your veggies this summer by getting inventive over the barbecue. Don’t know how? Genevieve Taylor’s easy, colourful new collection of grilling recipes will have you heading in the right direction

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FOOD | RECIPES

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he overriding desire with outdoorsy Bristol chef, food writer and “fire fiend” Genevieve Taylor’s latest book is simply to “explode the myth that good barbecue has to be all about Man vs. Meat”. Cooking over fire on a day-to-day basis, rather than just the odd bank holiday, has never been more popular and as the appetite for eating more veg and less meat has grown, vegetarian barbecue ideas have become more creative than simple corn on the cob. “When you cook over a grill or griddle, some sort of magic happens: flavours intensify, surfaces caramelise and edges get irresistibly crisp and charred,” says Gen of the flavour-enhancing Maillard reaction caused by the high heat. “Plus, the whole theatre around this way of cooking can only add to the experience.”

While she seizes any opportunity to free herself from the shackles of the kitchen and get out into the fresh air, she – mindful of the British climate – has also designed and tested many of the recipes in Charred on a griddle pan on the hob as well as on a barbecue.

So now there’s really no excuse not to experiment...

Barbecued carrot, ricotta & toasted pecans (serves 4 – 6 as a side dish) I adore this salad and would eat the whole thing myself given half a chance – the combination of sweet charred carrots, creamy ricotta and crunchy nuts is quite simply addictive. If you’ve never grilled a carrot before, do it now. They are an absolute revelation and show just how good fire-cooked vegetables can be.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 x 500g (1lb 2oz) bunch of carrots, preferably with the tops on 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar 1 tsp soft dark brown sugar 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, ideally chipotle chilli flakes 1 clove of garlic, crushed 250g (11/4 cups) ricotta 1/2 bunch of spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced 50g (1/2 cup) pecans, toasted and chopped A small bunch of coriander (cilantro), chopped Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method ❶ Trim the tops off the carrots and scrub under running water. Slice in half lengthways, or into quarters if they are a little larger – you want them to be approximately finger-thickness. ❷ Fill a pan with boiling water and add a little salt, then set over a high heat and bring back to the boil. Once boiling, add the carrots and blanch for 3 minutes. ❸ Drain well and tip into a mixing bowl. While they are still hot, add the olive oil, cumin, brown sugar, chilli flakes and garlic and stir. ❹ Cover and leave to marinate for a couple of hours at room temperature. Once you are ready to cook, fire up the barbecue ready for direct grilling, or preheat a cast-iron griddle pan on the hob. ❺ Lay the carrots on the grill bars or griddle and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, turning regularly, until they are nicely caramelised. If you are barbecuing, you can add a few smoking wood chunks or chips to up the smokiness. Use a brush to baste the carrots with any excess marinade from the bowl as you turn them.

❻ Once soft and caramelised, scatter the carrots over a serving plate and dot with heaped teaspoons of ricotta. Sprinkle the spring onions, chopped pecans and coriander. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and finish with a good grind of pepper. Serve while still warm.

Sticky butternut squash & feta with pomegranate salsa & garlic yoghurt (serves 4) Butternut squash grills a treat. I often leave the skin on, born from a combination of loving the chewy texture and being too lazy to peel them. Choose a good, even-shaped squash, so all your slices are of a similar diameter. The slices that have a hole in the middle where the seeds were make the perfect receptacle for the pomegranate salsa. Almost as if they were designed for that very purpose...

Ingredients • 1 x 1.2 – 1.4kg (23/4 – 3lb) butternut squash, cut into 8 approx.

2.5cm (1 inch) rings, skin on, seeds discarded • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses • 200g (7oz) feta, crumbled • 2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes, more to taste (or use regular chilli flakes) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salsa • 1 large pomegranate, seeds picked • 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses • A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped • A few sprigs of mint, leaves picked and chopped For the garlic yoghurt sauce • 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt • 1 clove of garlic, crushed • 1 – 2 medium hot red chillies, finely chopped To serve • 4 pitta breads, toasted and cut into strips

Method ❶ Fire up your barbecue ready for direct and indirect cooking, or set a griddle pan over a medium heat to get hot. ❷ Brush the squash slices with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them on the barbecue so they are slightly off to the side of the fire. If you are cooking on a griddle, lower the heat a little. Cook for about 30 minutes, turning them over halfway, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. ❸ Brush the pomegranate molasses all over both sides and cook for a few minutes on one side until sticky and caramelised. Turn the squash over and top 4 slices with the crumbled feta, avoiding the slices with the hole so it doesn’t fall through! ❹ Sprinkle on the Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes and leave to cook for another couple of minutes, until the cheese begins to melt. Shut the barbecue lid or loosely cover the griddle with foil to help. ❺ While the squash is cooking, make the salsa by mixing together the pomegranate seeds, spring onions, pomegranate molasses, parsley and mint. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. ❻ Make the yoghurt sauce by mixing the yoghurt, garlic and chilli with a little salt and pepper. To serve, layer up 2 pieces of squash, starting with a feta-topped piece. Spoon over some of the pomegranate salsa and the yoghurt sauce and serve with the pitta strips alongside. ■ • Charred (Quadrille, £16.99); photography by Jason Ingram

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FOOD & DRINK | SUSTAINABILITY

Anton with Carlos Ruivo, from Casa de Darei, in Porto with the sail cargo wine

“...The sea-ageing produced the most insanely delicious Douro, so good that the wine maker wanted us to sail it back to him in Portugal...”

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FOOD & DRINK | SUSTAINABILITY

Port O’Plenty Aside from the fact that Xisto Wines are downright delicious, there’s another important reason why we should develop a taste for them. Melissa Blease meets the independent Portuguese wine importer bringing the lovely stuff to Bristol from its twin city by sea and sail to make food and drink transportation more environmentally positive

L

“

ife is good, but wine is better” – thus spake Portuguese writer, poet and philosopher Fernando Pessoa, a man who was arguably one of the most significant European literary figures of the 20th century. A fifth of the way through the 21st century, and Xisto Wines welcome us to their Port O’Bristol enterprise with a thoroughly modern maxim of their own: “Made by rebels, shipped by pirates, drunk by heroes...”

And it’s a motto that Pessoa would surely heartily endorse.

“Xisto has pioneered sail cargo between Porto and Bristol, reinstating old trade links by ship and reconnecting Bristol with its twin city,” says Lela McTernan, who founded the company with her husband Anton Mann in autumn last year. “But the initiative hasn’t been without its challenges. With our first cargo – a collaborative effort between us, sail cargo initiative New Dawn Traders, the management team at Underfall Yard and the owners of historic Devon-built cargo shop the Bessie Allen – the authorities thoroughly questioned every legal document, which was exhausting. One barrel went to the Caribbean and, by no fault except the wind and Mother Nature, wasn’t landed in time, so it was kept in Holland for some months before it could be sailed back to the UK. Fortunately the sea-ageing produced the most insanely delicious Douro, so good that the wine maker wanted us to sail it back to him in Portugal. He’s not getting it back though!”

Ah, spoken like a proper pirate. But where did this new take on old Bristol traditions begin?

...Anton is always encouraging our Portuguese friends to love Bristol cider and beer too, so maybe in the future we’ll be sending the barrels back full of West Country gold...

“Anton is a maverick who grew up in a family that encouraged curiosity, innovation and thinking outside the box. He also has an instinctive love for wines,” says Lela. “A combination of life-changing circumstances led us to start a sail cargo Portuguese wine company, and although the business took around nine years of planning, I’m really glad we did.”

So, too, are Xisto’s ever-increasing circle of supporters: Bristol Tasting Circle, The Canteen, Clifton Cellars and Birch have all hosted Xisto events, as have The Forge, No1 Harbourside and The Pickle during this year’s Bristol Food Connections week. The company also supplies many of Bristol’s loveliest restaurants, bars and stores including Grape & Grind, Bottles and Books and Aimee’s Wine House, and website sales are booming. But aside from the fact that Xisto Wines are downright delicious, there’s another very important reason why we should all develop a taste for them.

“The whole principle of Xisto Wines Port O’Bristol is to respect the process and passion of the wine makers, and the environment,” says Lela.

“We sustain a Circle of Zero Waste ethos: we run our delivery vehicle on fuel made from the waste oil we collect from the restaurants and bars we supply. We reuse the sparkling wine bottles to bottle the barrelled wine, the blue glass white wine bottles are made into tapas dishes, and there’s a

waiting list of beer, cider, soya and kimchi makers who want our barrels.

Everything we use is valued, reused, and requisitioned. We work and think long term; nothing is wasted.”

Anton and Lela only work with like-minded producers, too. “When we were seeking out innovative wine makers and the alternative wine scene in Portugal, we were very lucky to meet Mateus Nicolau de Almeida, who won the prestigious Renegade Wine Maker of the Year award. He introduced us to wine-making friends who share his and our values: small production wine makers who oversee the whole process from vineyard to bottle themselves. These producers mostly come from generations of wine makers who are passionate about the land, soil, climate care and nurturing of the grapes even before they get to the winery. These people do not compromise for certification; they are organic, biodynamic, low-intervention wine makers that produce wines in quantities that they can personally oversee, not huge numbers of bottles and definitely not factory wines. We have personal relationships with each one of them and their families; we’re all very good friends.”

Little wonder, then, that Anton is fast developing hero status in wine world. “Anton wanted to transport the wines in the most environmentally positive way he could find, and he will never compromise his principles,” says Lela, proudly. “He’s proved that people really do care about where their wine is from, and how it gets to their table. It’s really exciting when another restaurant or bar is inspired by our wines and how we import them, and it’s lovely seeing customers actively making the choice to drink better, more ethical wines too. Bristol has a thoughtful food and drink scene, with a focus on sustainability and ethical practices; we love nothing better than working with partners with the same positive outlook. And Anton is always encouraging our Portuguese friends to love Bristol cider and beer too, so who knows: maybe in the future, we’ll be sending the barrels back full of West Country gold!”

But right here, right now: Collares, Serradinha and Vale de Capucha from Lisboa, Dao wines from Darei, Romeu from Douro, sparkling wines from the Minho/Douro border, unique wines that have been seaaged especially for Port O’Bristol – Xisto is sailing them all to Bristol, raising a glass to our planet, our environment and our good health along the way. Fernando Pessoa would definitely say “felicidades” to that. ■ • xistowines.co.uk

Lela and Anton

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY Image by Jon Craig

WELCOME!

A local AI and neuroscience provider has clinched a deal with the second biggest recruitment company in China, thanks in part to business support provided by the Bristol and West of England China Bureau.

Cognisess in Bath is a leading provider of the world’s most comprehensive predictive people analytics software. They will be working with Zhaopin in Beijing – the equivalent of a major High Street name in China – helping them better understand the best roles for students using Cognisess’ HR expertise and technologies. The business is a member of the Bristol and West of England China Bureau and bureau representative Yang Ding helped translate and close the deal – potentially worth millions of pounds – after meetings in China. “Cognisess has signed a license agreement with China’s second largest recruitment group – it’s a game-changing achievement for them and a major coup for the bureau,” said BWECB chief executive Dianne Francombe. “We have strived to set up connections with China and help businesses make inroads into the vast Chinese market, as well as enabling businesses there to reach out to firms in the West Country.”

Bristol Old Vic has announced the appointment of the organisation’s new executive director to carry the theatre’s business into the new era, which began in 2018 with the completion of its redevelopment and reinvention as a destination venue.

Charlotte Geeves, current CEO of the annual Henley Festival, will take up her position on 2 September. With a deep knowledge of producing theatre and a passion for the cultural strength of Bristol, Charlotte began her career in stage management, rising to the role of company manager for both The Young Vic under David Lan and Shakespeare’s Globe under Dominic Dromgoole. From there she developed her producing skills working as project manager for Alistair Spalding at Sadler’s Wells and then as GM at Salisbury International Arts Festival before working as festivals manager for Wildscreen here in Bristol.

During her five years as CEO at Henley, Charlotte has transformed the scale, financial success and media impact of a unique arts institution and grown turnover while developing the artistic programme and cementing the festival’s charitable aims. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside Tom and the team at such a magnificent theatre,” she said. “I can’t wait to get started and immerse myself in life in Bristol again.”

BOV’s artistic director Tom Morris added: “Charlotte is a leader of dazzling talent with the perfect combination of skills to marry the creative ambition of our beautiful theatre with the complex and changing matrix of its resources.

Crushing cuts have made life very tricky for theatres in recent years, but the business potential of Bristol Old Vic’s new building is undeniable. I can’t wait to start work with Charlotte on building the structures which will ensure that this vital and unique factory of creativity can continue to create world-class shows, carry genuine creative opportunity into the lives of young people, and offer meaningful pathways into theatre and other art forms to the amazing bed of talent which Bristol possesses.”

• chinabureau.co.uk

• bristololdvic.org.uk

NEW THIS MONTH: THE NEWT, SOMERSET A gorgeous hotel and spa is to open in Somerset this month, set within Grade II*-listed Hadspen House and including a spa with indoor/outdoor swimming pool, gym, bar, restaurants and 23 bedrooms.

The Newt, a working country estate located between Bruton and Castle Cary, opens on 29 August and bookings are now being taken for those keen to visit the Georgian country home. Its bucolic setting, with cultivated gardens, ancient woodland, orchards and farm shops, inspires a garden-led menu in the restaurant, and garden-scented treatments in the spa, where there is an authentic hammam and mud therapy in a couples’ chamber, plus a halotherapy room.

Celebrating all things Somerset, with a focus on locality and sustainability, the gardens take centre stage, designed by renowned Italo-French architect Patrice Taravella and cared for by an expert gardening team. They supply all restaurants on the estate with herbs, flowers, fruit, vegetables and honey. At the core nestles a walled garden with a collection of trained apple trees, arranged in a maze. And those fruits certainly don’t go to waste; Newt Cyders are made using 100% juice, with no added sugar or water, with a state-of-the-art press and cellar using cold-fermentation processes that retain the full flavour. Apple pressing to make juice is a weekend event for visitors to experience, while daily tours introduce the craft and history of it.

Rates start from £300 per night based on two sharing on a B&B basis.

• thenewtinsomerset.com

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Chris Butt, chief executive at Cognisess

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

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FREE DROP IN CLINICS Tuesday 6th August 2019 10am – 12.30pm Friday 16th August 2019 10am – 12.30pm

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SCIENCE | HEALTH

Nineties gold

Professor Jean Golding, founder of Bristol’s uniquely pioneering Children of the 90s project, turns 80 in September.

Here we find out just how valuable the long-term health study has been for the city and across the world

T

he Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), as it’s more formally known, is a study of three generations of Bristol families which has enabled truly ground-breaking global health and social science research over the past few decades.

It began by recruiting 14,500 pregnant women living in and around Bristol with an expected delivery date between April 1991 and December 1992. There were 14,062 live births and a further 913 participants who joined the study after the age of seven (from mothers who did not originally enrol but were eligible).

Since then, biological, environmental and lifestyle data has been collected from the original study mothers, fathers, their children and their grandchildren (there are now 1,000 ‘Children of the Children of the 90s’ too). As a multi-generational longitudinal study, the CO90s data and samples help scientists understand how health, wellbeing and disease are passed through families. It’s the largest and most detailed resource of its kind in the world for the study of the environmental, biological and genetic factors that affect our development.

Throughout their lives, questionnaire data has been regularly collected, covering everything from exposure to alcohol, smoking, sexual behaviour and depression; alongside major life events, family/sibling relationships and puberty timing, to name a few. With such detailed data and samples, Children of the 90s provides a unique opportunity to study how socioeconomic, lifestyle, genetic and many other factors influence health and wellbeing across generations.

New techniques are always being developed to remotely collect data in the home, workplace or out and about – currently tiny wearable head cameras are used to record participants interacting with their infants at home, and monitors directly attached to the body continuously measure glucose levels during pregnancy. A new project will also see researchers analysing Twitter data to measure mental health, and there are plans to develop an app for participants, use artificial intelligence to code footage from wearable head cameras, and explore how smart watches could be used to calculate alcohol consumption more accurately than questionnaire data.

Professor Golding told us more...

putting babies to sleep on their backs was the safest way for the baby to sleep. Ultimately this message was transferred throughout the world with the result that thousands of babies’ lives were saved. Other good news stories have concerned the importance of ensuring that peanut oil in creams were not rubbed onto broken skin, as this appeared to make peanut allergy more likely – this has resulted in manufacturers omitting peanut oil from their skin creams.

The study has been instrumental in showing how important it is to eat fish, especially for a mother to eat fish in pregnancy, since this is associated with brighter children with better vision. Most recently, the study has provided really important evidence on the changes in prevalence in maternal depression and the importance of internet content for mental health – policy relevant findings. I could go on and on, but basically the information collected has been of such high quality (thanks to all taking part) that it keeps giving and giving. This is why so many scientists still want to take part in analysing the information.

TBM: What prompted you to start the study and why the Bristol area?

I think one of the more shocking findings, published last summer, has been the contrast in the mental health between our pregnant mothers in the early ’90s and the increase in depressive symptoms in their daughters when pregnant. This rise in depression between generations needs confirmation in other studies but suggests that not all of the progress that has been made during the past 28 years has been beneficial to our mental health.

PJG: I had long been interested in the question of why some individual children had disorders of various sorts and others were always fit and healthy. I was aware of the ways in which genetics may influence this but also the importance of features of the environment. The best way to study the importance of these factors was to carry out a study following children over time. The optimum way to start was to begin in pregnancy and collect as much information as possible from then onwards. I was based at the University of Bristol, and Avon was an ideal study area, with the different environments of the city, the rural areas, and towns of various sizes such as Weston-super-Mare, Nailsea, Portishead, Thornbury and Keynsham. There was no particular reason for starting in the early ’90s; it was when we were ready to begin.

...Avon was an ideal study area, with the different city environments, the rural areas, towns of various sizes...

Why has this study been so unique?

It was unique when it started because of the breadth of information it collected. It had a very strong and supportive ethics committee which contributed to the trust that developed between the participants and the study. Researchers around the world still find it unique as they can measure and study a host of health and social issues from the womb to old age – it is having a mass of data on the whole family over time that continues to make Bristol special in these studies.

What has been the most important or surprising finding so far?

What has the recent milestone of 2,000 papers being published meant?

It is a measure of the success that the study has had as it continues to be an important resource for many branches of science. It is an indication of the large number of different topics that have been studied, and the quantity of high-quality multi-disciplinary scientists involved worldwide.

What good news have you been able to share as a result of the study?

What data have you gathered on the offspring of the CO90s?

There is so much that the study participants can be proud of. The results were used very early on to support evidence suggesting that

The data is forever expanding. In pregnancy we collect blood and urine Continued page 68

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SCIENCE | HEALTH

Measuring images by James Beck

When she was a single mother of two, Jean began working on causes of different diseases and got hooked on the excitement of discovering a true association

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SCIENCE | HEALTH

samples, at birth we collect the placenta, blood from the cord, meconium and breast milk and we ask young children to donate their milk teeth. In between all of this, our study participants contribute blood, urine and saliva at regular clinics, questionnaire responses about all aspects of their life and we also link with other sources of data on health, education and social care. Researchers can also request special clinics so we may also be collecting skin samples, brain scans or lung function data alongside this. Our latest research is looking at whether we can use Twitter feeds to help assess changes of mood throughout the day.

one always had to guard very carefully against making mistakes, but with fast computing systems these are more difficult to spot. Going from maths to this research is a very long story – in brief, it was mainly by accident. I was a single mother with two small children and needed ways to earn enough to keep the wolf from the door. I answered an advert for someone to work with a team and do basic calculations. They were working on a big survey, and I got fascinated by the research which was basically to search for the causes of different diseases – rather like a detective story, there were red herrings to mislead you, but the excitement of discovery of a true association was inspiring. I was hooked, and have never looked back. ■

Is there more focus now on fatherhood than before?

We had a policy from the start that we would include study fathers.

However, it was the pregnant mother who was our first contact, and we decided that it was up to her to decide whether to involve fathers.

Many were involved from the very beginning, and a large amount of information was gathered from each. This study was the first major longitudinal cohort to include fathers, and we continue to consider them to be important subjects, including a new project starting that uses head cameras to study father and baby interactions.

...This rise in depression suggests not all of the progress made during the past 28 years has been beneficial to our mental health....

What feedback have you had from participants?

The response from participants has been amazing, especially from the original study parents. Most of the population of the Avon area seems to have been involved in some way – those who lived here in the early years came to know about it from our frequent news items in local newspapers, television and radio. Most seemed to know someone who was involved, whether a friend or neighbour, a relative or acquaintance. I often get stopped in the street by a study participant thanking me for letting them be part of such an important study. I reply that, on the contrary, it is the rest of the world that should be thanking them for spending so much time and effort contributing to the study.

What have been the biggest challenges?

Raising the funds to keep the study continuing. In the beginning this was extremely difficult, especially as the scientific hierarchy did not believe that it would be successful. It is wonderful to have been shown how wrong they were.

Why is this an exciting time for behavioural scientists?

Behavioural science has always been exciting – although when I was reading about it at school, it was usually animal behaviour that was so intriguing. Fortunately, the use of questionnaires had improved rapidly by the time I started dreaming of what was to become Children of the Nineties, and we have been able to use questionnaires to obtain many details of individuals’ personalities and behaviours. All of this adds to the breadth and depth of the study.

How has the world of research changed during your long career? And how did you go from studying maths into this sort of research?

The major change, of course, has been in the development of fast computers. When I started in the field of epidemiology in the 1960s most of the calculations we carried out were with very slow, clunky machines. I had no idea how amazingly computers would change over time. Mostly this has been for the better, but there are disadvantages – 68 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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27,600 participants 11,900 original study mothers 3,400 study fathers 11,300 study children or Children of the 90s (aged 26 – 28

In numbers:

1,000 children of the Children of the 90s (aged 0 – 11 years) 76% of the original study children list a Bristol address as their years)

main point of contact, evidence of the strong Bristol ties the study maintains.

1.2 million biological samples 1,000+ brain scans 3,000+ heart echo scans 2,000 retinal scans 2,000 papers published, covering public health, biological

science and clinical medicine, psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience, education and social science.

18 new data access requests per month, on average, from

£33m in grant income awarded to research institutions in the researchers

past five years, thanks to Children of the 90s related studies.

• Children of the 90s continues to recruit new participants. If you were expected to be born in Bristol or Weston-Super-Mare between April 1991 and August 1992 you should be able to take part. If you are the brother or sister of a Children of the 90s participant you can also be involved; this includes any step or half-brothers or sisters. If you think you are a Child of the 90s or the partner of one of the participants and you have or are about to have your own children (including stepchildren) then as a family you will be able to take part; bristol.ac.uk/alspac; info@childrenofthe90s.ac.uk; @CO90s

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

Family diary

Ideas for things to do with the little ones in Bristol this month

Summer School Theatre Challenge Monday 5 – Friday 9 August, 9.30am – 4.30pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres

© Jack Offord

Over five days, enjoy sessions full of games, play and creativity, while working as an ensemble to create a new piece of theatre.

Bring your ideas, enthusiasm and energy to make sure you’re prepared to perform on the final day (Friday 9 August at 5pm).

Comfortable clothing and footwear advised and packed lunch and snacks essential.

Suitable for ages seven to 11 years; £200.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Top pick...

Global Adventurers Daily until Sunday 1 September, Slimbridge Wetland Centre Journey across the world and discover wetland challenges. Head to base camp at the discovery hut to collect your passport and leap across lands to find out what life is actually like for a real-life adventurer. Expect poo analysis, dressing up, folklore totem pole designing and tropical amphibian handling.

Included in admissions prices; wwt.org.uk

DON’T MISS...

A Grand Day Out at Bristol Zoo Daily throughout August, 9am – 5.30pm Bristol Zoo Gardens Celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of the best-loved duos in animation at Bristol Zoo this summer. Take on the cracking trainee zookeeper trail and become a penguin detective as you try and find the criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw who has escaped from prison and is hiding around the zoo. Plus, get creative and make your very own Gromit, Feathers McGraw or Shaun the Sheep with one of Aardman’s expert model makers. It’s going to be a lot of fun, lad; bristolzoo.org.uk

Gorge-ous goats Thursday 1 August, 10am – 3.30pm, Bristol Zoo Gardens Visit the Avon Gorge’s hairiest residents, have fun playing the gobbling goats game and make a fabulous felt goat mask to take home with you. Suitable for ages eight – 12 years. Dropoff session. £17.50; bristolzoo.org.uk

The Invisible Circus Daily throughout August, hourly performances from 11am – 3pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Catch breathtaking performances everyday from The Invisible Circus as they fling themselves from the rigging and tell stories of life-changing voyages on board the world’s first luxury ocean liner. Expect exhilarating stunts and aerial displays. Adults £17, children £10, under fours go free; ssgreatbritain.org Stone Age Summer Until 1 September, Cheddar Gorge and Caves Experience the Stone Age at Cheddar Gorge’s prehistoric landscape. Walk in the footsteps of your ancestors, uncover ancient artefacts, make clay thumb pots and try brass rubbing.

Plus learn some essential Stone Age survival skills, and discover where Britain’s oldest, most complete skeleton was found. Included with a day ticket; cheddargorge.co.uk 70 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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TYNTEfest: Beatrix Potter tales Wednesday 7 August, 10am – 12.30pm, Tyntesfield Estate Celebrate National Playday and enjoy a day inspired by the tales of Beatrix Potter. There will be storytelling, face painting, crafts and games. Suitable for ages two to five and their families. Tiny tots are welcome and free of charge when accompanying an older sibling or companion. Appropriate outdoor clothing is essential. Adults free, children £9; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Alice in Wonderland Friday 16 August, 6.30pm – 8.30pm, Tyntesfield Estate Head to the croquet lawn for an evening watching Lewis Caroll’s classic story of Alice in Wonderland.

Bring a chair and a picnic and enjoy nonsensical fun and excitement for the entire

No 182

family. Dressing up as your favourite character is welcomed! Adults £16, children £8; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Sleepy Ship Friday 16 August, 7pm – 9am, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Spend the night on board Brunel’s famous ship and step into the shoes of the passengers and crew who would have been travelling to Australia and preparing to spend 70 days at sea. Explore our planet, moon, sun and solar system with an interactive planetarium experience, discover the decks by torchlight and build your own sextant and learn about the constellations. Suitable for ages seven to 11 years. £60; ssgreatbritain.org Moby Dick Sunday 18 – Monday 26 August, 7pm and 9pm, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Set sail on an immersive journey in pursuit of the legendary white whale with Darkstuff Productions’ critically acclaimed re-imagining

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Discover bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines at Bear Wood at Wild Place Project

Learn how to survive in the Stone Age at Cheddar Gorge and Caves

of Herman Melville’s masterpiece Moby Dick.

Enjoy a unique promenade performance on one of Bristol’s most iconic attractions, copresented with Tobacco Factory Theatres.

Suitable for ages over 12 years. £17; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Dream & Make: The Wild Things Art Adventure Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 August, 9am – 4pm, St George’s Bristol Let your imagination run wild as you explore the beautiful gardens of St George’s Bristol and Brandon Hill, creating art inspired by

nature, sound and architecture and learn of contemporary artists, designers and soundmakers. Suitable for ages five to 11 years. £35 per day; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Summer Screens outdoor cinema Wednesday 28 August – Sunday 1 September, doors open at 6.30pm, Bristol Zoo Gardens Be surrounded by some of your favourite species while enjoying a film on the big screen in the award-winning gardens of Bristol Zoo. Films include Rocketman, Jurassic Park and Mammia Mia! Here We Go Again. Suitable

for ages over five years. BBQ food and snacks available to purchase. Adult £15, child £10.50, family £45; bristolzoo.org.uk Bear Wood Throughout August, 10am – 5pm, Wild Place Project Check out the recently opened Bear Wood exhibit and discover the story of our British woodlands from 8,000BC to the present day.

Plus, find out all about four incredible species – bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines – and unlock the countless secrets of the woods.

Included in admission; thewildplace.org.uk n

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

BENTLEY’S BRISTOL CONNECTION

It was two young Clifton students who went on to found the luxury car brand – so Bentley recently returned to pay their school a visit

ON THE WORLD MAP Rachel Atkins has become the first teacher in Bristol to be a UN-accredited climate change teacher who can deliver up-to-date climate change lessons at Bristol Grammar School and share best practice with teaching staff so that they can take part in the UK schools programme being trialled.

“The course is inspiring, and helps to develop understanding of the evidence of climate change and its impact – on gender, cities, children, health and also the legal framework around climate change,” said the head of EPQ and geography teacher.

“Providing avenues to hear of and respond to these issues is really important.”

The online training for the free programme equips educators to deliver lessons across the curriculum. BGS already keeps urban bees, has had Environmental Society assemblies, eliminated single-use plastics in the dining hall, installed energyefficient lighting and heating and an online school trip management system, saving 35,000 letters being sent in recent years.

From September, the Environmental Society will work with other schools and Bristol Council on an exciting project and initiate some of the ideas at BGS.

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Sebastian Mann, an eight-year-old pupil at The Downs Preparatory School, is exhibiting a painting of his in the inaugural Young Artists’ Summer Show at The Royal Academy, London, until 4 August.

Nine young artists from The Downs were shortlisted, with 13-year-old Lulu Thomas also accepted into the exhibition.

“We are thrilled for Seb and Lulu and their teachers; we have no doubt that Henri Rousseau would also be impressed!” said their teachers.

The Royal Academy Young Artists’ Summer Show is online until 31 December 2019; to view the show and vote for your favourite art work please visit to the website below.

• youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk

• bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

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The centenary of a luxury car brand founded by two former Bristol schoolboys was celebrated at their old school recently.

The Bentley Motor Company was created

by Walter (W.O) and Horace Bentley who both attended Clifton College. To celebrate 100 years of the world-renowned brand, two new Bentleys – a Mulsanne and a Continental GT – paid a visit to the College, driving through Memorial Arch to the historic Quad.

The Bentley brothers (who followed in the footsteps of their three older brothers) attended Clifton College at the start of the 20th century. W.O. went on to become an apprentice engineer on the railways and then to work for the National Cab Company before purchasing ailing French car company Lecoq and Fernie in 1912 with his brother Horace, a chartered accountant, who would become co-director of Bentley Motors.

During the war, W.O. was seconded to engine development at home and worked with the Rolls Royce engine before helping to develop Sopwiths and Nieuports. His engine design for the BR2 was eventually adopted and installed in aircraft towards the end of the war.

After the war, the two brothers set up Bentley Motors Limited and the famous three-litre Bentley made its appearance at the Olympia Motor Show. The company became known around the world for luxury and high-performance and for its success in the 24 Hour Le Mans race, winning it in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.

“We were delighted to host Bentley as part of their anniversary activities and to celebrate the contribution of two of our former pupils in creating this iconic motor company,” said Clifton College headmaster Dr Tim Greene. “I think they would have been very pleased to see the latest model of the car they created on the forecourt of their old school.”

David Harries, from Bentley Bristol, added: “We are really proud that W.O. was schooled in Bristol. It feels very fitting that 100 years after he and his brother created the first Bentley we are able to celebrate the Bristol background of these inspiring entrepreneurs.”

• cliftoncollege.com

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TRAVEL | EUROPE

Place de la Comédie © h.rubio Montpellier

Ruelles du Centre Historique © Ch.Ruiz Montpellier

Meander in...

MONTPELLIER Simon Horsford explores one of the most seductive and inviting cities in southern France, and finds it putting down a marker to be noticed on all kinds of fronts

The city’s own Arc de triomphe © OT Montpellier M.Remignon

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La Panacée © Ville de Montpellier

Jardin des Plantes © Ville de Montpellier

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TRAVEL | EUROPE

Place de la Comédie © h.rubio Montpellier

Ruelles du Centre Historique © Ch.Ruiz Montpellier

Meander in...

MONTPELLIER Simon Horsford explores one of the most seductive and inviting cities in southern France, and finds it putting down a marker to be noticed on all kinds of fronts

The city’s own Arc de triomphe © OT Montpellier M.Remignon

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TRAVEL | EUROPE

D

otted around the side streets of Montpellier are small posters of President Macron bearing the words “Fake Views”. President Trump has a lot to answer for. But then again maybe we should be blaming someone else. The 16th-century apothecary and supposed prophet Nostradamus, who attended medical school here, predicted that when the pine trees on the old city walls died, Montpellier would disappear.

The pines have gone – they've been replaced by cypress trees – but the city itself is on a roll and is one of the most seductive and inviting cities in southern France. Fake news has been around a long time.

Less than a two-hour hop away from Bristol after the introduction of easyJet flights in June, the capital of the Languedoc Roussillon region has been dubbed ‘the city with everything’, from the arts to sports. Little wonder the town’s progressive and politically independent mayor, Philippe Saurel, told me he thought of it as “paradise.”

The seventh largest city in France has a youthful vibe too – 30 per cent of the population is aged under 30 – thanks to its thriving universities (Rabelais was a student here) and distinctly liberal feel (it hosted the first gay wedding in France in 2013 at the eye-catching, blue-hued, Jean Nouvel-designed Hôtel de Ville de Montpellier). Architecturally it’s creating waves too, and just before my visit the city had hosted 600,000 people for the annual International Festival of Extreme Sports, while, during my stay, it was staging five matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Montpellier is putting down a marker to be noticed on all fronts.

Exploring the city is joy and easily done on foot – car access is limited, although as an alternative there is an excellent tram service (four lines, each distinctively coloured to reflect the elements). Unlike other cities in the south, Montpellier has no Greco-Roman links, emerging, instead, in the Middle Ages. The result is that the historic heart of the old town, Écusson (it’s shaped like a shield), is a beguiling labyrinth of narrow, high-sided streets lined with tiny shops with everything from vintage clothes to handmade chocolates, artisan jewellery, elaborate bakers and lovely old-fashioned toy shop Pomme de Reinette (dating from 1973).

But as reminder I am in the present, the ancient alleyways are occasionally daubed with Banksy-style graffiti, or, as my guide Yulia points out, the signature artworks of Mr BMX, whose style is to embed half a BMX bike or a shopping trolley into the brickwork, the latter designed to be a ‘basket’ for people to donate clothes or food for the homeless. Elsewhere in the evening in one of the numerous picturesque squares, I find a DJ pumping out sounds to a swaying crowd.

In the daytime these tiny squares make the perfect stop for a morning coffee or, perhaps, a late afternoon pastis; Place de Canourge and Place de Jean Jaurès are both worth seeking out. The former also leads on to Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau where I stumble upon not only – reputedly – the city’s best boulangerie, but also a couple of terrific restaurants, Des Marées D’écume (great for lunch) and Le Petit Jardin.

The medieval centre is bracketed by the city’s own Arc de Triomphe, or Porte du Peyrou as it known here, and the wonderfully grand, wide open space of the Place de la Comédie. The former is dedicated to who else but the Sun King, Louis XIV. If you can get on a tour, you can walk up some tiny steps to the top of the arch – well worth it – otherwise make do with a wander down the Peyrou Royal Promenade and gaze at the Corinthian Chateau d’Eau and the Romanesque Arceux aqueduct, constructed in the 18th century, together with a huge equestrian statue of Louis XIV built to mark the end of the city’s flirtation with Protestantism. Try and go on a Sunday when a flea market takes centre stage.

I make my way slowly down to the impressive pedestrian arena that is the Place de la Comédie, with the same Haussmanian-style buildings you’d see in Paris, the Three Graces statue at its centre and with Opéra Comédie at one end and the Jardin du Champ de Mars at the other. It’s grand and evocative with numerous cafés and restaurants. I grab a citron pressé and people-watch during a brief rain shower. Among many events, the square is home to a wine fair in November and a Christmas market.

Back in the historic heart, I pop into the grandstanding gothic Cathedral St Pierre, parts of which date back to the 14th century. Next door is the Faculty of Medicine, the oldest continuously operating medical school in the West – it’s been around since the 13th century. It has fiercely high standards with only around 10 per cent of those who apply each year to study going on to qualify. If you are not too squeamish, take a tour of its Museum of Anatomy and its collection of the weird, wonderful and unmentionable, giving a sobering insight into

medical practice over the centuries (it needs to be booked through the tourist office).

If jars containing parts of the human anatomy and wax casts aren’t for you, then try the Musée Fabre, renowned for its 16th – 19th century European art (there’s a striking picture by Delacroix entitled Exercices militaires des Marocains), but also for its works by Pierre Soulages, ‘the master of black’. Just opened, too, is the uber-cool Moco, set in a 19thcentury former town house (near the station) with a lovely garden and snazzy bar/restaurant. It’s a showcase for contemporary art in the city, exhibiting regularly changing works from private collections and solo artists – the opening exhibition features sculptures, photographs and videos owned by Japanese entrepreneur Yasuharu Ishikawa.

After a surfeit of art, I go in search of some greenery and where better than the Jardin des Plantes – the oldest botanical gardens in France – looking out for a 400-year-old green olive tree (where over the years people have placed prayers and love letters into the fissures of its trunk). I then peak into Eglise Saint-Roch, dedicated to Saint Roch, who spent much of his life helping plague victims of which he is the patron saint. He holds the same title for dogs and you will see a lot of them in Montpellier – occasionally being carried in a handbag.

So much for the old, what about the new? I make a circuitous journey through the city – via some colourfully inspired graffiti along Rue des Pradiers to Antigone, the fabulous neo-classical inspired district designed by the Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill between 1979 and 2000. Loosely inspired by Ancient Greece, the streets have names such as Place de Marathon and Place de Sparte. Here the dramatic Médiathèque Centrale Emile Zola (the library) and the Piscine Olympique Antigone are set opposite each other – representing mind and body – and resembling the outline of a liner and cruise ship respectively. With the open spaces, lawns and trees, Antigone is a bold sight in more ways than one; my guide Bruno explains that a part of this development of apartments and offices is devoted to social housing again revealing the city’s desire to be forward thinking and inclusive.

Walking through the Place d’Europe, which looks like a post-modern version of the Royal Crescent in Bath, I spot Sou Fujimoto’s ‘White Tree’ apartment in the distance. After reaching the Lez river, I double back towards Philippe Starck’s La Nuage (a complex including a swimming pool, gym and medical centre) in Porte Marianne. It does look a little cloud-like and was supposed to be transparent, but the occupants were unhappy with that idea. Boarding the tram, I move on to Marche de Lez, a little creative hotspot on an old industrial site with a vast antiques shop, hipster barbers, cafés, a creperie and clothes stalls. Even more is promised too as Les Halles du Luz was due to open in June with an array of gastronomic outlets and bars – the kind of places you’d find at Bristol’s Wapping Wharf.

Heading back to the centre, I realise what the mayor meant. This is a city that’s going places; somewhere embracing the old and the new. And it’s a city with a smile on its face. Nostradamus would be relieved.

A few more places not to miss • With immersive displays such as a sea storm simulator, plus penguins and sharks, there is something to engage all ages at Planet Ocean. And if you need more there’s a planetarium too. It’s in the Odysseum quartier, a buzzing shopping, drinking and eating centre.

• The Mediterranean is only seven miles away so make the most of the beaches: Carnon is one of the nearest. Take the tram and then walk, or cycle, or cycle the whole way.

• For dining, Les T’ocqués (Rue Roucher), Restaurant La Place (Place St Ravy), House D’Anna (Rue des Tresoriers) and La Tomate (Rue Four des Flamme – the oldest restaurant in town) won’t let you down and are well priced.

• Stock up on cheese and an array of beautifully presented foods at Halles Castellane or Les Halles Laissac – the latter’s glass roof is meant to resemble a cantaloupe melon. You might get a bottle of the lovely local wine, Pic Saint Loup, here too.

• Montpellier has top-line football and rugby teams and also is pretty handy at handball, water polo and women’s basketball. Make a date to see one of them in action. ■ • Easyjet flies twice a week to Montpellier until the end of October; montpellier-france.com THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS FROM THE SECTOR

RUN AWAY TO THE SOUL CIRCUS From 16 – 18 August, a wellness festival is taking place just under an hour away from Bristol, in Elmore, the Cotswolds, to celebrate movement, music and food. Soul Circus aims to take attendees on a journey of healing, transformation, realignment and recalibration, creating equilibrium in the body and offering inspiration from world-renowned teachers, speakers and musicians.

It promises days spent doing yoga and indulging in the spa, and evenings sipping cocktails, dancing to DJ sets and eating locally sourced food. The musical line-up includes Norman Jay MBE and Goldie, and there’ll also be everything from bodypositive burlesque lessons, `Moroccan feasts, crafts and a ‘glitter den’ to discos, games and yoga for kids, live art, astral projection workshops and lucid dreaming seminars.

LIGHT RELIEF

• soulcircus.yoga

charity candle, £48, Jo Malone; jomalone.co.uk

SIGHT-SAVING EQUIPMENT Bristol Eye Hospital has purchased a special piece of camera equipment to help babies and young children with sight-threatening illnesses, thanks to two local charities.

The state-of-the-art retinal camera features a specially designed wide-angle lens to give doctors a close-up view of blood vessels behind the eye.

As a result of significant grants from charities Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital and Above & Beyond, the purchasing of this equipment will assist medical staff in diagnosing early eye problems in babies and young children to help prevent them from losing their sight.

• uhbristol.nhs.uk

20 MILES FOR 20 YEARS To mark 20 years in the beauty business, The Somerset Toiletry Company is all set to embark on a celebratory 20-mile walk next month, from 12 to 13 September. The trek will begin in Cheddar and finish on the Sunday in Weston-super-Mare. Joining the Somerset-based team on the walk will be founder of Happily Ever After Dog & Cat Rescue & Sanctuary (headogrescue.webs.com) Cerian Adams.

A non-profit organisation, the HEA Sanctuary focuses on finding homes for animals and provides sanctuary for those who are unable to be re-homed.

With efforts focused on raising funds for the dog sanctuary, the two-day event will include an overnight stay, team-building exercises, and some well-deserved birthday celebrations.

• thesomersettoiletryco.co.uk

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The Somerset Toiletry Company co-founder Sakina Buoy

Infused with cassis, delicate lily of the valley, narcissus and green ivy, this year’s charity candle from Jo Malone continues to shine a light on mental health. The British brand hopes to help stamp out stigmas, support those living with mental health problems and empower people to recover, reconnect and grow, and for each sale of the candle, Jo Malone will make a donation of 75% of the retail price to 10 of the inspirational charities that it supports.

• Lily of the Valley & Ivy

PRETTY IN PINK Caudalie’s bestselling face mist has undergone a summer makeover. Created by founder Mathilde Thomas 22 years ago, the Beauty Elixir contains 100% natural ingredients, essential oils and, this year, is encased in a limited-edition pink bottle.

Already a firm favourite, the revitalising mist is great for setting your make-up, priming or reviving dull, tired skin.

• Limited Edition Beauty Elixir, £32 for 100ml; uk.caudalie.com

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 77

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Image by Edd Cope for Coffee House Project

HEALTH | CBD

CBD crazy

With the continuous rise in the consumption of CBD oil, Crystal Rose takes a closer look at the smoking-hot cannabidiol scene in Bristol

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s recent findings reveal Bristol to be the city most likely to use CBD for chronic pain than anywhere else in the UK (instantecare.co.uk), it’s evident that the use and rise of such holistic remedies to manage health is not slowing down. It’s the trend that’s got everyone talking and there’s one question that’s on many people’s lips: what exactly is CBD oil and where does it come from?

Scientifically known as cannabidiol, CBD oil is the concentrated liquid extract of the marijuana plant. It’s worth knowing that this substance is not known to cause psychoactive effects and claims to have many health benefits including healing skin irritation such as acne or hyperpigmentation, minimising signs of ageing, moisturising the epidermis and treatment in chronic pain a nd anxiety. In layman’s terms: CBD is part of the marijuana plant that does not get you ‘high’ (this would be the tetrahydrocannabinol or THC; the main psychoactive cannabinoid within marijuana).

An appealing option for those who are looking for holistic relief from pain and other symptoms without the mind-altering effects of certain pharmaceutical drugs, CBD is becoming an increasingly popular option i n the health and wellness market. “The number of UK users of CBD oil has almost doubled in the last year,” according to Simon Manthorpe, CEO of EOS Scientific, which is seeing a movement in the usage of the alternative remedy. The CBD trend is fully in motion and we’re starting to see a few local establishments embrace the craze and plunge into the CBD Bristol scene. Here’s what the city has to offer...

powered by 100% renewable electricity and green gas. Using plantbased and compostable takeaway cups and pots, it sources its magic beans from a farm in Brazil that was recently named most sustainable in the country.

If that’s not enough, all the cakes are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and most sweet treats are vegan, gluten-free, soya-free and without any refined sugars. Infusing delicious treats with optional CBD, Mary Jane’s is focused on providing top quality CBD in a safe environment.

Bristol CBD Oil Set up by natural healthcare practitioners Koren Barnwell and Mark Dunn, the mission of Bristol CBD Oil (bristolcbd.co.uk) is to provide high-quality CBD products at affordable prices and continue educating people about CBD oil and its healthgiving benefits. Sourcing the finest quality hemp extracts from across Europe, Bristol CBD offers a variety of oils at differing dosages, plus skin and muscles rubs and even a supply of CBD chocolate containing 10mg of cannabidiol and made with Bristol-based chocolatier Radeks Chocolate (radekschocolate.co.uk).

Goodbody and Blunt Mary Jane’s Coffee Having opened in late June this year, Mary Jane’s Coffee (maryjanes.co.uk) has caused quite the stir already. As the first establishment to offer CBD treats in the city, the coffee house aims to bring cannabidiol to the mainstream scene and provide a quality, great-tasting way to take the health-filled substance daily. There are CBD coffee, ‘marathon’ and seeded ‘bliss balls’, salted date caramel cakes and vegan flatbreads alongside the usual caffeinated drinks offerings.

Founded by South West-born Jon Antoniou, Mary Jane’s is also 78 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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With rumours of a second wellness centre coming to Clifton later this year, Goodbody and Blunt has recently opened its first store in Bath (Goodbody Wellness Centre; goodbodywellness.co.uk). With offerings of 45 different cannabidoil products such as bath bombs, edibles, skincare, coffee and muscle rubs, the centre is the first of its retail-kind on the UK health scene. ■

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The CNM course immediately sang out to me Ciara Roberts, CNM Naturopathic Nutrition Graduate and Author

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strep throat at age 4, unusually localised to my kidneys, precipitating glomerular nephritis. Age 14 I went into renal failure, 14-21 I had to rely on thrice weekly hospital dialysis treatments, age 21 I had the gift of a kidney transplant, age 39, the transplant kidney function failed.

I am currently listed for a second kidney and do peritoneal dialysis at home. I have nightly 8-hour dialysis having lost my transplant kidney function 3 years ago. That was a big spiritual awakening as I nearly died. Dialysis comes with all kinds of potential complications but I see this as part of my self-care and I have the intuition, knowledge, strength and self-love to look after myself very well. I currently support my health with both conventional medicine and natural treatments.

Already aware of nutrition, having been raised by a mother very interested in natural health, and from a South African doctor who planted powerful seeds in me on healthy

Ciara Roberts, photographed by Aisling Roberts

living, I ‘happened’ upon the CNM course and it immediately sang out to me. It literally felt like the course had been designed just for me. CNM is a combination of hopeful endeavour and academic excellence which makes it a very well worthwhile experience. I loved my three years of training in Naturopathic Nutrition. I found my CNM studies comprehensive, enjoyable and affirming. I loved the lecturers, whose calibre was excellent, and meeting new, like-minded people, some of whom became very good friends. The content of the course and feeling fully equipped to practise after graduation, was a very helpful antidote to my very busy, stressful banking career. I came to really enjoy studying at the weekends.

I have personally experienced how healing happens in many forms. We don’t need to become a diagnosis. We can heal deeply on an emotional and mental level to support the physical. In spite of everything, we can create the life we love, and share from that place of quiet joy.

The CNM course enriched my knowledge and, importantly, helped me understand the intricate nature of therapeutic rapport and building trust and confidence with clients. I am engaged with social prescribing and working with King’s Hospital and local GP practices. I have been featured in the Mail on Sunday, Yoga Magazine, Journal of Kidney Care, Top Santé and Elephant Journal. I love helping people make links between their habits and their health and understand where they might be limiting themselves.

Attend a FREE Open Morning to find out about training with CNM Bristol for a career as a Naturopathic Nutritionist (study in class or online) or a Naturopathic Acupuncturist Geoff Don

10th August, 2019 Please book online at:

www.naturopathy-uk.com

My first book 'Wholly Aligned, Wholly Alive', launched in June 2019, details my journey and includes the tools of nutrition and yoga and how they have helped me.

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

or call 01342 410 505 CNM has a 20-year track record training successful practitioners in natural therapies, in class and online.

Colleges across the UK and Ireland.

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WILD BRISTOL

Choose your favourite park or green space (Brandon Hill, perhaps?) and after a summer picnic with obligatory lashings of ginger beer, lie in the long grass, look up to the sky and do nothing

Five ‘Go Wilds’ in Bristol

The holidays are here! Pete Dommett suggests a handful of ways to get closer to nature on a summer staycation

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t might not be the Dorset coast or a mysterious Cornish island – à la a nostalgic Enid Blyton tale – but Bristol offers plenty of opportunities for urban wildlife adventures during the holiday season (additional crime-fighting escapades are optional).

Here are some ideas...

Get a bird’s eye view of the city According to The Guardian, Bristol is Britain’s third greenest urban area (after Edinburgh and Glasgow). Satellite maps show our fair city incorporates an impressive 29% of ‘green space’. So climb up to a good vantage point – the top of Trenchard Street or Cabot Circus car parks, Cabot Tower or Avon Gorge are just a few suggestions – to see for yourself. Not only will you enjoy a unique perspective on the Bristolian landscape, you’ll be eye-level with the best of our high-flying birds, including gulls, ravens and peregrine falcons.

Go on a nocturnal safari Bats, badgers, foxes, deer, owls and even glow-worms. This eclectic cast of creatures can be encountered on a night-time wander around the city. Stoke Park, Ashton Court, Arnos Vale cemetery or the streets of Clifton are all interesting areas to explore on a midnight ramble. Go in a group, walk quietly, keep your torch turned off and you might be surprised at what wildlife you can see during the hours of darkness. If you’d prefer to join an organised outing, Steve England runs twilight wildlife trips in Stoke Park – see steveengland.co.uk – and Dan Flew leads evening bat walks in Arnos Vale – see arnosvale.org.uk.

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Go crabbing Head west to the coast for this one. Grab your crabbing kit from the toll house at Clevedon’s iconic Victorian pier (you could walk to the end of this Grade I listed landmark while you’re there), then stroll along the promenade to the recently refurbished Marine Lake. This sea-filled pool is perfect for some old-fashioned, crab-catching fun (bacon makes for reliable bait). When you’ve collected your quota of crustaceans, set them free and watch them race back to the water.

And if these eight-legged oddities haven’t put you off your stroke, why not cool down with a quick dip yourself?

Go birding by bike Birdwatching on your bicycle is a leisurely way to enjoy nature and get plenty of exercise to boot. There are plenty of easy-enough rides in and around Bristol – try the railway path to Bath or book your bike on a train to Yatton and cycle the Strawberry Line to Cheddar. Both are top spots for resident species – from bullfinches to buzzards (and, if you’re lucky, barn owls) – as well as summer specialities, such as whitethroats, blackcaps and other warblers. Top tip: pedal slowly and you’ll see more. So, hop in the saddle and get twitchin’!

Stare at the sky As simple as it sounds. Choose your favourite Bristol park or green space (Brandon Hill for me) and, after a summer picnic with obligatory lashings of ginger beer (or actual beer), lie down in the long grass, look up to a clear, blue sky and do...nothing. Watch butterflies, birds or just the leaves on the trees from your laid-back point of view.

Then, drag your duvet out into the back garden and do the same again at night. The city’s lights might mean they’re harder to make out, but, once your eyes adjust, you’ll soon be seeing stars. ■

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Is knee pain stopping you doing the things you love?

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e all know that keeping active is one of the key ingredients to living a healthy life. For some of us, a bad knee could be enough to prevent us from being as active as we would like. When knee pain interferes with activity, it is a sign that we should seek medical help.

A visit to an orthopaedic surgeon can help you get a diagnosis and treatment. The surgeon will determine if the pain has been caused through injury or a more long term issue, such as osteoarthritis.

Did you know: − There are 5000 people in Bristol with severe knee arthritis. − Of the UK’s ten ‘Core Cities’, the population of Bristol is the most physically active. − Up to 25% of people with knee arthritis will retire early due to knee pain. − Most knee arthritis is under-treated.

Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis The predominant symptoms of knee arthritis are pain and stiffness, which lead to loss of mobility. Symptoms range from mild to severe. There can be a mild background ache in the knee, which might interfere with sporting activities or a long walk. In more severe cases, it can be a constant severe disabling pain, which makes walking very difficult or impossible. Pain may also be so severe that sleep can be disturbed and there is pain at rest. The normal activities of daily living may become difficult to perform.

Roughening and fragmentation of the knee joint surface may also lead to catching, clicking, clunking or similar symptoms.

Swelling of the knee joint is often seen, and in severe cases, the shape of the knee may change. In the worst cases, loss of mobility can lead to poor cardio-respiratory fitness.

Another new technique available is Platelet Rich Plasma treatment (PRP), which uses a patient's own anti-inflammatory cells to promote the healing of injured joints.

If the arthritis is severe and you have exhausted non-operative treatment, then you may decide to proceed with a knee replacement. Knee replacement can take the form of a total or a partial (unicompartmental) replacement. The decision to proceed is made with your surgeon so that you understand the benefits and risks of each procedure.

If you have been experiencing knee pain and would like to discuss your symptoms, you can meet one of our surgeons at a free public open event on Thursday 10 October at 6pm. At Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, our team of consultant orthopaedic surgeons also hold regular clinics with very short waiting times.

Call our Enquiries team on the number below, who will be able to assist you in booking a consultation.

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis When people talk about knee arthritis, it is usually osteoarthritis to which they are referring. Arthritis means ‘joint inflammation’, and osteoarthritis is the most common form.

Osteoarthritis is characterised by inflammation and ‘wear and tear’ damage to the knee. It develops over time, and can sneak up on you; when symptoms first appear much of the damage has already been done.

The process of damage and wearing out of the joint cartilage surface eventually results in bone grinding on bone in the knee, which is a painful and disabling condition.

Any of the three main parts of the knee – the medial compartment, the lateral compartment, and the patellofemoral joint (kneecap) can be affected by osteoarthritis. There are several risk factors for osteoarthritis, including your genes, lifestyle factors, previous injuries, hypermobility and obesity.

Following a diagnosis of arthritis, you may receive some form of treatment before you see a surgeon. Non-surgical treatments may include simple painkillers, anti-inflammatory tablets, weight loss treatments, modification of activities, or physiotherapy.

If there are symptoms of mechanical locking in the knee, or stiffness, then keyhole surgery (arthroscopy) of the knee may improve this. However, knee arthroscopy treatment cannot reverse the arthritis damage.

For those patients who might be suffering with arthritis but are hoping to avoid surgery, there are less invasive, non-surgical options available, such as injection therapy. This can prove beneficial in managing joint pain to the point whereby the need for surgery is delayed or, in some instances, removed completely.

Steroid injections are an example of this.

The treatments we offer for arthritis include: − Physiotherapy − Steroid injections − PRP Injections − Weight loss therapies − Knee replacements It doesn’t matter if you want to climb a mountain or simply prune the garden, any symptom that prevents or limits your ability to do the things you love is cause for concern.

With a little help, a bad knee doesn’t have to impact your quality of life.

To book an appointment with one of our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, call 0117 911 5339, or visit our website: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital The Chesterfield, 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BN nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol

Members of Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital’s team of Consultant Orthopaedic Knee Surgeons (left to right), Mr Jonathan Webb, Mr Richard Baker, Mr Damian Clark, and Mr James Robinson.

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GARDENING GREAT OUTDOORS

The old pier water chute

Sands of time

Weston is a resort for all seasons – wistful and windy in winter, but at its vibrant best in summer, when the promenade is packed with families. Andrew Swift takes us back to its very beginnings

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hen the Rev William Leeves of Wrington decided to build himself a cottage on the North Somerset coast, he could hardly have known what he was starting.

The year was 1774 – or possibly 1791 – nobody is quite sure – and the spot he chose was a tiny out-ofthe-way fishing village called Weston-super-Mare.

Other travellers in search of solitude soon followed, and in 1810 Weston’s first hotel – the Royal – opened to cater for them. The seal was set on Weston’s reputation in 1819 when Mrs Piozzi, a famous diarist and one of Bath’s most celebrated long-term residents, wrote that, although ‘this little place is neither gay nor fashionable... the breezes here are most salubrious. Who would be living at Bath now?’

Some 10 years later, a guide to North Somerset described how Weston had recently been raised from ‘a small retired village... inhabited by fishermen... to the rank of a watering place’.

Seaside resorts such as Brighton and Margate had already started to eclipse the popularity of inland spas and, as Bath’s star faded, Weston’s rose. In 1841, the railway arrived – admittedly only a branch line with trains pulled by horses, but a railway none the less. It brought an influx of well-heeled visitors as well as wagonloads of Bath stone and a Bath architect – James Wilson – who planned to make Weston the Brighton of the west. Terraces, villas and crescents – including a Royal Crescent – were built, looking out across broad lawns to the sea.

Weston’s career as a genteel watering place proved short lived. In 1866, its branch line – no longer worked by horses – was doubled, and a new station was built with a platform for excursion trains. The following year, Weston’s first pier opened, linking the mainland to Birnbeck Island, with a landing stage where paddle steamers could 82 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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disembark daytrippers from South Wales.

As visitor numbers rose, the council transformed the coastline by building a sea wall and promenade, almost two miles long. Using a million tons of stone, it cost £35,000, but soon paid for itself as more and more visitors – and investment – flooded into the town.

Since then, Weston has never looked back. Today, it is more popular than ever, and earlier this year was voted one of the UK’s most welcoming destinations by travel website Booking.com.

Weston is a resort for all seasons – wistful and windy, like most seaside towns, in winter, but at its vibrant best in summer, when the central strip along the promenade is packed with families taking a leisurely stroll. At its hub is the Grand Pier, opened in 1904, remodelled in 1932, destroyed by fire in 2008, rebuilt and reopened in 2010. But there is much else – the Tropicana’s summertime funfair, the Weston Wheel, the annual sand sculpture exhibition, Pirate Adventureland, fish and chips, ice cream – and, of course, the beach.

Except when the tide is in – which isn’t often – there is an astonishing amount of room for everyone on Weston’s golden sands. While the sands are fantastic, however, the Bristol Channel has the second-highest tidal range in the world, and it can be very risky if you wander out too far or choose the wrong time to take a dip. Fortunately, there is a large marine lake to remove the element of risk.

Heading north along the promenade, the crowds soon melt away, as sand gives way to rocky coves and the gaunt ruins of Weston’s first pier come into view. Even in its dereliction, Birnbeck Pier, which finally closed in 1994, is magnificent, with the delicate tracery of its ironwork belying the colossal pounding it has withstood in its 150-year history.

In its heyday, it boasted water chutes, switchback railways and a flying

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GREAT OUTDOORS

machine, and still has the look of a place that was designed for fun.

Part of Weston’s charm comes from it being a place not just for families, but one where the very young and the very old are much in evidence. That means donkey rides and paddling pools, of course, as well as sheltered benches along the promenade – but only in Weston does it come as no surprise to stumble upon a World War Two-inspired Blitz Tearoom.

You can also sit down for a meal in Weston’s oldest building, the Old Thatched Cottage, that bucolic bolthole which kickstarted the resort’s development back in the late 18th century.

Away from the sea front, the crescents and terraces built in Weston’s first flush of development also hark back to a more sedate age. It is buildings from later in the 19th century, though, using local stone and designed by a local architect called Hans Price, that give the town its distinct character. Price’s style was eclectic, embracing Gothic, Classical, Moorish, Medieval, Flemish, Baroque and Elizabethan motifs. One of his most exuberant buildings, originally the workshops of the local gas company, now houses the town’s museum, which so admirably achieves the difficult balancing act of appealing to both children and adults.

Many of Weston’s out-of-the-way corners reward leisurely exploration. The quieter northern end of the High Street boasts some fascinating buildings, as well as two excellent local pubs – the Brit Bar and the newly opened Black Cat. Beyond that lies Grove Park and the wooded slopes where some of Weston’s most desirable properties were built in the mid-19th century.

Weston also has a good selection of modernist buildings, such as the Winter Gardens, opened in 1927. And while it suffered, like many other towns, from some truly unfortunate developments in the 1960s and 1970s, many of the worst examples have now been bulldozed to make way for something better.

It is hardly surprising that a town which has only been around for a couple of centuries is still evolving. What is remarkable is that it embodies such a proud history, and has so much that is worth discovering. ■

The sands, circa 1910

Heading north along the promenade, the sand gives way to rocky coves and the gaunt ruins of Weston’s first pier

Create space with a garden room GARDEN OFFICES • LOG CABINS • STUDIOS • SUMMERHOUSES POSH SHEDS • TIMBER GARAGES • OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

01225 774566 • www.gardenaffairs.co.uk Visit our Display Centre at Trowbridge Garden Centre 288 Frome Road, BA14 0DT THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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INTERIORS

Let there be – carefully considered – light Bristol’s One Eighty Light offers up a few tips for adjusting the brightness in your home

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ighting an open-plan living space can be complicated when it comes to doing so effectively; fine tuning the balance between beloved natural daylight and the necessary artificial lighting when natural light levels are low. Here are a few fundamentals of residential lighting for consideration when planning for open-plan living – be it in an existing space or a future project.

Lighting in the key main areas must be zonal and activity based. If you are planning a project, consider lighting in the concept stages to ensure it is well integrated into the design and not an after-thought.

Light source technology has changed a lot over the last 20 years so, where possible, go for LED and integrated power supplies rather than retrofit lamps. The up-front cost is slightly more but the tradeoff is better quality of light and much lower maintenance.

Kitchen The kitchen is a haven of task-based activities which requires good levels of light so go for a colour temperature of 3000K. Layer the light from directional downlights over the work surface, under wall cabinets, small path lights or linear LED tape in the plinth for lowlevel night-time ambient lighting and feature pendants over the kitchen island. Other tricks for added feature lighting include underlighting worktops or uplighting above wall cabinets.

Living room Here we want mostly mid and low-level ambient light for reading or watching television; directional downlights onto the walls for illuminating pictures and art or wall lights, and table lamps or a floor lamp for reading. If you have a fireplace, set in an up light either side of the hearth with a narrow beam angle for added drama to capture the texture of the surface material.

Dining room For the hybrid of potential task-based activities here, including homework or entertaining guests, we want decent high-level lighting such as downlights, or low-hung pendants and surrounding ambient wall lights or directional downlights onto the walls. If you have a roof light, recessed wall lights add comfortable high-level lighting as they wash across rather than downwards.

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Switching it up Have rotary dimmer switches in each zone with no more than four circuits to control the light levels or consider a control system if you can stretch the budget to be able to set scenes and remotely control via an app. n • oneeightylight.com; images courtesy of Occhio (occhio.de)

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Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

Turning your ideas into beautiful spaces Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs will help you maximise the potential of your outdoor space and tailor it to your individual needs. Whether you are looking for a complete garden redesign, or just need advice on what to plant in a border, Elly’s Wellies will be happy to help.

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

www.ellyswellies.co.uk ellyswellies@gmail.com 07788 640934

THE

BRISTO L M A GAZINE

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 85

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HOMES | GARDENS

Outdoor

NOTEBOOK

PRIMA JAKE FLAT ROOF GAZEBO SHED Taking the shed to a whole new level, you’ll be the envy of the neighbours as you relax in this outdoor room throughout the year. Prices for the model pictured start from £4,189 (painted by the customer).

For more details contact Garden Affairs on 01225 774566, or view their display at the Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge, BA14 ODT. gardenaffairs.co.uk

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DREAMING OF AN INDIAN SUMMER Jalli print parasols from the Raj Tent Club. These attractive sunshades are decorated both inside and out with a jalli design. Shown here in orange, other print options available. £250. Visit rajtentclub.com COULD BE ROME... COULD BE REDLAND You’ll be reclining on some seriously Scandi chic with this lounger, part of the range which characterises pared back and timeless Danish design. Rome Sun Lounger with armrest currently £1229.10 (was £1446.00). BoConcept, 51-53 Merchant Street, Bristol BS1 3EE. Boconcept.com



GET THE LIGHTING RIGHT Late summer evenings need a little mood lighting. Choose from a great selection of LED energy efficient outdoor wall lights by The Lighting Studio.

From £48.00



Lighting Studio, Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bristol, BS3 4TA Lightingwarehousebristol.co.uk

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MORSØ FORNO WOOD FIRED GARDEN OVEN



ORNATE GARDEN LANTERN This aged metallic lantern is perfect for a romantic evening dîner à deux in the garden.

From just £28.75 – why not buy two or three and make it a party?

Kondi Gifts, 103 Henleaze Road, Bristol BS9 4JP facebook: @kondigifts

More Danish inspiration in the form of this ultra stylish oven, designed

by Klaus Rath.

The word barbecue doesn’t do it justice.

From £995 Kindle Stoves, 331 Bath Road, Saltford, BS31 3TJ Kindlestoves.co.uk

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rom nth f ting r mo r a St P pe GB 39 Autonomous and hassle free operation with preset daily or weekly schedules Let our robotic lawnmowers take care of your garden

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 87

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GARDENING

Growing your own makes sense financially – for the price of a few packets of seeds you can have a bountiful harvest that lasts for months

Room to grow

There’s something very British about an allotment site, and these hidden sanctuaries, featuring familiar and comforting sights, are increasing in number once again. Elly West looks back at their history and origin

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any of the gardens that I design include space to grow a few crops. Keeping this area separate appeals to most people’s sensibilities, including my own, and raised beds are ideal for this purpose. If space allows, it’s also nice to turn a growing zone into an extra ‘room’ in the garden, perhaps even with a low fence boundary or low clipped hedge to define it.

There’s nothing quite like the taste and satisfaction that comes from growing your own food. You know that it’s fresh and hasn’t been sprayed with any strange chemicals. It also makes sense financially – for the price of a few packets of seeds you can have a bountiful harvest that lasts for months.

Growing crops has far-reaching health benefits, and there is an increasing awareness of the role gardening plays in helping mental as well as physical health. But not everyone has room for crops in their garden, which is why more and more people are turning to allotments to provide that extra space and opportunity to grow their own food.

There’s something very British about an allotment site. I often travel by train and looking out of the window I see these hidden sanctuaries, tucked away yet a familiar and comforting sight with rickety sheds, cane wigwams covered in beans, higgledy-piggledy netting, strings of CDs flashing in the sun, and narrow pathways breaking the space into a gridlike semblance of order.

Allotments have been around for hundreds of years, and began when private landowners would allow workers small patches of land to grow food on, rather than increasing their salary. During the industrial revolution, allotments were increasingly necessary to the labouring poor 88 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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for survival. Then, when the craze for gardening took off in the 19th century, the middle classes also took to allotmenteering, as a way to grow their own crops, and to have a place to take the family for a weekend outing or somewhere to relax away from the city. Some even had brick-built summerhouses and follies, and glasshouses and flowers were common on Victorian and Edwardian suburban allotment sites. In 1887 the Allotments Act was introduced, whereby it became compulsory for local authorities to provide allotments where there was a demand.

During the First and Second World Wars, allotment plots multiplied from around 450,000 across Britain pre-1914, to around 1.75 million in 1945, as every bit of disused land was given over to food production in the efforts to Dig for Victory. Once rationing was over in the 1950s, and food was readily available once more, many allotments were sold off to developers for building land to cope with the booming population, and allotment numbers dropped back down to around 500,000 in the 1960s and as low as 265,000 in 1997.

However, numbers are increasing again and there are currently around 330,000 allotment plots across the country. Waiting lists for some of these plots are long, and according to the National Allotment Society, we need another 90,000 plots to meet current demand as more and more people are turning away from mass-produced, chemical-laden foods and looking for organic sustainability.

Unfortunately, waiting lists in urban areas can be phenomenal and a quick look at the Bristol City Council website shows the same story.

Although there are plenty of sites listed, with the council managing over 4,000 plots, very few appear to be currently vacant. However, it’s worth putting your name on a waiting list if you are interested, especially at the

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bigger sites, as turnover can be relatively high. If that fails, when six or more people group together and formally approach the local council it is still obliged to provide them with allotments under the Section 23 of the 1908 Smallholdings and Allotments Act. When you’re choosing a site, consider location, site rules and water supply. Some plots will already have a shed, which can also be a huge bonus, as can an on-site shop. Good soil is obviously going to help you get started, and if you’re lucky your predecessor will have kept it well dug and nourished with compost. Lush swathes of stinging nettles or docks may look like a problem, but at least they indicate the ground is fertile.

Unless you’re lucky, any new plot is going to take at least some digging and clearing, and it may be worth hiring a rotavator for the task.

However, always avoid rotavating weeds such as brambles and dock, as they can regrow from a small piece of root – so you might end up inadvertently propagating hundreds of new plants. And if your plot is very overgrown then Bristol City Council offers two years at half-rent.

Spend some time planning your space by sketching the area roughly to scale and thinking about where to position the beds, looking at the surroundings and where sun and shade fall. Include a compost heap and somewhere nice to sit back, relax and enjoy the view. With some patience and hard work, you might soon be joining the hundreds of thousands of people who love allotment gardening for the fresh air, home-grown produce, healthy lifestyle and community spirit of like-minded people.

Useful contacts For a list of allotments in and around Bristol, including details of how to apply for a plot, visit bristol.gov.uk/allotments. The National Allotment Society (nsalg.org.uk) is a good source of information if you’re thinking of applying for an allotment, and includes plenty of practical advice on how to run and manage your space. Social Farms and Gardens, based in Bedminster (farmgarden.org.uk) is another good source for information on all types of community gardening and nature-based activities. ■

Plant of the month: Cosmos These big, bright daisy flowers are heroes of the cutting garden and are often seen growing on allotments purely for this purpose. A row or two among the cabbages or beans will provide masses of flowers, while also encouraging beneficial pollinators. They make ideal gap fillers in the summer border, flowering non-stop for weeks on end, often well into the autumn.

Check the label or seed packet when you’re choosing which to grow, as some tall varieties are better at the back of the border.

Smaller varieties can be grown in containers. Cosmos are easy to grow from seed sown directly outside in May or early June, or undercover from April.

Don’t start seeds off too early undercover though, as they won’t survive outside until after the first frosts and become leggy if they’re indoors for too long. They are also readily available as young plants in garden centres or from market stalls.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

Create space with a garden room GARDEN OFFICES • LOG CABINS • STUDIOS • SUMMERHOUSES POSH SHEDS • TIMBER GARAGES • OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

01225 774566 • www.gardenaffairs.co.uk Visit our Display Centre at Trowbridge Garden Centre 288 Frome Road, BA14 0DT THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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AUGUST 2019

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 89

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PROPERTY NEWS

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM ACROSS THE CITY’S BOOMING SECTOR Vicky Mahoney, Amy Hoskins and George Beddis

GOING STRONG

GOOD FIT AT FINZELS BRISTOL IN DEMAND One of Bristol’s sought-after office buildings is now fully occupied after the top floor penthouse space was leased on a new 10-year term.

Global real estate advisor Colliers International acted on behalf of the landlord in leasing the 1,675 sq ft fifth floor of 10 Queen Square.

The six-storey, Grade-II listed building features a classical Georgian façade, beyond which are recently refurbished, modern offices with air conditioning, LED lighting, basement car parking, bike storage and showers.

“The top floor of 10 Queen Square is a glass-box extension to the original building, creating a unique office environment with exceptional views over the Floating Harbour,” said Alfie Passingham, senior surveyor in the national offices team in the Bristol office of Colliers International. “Queen Square is one of the most prestigious office locations in the city and the fact the building is now fully let is very much a reflection of activity in the Bristol office market, which continues to push on with consistent levels of demand.”

• colliers.com/en-gb/bristol

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Grainger plc has launched its first build-torent development, Hawkins & George, at Finzels Reach in Bristol.

The first of its kind in the city, the modern waterside development comprises two distinct buildings – Hawkins Lane and George’s Wharf – providing private, purpose-built rental accommodation with 194 apartments in total, communal areas and a host of amenities.

With Bristol consistently named as one of the best places to live outside of London and currently facing a shortage of rental property, this is much-needed extra accommodation for professionals and families alike in the city centre.

Setting out to transform the Bristol rental market, Grainger is committed to raising standards by offering customers greater certainty and flexibility through its optional longer-term tenancies and strong focus on community, customer service, and convenience and ease for renters.

The range of apartment types includes pet-friendly furnished and unfurnished studio, one and two-bedroom homes with prices starting from £895 per month and amenities such as an on-site gym, a roof terrace and bike storage plus co-working space to boot.

• etpproperty.co.uk • graingerplc.co.uk

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Fast moving property consultancy ETP has strengthened its Bristol-based team with the promotion of Amy Hoskins as well as the appointment of two new staff members.

Based in Clifton, ETP has seen steady growth in workload over the past two years, which has prompted a restructuring of the business, an office move and the growth of the team to cope with increased volume of valuations and commercial deals.

Amy Hoskins, who has recently qualified as a chartered surveyor, said the diversity of the workload, and the need to develop a wide range of business skills, initially attracted her to the property sector.

“We meet lots of different people and deal with a wide range of properties and I am relishing the challenge of stepping up as a fully qualified chartered surveyor,” she said.

Amy qualified in property management and investment at UWE and has worked in the area for six and a half years, initially in residential valuation and agency, then recently in the commercial property sector.

Also joining the team are George Beddis and Vicky Mahoney. Originally from the Forest of Dean. George will work in ETP’s Bristol and Chepstow offices, and is working towards his chartered surveyor qualification.

Vicky brings with her a wealth of experience working in professional services, having previously worked for PwC and Rawlinson & Hunter. Vicky will be based in the Bristol office parttime and will assist the partners in an administration role.

“Amy has worked for us for several years and we were thrilled she has qualified,” said partner Alastair Kimpton. “Similarly, George and Vicky impressed us at interview stage and we are delighted that they have joined the team. Bristol enjoys its reputation as a genuine city for the future and we are confident our larger team will help us keep pace with developments in the region’s commercial sector.”

No 182

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PROPERTY | RENOVATION

50 to 75 per cent of the properties Knight Frank sell have had some form of loft or kitchen extension

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PROPERTY | RENOVATION

Building Bristol A city covered in scaffolding, Bristol is transforming before our very eyes. But, if you take to the streets, it isn’t just the skyline that’s changing, as Malcolm Croft discovers

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verywhere you go across Bristol’s 35 delightful districts, one thing that is dramatically observable to any resident or tourist is that the city is in the middle of an identity make-over. Some critics even might say crisis.

From the huge, and hugely controversial, redevelopments at Temple Island (and Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone) to Wapping Wharf, Redcliffe Quarter, and Stokes Croft’s Carriageworks (as well as the never-ending discussions about the development of a new arena slap-bang in the city centre and Bristol Airport’s plan to expand by one-third by 2025), Bristol is being undressed as quickly as it can put its clothes on, culminating in commuters and residents’ continuing confusion at the traffic congestion and progress, or lack thereof, of redevelopment.

However, as much as the city is being revitalised on a macro level, it is also happening at a much larger scale on a micro level.

As to be expected, the transformation of a city’s skyline starts a chain reaction that terminates at street level. As the city’s financial and business sectors demand better transport links, an influx of imported residents require more homes, houses that ultimately desire renovation, which – you guessed it – concludes with the streets littered with skips, scaffolding, port-a-loos and other renovation detritus. The changing face of Bristol’s residential roads is growing faster than any time in history as more house-buyers travel to the South West to find their dream home. And who can blame them?

“Bristol has consistently been voted one of the best places to live,” said Mayor Marvin Rees recently. “It’s a city full of green space, a vibrant culture known for its colourful houses, grand bridges, hot air balloons and Banksy. And it is a great city, a prosperous city.”

Indeed, in 2017, National Geographic ranked Bristol ‘the coolest city in Europe’ – just one of dozens of nods the city has received in recent years. All this prosperity, however, brings with it elements that both divide and unite local communities in equal measure.

No place like home With anything that finds itself in flux, there are pros and cons to be measured. And, according to the wealth of property surveys, statistics and reports published in the past 12 months, the numbers for each don’t lie for either side of the argument. In February 2019, a survey reported that Bristolians are the fifth happiest home-owners in Britain, placing them above London. Only Edinburgh, Cardiff, Newcastle and Norwich came above us in the list.

But despite Bristolians being happy with their 200,000-plus homes, they are also the most ardent to change them. According to Barbour’s Home Improvement of Great Britain 2019 report, home renovation figures across the South West of England increased throughout 2017/2018 with more than 46,000 new planning applications submitted – that’s almost a quarter of the homes in the city, a growth of 3.5 per cent from the previous year. “Statistically, the South West has been the least volatile region in England when it comes to changes in home improvement applications over the past seven to eight years,” said Michael Dall, lead economist at Barbour ABI, concluding: “the flow of equity-rich downsizers and movers from London and the South East helped sustain demand, while other regions deprioritised renovation”. According to a 2018 Office for

National Statistics survey, South West households spent an average of more than £1,300 a year altering and improving their homes throughout 2016 and 2017 – that’s more than £3.2billion spent for the whole region. These numbers are impressive before you even begin to include the cost of large-scale renovations…

Home improvement Most home-owners are in agreement: larger structural renovations are the sure-fire way to help add thousands of pounds of value to their home. According to a 2018 survey by Direct Line Home Insurance, homeowners in the South West “boost the resale price of a property by £9,980 on average by redecorating every room,” with the “best single room to renovate being the kitchen, which can add £9,275 to the value of the property.” Bathroom renovations can also add £7,532 to its value, the survey suggests. But what of the holy trinity: loft, kitchen and garden?

“I would say 50 to 75 per cent of the properties we sell have had some form of loft or kitchen extension,” says Troy Budd, at Knight Frank, Bristol, the city’s largest independent real estate consultancy.

“Kitchens, bathrooms and extending current living space, with bifold doors onto gardens, for example, are the most popular renovations requested. Buyers will look at both but will want this to be factored into the prices if works are necessary.”

This trend for renovation and extension has had a delightful knockon effect for local property companies, with the majority of conversions and extensions (commonly outfitted at the same time) priced at more than £40,000.

The success of many of the city’s growing independent property redevelopment and renovation companies – you’ve seen their signage outside their sites for sure – emerged around a decade ago when London started seeing a dramatic loss of population to provincial cities. Today, the number is the highest it’s ever been. The Guardian in 2017 summed up this migration best: “The urge to quit London is so widespread that only a handful of the remotest corners of England and Wales did not see at least someone from the capital arriving to start a new life last year.”

In 2018 alone, Bristol gained more than 4,000 ‘DFLs’ (Down From London-ers). The reason why is simple: Bristol is built on threebedroom terrace houses that allow plenty of opportunities for a loft conversion and kitchen extension, which is attractive to buyers with a growing family. It’s clear: Bristol is bustling with renovation. But is all this change all at once a good thing? While this beautification certainly shows that life can, and does, exist outside of the M25, for Bristolians who hope to get onto the property ladder the rising house prices have become a bone of contention.

Indeed, looking at the data, you can understand why. Average house prices in Bristol have increased by £111,000 over the past decade, an increase of 64 per cent; a greater rate than anywhere else in the UK and “a trend that shows no sign of slowing.” According to Zoopla, the average three-bedroom home in Bristol costs £333,686, a much better bang for your buck from the average Zone 1-2 London cost for a onebedroom flat, at £473,822.

But, of course, house renovation is not just an agent for positive change. The negatives have their say too. Renovations are the source of much frustration between neighbours, especially between long-time

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PROPERTY | RENOVATION

Bristolians and newcomers from out of town. In many residential areas, the divide could not be more evident with multiple skips, port-a-loos, scaffolding and the loud use of tools and machinery prompting frequent disagreement between the terraces.

“Our neighbour denied planning permission several times due to the lengthy exposure to noise pollution,” said Steven, a resident of Bedminster, where loft and kitchen extensions have increased dramatically. With an increased amount of people who renovate tending not to live at their house while long-term renovation work is being carried out, it is often their neighbours who are left to endure the drilling, dust and unsightly skips. “It is the price of progress, I guess,” concludes Steven.

Neighbourly relations are set to fray even further with news announced in May 2019 by housing minister Kit Malthouse that all homeowners across the country will now be allowed to build larger extensions without planning permission. “Single-storey rear extensions no longer require a full planning application and ‘additions’ to terraced and semi-detached homes can be up to six metres long. Detached houses will be able to add even larger structures, up to eight metres long,” the BBC reported.

This means that homeowners are now no longer required to wait for council approval of their intended renovations (usually months of waiting) – only requiring to “notify the council of the building work beforehand.” Council officials are then liable to inform the neighbours.

If neighbours do raise concerns, the council decides if the extension is likely to harm the character or enjoyment of the area.

This move by the government ensures that “families can grow without being forced to move,” said Malthouse, adding: “these measures will help families extend their properties without battling through time-consuming red tape.”

Time will tell how these changes to homeowners’ rights will further open the floodgates for Bristol’s love affair with home renovation, but with the city’s supply and demand for construction set to continue into the foreseeable future, is it worth asking the question; can Bristol retain its charm with all this change? ■

MARDAN, BATH’S BESPOKE REMOVALS AND STORAGE COMPANY, DEVELOPS NEW TALENT

Mardan have a wealth of experience within the removals and storage industry, spanning over 30 years, ensuring customers have a stress-free and seamless move. Mardan are family run and bespoke with the experience, knowledge, skills, equipment and capacity to complete removals of any size; locally, nationally for domestic or commercial customers.

Marcus, Mardan’s founder, has always held fast, with confidence, to his belief that he can deliver a high standard of removals, exceeding that of his competitors.

Marcus knows to do this he must have trust and confidence in the skills of his staff, which he does. So when a new office position was required within Mardan instead of recruiting externally Marcus looked to develop a team member which he already had extreme confidence in and who he knew would develop into the role seamlessly, Nik. The role would include; liaising with customers, completing quotes, emailing quotes, planning the removals diary, logistics and managing the storage yard. Nik, had worked with Marcus within removals for over 10 years having a strong knowledge of all aspects of removals and with the skills necessary to lead a team from Mardan on removals. Nik has risen to the challenge and is thriving. Marcus and Nik work extremely well as a team thus ensuring all customers have a personalised service and a positive move experience. Both Marcus and Nik enjoy completing the physical removal and Marcus truly believes that to do the ‘office’ role well it’s important to continue to complete removals, thus maintaining the in depth knowledge developed throughout their earlier careers. Marcus and Nik are able to be flexible with their roles and keep their ‘hand in’ the hard physical work of removals.

Mardan continue to grow their self-storage facility, offering safe, secure and reasonable storage to upward of 100 domestic and commercial customers.

“We used Mardan following a recommendation from a friend. They moved us in and out of storage and then into our renovated house. I would highly recommend them. The service was super efficient and the guys were quick, polite and courteous. Nothing was too much trouble and all of our possessions arrived safe and sound” Emma Webster, Moon Client

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • PACKERS • STORERS • SHIPPERS

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

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his substantial detached property is in a central position in one of Sneyd Park’s most sought after and highly appreciated developments of modern family homes.

On the ground floor, each reception room has a delightful outlook to its sunny gardens.

Enjoying a south/south westerly orientation a superb sitting room runs front to back enjoying the full depth of this fine family home with doors opening to the rear gardens.

Central to the property, a spacious dining room, again with doors opening to the rear garden enjoys a sunny south westerly outlook flowing from a contemporary and bespoke kitchen. The kitchen has a range of high end integral appliances with granite work surfaces and family dining.Completing the accommodation there is a useful utility, comfy family room and guest w.c.

On the first floor, a master suite and guest suite enjoy en suite shower and bathroom facilities with three further bedrooms serviced by a family bathroom. Adding to the versatility and space of this family home there is contemporary media room and further guest bedroom with luxury guest en suite shower room.

Queens Gate enjoys a quiet and sunny location with the benefit of level and secure gardens to front and rear. The rear gardens blend patio and level lawn with a range of flowering mature shrubbery, a Mediterranean pizza oven and a summer house. At the front there is parking for several cars and double garage which has tiled flooring and is perfect for a games room and additional storage.

STOKE BISHOP • Substantial detached family home • Six bedrooms • Four bathrooms • Three reception rooms • Ample parking and double garage • No onward chain

Price £1,195,000

Knight Frank, 27a Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HR. Tel: 0117 317 1996

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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AUGUST 2019

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 97

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

(0117) 934 9977

• Studio office

FOR SALE/TO LET APEX COURT ALMONDSBRY

• 800 sq ft

• 2,554 sq ft

• Close to train station

• 7 car spaces

• New lease - £1,000 pcm

• ONLY £315,000

CLIFTON VILLAGE

49 BALDWIN STREET, BS1

MONTPELIER COURT

• Freehold

• Restaurant to let

• Business for sale

• C 1,400 sq ft

• Established hair salon

• Rare opportunity

• Low rent (6,500 pax)

• Rent on application

• Premium – on application

TO LET / MAY SELL HOTWELL ROAD, BS8

SHOP FOR SALE, KINGSWOOD, BS15

• 1,235 sq ft

• Fully let investment

• S/c shop / office • Busy position

• Let to established business c £6,000 pax

• Price on application

• Price on application

110 WHITELADIES ROAD

WHITELADIES RD – OFFICES

• Large shop to let

• 1,000 sq ft single floor office suite

• 1,600 sq ft

• 2 car spaces

• Suit shop & office use New lease - £20,000 pax

• Light, bright space

STUDIO OFFICES CLOSE TO BBC – BS8

WESTFIELD PARK – OFF WHITELADIES RD, CLIFTON

• New lease – rent on application

• Coming soon

• Open plan office

• 2,030 sq ft

• 1,600 sq ft

• Open plan studio

• 5 car spaces

• New lease

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

• Newly refurbished

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• Sales / Lettings • Acquisitions • Valuations • Landlord & tenant • Auction Sales

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

Same trusted team... opening new doors for you across Bristol and Somerset With more than 30 years of industry experience, the Howard agency is the personal vision of Howard Davis. This professional and truly local property business is born of family values - honesty, trust and loyalty. The Howard team really cares about the people it does business with and this beautiful area that we all live and work in. The well-liked and respected experts at Howard have decades of combined sales and

Howard Davis Managing Director

lettings understanding and exceptional knowledge of Bristol, Somerset and the surrounding suburbs. For those just starting out to those with large portfolios, the Howard ethos is based on respect, transparency, and the determination to deliver an exceptional and personal service for all.

HOWARD’S AUGUST FEATURE HOME

HARBOURSIDE BS1

ÂŁ775,000

We are delighted to offer this beautifully presented Grade 2 listed Georgian harbour side home to the market. The four storey accommodation is well presented throughout and offers a light and versatile interior with views over the harbour and surrounding area.

0117 923 8238 Howard August.indd 1

www.howard-homes.co.uk

hello@howard-homes.co.uk 22/07/2019 13:06

REDLAND BS6

SSTC £1,200,000

REDLAND BS6

SSTC £1,000,000

CLIFTON BS8

SSTC £850,000

An exceptional seven bedroom family house set over four floors; offers an extensive interior retaining a great deal of its original charm and character throughout, consisting of a reception room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, a family bathroom, a home office and a garage. EPC E

A substantial five bedroom family home, offers a generous entrance hall, 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 bathrooms, cloakroom, and basement area, integral garage, drive way for two cars and a south facing rear garden. EPC F

A four bedroom semi-detached period house which consists of; two reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, two bathrooms and a rear garden. Located in Clifton with the restaurants, cafes and supermarkets nearby. EPC F

STOKE BISHOP BS9 SSTC £850,000

CLIFTON BS8

REDLAND BS6

A three bedroom detached family house offers a light and versatile interior. In short, the property comprises of; a kitchen/ breakfast room, living/dining room, a master bedroom with an en-suite and a south facing garden, also benefitting from a double garage to the front of the property. EPC F

A freehold investment comprising of 4 separate one double bedroom apartments; garden flat, hall floor flat, first floor flat and top floor flat, conveniently located just off Whiteladies Road.

EPC TBC

A rare opportunity to purchase an exceptional five bedroom Hall Floor Garden Maisonette. Owned by the present vendors for over 20 years this wonderful property has been lovingly and sympathetically updated over the years to offer a versatile and quality family home.. EPC D

REDLAND BS6

KINGSDOWN BS9

CLIFTON BS8

GUIDE PRICE

£650,000

An extensive double bayed semi-detached five bedroom family home offers a good sized rear garden and detached garage. In brief it offers; front living room, dining room with access out to the rear garden and breakfast room leading though to the kitchen to rear of the house. EPC F

GUIDE PRICE

GUIDE PRICE

£955,000

£615,000

A thoughtfully designed four storey four bedroom townhouse offers a versatile interior, integral garage and roof terrace.

Briefly consists of; open plan living room extends to offer kitchen/ breakfast area, master bedroom and an external enclosed walled garden to the rear. EPC TBC

GUIDE PRICE

£785,000

SSTC £435,000

An exceptional ground floor garden apartment, consists of: open plan kitchen lounge with a high quality kitchen and Feature Island, lounge area and two double bedrooms. EPC F

203 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XT

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Hamptons July.indd 2

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cjhole.co.uk

BRECON ROAD, HENLEAZE

SOUTHDOWN ROAD, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM

Superbly presented throughout and laterally extended to the ground floor is this Victorian semi-detached six bedroom family home with many period features and open plan extended kitchen dining and sitting room with patio doors onto a southerly facing landscaped garden. EPC E

A superbly presented four bedroom detached family home positioned on a quiet side road within close proximity to the amenities of Westburyon-Trym and benefits from a dual aspect living room with bi-fold doors leading to garden and off-street parking for several vehicles. EPC D

3

2

£995,000

6

2

2

GUIDE PRICE £700,000

4

COOMBE LANE, STOKE BISHOP

FERNBANK ROAD, REDLAND

An attractive 1930’s four bedroom detached family home positioned within a 37m in length by 15m in width plot backing onto the cricket field offering extensive views. Two individual reception rooms, delightful front and rear gardens and single garage/workshop. EPC D

A rare opportunity to acquire a two double bedroom hall floor garden apartment in the heart of Redland, adjacent to all shops and amenities, offering an 18.5m level lawned private walled garden with detached annex/office and private parking. EPC D

2

2

4

GUIDE PRICE £750,000

2

1

2

£625,000

NEW Clifton Office

Henleaze Office

Westbury-on-Trym Office

161 Whiteladies Road Clifton, BS8 2RF

108 Henleaze Road Henleaze, BS9 4JZ

25 Canford Lane Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3DQ

Tel: 0117 962 9221

Tel: 0117 950 0118

Tel: 0117 435 1867 Clifton@cjhole.co.uk

CJ Hole August.indd 1

henleaze@cjhole.co.uk

westbury@cjhole.co.uk

22/07/2019 14:34

Rupert Oliver FP August.qxp_Layout 1 22/07/2019 14:31 Page 1

Clifton, Bristol | Guide Price ÂŁ1,150,000 An outstanding circa 2200 sq. ft lateral apartment with an additional 565 sq. ft cellar below; complete with allocated off-street parking, private courtyard and generous communal garden.

Stunning period apartment in a Grade II Listed building | Beautifully refurbished and renovated by the current owners | Bespoke kitchen and light-filled open plan family room | Fabulous sitting room with a bay fronted window | Master bedroom suite with en-suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe | Two further double bedrooms, a family bathroom and study / bedroom four | Extensive cellar space with period slate wine bins and extensive storage | Private south facing courtyard garden with an elevated communal garden and private resident’s gate onto Christchurch Road | Allocated off-street parking space | EPC: D |

In all circa 2765 sq. ft (257 sq. m)

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Edgehill Road, Clevedon | Guide Price ÂŁ1,800,000 An exceptional family house with far-reaching views and in excess of 4000 sq. ft of accommodation; coupling peace and privacy along with a stunning roof deck, two full-width balconies, indoor swimming pool and a gym.

Stunning detached family home with extensive views | Exquisite living accommodation arranged over three floors | Substantial open plan sitting room, dining room and kitchen | Top floor family room and ground floor study | Master bedroom suite with balcony, dressing room and en-suite bathroom | Three further double bedrooms, each with an en-suite bath / shower room | Study | Separate utility room and plant room | Indoor swimming pool, gym and shower room | Multi-level outside space with roof deck, two balconies and Mediterranean courtyard garden | High spec and high tech throughout | Gated drive and double garage | EPC: C |

In all circa 4015 sq. ft (373 sq. m).

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