The Bristol Magazine March 2018

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THE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

Issue 165

I

march 2018

MAGAZINE

HOMES & GARDENS SPECIAL

SPRING GREENS WITH THE GRACE OF THE NATURAL WORLD INSPIRING SS18’S INTERIORS, IT’S TIME TO BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

PLUS: • OH-SO COOL CLEVEDON • THE FUTURE OF FOOD • BRISTOL: CINEMATIC CITY • 250 YEARS OF CIRCUS 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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Move.

Faster. Sell with Knight Frank.

Our understanding of the ever-changing market enables us to price your property accurately so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving.

Call 0117 295 0425 to arrange your free market appraisal. knightfrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com

Guide price £1,250,000

New Instruction

Clifton A fine example of a Regency townhouse (approx. 2,454 sq ft) with views of Clifton Suspension Bridge.

4 bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms, WC, 2 reception rooms, kitchen, study, garden room. Separate accommodation if required.

Guide price £465,000

Coming soon

Guide price £475,000

KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

nTheMarket.com

New Instruction

Harbourside

Clifton

An immaculate penthouse (approx. 983 sq ft) with stunning views and parking for two vehicles. 2 bedrooms (one ensuite), bathroom, kitchen/ dining/sitting room. Two terraces with superb harbourside views. EPC: C.

An immaculate garden apartment (approx. 1,219 sq ft) within popular Clifton.

2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom with separate shower, 1 reception room, inner hall/dining area, kitchen. Garden to front and courtyard to rear. EPC: D.

Guide price £1,375,000

New Instruction

Guide price £525,000

Clifton

Clifton

Immaculate 6 bedroom (approx. 2,789 sq ft) Victorian townhouse with parking and gardens at the rear. 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, kitchen, utility. Enclosed rear garden and private parking. EPC: F.

An exceptional first floor apartment (approx. 1,136 sq ft) enjoying views across Bristol with private balcony and communal gardens. 2 bedrooms (1 en suite), bathroom, living/dining room, kitchen, mezzanine study. No onward chain.

Knight Frank March.qxp_full page 23/02/2018 11:48 Page 2

Move.

Faster. Sell with Knight Frank.

Our understanding of the ever-changing market enables us to price your property accurately so you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving.

Call 0117 295 0425 to arrange your free market appraisal. knightfrank.co.uk/bristol bristol@knightfrank.com

OIEO £1,250,000

New Instruction

Sneyd Park A wonderful family home (approx. 3,900 sq ft). 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, bedroom 6/games room.

4/5 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room. Extensive garaging and carport, enclosed garden, in and out drive. EPC: E.

Guide price £1,595,000

New Instruction

KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

nTheMarket.com

Guide price £450,000

Abbots Leigh

Clifton

A wonderful Grade II listed house (approx. 6,127 sq ft) with views of the Welsh hills. 6 bedrooms (2 ensuite), 2 bathrooms 4/5 reception rooms, kitchen/ breakfast room. Gardens, outbuildings, garage and parking. About 1.18 acres.

An exceptional apartment (approx. 1,322 sq ft) found within a handsome Grade II listed townhouse, with fine views. The apartment enjoys extensive communal gardens to the rear. 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, drawing room, kitchen.

Guide price £465,000

Guide price £575,000

Clifton

Compton Martin

A two bedroom apartment (approx. 818 sq ft) in a newly converted chapel within desirable Clifton. 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen/dining/living room.

Off street parking for 2 vehicles. EPC: E.

A well-presented cottage (approx. 1,461 sq ft) with views over Chew Valley Lake. 3/4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, kitchen, study/ bedroom 4, conservatory. Landscaped gardens and parking. EPC: F.

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Bristol-based Addicted to Patterns has released a new collection – see our interiors feature for more

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Image by Kym Grimshaw

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Contents March 2018 REGULARS ZEITGEIST

LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Nothing but an old Romantic: the story of Bristol poet Robert Southey

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14

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

COUNTRY ESCAPE

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16

MOTORING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Meet Bristol Women’s Literature Festival founder Sian Norris

Chris Lilly’s monthly report from the world of automobiles

BARTLEBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

FOOD & DRINK

...has a brief encounter with a plastic bag on the Cornish coast

BOOKS

62

Jessica Hope relishes an Austenesque weekend at Lucknam Park

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34

Modern classics to pop on the spring reading list, stat

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Tasty tidings from our local eateries and producers

HOT TOPIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

What’s the future of our local food scene? Melissa Blease investigates

Bite-sized business news from across the city

HABITAT

THE CULTURE MUSIC

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

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32

Pete Dommett is Avon Gorge-bound, in search of native local flora

Meet Dame Evelyn Glennie ahead of Bristol Jazz & Blues Festival

THE GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

WHAT’S ON & HAPPENINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Get the diary out!

Between Burnham on Sea and Brean is the somewhat overlooked Berrow beach, which has plenty to recommend it says Andrew Swift

FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

INTERIORS

Our cinematic city has been awarded a top accolade – but what will it mean for Bristol and which film clubs and events will you be attending?

Tips and ideas surrounding SS18 trends, from our local experts

EXHIBITIONS

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50

What’s on at our local galleries this month?

FAMILY

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74

Easter fun for the young ones

FEATURES EXPLORE

88

BRISTOL AT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Sustainable textiles from the talented weavers at Studio Bodhi

LIFE AMONG THE LEAVES

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96

We solicit a little houseplant help from the former Kew Gardens graduate who’s set up shop in Old Market

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Elly West extols the virtues of the somewhat promiscuous hellebore

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Hey, when did Clevedon get so cool? Check out Sarah Ball’s hitlist

THE HISTORY OF CIRCUS

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28

FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 The new couture collaboration inspired by an ancient city document .............................................................

Bristol Botanic Garden is blooming gorgeous – get down there!

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PROPERTY

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102

Our usual property pages featuring all the hottest homes on the market

Catherine Pitt takes us back 250 years to the birth of the art form

HORTICULTURE

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54

ON THE COVER

SO FRESH & SO GREEN: Nature is a big influencer in the interiors world this season and we are loving this Christian Lacroix roomset from the SS18 Histoires Naturelles collection (image © Philippe Garcia). Flick to p88 for our seasonal homes and gardens special

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Giant Amazon water lilies at Bristol Botanic Garden (image by Nick Wray)

THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN...

Hungry for...

Dal-licious dal, dal-lings: nutritious, sustainable, economical and a dinnertime staple in Indian subcontinental cultures.

Bristol hosts the first British Dal Festival from 19 – 25 March; including a dal trail and pulse planting

from the

EDITOR “Springtime is the land awakening; the March winds are the morning yawn” – Lewis Grizzard

W

hether the weather reflects it or not, we do tend to think of March as the dawn of the new season; the bright glimmer on the wintry horizon. This issue we’ve tossed around ideas of where to get out and explore first, inexpensively and conveniently – settling on up-and-coming Clevedon. (That first criterion doesn’t apply if you’re prone to being irreversibly drawn in to lovely boutiques...) Top in the country for property price growth last year, the increasingly hip Somerset seaside town is flourishing right now – check out our hit list on p22 if you’re not sure where to begin.

We’re also getting into the garden – our own backyards (p100) as well as one tropical urban oasis tucked away in Stoke Bishop. You can find sanctuary, leafy splendour and even a few life-saving medicinal compounds at Bristol Botanic Garden, and there’s plenty going on among the wilds this season – Alice Maltby fills us in on p54. We can’t get enough of those giant Amazon lilies (pictured above) – if we only we had a pond big enough…

Still we’re bringing the natural world closer as best we can; upping our knowledge of plant species both native and exclusive to Bristol (p80) and refreshing our living spaces with a touch of the organic. Kew Gardens graduate Jamie Innes, at Old Market Plants, is helping us care for all our houseplants on p96; while the weavers at Studio Bodhi share their thoughts on sustainable textiles (p94); then we’ve tips and ideas surrounding spring home decor as part of our interiors special starting on p88 – nature plays a big part in those too.

Elsewhere find bonafide Bristol fashion from a new local couture collaboration, and a bumper history offering with the story of local Romantic Robert Southey – buddy of Wordsworth and Coleridge and so much more than we give him credit for – plus a look back at circus to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the art form, and our city being one of six in the UK to lead the festivities.

Bristol’s also been given the official title of ‘city of film’ (keep piling on the praise, guys, we can handle it) – read about what that will mean for us, and some of the quirky film clubs that make up our rich cinematic culture. Meanwhile Melissa Blease reports from the frontline on the future of food in the South West – what shape might the scene take postBrexit? – and drummer Dame Evelyn Glennie chats to us ahead of her Colston Hall show.

Bring it on, March; we’re ready for you...

Settling in...

...At House of Fraser. You can now pick up a copy of The Bristol Magazine from one of our official stands at the Cabot Circus department store, in addition to those in Harvey Nichols, John Lewis and Waitrose

Hoping...

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR Editor’s image by Paolo Ferla; ferlapaolo.com

@thebristolmag

12 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

We’ll take a couple of these Pinkman’s doughnuts too – find them and other fine local confectioners at The Chocolate Quarter’s Easter chocolate festival in Keynsham on 31 March

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@thebristolmag

...Against all hope for David Beckham to turn up in Bristol. His new grooming brand House 99 – infused with skin-illuminating superfoods – just launched at Harvey Nichols

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ZEITGEIST

Top

5

things to do in MARCH

THE MUST-SEE

SLEEP OUT Join more than 100 friendly campaigners sleeping rough for a night on Friday 2 March as part of Bristol Homelessness Awareness Week (24 February – 3 March).

Recovery for people who are homeless is not a quick fix – it takes time and specialist support. The night spent outside Pip ‘n’ Jay Church annually raises thousands of pounds for local charities as well as much needed awareness. With places still left, participants can sign up to support St Mungo’s, Golden Key, The Julian Trust, One25, Crisis Centre Ministries and Caring in Bristol. Get involved and swap your comfort for concrete for just one night. Sign up via these organisations’ websites.

The tide of change is coming; Madam Ranyevskaya's liberal world of privilege and pleasure is beginning to show cracks. Lopakhin wants to rescue Ranyevskaya. The hardworking son of one of her family's serfs, his new-found wealth can offer shelter and security to the woman he has loved since boyhood, but it will come at a high price.

Chekhov's final masterpiece The Cherry Orchard is full of wild humour and piercing sadness in this new translation by awardwinning playwright Rory Mullarkey. It maps the building tensions between the desperate longing to hold onto what is familiar and the restless lure of the new. On at Bristol Old Vic from Thursday 1 March – Saturday 7 April.

Tickets: £7.50 – £35.50.

Image by Seamus Ryan

• bristololdvic.org.uk

GET BOOKING The popular outdoor concert season Forest Live is back for another summer at Westonbirt Arboretum from Thursday 14 – Sunday 17 June, with a programme of artists that will surely get your toes tapping – and tickets are now on sale. Having sold more than 29 million records worldwide and with four UK Paloma Faith number one albums, Irish threewill be taking piece The Script will be kicking off to the stage the season, before Paul Heaton, one of the UK’s most successful songwriters, takes to the stage with Jacqui Abbott on the Friday.

BRIT nominated soloist Paloma Faith will be taking on the first gig of the weekend, followed by former Bristol student George Ezra – one of the biggest selling male artists of the decade – who is scheduled for the Sunday.

• forestry.gov.uk/music

BE INSPIRED FOR FILM BUFFS Head into the depths of Redcliffe Caves, or experience the atmospheric surroundings of Bristol Cathedral while watching one of your favourite cult classics on the big screen. For Bristol Film Festival’s spring season (Saturday 3 – Thursday 15 March), there’s a wide range of nostalgic picks such as Chariots Of Fire and The African Queen, and modern choices, like Hot Fuzz, to choose from. Be quick to book tickets online as screenings are selling out fast.

Fans of contemporary, feminist, classic and young adult writing can book tickets to see authors as diverse as Patrice Lawrence, Louise Doughty and Sheila Rowbotham as they discuss their own work, the place of women in publishing today and the relationship writers have with their readers at this year’s Bristol Women’s Literature Festival (Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March). Professor Marie MulveyRoberts will also discuss 200 years of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and there will be a group discussion to mark the centenary since female suffrage was granted in Britain.

• bristolfilmfestival.com

• watershed.co.uk

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Writer Louise Doughty

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

My

BRISTOL Meet writer Sian Norris, founder and director of Bristol Women's Literature Festival

Cillian Murphy stars in the BBC Two series

By order of the Peaky Blinders...

A right old Bristol-based knees-up has been decreed at Motion Bristol this spring, which will allow fans of one of BBC Two’s most popular period series – its epic gangster family drama – to party as their favourite characters would have. As such, Saturday 19 May will see a motley crew of Midlandsbased mobster types descend on the Avon Street venue as part of an immersive experience themed around the hit show Peaky Blinders.

Starring actor Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby – the leader of the Birmingham criminal gang, active during the early 20th century – the series has acquired a cult-like following of fans who love it for its mix of grit, glamour and unlawful hedonism. The tribute event at Motion will pay homage to the dark and moody atmosphere of the show, promising ‘secret corners, gambling dens, moonshine and fortune tellers’ during a night that will ‘blur the lines between performance and audience’.

Professional actors are being brought in to add extra authenticity, and Charleston dancers will accompany a live band playing the music of the era. Guests will feast on food fit for a Shelby family feast, including traditional newspaper-wrapped fish and chips and slow-braised beef in proper gravy, washing it all down with bootleg cocktails, whisky on the rocks (is there a scene in which Tommy Shelby is not downing a glass of the stuff?) and bathtub gin.

It’s strictly 1920s period attire only – so have those flatcaps and pocket watches at the ready…

Tickets start at £15 per person, plus booking fee.

• by-order-of.eventgenius.co.uk; motionbristol.com

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I am Bristol born and bred – almost! I moved here when I was four and after a brief stint in London when I was a student, moved back in 2006. I love living in Bristol – it’s where my friends and family are and where I’ve been able to carve out a career as a writer.

Life is a mix of creative writing, journalism, copywriting and putting on the festival which brings together some of the most exciting writers and speakers working in the UK literary, feminist and academic scene today. It’s lots of work to make it happen, from researching and booking speakers to PR, liaising with the venue and generally making it the best literary weekend it can be.

...The festival is a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go...

Last year I completed a residency at Spike Island which allowed me time to finish my novel, set in 1920s Paris and featuring a cast of real life and fictional characters who were involved in the literary and arts scene related to that place and period. So now I’m busy planning and curating the festival which is great. I love having the chance to celebrate women’s writing, history, activism and creativity. It feels extra special running this programme in 2018 – 100 years from some UK women getting the vote. The festival is both a reminder of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.

I’ve just read Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena.

It’s an extraordinary novel by a Latvian writer about mothers, daughters and growing up in Soviet Latvia. Reading about eastern Europe then led me to Chris Kraus’ Torpor, part of which is a road trip through Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania during the early ’90s. These books have really got me thinking about our relationship with recent history, the position of women in society and motherhood.

Bristol’s Mokoko cafe has delicious caramel nut cake! It’s also a great place to work – as a freelancer it’s always nice to find comfy, welcoming cafes.

I’m excited to see Iman Issa at Spike Island – she’s exhibiting there until 15 April.

I’m fascinated by how she works across different media and her explorations of history, memory and language. Spike Island is simply one of my favourite places in the world. The team are so supportive of writers and artists, while the exhibitions they host challenge you and make you think again and again about art, identity, politics, our relationships with landscapes and place... Plus they have a fantastic literary programme.

I trained at a Bristol-based Russian ballet school when I was a teenager, planning to be a professional dancer.

I’m a big fan of Bristol Festival of Ideas who are partnering with the Women’s Literature Festival this year, and looking forward to their spring programme.

I love to walk to Ashton Court from Bedminster, where I live, and then up to the woods at the top, crossing back over the wildflower meadow (on the footpath of course!) and going on to Clifton Suspension Bridge. You always see lovely birds, and the views from the top are a treat.

• sianthewriter.wordpress.com Last year Sian finished a novel set in 1920s Paris

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THE CITY

Sound of progress

Bristol electronic producer and DJ Om Unit – image by Khali Ackford

A new series of masterclasses is offering the opportunity for aspiring urban artists to learn from the pros in a series of interactive sessions. Sound Surgery, unveiled by Bristol’s intoindustry portal Multi-Track, features leading Bristol-based music producers Joker, Jus Now and OM Unit at Rough Trade Bristol, and started at the end of last month.

With 30 tickets available for each event, sessions offer would-be producers and beat makers – serious about progressing in the music industry – a chance to discover how they developed their craft, gain all-round insight into a successful artist’s journey and get feedback on their own work. They will explore how to hone a sound, picking up new skills and techniques along the way.

Multi-Track, powered by Bristol Plays Music in partnership with Urban Development, aims to demystify the music business so that anyone looking to build a career in the industry can access the tools and knowledge they need to push for commercial success.

The Jus Now masterclass takes place on 29 March, with Bristol electronic producer and DJ OM Unit – a significant presence in various dance music circles for the past seven years – on 19 April. Tickets are £5 including booking fee.

BRISTAGRAM Some of our favourite recent snaps taken by folk around the city! Tag your Bristol pics using #thebristolmag Super-mo od Tower sh y Cabot ot from @bitsofb ristol

hunderbird old Ford T ol – pic Gorgeous st ri B l ia sident gracing re ts ho .s te pe by @

• multi-track.co.uk

Voice of the city

Image by

Alisa Fineron Spoken word artist Vanessa Kisuule has been chosen to become the next Bristol city poet – following a rigorous judging process which saw over 20 submissions whittled down to three finalists, who each performed in front of a panel.

Vanessa was selected due to her unique artistic voice and experience of working and interacting with local communities in Bristol. She will be officially appointed at a Festival of Ideas event in May, where she will perform the first of 10 poems required to be composed as part of the role.

Other public performances will include special events and community engagement activities taking place between May 2018 and May 2020, the term of her appointment. “It’s a huge honour to be representing Bristol – I can’t wait to capture all the things that make this city so unique,” she said. “I believe poetry can start conversations and preserve important stories so I can’t wait to engage with a multitude of Bristol residents with poetry through this post.”

“I’m confident that Vanessa will do a fantastic job of picking up the mantle of capturing the soul of the city,” added Bristol mayor Marvin Rees. “The city poet is an important part of Bristol’s cultural offer, and I am looking forward to seeing how Vanessa makes the role her own.”

There will be a free public event to celebrate first city poet Miles Chambers’ term and the start of Vanessa’s in May – which will be announced on the Festival of Ideas website this month, so keep those eyes a-peeled...

• ideasfestival.co.uk

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

Conscientious in Cornwall

I

f you’d been rambling along the north Cornish coast on a particular Sunday last month you might have witnessed a curious sight: a man, not necessarily in the full bloom of youth, leaping about in the driveway of a holiday cottage perched dramatically on the very clifftop. Why was this fellow leaping about at the land’s edge? Was it some kind of outdoor Zumba?

High-speed yoga? Sheer sprightly exuberance?

Well I can tell you, since the not-so-young chap in question was yours truly, that he was attempting to catch a bag. A plastic bag.

Having travelled with us down from Bristol, hidden beneath the usual mountain of weekend stuff, it had lain quietly in the boot while we unloaded. Then someone opened the driver’s door, channelling a good portion of Atlantic gale through the car, and it leaped up, twirled once around the boot and was gone. Whirling, dancing, cavorting, the bag frisked in the gusts that blew this way and that between the buildings and the car. It flirted past me. I made a grab. It feinted left, spun right.

I clutched at empty air…

As I performed moves unseen since the last time I graced the dancefloor, one overwhelming desire gave strength to my limbs. I must, at all costs, prevent this plastic bag from sullying the beautiful Cornish coastline. I had to catch it, trap it, take it back to the city. Between leaps and pirouettes I asked myself, how had this happened? How had this monster come to be released, here, in what was surely an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?

In fact the bag was something of an old friend. Once upon a time, and for a period of several months, it had lived in my bike pannier, ready and waiting to protect my bike seat from the rain. It was just the right size and had long handles that you could tie loosely beneath the seat; on several occasions it had literally saved my a***, or at least my trousers. But it must have been used in an emergency for shopping, and so found its way to the kitchen and thence to the Bag Bag that hangs behind the door of the big kitchen cupboard. I say ‘hangs’, but ‘bulges’ would be a better verb. The Bag Bag must have been first instituted 15 years ago and since then it has grown steadily if unpredictably (rather like the kids, in fact) so that it is now roughly the size and shape of a medium-sized pot bellied pig.

Stuffed full of unusable bags (broken handle, horrible colour, embarrassing logo) its major role in our lives is to prevent the cupboard closing properly, but by now it is almost as much of an institution as the apple tree in the garden, which we decided to chop down when we moved in but which is (of course) still very much alive.

But where (I wondered, as the bag and I did our Strictly impression on the clifftop) had it come from? I didn’t recognise the name on the side. Had it brought home a Christmas present from some cute independent shop? A scarf maybe? Or perhaps a scented candle? There had been, years ago, a time when we frequented car boot sales quite regularly, once (I remembered as the bag whipped over my head) buying an entire set of gardening tools at a stall in what is now the Cabot Circus car park.

So had the bag conveyed a treasure from the car boot? A nice wooden pepper pot? A fish made of coloured glass? Or perhaps it brought apples home from the farmer’s market; a couple of pounds of Ashmead’s Kernels? (see Bartleby passim.)

And then, abruptly, the wind died – my intrigue along with it. The bag dropped to the ground. I snatched it up and stuffed it into my pocket. Two sheep that had been watching the performance wandered off. It was over.

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BRISTOL MAGAZINE Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2018 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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CLEVEDON GETS COOL

With fantastic restaurants, a gorgeous pier and a thriving culture of independent shops, there’s never been a better time to visit this increasingly hip Somerset seaside town. Sarah Ball picks seven places for your to-visit list. Photography Kym Grimshaw

O

nce described by Sir John Betjeman as having “the most beautiful pier in England” and constructed with sections from one of Brunel’s railways, Clevedon is known by many for its spectacular pier – its most recent claim to fame as the backdrop for One Direction’s You and I music video. You might recognise its picturesque streets from ITV’s award-winning drama Broadchurch, much of which was filmed in Clevedon. But the town is so much more.

There’s the Victorian architecture; the community-run marine lake hosting events like the aquathlon; a vibrant professional arts programme courtesy of Theatre Shop (the studioscale theatre which began life as an experiment in an abandoned shop); a dynamic mix of independent boutiques and bakeries plus a brilliant artisan market on the first Sunday of the month (April – September). So it’s little surprise that the town notched-up a huge 11.6% house price rise in 2017 (the biggest in the whole of the UK, according to property website Zoopla).

So earmark a weekend to drive over for some fresh sea air, a great meal (or two) and some serious shopping. We’ve done the legwork for you by cherry-picking a few of the best spots to visit.

1

FOR: HOMEMAKERS

This quaint store on the corner of Alexandra Road – founded by design gurus Katherine Midgley and Seamus Green – has an air of oldworld charm, stocking timeless, functional products for the home. Shop for intricate foxprint cushions from Dorset’s Bonfield Block Printers; Japanese-style pottery hand-made by Carmarthenshire potter Tim Lake; and chunky beeswax candles that make the perfect suits-all gift. They’ve also done a one-off collaboration with Wild Grove – a lavender and patchouli hand soap made in Bristol exclusively for the store.

FIND IT: Midgley Green, 26 Alexandra Road, Clevedon, BS21 7QH • 01275 871989; midgleygreen.com

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FOR: SEASIDE NOSTALGIA

Delicately dramatic, the pier is the jewel in Clevedon’s crown, cementing its charm as a Victorian seaside resort with a front that has not been defaced by chip shops and amusement arcades. It was first opened in 1869 to receive paddle-steamer passengers from Devon and Wales and now has a museum, gift shop and smart little restaurant sporting unparalleled views across the Bristol Channel. The modest entrance fee of a few pounds is well worth it.

FIND IT: Clevedon Pier, The Toll House, The Beach, Clevedon, BS21 7QU • 01275 878846; clevedonpier.co.uk

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FOR: MOVIE BUFFS Since opening its doors in 1912, The Curzon cinema has hosted mainstream and art house films, live comedy and music performances and generally become a centre for creativity and the community.

Now known as one of the oldest continually running purpose-built cinemas in the world, even a trip to see the most recent sequel to the latest blockbuster franchise is a cultural affair. Sit among original 1920s design and munch on popcorn surrounded by an internationally recognised piece of cinema history. Families can enjoy earlier child-friendly showings and film aficionados will be in their

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element at the 35mm film screenings. The indie cinema had a recordbreaking 2017 with over 74,000 admissions through the year, and even made it through to the finals of Screen International’s Cinema of the Year.

FIND IT: Curzon Community Cinema, 46 Old Church Road, Clevedon, BS21 6NN • 01275 879 115; curzon.org.uk

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FOR: FOODIES

The best of British and Italian fare sit side by side at Murrays of Clevedon, a family-run deli and restaurant which has been open for more than 30 years. The service is confident, the atmosphere informal; the staff are welcoming and knowledgeable and the food is freshly prepared and fairly priced. Arrive hungry and feast on dishes like Tuscan pork and fennel sausages with spiced Umbrian lentils, cremini mushrooms, candied mustard fruits and rocket. The team also cranks out spot-on pizzas with toppings like caramelised tropea onions and Ortiz tuna. Before you head home, swing by the deli which is packed to the rafters with delectable balsamic vinegars, Italian wines and quirky pastas.

FIND IT: Murrays of Clevedon, 91 Hill Road, Clevedon BS21 7PN • 01275 341555; murraysofclevedon.co.uk

5

FOR: ARTISANS

Elegantly curated for a cool and ruggedly handsome home, Nineteen is a perfect marriage of interiors store and workshop studio. It sells everything from locally illustrated prints to vintage antique furniture and has lots of one-off pieces: the likes of specially commissioned mono-print Clevedon pier mugs for instance. It has a reputation for running brilliant workshops too. In the line-up for this month is contemporary loom-weaving (9 March, £35) and reed basket making (17 March, £30) but whatever your crafty passion, be it macramé, leather goods or hand lettering, you’ll find a class to fit you.

FIND IT: Nineteen, 19 Alexandra Road, Clevedon BS21 7QH • 01275 340563; 19alexandraroad.co.uk

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FOR: COFFEE & CUTS

At 67 Barista Barber you can get a short back and sides alongside a perfectly poured flat white (tea drinkers can sup on a loose tea brew from Tea Pigs). This brilliant coffee-shop-meets-barber hybrid opened last November on Hill Road and has been an instant hit. Owners Sue and Steve Cooper wanted to create a laid-back pub atmosphere but they’ve done even better than that; the place brims with personality thanks to décor including orginal formica café tables rooted out from Wells Reclamation, and superb coffee (they get their fairtrade beans from Devon-based roaster Voyager). Sue does all the baking herself and is known for her moreish ginger cake. They also organise bike rides that set off from the salon and popular dads-and-lads Saturday morning cutting sessions for fathers and sons – boys get a marshmallow-topped hot chocolate with their cut.

FIND IT: 67 Barista Barber, 67 Hill Road, Clevedon BS21 7PD • 01275 217740

7

FOR: THE BREAD SET

Pullins Bakery is a true Clevedon institution. It was founded in 1925

by Mr T G Pullin, a local farmer who turned his hand to baking. He was known to keep pigs at the back of the bakery – they got to eat all the leftover cakes and bread so were famously happy little porkers! It remains a family business, run by the fourth generation and is still in the same street where its founder once lived, Hill Road, which winds down the hill almost to the sea front.

Their bakes are inventive and always noteworthy, with a hefty selection for gluten-free types. Order thick-crusted circles of sourdough rye and plump cheddar plaits, or ditch the diet with a Balboa bar (gooey squares of Belgian chocolate, cherries, marshmallow and home-made, gluten-free digestive biscuits).

It’s unsurprisingly a popular lunch spot (the most-ordered sandwich is a ploughman’s on the bakery’s own granary bread). Save some room for a few award-winning lemon macarons too – the handiwork of the resident patisserie chef who uses all-natural ingredients.

FIND IT: Pullins Bakery, 55 Hill Road, Clevedon BS21 7PD • 01275 872974; pullinsbakers.co.uk n

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CLIFTON CERAMICS & FINE JEWELLERY

CLASSICAL RECORDS WANTED

MOORCROFT ART POTTERY, DIAMOND AND PRECIOUS STONE, VINTAGE & HANDMADE JEWELLERY

Top prices paid for clean Classical Music vinyl LPs (Beethoven, Mozart etc.) from the 1950s onwards.

Labels include Columbia SAX, HMV ASD and Decca SXL. CD collections and vintage hi-fi equipment also of interest.

Call Tim: 07502 331438 or Adam: 07738 772381 or email: adam@viva-tonal.com A limited edition from Moorcroft to commemorate the royal engagement See website for details.

0117 373 0256 • 58 The Mall, Clifton Village, BS8 4JG

www.cliftonceramics.co.uk Open Tues-Sat: 10:30am – 5pm

We don’t just sell Antiques...

Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Clock

Eames 670 Chair & 671 Ottoman

1969 Alfa Romeo 1300GT Junior

John Whitlock Codner, Oil

£400 - £600

£2,000 - £3,000

£2,500 - £3,500

£400 - £600

Clevedon Salerooms Quarterly Specialist Sale includes a one-owner 1969 Alfa Romeo 1300GT Junior that has sat in a garage un-driven for almost a quarter century, even retaining the original plastic cover over the back seat! The Sale includes furniture, fine art, collectors’ items, a section devoted to late 20th Century Racing Cycles, silver, jewellery and an extensive watch section. The fully illustrated online catalogue tells you all you need to know with multiple images of every lot. You can even bid for every lot ‘live’ from your mobile phone!

Quarterly Specialist Sale Thursday 15th March at 10.30am --------------------------------------------------

On view: Tuesday 13th 2pm - 5pm, Wed 14th 10am - 6.30pm & Sale day from 9am

Catalogue online from 3rd March - Live online bidding

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

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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ROLL UP, ROLL UP! Circus is celebrating its 250th anniversary, and our city – home to more companies than any other in the UK – has been selected as one of six to run a glittering programme of events marking the birth of this British art form.

Here our ringmaster, Catherine Pitt, takes us on a journey through the history of the Big Top in Bristol

T

he year is 1768, and on the north bank of Westminster Bridge, London, a retired cavalry soldier, Philip Astley – resplendent in his scarlet military uniform – rears up his horse, Billy, and draws his sword. He calls out to passersby to follow him to witness a spectacle so wondrous and thrilling they would never believe their eyes.

Led over the bridge to the open ground beyond, known as Halfpenny Hatch, there the curious crowds gathered, around a rudimentary rope ring measured out in the dirt, to watch this “ringmaster’s” display of horse-riding tricks. Astley measured the diameter of this ring as 42 feet (13m) precisely. This was the perfect size to create optimum centrifugal forces needed for him to perform safely and is still the size of traditional circus rings today.

Trick-riding was popular just after the end of the Seven Years War (1756-1763). Ex-soldiers skilled in riding, like Astley, used this to their advantage to earn money by creating thrilling performances that people would pay to see. As more people came to see Astley, he was able to buy his own plot of land and create his own amphitheatre.

What made Astley’s performances different from those of fellow equestrian performers was his decision to add other acts and music to his show. Though acrobats, jugglers and clowns had all existed as separate acts touring the fairgrounds of England, this was the first time that they could be all seen together.

In October 1772 Astley brought his show to Bristol. He roped off an enclosure on Durdham Down, and there it was observed “40 feats of horsemanship…ending with comic burlesque.”

The name ‘circus’, used to describe this melee of performers, wasn’t coined by Astley but by an ex-pupil and rival, Charles Hughes in 1782.

During the early years of circus in Bristol, as with other cities around the UK, shows tended to use large clear sites, such as The

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Downs, Bedminster and areas of St Paul’s and St Philip’s, where there was space to build a semi-permanent structure. In 1790 Ben Hardy and Thomas Franklin erected “by particular request of several Bristol ladies and gentlemen…a very commodious amphitheatre” in an area called Backfield, behind The Full Moon pub in Stokes Croft. The building was said to have been lavishly decorated to entice the public and to rival local theatres.

Enemies then friends In the early years, circuses were seen as a threat to established city theatres, offering entertainment for all classes at affordable prices. In the 18th century, theatres had to buy licences with a patent to allow performances to take place, whereas circuses were exempt. However, a mutual respect developed between the two art forms: on Mondays Bristol’s Theatre Royal would always have performances, but the circus would ensure it did not.

As circuses grew in terms of popularity, so did the buildings created, in terms of size. Vast crowds could be accommodated in venues such as one circus site built in the 1890s off Gloucester Road, that could seat up to 15,000 people. The costs could be huge as well. A 19th-century circus site in Limekiln Lane, Jacob Wells, was funded by public subscription and cost 1,000 guineas (the equivalent of over £1million today).

If sites weren’t available then buildings were found that could be temporarily adapted. In the 20th century, theatres such as the Hippodrome, Colston Hall, and the People’s Palace on Baldwin Street hosted circuses. A drill hall at the top of Park Street was occupied by Hengler’s, Sanger’s and McCollum’s circuses for months at a time.

Winter-time was when circuses with semi-permanent sites were at an advantage. In the summer they could travel easily to other city to hire buildings, but in the winter travel was dangerous. Tented circuses (the Big Top) were introduced to the UK in 1840, when Thomas Cooke

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A striking sight: a Cirque Bijou performance high above the cityscape, for Bristol’s Green Capital launch (image by Andre Pattenden)

brought the idea over from America. Now the possibility of itinerant circuses all over the country was a reality.

The circus was often frowned upon by both clergy and lay people, as theatre had once been. There were concerns about rivalry and possible violence between circus people and locals – the acts in the early years of circus could certainly be quite primitive and crude. In 1833 a Whitsun performance featured one clown who “blew out a candle not with his mouth.” Yet, by the mid-19th century, even Queen Victoria feted circuses to perform at Balmoral and Windsor; and by the 1890s the Temperance Movement was encouraging people to attend the circus rather than their local public house.

To appease critics, and compensate for any possible civic disruption, visiting circuses would give at least one charitable performance during their tenure. In 1887 Hengler’s Circus admitted 500 local Bristol school children to a free Saturday show; while William Cooke’s Royal Circus on North Street would run a special performance that the mayor would attend, the proceeds going to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Visiting circuses traditionally paraded through the streets. Not only was this a form of free publicity for the circus but the spectacle of performers, animals and circus wagons would draw huge crowds. In 1899 when the American Circus Barnum and Bailey rolled into Bristol they were ordered by the local authorities to process early morning to avoid overcrowding on the roads and streets. Yet the authorities seem to have relented, for in January 1933 almost 65,000 people witnessed the Colston Hall Circus parade.

An ever-evolving art form By the start of the 20th century both circuses and theatres had to compete with the growing new forms of public entertainment such as music halls and magic lantern shows. Circus still had the broadest appeal due to its variety of acts, but it still had to adapt and create new, exciting features to entice audiences through its doors again and again.

Since the circus had evolved from Astley’s original equestrian show, over time further performing animals were added to the programme and were met with audience approval. In 1810 the first elephant was shown in a British circus, and by the end of the 19th century animal acts had outnumbered human performances. Lockier’s Circus, which performed at Colston Hall in the 1930s, included various animal acts such as “waltzing horses, boxing ponies and an Indian elephant who had mastered the Abyssinian rhumba.”

The movement against animal use in circuses started in the early 20th century and by the 1990s, councils across England were banning wild animal shows taking place on public land. Today the majority of circuses are about human talent.

Circus is a respected art form in many other countries but rather under-appreciated in the UK, though this is beginning to change. Its popularity is on the rise, and in Bristol we have many companies and talented individual artists, as well as the biennial Circus City festival.

It was from the Continent in the 1970s and ’80s that the new wave of circus began – ‘cirque nouveau’ or ‘new circus’ – challenging and adapting old traditions as well as creating new ones.

Traditionally you were either born into the circus or had, of course, ‘run away’ to it. It wasn’t until the 1980s that England offered a third option, the circus school, following countries like Russia (1929), China (1949) and France (1972). Britain’s first circus school, Fool Time, opened its doors in Bristol, rather appropriately, on 1 April 1986. Founded by Richard Ward, it offered the UK’s first degree in circus skills and opened up circus to a new generation, making Bristol a hotbed for new circus talent and teachers.

New circus is more inventive than ever in order to impress today’s tech-savvy audiences; it is also no longer limited to the confines of one arena or Big Top. During the Industrial Revolution, circuses followed the masses into the cities. However, by the turn of the 20th century, urban expansion had forced circuses out into the suburbs. Today ➲

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we’ve seen a reverse in this trend.

Although some tented circuses still use ground on the peripheries, many of Bristol’s contemporary circus companies use inner city locations. A former police station has been transformed into The Island on Nelson Street where The Invisible Circus has performed its immersive circus theatre in addition to Loco Klub, a cavernous, new-ish performance space underneath Temple Meads station. Meanwhile Cirque Bijou and Circomedia have performed in the old Victorian fire station on York Road – the latter of the two also has a gorgeous base in a Grade-I church in St Paul’s.

The animal acts may be long gone but, 250 years on, you can be wowed by highly trained and skilled human performers at Bristol’s festivals, theatres and venues; or take part in experiences as diverse as acro-yoga and clown-o-therapy. As Dr Haze of The Circus of Horrors says, circus is “very much alive and juggling!”

• circus250.com

Acrobat by Eileen Cooper RA, 2011, oil on canvas © Eileen Cooper

Send in the clowns: special events in 2018 Clowning with Jon Davison, 10 March, Circomedia Kingswood

Jon Davison returns to Circomedia with a masterclass that brings together ways of clowning with circus techniques, from juggling to aerial. How can one be both a stupid, incompetent clown and remain focused on the high level of discipline demanded by one’s technique? Companyia d’Idiotes co-founder Jon is a clown performer, teacher, director, researcher, writer and musician with 30 years’ experience. He has dedicated much of his teaching to the question of how to create clown material using individual skills, from circus to dance and music.

Circus skills taster, 11 March, Circomedia, St Paul’s Church

In this class, adults can try a whole range of circus disciplines with Circomedia’s most experienced tutors. If you like the look of aerial trapeze, hoop, silks or ground based acrobatics and tumbling, this is your chance to give them a go. Perfect for complete beginners and those thinking about booking a longer course.

Sawdust and Sequins, 24 March – 3 June, RWA

A major exhibition of historic and contemporary art that marks the UK’s distinct circus heritage and the contemporary circus scene alive in Bristol today. Since the 1700s, the circus has become a worldwide phenomenon and a rich source of inspiration for artists.

The glitter and dare-devilry has hidden a sometimes harsh, itinerant way of life, and across the centuries, circus has evolved to encompass radical new forms of performance and self-expression.

From historical depictions of familiar circus scenes to contemporary works exploring both the glamour and grit, this exhibition surveys the complex, compelling nature of circus.

Egg, 19 April, Circomedia, St Paul’s Church

Paper Doll Militia puts carefully crafted aerial acrobatics across an entire PVC plastic set with visual projections to envelop the internal workings of woman. From the physical distortion created by hormones to the emotional displacement egg donation entails, this show delves into the complexities of both the legal and ethical implications of surrendering the rights to your genetically linked child. The story is set to a live music soundscape with double bass, electric bass and an assortment of experimental instruments that supplement the ever-present synthetic nature of the story and set.

Zippo’s Circus: Legacy, 28 May – 5 June, Greville Smyth Park

Zippo’s Circus is back on the road in 2018 with a nationwide Big Top tour. Expect extraordinary equestrians, astonishing acrobats, comic clowns and dashing daredevils, who’ll join together in the ring to pay homage to charismatic impresario and 1768 inventor of circus, Philip Astley.

The Pride Circus Night, 5 July, Circomedia, St Paul’s Church

A circus cabaret with artists from the LGBT+ community. A night filled with death defying circus acts, comedy and queer and gender based stories, along with a mystery host to lead you though the winding and vast world that is LGBT+ circus.

Image depicting St James's Fair, now the Bear Pit

Open studios day, Circomedia, 14 – 16 September

See where Bristol’s circus performers train, sweat and create the magic, as part of the Bristol Open Doors weekend. Circomedia, Bristol’s academy for contemporary circus and physical theatre, will be throwing open its doors for workshops and to show off one of the only full-scale flying rigs in the country.

Museums at Night: Step Right Up! 25 October, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

For one night only, the halls of Bristol Museum & Art Gallery will be transformed by acrobats, storytellers and family crafts as they celebrate three centuries of circus heritage in Bristol. Have a go at circus activities, enjoy mesmerising performances and encounter surprises throughout the museum.

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BEAT GENERATION The world’s premier solo percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie is out of her comfort zone and exploring different avenues with Trio HLK. Tony Benjamin discovers more about the new collaboration, Evelyn’s incredible career, and the art of listening

O

ne of the biggest musical names to appear at this year’s Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival will be percussion virtuoso Dame Evelyn Glennie.

Raised on an Aberdeenshire dairy farm, she went on to study at the Royal Academy in London and became internationally celebrated as the world’s first full-time solo percussionist. As a fearlessly genre-busting musician, Dame Evelyn’s career has encompassed specially-written classical concertos, recordings with Björk and collaborations with Japanese Kodo drummers, Brazilian samba bands and the avantgarde improvising guitarist Fred Frith. Dame Evelyn was one of the principal featured musicians at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, performing Underworld’s And I Will Kiss with the 1,000-strong Pandemonium Drummers. Hers is a remarkable story of musical success by any standards, particularly since she had become profoundly deaf by the age of 12.

TB: People might be a bit surprised to see Evelyn Glennie’s name on a jazz festival programmme – how did that come about?

EG: Well the HLK trio contacted me to be a guest for one track on their debut recording and then they asked if I would do another.

I said yes – but before I’d had a chance to look at the first piece.

When I eventually saw the music I thought; ah! Because they play contemporary jazz and I felt it was a bit outside my comfort zone, but they were such nice guys and so talented that I thought; why not give it a go? And then, after we’d recorded the pieces I said (half jokingly) “Wouldn’t it be interesting to do this live?” and they were keen so I had to give it a go!

How was it working with the trio?

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someone they didn’t really know but I think they wanted someone who brought a different dimension to what they do. I mostly play marimba and vibes which brings an interesting extra element to the sound and I think, musically, there’s room for that. But even though I’m used to dealing with contemporary classical composers, some of the HLK music I found really challenging – the timing and so on. Ant (Law, guitarist with HLK) was really useful with his comments and advice. Richard Hall is such a great drummer and we’re really respectful not to tread on each other’s toes.

Many classically trained musicians have difficulty with improvisation but in the 2004 documentary Touch The Sound you performed completely spontaneously with the guitarist Fred Frith. Was it really unprepared?

Oh yes! But it’s funny you say I’m a classically trained musician because that was only when I was a student in the orchestras at the Academy. What I was working on was to be a solo performer and that was more difficult to categorise. Even in classical percussion concertos a lot of the music is improvised so it’s always been a part of what I’ve done. When people ask me what kind of musician I am, I say “Well, I’m just a musician really.” After all, the solo percussion repertoire isn’t even 100 years old yet! For me, as a musician, I’m constantly trying to peep around the next corner and wanting to try new things so I like to keep this freedom about it.

Many people will have seen you leading the drummers at the London Olympic opening ceremony. Presumably there wasn’t much room for improvisation there?

Oh that was completely controlled! Although I did have a little TV screen by my feet with instructions to repeat things depending on what was going on in the whole arena.

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When it came to the torch lighting, however, it was just you playing the aluphone at the heart of the enormous spectacle: how’d that feel?

That was interesting, because Danny Boyle wanted the opposite of what usually happens at such ceremonies – things get bigger and bigger until the climax. He wanted to suspend us there with just one sound and it was so magical because less really is more when you have so many people in one space. He didn’t know if it would work – it was massively brave – but he did it anyway and we bought it completely. It was such a privilege to be part of that, there was so much teamwork involved – the sound people, the people who got you from A to B, everybody who was part of the chain.

At that time the aluphone was newly invented – were you involved in developing it?

They had invited me to make comments on the original model and now there is a Glennie model. We invited the makers into the ceremony dress rehearsal but, of course, we couldn’t tell them anything about what was happening because it was all a secret.

When they realised where it would be played they were over the moon about it!

You have past form in trying out new instruments – didn’t you once play a wheelbarrow in concert?

Oh yes! That was David Heath’s percussion concerto African Sunrise – I had to go out and buy that wheelbarrow specially. It’s still at the back of my garage, I think.

You have mastered so many instruments in your career but are there any that have thrown you?

There are instruments I incredibly admire and would love to have the time to learn to play. Like the Indian tabla, for instance, which is so much based on the language, the territory and all sorts of things. I would have liked to have learnt that but I don’t think there’s time now. It’s taken me all these years to get the repertoire together and get the next generation ignited, to get it accepted as a normal thing to happen, and that’s basically been my focus for a long time now.

Of course you did once get to play Oscar the Grouch’s dustbin on Sesame Street – how important was that collaboration?

[Laughs] Oh very important actually, and again such a privilege to be in that set with such a creative team. Sometimes you just walk into a place and immediately feel that energy, the pushing of boundaries.

They’re hugely talented people and it was a big thing to do, amazing

fun. It was one of those good collaborations that really was a meeting of both sides.

It looked like fun at the end of Touch The Sound, when you were playing on a New York roof with Cuban drummer Horacio Hernandez... The glee on both your faces is incredible.

That’s another example – he’s amazing. Although I knew of him and his fantastic musicianship, we’d never met before until we were there on the rooftop with the birds pooping on us. It was one of those special little moments that just seem to happen.

In your TED talk ‘How To Truly Listen’, you explain how we should all learn to hear with more than just our ears. Do you think those of us who can hear with our ears might be losing the skill of listening properly?

Yes. As the years have gone by I have gone from being a percussion player on a never-ending journey to be the best I can, to being the best musician I can be – and then thinking; who am I? I’m a person who makes sound, telling a sound story with sound emotions and, from my perspective, a lot of it is about listening to the resonance of the sound. You have to take time to just sit there and listen but with patience there comes an awful lot of discovery that creates an appreciation of sound itself – as opposed to music – and of all the objects that make sound. Expensive or not, what matters is if they’ve got an interesting sound.

You must have to take a lot of sound-making objects with you on tour. Compared to, say, a flautist, are the logistics very laborious for a percussionist?

They used to take up a lot of time because we used to tour for great long periods, taking our own equipment all over the world. But after 9/11 things got more difficult and we had a rethink and now we tour much less and we have the promoters provide the instruments. For example I am about to go to Texas to perform a concerto there but all of the equipment I’ll use will be provided. That means I’ll have to get there, check it all out and get used to playing it before the concert but, on balance, that takes a lot less time than taking my own gear.

When I come to Bristol I’ll be bringing my own equipment, though, and I’m looking forward to playing it there. ■ • Evelyn Glennie appears with Trio HLK at Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival at Colston Hall on 17 March; bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

Evelyn’s marimba and vibe playing has brought an extra dimension to the HLK sound, while getting used to their timings has proved a new challenge for the leading percussionist

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BOOKS

CLASSIC GOLD If you haven’t already devoured these modern favourites, pop them on the readling list stat, says Charlotte Pope at Foyles

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE,

BY SHIRLEY JACKSON

In his quest to find scientific evidence of the supernatural, Dr Montague enlists three young volunteers to live in isolation with him in the supposedly haunted Hill House.

There is flamboyant bohemian Theodora, reclusive Eleanor and Luke, the dashing heir to the manor. The house is steeped in a dark, violent history and it isn’t long before the four begin to experience odd happenings. Doors refuse to stay open and ghostly footsteps roam the halls at night.

Eleanor begins to witness bizarre things that the others seem oblivious to – is the house really calling to her? Or is the vulnerable young woman losing touch with reality? Written by a masterful author who holds a welldeserved place in literary history, this carefully constructed novel has been an inspiration to Stephen King, Donna Tartt and Neil Gaiman to name a few.

ATONEMENT, BY IAN MCEWAN

On a blazing hot day in the summer of 1935, 13year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia strip off her clothes and plunge into the icy fountain in the garden of their country home. Robbie Turner, the gardener’s boy, is also watching. By the end of the day, all three of their lives will have changed forever. Briony is an incredibly imaginative girl and prone to flights of fancy; and the combination of a misunderstanding and a precocious mind lead to the innocent Robbie being arrested and Cecilia cruelly separated from her lover. Years later, the country is at war. Briony is a grown woman, serving her country as a nurse and desperately trying to atone for the mistakes of her past. Meanwhile, Robbie is one of many stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, longing to be reunited with his Cecilia... Will Briony ever be forgiven?

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THE END OF THE AFFAIR,

BY GRAHAM GREENE

It’s been two years since the relationship ended, but Maurice Bendrix is unable to stop thinking about the affair he had with a married woman, Sarah, during the dark days of the Second World War. He is wracked with frustration at how suddenly the affair ended, broken off by Sarah seemingly without reason or explanation. One evening Bendrix is approached

by Sarah’s husband, Henry, who has finally begun to suspect his wife may be unfaithful. Though Henry implores him not to pursue it further, Bendrix insists he will arrange for a private investigator to discover the truth about Sarah’s unusual behaviour.

Incensed by jealousy and obsession, Bendrix becomes convinced Sarah has taken a new lover and is determined to find out who has won the affections he lost. But things are rarely what they seem, and soon the truth will come crashing down around him... A very short novel that packs a powerful punch.

THE BOOK THIEF,

BY MARKUS ZUSAK

After the death of her younger brother, 12-year-old Liesel arrives at the home of her new foster parents Hans and Rosa. Angry and withdrawn, the only things that seem to bring her out of her shell are books. Hans teaches Liesel to read and she discovers a love for language and the written word; stealing texts that the Nazi party seek to destroy, snatching books from the flames of book burnings. But the world is changing rapidly around her, and Liesel is soon exposed to the real horrors of the Nazi regime. In an effort to protect him from growing persecution, Hans and Rosa hide a young Jewish man, Max. Forbidden from going outside, he is confined to the dark of the basement, only finding solace in sharing his story with Liesel. Narrated by Death himself, this is a book like no other I’ve read: incredibly well-written and a magnificent piece of storytelling.

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR, BY GEORGE ORWELL Probably one of the best-known examples of dystopian literature, Orwell’s 1949 classic continues to feel astoundingly contemporary and relevant. Winston Smith lives in Airstrip One, a land once known as Great Britain. Beaten down by war and revolution, the country is controlled by the all-powerful, totalitarian Party. Romantic love is an abomination and all citizens are monitored by constant surveillance. But although he appears a loyal follower of his rulers, Winston dares to long for liberty. He begins writing a diary – an act that is forbidden – and dreams of a world without the all-knowing dictator Big Brother watching his every move. This is the sort of book that every reader should peruse at least once. An incredibly important work of modern fiction, challenged and banned throughout history, Nineteen Eighty-Four is Orwell’s masterpiece.

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BRISTOL FASHION A chic new clothing collection, inspired by an ancient map of the city, launches this month at Kings Weston House...

Photography by Dominika Scheibinger

A

n elegant evening of fashion, live music, sculpture and design at one of Bristol’s beautiful, historic locations – what better way for a local fashion brand to celebrate its coming into being?

G&F Couture is a new partnership between Bristol stylist Sue Fyfe-Williams and local costumier Abby Glanville, who specialises in recreating historical garments. The launch will see fashionistas gather at Kings Weston House on 23 March for a charity catwalk event showcasing the inaugural collection. Its inspiration? A map of Bristol circa 1780, which has been printed on silk georgette and cotton silk satin garments designed to echo the slowfashion sentiment of Vivienne Westwood: buy less, choose well.

Halterneck pussycat bow blouse in cotton silk satin, £125

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STYLE

“I was experimenting in my art group with printing from lino cuts and one of my friends used a section of an old map of Bristol,” says Sue. “I could just imagine a floaty, tiered wedding dress incorporating this, and appealing to a Bristolian bride who wanted something quirky and unique. The idea would not go away until I designed the dress and the rest of the collection, and Abby and I created G&F Couture.

“I sourced the map from the Central Library, choosing one which illustrated Bristol as a port [did you know the winding path of the River Avon and its high tidal range meant ships coming into dock, before the Floating Harbour was built, had to be perfectly balanced and immaculately kept – giving rise to the term ‘shipshape and Bristol fashion’?].

“The 18th century was a huge period of growth and development for the city with the population swelling from 20,000 to 64,000. A lot of the prosperity was linked to the slave trade so I wanted to acknowledge this darker side of history by embellishing some of the pieces with chains.”

The fashion show will also present other exciting local talent such as Bristol fashion designers MishiMay and Amber Hards, sharing their collections. Proceeds from the event will be donated to cancer research charity Bloodwise. ■ • suefyfe-williams.co.uk Lined cotton silk satin shorts in map print, £125

Palazzo pants with double layers of silk georgette, £395

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON The Cherry Orchard at Bristol Old Vic

Hairspray The Musical at Bristol Hippodrome

UNTIL THE END OF MARCH

FRIDAY 2 MARCH, 8PM

New designers at Diana Porter, Park Street, Bristol

What The Frock! Redgrave Theatre

This exciting annual exhibition combines contemporary art with traditional jewellerymaking techniques. Features a new wave of talent including Miki Asai, Cara Budd, Hayley Grafflin, Dominika Kupcova and Adrienn Pesti. Visit: dianaporter.co.uk

Bristol’s award-winning all-female comedy night is back. Cerys Nelmes will be hosting the evening with a fabulous line-up featuring Kate Smurthwaite, Athena Kugblenu, Amy Mason and Ada Campe. This special, one-off comedy show is a fundraiser for the charity Bristol Women’s Voice. Tickets: £15/£8.

Visit: whatthefrockcomedy.co.uk

MONDAY 5 – SATURDAY 10 MARCH, TIMES VARY

MATCH DAYS THROUGHOUT MARCH

Six Nations rugby on the We The Curious big screen, Millennium Square

SATURDAY 3 MARCH, 6.30PM

Chariots Of Fire, Bristol Cathedral

Get your friends together, don your nation’s colours and watch the rugby championship unfold in Millennium Square, where there’ll be free live screenings of the matches throughout the competition.

THURSDAY 1 MARCH – SATURDAY 7 APRIL, 7.30PM AND 2.30PM ON SELECTED THURSDAYS AND SATURDAYS

The Cherry Orchard, Bristol Old Vic The tide of change is coming. Madam Ranyevskaya’s liberal world of privilege and pleasure is beginning to show cracks, but she and her family live on in denial. Chekhov’s final masterpiece is full of wild humour and piercing sadness in this fresh, funny and honest new translation by award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey. It maps the tensions between the desperate longing to hold on to what is familiar and the restless lure of the new. Tickets: £35.50 – £7.50. Tel: 0117 987 7877 or visit: bristololdvic.org.uk THURSDAY EVENINGS, BEGINNING 1 MARCH, 6.30PM

Four-week hormone yoga therapy course, The Redland Club Hormone yoga therapy is a natural and holistic approach to reactivate hormone production. It helps to manage the symptoms of menopause, but also PMS, PCOS, painful periods, infrequent periods, insomnia, hypothyroidism and more. Tel: 07739973320, visit: hormoneyogatherapy.co.uk 40 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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A celebratory concert marking the 100th birthday of one of America’s greatest conductors and composers, Leonard Bernstein, with a performance of his Chichester Psalms for choir, organ, harp and percussion. Tickets: £15, £5 for students and under 18s, available from Opus 13 music shop, 14 St Michael’s Hill. Tel: 0117 923 0164 or visit: cityofbristolchoir.org.uk

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Bristol Film Festival presents the inspirational historical drama Chariots Of Fire, based on the true story of athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams as they trained for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Enjoy welcome drinks and live music on arrival, then watch the film in the atmospheric setting of Bristol Cathedral’s Chapter House. Tickets: £10 – £12.

Visit: bristolfilmfestival.com SATURDAY 3 MARCH, 7PM

The Cause: An Overture of Rebellion and Revolt, Bristol Bierkeller 1913. Revolution stings the air. In an orchard, two women meet in secret. Their actions have divided them; divided a nation. What happens when the two women are suffrage leaders – Emmeline Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett?

The Cause considers the impact of a lifetime of political campaigning on an individual. A new play by Dreadnought South West.

Written by Natalie McGrath (Bristol Old Vic) and directed by Josie Sutcliffe. Join the reading of this new work – you’ll have a chance to discuss it afterwards in a post-show talk. Tickets: £10/£6. Visit: wegottickets.com/event/427392 SATURDAY 3 MARCH, 7.30PM

City of Bristol Choir conducted by David Ogden, All Saints Church, Pembroke Road, Clifton

No 165

Hairspray The Musical, Bristol Hippodrome It’s Baltimore 1962, where Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, is on a mission to follow her dreams and dance her way onto national TV. Tickets from £17.50. Visit: atgtickets.com/bristol THURSDAY 8 MARCH, 7PM

Community choral concert, All Saints Church, Pembroke Road, Clifton The world premiere of a major new choral work The River of Life, performed by more than 150 voices from All Saints Church Choir, singers from Clifton College, the Bristol Cathedral Consort and the St John’s Junior School choral speaking group, plus other local choirs. Admission is free, tickets must be booked in advance. Tel: 0117 974 1355 or visit the Parish Office.

FRIDAY 9 – SATURDAY 17 MARCH, TIMES VARY

Dracula, The Loco Klub, Temple Meads Experience the terror of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in this eerie and immersive production deep in the underground caverns of Temple Meads station. The lowdown: solicitor Jonathan Harker arrives at Count Dracula’s crumbling mansion deep in Transylvania to provide legal assistance. The Count has bought a castle next to an asylum in England and plans to travel over to take up his new residence. Then, as a storm rages in the dead of night, a black ship heads towards

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LOCAL | EVENTS

the English coast… A promenade-style, immersive performance. Suitable for ages 12+.

Tickets: £17/£12. Tel: 0117 973 3955, visit: oldvic.ac.uk SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 10AM – 3PM

Family theatre day, Barton Hill Settlement Enjoy a day brimming with free family theatre. University of Bristol students will perform four original plays, created to spark imaginations. There will also be delicious treats to buy at the cake sale – all donations go towards Travelling Light Youth Theatre.

For ages four and above and their families.

Visit: travellinglighttheatre.org.uk SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 10.30AM

Organ Elevenses: Holy Trinity Church, Church Road, Westbury-on-Trym Organist Richard Pilliner gives this month’s popular Organ Elevenses recital. Coffee and cakes served from 10.30am. Suggested donation £5 in aid of the organ fund.

This event will be showcasing the string section of Bristol Ensemble, featuring the repertoire’s best-loved pieces as well as music

by Vaughan Williams, Elgar and Grace Williams. The ensemble will be joined by soloist Oliver Pashley to perform Copland’s jazz-inspired Clarinet Concerto. Tickets: £16, £13.50 members. Tel: 0117 923 0164, visit: bristolensemble.com SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 7.30PM

Carmina Burana, Colston Hall Metropolitan merrymaking and mystery meets a no-holds-barred slice of medieval life as Bob Chilcott and Carl Orff go head to head in a programme bursting with life, liberties and sassy savoir-faire from Bristol Choral Society and Bristol Youth Choir. Tickets: £10.75 – £31.18, under 25s £5.38. Visit: bristolchoral.co.uk / colstonhall.org SUNDAY 11 MARCH, 12PM

Hot Fuzz, The Island, Nelson Street

Venture underground into one of the most unique locations in Bristol, dressed in the style of a military bunker for this screening of the 1962 version of this cult cinema classic starring Gregory Peck. Tickets: £10, visit: bristolfilmfestival.com

Veteran London cop Nicholas Angel is reassigned to the sleepy village of Sandford, where he longs for a return to more active service. A series of suspicious and gruesome accidents lead Nicholas to suspect that something foul is afoot, and soon he and his partner are hot on the trail of a suspected serial killer and some dark secrets come to light… Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Jim Broadbent. Tickets: £10 – £12.

Visit: bristolfilmfestival.com

SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 4.30PM

THURSDAY 15 MARCH, 6.30 – 10PM

We Need to Talk About Kevin, Redcliffe Caves, Phoenix Wharf

After Hours: Sound, We The Curious

SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 11AM

Cape Fear, Redcliffe Caves, Phoenix Wharf

Tilda Swinton stars as a travel writer whose luxurious lifestyle is interrupted once she becomes pregnant. After her son Kevin is born she suspects as he matures that he is displaying psychopathic tendencies – but nobody is prepared for the horror of what is soon to follow. Tickets: £15 – £18.

Visit: bristolfilmfestival.com

Explore the two floors of exhibits at this adults-only late opening, with a drink in hand, and take part in some unusual activities around the theme of sound. Plus there will be the chance to see the latest seasonal stargazing show in the UK’s only 3D planetarium.

Tickets: £8.95/£7.95. Visit: wethecurious.org THURSDAY 15 MARCH, 7.30PM

SATURDAY 10 MARCH, 7.30PM

Get The Blessing presents Bristopolis, Colston Hall

Bristol Ensemble: Strings Showcase, Trinity-Henleaze URC

As Colston Hall shuts for refurbishment, an important chapter in Bristol’s history closes. It

is only fitting that Bristol Jazz and Blues Festival should take this opportunity to commission a new film from old footage with a live score from that most urbane and Bristolian of UK jazz combos, Get The Blessing. For this special event they have teamed up with award-winning, long-time Portishead collaborator John Minton to produce a film which examines and celebrates over a century of Bristol, captured on film by local people. Count us in! Tickets: £26 – £18.

Visit: bristoljazzandbluesfest.com SATURDAY 17 MARCH, 4.30PM

Clare Teal’s Big Mini Big Band, Colston Hall BBC radio/television star and celebrated jazz vocalist Clare Teal brings her energetic and swinging nine-piece ensemble to Bristol this month, featuring the very best of the Great American Songbook. Delivered with virtuosity, authenticity and plenty of panache, this is a show not to be missed if you’re a fan of the genre. Tickets: £25 – £18. Visit: bristoljazzandbluesfest.com SATURDAY 17 MARCH, 7.30PM

Bristol Concert Orchestra, St George’s Bristol Tchaikovsky’s romantic and powerful first Piano Concerto (with renowned soloist Ashley Wass) forms the centrepiece of Bristol Concert Orchestra’s performance of music by three Russian greats – with an overture from Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky’s Petrushka (his vivacious depiction of the love triangle between three puppets magically brought to life) completing the set. Tickets: £15 – £8.

Visit: bristolconcertorchestra.org.uk SATURDAY 17 MARCH, 9.15PM

Cream ’68, The Lantern, Colston Hall An exciting celebration of famed musicians Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, who made up one of the greatest and most celebrated supergroups of the 1960s.

Featuring top UK guitarists Neville Marten, Mick Taylor and Jamie Dickson, this show will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cream’s legendary farewell concert which took place in Continued on page 42

Ú

EDITOR’S PICK...

FRIDAY 16 MARCH, 8PM

The Big Swing with the Bruce/Ilett Big Band, Colston Hall Party like it’s 1949! Colston Hall will be transformed into a Forties-style ballroom for this very special event featuring 17 of the South West’s best musicians. The aim is simple; to recreate the golden era of swing. The 17-piece Bruce/Ilett Big Band will perform authentic versions of classics from great bands such as Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Harry James for dancers and listeners alike. Get your dancing shoes on for a night of lindy hopping, jitterbugging and jiving! Dress code: 1930s-50s. Tickets: £15/25.

• Visit: bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

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LOCAL | EVENTS

NEXT MONTH FRIDAY 13 – SUNDAY 15 APRIL

Spring yoga retreat at The Orchard Retreat, East Forde Farm, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Devon

Exultate Singers at St George’s Bristol

the Albert Hall in 1968. Tickets: £20.

Visit: bristoljazzandbluesfest.com SUNDAY 18 MARCH, 3PM

The Resurrection and the Life, Christ Church, Broad Street Bristol Chamber Choir presents English music for Lent from the 17th to the 20th centuries, featuring Pearsall’s Requiem and John Sanders’ The Reproaches. Tickets: £10, available from Opus 13, 14 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol. Tel: 01275 843900, visit: bristolchamberchoir.org.uk SUNDAY 18 MARCH, 7.30PM

Handel & MacMillan: Exultate Singers, St George’s Bristol The Exultate Singers group is joined by a professional chamber orchestra to perform James MacMillan’s iconic work Seven Last Words From The Cross, together with Handel’s sparkling and exuberant Dixit Dominus, conducted by David Ogden.

Tickets £15 – £24, tel: 0845 40 24 001, visit: stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Showcasing pupils’ musical talents, the evening will see performances from the school orchestra, string group, chamber choir, male voice choir, cantata, wind band and, for the first time, the Junior X choir will be joining senior pupils for this special occasion. For tickets, email: schooloffice@cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk or tel: 0117 973 0201.

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH, 7.30PM

Beauty and the Beast screening with live orchestra, Colston Hall

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Dark Side of the Moon: The Fulldome Experience, We The Curious A visual extravaganza alongside Pink Floyd’s seminal album The Dark Side of the Moon, from 1973. Immerse yourself in freaky fractals, retro graphics and one of the greatest albums of all time. £15 per person.

Visit: wethecurious.org

Sawdust and Sequins: The Art of the Circus, Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Clifton

Clifton High School spring concert, St George’s Bristol

FRIDAY 23 MARCH, 7.30PM

FRIDAY 23 MARCH, 8.15PM

SATURDAY 24 MARCH – SUNDAY 3 JUNE

TUESDAY 20 MARCH, 7PM

The spellbinding story of Beauty and The Beast is heading for Bristol in the form of a very special concert with a huge orchestra performing the magical score to the 2017 version of the film. Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson and Ewan McGregor. Tickets: £42.46 – £69.88. Visit: colstonhall.org

An evening of fashion, music, sculpture and design in a historic location, celebrating exciting talent from Bristol and beyond and offering fashion designers a platform to showcase their collections (see also p36).

There will be a few stalls filled with fabulous fashion accessories for you to buy. Proceeds from the show will be donated to Bloodwise.

Tickets: £16.27. Visit: bit.ly/2F86FSO

Roll up for a major exhibition of historic and contemporary art that marks 250 years of circus in the UK. Featuring works by Dame Laura Knight RA RWA, Edward Seago, Duncan Grant RA RWA and more, this exciting exhibition will explore the compelling nature of circus and why it still captures our imaginations.

The Orchard Retreat, an award-winning yurt and cottage site, is holding its first yoga event. With a wonderful hatha yoga teacher that can cater for all abilities, a meditation session, plus wonderful home-cooked meals by a local caterer, there will be all the ingredients for a wonderful weekend. Set in 15 acres of glorious Devon countryside, the facilities include an outdoor tub house with two traditional cast iron baths and a shower, a communal fire pit and a pizza oven. Tel: 01363 866058, visit: theorchardretreat.co.uk SATURDAY 14 APRIL, 7.45PM

Bristol Cabot Choir Easter concert, Clifton Cathedral Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem and JS Bach’s Jesu meine Freude, conducted by Rebecca Holdeman, with Matthew Clark (baritone), Ffion Edwards (soprano), Claire Alsop (organ) and Chamber Orchestra. Tickets: £15, £5 NUS card/under 18s, from Opus 13, St Michael’s Hill. Tel: 0117 9230164 / 0117 9626521, visit: bristolcabotchoir.org TUESDAY 17 APRIL – TUESDAY 5 JUNE, 6.15PM

The Appetite Doctor, Litfield House Medical Centre, 1 Litfield Place, Clifton This eight-week course is for anybody who wants to lose weight permanently by learning to eat differently. Dr Helen McCarthy’s appetite retraining group teaches you how to use your body’s natural hunger and fullness signals to guide your eating, so that you lose weight naturally. You keep eating all your favourite foods and learn how to eat just the amount your body needs. £320 for the full course. Visit: bit.ly/2CwQCv2 SATURDAY 21 APRIL, 10AM – 4PM

Sing Handel’s Messiah, Tyndale Baptist Church, Whiteladies Road

Spanish Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Tenebrae Responsories will feature on the programme with Dan Forrest’s beautiful Requiem for the Living, conducted

by Christopher Finch, featuring Bristol Ensemble. Tickets: £10 – £20. Visit: bristolbach.org.uk or tel: 0117 214 0721.

Join members of the Bristol Choral Society for a great Messiah experience, led by the society’s musical director Hilary Campbell, who is renowned for her interpretation of major choral works. Some prior knowledge of the work is essential. Tickets £15 (under 18s £7.50) including score hire and refreshments. For full details, visit: bristolchoral.co.uk/event/come-and-singmessiah. Book by email: comeandsing@bristolchoral.co.uk or tel: 0117 962 3223.

SUNDAY 25 MARCH, 9.30AM – 6.30PM

SATURDAY 21 APRIL, 7.30PM

The Grand Dal Finale, Paintworks

Bristol Phoenix Choir and Orchestra, St George’s Bristol

SATURDAY 24 MARCH, 7.30PM

From Earth to Heaven: Bristol Bach Choir, St Mary Redcliffe

The British Dal Festival will culminate in a grand finale with street food, market stalls, children’s activities, cooking demonstrations and music to celebrate the diversity and deliciousness of pulses. To find out more about events happening around the city during the festival, on from 19 – 25 March, visit: britishdalfestival.com No 165

Handel’s Birthday Ode for Queen Anne, Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, and Haydn’s Creation Mass, with conductor Paul Walton, soprano Jessica Cale, and alto Jenna Brown.

Tickets £15 – £10, under 16s free with an adult. Tel: 0845 40 24 001, visit: stgeorgesbristol.co.uk n

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Above: See The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Curzon on 25 March Above right: Bristol Film Festival teams up with unique local venues to bring new and often interactive dimensions to the cinema-going experience; audiences will pile into Redcliffe Caves this month to watch Pulp Fiction

It’s as busy a calendar year as ever for film in Bristol – this month at the Curzon in Clevedon you can discover the story of Carmen. For more on this historic picture house, turn to p24

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FILM

ACTION! Our city’s increasingly rich cinematic culture – combining Hollywood heritage, world-class festivals, facilities and wide-ranging mainstream and alternative filmic clubs and events – has resulted in international attention and renewed resources

B

ristol’s considerable, continued contribution to television and filmmaking was officially recognised by UNESCO recently (the UN’s educational, scientific and cultural arm) as a ‘city of film’, alongside the likes of Sydney, Rome, Galway, Sofia, Santos, Qingdao and Yamagata (yes we had to Google those last ones).

Little wonder, you might think, with the city having long housed world-leading media; Aardman Animations set up shop in 1976, finding film-world fame with Wallace and Gromit, while BBC Bristol has produced globally recognised radio, drama, factual and natural history film and television for decades, the latter thanks to a creative unit putting out the world’s largest concentration of wildlife content and earning the city the nickname ‘Green Hollywood’. Then there’s The Bottle Yard, the biggest production facility in the West of England; independent film and TV production outfit Films at 59, which just won Best Post Production House Award at the Broadcast Awards; while for the regular cinema goer, there’s Arnolfini, Watershed, Clevedon’s historic Curzon (see p24), the Everyman and everything in between – plus a host of alternative film clubs and experiential hybrid events (more on that later).

All in all, with Bristol’s 11 community-driven international festivals dedicated to film, 10 cinemas, and two major universities providing 28 film-related degrees, we can see why the folks at UNESCO wanted the city in its network of like-minded cities – and it will no doubt play a central role, further to its ringing endorsement.

“The recognition is extremely significant, and positive,” says Owen Franklin, director of Bristol Film Festival. “The British film and television industry is becoming less London-centric (the government pressure for Channel 4 to relocate is just one recent example of this at the highest levels) and it’s fantastic that Bristol is already ahead of the curve and functioning as an increasingly popular destination for film production, both with the bigger studios and, of course, the thriving independent community. The UNESCO title validates what we already knew about Bristol’s rich film culture on a global platform, celebrating its heritage and supporting and encouraging creativity for years to come.”

Another creative encouraged by the richness of the city is Bristol’s BAFTA-winning This is England screenwriter Jack Thorne. “It’s the most fascinating city in the country,” he posits. “There’s always something to do and experience; from the incredible outdoor spaces to the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft; the brilliant Bristol Old Vic to the amazing carnival. I’m so proud it’s got this new status; it’s a place where stories should be told.”

Timon Singh, programmer of Bristol’s Bad Film Club and Sunset Cinema, feels the same way. “This is richly-deserved and long overdue,” he agrees. “Not only is the city the birthplace of Hollywood legends like Cary Grant, Jeremy Irons and Darth Vader himself, David Prowse, but it has also become a hub for creative talent thanks to institutions like Aardman and IMDb (also founded in Bristol) and the backdrop for shows like Sherlock, Doctor Who, Skins, Being Human and films like Starter For 10. With such cinematic pedigree, it is only natural that UNESCO recognised the city’s contribution to the industry.”

So what does it actually mean for the city, going forward? Last month saw industry figures gather at Watershed for the launch of

the City of Film programme, which will work on further improving Bristol’s reputation as a dynamic, fertile film centre, attracting inward investment; broadening engagement through screen heritage projects; and bringing together film and music initiatives to widen audience participation. There’ll also be more of an emphasis on learning through film: unlocking talent, improving skills and engaging with schools to reduce inequalities and promote inclusivity; using film to harness the potential of Bristol’s multiculturality.

“Being part of the global UNESCO network with fellow creative cities means we’re expanding our ability to build international relationships and exciting new partnerships,” explains mayor Marvin Rees. “Our goal is to ensure those relationships directly benefit all communities and help establish opportunities to support filmmaking talent, education, training and employment, while widening cultural participation and engagement for audiences.”

Cinema in the community It’s not just in the production of films that the city excels, with regular events and screenings everywhere from Arnos Vale Cemetery to the Old Fire Station, bringing new and more interactive dimensions to the cinema-going experience. “We’re celebrating the film festival’s third birthday with a fortnight of immersive screenings, bringing classics to life in our own Bristolian way!” says Owen Franklin. “We’ll be returning to long-standing partner venues like Averys Wine Cellars (for ‘drinkalong’ screenings and wine tastings) and Redcliffe Caves (for cult classics in the ‘Underground Cinema’). We’re also debuting events at The Island, which will host prison-themed movies in the former cell block, and working with Bristol Cathedral in their beautiful Chapter House for the first time for screenings of Chariots Of Fire and La Traviata. One more highlight: a screening of Airplane! underneath Concorde at Aerospace Bristol. It’s sure to be a brilliant evening, pairing one of the all-time great comedies with a feat of Bristol engineering and aviation history.”

It’s as busy a calendar year as always for film events in Bristol.

“The guys at Bristol’s International Jazz & Blues Festival – who we collaborated with last year – are teaming up with Get the Blessing and award-winning, long-time GTB and Portishead collaborator ➲ Filming of Sherlock: The Abominable Bride in Bristol

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FILM John Minton, to present Bristopolis,” says Owen, “a film which examines over a century of Bristol captured on film by local people, with a live score from one of the city’s most famous jazz exports.

Our friends at the Cary Grant Festival are planning events for 23-25 November and, finally, for anybody not already on the mailing list, Bristol Bad Film Club is running monthly screenings that have to be witnessed to be believed!”

He’s not wrong: billed as a place to ‘behold some of the most unique and notorious films ever put to celluloid’, Bristol Bad Film Club goers can expect rarely shown cult or childhood classics as well as infinitely entertaining ‘bad’ films, with all profits going to charity.

“Bristol caters to a wide range of film fans, whether they want to see the latest blockbusters at the city’s many multiplexes or more cerebral or quirky fare at independent venues like Watershed and The Cube,” says Ti Singh. “However, if they want to scrape the bottom of the cinematic barrel, then they come to the Bristol Bad Film Club – our screenings of films that are ‘so bad, they’re great’ have gone from strength to strength as the city has embraced our weird and wonderful programme.

“When we first started, it was 50 people above a pub. Last year, we had The Room’s Tommy Wiseau come to the city twice for a series of sell-out screenings, and accompanied Greg Sestero nationwide for a week of special screenings of The Disaster Artist (a film about the making of The Room – widely dubbed ‘the Citizen Kane of bad films’). On the back of the club’s achievements, we’ve also been able to attract other Hollywood stars to the city – last year Bristol Sunset Cinema put on a Q&A event with the writer of The Martian, Andy Weir, at the planetarium.

“The fact that we can stand alongside the likes of Watershed, The Cube, Arnolfini and the many other film venues around the city shows just how diverse Bristol’s offerings are for cinephiles and we’re constantly grateful people keep returning for trash like Hard To Die (screening at Bristol Improv Theatre on 29 March!)”

DIY developments One of our personal favourite film venues in town is Twentieth Century Flicks on Christmas Steps – a rental store cum veritable library with myriad titles on DVD, plus its own bijou cinema.

“It’s something we often take for granted, living in such a filmloving city, but this new status is a reminder, to all of us that have quietly and industriously contributed to Bristol's film culture over the decades, that our efforts have been noticed!” says co-owner Dave Taylor. “Hopefully it will allow us to build on that reputation.

Our tiny 11-seat cinema (‘The Kino’) is available for people to hire out to watch any of the 20,000 films in our collection and this month we plan to open our second screening room, an 18-seater called The Videodrome! It's something we are in a unique position to offer as we keep our massive collection on-site so people can literally walk in, pick anything they want and watch it on the big(ish) screen. A bit like a movie jukebox!

“For the past six years we have also put on a film night once a month at The Cube microplex, showing rarely screened classics like Le Samourai, Breaking Away, Love Streams and Tampopo. Find out what’s next via the Cube website or our Facebook group 20th Century Cube.”

So what if you fancy starting your own cinema club? Say Bristol’s countless clubs and events still haven’t got your niche covered?

“The boring but important legal/licensing information can be found via the Independent Cinema Office and other excellent resources,” offers Owen. “In terms of putting together a group, though, the key is to establish what style/genre/theme/hook you’re most keen to enjoy and stick with it (if you’re lacking inspiration, a brief chat with the über-knowledgable 20th Century Flicks team will get you on track!). Bristol’s audiences are a wonderfully diverse bunch and you’ll be sure to find like-minded fans for any style of movie you wish to screen. There’s something unbeatable about watching a great film in company - particularly horrors and comedies, from experience - so it’s well worth rallying a group, even if it’s to go to the cinema (or film festival…) and sharing in that feelgood factor en masse.”

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Further filmic fun to look out for in Bristol • Cinema Rediscovered: Returning to the city for a third edition from 26 – 29 July. Tapping into the increasing appetite for rediscovering riches from film history and bringing the finest digital restorations, contemporary classics and film print rarities back to the big screen at cinemas including Watershed and Clevedon’s Curzon Cinema.

• South West Silents: Preserving the memory of silent film and producing events and screenings at venues such as The Cube and The Lansdown pub in Clifton. You can also find them at Cinema Rediscovered this year. Next event 25 March – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) at the Curzon.

• Hellfire Video Club: Monthly night of ‘vintage psychotropic celluloid’ at The Cube Microplex, the autonomous, atypical artspace in Kingsdown where the DIY ethic is as strong (expect own-recipe cola) as the social ethic (the Cube team sent volunteers to Haiti after its 2010 earthquake to screen films for survivors, and nowadays entry to the Bristol cinema is free for asylum seekers). Expect ‘cult/sleaze/psychedelic/worldwide-weirdness’ that always comes in double-bill form.

• Bristol Film and Video Society: All aspects of film making covered at twice monthly meetings at Filton Town Council Pavilion. Membership is £35 per year, including guest speakers, ‘how to’ sessions, practical events and optional involvement in ongoing projects and productions.

• TruthOutCinema: Free, weekly film club running every Monday at the Arts House Café, Stokes Croft, which has just reopened after changing hands and being refurbished. They show predominantly political films with themes that sit close to the hearts of members and the local community such as Calais Children: A Case To Answer, and Dispossession, on the housing crisis – plus more lighthearted films and artistic pieces.

• SeventySeven Film Club: Also based at The Arts House in Stokes Croft, but dedicated to films of the following ilk: silent and slapstick comedy, German Expressionism, Soviet montage school, indie, cult, trash, experimental and world cinema. Expect anything from the works of Japanese masters Mizoguchi and Ozu to the French and Czechoslovakian new waves and the avant-garde works of Stan Brakhage or Jeff Keen plus examples of ‘blaxploitation’, kung-fu, video nasties and B-movie sci-fi.

• Bluescreen: An eclectic mix of locally produced short films at The Cube’s open-screen night – next event 28 March. Support the members of the Bristol filmmaking community who bring their films in to share, and perhaps even be inspired to make a film yourself! Bluescreen is Bristol’s longest running short film night – any genre is welcomed, the wider the variety the better. Films can be up to 20 minutes long and must be on memory stick, formatted for VLC Player, or DVD, formatted for a DVD player (no hard drives allowed).

• Encounters Film Festival: The UK’s leading short film festival, bringing you the best in international short film, animation, and virtual reality. The festival takes place in Bristol from 25 – 30 September this year, offering screenings, special events, networking and lots more.

• Cary Comes Home Festival: The biannual festival is back this autumn, celebrating how Bristol-born Archie Leach changed his fortunes and became internationally famous film star Cary Grant, while always remembering his Bristol roots. Aiming to develop new audiences for classic Cary Grant films and recreate the golden age of cinema-going. ■

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EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART

Grayson Perry: The Vanity of Small Differences, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, 31 March – 24 June There’s a new chance to see the work of one of the UK’s best-known and best-loved artists artist this spring, when six large tapestries, exploring the British fascination with taste and class, arrive at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Inspired by Hogarth’s morality tale, A Rake’s Progress, Grayson Perry’s intricate tapestries follow the socially-mobile life of fictional character Tim Rakewell from infancy to untimely death. Crammed with acutely observed detail, these beautiful, ornate pieces invite us all to think about our own attitudes to class and the structure of our society as a whole.

Contemplation of Souls and Culture by Tony Tiger

• bristolmuseums.org.uk

Richard Cartwright, Adam Gallery, Bath until 16 March Richard Cartwright was born in 1951, studied at Goldsmith’s College School of Art and now lives and works in Bristol.

He believes painting to be a journey that reflects the elasticity and mystery of life, and paints “what we hold inwardly in our mind’s eye”: a landscape, an image offering solace, reflection and stillness amidst a fast-paced contemporary lifestyle.

Richard’s paintings have been popular with collectors for many years now. The attraction of the work is the lasting appeal of the painting as each spectator brings his/her own experience to the work and is captivated by possibilities that are never fully resolved.

Adam Gallery has been representing Richard for more than 20 years and the team feels this show of new work is truly outstanding. Working often in pastel – an unusual medium for large works – Richard gives each painting an intensity of colour and atmosphere that radiates from the careful layering of the medium. His use of light is enchanting: giving the pictures a romantic and mysterious atmosphere.

The absence of daylight draws attention to the presence of moonlight in the landscapes and subdued lighting in the intimate interiors.

• adamgallery.com

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Beach At Midnight by Richard Cartwright

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T H E

BR I S T O L M A G A Z I N E

During the festive break our offices at Bristol & Exeter house were heavily flooded by a water escape in the offices above us.

The rooms are currently undergoing a complete overhaul and we hope to return very soon.

All mail and telephone lines are temporarily redirected, but for people wishing to visit us, or for parcels and other deliveries, please contact us beforehand.

TEL : 0117 974 2800 sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk editor@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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EXHIBITIONS

A Different Perspective, Lime Tree Gallery, until 10 March West Country-based John Evans’ work is very distinctive, covering landscapes and still-life with a different view of familiar scenes and clever variations on perspective and construction. The particular focus for many of the local Bristol scenes are the boats and buildings on and around the vibrant harbourside.

“I found that I could not always capture everything that I saw in a traditional format, so I began to explore different art styles and became fascinated by medieval painters, who didn’t understand perspective, and wanted to depict an event in history, capturing as much information as possible,” he says. “This meant that figures, buildings and landscapes were out of proportion to each other, but captured the whole event in a single picture. I then chose to work with what could be termed as ‘two horizons’, and I change the proportions so that everything I consider relevant fits into the picture, regardless of perspective.”

John has become a sought-after painter and his work is in many collections, including the permanent collection, Palace of Westminster and in Canada, Germany, Japan and the USA. • limetreegallery.com See Hayley Jones’ wire work at the sculpture festival

Easter Sculpture Festival, University of Bristol Botanic Garden, 30 March – 2 April Dragon’s egg planters, ghost flowers glistening in the twilight, stained glass masterpieces, stone flautists and graceful cranes are a few of the delights at this year’s festival. The Botanic Garden is a perfect environment for displaying both traditional and modern sculpture with its constantly changing natural light and backdrop of architectural plants, colours and textures. New sculptors include chainsaw artist Denius Parson, Hayley Jones (wire work), Kathryn Shorthouse (ceramics), Valda Jackson (bronze) and Colleen Du Pon (steel). There will also be chainsaw sculpting and willow weaving demonstrations, while a display of Narcissus illustrating all horticultural groups of this colourful spring flower will form a garden trail.

• bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden

● Cara Romero, Rainmaker Gallery, 8 March – 31 May Gallery director Jo Prince is giving a lecture at Bristol Museum on 8 March (International Women’s Day) on how Native American photographers create modern narratives from within tribal communities, presenting empowered, complex, contemporary individuals. Her spring exhibition coincides, focusing on Chemehuevi fine art photographer Cara Romero; whose work illustrates a belief in the all-powerful, supernatural strength of women as well as a deep connection to nature.

Meander by Elaine Jones

• rainmakerart.co.uk

● Abstract Truth, Clifton Contemporary Art, 10 March – 7 April Painters Elaine Jones, Jack Davis, Tony Scrivener and Masako Tobita express personal realities through the language of abstraction. They articulate ideas of landscape and feelings stimulated by space, light and forms, unencumbered by strict figurative values. This is the clarity and freedom that abstraction can bring when harnessed by artists who understand how to use its liberating power. Individual eloquence and fluency reveal a common truth that everyone can embrace.

Ty by Cara Romero

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• cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

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HORTICULTURE

Paeonia x suffruticosa 'Akashigata' – image by Andy Winfield

Musa textilis, the flower of the banana tree – image by Andy Winfield

Anemones photographed by garden curator Nick Wray

We’re in awe of these giant Amazon water lilies – image by Nick Wray

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HORTICULTURE

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE Find peace, exotic beauty, art installations and even disease-curing medicinal compounds all within Bristol Botanic Garden... Words by Alice Maltby

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ver wondered where our local photographers venture out to in order to find exotic settings for their photo shoots? Where do you find banana trees in full flower in winter, or giant Amazon water lilies in all their glory, or cocoa pods actually growing on cocoa trees? The best location must be the University of Bristol Botanic Garden in Stoke Bishop, just off the Downs.

The 1.77 hectare garden has been designed to tell stories about plant evolution and is home to four core plant collections: evolution, Mediterranean climate regions, local flora and rare native plants and useful plants. Planted in educational displays, these collections convey the drama of plants in the wild as well as aspects of their evolutionary biology and immerse the visitor in the display, transporting them to many different habitats. Large glasshouses provide the exact climatic conditions for many exotic plants including cacti, orchids, carnivorous plants and, unique within Bristol, the giant Amazon water lily and sacred lotus collection.

There have been four incarnations of the Botanic Garden since its foundation in 1882. The most recent, located around The Holmes in Stoke Bishop, has been developed since 2005.

“It takes time to develop a new botanic garden,” says garden curator Nicholas Wray. “Careful consideration of the composition of the displays and nurturing of the plants by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers has created the first new university botanic garden in the UK for almost 50 years. This diversity of plants growing in a garden planted for education, research and conservation is unique in the South West of Britain.

“With so many threats to plant diversity worldwide, there has never been a more crucial time to enthuse young people about plants, the role they have in our daily lives and maintaining the health of the planet.

Biology is popular at Bristol University and the Botanic Garden is an important teaching resource. It also acts as a cultural resource for the citizens of the city, where visitors are guaranteed to see and experience something new any time of year.”

As well as the myriad ornamental types among the 5,000 plants in the garden, there are opportunities for learning about some of the key plants being used in medicine. The tropical glasshouse is home to the Madagascar periwinkle which produces the compounds – vincristine and vinblastine – used to treat childhood leukaemia. Other medicinal plants on display include yew trees – also used in cancer research – which produce docetaxel (Taxotere) and paclitaxel (Taxol) depending on the variety, and the humble snowdrop, whose compound, galanthamine, is being used in Alzheimer’s research.

China has spent years working to isolate artemisinin from the plant Artemisia annua, which has been very successful in the fight against malaria, however new strains of artemisinin resistance have occurred in some countries, illustrating the importance of ongoing research to medicine. “The origin of many medicines is within plants and today, outside of traditional medicine customs, some plants are still grown

commercially,” says Nick. “Research for new medicines is a worldwide effort with many countries and companies committing huge resources.”

Many new events are taking place at the garden this season. In addition to the Easter Sculpture Festival this month (see p50), Luke Jerram is designing a unique art installation (which we just sense will be special, going by his previous Bristol projects) and a peony garden is being created in the Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden.

Luke, the internationally renowned Bristol-based artist, will be exhibiting ‘The Impossible Garden’ at the Botanic Garden this summer.

Since 2016 Luke has been working as artist-in-residence at the university’s Bristol Vision Institute which brings together associates from engineering, computer science, biological sciences, psychology, ophthalmology, history of art and television and medicine with the aim of addressing grand challenges in vision research. The Impossible Garden presents a unique opportunity to communicate complex aspects of human and animal vision and vision research, through art and illusions, to the wider public.

The Chinese Herb Garden will be home to voluptuous blooms with the creation of a new peony collection and a significant new cultural element. This garden was developed in a partnership between the Botanic Garden and the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, which regulates Chinese practitioners in the UK. The design is based on the classic pleasure gardens in Suzhou, south eastern Jiangsu Province East China, using the concept of borrowed landscape, a moon gate and bamboo covered walkway.

Paeonia x suffruticosa varieties will form the centrepiece of the display. Called ‘mudan’ in China, this group of three highly prized peony hybrids have been cultivated for millennia, particularly as a source of medicine but also for their ornamental value, which is highly revered in China. The garden development will also see the erection of a large, heavily weathered ‘eye stone’ with an elliptical hole in one corner, supported by a footing of concrete masked by limestone rocks so it appears to balance on a hill top – significant to the cultural element of the garden. “Such stones are common features and have as much, if not greater, importance than plants in Chinese gardens,” says Nick. “The ideas stem from the Taoist desire to mirror large-scale nature such as mountains using objects constructed by the forces of nature alone. The name for a rock arrangement is gongsha – ‘gong’ meaning ‘spirit’ and ‘sha’ meaning ‘stone’. They are also called scholars’ rocks as they are used for contemplation and exciting the imagination.”

With tours, lectures, painting and photography workshops and even a bee and pollination festival later in the year, reasons to visit are certainly not in short supply. See you by the banana flowers... ■

• bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden

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HISTORY | LITERATURE

Robert married his first wife at St Mary Redcliffe in Bristol

Robert Southey by John James Masquerier, 1800

NOTHING BUT AN OLD ROMANTIC...

Bristol-born Robert Southey died in relative obscurity but was once a national asset, as Poet Laureate and close pal of fellow Lake Poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. Stephen Roberts looks back at the life, career and contribution of a true wordsmith eclipsed in literary history by the nursery tale he turned into a children’s classic

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oldilocks. If you were a serious writer and contemporary of some of the most famous Romantic poets, as Robert Southey undoubtedly was, would you be frustrated if your fame seemed to rest on a tale about a little girl and three bears? Then read on and learn more, for this is a yarn in itself with many twists and turns…

The poet, who passed away 175 years ago this month, on 21 March 1843, was born in Bristol at 9 Wine Street, on 12 August 1774. Sadly, the extensive bombing the city suffered during the Second World War means the actual house no longer exists, however, a plaque has been placed on a post-war office building close to the original, reading: ‘In a house near this site was born Robert Southey 1774-1843, Poet Laureate 1813’.

Having hovered around the birth spot, it is easy to embark on a Southey tour of Bristol. He was baptised in Christ Church, just yards away in Broad Street – where apparently he liked to return to watch the quarter-jacks striking when he was young. In another sad setback for Southey fans, the church was demolished in 1786, although those admired quarter-jacks were placed on the new building.

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spent much of his childhood with an aunt, Elizabeth Tyler, in Bath and an uncle who sent him to Westminster for schooling. Southey repaid that act of kindness by being expelled ‘for applying his Jacobin principles to a school magazine’, suggesting his views (influenced by the Jacobin Club in Revolutionary France) were distinctly left of centre.

(He’d actually criticised the school’s flogging policy...) Young Robert prospered though, and was next at Balliol in Oxford in 1793 where he

The Southey Tour: in summary • Wine Street: Southey’s birthplace (and where you’ll also find his plaque).

• Broad Street: Christ Church, where he often stopped to admire the quarter-jacks.

• Redcliffe Way: St Mary Redcliffe church, where he married his first wife.

• Redcliffe Way: Chatterton’s Cafe, the former home of Thomas Chatterton.

• College Green: Bristol Cathedral (Southey memorial).

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HISTORY | LITERATURE was dreaming of an English ‘pantisocracy’ (where everyone is equal).

His guiding light was one Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a poet-cumphilosopher, whom he first met in 1794. Southey left Oxford without graduating, although he claimed to have learnt swimming and boating.

The next stop on the Southey stroll is St Mary Redcliffe, where he secretly married Edith Fricker in 1795, when he was 21. Edith’s elder sister, Sara, meanwhile, married Southey’s buddy Coleridge. There must have been some lively gatherings when the four assembled around the dinner table! Then, finally, a visit to Bristol Cathedral is recommended to see a bust of Southey.

More mellow a fellow He seems to have got the travel bug shortly after, visiting Lisbon in 1795 and 1800. Experiencing a bit of Europe persuaded Southey he was fortunate to be English and ended his revolutionary fervour: he quietly transitioned into a Tory. Having studied law, he settled in the Lake District where the triumvirate of Coleridge and the two sisters, had already settled. Here Southey remained as one of the so-called ‘Lake Poets’ of the Romantic literary movement, the three main figures being himself, Coleridge and their friend William Wordsworth. The Coleridge-Southey household seems to have depended on Southey economically and he also had seven children of his own to feed.

There was an interlude, however, down on the south coast (1795-1800), when Southey resided with Edith at Burton Cottage in Christchurch. It is a chocolate-box thatch that looks like it could have been lifted from a fairy tale.

Southey was not exactly wealthy. He apparently had £160 a year to live on, which was gifted by his friend, Charles Wynn, from college days (an income of £160 in 1800 would be less than £9,500 today, so, indeed, not a fortune). The government later gave him a similar amount, presumably his stipend as Poet Laureate, a position he attained in 1813, by which time he was regarded as a national asset.

Robert was getting regular work having joined the Quarterly Review in 1809 (he’d have needed it to sustain that large household), and as both a poet and writer. The Goldilocks link first came about in 1834, when Southey published The Doctor, a miscellany including the nursery classic The Three Bears. Now, let’s be accurate here. Southey was a collector of stories as well as a writer of original material, and The Three Bears was a tale being told in the early 19th century.

Southey firstly repeated the story (around 1813), then recorded and published it.

His political views had mellowed, meanwhile, which probably made him more acceptable and employable, and having actually become something of a Tory and lurched from left to right must have helped the Tory prime minister Robert Peel, to raise his pension by a further £300 in 1835, which put him on a decent income.

Southey was very much a family man at heart, and it was a grievous blow to him when his wife grew insane and died in 1837. They’d been wed for over 40 years. In the same year he might have brought a shuddering halt to the literary career of one Charlotte Brontë, who approached the great man, seeking advice on her fledgling output. Southey discouraged her from taking up writing, not because she lacked talent but because; “literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life.” He was as wrong then as he would be today. Brontë reckoned Southey’s wellintentioned missive actually encouraged her; perhaps it determined her to prove him wrong.

Southey would remarry, to another poet, Catherine Anne Bowles, in 1839 a liaison that caused quarrels within Southey’s family. However, she became little more than a nurse, as Robert headed into his twilight years. He finally passed away in March 1843 due to softening of the brain, aged 68.

We have a poet here who is relatively wellknown by name, but surprisingly obscure as far as his poetry is concerned. Some of his pieces were very influential at the time he wrote them, however, including: The Holly

10 facts about Robert Southey • The correct pronunciation of the surname is ‘Sowthey’ (rhymes with ‘mouthy’) not ‘Suthy’.

• Southey translated a number of Spanish and Portuguese works.

• In 1799 Humphry Davy used him as a guinea-pig to test out nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

• Southey was briefly a nominal Tory MP in 1826.

• Lord Byron and Southey appear to have detested one another.

• ‘Autobiography’ is one of the words that Southey contributed to the English language.

• He was a close friend of the civil engineer Thomas Telford and toured Scotland with him.

• Southey’s journals offer a vivid glimpse into the rapidly industrialising England of the time.

• He was offered a baronetcy by prime minister Sir Robert Peel, but Southey declined this in 1835.

• Southey died in relative obscurity, although his poems are still read by school children around the world.

Tree; Battle of Blenheim; and Old Woman of Berkeley.

Southey’s ‘fanciful epics’ have been largely dismissed as having ‘little appeal’ whereas his prose, clear and easy, is praised. His The Life of Nelson deserves to belong among the world’s pantheon of universal literature. What with this and Blenheim, I begin to appreciate that his writing was sometimes based on real events and that military themes were not off-limits. He also tackled Joan of Arc (1795), in which he showed his enthusiasm for the French Revolution. He tended, however, to write too much; his historical subjects often over-long. He was also a “voluminous letter writer”. I, myself, receive the occasional ecorrespondence beginning, ‘A brief e-mail…’ which is nothing of the sort. I nickname these ‘Southeys’ in the poet’s honour.

Now, it’s funny how things happen sometimes. I arrived in Bristol by train to tackle the Southey tour, and so had my head in a book. Southey was mentioned – a visit he made to Birmingham in 1807, when he was clearly not enamoured with the changes the Industrial Revolution was wreaking: “A heavy cloud of smoke hung over the city…” I read. “The contagions spread far and wide.” Southey may have morphed from revolutionary to Tory, but he retained his conscience and wrote articles advocating state provision of ‘social services’. He was ahead of his time there. His youthful republicanism often came back to haunt as his critics delighted in reminding readers of his chequered past.

My book gave me more of local interest. Those other members of the triumvirate, Coleridge and Wordsworth, first met in Bristol, at the house of a sugar merchant. Bristol loomed large in this story of the Lake Poets. Coleridge and Wordsworth shared a mutual reverence for another Bristol-born poet, Thomas Chatterton, a tragic Romantic who took his own life at the age of 17. With my Southey pictures taken, I was headed back to Temple Meads when I came across Chatterton’s Café. It was the birthplace of Chatterton, generally regarded as the first Romantic poet and inspiration not only to Coleridge and Wordsworth but to Robert Southey too (Chatterton’s house is across the road from St Mary Redcliffe, where Southey was married). Although Chatterton died almost four years to the day before Southey was born, he shared the reverence for this earlier poetic genius, even editing Chatterton’s works.

At first sight, Bristol may not seem the obvious place to have been a hotbed of Romantic poetry, but it was writ large and clear. The tragically short-lived Thomas Chatterton (born here), Coleridge and Wordsworth (met here) and finally, Robert Southey, the glue holding it all together (born here, editor of Chatterton, friend of Wordsworth, brother-in-law of Coleridge).

Next time you’re feeling in touch with your Romantic sensibilities, why not go and try the Southey tour for yourself? ■

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TASTY TITBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS

TIME TO...VEG OUT

Exhibitors include the likes of Elspeth’s Kitchen – which specialises in natural plant-based desserts

FOOD IN THE NUDE You may have taken part in Bristol’s naked bike ride or stripped off once at the beach but how would you feel about going naked in a local restaurant? New Bristol dining experience, Dine Naked, let locals try it out last month.

Will Bryson, who has led Bristol’s naked bike ride in recent years, is heading up the venture. “The media often show a narrow, air-brushed view of what people’s bodies can look like,” he says. “So too many of us end up with a negative self-image.

We want to challenge that.”

Being naked in a safe, friendly environment can be a very positive, life-affirming experience says Will: “And dining naked is the perfect way to try it – with the benefit of getting to eat good food in friendly places.”

The first event took place in Flour & Ash on Cheltenham Road, where naked diners had exclusive use of the restaurant, with a curtain put up at the windows and the door locked after entry to give them complete privacy.

“Flour & Ash has always been a little ‘off the wall’ and a big supporter of the Bristol indie scene,” said restaurant owner Steve Gale. “When Will approached us to host, to promote positive body image, we were more than happy to help.”

The next Dine Naked event will be at The Greenbank in Easton on 20 March.

• Twitter: @DineNaked

Image by Fra and Tim

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VegFest is returning to Bristol this spring for its 16th consecutive year, this time at Ashton Gate over 26 & 27 May. The focus will remain on vegan education and the benefits of a plant-based diet – both for optimum health and for sports performance – as well as entertainment from the likes of DJ Judge Jules who will be heading up the dance stage. 250 exhibitors, including caterers and bars, will also be vying for the attention of your tastebuds.

The Ashton Gate facilities will be used for talks, with guest speakers including high-achieving plant-fuelled athletes, bodybuilders and performers, as well as nutritionists and dietitians. Meanwhile The Vegan Academy will explore different areas of veganism, including the intersection of veganism and other social justice movements, and the inclusion of the Vegan Activists Hub will provide a platform for up-and-coming inspirational activists.

At the heart of the ethos is a respect for veganism as a philosophy and way of life that seeks to exclude the use of animals wherever practicable and possible. All speakers, talks, products and marketing will be vegan – so if you’re an advocate of the lifestyle, or considering it, this is the food festival for you...

• vegfest.co.uk

THINKING SMALL If you have spotted any of the ‘tiny food’ pictures and videos circulating on social media then you’ll have some idea about the cutesy concept – now being made into an accessible experience for Bristolians by experimental events business Foozie, which has set up its own Tiny Cookery School.

Using diminutive stoves, miniature utensils and the smallest ingredients, students attending tiny cookery nights will make four diddy versions of everyday dishes, including mini mains and dainty desserts.

“Since I first saw a video of tiny cooking last summer, I have been dying to create an event out of it,” said Foozie founder and CEO, Thom Whitchurch. “It’s such a lovely concept and so much fun. We have been testing lots of dishes with our tiny stoves and have some really exciting stuff lined up. This is a cookery school like no other.”

Hosted at White’s Botanicals in St Nick’s Market, and with veggie options available, the event takes place on 1, 8, 15 and 22 March. Tickets are £30 or £27 with 10% Club Foozie discount, also including two courses of canapes made by White’s Botanicals, and boozy beverages will be available to buy on the night. The Tiny Cookery School is also available for private events between 12 and 40 people, including hen dos and work parties.

• foozie.co.uk

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Brexit will change the price of produce and withdraw current farming subsidies says Ped Asgarian – resulting in our own, less lucrative subsidy system which, however, may reward soil health and decrease pesticide reliance

THE FUTURE OF FOOD How will local agriculture and smaller suppliers fare post-Brexit?

Are there any upsides? Why must our carrots be catwalk-ready?

Will plant-based grub triumph over processed meats, and will sausages be the cigarettes of the future? Melissa Blease discusses our foodie fate with a few of those on the frontline

T

owards the end of last year, Tim Lang, Erik Millstone and Terry Marsden – three UK professors and influential food policy academics – published a report suggesting that the UK government is “sleepwalking into a postBrexit future of insecure, unsafe and increasingly expensive food supplies, with little idea how it will replace decades of EU regulation on the issue.” The authors concluded that the UK is in danger of returning to a volatility around food supplies last seen in the 1930s, calling the scale of the challenge “unprecedented for an advanced economy outside of wartime.”

At around the same time, the World Health Organisation classified processed meats as carcinogenic after scientists and researchers at Glasgow University discovered the strongest evidence yet of a clear connection between their over-consumption and certain types of cancer. In the lead up to Christmas, demand for food bank services across the UK soared to new heights as low-income families hit crisis point. A plastic food packaging catastrophe is blighting our oceans, killing marine life and entering the food chain; a massive rise in dietrelated illnesses is stretching UK healthcare provision to breaking point; and a rising global population is putting more and more demand on dwindling food supplies. Are we in crisis? It’s certainly looking that way. How on earth can we future-proof our food supply?

“Issues around food and agriculture in the UK are at a crossroads right now,” says Ped Asgarian, managing director of The Community Farm: a community-owned social enterprise based in Chew Magna.

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for the protection of our soil and the countryside, for the real cost of unsubsidised farming and food, for food poverty and security – and for our health.

“Brexit will, without a doubt, change the price of produce imported into this country and withdraw all current subsidies from farming. We’ll address the latter by creating our own system of subsidies which may be less lucrative for farmers, many of whom rely on this as an income stream to make profits. However, we’ll be presented with the opportunity to create a system that rewards good soil health, decreases reliance on the use of antibiotics and pesticides and encourages new entrants into smaller scale agro-ecological farming. This could have the knock-on effect of increasing countryside bio-diversity, addressing the loss of indigenous birds and small mammals, and improving the general health of the population through access to food which is seasonal, fresher and less contaminated.”

Ali Wylde – marketing director at Somerset-based global superfood brand Naturya – recognises Brexit as a serious challenge, too. “We source our superfoods directly from many developing countries across the world, providing a premium to farmers that offers them a better income for their families and local communities over cheaper, commoditised cash crops,” she says. “We also preserve and process the foods at harvest, making them more concentrated, lighter to transport and virtually waste-free – at the moment, 33% of fresh fruit and vegetables are wasted in the global supply chain.

“But Brexit presents a real threat to this model. We’ve already seen prices rise due to the uncertainty, which we’ve absorbed as a business to protect our consumers. But as an SME (small or medium-sized

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enterprise), it’s difficult to sustain. We’re preparing plans for a range of Brexit outcomes to ensure we maintain our high quality products and ethical way of doing business, but it’s a struggle for sure.”

Ali predicts, however, that positive changes in the way we eat will lead to positive benefits. “The strongest trend impacting food, consumers and retailers right now is the demand for healthier food,” she says. “The rise in diabetes, obesity and heart disease is impacting individual perceptions of health in the UK, and more people are putting preventative measures in place. Simply eating more plants – a more achievable goal than becoming strictly vegetarian or vegan – is an obvious health message, and the benefits are clear. Plants contain an incredible matrix of micronutrients that also help address other health issues such as low energy levels, increased stress and anxiety and the desire to keep fit and active.”

“Largely thanks to the internet, TV, press and media in general, we’re all more aware of how mass food production works, and how it affects our health and the environment,” adds Lydia Downey, lead chef/head tutor at Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School. “As a result, the majority of people coming to DVCS right now are ‘flexitarians’ – meat eaters who want to reduce the amount of meat they consume while increasing their intake of vegetables and pulses. We’ve also seen a huge rise in demand for vegan classes as more and more people are choosing to cut back on meat and dairy products too, for both health and ethical reasons.”

Little wonder, then, that owner and chef of Acorn Restaurant Richard Buckley’s new book Plants Taste Better (published this month by Jacqui Small) is already hotly tipped to be one of the biggest best-selling new cookery books of 2018, while sales of highly processed ‘meat substitutes’ are predicted to plummet. But despite the predictions about us all soon tucking into bushtucker trial-style suppers of crickets, locusts and grasshoppers, edible insects haven’t quite trended in the West Country...yet.

“It’s time to stop asking why real food is so expensive and start asking why processed food is so cheap,” says Lucie Cousins, founder of Bath Culture House and producer of her own Fabulously Fermented range. “We have two homes: our body and this planet – it is our responsibility to look after both. One food subject close to my heart is food waste, which could be reduced right across the supply chain simply by supermarkets selling misshapen fruit and vegetables.

So much fresh food is thrown away and money lost by UK farmers due to supermarkets demanding “perfect” produce. But we don’t need catwalk model-style carrots – we just want locally sourced, affordable, seasonal, wholesome vegetables.”

FoodCycle – a national, charitable network that has longestablished hubs in both Bath and Bristol – uses surplus food donated by local supermarkets to create freshly-prepared meals cooked by volunteers and served free (or for minimum donation from those who can afford to contribute) at weekly supper clubs. “When we were first established in 2012, our aim was to reduce the impact of food poverty, which has had more of a focus in Bath since the identification of an area of Twerton being classified as being in the top 10% of most deprived areas of the country,” says FoodCycle Plants contain an incredible matrix of micronutrients that help with low energy levels and anxiety

Bath hub leader Fiona Bell. “Obviously clearly linked to the first aim, we wanted to reduce food waste; it’s well known that perfectly healthy, edible food is being thrown away or passed to anaerobic digesters.”

But while good practice regarding food waste is slowly emerging, supermarket support of charities isn’t quite as philanthropic as it seems; while Sainsbury’s donated nearly 3,000 tonnes of food to UK charities last year (up from 1,200 tonnes the year before), that was still only 7% of their surplus food – almost nine times more than the donated amount went to anaerobic digestion, encouraged by perverse UK government subsidies that promote turning waste into fuel and fertiliser.

“Until we learn to properly appreciate the true cost of food production and address the issues of food waste and over-production of processed foods, we will struggle to get affordable food to all people,” says Ped Asgarian. “We must look to pioneering projects that are giving people access to food, and learn good practice. The way we approach food and cooking as a society needs a radical rethink too; we need to get better at managing our food budgets, planning meals and decreasing our reliance on cheap, fast food.

Change is coming.”

It is indeed – and we’re hungry for it. ■

Will Higham, consumer futurist, author and CEO of Next Big Thing, predicts the shape of food in 2018 Ancient wisdom Growing concern with today’s society, from AI and automation to Trump and Brexit, has regenerated an interest in premodern/technological ideas, accelerating the growing demand for traditional ways of doing things and leading to an increased focus on ancient herbs, grains and botanicals from millet and sorghum to farro, comfrey and astragalus.

Special-tea Our need to customise and personalise our beverages will extend from coffee to tea in 2018 – we’re set to see growth in sales of cacao tea, dessert-flavoured tea, stone-rolled tea and medicinal teas that claim to boost our brain power.

So long sausages?

The recent ‘clean eating’ trend led to a keener interest regarding what’s in our food, which has naturally promoted a clearer focus regarding how our food is made. Following reports of health risks around overly processed food, we’re starting to shun previously much-loved favourites such as pork pies and bacon; indeed, one major German sausage manufacturer recently expressed his fear that sausages might become “the cigarettes of the future.”

Mindful eating Mindfulness has been one of the biggest trends of the last five years, and 2018 will see similar principles extend to how we eat. Mindful eating – eating without distractions – is much better for our health than the eating-while-watching-TV-and-scanning-Facebook; experts believe it’s also a great way to lose weight. Some even say that the Scandinavian mindful eating trend fika – taking time out from work mid-morning to sit down with coffee and a pastry – might be the new hygge.

Eat smarter, sleep smarter With greater focus on our sleep patterns and a growing desire to make every moment count, we’ll soon be looking to make better use of the night time. Expect food that resuscitates us while we snooze, such as relaxing juices laced with melatonin or ‘recovery’ yoghurts, or at the very least food that doesn’t get in the way of our getting a good night’s sleep such as low carb, high protein bread for a late-night snack, to rise in popularity this year.

• next-big-thing.net

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A TOUCH OF LUXURY Jessica Hope makes haste to the country and gets a taste of the high life at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa

I

f you ever wonder about how Jane Austen envisioned nearby Bath for her heroines Catherine Morland and Anne Elliot, then you can simply wander the streets of said city, weaving from its Assembly Rooms, across to The Circus and the Royal Crescent, admiring the Georgian architecture that she imagined these characters once walked past. If you’re looking to experience what Elizabeth Bennet might have after her marriage to Mr Darcy, then a short drive outside Bristol might just be on the cards.

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Standing within 500 acres of beautiful parkland, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa is a Palladian mansion dating from 1720, that exudes all the elegance you would expect from a period novel. You needn’t travel far to swap the stresses of city life for a weekend of unadulterated luxury there – being just a 35-minute jaunt away – and the hotel certainly lives up to its reputation for being a centre for comfort, relaxation and superb food.

On a recent visit, with my bonnet at the ready, I turned back the clock to sample the Pemberley-esque lifestyle…

Eagerly peering through the entrance gates as they gently opened, my partner, Russell, and I felt bound for the sheer elegance of 18th-century high society as we drove down the mile-long avenue, lined with some 400 lime and beech trees, towards the hotel’s grand doorway. The central exterior building hasn’t changed a great deal from when it was first built, radiating the undeniable opulence of a five-star, awardwinning country pile.

Away from the dreary, grey skies of late winter, we were warmed in the inviting reception area by the open, crackling fireplace, and greeted by friendly staff. After checking in, we had a tour of the hotel and examined the 3D model of the grounds near the main doors; a very handy tool to ensure visitors don’t get lost finding their way to the spa or brasserie across the courtyard.

Heading upstairs, we were shown to our room – the delightfully named Cornflower Suite. Despite the extensive grounds, the hotel still feels intimate and quiet with just 42 rooms including 13 suites, all named after flowers. Each is individually styled with sumptuous decor,

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THE HIGH LIFE Opposite: One of the 13 suites at Lucknam Park and, below, the indoor hydro jet shower in the award-winning spa This page: A dish from the Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones, and the beautiful hotel courtyard

antique furniture and all the modern amenities you might need. In our ornate sitting room – featuring flatscreen television, quality magazines, information about what’s on offer at the hotel and local places of interest – we quaffed chilled champagne and admired our stylish surroundings.

With a window-side writing table overlooking the long driveway and rolling views over the countryside, this could easily make the perfect retreat for a budding novelist in need of inspiration or peace and quiet.

The showpiece of the bedroom is the king-size bed with antique, glossy wooden bed frame and soft Egyptian cotton bedding, while extra amenities include a Nespresso coffee machine (fresh milk can be delivered to your room on request), Bose sound system, iPod dock, and walk-in wardrobe with plenty of hanging space.

The modern en-suite bathroom features a sleek and spacious rainwater shower, a freestanding bathtub, and Jackand-Jill marble-topped sinks; as well as a variety of bergamot, jasmine and cedarwood ESPA toiletries, fluffy towels, snuggly dressing gowns and slippers, which you can wear when visiting the spa.

After dressing for dinner, we decided a cocktail in the drawing room was necessary (I recommend the raspberry Tom Collins) before dining in Restaurant Hywel Jones, where executive chef Jones has held a Michelin star since 2006. We dined from the seasonal à la carte, which offers three courses for £87 per person. After a selection of canapés and an amuse bouche of quail’s egg in a velvety cream and chive sauce, I had the citrus-cured Loch Duart salmon, which just fell apart at the touch, with smatterings of warming horseradish and sweet beetroot. Russell chose the tender duck liver, which didn’t have a trace of that typical iron taste that liver can often have, placed on a caramelised chicory tart with sharp, contrasting touches of mandarin and pomegranate.

For main I savoured delicate sea bass with smoky chorizo from Trealy Farm in Monmouth, served on a bed of moreish creamed sweetcorn, with a scorched spring onion and a crispy crab bonbon. Hywel Jones and his team pride themselves on using high quality products at all times, and this was abundantly clear in these dishes. Russell lapped up his lamb cooked two ways, sourced from award-winning producer Andrew Morgan based in the Brecon Beacons.

Cooked perfectly pink, the lamb was served with a subtlysalty anchovy fritter with spicy hints of cumin, cooling yoghurt, sweet carrot and crunchy pearl barley granola.

Following a palate cleanser of sharp sorbet with a white

chocolate coating and tangy sherbet, I delved into a perfectly light Bramley apple soufflé, with a deep butterscotch sauce and rich buttermilk ice cream, while Russell raved about his crème brûlée, packed with Madagascan vanilla and served with sharp blackberry sorbet and sweet, glazed blackberries.

Comfortably full, we returned to our suite to find our bed turned down, ready for us to rest our heads, with charming bedside mats wishing us ‘goodnight’. As we languished on what was arguably the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever experienced, I noticed just how quiet our room was.

Having encountered many incidents in the past in hotels of incessant humming from ventilation systems, stomping along the corridors and unnecessarily bright lights from outside, I usually pack a good pair of earplugs and an eye mask.

However, there was no need for this at Lucknam – even for a building that is three centuries old, I didn’t hear a creak all night.

The hotel certainly lives up to its reputation for being a centre for comfort, relaxation and superb food The next morning, completely rested, we drew back the curtains to unveil the incredible view down the leafy driveway where a couple of guests were enjoying a horse ride in the early morning air. A newspaper of your choice can be delivered to your room in the morning, alongside a daily bulletin of what is happening at the hotel. This can include yoga classes, upcoming courses in the cookery school and ideas for local walks and attractions if you fancy venturing outside of the grounds.

There are two extensive breakfast menus available in the restaurant, which you can have delivered to your room if you can’t pull yourself away from those impressive vistas.

Alongside freshly squeezed juices, tea and roasted coffee, you can choose from a wealth of cereals, yoghurts, buttery pastries and Bertinet toast before tucking into the likes of a full English, an omelette or eggs Florentine.

While check out is at noon, your stay doesn’t have to stop there as you can still make the most of the luxury spa facilities afterwards. Immerse yourself in the indoor and ➲

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outdoor hydrotherapy pool, sit back and relax in the various steam rooms and saunas and get those aches and pains sorted by booking a massage treatment.

You can feel slightly less guilty about your decadent dinner the night before by going for a swim in the 20-metre indoor pool, visiting the fitness suite with the latest state-ofthe-art equipment, playing a game of tennis, or attending a class in the well-being house. And if you get peckish at all, the contemporary brasserie offers all-day dining.

While you can certainly put all your stresses behind you during your relaxing stay, the hotel also offers a range of activities if you’re looking to try something new or rekindle a love for a pastime you haven’t engaged in for a while. Just a short walk from the hotel is the cookery school where visitors can try their hands at different cuisines under the guidance of head chef Ben Taylor – learn how to recreate Michelin-starred cooking at home, become a star baker with an introduction to patisserie or immerse yourself in the regional cuisines of India. Open Tuesday to Saturday, full day courses are £185 per person, and half days cost £95 – go online to see the cookery school course calendar in full.

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If you’d rather explore the hotel’s unspoilt parkland, going on horseback might be the most exhilarating way to see it. Lucknam Park has an equestrian centre with 35 horses of all sizes and capabilities, so if you’re a complete novice or, like me, haven’t ridden in a long while, then you will be well catered for under the guidance of the qualified equestrian team. Experienced riders also have the opportunity to improve their skills in jumping, dressage or cross-country schooling, and the centre offers group riding and specialist clinics.

As we left the hotel and proceeded back down the majestic driveway, we felt as refreshed as if we’d been on a mini-break, yet had the comfort of knowing that the journey home wouldn’t be too long. However, now I’ve experienced modern-day Pemberley living, I don’t think normality will ever do… n

• Classic rooms with use of the spa facilities and gym start at £245. Visit: lucknampark.co.uk

A BREAK FROM REALITY Above: Explore the hotel’s 500-acre grounds on horseback Below: Kick back in the sauna in the spa and dine in the elegant Restaurant Hywel Jones

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY

CONSIDERING A CAREER IN FINANCIAL SERVICES?

Alexandra and Stuart are joining forces to form Skilling Gate

VALUING ASSETS Bristol businesses are backing the campaign to transform Colston Hall, having raised over £350,000 towards the biggest ever capital project to take place in Bristol’s arts sector.

Global engineering and scientific tech firm Renishaw was the first corporate partner to sign up, supporting the creation of a music education suite in the historic cellars. Renishaw has been joined by the Bristol office of global professional services firm, Arup, whose engineers are playing a central role in the transformation. Also supporting is Rowan Dartington through their corporate charity, and DAC Beachcroft.

Internal communications agency Home has created the campaign video and accountancy firm KPMG has also kindly supported. “High quality cultural and educational provision is a part of the package that makes this part of the world so attractive for our employees and helps with our future talent pipeline,” said David McMurtry, co-founder of Renishaw. “A transformed Colston Hall will be a huge asset to the region and we are delighted to be involved.”

SWEET (AND CONVENIENT) ESCAPE A new escape room experience company is launching at the start of April, with a handy difference for local businesses.

Now one of the most popular teambuilding activities in the UK, escape rooms are usually located within a specific building that participants must travel to, however Office Escapes will be offering a fully portable experience which can be delivered to several teams, at their own premises over the course of a day. Suitable for inductions, ice breakers and recruitment assessment centres, the experience features several different rooms developed internally – the Office Escapes team works with local businesses to build exciting, bespoke puzzles to their specific development requirements and has been piloting two scenarios (‘The Experiments’ and ‘The Heist’) with Lloyds Banking Group – all proceeds going to Mental Health UK. Each themed room will test the teams in a variety of different ways, with each exercise designed to last a maximum of one hour, and the team able to deliver several rooms simultaneously. Count us in!

Ex-Hargreaves Lansdown duo Alexandra Butler and Stuart Raison have launched a new financial services recruitment firm, making use of their combined 32 years’ experience and their knowledge of financial services.

They joined forces to form Skilling Gate and use their expertise to help other professional services firms with successful recruitment. The pair will offer a unique perspective to recruitment, built on their industry know-how, their leadership experience and their reputation for identifying talent.

Hargreaves Lansdown co-founder Peter Hargreaves delivered an address at the launch of the new start-up – which will initially focus on employment within the financial services sector – talking about the importance of people within business, at the end of February at The Albion in Clifton.

Drawing on established contacts and links with universities and colleges, Alexandra and Stuart will concentrate on building up confidence and skills to encourage people to consider a career within financial services.

“It’s a sector that makes such a huge contribution to our economy, which offers diverse and challenging job opportunities, yet is often misunderstood by those taking their first steps on the career ladder,” said Alexandra. “We know from our wealth of experience within the sector, and recruiting hundreds of people ourselves, what works. And we also know what it’s like starting out in the financial services sector.

“Hargreaves himself says that much of his success is attributed to having the right people in the business. We believe with Skilling Gate we can provide the formula to get the right people into the right positions and boost talent within the industry.”

• skillinggate.co.uk • colstonhall.org/transform-the-hall

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ESTATE PLANNING AND INHERITANCE TAX: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ANNA MOLTER

Senior Associate Solicitor at Barcan+Kirby explains why estate planning is just as important as having a Will, and how to mitigate inheritance tax.

W

e all know that having a Will is important and everyone needs to have one. Not only does it set out your wishes after your death, it also helps you to understand your current and future estate, which could be worth more than you think.

If this is the case, you’ll need to think carefully about estate planning and how to make your Will as tax efficient as possible. You can do this by finding practical and intelligent solutions to plan for and mitigate inheritance and income tax, alongside other liabilities.

Inheritance tax and estate planning After working and saving hard for years, it’s frightening to think that on your death, inheritance tax (IHT) of 40% will be payable if your estate is over the IHT threshold. So, if you think this applies to you, you should consider planning your estate to make the most of inheritance tax reliefs and exemptions.

Your estate plan could involve providing gifts including lifetime and annual gifts as well as donations to charity. You can also consider trusts to pass on assets to family including grandchildren, or invest in regulated financial and pension products, as long as you seek the right independent advice.

Planning for your future Estate planning can also help if you want to make sure that, after your death, if your partner decided to remarry, their new spouse could not benefit from your estate.

Careful planning can also allow you to ensure that your assets are safe from long-term care fees and from vulnerable dependents who you feel may squander any money left to them because of financial issues.

Leadership Skills for Tomorrow’s World University of Bristol offers part-time Masters in Strategy, Change and Leadership for senior professionals

The University of Bristol is offering a part-time Masters programme in Strategy, Change and Leadership. This part-time programme is for aspiring senior managers and is designed to fit around the demands of a busy job.

Today’s leaders are facing the most challenging operating circumstances for a generation. The necessary skills and competencies have shifted from the motivation of employees in a buoyant economy to change management and strategic leadership in this landscape of budget cuts, increased hours, more sophisticated technology and leaner workforces. Few organisations have escaped these changes whether they are in the private, public or not-for-profit sectors.

The University of Bristol has recognised this and designed a bespoke Masters degree in Strategy, Change and Leadership aimed at providing senior managers with the tools and techniques they require in order to navigate their organisations through such demanding times.

Programme Director, Helen Ballard says “I am delighted that we are able to offer this type of programme. Excellent leadership is critical in this challenging climate, and high performing organisations are recognising the need to further develop their managers. This practical Masters degree will offer a return on investment from day one.”

To find out more about the programme, come along to our open evening at the University on Wednesday 21st March from 6pm – 8pm. Contact Cheralyn Dark for details: efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk

You can provide for any family members or friends if they have a disability without risking their eligibility for means-tested state benefits, and put plans in place to protect any businesses you may have and the people you employ.

Thinking about what happens when you die is always a difficult task, but effectively planning your estate is really something that everyone should consider if their estate will be worth more than the IHT allowance, £325,000.

It’s not just about mitigating tax. It’s about making the most of your assets, protecting them where needed and perhaps using them to benefit others, ensuring that during your lifetime you are doing all you can to leave a well thought out, lasting legacy. n Anna Molter and the Private Client team at Barcan+Kirby can advise on Wills, inheritance tax, estate planning and leaving trusts to loved ones.

Anna is available at a.molter@barcankirby.co.uk or on 0117 325 2929.

For further information about the course please visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2018/ssl/msc-strategychange-leadership/

www.barcankirby.co.uk

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Tel: 02920 329 645/07753 116 615 Philip.williams@blackfords.com www.blackfords.com 8 St Andrews Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BE London Office: 15 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7EF

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WHAT IS THE GDPR? The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force on 25 May 2018 and will build upon the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998). It is important for UK businesses to plan for the GDPR and begin implementing the necessary changes to business practices and procedures as early as possible to ensure compliance once the GDPR becomes effective.

WHAT WILL GDPR MEAN TO MY BUSINESS? The GDPR will apply to most businesses. If you obtain and hold personal information relating to any living individual, including your existing and prospective customers and employees, then the GDPR will apply to your business. The GDPR imposes direct obligations on data processors as well as data controllers so it will apply whether your business processes personal data or controls how the data is processed.

DOES MY BUSINESS HOLD INFORMATION THAT IS CLASSIFIED AS ‘PERSONAL DATA’?

The definition of ‘personal data’ is wider than before and includes any information which either directly identifies an individual or which can be used to identify an individual. Such information includes names, dates of birth and addresses including online identifiers such as IP addresses.

Most businesses hold at least some personal data, whether it relates to their clients, employees or their contacts. It is imperative that businesses carry out an assessment of what information they hold and what changes, if any, should be made to ensure compliance with the GDPR. WHAT OBLIGATIONS DOES THE GDPR IMPOSE ON ME AS A BUSINESS OWNER? The GDPR requires data controllers to include specified data protection obligations in processing contracts. It also requires businesses to be able to demonstrate compliance with the GDPR, for example by having relevant data protection policies and procedures in place: • A company-wide data protection policy paired with staff training, data audits and regular HR policy reviews; • A compliance programme and privacy governance structure; and • An updated electronic system that protects data by default by e.g. encrypting data.

WHAT IF MY BUSINESS BREACHES THE GDPR? The ICO has the power to award compensation to individuals and impose fines up to the equivalent of €20m or 4% of the worldwide turnover of the business who has breached the GDPR, although the ICO has indicated that its first resort will normally be one of the other sanctions available to it, such as warnings, reprimands and corrective orders. A business that fails to comply with the GDPR also puts itself at risk of reputational and professional damage and it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance.

For further information or advice on GDPR compliance please get in touch with our experienced Commercial team on 0117 9733 989 or by emailing grantmccall@amdsolicitors.com © AMD Solicitors

A local award winning law firm

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Motoring - March Jaguar. BRS.qxp_Layout 1 19/02/2018 14:37 Page 1

MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

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MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE START Jaguar’s entry into the highly competitive SUV market has taken a while. Chris Lilly takes a spin in the big cat’s new F-Pace and finds out whether the wait has been well worth it

J

aguar has one of the strongest model line-ups going at the moment, with few weak links if any. To truly compete against its larger German rivals though, Jaguar has had to move beyond its core saloon and sportscar products – into the fastgrowing world of SUVs. With a new E-Pace and forthcoming I-Pace on the cards, Jaguar is moving forward fast and is pitching its new models carefully since sister brand Land Rover has the off-roading and luxury spectrum covered. The F-Pace is the first foray into the executive SUV market, and it looks to have all the characteristics you would expect from Jaguar.

It wouldn’t be a proper Jag if the F-Pace focused on anything less than an engaging drive; so that’s what we’ve got here. Under the bonnet of the test model sits Jaguar’s 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged Ingenium diesel unit, producing 180hp. There’s a lower powered version of the same engine, plus a twin-turbo-charged, more powerful unit too, topped by a 3.0 litre V6 diesel option. The petrols mirror the diesel line-up, though are more powerful across the board and are offered in two states of tune for the 2.0 litre engine, rather than the diesel’s three.

The model tested was nicely balanced though, offering plenty of performance while still returning decent economy figures. The 062mph sprint is dispatched in 8.7 seconds, with 129mph possible when flat out. The engine’s natural torque and in-gear acceleration makes the F-Pace feel faster than its reasonable acceleration time would suggest, and there were no situations where I was in need of extra oomph. Any more is a luxury, and the 180hp diesel’s 430 Nm of torque keeps the FPace moving nicely. At lower speeds, you can let the eight-speed automatic just get on with things – although it can get a little sloppy in its reaction times when crawling along. The majority of the time though, it changes smoothly and without fuss. The engine also settles down quickly from start-up to become a refined unit, complementing the gearbox nicely.

The F-Pace has its sights firmly set on the sporty end of the SUV market, which gives it some seriously tough competition. The Porsche Macan is an established leader around here, and the F-Pace even has competition from its own side in the shape of the Range Rover Velar.

However the F-Pace holds its own well and provides an excellent balance between a dynamic set-up and comfort – attributes that Jaguar built its reputation on. It handles like a Jag, even though it’s much taller than the more traditional saloons, and when fitted with the optional air suspension it proves extremely flexible.

Set into sport mode, the F-Pace will put a smile on your face down any twisty road, with sharp turn-in, plenty of feedback and accurate steering allowing drivers to sweep through a series of bends. It’s helped by torque vectoring, which brakes the inside wheels to keep the car on a tight line while cornering. On the more regular occasions when a comfortable ride is preferred, a press of a button will see the F-Pace become far more supple. It’s not got the waft-along capability of a big Mercedes, but considering its dynamic focus, the F-Pace will ride very nicely indeed.

Jaguar’s designers have done a good job with the F-Pace, since despite being fundamentally a large car, it doesn’t look bulky on the road. It’s one of the most stylish efforts in the SUV market and the good news is that the design hasn't impacted too much upon practicality. The large rear pillars hinder visibility somewhat, but the interior space remains very usable – particularly the load area which is huge. Four adults will be able to travel in comfort with no problem at

all – though families will have to bear in mind the relatively small rear openings when looking at putting children in the back.

Those up front have no compromises at all, with space abundant for the driver and passenger. To complement the large boot, there is a number of cubby holes in the cabin too, and the door bins and glove box are very usable – which is more than can be said of some rivals’ offerings. Head, leg, and shoulder space is good all round, apart from those seated in the centre of the rear bench, who will find a transmission tunnel where they wish to place their feet. Other than that, there is space aplenty throughout the cabin.

The F-Pace boasts one of the best interiors in its class. It doesn’t have the clean Teutonic lines of an Audi Q5, but it’s an improvement on the button-fest found in a Macan. The lay-out is easy and intuitive to use, and the key driving controls are located on the transmission tunnel.

The central infotainment screen allows users to prod the digital buttons without accidentally hitting the wrong function, and the display is clear and of a high resolution. The steering wheel is a bit on the button-tastic side, but it is a good size and shape to fit the car’s characteristics. It’s not too big which helps with enthusiastic steering situations, but it’s large enough to keep the driver relaxed on long motorway runs. The seats follow the theme, being supportive but comfortable enough to cope with long distances too. Again, softer alternatives are available, but the F-Pace is plenty comfortable enough for day-to-day life.

The F-Pace shouldn’t prove too expensive to run either, especially not in the 2.0 litre diesel specification tested. With a quoted figure of 53.3mpg – there are a couple of models that improve on that score too – Jaguar’s SUV needn’t be costly at the petrol station. During the test, I averaged more than 45mpg without much difficulty, so it holds its own in in real-world conditions too. The JaguarDrive Control allows drivers to make the car sportier or more economical depending on conditions or preferences, with support for off-road driving too – for those rare times an SUV will be taken into the rough stuff.

In short, the F-Pace is a triumphant entry into the SUV market for Jaguar; a well-balanced all-rounder. It’s well equipped, practical, fun to drive and stylish, proving every inch a contender in a tough class. There are sportier or more comfortable rivals around, but few others offer such a blend of both attributes – the F-Pace is a true Jaguar. ■ • jaguar.co.uk

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FAMILY

Yep, it’s that time already... From eggs-travagant decorations to a big family-friendly party at the races, we’ve scoured the local area to find the most fabulous goings-on and ensure your Easter break is full of joy

We The Curious Unravel the mysteries of time at We The Curious where, this year, events and activities are being inspired by the theme of change.

Starting this Easter, season one will focus on ‘the passage of time’, asking questions about the changes we go through in life. Are clocks the only things which tell the time? If we could design our own timetelling devices, what would they look like? How does time affect our feelings and senses? With activities, experiments, storytelling and a bit of playful mischief you can explore your questions about this eternal topic of interest. You’ll get to look into fermentation in the kitchen, brassicas in the greenhouse and a ‘memorials to change’ activity in the studio. Award-winning short film Notes on Blindness will be showing in The Box, and in the Planetarium you can look at how time affects our cosmos, what we can see now and what we might see in the future.

• Visit wethecurious.org to book tickets for the holidays, for more information or if you have a curious question you want to put to the team… It could be used as the inspiration for a new exhibition, an experiment or something nobody’s even dreamt of yet

The Holburne Museum Whatever the weather, be transported to sunnier climes with The Holburne’s Easter Eggstravaganza – find fun, creative activities inspired by Anthony Fry’s vibrant, colourful paintings and decorate an eggstraordinary Easter egg inspired by traditional Indian patterns on Sunday 25 March, 12 – 4pm.

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Berkeley Castle Following the roaring success of last year’s thrilling dragon spectacle, this Easter’s activities at Berkeley Castle aim to delight visitors of all ages, with the opportunity to experience fantastic dragon puppetry, get face-to-face with a baby dragon and take part in the colourful Chinese dragon parade. For an Easter hunt with a difference, there’s the chance to prove your tracking skills and help Dickie the jester find the newly hatched ‘dragon babies’ hidden amid the castle grounds. Discover them all and claim your treat, then enter the magnificent great hall and sit captivated by dragon tales from the mystical dragon handlers. Be sure to call in at the yurt tearoom and the education room for free arts and crafts too.

• Taking place across Easter weekend from 30 March to 2 April; visit berkeley-castle.com

The Climbing Academy If heights and harnesses aren’t your thing then bouldering at The Climbing Academy in Barton Hill might be more appealing.

Bouldering is a form of climbing performed on lower walls above crash mats which means there’s no need for ropes. It’s easy to try and a great way to help the kids burn of any excess energy from all the Easter eggs! Just turn up to TCA and either sign in to supervise the kids as they climb or climb with them; you won’t need to book onto any courses or have an instructor with you, meaning you have free rein of the facilities.

• Find out more at theclimbingacademy.com

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FAMILY

Bristol Aquarium Get involved with a celebration of all things shark, right in Bristol’s city centre aquarium, where the wonders of the deep await. Check out six different species of shark; from a tropical leopard shark swimming over your head in the underwater tunnel, to baby cat sharks wriggling around in their nursery tanks. Get hands-on in the daily workshops, touching real sharks’ teeth and taking on a shark egg trail. With crafts, fish feeding and interactive sessions there are lots of jawsome activities everyday throughout the Easter holidays.

• Saturday 24 March to Sunday 15 April, visit bristolaquarium.co.uk for full details and discounted tickets

Undercover Rock This climbing centre in St Werburgh’s offers some fabulous family taster sessions that will definitely keep the kids (and parents) entertained over the Easter break. These sessions allow the whole family (age six and up) to experience the thrill of roped climbing in an indoor climbing centre. One of UCR’s dedicated instructors will show you the ropes (pun intended) and basic technique to get you all started.

• Go online to find out more and book your space; undercoverrock.com/kids/all-the-family/family-tasters

Bath Racecourse There’s a big party on Good Friday for the Bath Races season opener, and you’re invited. There will be live music, exciting racing and a range of bars and food outlets to ensure a social day out with friends. Following an electric atmosphere and capacity crowd in 2017, Feel Good Friday promises an ace day out. Keen for an afternoon of family fun? Head to the designated family picnic area packed full of entertainment, from a huge inflatable obstacle course to pony rides, mini-golf, laser quest, bungee trampolines and lots more! Kids go free and adult entry is from £18 when booked in the early-bird sale.

• Feel Good Friday raceday and family fun day, Friday 30 March; visit bath-racecourse.co.uk

Brunel’s SS Great Britain Being Brunel – the new museum celebrating arguably Britain’s favourite engineer – opens in Bristol this Easter. Step inside the mind of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and discover what made him the icon we celebrate today. Hop aboard a shaking 1830s railway carriage to test out your sketching skills and step in front of a replica of SS Great Eastern’s chains to recreate that famous photo for yourself. Plus, get the chance to discover never-before-seen personal objects as part of the National Brunel Collection.

• Visit ssgreatbritain.org

Image by Paul Blakemore

The Wardrobe Theatre Join The Wardrobe Ensemble and Wardrobe Theatre for a thrilling journey through time where you take the steering wheel...

Following on from the stellar success of The Star Seekers, comes a new mission, The Time Seekers – an inspiring, warm and audiencedriven children’s show that journeys through history, exploring the people and places of our past and future with songs, humour and lots of audience interaction.

• The Time Seekers is showing at The Wardrobe Theatre from 3 – 8 April; visit thewardrobetheatre.com

Leap of Faith Why not get into the fresh air and treat the family to a super time at this outdoor activity centre? Climb great routes, swing on Bristol’s only giant swing, take the ‘leap of faith’ or pay a little extra and see the giraffes, cheetahs and wolves at The Wild Place Project. The Leap of Faith is a real favourite for all, young and old...get clipped in, scale a 25ft pole up to a small platform, then make the leap – if you dare! Jumping into the void really does get the adrenaline going, especially as we can adjust the leap from 3ft to a massive 15ft!

• Open all half term and weekends. Visit leapoffaith.co.uk

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Motoring - March Jaguar. BRS.qxp_Layout 1 22/02/2018 11:11 Page 2

MOTORING | TEST DRIVE

GETTING IT RIGHT FROM THE START Jaguar’s entry into the highly competitive SUV market has taken a while. Chris Lilly takes a spin in the big cat’s new F-Pace and discovers the wait has been worth it

J

aguar has one of the strongest model line-ups going at the moment, with few weak links if any. To truly compete against its larger German rivals though, Jaguar has had to move beyond its core saloon and sportscar products – into the fastgrowing world of SUVs. With a new E-Pace and forthcoming I-Pace on the cards, Jaguar is moving forward fast and is pitching its new models carefully since sister brand Land Rover has the off-roading and luxury spectrum covered. The F-Pace is the first foray into the executive SUV market, and it looks to have all the characteristics you would expect from Jaguar.

It wouldn’t be a proper Jag if the F-Pace focused on anything less than an engaging drive; so that’s what we’ve got here. Under the bonnet of the test model sits Jaguar’s 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged Ingenium diesel unit, producing 180hp. There’s a lower powered version of the same engine, plus a twin-turbo-charged, more powerful unit too, topped by a 3.0 litre V6 diesel option. The petrols mirror the diesel line-up, though are more powerful across the board and are offered in two states of tune for the 2.0 litre engine, rather than the diesel’s three.

The model tested was nicely balanced though, offering plenty of performance while still returning decent economy figures. The 062mph sprint is dispatched in 8.7 seconds, with 129mph possible when flat out. The engine’s natural torque and in-gear acceleration makes the F-Pace feel faster than its reasonable acceleration time would suggest, and there were no situations where I was in need of extra oomph. Any more is a luxury, and the 180hp diesel’s 430 Nm of torque keeps the FPace moving nicely. At lower speeds, you can let the eight-speed automatic just get on with things – although it can get a little sloppy in its reaction times when crawling along. The majority of the time though, it changes smoothly and without fuss. The engine also settles down quickly from start-up to become a refined unit, complementing the gearbox nicely.

The F-Pace has its sights firmly set on the sporty end of the SUV market, which gives it some seriously tough competition. The Porsche Macan is an established leader around here, and the F-Pace even has competition from its own side in the shape of the Range Rover Velar.

However the F-Pace holds its own well and provides an excellent balance between a dynamic set-up and comfort – attributes that Jaguar built its reputation on. It handles like a Jag, even though it’s much taller than the more traditional saloons, and when fitted with the optional air suspension it proves extremely flexible.

Set into sport mode, the F-Pace will put a smile on your face down any twisty road, with sharp turn-in, plenty of feedback and accurate steering allowing drivers to sweep through a series of bends. It’s helped by torque vectoring, which brakes the inside wheels to keep the car on a tight line while cornering. On the more regular occasions when a comfortable ride is preferred, a press of a button will see the F-Pace become far more supple. It’s not got the waft-along capability of a big Mercedes, but considering its dynamic focus, the F-Pace will ride very nicely indeed.

Jaguar’s designers have done a good job with the F-Pace, since despite being fundamentally a large car, it doesn’t look bulky on the road. It’s one of the most stylish efforts in the SUV market and the good news is that the design hasn't impacted too much upon practicality. The large rear pillars hinder visibility somewhat, but the interior space remains very usable – particularly the load area which is huge. Four adults will be able to travel in comfort with no problem at

all – though families will have to bear in mind the relatively small rear openings when looking at putting children in the back.

Those up front have no compromises at all, with space abundant for the driver and passenger. To complement the large boot, there is a number of cubby holes in the cabin too, and the door bins and glove box are very usable – which is more than can be said of some rivals’ offerings. Head, leg, and shoulder space is good all round, apart from those seated in the centre of the rear bench, who will find a transmission tunnel where they wish to place their feet. Other than that, there is space aplenty throughout the cabin.

The F-Pace boasts one of the best interiors in its class. It doesn’t have the clean Teutonic lines of an Audi Q5, but it’s an improvement on the button-fest found in a Macan. The lay-out is easy and intuitive to use, and the key driving controls are located on the transmission tunnel.

The central infotainment screen allows users to prod the digital buttons without accidentally hitting the wrong function, and the display is clear and of a high resolution. The steering wheel is a bit on the button-tastic side, but it is a good size and shape to fit the car’s characteristics. It’s not too big which helps with enthusiastic steering situations, but it’s large enough to keep the driver relaxed on long motorway runs. The seats follow the theme, being supportive but comfortable enough to cope with long distances too. Again, softer alternatives are available, but the F-Pace is plenty comfortable enough for day-to-day life.

The F-Pace shouldn’t prove too expensive to run either, especially not in the 2.0 litre diesel specification tested. With a quoted figure of 53.3mpg – there are a couple of models that improve on that score too – Jaguar’s SUV needn’t be costly at the petrol station. During the test, I averaged more than 45mpg without much difficulty, so it holds its own in in real-world conditions too. The JaguarDrive Control allows drivers to make the car sportier or more economical depending on conditions or preferences, with support for off-road driving too – for those rare times an SUV will be taken into the rough stuff.

In short, the F-Pace is a triumphant entry into the SUV market for Jaguar; a well-balanced all-rounder. It’s well equipped, practical, fun to drive and stylish, proving every inch a contender in a tough class. There are sportier or more comfortable rivals around, but few others offer such a blend of both attributes – the F-Pace is a true Jaguar. ■ • jaguar.co.uk

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Bristol whitebeam flowers in May (image by Denice Stout)

The Bristol onion – allium sphaerocephalon (image by Phil Jearey, Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project)

Spiked speedwell growing on the gorge – image by Libby Houston

ALMOST FAMOUS From this month, rare plants and wildflowers begin to blossom in Bristol’s Avon Gorge. Pete Dommett tells us more...

E

very now and again local magazines like this one run a feature on the ‘50 Most Famous Bristolians’ or something similar. You know the kind of thing – a list of celebs with increasingly spurious links to our city, from Cary Grant to J.K. Rowling via (always) David Prowse. If such a list were to include plants as well as people, then there’s a trio of bona fide Bristol species that would surely make the cut.

Bristol rock-cress, Bristol whitebeam and the Bristol onion are all endemic to the Avon Gorge: that is, they’re found here and nowhere else in the UK (and in the case of the Bristol whitebeam, nowhere else in the world). The gorge is actually home to over 30 different types of rare plants, making it one of the most important botanical sites in the country. They thrive in its warm microclimate, sunning themselves on the rocky ledges and bursting into life during spring and summer.

Bristol rock-cress was the first of the three to be discovered, in 1686, and is also the first to flower. For most of the year, this tiny, alpine plant (found, for example, in the French Alps and the Pyrenees) survives as a rosette of dark green leaves, but, at the end of March and the beginning of April, pretty white blooms (which, before they fully open, remind me of snowdrops) reach out from craggy crevices on long, delicate stems.

Bristol whitebeam is one of five kinds of whitebeam found only in the Avon Gorge. It was discovered in 1852 in Nightingale Valley, Leigh Woods (where the original tree can still be seen). Whitebeams are hard to tell apart, but the Bristol variant is one of the most readily recognisable: it has sharply edged leaves with pale, hairy

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undersides. The trees grow on the gorge’s steep, grassy slopes and are covered in creamy-white blossom at the end of May, followed by orange berries in the autumn.

The Bristol onion should make a ‘Best Bristolians’ list on name alone. First recorded in 1847, it’s part of the allium family along with leeks, garlic and chives (in fact, its alternative titles include roundheaded leek and round-headed garlic). At the start of July, the plant produces tall stalks topped with magenta balls made up of hundreds of tiny flowers. These pink ‘lollipops’ can be seen clinging to the cliff sides in summer.

Other nationally scarce plants that grow in the gorge include western spiked speedwell (first recorded in Britain here in 1634), honewort (for which this is the most northerly site in the world) and autumn squill. The last of these was found at the site of the suspension bridge during its construction in 1831 by Mrs Glennie, wife of the chief engineer. In what is thought to be one of the first recorded examples of plant conservation, they were immediately removed and replanted further along the gorge under the orders of I.K. Brunel himself. Now there’s a name with unquestionable Bristol connections! ■ • Bristol’s rare plants can also be seen in the Brunel Garden (at the Clifton end of the suspension bridge), the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden and Bristol Zoo. • Join a guided walk on 8 April or 3 June to see them with The Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project. For more details, go to avongorge.org.uk or facebook.com/avongorge

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across our 5 lovely houses in the Bristol area

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Team doctor’s admiration for Paralympians

C

onsultant sports physician Dr Stuart Miller, who is based at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield, in Clifton, was due to head up the ParalympicsGB medical team at the Winter Paralympics in South Korea. Disappointingly for him, he suffered an eye injury just weeks beforehand and so has been forced to miss the Winter Paralympics. In addition to looking after Bristol’s sports and exercise enthusiasts, he was delighted to be appointed Chief Medical Officer to the 2018 ParalympicsGB team and now, having experienced his own injury, the achievements of the paralympians seem even more awe-inspiring.

No stranger to elite level sport, Dr Stuart Miller was lead doctor for the ParalympicsGB team in Rio in 2016, Beijing in 2008 and the Winter Paralympics in Sochi in 2014. His career highlight to date was as Lead Sports Physician for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games, where he had a big role on the ground, being responsible for the welfare of athletes from across the globe. A pioneer of sports medicine 24 years ago, he is a senior sports physician within the English Institute of Sport at the University of Bath.

In preparing for South Korea, the types of injury Dr Miller envisages at PyeongChang, 82 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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are knee ligament, wrist, shoulder and head injuries. He comments, “Imagine heading down a full ski slope at 70mph, with a disability such as partial sight or in a sit ski.

At this level of competition, there is a high risk of injuries for our extremely brave paralympians, who have often already overcome significant injuries. With my own injury temporarily affecting my sight, I have even more respect for these athletes.”

Locally Stuart Miller is part of the Nuffield Health Sports Injury Service, working alongside specialist sports consultants; orthopaedic surgeons Jonathan Webb and Stephen Eastaugh-Waring, general surgeon Dan Titcomb and cardiologist Guido Pieles. This expert team of Bristol’s raw talent works with top level sports people but is also very focussed on treating the ‘weekend warrior’ type individual too; those who are very keen on recreational sport and need to get back quickly to their work and fitness levels. The Nuffield Health sports injury team are all keen sportsmen, with a deep understanding of the psychology of athletes and their desire to win.

To find out more about treatment services for sports related injuries at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield, please ring 0117 906 4870 or visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/Bristol

Dr Stuart Miller, expert sports physician at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield

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

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Why is male fertility declining?

By Nutritional Therapist Sandra James for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine).

T

he sperm count of healthy men has more than halved in the last 40 years, and is declining by about 1% every year, according to recent reports. ‘Male factor’ infertility is now said to account for approximately 40–50% of infertility cases. What’s happening?

A basic sperm test checks only for sperm quantity and if they’re swimming in the right direction (motility). The quality of the sperm is not assessed, despite being vitally important to egg fertilisation and survival of the embryo.

When sperm are maturing, they are bathed in fluid which influences the quality of the sperm. The fluid will either be rich in nutrients or high in substances that could damage the sperm, depending on what the man eats, drinks, and his lifestyle.

Risk factors.The most common substances that damage sperm include alcohol, cigarette smoke, infections, a poor diet low in essential nutrients, and environmental toxins. Whilst our exposure to each toxin may be very small, continuous exposure to low doses of multiple toxins can be very harmful.

The risk factors for alcohol and cigarette smoke are well known, but what are the other key environmental toxins to consider when it comes to fertility, and what can we do about them?

Pesticides. Pesticide exposure leads to poor semen quality and reduced male fertility. Do: Eat organic food wherever possible, and avoid using pesticides and other chemicals in your home and garden.

Investigate natural alternatives.

Mobile phones & laptops. A ‘decrease in sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology is related to the duration of exposure to cell phones’. Laptops and iPads may have a similar effect. Use of these devices also affects sleep by reducing production of the hormone melatonin and increasing stress levels. Do: Consider using anti-radiation/EMF phone & laptop cases.

Do not keep devices by your body or your bed. Switch off when possible and minimise use 1-2 hours before bed.

Plastics. Plastic, and the industrial chemicals that go to make it such as BPA (bisphenol A), are now everywhere, from our food storage containers and water bottles to our personal care products. Most of the food we buy from supermarkets is wrapped in it.

There is growing evidence that many plasticizers, such as BPA and phthalates, mimic the structures of natural hormones, impacting fertility status by disrupting our endocrine system (our glands that produce and secrete hormones). Do: Buy veg loose/from an organic veg box scheme.

Remove food from any plastic as soon as possible. Use glass bottles where possible.

Heavy metals. These can enter our body through drinking, eating, inhaling, and skin and eye contact. Once in the body, they cause damage at the cellular level by initiating oxidative stress. Metals such as aluminium, cadmium and lead cause male infertility by affecting sperm quality and motility.

Aluminium is a common component of foil, cans and cookware, antacids, nasal spray and antiperspirants. Drinking water, old homes, and tobacco smoke are all potential sources of toxic lead exposure.

Exposure to cadmium happens primarily through contaminated foods, but cigarettes and fertilisers are also sources. Do: Use stainless steel, glass or enamelled cast iron cookware. Avoid aluminium foil and nonstick cookware. Buy a high-quality water

filter for your drinking and bathing water and use natural personal care products.

Putting these steps in place alongside eating a nutrient-dense diet to support natural detoxification, is a good start to minimising the impact of the environment on your fertility. See a naturopathic nutritional therapist for personalised guidance on nutrition and lifestyle.

Sandra James

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

Attend a FREE Open Evening to find out about part time training with CNM Bristol for a career as a Naturopathic Nutritionist or Naturopathic Acupuncturist.

14th March at 7pm.

Please book online at:

www.naturopathy-uk.com 01342 410 505 CNM is the UK’s leading training provider in a range of natural therapies. Colleges across the UK and Ireland.

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Clinical Hypnotherapist and Registered Nurse using well researched techniques to help you sleep better, feel calmer and to get back in control.

Hypnotherapy helps with: Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Managing stress and anxiety Phobias Addictions (e.g. Gambling, shopping or smoking) Managing pain Duncan Leckie BSc (Hons) DHP, DSFH, MNCH, Diploma in Medical Hypnotherapy, Registered Nurse

Tel: 0117 929 1536 Mobile: 07879 353 886 19 Lower Redland Road, BS6 6TB

Lavish Salon & Spa is situated within the Marriott Royal Hotel Bristol, next to the health club, and are proud to be the latest salon in Bristol to offer the full range of Aveda hair colour and hair care, alongside the full skin care range, with facials starting from just £37.

or at the Bedminster Family Practice, Regent Road, BS3 4AT.

Lavish Salon & Spa The Marriott Royal Hotel Bristol BS1 5TA www.lavish-spa.co.uk 0117 927 3389

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Four reasons why you’re still struggling to lose weight By clinical psychologist, Dr Helen McCarthy (The Appetite Doctor.) surprised to find that dancing around the living room to loud music can help to return you to your comfortable range.

You don’t plan meals properly

Dr Helen McCarthy

A

busy life and socialising that revolves around food are wonderful things.

And a desire to lose weight should never get in the way of that. The way we eat should fit around the way we live - not the other way around.

Appetite Retraining allows you to understand how to manage the impromptu lunches, the foodie nights away and the deadline stress eating, in a way that means you eat what you really want and need.

If you’re trying to lose weight, and keep it off, there are so many reasons why it’s not quite working for you. Here are just a few...

You’re a stress snacker Feeling stressed (one of the 12 main unhelpful eating habits) is your body’s way of telling you your nervous system is overstimulated. If you eat in response to stress, it’s probably because you’ve learned to associate eating with feeling calmer. But any amount of food will only numb the stressed feelings. The key is to reduce your nervous system’s over-stimulation. You might be

How often do you eat when you’re not hungry, because you don’t know when you’ll get time later?

It’s what I call “insurance policy eating” and it happens when feeling hungry makes you feel anxious. But when you learn how to tolerate mild hunger, it frees you from eating “just-in- case.”

The crucial thing is not to get too hungry in the first place, by planning and spacing your meals and snacks. Learning about the five types of non-hungry eating and how to overcome them, along with the Appetite Pendulum (which helps you to gauge how hungry you are), means you can eat in tune with your natural signals.

The evening is likely to be particularly hard, when you’re shattered after a busy day, and your energy levels and therefore willpower are at their lowest.

Lack of willpower is one of the four main saboteurs, (along with lack of motivation, pressure from others around eating, and lack of self belief) and learning how to increase it is crucial if you want to lose weight permanently.

The Appetite Doctor NOW BOOKING The Appetite Doctor’s friendly, group course of evening classes starts on April 17 at Litfield House Medical Centre, Clifton.

Dr McCarthy’s eight-week appetite retraining group (open to a maximum of eight people) will teach you:

You’ve become hooked on boozy treats If you’ve got used to cracking open the savoury snacks with a glass of wine in the evening, you’ve developed what psychologists call a learned association between the two.

It’s become automatic, so you start piling into the nuts whether you really fancy them or not. Instead of grazing on a series of halfnice nibbles, choose the most delicious thing you can think of and have a small portion of it with your favourite drink.

Eat it off a small plate and drink your wine out of a heavy glass.

• How to lose weight eating all your favourite foods, • How to eat in tune with your body, • How to change your unhelpful eating habits, • How to understand your mental blocks to weight loss and learn how to overcome them, • How to lose weight for good and keep it off easily.

You skip meals

Save £20 when booking The Appetite Doctor's Eight Week Weight Loss Group Bristol through Eventbrite, by entering the code BristolMag.

Skipping a meal because you’re trying to save calories puts you under pressure both physically and mentally, and tends to result in you actually eating more over the course of the day.

For online booking details, go to www.theappetitedoctor.co.uk

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

THE SHINING SANDS OF BERROW Wedged between the bright lights of Burnham on Sea and Brean, Berrow is quite often overlooked. Yet there are plenty of reasons for getting to know it, says Andrew Swift

N

ot only does Berrow Beach have the second longest stretch of sand in Europe, perfect for a brisk walk to uplift the spirits as winter gives way to spring; it is also backed by a labyrinth of dunes – now a nature reserve – which support one of the most diverse ecosystems in Somerset.

This stretch of coastline has the second highest tidal range in the world. At low tide the shining sands stretch far away, with the sea little more than a distant mirage, and the plaintive calls of oystercatchers carried on the wind. The views too are phenomenal, with the horizon ringed by the Quantocks and Exmoor to the south, the coast of Glamorgan ahead and the long, low cliffs of Brean Down to the north.

Brean is the last outlier of the Mendips on the mainland, but out to sea sit the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm, marooned fragments of the same discontinuous ridge of carboniferous limestone. Nothing else breaks the vista of the shining sands, save long lines of wooden stakes, hugging the shoreline or leading seawards like monumental art installations, and the shattered timbers of a shipwreck – the Norwegian barque SS Nornen, driven onto the sands by a southwesterly gale in March 1897. The rescue of its 10-man crew – and the ship’s dog – is still proudly recorded in Burnham’s lifeboat station.

The wreck lies some 250m from the shoreline, and it is possible to walk to it – with care – at low tide. Beyond it, though, the sands soon give way to mudflats, the deadly quicksand that rapidly overwhelms the unwary. Even advancing thus far, the going can be decidedly quivery, so, having visited the wreck, it is best to turn shorewards to continue your walk along the beach on firmer sand.

To get to the beach, you have to cross the dunes and, while waymarks indicate the quickest route, a circular walk is also indicated – and this is well worth taking, either before or after visiting the beach. First impressions of the dunes may not be that favourable. In places, they are reminiscent of a landscape scarred by human 86 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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intervention on a Herculean scale, where vestigial vegetation has struggled fitfully to reclaim lost ground. This, though, is no devastated landscape, but one created by the wind, sculpted from sand and colonised by plants able to survive on its meagre sustenance.

Lyme grass is usually first to send down roots into the shifting sand, followed by marram grass, before a tenuous stability is established as other plants move in.

The dunes vary enormously in character, from the foredunes nearest the sea, exposed to the wind and the highest tides, with only the sparsest of vegetation, to the fixed dunes further back where sand has been turned into thin, impoverished soil by rotting plant and animal matter. This area is rich in low-growing plants able to cope with the low level of nutrients in the soil, which prevents more aggressive species from gaining a foothold. The sandy ground is also a haven for rabbits – and the foxes that prey on them.

Sea buckthorn, introduced in the 1890s to help stabilise the dunes, and blackthorn also thrive in the fixed dunes, providing cover for birds such as bramblings and linnets. Evening primrose has also colonised the dunes in recent years. Its spiky seed heads, such a prominent feature of the dunes over winter, are now giving way to green shoots, which will soon be covered in the dusky yellow flowers which open at sunset to attract legions of moths during the summer months.

The hollows amid the dunes – known as swales or slacks – form yet another habitat, sheltered from the wind and often harbouring ponds or marshy ground.

The dunes, though, are a fragile ecosystem, for what the wind has created, the wind, aided by the sea, can destroy. Information boards describe the steps being taken to protect the dunes from erosion and the ponds from drying out.

On a sunny spring day, Berrow can be a magical place, with the boundless vistas of the silver sands contrasting with the strange and intimate landscape of the dunes. Ideal for children and dogs, or just

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

for a breezy walk to blow the cobwebs away, it is a spot that once discovered, you are almost certain to want to return to.

Getting there is straightforward. Leaving the M5 at junction 22, head straight on across the A38 roundabout, and carry on along the B3140. Continue following signs for Berrow, and after four miles you will see its surprisingly large parish church across a field to your left.

Two-thirds of a mile further on, you pass a bus stop for Giraffic Park.

After another 250m – just after passing the entrance to Sandy Glade Holiday Park on your right – turn left through a narrow, unsignposted gateway into a small, free car park. ■ • Starting point: Berrow Dunes Nature Reserve car park (ST294536) • To check that the tide will be out far enough for you to visit the shipwreck, a number of websites give daily tide times for Berrow.

The wreck of the Nornen – looking like the old skeleton of a vast sea creature

“WE JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW PLEASED WE ARE WITH OUR NEW KITCHEN. THE PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH WAS SUPERBLY SMOOTH AND THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL HAS PROVIDED US WITH A BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH”.

MR & MRS GODBEER

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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INTERIORS

We are so into Addicted to Patterns’ honeycomb wall covering – hand-drawn and screen-printed in Bristol

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Geometry, gold and gelato; bold ultraviolet versus the grace of the natural world; statement herringbone flooring and the two-tone treatment: we are loving SS18’s interior influences, and the ideas our local designers are offering to inspire your spring thinking

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INTERIORS

A

fter a long old winter (well done guys, we made it), tentative signs of the fresh new season are emerging; the spring is ready to make its way into our lives and homes and bestow its sunny, radiant influence. Visions of macramé embellishments and vast amounts of indoor foliage (see p96) have begun to dance through our heads; artisanal textures, chic seasonal pastel incarnations. Talk of ‘ice cream interiors’ and two-tone paintjobs has got us excited for trends to come and to be honest, we pretty much like the sound of them all – so we caught up with our local experts to see which themes they’re backing this season...

THE NEW TRADITIONAL: In uncertain times, many of us are drawn to tradition for stability, security and comfort, says Bethan England. Floral chintzes are back, boldly embraced through wallpaper, curtains or upholstery.

Image: Sanderson

Bracey Interiors “The interiors world has just celebrated the launch of the new collections in Paris and they have all been heavily influenced by colour and nature,” says Alison Bracey, owner of Bracey Interiors in Clifton. “Palms and exotic plants are being used with dramatic effect in both wallpapers and fabrics, with Designers Guild continuing to celebrate a colourful but more painterly style of botanical prints which are truly beautiful.

“Exotic plants and foliage are everywhere as people are encouraged to bring ‘greenery’ into their homes. Most of the latest accessories ranges celebrate nature and can be used to add colour and interest to a room design. Another strong influence are geometric designs, used to create a strong, imposing reaction or in some cases, a simple backdrop.”

And what of the hue championed by Pantone this year – chosen to communicate ‘originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking’?

“Ultraviolet certainly is rather a brave colour choice and one that maybe should be used in small doses,” says Alison. “Designers Guild use this shade to great effect in their floral designs. The latest paint shades do feature more colour with the grey/neutral tones being less dominant. Yellow or rather old gold/yellow tones are returning and balance perfectly with the more dramatic, colourful designs in wallpapers and fabrics.”

• braceyinteriors.co.uk

David Hutton Interiors “Looking at the latest trends is always a fun way to find inspiration, but – and I can’t emphasise this enough – it’s important to always choose themes or pieces that you’re happy to live with,” says awardwinning designer David. “Go with what you love and it will end up being timeless.

“Pantone’s colour of the year is already creeping into the interiors market so if you’ve a passion for purple, my advice is to go bold: large statement pieces, even a feature wall. Making a statement with flooring is another key trend and a simple way to add drama is by choosing a rug in bold colours. Almost like having a painting on the floor, a rug like this should really stand out so keep the surrounding furniture and décor simple. The use of bold patterned carpet runners on stairs is also a great way to add interest. And herringbone floors are a must in my view...

“As an overall approach, glamorous, sophisticated interiors are overtaking the mid-century style that’s been popular up until now.

Hand in hand with this is a move away from copper in favour of gold – a trend I personally welcome with open arms!

“Finally, high contrast marble has been popular for a while and it’s still big this year, so incorporating it into your home doesn’t mean it will date quickly. It’s especially versatile in kitchens where it can be used to great effect.”

• davidhuttoninteriors.co.uk

Suzy Harris Design “When we’ve been stuck inside for too long we often feel the need to throw open the windows and doors and have a good old-fashioned spring clean,” says Suzy, who has designed interiors in Bristol for the past 15 years. “It’s a good time to review and lighten up by shedding

➲

Justyna Medon’s Avon herons design would inject both colour and nature into a space

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INTERIORS We love the statement flooring in this Canynge Square project by Suzy Harris

Natural history as seen through the inimitable Christian Lacroix prism: the Histoires Naturelles collection of digitally printed fabrics, glam embroideries, luxe weaves and chic voiles is available via Designers Guild

and packing away heavier soft furnishings and rugs until autumn. I’d advise having two sets of soft furnishings – in the same way that you dress yourself differently for summer and winter – some for the cold months in textural wools and weaves in rich colours and some for the warmer months in lighter, brighter cottons and linens.

“Bringing the outside in feels wonderful. Arrange spring blooms or acquire some new house plants and display them in clean, textural vases and glassware. Botanical prints can also have this effect. Less is more at this time, and clearing your space and making a feature of just a few choice pieces is refreshing.

“Recent trends towards darker paints and fabrics, especially in deep greys, blues and greens can still work in springtime, but adding some glassware and brighter or pastel-coloured accessories can freshen up your scheme and provide luminosity.

“I try not to be trend-led in my design, preferring to suit a property and the personalities of its occupants, but I see a definite shift towards warmer neutrals in earthy, clay colours, bare plaster and dusky pinks. Warmer metal choices, such as brass, rose gold and copper look lovely with both the blue greys and these earthy tones.

New handles or paint can update your storage furniture while new lighting can transform a room and pastel accessories can brighten both the darkly colourful and neutral schemes.”

• suzyharrisdesign.com

Bethan England Interiors Hues borrowed from the gelateria are taking centre stage for Bristol Bethan England, too. “As we come out of hibernation, gone are beige and white and instead we welcome colour into our homes in the form of pastels,” she says. “We’re not looking at pale, sugary sherbet tones but richly pigmented, majestic pastels from dusky mauves and salmon pinks to soft, ochery yellows and deep, duck-egg blues. For those who love colour but prefer lighter hues, this is perfect. Create balance by pairing similarly weighted shades and combining warm and cool tones: dusky pink and lavender, muted yellow and soft grey.

Paint walls in the pastel shade you love and complement with a signature piece of furniture or accessories of a different hue. Velvet will really enhance the colour you choose so consider choosing a sumptuous chair or signature cushions in this fabric.

“Combine these new colour shades with natural textures such as woods and leather,” Bethan continues. “Cane and wicker furniture go with pastels beautifully along with rattan pendant shades and baskets. Embrace the intrinsic imperfections and honesty of raw materials with weathered woods, frayed linens and distressed finishes.

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Bethan advises sumptuous velvet furnishings like Loaf’s occasional chair to enhance your pastel choices

Bolder territory: Farrow & Ball go two-tone with their key spring colours, ‘pitch blue’ and ‘calke green’. Can we officially do away with the ‘blue and green should never be seen’ maxim now?

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INTERIORS

“Elsewhere, botanical prints are still going strong with lush, revitalising greenery, bright flora and fauna and exotic, jungleinspired designs bringing energy to a room; and the industrial look is still around but very much pared back, paler and elegant. Minimalist statement lighting set against furniture with a raw or aged finish can be a stylish combination, and antiques or vintage pieces are always a good way of adding character and interest to a room, no matter what the décor. I’d avoid anything new that has been made to look old; instead search online or visit a local antiques market or salvage yard.

“Finally, in a seemingly unstable political and social climate, many of us find ourselves drawn to tradition for that feeling of security and comfort. Floral chintzes are back and these can be boldly embraced through wallpaper with matching curtains or upholstery. Have a look at the beautiful prints by Sanderson via Style Library.

Alternatively, hunt down some vintage floral cushions or bedspreads; visit the plethora of independent artisan shops in Bristol to find a traditionally crafted piece. Individual finds such as hand-printed lampshades, locally made ceramics or original artwork will give your home a much needed human touch in our tech-centric world.”

Designers Guild is celebrating a more colourful, painterly style of botanical, Alison Bracey tells us

• bethanenglandinteriors.co.uk

Addicted to Patterns “We feel the coming season will be about the fluid merging of floral and geometric patterns – large-scale organic motifs tangled with repetitive geometry and abstract colour splashes,” says designer and print-maker Justyna Medon. “The palette oscillates from soft pinks and peach to oyster grey with dash of silver and accents of copper.

“Other influential colours will be mustard and coral; a truly earthy palette with a strong accent of deep navy blue and charcoal. Our own collection of wallpapers for the new season, screenprinted by hand in Bristol, is inspired by nature – golden honey bees, meadow birds and linear sea florals in gold and coral; quirky red desert cacti with fizzy silver and pale khaki, Avon herons by the river bank in deep mustard and turquoise; geometric interpretations of the cityscape printed in old gold and pastel teal with a tint of fluorescent orange.”

• addictedtopatterns.uk

Neptune Each season, Wiltshire-born Neptune releases a paint palette felt throughout its new collection but not necessarily in line with what’s defined by Pantone or driven by trends. Seeking a sense of timelessness, the shade at the heart of their new collection is ‘old rose’. Sophisticated, subtle and soft, its inspiration too lies in nature; specifically the slightly fading petals of the classic English bloom.

“It makes a room feel calm and comfortable, even with the absence of sofas, footstools and blankets, showing how colour alone has the potential to comfort and to cushion a room,” says the design team, pairing it with colours from seasons gone by including paint shade Driftwood – whose neutrality brings together earthy brown with cool and soft pink undertones.

• neptune.com

Farrow & Ball According to the interiors stalwart, SS18 is not about one colour, but two, and more importantly how they are combined together – moving away from limiting walls to one colour or restricting trims to white. “Each should be used in equal measure, rather than one being an accent to the other, and no extra paint shades should be included,” says colour consultant Joa Studholme, of the two-tone trend. “In 2017 we started to see surprising combinations and in 2018 we have welcomed them with open arms, realising the value of using colour in different ways in the home. We no longer feel restricted to using one colour on the walls and a second on the trim – using strong colours in a more eclectic way has liberated us.” n

Osborne & Little’s Camporosso wallpaper: a large-scale geometric trellis, named after the beach town near the French border

• farrow-ball.com xx THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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11 Portland Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4JA Tel: 0117 973 0000 • 07770 393 020 email: info@atlas-interiors.co.uk

www.moroccanencaustictiles.com

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Fantastic range of lighting

Lighting the way is should be

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

The Hyde Collection

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

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BRISTOL AT WORK

FRUITS OF THE LOOM Introducing the sustainable woven textile designers at Studio Bodhi, who have Bristol’s colourful street culture pinned prominently to their moodboard

The native colours of the Fernhill Farm sheep create a surprisingly diverse palette then used in Studio Bodhi designs

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BRISTOL AT WORK

W

eaving more and more environmentally friendly products and services into our everyday lives is something all of us should be aiming to do; and a good place to start is in the home. Recently we were chuffed to stumble across one eco-conscious, fashion and soft furnishings start-up hoping to help us to do just that, founded by Rebecca Smith and Natasha Moss. The local textile duo, who’ve placed respect for the environment firmly at the heart of their ethos, kindly filled us in...

So, tell us a little more about the Bodhi outfit...

We create trend-focused designs made using eco-friendly materials – locally sourced, certified as sustainable, recycled. Our style is influenced a lot by Bristol’s colourful street culture; we like to rework classic structures into bold and playful designs.

What’s your main selling point?

Sustainability. We aim to integrate this into everything we do as well as producing on-trend, innovative design ideas. We believe in building strong relationships with our suppliers which provides us with a transparent supply chain of the materials we use.

Where did your love of fashion and textiles come from?

We both were naturally drawn to textiles throughout education. This lead us to joining the same textiles course at Brighton where we met while learning the craft of weave.

Tell us about your creative process and production techniques...

It usually starts with our yarn – finding new, sustainable yarn that we can work with is an exciting part. We then research up-coming and past trends to inspire us. We like to focus on finishing techniques after the fabric is woven to create more interesting textures such as cut-floats, brushed mohair and felting.

What about your materials?

One of our like-minded suppliers is local wool producer Fernhill Farm.

It’s a holistic eco-farm located in the Mendip grasslands, powered by renewable and natural resources. They produce fleece, rovings and spun yarns all in the native colours of the sheep, which creates a surprisingly diverse colour palette with full traceability back to the farm. They are a very valuable contact; we often visit to collect the yarn and meet the sheep! Wool is natural, renewable and biodegradable so we love working with it. Instead of using conventional silk for our warps we choose peace silk which is a non-violent, ethical form of silk; it allows the silk worm to emerge from its cocoon and complete its life cycle. We are also working with linen and merino yarns which are certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard – this certification looks at the entire supply chain of the yarn to promise sustainability. Some of our most exciting yarn comes from upcycling materials such as off-cut selvedges from mills which would otherwise be waste.

So you’re working on both interiors and fashion pieces?

Yes, we create a collection focused for interiors, which we found to be popular while we were at Première Vision Paris last September. At the moment we are working on our SS19 fashion and interiors collections

Rebecca and Natasha set up their studio in late 2016 after securing funding from Bristol’s New Enterprise Allowance

using linen warps, fine silks and soft wools. We are also working with some fancy new yarns to create metallic looks, bold tropical patterns and pastel hues which complement the current spring/summer trends.

What do you like about being a creative business in Bristol?

We take a lot of inspiration from this city, from its street art and youth culture to its strong music and art scene. Bristol is very diverse which brings a fair amount of individuality for us to be inspired by. Another unique aspect is the contrast of being in a bustling city while being surrounded by countryside, giving us direct access to local suppliers.

Bristol is a hub for creative makers and with its textiles community growing, it’s a very exciting place to be based.

When did you start the business?

November 2016, after graduating from the University of Brighton in the summer – we were well prepared as our degree included business studies and some time out in industry. We also acquired funding from the New Enterprise Allowance scheme in Bristol which was a huge help. Bristol has a great creative community which has really helped us as we have had lots of support and advice from local artists and textile businesses.

How long does it take to complete a piece?

It can take anything from a couple of hours to a couple of days, depending on the technicalities of the design. We are working with traditional table looms which means every piece is hand rendered and every design aspect is completed to the highest quality.

Do you see a sustainable future for the textile industry on the whole?

We do as there is a much bigger incentive for companies to be sustainable these days. This is also driven by consumers wanting a more sustainable lifestyle and buying eco-friendly clothing. We have noticed an increase in sustainable suppliers, and encouragement from renowned textiles tradeshows which suggests this will be a growing market. ■ • studiobodhi.com

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INTERIORS

LIFE AMONG THE LEAVES Trendier than the avocado, houseplants are hot. Horticultural expert Jamie Innes, of Old Market Plants and formerly of Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, teaches us a thing or two about how to maintain them once they’re sitting pretty in the living space

H

ouseplants are everywhere; in art, on cushions, socks, wallpaper... But if you ask me, the real thing is by far the best interior complement, style accessory or gift.

Profuse plant fashions of the ’70s have segued in to today’s ‘urban jungle’ styling, gently glossing over the interim decades, and the upshot of the buzz generated by hashtags and themes on super fast-paced social media is that the diversity of houseplants and creativity with which they can be displayed is being beautifully documented.

While they lend themselves brilliantly to interior styling and attract plenty of ‘likes’ and followers, the main reasons behind their popularity are entirely healthy. As millenials are arguably feeling the deepest pinch economically, especially when it comes to their living spaces, they have been quick to pick up on the benefits houseplants bring to the environments we inhabit. The physical and mental health benefits of tending a greener environment are well known but houseplants also provide a mechanism for people to connect with the natural world.

In terms of practically displaying your plants, the possibilities are really only confined by your imagination and the environmental conditions you can provide. Every plant has a range of conditions that it will tolerate – the closer you can get to reproducing the optimum conditions, the better your plant will grow. Select your plants based on the environmental conditions you are able to provide but don’t be afraid to experiment as learning about plants and their growth comes through realising what can or cannot be tolerated.

Light, temperature and humidity are the main concerns and will dictate how you treat your plant. Light is the most fundamental element because it can’t easily be supplemented. The others can normally be regulated to some degree, through care while watering and fertilising. To determine light availability, work out what aspect your window faces and where in relation to the light you would like to place your plant. Is it direct light all day, bright, ambient light or shady and dark?

For most houseplants native to tropical areas, increasing humidity with regular tepid spritzing to the leaves is a good idea, especially in winter when central heating can have a drying effect. These include the majority of hanging plants, which grow as epiphytes (on the branches of other trees), large leaved, fleshy plants and the majority of fig species grown.

On the whole it is safer to maintain plants on the drier side as opposed to overly moist. Most will tolerate a bit of wilting but if they 96 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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sit wet they might never recover. Soil becomes stagnant and anaerobic, leading to roots rotting and dying. There are always exceptions, and some types of softer leaved ferns like the adiantum species don’t recover from wilting at all. At first signs of dryness, the leaves become brittle and withered and will take time to recover.

Don’t go overboard with fertilising as it promotes leafy, soft growth, prone to pests and disease. On the other hand it is important to realise that there is a limited supply of nutrients contained in a pot environment that won’t be restored unless you pot-on or re-fertilise.

Generally it is good to fertilise during spring and summer; once a month with a light, well-rounded feed such as Baby-bio or once in spring with a slow-release topdress fertiliser like Osmocote. When potting up it is worth making sure the size jump is small to avoid the risk of overwatering before new roots are capable of filling the space.

Large or mature specimens can be expensive so having the patience to cultivate your own statement plants can be cost effective as well as satisfying.

As a mindful houseplant keeper you can experiment with locations and come to interpret the results, helping you to decide what you can get away with. You will notice if growth has etiolated (craning towards light), lost vigour or discoloured. These are the first signs your plant is less happy than it should be.

If you are desperate to grow your favourite plant in an unfavourable location then you can rotate it with other plants from suboptimum to optimum conditions before deterioration occurs.

There is a huge range of environmental conditions throughout a house – bright, direct light and large diurnal Jamie loving life among the (day/night) temperature leaves at his newly opened changes in conservatories; store Old Market Plants dim corridors with one high, slim window; the consistently humid bathroom. Make use of all these microclimates, explore the possibilities and grow a diverse array of houseplants to expand your understanding of their cultivation.

• oldmarketplants.co.uk

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• Plain and Ornamental plastering • • Wide selection of new cornices, ceiling roses etc • • Cornice made to match existing and repair work • • Lime plastering and rendering • • 29 years experience •

Tel: 07970 278028 Email: info@john-boyce.co.uk www.john-boyce.co.uk

craftsmanship means FOCUSING ON FINE DETAILS AND TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE EVERY JOB OUTSTANDING

SEE CHECK A TRADER AND GOOGLE REVIEW FOR ★ RATINGS OPENING TIMES MONDAY – FRIDAY 8.00 AM – 5.00 PM SATURDAY 9.00 AM – 12.30 PM MARBLE SUPREME T: 0117 956 3030

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WWW.MARBLESUPREME.COM

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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.

01275 562042 www.greenbirdgardening.co.uk

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For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

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

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THE LITTLE

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HOMES, INTERIORS & GARDENS OUR GUIDE TO GREAT LOCAL BUSINESSES

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NEPTUNE 98 B/C Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY Tel: 0117 246 4200 Web: neptune.com/bristol Neptune’s gorgeous Clifton showroom is a double-height gallery space that’s open and airy with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow light to flood onto its flower shop. Founded in 1996 by friends John Sims-Hilditch and Giles Redman, Neptune is an interiors retailer recognised for its exacting standards, design-led aesthetic and expert craftsmanship. Perhaps most well-known for its kitchens, every Neptune piece is designed for a lifetime of use, with its trademark ‘look’ rooted in British heritage. The Bristol branch displays a large number of Neptune’s designs, including all four of its kitchen collections and living and dining collections. Additionally, visitors to the store will also see a bedroom area complete with a timber-panelled washroom, as well as a large accessories area. It also features a section dedicated to Neptune Tailored, where customers can get up close to its house-blended paints and the extensive selection of textiles that make up its lovely fabric library.

MARBLE SUPREME Unit 8, Bridge Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 4FW Tel: 0117 956 3030 Web: marblesupreme.com Marble Supreme provides master craftsmanship in stone. Whether you’re looking for new stone worktops for your kitchen or bathroom, it offers a range of materials to suit your needs. With over 20 years of experience, the team produce a wide range of products from beautifully crafted granite kitchen worktops and flooring, right through to bespoke stone fireplaces, vanity tops, splash backs and sink surrounds. They provide a complete service, from sourcing the perfect stone for your needs, through to crafting perfectly fitting, beautifully finished kitchen worktops, and pride themselves on delivering the very best in granite, marble and quartz stone, knowing their creations will play a part in family life for years to come. Whether you know what you want or are considering the options, the team is happy to discuss your plans so pop into the Kingswood showroom!

PLANKBRIDGE HUTS Tel: 01300 348414 Web: plankbridge.com The master hut makers at Plankbridge have been creating unique living spaces for years, producing a wide range of private dens that have been shipped all over the world. A Plankbridge shepherd’s hut has always balanced tradition and modernity. Handmade in Dorset with a ‘move-when-you-move’ promise, a build guaranteed for 20 years and a reputation almost as long, the company is a must for homeowners looking to creatively expand their home without the need for planning permission or the upheaval of an invasive house extension.

Whether you are wanting to create a garden summer house, party pad, family annex or creative retreat, shepherd huts have become the obvious choice of living space among homeowners looking for something that bit more special.

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EDEN GARDEN DESIGN The Stables, Hopyard Cottage, Itchington, Alveston, Bristol BS35 3TG Tel: 01454 412117 Web: edengardendesignbristol.co.uk “A garden should make you feel you’ve entered privileged space – a place not just set apart but reverberant, and it seems to me that, to achieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into poetry.” – Michael Pollan.

Eden Garden Design folk are passionate about gardens, believing that a well-designed landscape will add considerable value to your life and home. Heading up the team is Sheldon, who sees gardens as outdoor rooms: perfect spaces to relax and entertain in. Sheldon will work closely with you from your initial meeting, through to design and construction, providing a professional yet personal service.

Contact him now to start your exciting project!

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MANDARIN STONE 15 Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HW Tel: 0117 973 1552 Web: mandarinstone.com Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, more recently Mandarin Stone has gained quite a reputation for its on-trend and beautifully designed porcelains. Ranging from those that cleverly mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned tiles, the collection has endless surface design possibilities.

Established for over 25 years and with 10 inspirational UK showrooms, it offers dependability for specialist knowledge as well as technical expertise. Virtually the entire natural stone and porcelain collection is held in stock in the UK so lead times are short.

SUZY HARRIS DESIGN

JOHN BOYCE PLASTERWORK

Tel: 07814 012044 Web: suzyharrisdesign.com

Unit 5, Channel View Farm, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6US Tel: 07970 278028 Web: john-boyce.co.uk

A Bristol-based interior designer working in the field for 16 years, Suzy has developed a broad skill set and has a creative mind with a solid, honest, practical slant and logistical knack.

She is known for her versatility and love of enabling her clients to make the most of their spaces. She focuses on delivering end results which balance her client’s practicalities, parameters, time and budgets with designs that best reflect the style of place in which they wish to live. She is commissioned across a wide field of both residential and commercial projects and can also work on an affordable consulting basis by the hour.

John Boyce Plasterwork Ltd is a locally based company with over 30 years’ experience in the plastering trade, tackling any size of job from a simple repair to a complete restoration project. The team has a large range of moulds built up over the last three decades and is capable of matching and reproducing any type of plasterwork. The company also has a large range of stock cornices and ceiling roses to pick from, with something to suit most tastes and budgets.

They carry out ceiling surveys and repairs, lime plastering and rendering and bespoke one-off pieces; offering free no-obligation quotes and advice. Visit the website for a small taste of what John Boyce Plasterwork can offer.

GREENBIRD GARDENING 145 Phoenix Way, Portishead, Bristol BS20 7GP Tel: 01275 562042 Web: greenbirdgardening.co.uk GreenBird is a design-focused, family-run landscape and design business creating beautiful outdoor spaces across Bristol, Somerset and the surrounding areas. Its teams are passionate about creating inspirational gardens, design and stunning planting schemes, with expertise in all aspects of garden planning and construction work, no matter the size of your garden. Whatever your landscaping or design needs may be, from a full design and build project to building a new fence, designing a new outdoor kitchen, building a beautiful new stone wall or creating a new planting scheme, GreenBird provides a creative and outstanding service tailored to individual needs. As an accredited member of The Association of Professional Landscapers, GreenBird always takes great pride in its work, putting the client at the centre of everything, focusing on attention to detail and excellence in all areas.

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KARENA BATSTONE DESIGN 21 Somerset Street, Bristol BS2 8LZ Tel: 0117 944 1004 Web: karenabatstone.com Karena Batstone Design is an award-winning landscape studio with extensive experience of designing and implementing landscapes of all sizes throughout the UK. Gardens are for people, and the Karena Batstone team is known for an ability to work closely with clients to design outdoor spaces that strive to be both practical and poetic, that stimulate the senses and articulate emotions. The belief is that a garden should sit comfortably in its setting and complement the architecture and materials of adjacent buildings. The designs are characterised by strong, clean lines, but as gardeners they like to counter the architectural approach with abundant, romantic planting – whether it be with borders that buzz with wildlife or planting schemes that evoke a feeling of nature.

The KBD crew are passionate about what they do, and aim to provide a service that exceeds expectations.

DISNEY FLOORING

ARCHER & CO

11 Zetland Rd, Bristol BS6 7AG Tel: 0117 942 4949 Web: disney-flooring.com

24 Alma Vale Road, Bristol BS8 2HY Tel: 0117 239 0432 Web: archerandcompany.co.uk

This local, independent flooring retailer will encourage you to think differently about your floor. Disney Flooring offers a wide range of carpets, vinyl, wood, laminate and rugs, and the team specialises in custom-made rugs and runners with its own sewing machine and rug room for completing border work on jobs large and small. If you are considering a hard floor that’s practical you’ll find a great range of vinyl tiles including some exclusive designs. The service includes measure, supply and fitting. Behind the scenes they always working closely with interior designers so every customer can be sure they are up to speed with product designs. The installation team are well known for a great service with satisfying results.

Archer & Co is an independent design store now located in the ‘Alma Quarter’ between Whiteladies and Pembroke Roads, and just a short walk from Clifton Down Station. The studio was opened by Ian and Judy Archer in 2010, to showcase their own furniture and textile designs. New in store for 2018 is Ian’s work for up and coming Scandi brand SITS, alongside their exclusive range of bespoke British crafted sofas and chairs. Their distinctive collection is complemented by an ever changing selection of design accessories and art work.

COLOURFENCE 110 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8YA Tel: 0117 214 1201 Web: colourfence.co.uk/bristol-south ColourFence is the most advanced fencing product on the market today. Made from ColorBonded galvanised steel, ColourFence is strong, versatile, wind resistant and highly reputable. It is priced competitively and backed by a manufacturer’s 25-year guarantee. It is also an extremely low maintenance garden fencing solution, just a quick hose down every year keeps it looking like new. It doesn’t need painting or staining and will last far longer than wooden alternatives.

Available in a range of colours, with matching gates and railings, it is the only fence system proven to withstand windspeeds up to 130mph. ColourFence will look after itself, so you can look after (and enjoy) your garden.

If you would like a free, no-obligation quote, then call Mohammed today on 0117 214 1201.

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HOTWELLS PINE 253, Hotwell Road, Hotwells, Bristol BS8 4SF Tel: 0117 927 3700 Web: hotwellspine.co.uk

AND SO TO BED Squires Court, Bedminster Parade, Bristol BS3 4BX Tel: 0117 953 1738 Web: andsotobed.co.uk For luxury beds, bedframes, headboards and beautiful bedroom accessories, this is the place to be. And So To Bed was founded over 40 years ago and is a highly respected and inherently British brand. The level of detail and quality of finish that has become synonymous with an And So To Bed piece is overseen by a leading design team; each and every product in their range is made by hand and finished by skilled artisans devoted to their craft. Spend a little time at the Bristol showroom, and you’ll find you are spending more quality time in the bedroom of your dreams...

Hotwells Pine has been trading since 1985. You can find an impressive selection of new and antique pine furniture here and the company specialises in providing a bespoke, made-tomeasure service. The showroom has six rooms packed with furniture, lamps, mirrors and an array of lovely accessories to browse.

The new pine furniture is made locally and can be painted to suit your décor in any shade of Farrow and Ball paint, or waxed in a traditional style. The ranges include bedroom, living room, dining and kitchen furniture. The selection of antique furniture changes regularly, as well as the ever popular display of wardrobes (that are easily disassembled or delivery), and antique boxes. The team at Hotwells Pine is well known for product knowledge, quality and service and also offers free local delivery on all furniture.

KÜTCHENHAUS Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NN Tel: 0117 2130680 Web: kutchenhaus.co.uk

TABITHA TARLING

Kutchenhaus is the UK arm of a company called Nobilia. Nobilia is the largest manufacturer of fitted kitchens in Europe; making up to 3,000 kitchens daily. This means Kutchenhaus can not only keep prices competitive but still deliver high quality, German-engineered kitchens.

They provide a wide selection of kitchen styles and can create both traditional and contemporary looks in matt and gloss textures. With their free design service, they can create superb, photo-realistic images giving a clear visual of a customer’s ideal kitchen. They also supply a full range of appliances including Bosch, Neff, CDA and Miele – so there’s great choice too. Buying a kitchen is a big decision, and the Kutchenhaus team in Bristol work closely with every client to give them complete confidence in their new purchase.

Tel: 07811 169636 Web: tabithatarling.co.uk Tabitha has been designing gardens for over a decade, having previously worked for some of the top names in the industry, as well as on a Chelsea show garden. Be it a tiny roof terrace, a small courtyard or a large, urban family garden, Tabitha will work with you to provide an elegant and practical solution, tailored to your needs and budget. She offers the following services: garden design and consultation, project management – conception to installation, garden makeovers and styling, planting plans and installation and garden coaching – plus one-to-one sessions. Contact Tabitha to arrange a consultation and quote The Bristol Magazine for 10% off the design fee on a full design project until May 2018.

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BRISTOL MARBLE & GRANITE

BARK & GARDENS

Verona House, Filwood Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3RY Tel: 0117 965 6565 Web: bristolmarble.com

Tel: 07586 043545 Web: barkandgardens.co.uk

Bristol Marble and Granite is a proud, family-run company based in Fishponds, with a passion for all things stone. Whether you’re looking for a new kitchen worktop, a bathroom vanity or a feature fireplace, they have it covered. From your first visit to their stone yard to view the beautiful full-sized slabs of natural granite, Arenastone engineered quartz, marble and limestone (with over 200 colours to choose from), their highly experienced, friendly showroom team is committed to showing you around and helping you choose the right material for your next project. Fabricated in the on-site, high-tech workshop using the latest CNC technology, your project is then templated and fitted by their own installation teams. No appointment necessary, head on down to select yours today!

Bristol’s Bark and Gardens offers a personable and local garden service to a wide range of commercial and residential properties in and around Bristol. They are available for single or regular garden maintenance visits, specialising in the pruning of ornamental and fruiting trees, shrubs, border maintenance and hedge cutting, and able to source plants and offer advice.

Jono of Bark and Gardens is an RHS-qualified gardener with over 10 years’ experience. Previously having worked as an estate gardener for the five-star Bovey Castle hotel in Devonshire as well as a tree surgeon and forestry planter, he is able to offer a wide range of expertise; and is fully insured to cover Bristol and the surrounding areas.

OLD MARKET PLANTS

TME INTERIORS

48-50 Gloucester Lane, Bristol BS2 0DP Instagram: @oldmarketplants Web: oldmarketplants.co.uk

Tel: 07918 785188 Web: tmeinteriors.co.uk Instagram: @tmeinteriors

Old Market Plants is a specialist interior plant shop showcasing a wide array of unusual and exquisite plants for sale in a green-filled, floor-toceiling space full of wonders! What’s on offer here? Anything from small gifts and vouchers to complete interior plant landscaping for your home or office.

With years of experience gained from their time working on and managing some of the world’s most diverse glasshouses including those at Kew, Edinburgh and Cambridge, Jamie and Kathryn are uniquely equipped to provide expert advice, services and products related to plants and interiors. In this independent shop just off Old Market they also run a few short courses on how to care for houseplants, and source and sell locally made plant accessories.

TME Interiors creates soulful, individual homes to love. Owner Teresa Eggleton feels that a professionally designed room should be a very affordable luxury, and her services remove barriers around pricing and attainability. TME Interiors creates full design plans to work from which provides independence and control when putting it all together. Contact Teresa to see what she could do for you.

You’ll find original home styling that works for you, your home and the way you want to live in it. What’s more, you’ll discover ideas that enhance your home but don’t blow your budget. TME Interiors is currently offering a complete room design for £350 which includes a site visit, profiling, and full plan containing a visual strategy, mood boards, colour scheme, room layout, plus recommendations for everything you need, stockists and pricing.

Everything you need to create a room to love from scratch...

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EMBERS

LIMPET

117 – 119 St Georges Road, Bristol BS1 5UW Tel: 0117 925 1115 Web: embersbristol.com

Street Farm Buildings, Acton Turville, Badminton, Gloucestershire GL9 1HH Tel: 01454 218535 Web: thelimpetcompany.co.uk

Embers Bristol has supplied and installed wood burning and multi fuel stoves from its centrally located showroom since 2010. It is proud to be a HETAS-approved retailer and authorised dealer for Charnwood, Clock (pictured), Stovax and Heta. From conception to completion it aims to bring real warmth to the heart of your home.

Embers stocks and delivers high quality kiln-dried firewood, smokeless coal and kindling as well as stocking stove accessories and fireside products. It also offers a variety of wood-fired outdoor living products including the fantastic Kamado Joe range of ceramic BBQs as well as locally produced charcoal, rubs and smoking woods.

Summer offers are now on with stove and installation packages starting from just £1,500. See the website for more details.

Tired of stretching to get your glass from the low table that always seems miles away? Nowhere to put your mobile, tablet, or book? Then look no further. Limpet is the perfect solution with a range of simple, small tables that cling to your armchair or sofa. They come in a wide variety of materials and with different functions. Limpets are great for apartment-dwellers and reception areas and come as side carriers and front carriers, left and right handed. They are also great for care homes and the occupational therapy sector. Most importantly, they are affordable; prices start from around £40. As a special promotion for The Bristol Magazine readers, Limpet is offering free post and packaging for the first 50 orders.

BETHAN ENGLAND INTERIORS Tel: 07788 726345 Web: bethanenglandinteriors.co.uk

GARDINER HASKINS

Bethan England Interiors offers a Bristol-based, friendly and cost effective interior design service. Bethan ensures she understands the aspirations and requirements of her clients so that her designs are personal and inspiring; and provides a free initial consultation where she meets with them to get to know them and their requirements. If you decide you would like to take things further, she will create a unique design that reflects your lifestyle and taste.

It is amazing how having a home you love affects your well-being and enhances your quality of life. Whether it be advice about one room that doesn’t quite work or redesigning the whole house, Bethan can make that process less daunting and a much more exciting and enjoyable experience.

Broad Plain, Bristol BS2 0JP Tel: 0117 929 2288 Web: gardinerhaskins.co.uk One of Bristol’s most established businesses, and its largest independent homecentre, Gardiner Haskins has everything you need to make your home your own – all under one roof. Whether your place is undergoing a revamp or you’re starting from scratch, Gardiner Haskins has all the elements to turn your unique vision into a reality for less. From big-brand appliances to classic, contemporary furniture, you can overhaul entire rooms at their fitted kitchens and bathroom departments or enhance your home using their range of DIY and decorating essentials.

The luxury home furnishings department, with designer brands and made-to-measure curtain service, will add all the style and the finishing touches to turning a house into a beautiful home.

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JAMIE INNES GARDEN DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE 4 Upper Cheltenham Place, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5HR Instagram: @innesgardendesign Web: innesgardendesign.com Having trained at Kew, Edinburgh and Cambridge, Jamie Innes now heads up this small team providing gorgeous designs for all projects, ranging from contemporary town gardens to full-scale country estates. Their gardens are carefully inspired to complement your home and its surroundings, while always seeking to create tranquil and immersive spaces. Consideration of the environment and sustainability are the foundation of their ethos and practical work, as well as aiming to improve biodiversity with innovative planting schemes. With years of expertise, they also ensure an effective maintenance programme for your garden, designed to bring out the best in your beds and borders all year round. Contact via the website for an informal chat and to look at examples of recent projects.

MON POTE

THE KITCHEN PARTNERS

177-179 North Street, Bristol BS3 1JQ Tel: 0117 239 3107 Web: monpote.co.uk

102 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY Tel: 0117 946 6433 Web: thekitchenpartners.co.uk

You’ll find Mon Pote – translating from French to ‘my friend’ – nestled on lovely North Street in Bedminster, where owners Anna and Natalie hope you will feel as relaxed and welcome in their homeware shop as you do in the homes of your friends.

Mon Pote is a lifestyle store, with a focus on inspiring interiors that will enrich your everyday existence. The products you’ll find both in store and online are the things that are likely to have a permanent place in their owner’s life and home, so everything is carefully curated with a lasting quality in mind.

Enjoy a laidback and cosy atmosphere while you browse their lighting, home décor and gifts galore instore, or sign up to the mailing list on their website to receive 10% off.

The Kitchen Partners (formerly in-toto) have recently changed their supplier to the fantastic German manufacturers Leicht and Brigitte, and Fiona and Clinton couldn’t be happier with this new direction.

The clean, ethereal white Leicht display embodies the timelessness of the brand’s designs and the tactile Corian worktop, that flows seamlessly around every corner including the sink, means that everyone who comes in can’t help but feel how smooth it is. Head into the showroom to see and feel for yourself!

KINDLE STOVES Glenavon Farm, 331 Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3TJ Tel: 0117 924 3898 Web: kindlestoves.co.uk At the heart of your home should be the perfect stove. Kindle Stoves is a local specialist in stoves approved for burning wood in Bristol, with a wood-burner to suit every home and every style. The team stock the super efficient Clearview, Contura and Rais models as well as many more, offering a full installation service – from fireplace alterations, to slate hearths and stone fireplaces. Their lovely new showroom, situated just outside Keynsham, has one of the largest displays of woodburners in the South West and is open seven days per week.

Pop in for advice and brochures or to book a home survey.

They also sell seasoned logs, gas fires, the Big Green Egg outdoor cooker and Aga Rayburn range cookers.

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DAVID HUTTON INTERIORS 17 Druid Hill, Bristol BS9 1EW Tel: 0117 968 4813 Web: davidhuttoninteriors.co.uk In the decade since interior designer David Hutton first launched his award-winning business in Bristol, his firm has established a solid reputation for excellence in interior design.

Whether it’s a brand new kitchen with the latest in contemporary style, or a full renovation or extension, David and his team work with their clients at every step of the way to make sure every last detail fits perfectly.

From comprehensive mood boards, to instructing and managing builders and decorators – or simply using their vast range of contacts to source the perfect lampshade or complete a scheme – they are experts in interiors and offer a genuinely personal approach.

BRACEY INTERIORS

NISI LIVING

15 Waterloo Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BT Tel: 0117 973 4664 Web: braceyinteriors.co.uk

Tel: 01275 390521 Web: nisiliving.co.uk

With over 50 years’ experience, Bracey Interiors has gained an enviable reputation for its design services. Working throughout the UK and abroad, the team creates unique and bespoke interiors for clients.

Within the showroom in the heart of Clifton Village, Bracey showcase fabrics and wallpapers from all the major suppliers as well as a unique and eclectic mix of home accessories. Paints by Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library are also mixed to order in a matter of minutes.

No matter how big or small your requirements are, Bracey Interiors have friendly staff on hand that are happy to help. With their own workrooms they ensure all soft furnishings are made to their exacting standards, and offer an installation service. 2017 saw their Silver House project win three awards in the RSAW Welsh Architecture Awards.

Mediterranean homes are a riot of colour and texture; places where informal gatherings of friends and family happen effortlessly and spontaneously. We may not have the same climate here in the UK, but that needn’t stop us designing vibrant spaces for dining and entertaining in our own homes. Naming their Bristol-based online store after the Greek word for ‘island’, Eleni and Julian Portch provide everything you could need to live a more colourful, more vibrant, more Mediterranean lifestyle. Eleni’s childhood experiences with her Greek relatives feed into not only her own family life here in the UK, but the ethos of the brand. The hand-picked collection is packed with colour, character and quality, sourced worldwide from designers whose work celebrates style and warmth. So many beautiful things can be found over on their website – our Nisi Living wishlist is longer than our arm!

ELLY’S WELLIES GARDEN DESIGNS Tel: 01275 462759 / 07788 640934 Web: ellyswellies.co.uk Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs can help you take your garden to the next level. With qualifications in horticulture, garden and planting design, our lovely gardening columnist Elly West offers a bespoke, personal and friendly service whether you are looking for a complete overhaul and redesign of your garden, or just some help deciding what to put in a border. The process starts with a free initial consultation, where Elly will visit your garden and discuss your aims and objectives. From here, the creative process can begin, keeping you involved at every stage as necessary to ensure the end result is something affordable that you can enjoy for years. Elly works alongside reliable landscapers who can build your project, offering a complete, professional service.

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NICOLA GREAVES DESIGN Paintworks Central Trading Estate, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 3EH Tel: 07936 822244 Web: nicolagreaves.co.uk Since 2012, Nicola Greaves Design has been creating quality gardens and landscapes for private clients, architects and developers across the UK. Experienced in both residential garden design and commercial landscape architecture, the team at NGD create inspirational places to excite and delight the senses.

Drawing inspiration from both the natural and architectural worlds, they strive to deliver simple yet elegant gardens that respond sensitively to their location while serving the wants and needs of everyday life. Embracing heritage and traditional craftsmanship alongside modern design and construction methods creates these classic and contemporary landscapes of the highest quality.

Be it a small urban courtyard or large rural estate, NGD will unlock its potential to create your dream outdoor space.

THE MOROCCAN ENCAUSTIC TILE COMPANY

JAMES BESPOKE JOINERY Unit 13, Lawrence Hill Trading Estate, Bristol BS5 0EB Tel: 0117 336 8035 Web: jamesbespokejoinery.com

11 Portland Street, Bristol BS8 4JA Tel: 0117 973 0000 Web: moroccanencaustictiles.com

Every James Bespoke Joinery kitchen is precisely designed and built at their Bristol workshop, by three qualified joiners who have a passion for their trade. The team at JBJ engage early on with prospective clients to understand their lifestyle and tailor each individual kitchen to the client’s way of life.

Their most popular hand-crafted kitchen is the timeless shaker-style kitchen, yet they offer many more modern styles where required, just ask! All of the materials they use are ethically sourced and of the highest standards. The end result delivers a beautiful kitchen that will be the heart and soul of your home.

James and the team are happy to welcome visitors to the workshop, no appointment necessary – or they can pop in and see you – just give them a call.

Created by hand in The Moroccan Tile Company’s own workshop in Marrakech, using traditional methods, these beautiful tiles are available here in Bristol, in their warehouse and shop in Clifton. There is an astonishing choice of vibrant and colourful patterned tiles or chic, timeless black and white, any of which would add a focal point to your kitchen, bathroom or, really, any space in the home. Not only do Moroccan encaustic tiles look sensational, they’re also extremely durable, being thicker than many other types of glazed clay tiles. As a result, they will stand up to wear and tear for years without any issues, and maintenance is extremely easy. The Moroccan Tile Company offers genuine expertise, with stock patterns and tiles available as well as a bespoke service. The only problem is which of the gorgeous designs to choose…

HAPPY BEDS ---

Tel: 0333 444 0180 Web: happybeds.co.uk Email: ask@happybeds.co.uk Happy Beds is the UK’s fastest-growing bed store with the best prices on contemporary bed frames and super-comfortable quality mattresses, ensuring you enjoy the sleep you’ve always dreamed of.

The Hollywood Ottoman Bed from Happy Beds is wrapped entirely in a Berwick grey fabric material for a soft, characterful finish – and is perfect for those in space-strapped bedrooms who need quirky storage solutions. This lusciously soft fabric adds an element of depth and character to an already sophisticated bed design, while the curved lines utilised throughout the entire design create a sense of rounded comfort and opulence. From divan beds and bunk beds to orthopedic, pocket sprung and memory foam mattresses, their products are created with your comfort in mind.

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INSIDE OUT CLEANING AND RESTORATION Tel: 07890 282535 Web: floorcleaninggloucestershire.co.uk Email: info@insideoutcleaningservices.co.uk Inside Out Cleaning & Restoration Ltd specialise in stone and wood floor cleaning, sanding, sealing, oiling, lacquering and polishing. If you have a stone or wooden floor that has lost its lustre, is engrained with dirt or has suffered from neglect, then Inside Out can help. As cleaning and restoration specialists, they are experienced in restoring any type of floor, including Victorian, Edwardian, geometric slate, marble, limestone, sandstone, quarry, travertine and flagstone.

Whether your property is a private home, luxury hotel, commercial environment or listed building, Inside Out Cleaning & Restoration tailors a solution based on years of experience. With expertise not confined to stone floors, the team can rejuvenate your wooden boards and parquet floors. A full restore includes sanding, gap filling, lacquering or oiling; or maybe it just needs a lift with a polish! Get in touch via the website to see their full list of services.

ARLBERRY BESPOKE 5 Buckingham Place, Bristol BS8 1LH Tel: 0117 298 0609 Web: arlberry.com Arlberry Bespoke is a creatively inspired, individual and hand-crafted furniture design company in Bristol. Probably best known for its beautifully crafted kitchens, Arlberry designs and makes for the bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, study and library too.

Priding itself on being a quality local company, designing and crafting within Bristol and the surrounding areas, Arlberry’s bespoke creative designs are transformed into reality by the skilled cabinet makers who hand-make the furniture using high quality timbers and materials.

Its ethos is to create beautiful bespoke designs (small and large) tailored to suit you, your home and your lifestyle. Arlberry takes great pride in paying attention to even the smallest of details within each project, and considers every element from the initial space planning, aesthetics and functionality right through to the final touches of every room.

APPEAL HOME SHADING Tel: 0117 963 7734 Web: appealshading.com Appeal Home Shading has been providing expert, bespoke shading solutions for over 30 years.

Combining style and sophistication with outstanding light-controlling properties, Appeal wooden window shutters enhance windows and enrich interior dècor. With their slim and adjustable louvre design and a wide variety of colours and finishes, they will add a touch of class and distinction to any room in your home. And why not check out the range of award-winning Ultra Smart remote controlled blinds. To request a free colour brochure and learn about Appeal’s buynow-pay-later offer, simply visit appealshading.com.

BUSCOTT WOODWORKING LTD Buscott Farm, Station Road, Ashcott, Somerset TA7 9QP Tel: 01458 210 300 Web: buscottwoodworking.co.uk Buscott Woodworking Ltd is a partnership with a combined 64 years of deep, diverse knowledge in fine joinery and cabinet making, taking pride in a profound understanding of materials.

Craftsmen who talk directly to their clients, the team can make anything from wood: a curved timber frame, a set of traditional box sash windows, a beautiful French polished mahogany dining table and chairs or a stunning bespoke kitchen. Call Adam now for a quote and discussion on how to create your dream piece!

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THE LIGHTING STUDIO Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4TA Tel: 0117 963 5943 Web: lightingwarehousebristol.co.uk David Hunt Lighting is one of the UK’s longest surviving established lighting manufacturers. Based in the Cotswolds for the last 100 years, David Hunt is best known for designing and manufacturing wholly original products. The design team generates a stream of new ideas incorporating different textures, colours and finishing techniques. The result is a range of innovative, unusual and exciting products that cross the design spectrum from classical to contemporary and offer a vast choice for all interior styles. The team has developed its manufacturing processes over many years and each item is handmade and finished using traditional hand finishing techniques. This allows David Hunt to recreate the illusion of almost any finish on any surface such as hand-stitched leather or the majestic Antler. In fact, David Hunt’s Antler Collection is one of the bestsellers, with a variety of colourways and styles such as the Antler Emperor pendant.

ARCHITECT YOUR HOME Tel: 0800 849 8505 Web: architect-yourhome.com Architect Your Home’s service kicks off with an initial design consultation in your home – think of this as the real starting point of your project. It will provide you with sketch drawings of a properly considered and collaborative design proposal, help you develop a clear understanding of the practical implications of your design and equip you with the necessary tools so that you can move your project forward confidently to the next stage. During the consultation there will be an in-depth discussion to fully establish requirements and aspirations, a set of sketch design drawings showing the proposals, advice on planning permission/listed building consents/structure etc, an agreed proposal by the end of the session, and recommendations on the next steps and on how to move the project forward.

ORIENTAL RUGS OF BATH Hallatrow Business Park, Bristol BS39 6EX Tel: 01761 451764 Web: orientalrugsofbath.com For many years Oriental Rugs of Bath had a shop in Argyle Street, Bath, but in July 2013 they decided to move out of town, to Bookbarn International's capacious premises at Hallatrow, 10 miles west of Bath and an equal distance south of Bristol. They now have lots of space to display their beautiful oriental rugs. There are rugs in every colour and size imaginable with different weaves and price points, from affordable Afghan mats right up to gorgeous handmade Persian rugs costing several thousand pounds. You’ll also find homewares, accessories and clothing and there is plenty of free parking too, so you can easily take in your rugs for cleaning and drive away with your purchases.

ZONE YOUR HOME Stanley, Chippenham SN15 3RQ Tel: 01249 740957 Web: zoneyourhome.co.uk Complete smart home systems, tailored to suit your lifestyle; designed, installed and commissioned for you. Think lighting and heating control, CCTV/security, multi-room audio, wi-fi and TV distribution. Zone Your Home has undertaken everything from a one-bedroom annexe to a 6500sq ft listed manor house and every sort of home in between. The system is suitable for both existing and new installations so they have everything from new builds (and self builds) to renovations and retrofit projects in their impressive portfolio. Discuss your individual requirements with the team and find out about their previous projects as the chances are they will have done something similar. Arrange an appointment to view their demonstration system at the National Selfbuild and Renovation Centre in Swindon and find out how they can smart zone your home.

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CLASSIC CARPETS Unit 8b, The Village, Emersons Green Retail Park BS16 7AE Tel: 0117 956 5667 Gardiner Haskins Homecentre, Straight Street, BS2 9JP Tel: 0117 930 4045 Interior spaces need texture to bring them to life. Choose a flooring that works correctly with your design and everything else will fall into place. Classic Carpets offers the latest products and colour-ways, from some of the best-known brands in the business, which will enhance your home for many years. Regardless of your budget the team will help you find a look to flatter any style of home from modern apartments to Georgian town houses, whether it be for your home or for the office. Classic Carpets keeps an eye on retail pricing to remain competitive while offering the very best in customer service and workmanship. Find a lower priced identical carpet from a recognised shop retailer or for rugs from a recognised online retailer and they’ll match it. Pop in to meet the friendly, knowledgeable sales staff who are always ready to guide you through the latest products and colours. Visit their showroom in Gardiner Haskins to see one of the best displays of Mastercraft rugs on show in the west.

GARDEN AFFAIRS

WREN KITCHENS

Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT Tel: 01225 774566 Web: gardenaffairs.co.uk

Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, Lysander Road, Bristol BS34 5TX Tel: 0117 244 3168 Web: wrenkitchens.com

Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure, high quality garden buildings. The extensive display of top-notch garden offices, posh sheds, summerhouses and gazebos can all be made to the size and style you require – flexibility is what they’re all about. Take a look at their range of garden rooms – featuring a contemporary concept that solves the problem of space constraints, especially in city gardens. The Linea range of modern, Scandi-style cabins are perfect for all uses, comply with most planning guidelines and look great too.

Garden Affairs offers a fixedprice installation service throughout the UK, or you can choose for a DIY kit to be delivered to your door.

INFINITI2

A visit to the Wren Kitchens website reveals an exceptional choice of over 60 kitchens in three ranges to suit all tastes and pockets.

The Vogue, Infinity and Infinity Plus ranges are further divided into modern, shaker and traditional styles allowing you to create your own perfect kitchen. Add to this your choice of handles and thousands of unit sizes and you’re well on your way to creating a truly unique room which will be the heart of your home for many years to come. Book a showroom appointment for a free consultation with one of Wren’s expert kitchen designers; chat about layout and design requirements; see a personalised 3D design of your kitchen and get a quick price estimate, with no obligation to buy. Whether you’re looking to follow the latest colour trends or choose something timeless and classic, Wren will have the kitchen for you.

SLIDING DOORS, WARDROBES

100 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY Tel: 0117 973 8100 Web: infiniti2.co.uk In need of some storage therapy? Then head to Infiniti2 and discover the art of space management. Their tailor-made wardrobe and sliding-door storage solutions are not just ingenious but visually beautiful too. Experience a sense of order throughout your home when clothes, shoes, accessories and all your clutter are tidied and sorted and given an extended life. Find inspired design, craftsmanship and all the finishing touches – from bedroom wardrobes to walkin dressing rooms, the smallest of box rooms to home office organisation, the Infiniti2 effect is as pleasurable as the joy of being in control. Design, planning and installation – Infiniti2 offers the complete bespoke service.

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PARK FURNISHERS Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4AZ Tel: 0117 966 9253 Web: parkfurnishers.co.uk

JUST SHUTTERS Tel: 01225 302599 Web: justshutters.co.uk Beautiful plantation shutters are a striking style statement, while also offering a practical addition to your home. A versatile window covering, shutters can be used on a variety on shapes, angles and arches; they are easy to maintain, can be used even in humid environments and have a timeless elegance that can last a lifetime.

Shutters are an ideal way to make a design impact while retaining the character of a window or door. They maximise the light and enhance the feeling of a space; by avoiding heavy and cumbersome fabrics you will open the room up and make it appear larger. Unlike less substantial materials, shutters do not bleach or fade in the sun either, and couple practicality with style like no other product available.

These are just some examples of how beautiful plantation shutters can give your home a makeover.

Park Furnishers is Bristol’s premier destination for furniture, flooring and fitted kitchens, celebrating 50 years as a proud, independent, family-owned business. On display you’ll find over 300 sofas, 100 dining sets and 100 different beds. There’s a huge choice of carpets and flooring to discover, with many stocked rolls and remnants ready for immediate delivery. The kitchen department has over 20 fitted kitchens on display and the consultants offer a free measuring and design service. As well as all of the above, you’ll find a host of home accessories including lighting, pictures and mirrors. While you take time out to discuss your options, complimentary tea and coffee is available in the instore coffee lounge.

HOBSONS CHOICE KITCHENS

BONITI INTERIORS

Kensington Showroom, London Road, Bath BA1 6AJ Tel: 01225 433511 Web: hobsonschoice.uk.com

Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA Tel: 01225 892200 Web: boniti.com

Designing a new kitchen can be an exciting time and the Hobsons Choice crew believe every client should have a great experience when making the decision to enhance their home. On meeting with the design consultant you will be offered a tour of the showroom, while enjoying a coffee and a piece of fudge. To understand your lifestyle the consultant will begin by getting to know you; talking and listening, exploring your ideas and offering professional guidance. The approach is collaborative from the start, with your consultant dedicated to your project from the initial design phase and presentation, through to project managing your installation and signing off the kitchen with you. Hobsons Choice feels this is key to their success, providing you with a consistent contact who knows everything about your project.

With over 40 years of experience, their work can be found in homes of varying size and style. They believe their intelligent design, installation craftsmanship and customer care are what raises their service above that of their competitors. With three showrooms in Bath, Swindon and Winchester, the team welcome the opportunity to talk to you about your next kitchen project.

Run by Giles and Simon Lunt, Boniti is a high quality interiors (and exteriors) business, whose showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring, as well as decorative tiles, stoneware, Kadai firebowls, garden furniture, homeware accessories and the highly desirable Everhot range cookers.

Boniti has an impressive client list of property developers and a specialist bespoke service that can supply and fit worldwide. When it comes to any projects – both large and small – the Boniti team are masters of their profession and it shows in every detail. You can reach the showroom easily from junction 18 of the M4.

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There’s bound to be something for your home in our enormous collection of handsome, hand-selected, hand-made rugs, kilims, furniture and accessories, reasonably priced from £50 to £500.

Cleaning • Restoration • Valuation

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE – To advertise Tel: 0117 974 2800

Colourfence fp.qxp_Layout 1 19/02/2018 13:25 Page 1

Now’s the perfect time to get your garden ready for the weather ahead.

I’ve wasted countless days and a small fortune, trying to maintain tired wooden fences that looked dreadful and always required yet more work.

Discovering Colourfence has changed things forever!

It’s scientifically tested and rated to ensure when professionally installed it can withstand wind gusts of up to 130mph. This year when my neighbours are wasting precious leisure time treating their fences with a variety of preservatives, I’ll be giving my Colourfence a quick hose down then sitting back to enjoy my garden.

As the Colourfence system offers a lasting solution to fencing woes it’s easy to see why many regard it as the premier fencing solution on the market.

Colourfence won’t rot and it resists weather that quickly damages wooden fences, it has none of the drawbacks of wood but plenty of added bene ts and it’s better value too! High quality AND

great value – it’s a customisable product with a variety of colours and styles offering a first rate finish. The materials and fitting are so good that Colourfence is guaranteed† for 25 years!

To find out how Colourfence might benefit you and arrange your free no obligation quote, I strongly suggest you call one of their helpful experts.

THE COLOURFENCE PROMISE Virtually maintenance free Saves time and money – no annual treating required Guaranteed for up to 25 years† Unbeatable value compared to other fences Versatile range of colours & sizes No risk professional installation

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EARLY RISERS Elly West is a particular fan of the subtle yet promiscuous hellebore, signalling the onset of spring, in the early months

I

have a hellebore in my garden that’s followed me from house to house over the past two decades. It’s one of those plants that I forget about for the majority of the year, when the garden is in full flow, but it’s the understated star of the border when it quietly does its thing during the colder months. Every year I remove old and tatty leaves to make way for the new growth, and it flowers away happily with literally no more than this in terms of care and maintenance. It’s a solid clump, but is in no danger of outgrowing its space. As I write this in early February, there are at least 10 fat buds sitting just above the soil surface, full of hope and promise, waiting to unfurl with beautiful freckled flowers followed by fresh, glossy leaves.

There’s something special about any plant that brings us colour and excitement in the early months of the year, and hellebores are one of my long-time favourite plants for their elegant dusky flowers in subtle greens, yellows, creams, and whites, through to every shade of pink and purple, the darkest plum and even black. The flower heads hang towards the soil, encouraging us to interact with them and lift them gently to see what lies within. Some are single, some are fully double, and others anemone centred, with smaller rows of frilly sepals around the stamens. And the patterns vary as much as the form, from a pure colour, to heavily veined or spotted, delicate with freckles, blotched, or with a picotee (darker) edge.

Despite their shy, demure appearance, hellebores are extremely promiscuous, which makes them very easy to propagate and raise from seed. Unless you deadhead your plants, they will cross pollinate and self-seed, and you’ll end up with new plants popping up in varying colours and forms with no effort on your part. Or if you have a variety or two that you really like, why not have a go at cross-pollination 100 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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and create your own unique plants? A quick Google search on ‘how to breed hellebores’ and you’ll find clear, illustrated instructions on several websites, including gardenersworld.com.

Hellebore enthusiasts, of which there are many, have been working hard in recent years to create new, improved forms, chosen for their appearance, and also for health and vigour.

Alan Down, owner of Cleeve Nursery near Bristol, has a garden border full of hellebores, and sells 1,500 to 2,000 plants in an average year, many of which are bred and grown on site. Alan has called his own range the ‘Ciderhouse strain’, named after the farmhouse where he lives. This range has benefited from an influx of new colours, shapes and forms from a fellow grower in Belgium, with whom Alan has collaborated.

“Our plants tend to be heavily spotted with picotee blooms and lots of unusual yellow varieties,” he says. “The heads are also held slightly higher, so the flowers are easier to see.”

Although Alan also sells named varieties of hellebore, including evergreen types, the flowers in the Ciderhouse strain vary enormously. “We don’t give our varieties individual names as we propagate them all from seed and you can’t guarantee what you’re going to get. Sometimes it’s an exciting surprise,” he explains.

Alan, who holds the RHS’s highest qualification, the Master of Horticulture, has been at the nursery in Cleeve since 1983, and has been growing hellebores for nearly 20 years, along with around 700 other hardy plant varieties. But hellebores remain a personal favourite.

“They’re reliable,” he says. “Give them the right growing conditions and they’ll give you early colour and excitement.

You lift their head and you might see something completely

Above: Give them the right conditions and they’ll give back – nothing rivals hellebores at this time of year for colour en masse, says Alan Down Opposite: Versatile plants, they are suited to woodland gardens, modern cottage schemes, naturalistic and informal plantings

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GARDENING

new. They’re good for shade, they suit the soil in this area, and nothing rivals them at this time of year for colour en masse. They give a hint of freshness, and signal that spring is not far away.”

At Cleeve Nursery they are grown for production in a lightly shaded polytunnel, open at each end to the elements, and given a special ‘compost tea’ – a kit imported from Holland made from finely composted plant prunings, mixed with a range of tasty treats such as brown sugar, kelp and fishmeal. Seed is harvested fresh as soon as the seedpods burst, and sown immediately outside so they are subject to normal temperature fluctuations. Seeds quickly go into a dormant phase if they are not sown immediately, and it can then be tricky to get them to grow. Germination is usually the following autumn or winter, with plants ready to sell around 18 months to two years later.

Hellebores are versatile plants, suited to modern cottage schemes, woodland gardens, naturalistic and informal plantings. They are the perfect partners for many spring bulbs and early flowering plants such as pulmonaria, muscari and anemones, and there’s nothing quite like the darkest black varieties among a sea of snowdrops. Woodland plants by nature, originally from Europe through into Asia, they grow well in humus-rich soil under deciduous trees and shrubs, and are happy in shade. The flowers last for months, fading gracefully as other plants take the limelight, leaving just the architectural, palmate leaves.

While many spring bulbs are gearing up for a much more flamboyant display, the subtlety of hellebores is something to cherish. It’s plants like these that encourage me to step outside during the colder months.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

ELLY’S TOP TIPS • Hellebores can be expensive, so it’s worth investing some time and effort in your soil preparation to give them the best possible start.

They’re deep-rooted plants, so dig in plenty of well-rotted compost or leaf mould.

• Choose a sheltered site away from cold winds and preferably shaded in summer. A spot under deciduous shrubs and trees suits them well. They also like good drainage.

• Feed with a general purpose fertiliser early in the year when the flower buds are forming.

• Plants are prone to leaf spot, so remove old, tatty leaves in winter.

This stops the tell-tale black marks spreading to the new leaves and also makes the flowers easier to see.

• Enjoy the flowers indoors by floating them in a bowl of water, where they will last for several days.

Designing beautiful gardens for over a decade.

A tiny roof terrace, a small courtyard or a large urban family garden, Tabitha will work with you to provide an elegant and practical solution, tailored to your needs and budget.

Contact Tabitha to arrange a consultation t 07811 169636 e tabithagarden@gmail.com www.tabithatarling.co.uk

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

S

t Vincent’s Priory is an impressive and iconic Regency townhouse, believed to date back to 1829, however the history of the property and the site it occupies high above St. Vincent’s Caves below are believed to date back to Roman times.

The house retains many wonderful period features, most noticeably in the fabulously decorative, Gothic influenced façade. Internally the features continue with original shutters, magnificent friezes, Regency fireplaces and bay windows. All principal rooms enjoy an outlook across the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the layout offers enormous flexibility.

In brief the accommodation comprises: Garden room, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen, cloakroom, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom, two further bedrooms, bathroom, second kitchen and a utility room. Outside there is an enclosed garden and terrace.

Whilst the property has been enjoyed by the same family for 21 years as a main residence, it could work equally well as a low maintenance ‘lock up and leave’ second home that also benefits from an abundance of history.

Viewing is strictly by prior appointment with agents, Knight Frank, Bristol.

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

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ST VINCENT’S PRIORY SION HILL, CLIFTON • Picturesque Gothic style Regency property of historical note • A wealth of decorative period features • 4 bedrooms • 2 bathrooms plus cloakroom • Spectacular Suspension Bridge views • Enclosed courtyard garden

Guide price: £1,250,000

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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

LARGE BS1 SHOP • Close to the BRI, the University and city centre • Prominent corner site • New lease

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• Rent on application

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• + prime Park Street shop • Freehold to purchase

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11 letting bedrooms Freehold offers £725,000

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• Ground floor commercial unit under refurbishment • Offices & retail consent • West Street – BS3 • Only £150,000 -Rent o/a

• Just off Queen Square BS1 • 1,100 sq ft + 1 car space • Modern open plan • Only £195,000

FOR SALE – APOLLO HOUSE

BRISTOL CITY CENTRE • Quality period offices

• Almondsbury Business Park

• From 532 sq ft to 3,360 sq ft

• Headquarters offices • 7,300 sq ft – 34 cars

• Flexible lease • Rent on application

• Freehold price o/a

Julian Cook FRICS

Burston Cook March.indd 1

Jayne Rixon MRICS

RESTAURANT BUSINESS

NEW BOND HOUSE, BS1

• Great food & great reviews

• Prime modern offices

• Fully fitted

• 5,468 sq ft + 6 cars

• Rent £12,500 pa + premium

• V competitive rent

• Superb opportunity

• Terms on application

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

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

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

20/02/2018 15:48

Knight Franks Redcliffe fp.qxp_Layout 1 21/02/2018 10:03 Page 1

KF PIF 2 full Page MARCH 18.qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2018 15:37 Page 1

BRISTOL PROPERTY | DEVELOPMENTS

From City to Sea: Bristol couple relocate to Marine Place, Clevedon

A

fter more than 30 years in Bristol period properties, Yvonne Perry and her husband John decided to make the move to a seafront home at Marine Place, Clevedon.

Yvonne, a retired civil servant who worked in higher education funding and her husband, a retired further education lecturer, chose to move from their period property, a coach house in Leigh Woods, to the 4-bedroom waterfront new build in September 2017. With two grown-up daughters, both with their own lives in Bristol, the couple found themselves looking for a change of lifestyle.

The couple chose Marine Place due to its waterside location, modern specification and uninterrupted views. Each level of their four storey home is flooded with light thanks to large windows and French doors leading out onto a terrace. Commenting on their new home, Yvonne says, “We are not really downsizing as we still have lots of space, but it is more usable and flexible. When the girls and other guests come to visit it is almost as if they have their own suite, with a whole floor to themselves with two bedrooms and a bathroom.”

The couple now enjoy walking into Clevedon, with Hill road nicknamed ‘mini Clifton’ due to its Regency architecture, independent boutiques, bars and restaurants. Mrs Perry comments, “The restored Clevedon pier is also a lovely feature, as we now have a season ticket so can access it whenever we want to.”

Another draw for the couple was the short journey time into Bristol, as both travel in at least twice a week. Yvonne says, “We are still so close to Bristol so can easily go to the theatre, shops, or visit our old friends and children, but we also have our own life here in Clevedon.”

Reflecting on the move, Yvonne comments, “Our purchase of a house at Marine Place at Clevedon has been one of the best decisions we have made. Not only does it have magnificent, ever-changing views

106 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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MARCH 2018

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No 165

due to its fantastic position overlooking the Bristol Channel, but the house itself is stylish, filled with light, comfortable and energy efficient and provides us with plenty of space for family and friends to stay and enjoy the experience.”

About Marine Place Marine Place is a development of an exclusive development of just nine homes, fronting the seafront in historic Clevedon.

With uninterrupted panoramic views towards the beautifully restored Clevedon pier and the Bristol Channel, Marine Place offers a selection of three and four bedroom townhouses that complement the character of the town with pitched slate roofs, plus stone seafront elevations.

The new collection of light-filled, four storey townhouses provide a private terrace for each residence, plus sea facing living rooms and bedrooms. With open-plan living areas, large balconies and parking, the homes are ideal for modern family living. Interiors include contemporary kitchens by Leicht, with integrated Siemens appliances. Triple glazing protects the houses from the elements, while also improving energy efficiency.

Only two homes remaining. Prices from £755,000.

For further information, please contact Knight Frank.

Tel: 0117 317 1999

Rupert Oliver FP March.qxp_Layout 1 19/02/2018 13:32 Page 1

Lower Almondsbury, Bristol | OIEO £895,000 A superb detached family home close to excellent local schools, situated in enclosed south facing gardens with an expanse of parking and generous internal living accommodation.

Detached family house | Currently a successful Bed & Breakfast | Versatile family accommodation | Drawing Room Dining Room | Study | Superb open plan family kitchen & snug | Conservatory | Five bedrooms and four bathrooms (three en-suite) | Delightful south facing gardens | Driveway parking for numerous vehicles and an integrated garage | EPC: E Circa 2775 sq. ft (258 sq. m)

clear and effective property sales Fixed commission that you only pay on successful completion With intimate ‘on the ground’ knowledge of our market, we have no need for costly high street branches. We have also dispensed with the age-old percentage based fee, replacing it with our fixed commission of £5,000 plus VAT that you only pay on successful completion.

Professional photography and marketing included with transparent and trackable progress throughout We apply fresh thinking to the progress of your sale. Our software enables you to ‘see inside’ each stage, so you can track viewings, feedback, offers and developments once an offer has been accepted.

Our fee is fixed. Everything else is about moving We concenterate on the elements that consistently yield results and leave out the rest.

To discuss your property sale or purchase requirements, please call or email Rupert, or visit us in our central Clifton office.

Clifton

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Downfield Road, Clifton, BS8 2TJ £825,000

A spacious end of terraced house in Clifton located at the end of a lovely cul-de-sac. This versatile family home offers an abundance of space set over four floors, plus the opportunity to add your own mark to what has already been created by the current vendors.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

0117 405 7659 clifton@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Bishopston Andrewsonline.co.uk

Longfield Road, Bishopston, BS7 9AG £595,000

0117 405 7662

Andrews March.indd 1

A beautiful three bedroom home situated on the very popular Longfield Road in Bishopston. This Victorian terraced home has many retained period features such as corniced ceilings, picture rails and fireplaces in many rooms, these have been blended with the modern conveniences one would expect from a home with this high standard of finish. Energy Efficiency Rating: E

bishopston@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

21/02/2018 15:30

Yate

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Blue Cedar Close, Yate, BS37 4GE £399,950

This one year old home constructed by Formstone Homes comes with all of the modern comforts one would expect. Extra to that is underfloor gas central heating, double glazing and a private balcony accessed from bedroom 1 and 2. There is a stunning family bathroom and matching en-suite to the master bedroom.

Energy Efficiency Rating: B

0117 963 3000 yate@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Downend

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Shrubbery Road, Downend, BS16 Offers in excess of £460,000

0117 957 0647

Andrews March.indd 2

An attractive looking and deceptive period style home within vicinity of both Downend and Staple Hill.

The property offers a huge and characterful 16ft x 14ft living room, a kitchen/dining room with double doors opening onto the garden and a downstairs toilet on the ground floor. On the first floor you will find three double bedrooms, a single bedroom, a family bathroom. The top floor has two loft areas currently being used as bedroom five and six and between the two you will find a second bathroom. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

downend@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

20/02/2018 10:33

Redland ÂŁ375,000

Clifton Office 0117 946 6007

Two bedroom flat

Elegant and light 2 double bedroom hall floor flat with allocated off street parking space, set within a fine period building brimming with original features, including high ceilings and marble fireplace. EPC - C.

oceanhome.co.uk

Ocean March.indd 1

Westbury-on-Trym Office 0117 962 1973

Lawrence Grove ÂŁ850,000 Four bedroom house

This substantial and beautifully presented four bedroom semidetached home is located on the popular Lawrence Grove within an easy level walk of Henleaze High Street and close to Henleaze Infant and Junior Schools. The property has been lovingly renovated by the current owners. EPC - F.

19/02/2018 13:44

Clifton £1,200,000

Four bedroom townhouse Superb 4 storey townhouse located within the heart of Clifton Village, minutes away from the stunning Clifton suspension bridge.

Enclosed south facing garden, further roof terrace, and garage.

There is a superb choice of schools; including Hotwells Primary School, Bristol Grammar School and Clifton High School. EPC - C.

Chock Cottage £317,500 Two bedroom house

’Chock Cottage’ is perched at the top of Chock Lane. The cottage is arranged over 3 floors, providing a surprisingly spacious interior, including a cellar. Situated just 5 minutes walk from the Westburyon-Trym C of E Academy school, as well as being a short stroll to local shops and restaurants within the village. EPC - B.

Ocean March.indd 2

19/02/2018 13:45

ASHLEY DOWN ROAD, ASHLEY DOWN A substantial three bedroom semi-detached property with large loft room and garage, sat within an enviable plot boasting parking to the front and stunning landscaped gardens to the rear measuring in excess of 200 feet. EPC D 3

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GUIDE PRICE £675,000

KINGS DRIVE, BISHOPSTON Occupying a prominent position on a popular road in West Bishopston comes this spacious four bedroom family home boasting three receptions, separate kitchen, cloakroom, family bathroom, a good-sized rear garden and detached garage. EPC D 3

1

4

GUIDE PRICE £775,000

CJ Hole March.indd 1

20/02/2018 09:42

23 LAWRENCE GROVE, HENLEAZE A substantial detached property offering three receptions; front and rear with bays and access to garden, five bedrooms; master with ensuite plus two additional family bathrooms.

Spacious garage with office/workshop to rear and within close proximity to Henleaze Infant and Junior School.

3

3

5

£925,000

39 SHIPLEY ROAD, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM This beautifully presented 1930’s detached family home offers dining room to front, living room to rear providing access to a modern conservatory, quality fitted kitchen, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Externally there is off street parking and a rear garden.

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GUIDE PRICE £850,000

CJ Hole March.indd 1

20/02/2018 09:41

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

www.cjhole.com A BBC radio investigation recently explored claims made by ‘online only’ estate agents and whether what they offer is essentially a £1,000 coin toss. It was a fair and balanced listen, in as much as a traditional agent like me can ever be said to be an unbiased listener.

Essentially we offer different things. The ‘onlines’ charge you up front whether you sell or not, plus their ‘local online representative’ may be working out of a 100 mile or more regional area, and you won’t get the same customer service.

And that may well be fine for you? Quite right too. Choice is everything. We perhaps cost more, but you never pay until your property is sold or let. No win, no fee essentially. We have to do the job and see it through, we are accountable to our

clients every step of the way. We also offer a depth of service, support and breadth of local experience that you could never get from doing some research online. We may have valued the house next door, we know which side of the road is in school catchment and which isn’t, we know whether there’s planning permission on a site nearby… the list goes on.

Engaging a High Street agent who knows the area, with a quality team behind them, and good relationships with conveyancors, surveyors, banks and mortgage advisors is a sensible move in my opinion. But then it would be wouldn’t it?

Howard Davis MD Clifton

REDLAND Guide Price £1,200,000 A great opportunity to acquire a grand Victorian house which has recently under gone substantial refurbishment. The property boasts exceptional views of the surrounding area from the upper level and has a very versatile interior with the lower ground floor having its own separate entrance. EPC D

ernisation

HARBOURSIDE Guide Price £750,000

ear

An immaculate end of terrace house with direct views over the harbour and the city centre skyline beyond. The stylish, well presented interior offers: Spacious kitchen/ dining and reception area with access to garden, living room, four bedrooms, two bathrooms plus a double garage in nearby block. EPC C

Download our dedicated iPhone App today

CJ Hole Clifton March.indd 1

19/02/2018 13:43

REDLAND Guide Price £489,000

REDLAND Guide Price £380,000

An impressive hall floor garden flat which retains a great deal of original features and offers a spacious interior. The property comprises: Grand living room, kitchen/ breakfast room, two double bedrooms, bathroom and useful utility area. Garden with decked and lawned areas plus off street parking. EPC E

Beautifully presented garden apartment with private entrance located in a fine Victorian building on a most desirable road. This fabulous apartment offers: hallway, lounge/diner with French doors leading to a private south west facing rear garden, kitchen/breakfast room, two double bedrooms and family bathroom. EPC D

REDLAND Guide Price £1,100,000 - SSTC

COTHAM Guide Price £895,000 - SOLD

Of interest to Investors and Speculators. A substantial Victorian semi-detached property arranged as four separate flats. Ideally situated just off Whiteladies Road with its great choice of restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and conveniently placed for Clifton Down shopping centre and Railway Station. EPC TBC

An attractive and elegant Grade II listed period town house in a very soughtafter area of Bristol. Arranged on four floors the house has three receptions, four bedrooms, a charming south-west facing walled rear garden and detached garage. MORE REQUIRED. EPC E

CLIFTON Guide Price £599,950 - SSTC

PORTISHEAD Guide Price £599,950 - SSTC

A delightful, well presented three bedroom semi-detached house situated in an attractive Clifton mews. A superb location to live with Clifton Village and The Triangle only a short distance away. The house offers a most attractive interior, gardens and detached garage. EPC D

An impressive and beautifully presented detached family home. With a generous split level interior it comprises: Living room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, reception room three, four/five bedrooms, three bathrooms, integral garage, garden with large patio and two decked areas. EPC C

Download our dedicated iPhone App today

CJ Hole Clifton March.indd 2

19/02/2018 13:43

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Clifton

Guide Price £575,000

Clevedon Guide Price £395,000

Occupying the lower ground floor of this fabulous period property is an elegant and stylish three bedroom apartment with generous south-facing garden and patio. EPC: D

Occupying an enviable position on Clevedon’s historic waterfront overlooking the iconic Victorian pier is this fabulous example of a 3 bedroom maisonette with garden. EPC: D

Longwell Green Guide Price £625,000

Harbourside Coming Soon

Occupying a corner plot within this fabulously designed gated community, 2 Abbots Way infuses contemporary design with Arts and Crafts inspired flair. EPC: B

A well appointed four bedroom townhouse with gardens and garage.

Views over the harbour towards Queens Square. EPC: D

Hamptons Bristol

Sales. 0117 369 1004 | bristol@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons March.indd 1

19/02/2018 13:46

Hamptons March.indd 2

19/02/2018 13:47

Richard Harding March THIS ONE.qxp_Layout 6 22/02/2018 10:17 Page 1

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

REDLAND guide price range £1,250,000 - £1,350,000

A substantial, welcoming and beautifully presented 5 double bedroom (1 with en suite), 3 reception room Victorian semi-detached home located within just 600 metres of Redland Green School (on the sunny side of a peaceful and well-regarded road). Further benefiting from an extended kitchen/dining room leading out onto a south facing 50ft x 30ft rear garden, off street parking PLUS valuable basement storage space offering further potential.

Ideal location for families, situated on a peaceful and neighbourly road within ½ mile of excellent schools including Colston’s Primary and Redland Green Secondary. Handy for Gloucester Road with its many independent shops, restaurants and cafes, also nearby Cotham Gardens Park, Redland train station and bus connections to central areas.

A wonderful period home with a calm atmosphere, located in an enviable and leafy Redland location and retaining much of its period features and character, as well as offering ample accommodation, a sunny garden and much more. EPC:E

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

Richard Harding March THIS ONE.qxp_Layout 6 22/02/2018 10:17 Page 2

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

CLIFTON guide price £1,350,000

A very special circa 5,600 sq.ft. mid-terraced grade II listed Georgian period town house with 77ft south facing walled town garden, one of only a very limited number of entire homes fringing and overlooking Christchurch Green in the heart of Clifton Village.

Immense potential – its faded elegance and grandeur along with fine period features are deserving of comprehensive restoration and renovation to create a stunning residence. Flexible accommodation with 12/13 principal rooms over 5 main floors including excellent full height lower ground floor rooms with scope for self-contained flat etc. No chain.

Within the same ownership for more than 40 years and now in need of renovation and refurbishment. The property has retained its integrity with many characterful features including ornate moulded plasterwork, period fireplaces and multi-paned sash windows.

Dating from circa 1790 and refaced and re-modelled circa 1860, without question the property represents a once in a lifetime blank canvas opportunity to create one of Clifton’s most impressive, large and well-located townhouses. Alternatively, subject to obtaining the requisite consents, the property could be converted into individual high quality luxury Clifton Village apartments.

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

Richard Harding March THIS ONE.qxp_Layout 6 22/02/2018 10:17 Page 3

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

SNEYD PARK

guide £1,195,000

On one of Sneyd Park’s most coveted roads - a handsome, spacious 4 double bedroom 1920s semi-detached family house of fine character and quality with a delightful traditional large 75ft x 35ft rear garden, garage, car port and driveway parking. Set well back from the road behind a generous front garden plus driveway parking for 3/4 cars plus car port, detached garage and a marvellous rear garden with open aspects.The seller has had plans drawn for a loft conversion to add a second floor double bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite. Planning permission and building regulation approval was not sought. A rare opportunity to acquire an impressive residence in a prime location. EPC: D

A spacious and individual 4 bedroom detached family residence situated opposite and overlooking the green open spaces of Leigh Woods nature reserve and with off street parking for 3 cars, a garage and gardens surrounding the property. Planning permission has been granted for a side extension and a double garage (16/p/1189/f – North Somerset Council). EPC: C

LEIGH WOODS

guide £799,950 STOKE BISHOP

An exceptionally large (1,900 sq.ft.), and very well presented 5 bedroom, 2 reception plus kitchen/breakfast room 1930’s semidetached house with driveway parking, single garage and rear garden. Offered with the benefit of no onward chain which makes for a straight forward move. EPC: D

guide £675,000 REDLAND

guide £575,000

REDLAND

guide £375,000 CLIFTON

An exceptional, 2 double bedroom hall floor apartment set within an iconic grade II* listed Georgian style row fronting tree-lined Victoria Square, have 20ft x 15ft drawing room and 11ft high ceilings. Located within a highly sought-after location in Clifton Village.

guide £479,950 HENLEAZE

guide £495,000

An elegant and light, 2-bedroom hall floor garden apartment of 850 sq.ft., set in an impressive Victorian period building on a popular tree-lined road close to Whiteladies Road. The property benefits from residents parking and is set in a favourably central location just yards from Whiteladies Road and within easy reach of Gloucester Road and Cotham Hill. EPC: D

Professional, Reliable, Successful

A well-proportioned, 2 double bedroom, 2 bath/shower room third floor contemporary apartment, of circa 1,350 sq. ft., having an impressive sitting/dining room (26ft x 21ft) with double doors to a stylish kitchen/breakfast room. Further benefitting from lift access, 2 secure underground parking spaces, balcony, views, visitors parking and communal gardens.

A bright, welcoming and impeccably well-presented 3 bedroom 1930’s semi-detached family home situated in a peaceful cul-desac and enjoying a 65ft x 28ft rear garden and off street parking for at least two cars. An attractive and well kept home in a peaceful setting with a lovely garden enjoying much of the afternoon summer sunshine. EPC: E

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

Richard Harding March THIS ONE.qxp_Layout 6 22/02/2018 10:18 Page 4

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

COTHAM guide price range £1,500,000 - £1,600,000

A rare opportunity to purchase a fine and classic semi-detached Edwardian period family house in a coveted location.

Set well back affording privacy and seclusion, this generously proportioned 6 double bedroom, 3 reception, 3 bathroom period home enjoys good gardens, front (70ft x 30ft) and rear (72ft x 28ft), off street parking and ample garaging.

Convenient central city location, local park nearby, Cotham School and Colston’s Primary School within 0.25 miles, handy for Whiteladies Road, university/hospital area, BBC and local train station.

An impressive, elegant and exceptional home on a wide tree-lined premier road – a most civilised find. EPC: E

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

Bristol’s Independent Estate Agents

Our local, friendly team of property experts are on-call to offer you up-to-the-minute property valuations and advice on selling your home.

Developing and building professional relationships with our clients is really important to us, and we believe it’s the way we deal with people that makes us different.

Clifton £490,000

Clifton £485,000

Absolutely stunning 2 double bedroom hall floor apartment of the highest quality situated on a popular road in an attractive Victorian property in central Clifton, with access to a lovely communal rear garden. EPC - D.

An outstanding top floor flat which part of this handsome period property in sought after Apsley Road. This incredibly spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat occupies the entire top floor of the property and boasts generous accommodation of over 1211 square feet. EPC - E.

TEL: 0117 974 1741 61 Apsley Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2SW

Leese & Nagle March.indd 1

sales@leeseandnagle.co.uk

20/02/2018 10:27

www.leeseandnagle.co.uk

Redland

NEW INSTRUCTION

£1,100,000

An attractive, engaging and versatile six bedroom Victorian family home with off street parking for three vehicles and good sized level rear garden situated in a highly desirable location in Redland. The house is offered for sale with no onward chain. EPC - E.

Stoke Bishop £635,000

Stoke Bishop £785,000

Stoke Bishop £635,000

This spacious 4 bedroom family home sits in a prime location in Westbury-on-Trym within walking distance of local shops on Stoke Lane as well as Westbury Village.

No onward chain. EPC - D.

This very tastefully modernised and extended 1930’s 4 bedroom house provides nearly 1700 sq/ft of family orientated accommodation and enjoys a central location in Stoke Bishop. EPC – D.

This beautifully presented 1950’s 4 bedroom semi-detached home in Stoke Bishop offers versatile accommodation with ample downstairs living, a c.90ft rear garden and off-street parking.

EPC - D.

TEL: 0117 962 2299 125 Stoke Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3RW

Leese & Nagle March.indd 2

wot@leeseandnagle.co.uk

20/02/2018 10:27

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