The Bristol Magazine March 2019 by MC Publishing Limited

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Issue 177

THE

MARCH 2019

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

SPARK SOME JOY EVERY ANGLE COVERED WITH OUR HOMES AND GARDENS SPECIAL

PLUS:

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL IN SS19 BRISTOL BOXING: A FIGHTING CHANCE CHINA MOSES HAS THE HOLIDAY BLUES INCREDIBLE & INDELIBLE: A NEW M SHED SHOW KONMARI COMMANDMENTS • KEVIN MCCLOUD • PRINCIPLES OF PATTERN 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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Aberdeen . Aberdeenshire . Beverley . Brentwood . Bristol . Cardiff . Chester . Chichester . Farnborough High Wycombe . Linlithgow . Liverpool . London North . London West End . Manchester . Orpington Preston . Romsey . Sheffield . Shrewsbury . Southport . Sutton Coldfield . Tunbridge Wells . Wilmslow . York

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See the 100 Hands project at M Shed. Image © Luke Hayes (courtesy of NMMC)

Contents

FOOD & DRINK

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MICHELIN SCENE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Bristol is amassing the accolades: Melissa Blease reports

Meet City to Sea’s new executive and catch up on the local goss

SHOPPING

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Tasty tidings from local eateries and producers

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

Kevin McCloud chats to Melissa Blease about his MBE and the West Country (image © Theo Cohen)

March 2019

REGULARS ZEITGEIST

Read about the recent royal visit (image © Kane Rich)

Ideas to make her Mother’s Day

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Bite-sized business and community news from across the city

INTERIORS SPECIAL KONMARI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Seen the Netflix show yet? Ready to spark some joy?

THE CULTURE

CELEB INTERVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

SPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

MOODBOARD

Bristol’s Empire Fighting Chance is so much more than a boxing club

Crystal Rose collates some chic patterned surface options

SPRING/SUMMER 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i – xiii

Reasons for Bristolians to remain cheerful, part one

Our guide to local interiors experts to enlist for you interior project

ONE TO ONE

Kevin McCloud on the West Country and his MBE for sustainability

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EXPERT Q&A

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100

Having won hearts in ITV’s Victoria, actor and writer Jordan Waller has taken a trip down memory lane to create his most recent comedic piece

A sit-down chat with Bristol designer David Hutton

WHAT’S ON

Textile designer Rhiannon Southwell on how to apply the principles

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

MUSIC

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PATTERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

HABITAT

Our chat with China Moses ahead of Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival; plus Adrian Dutt’s acts to watch in 2019

WILD BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

COMEDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Shappi Khorsandi – whose new show is a love letter to the comedy clubs of yore – on how the scene has changed, ahead of her BOV gig

History and healing, myth and mysticism: Glastonbury is a place apart

ART

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It’s the time for mad March hares – if you can find one, that is

Put the needle on it: M Shed hosts a ground-breaking new exhibition celebrating tattooing as a historic but often misunderstood art form

BOOKS

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Free movement, backstops, member states, the customs union; as the UK preps to leave the EU, we’ve been reading up

TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 A few of the most awesome European festivals to consider this summer

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Elly West learns from leading local garden photographer Jason Ingram

PROPERTY

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Latest news from Finzels Reach, and the new cinema for Bemmy

ON THE COVER

Mandarin Stone’s hexa navy porcelain mosaic does it for us. Flick to p94 for our interiors special.

108

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

A 5 double bedroom, 3 reception , Edwardian semi-detached family house with 55ft garden, garage and parking. EPC: D

Redland BS6

i eGd Price £1,095,000

A handsome and substantial (2,000 sq.ft) 5 bedroom, 3/4 reception room, Victorian period semi-detached family house in need of some modernisation, having front and rear gardens. EPC: E

Redland BS6

i eGd Price £975,000

A 3 double bedroom hall floor garden apartment, circa 1,250 sq.ft., having walled garden and off-street parking. EPC: E

Redland BS6

i eGd Price £535,000

A spacious 3 bedroom top floor apartment in a grade II listed Georgian building in Clifton Village with views.

Clifton BS8

i eGd Price £399,950

Near to Cotham Gardens Park and Redland Train Station, an impressive and most attractive 5 double bedroom Victorian period family residence offering versatile accommodation and lovely south-west facing garden. EPC: D

Redland BS6

i eGd Price £975,000

A most tasteful and refined 5 double bedroom, 3 reception late Victorian period semi-detached family house with parking for 2 cars and a level south-west facing rear garden measuring 50ft x 30ft. EPC: E

St Andrews BS6

i eGd Price £925,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

An exquisite 5 bedroom (2 with en-suite) detached family house situated in an enviable and tranquil location in Abbots Leigh. Extensively renovated by the current owners over the last five years with landscaped gardens. Further benefits include off street parking for multiple cars, double garaging and an exceptional kitchen/breakfast/dining room extension. EPC: D

Abbots Leigh BS8

Guide Price £1,395,000

A generously proportioned (circa 3,250 sq.ft) early Victorian semi-detached town house over four floors currently arranged with 5 bedroom, 2 reception room accommodation on the upper three floors and useful rooms on the lower ground floor. Enjoying a prime location near Whiteladies Road with off-street parking for two cars, single garage plus both front and rear gardens. EPC: tbc

Redland BS6

Guide Price £1,200,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

A 4 bedroom, 3 bath/shower room, modern two storey detached family house with parking, integral garage and garden. EPC: D

Westbury-on-Trym BS9

Guide Price £825,000

A striking and individual contemporary styled 5 double bedroom detached house on Sneyd Park’s premier road with gardens, garaging and parking. EPC: C

Sneyd Park BS9

Guide Price £1,450,000

Having 65ft x 45ft rear garden in peaceful cul-de-sac location, a 4 bedroom house with off-street parking and garage. EPC: D

Coombe Dingle BS9

Guide Range £475,000 - £485,000

A beautiful 2 bedroom garden apartment (circa 1,270sq.ft) with 48ft rear garden. EPC: D

Clifton BS8

Guide Price £485,000

Inviting and well-proportioned 5 bedroom (1 with en suite), 3 reception room modern detached family home situated in a peaceful yet highly convenient location in the heart of Henleaze enjoying secure gated access, off street parking for 2 cars, a double garage and a level 46ft x 26ft rear garden. EPC: C

Henleaze BS9

Guide Price £925,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

A 3 double bedroom, 2 bath/shower room Edwardian family house in Westbury Park with south west facing garden. EPC: D

Westbury Park BS6

Guide Price £675,000

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

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

SOLD DISCREETLY

A most attractive, large and rather special detached family residence located on one of Stoke Bishop’s most sought after tree-lined roads. Set within magnificent gardens to the front, rear and side (total plot 0.41 acres) and further benefiting from ample off street parking and a good sized garage. EPC: F

Stoke Bishop BS9

Guide Range £1,400,000 - £1,500,000

An astonishing 5 double bedroom, 3 bath/shower room, semi-detached Victorian period townhouse, circa 3,500 sq.ft., having a stunning 45ft semi open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with sliding doors, roof terrace with glass balustrade, driveway parking for 2 cars and 65ft south-westerly facing rear garden. No onward chain. EPC: D

Redland BS6

Guide Price £1,375,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

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Pleased... ...To hear West Country coffee roaster Girls Who Grind is opening its first café inside concept salon Glitch Bristol. From June, the all-female crew will serve up speciality coffee sourced from female producers. • girlswhogrindcoffee.com

Excited...

from the

EDITOR

ately we’ve been taking the joy where we can get it – even if it’s just a lovely little corner of the house that we’ve lavished some attention on. See p94 onward for our interiors special featuring everything from the KonMari commandments as delivered by local disciple Jennifer Dudfield – for those who haven’t seen the hit Netflix show all about tidying up – to a chat with designer and TV presenter Kevin McCloud. A familiar face in our homes since the Nineties, he has an MBE for his work on sustainability and energy saving so Melissa Blease has been quizzing him about his latest projects as well as his love of the West Country. We also get a lot of pleasure from mapping out what we’re going to be doing with our free time this spring. It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the national news at the moment and fall into a quagmire of ‘media-induced anxiety’ – so in the spirit of not contributing to that, we put together a little list of things worth smiling about over the coming months, from important changes to telly advert regulations, mental health conversation and self-care tech to superb local events, openings and milestones (p34). One such event is the Bristol International Jazz & Blues Festival this month – which will see the marvellous Ms China Moses channelling Billie Holiday for her first Bristol gig. She chats to us about the dark, brooding, sumptuous arrangements we can expect, played by a hand-picked 28-piece orchestra, on p48. And as a little musical aside, Rough Trade’s Adrian Dutt shares his tips for those to watch this year in terms of up-and-coming acts that could garner some kudos. Also on the creative front, M Shed hosts a groundbreaking new exhibition from 16 March, celebrating the historic but often misunderstood art of tattooing (great facts to be found on p58). There’s plenty planned, including an after-hours event with drinks, live music and incredible indelible designs. Elsewhere: after she was done carefully picking out interesting reading material on Brexit (see p60), our Jessica Hope visited Easton boxing club Empire Fighting Chance to see first-hand the admirable work being done there with the city’s young people. Find out what impact the nod of royal approval has had, following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent snowy visit, on p30. While we don’t want to dwell too much on the EU blues, we are celebrating the cream of the European festivals for anyone keen to show some continental love this summer (p68), whether or not the break-up is for the best. Melissa Blease, meanwhile, catches up with the foodies showered with praise by the Michelin mob this year; Bartleby reflects on the recent environmental protests of our local schoolchildren; and Shappi Khorsandi keeps it comical. Happy joy-sparking...

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

@thebristolmag

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thebristolmag.co.uk |

MARCH 2019

No 177

@thebristolmag

...For Bristol Bears’ West Country derby v Gloucester (1 March) and Lee Johnson’s City side v Leeds Utd (9 March) – both at Ashton Gate. • ashtongatestadium.co.uk

...And the gorgeous-sounding workshops Harvey Nicks is hosting with Bloom & Wild and Old Curiosity Distillery for Mother’s Day (31 March; 11.30am and 2pm). Craft your own hand-tied bouquet and taste three different colour-changing pastel gins. • harveynichols.com

Visiting... ...The new café in the Colston Hall foyer – because it’s just launched its menu of hearty bowl food (organic soups, chillies, salads, stews, breakfasts). Run by Liz Haughton and the Spike Island and Folk House cafés team, it looks like yet another fab foodie spot for visitors to Bristol’s arts destinations. • Twitter: @Bowl_Of_Plenty

Image: Coffee and I UK

THIS MONTH WE’VE BEEN...

Red Dog’s ‘Dusk’ glass design has been ‘sparking joy’ for us, as interior guru Marie Kondo would say – we can definitely imagine this in our bathroom. Flick to p98 for more surface ideas

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ZEITGEIST

fab things to do in MARCH

MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!

BLUES TUNES Audiences will be toe-tapping and fingerclicking their way out of concert halls around the city this month as the Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival returns for its seventh edition from 22 – 24 March. The programme will bring some of the smoothest and funkiest jazz musicians on the circuit right now including Pee Wee Ellis, Echoes Of Ellington, Liane Carroll and Lucky Peterson. Plus there will be masterclasses and conversation events from the experts. And don’t miss the brilliant China Moses singing Billie Holiday’s Lady In Satin with a hand picked 28-piece orchestra. Turn to page 48 to find out more.

After decades of civil war, the nation hangs in the balance. Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to change the course of history. Richard was not born to be a king, but he’s set his sights on the crown. So begins his campaign of deceit, manipulation and violence, yet behind his ambition lies a murderous desire to be loved. Headlong Theatre returns to Bristol Old Vic with a new production of Shakespeare’s Richard III starring Tom Mothersdale (The Glass Menagerie), directed by Headlong associate artist, John Haidar. On from 1 – 9 March and 2 – 13 April. Tickets from £7.50. • bristololdvic.org.uk

WATCH & LISTEN Brit Award winner and chart-topping singer-songwriter James Morrison is back with a new album – You’re Stronger Than You Know – and is heading to O2 Academy Bristol on 29 March (doors 6.30pm) to showcase his new material. He will also be performing some of his fan favourites such as his hit 2006 debut single You Give Me Something and his critically acclaimed duet with Nelly Furtado, Broken Strings. Tickets £28.50, plus booking fees.

• bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

• academymusicgroup.com; jamesmorrisonmusic.com

CHAMPION & CONNECT The Bristol Women’s Voice annual International Women’s Day celebration returns on 2 March with a packed programme of exciting events celebrating Bristol’s trailblazing females. There will be music, art, workshops, theatre, talks and discussions focusing on women’s achievements throughout history, as well as an opportunity for women to connect, share their stories and discuss ideas about how to tackle challenges ahead. Takes place at Bristol City Hall, College Green (11am – 5.30pm). • bristolwomensvoice.org.uk

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SEXUAL HEALING Multi award-winning comic Harriet Kemsley pulls her skirt out of her pants and shames slut shaming in the deeply personal and hilarious show Slutty Joan, which heads to The Wardrobe Theatre on 24 March, 8pm. Star of Bobby and Harriet Get Married, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Harriet delves into her own sexual history in this new show as she reflects on how, in a Cornell University study, women rated fictional female peer, Joan, as emotionally unstable and less competent because she was sexually promiscuous. Tickets £13. • thewardrobetheatre.com

No 177

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THE CITY THE BUZZ Image by Sam Jones

BRISTOL Meet the new chief exec of Bristol’s plastic pollution campaigning organisation City to Sea – Rebecca Burgess

Living in the future’s past Academy Award-winning actor and producer Jeff Bridges has partnered with the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment to produce a short film as part of his new educational programme around climate change. The Living in the Futures Past programme aims to inspire conversation, critical thinking and creativity within schools, about the important issues humans face, and help create a national platform for students to share their contributions to this dialogue. Jeff has been inviting teachers and students to work together to create short videos inspired by the themes within his documentary (Living in the Futures Past; produced and narrated by Jeff and starring Cabot Institute academics Professors Rich Pancost, Steve Lewandowsky and Bruce Hood.) "Efficacy is the ability to produce a desired result. But are the results we're achieving the ones we intend?” asks Jeff. “Our intelligence is remaking the world before our eyes. What kind of future do you want to see? We’re an expression of nature right now, as we’re living. We can look at this situation and ask ourselves if this is a direction we want to go. Emergent behaviour: what can I do to get this thing headed in the direction I'd like it to go?” The Cabot Institute worked closely with University of Bristol PhD student Tom O’Shea on the theme of emergence. Being a topic close to Jeff’s heart, the idea covers an aspect of environmental education often overlooked but crucial to understanding how our collective actions can instigate real and positive global change. Tom has said that “emergence describes the ability of individual parts of a large system to work together to give rise to something bigger and more dramatic.” Examples include the internet, human consciousness and global economies. “I have realised how increasingly important it is to get students talking about climate change as an emergent system, which is directly borne out of our actions and inactions, individual and collective, as society has grown in scale,” he said. “Jeff’s educational programme has been a fantastic opportunity for me to communicate this to a wide global audience.” • bristol.ac.uk/cabot; livinginthefuturespastfilm.com

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My husband Oli and I moved to Bristol over two years ago to be closer to our families – mine are based in the Midlands and his in Cornwall. Having good friends already in Bristol meant we knew in advance that the city would make a great new home for us. I recently became CEO at City to Sea, the award-winning not-for-profit organisation campaigning to stop plastic pollution. We’re made up of everyday people doing extraordinary things; using our skills (and sometimes discovering new ones) to create a more beautiful world! Through our initiatives we’re empowering individuals to make a difference in their communities; working with companies and retailers to help them tackle plastic pollution; reaching millions with our digital content and campaigns. We like to think we are having fun along the way and offering real easy solutions and swaps – you might even see one of us sat on the loo in a high street near you... (see citytosea.org.uk/bog-standard) We’ve seen phenomenal growth – evolving from a dedicated team of five in January 2018 to a team of 18. I’m busy putting in place the right governance for our growing organisation, including recruiting a nonexecutive board to help shape its future and ensure we have sustainable funding streams. I’m listening to a lot of podcasts – anything and everything from Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel, Slow Burn, The Adam Buxton Podcast, The High Low and TED Talks Daily. I’m truly fascinated by people. To shop plastic-free I love going to Preserve on Gloucester Road; they also stock our beautiful Refill X Chilly’s bottles. The Kensington Arms has to be my favourite pub; Mockingbird for brunch. All of them will refill your water bottle for free as part of our Refill campaign. Having grown up in Stratfordupon-Avon, I had to get tickets for Richard III at the Bristol Old Vic this month. I live off Gloucester Road, so I’m also very excited about its International Food & Drink Festival on 9 March.

If I was mayor, I would support the motion for Bristol to become the UK’s first plasticfree city. The e-petition for a citywide ban on single use disposable plastics was signed by over 4,000 people. As part of this, I would promote and encourage the growth of more refill, reuse and repair shops and community sharing schemes. After falling off my bike and breaking my wrist, I decided to take up running. You’ll find me working up to the Great Bristol Half Marathon on 15 September. Now that I’ve publicly committed to this, I’ll have to do it! Oli and I are busy planning renovation works on our house, so most of our weekends in 2019 will be spent going to reclamation yards to reinstall the beautiful Victorian features that were tragically removed during the 1980s. The person I most admire is City to Sea’s founder Natalie Fee. Natalie felt compelled to act after seeing shocking scenes of plastic pollution heading straight to the ocean from the River Avon. Since then she’s reached millions of people and was subsequently listed as one of the UK’s ‘50 New Radicals’ by The Observer and Nesta in 2018. In the same year the University of the West of England awarded her the honorary degree of doctor of science in recognition of her campaign work. n • citytosea.org.uk

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THE CITY Image by Paul Box

Ch-ch-ch changes

The transformation of Colston Hall is well and truly underway, with the 1950s stage – a platform for the biggest performers for the last 60 years – and the overhanging balcony having been demolished. The building, apart from the foyer, closed in June last year to allow enabling works to commence. Heritage items – including the grand Harrison & Harrison organ, the cherubs which featured on the balcony and the unique 1950s lighting – have been carefully removed and are now in storage to protect them while building works take place. During the £48.8million transformation, Colston Hall is continuing its live performance programme using the foyer building plus other venues and spaces across the city. While the hall drastically changes behind the scenes, a whole stream of work is taking place around the city to engage and consult the public on the venue’s future. Bristol Music Trust has also announced a Discovery Day on Saturday 16 March, inviting the public to find out more about the transformation and explore the hall’s past, present and future in a day of talks, exhibitions and activities. The free event will see a complete takeover of the foyer building, programmed with live performances, workshops, forums, panel debates and Q&A sessions. “It’s quite incredible to reach this pivotal point in our project to create a worldclass music venue in Bristol,” said Louise Mitchell, chief executive at Bristol Music Trust. “We have been working behind the scenes to prepare for the transformation for such a long time and now here we are, saying goodbye to the stage that has brought music to so many people over the last five decades.” The transformation of Colston Hall as an arts and learning facility includes remodelling and upgrading the main hall and The Lantern, opening up the extensive cellars for the first time in 150 years to create an intimate new performance space and a state-of-the-art education suite with classrooms and a technology lab to inspire thousands of children every year and increase musicmaking sessions at the venue by 75 per cent. It will also house the National Centre for Inclusive Excellence, providing music-making opportunities for young people with special education needs and disabilities. It’s Bristol’s biggest-ever arts sector redevelopment programme, with the first phase involving the construction of the £20million foyer space – opened in 2009.

BRISTAGRAM Some of our favourite recent snaps taken by folk around the city! Tag your Bristol pics using #thebristolmag

Love at Grimsbu ry Farm (@brynw ebley)

danrose95 bristol Ace shot @ ast @bitsof _l @jonathan

Pulp Fiction vibes on the Glo Ro (@moodyco lin319 )

nday Clifton Su we) (anya.g.ro

• colstonhall.org/transform-the-hall

The 1950s build (image from Bristol Music Trust)

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‘Crow, crane and train (tracks)’ by @krug gy01

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

A bug’s life

s I write, the youngest of the Bartleby clan is on College Green, along with several hundred other people of tender years. It’s a Friday, and they’re supposed to be at school, but along with thousands of other young people around Britain they have decided to go on strike, in order to demonstrate to their elders and betters how seriously they take the state of the environment. The timing is apt, given that a report has just warned that numerous insect species around the world are in danger of extinction, thanks to our over-enthusiastic use of pesticides. This isn’t all that surprising, given that every summer there are fewer and fewer insects crashing into our windscreens. Unless insects have learned to avoid cars, in which case we should probably be nervous... It’s tempting to greet this sort of news with a resigned shrug. The world, after all, is very large, and we as individuals are (comparatively speaking) very small. Surely, we say to ourselves, nothing I can do will make a jot of difference. Well this is obviously not an opinion shared by all those pint-sized eco-warriors braving the wrath of their headteachers to make their point. They believe they can make a difference, and they’re right. We may seem small, but insects are smaller. And much less demanding. In fact they don’t need much at all. You could even say that the only thing insects need is not to be sprayed with pesticide, but that’s not quite the whole story. Like other creatures, insects need food and shelter, which for them is quite often the same thing. The caterpillar hides under the leaf it is munching. Being small, a lot of insects can live together in a limited space like a city garden. You’d be amazed, in fact, just how many bugs can fit into a patch smaller than the penalty area of a football pitch. What prevents insects living in our gardens is us. We cut down trees and pull up nettles. We pour concrete over the ground, lay paving stones and apply fake grass. We tidy up. A forgotten pot half full of rainwater will become something’s home if you leave it long enough. A pile of twigs in a corner likewise. At Bartleby Towers a section of old railway tie is home to a colony of bees that bite out neat pieces of leaf to built their nests with. An overgrown willow hedge houses about a million greenfly, which are farmed – yes, farmed – by wasps for the sticky-sweet milk substitute they produce. We can tell when spring has arrived because the air above the garden is full of tiny flying things. I don’t know what they are and I’m not really sure where they appear from, but I’m fairly certain about one thing: there are no insects flying over the garden on our right (fake grass) or left (decking). In winter our garden looks neglected, but leaving plant litter and apple leaves on the ground gives bugs shelter and sustenance, so that in spring the place comes to life – not in the ‘been to the shops and bought some pansies’ sense, but in the natural, seasonal sense. Generations of beetles, aphids and anonymous bugs have been and gone in this miniature wildlife park, and the same is true in gardens across the city. I wish Monty Don would stand up on the telly and say, “People, our children’s future is in our hands. So let’s stop worrying so much about what our gardens look like and start thinking about them as spaces for nature.” Perhaps he could get together with David Attenborough and make a new series, shot entirely in a Bristol garden. They could strap a tiny Go-Pro to the back of a woodlouse, or follow the journey of a young earwig as it sets out to explore the world. Top telly! ■

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SHOPPING | MOTHER’S DAY

Mama, we love you With their special day incoming this month, we’ve picked a few things that we think say ‘thank you’ to the life-givers

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1. shea butter solidarity balm, £5, L’Occitane; loccitane.co.uk 2. Alice Scott passport holder and luggage tag, £28, Kondi Gifts; facebook.com/kondigifts 3. HuskeeCup made from discarded coffee husk, £34.99; thefowndry.com 4. Scented candle, personalisation available, £15.99, Kinamor Design; etsy.com/uk/shop/kinamordesign 5. Rosa angelica Bbume de rosée, £32.50, Sanoflore; sanoflore.co.uk 6. Enamored With Coconut gift set, £79, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Harvey Nichols; harveynichols.com 7. Rouge Coco Flash hydrating vibrant shine lip colour, £31, Chanel; chanel.com 8. Artemis has a beautiful collection of silver and Australian opal jewellery, Catherine Amesbury at Artemis; catherineamesbury.com 9. Sophia & Matt spot deconstruct mini box bag, £78.50, Amulet Boutique; amuletboutique.com

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SHOPPING | MOTHER’S DAY

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1. 77 Berry and 77 Blush gin liqueur, £18 each, Bristol Distilling Co, available from Tesco; bristoldistilling.com 2.Velvet orchid eau de parfum 30ml, £58, Tom Ford, Harvey Nichols; harveynichols.com 3. Mother’s Day Bloom & Wild / Old Curiosity Distillery workshops at Harvey Nichols; harveynichols.com 4. Pink pansy six-pint jug, £89.95, Emma Bridgewater; emmabridgewater.co.uk 5. Recycled blue tit, £7.50, Marie Curie; mariecurie.org.uk 6. Hand cream, £14, Bramley; bramleyproducts.co.uk 7. Dermaquest radiant skin kit, £79, Harbour Lily Aesthetic Laser Skin Clinic; harbourlily.com 8. Lupin & patchouli fragrance, £49, Jo Malone; jomalone.co.uk 9. Deluxe bamboo leaves lunchbox, £24, Marie Curie; mariecurie.org.uk

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A FIGHTING CHANCE A local charity has helped some of Bristol’s most vulnerable young people to stay out of gangs and remain in education. Following a recent royal visit, Jessica Hope met co-founders Martin Bisp and Jamie Sanigar to discover how they are making a real difference to young lives

oxing is just a small part of what Empire Fighting Chance does. By providing mentoring, education support, sports therapy and careers guidance, the Bristol-based organisation helps young people aged eight to 25, from the city’s most deprived areas, to build their confidence and aspirations, while encouraging them to stay in school, and assisting in overcoming mental and physical health problems through a range of programmes. Based at the Bristol Boxing Gym in Easton, it sees more than 3,500 young people through its doors every year – referred through schools, pupil referral units, and Avon and Somerset Police. Most come from challenging backgrounds – poverty, difficult family situations, parental unemployment, nutritional deficiency, crime and drug abuse are just some of the issues they face. Many have behavioural issues which have resulted in exclusion from school, and suffer from anxiety, depression, anger and low self-esteem or motivation. But the boxing gym offers a chance to change that. By creating the UK’s largest non-contact boxing school engagement programmes, the charity not only helps these young people boost their fitness through non-contact boxing sessions in the evenings and weekends; they can also get assistance with their education through English and maths sessions and homework classes; work with a qualified therapist; 30 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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train alongside boxing champions and professionals (Commonwealth Super Bantamweight Champion Ashley Lane and the first female British European Super Flyweight Champion Ashley Brace just to name a couple); and get the vital support they need to find work experience and progress into a career. It’s through this combination of services that co-founders Martin Bisp and Jamie Sanigar see significant changes to these young people’s attitudes and outlook on their future. The children quickly learn that when you’re in the gym, there’s no swearing, no smoking, no shouting over each other or the coach. “What we do here is built on respect and improving behaviour,” says Martin. “A councillor visited the club recently and said how shocked they were that despite many of these kids being involved in local gangs, they were silent when the coach was talking – it’s all about respect.” And it’s these changes in attitude that the young people can then apply to their lives outside of the gym. “We get them to do things that challenge them and it builds their confidence because if you don’t challenge yourself, then you won’t learn,” says Martin, referring to a new programme where a number of the teenagers are currently teaching cricketers from Gloucestershire Cricket Club how to box. “They were terrified at first, but after the first session, their confidence grew and they were loving it.”

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SPORT

SPORTING SUCCESS Above: Boxers training in the ring at the charity’s gym on Lower Ashley Road in Easton – which is known for being one of the city’s more deprived areas alongside St Paul’s and Lawrence Hill Inset left: Prince Harry talking with one of the teenagers who is involved in the charity during the recent royal visit to Bristol

And the results show just how these programmes are making crucial differences. 92% of the young people targeted saw an improvement in their attendance at school, 88% were no longer deemed at risk of exclusion, and 81% felt more positive about their future. This reflects the charity’s key value regarding education. “Most importantly we encourage them to stay in school. If you stay in school and get an education then you are on the right track,” says Jamie. Rolling with the punches Achieving these remarkable results, and having recently got the nod of royal approval during an official visit from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Empire Fighting Chance has come a long way since Martin and Jamie

first started up more than 12 years ago. From 2004, Martin (who was working in the corporate world as a business analyst) had been voluntarily running the Empire Amateur Boxing Club which had been going in innercity Bristol for more than 50 years, producing numerous national boxing champions. On the other hand, Jamie followed in the footsteps of his dad (boxer, trainer and gym-owner Chris Sanigar) and had been on the Bristol Boxing Gym scene from a young age, helping to train and promote local boxing talent. The charity’s story begins when, one night at the gym in 2006, Martin and Jamie noticed two young men dealing drugs nearby. “I’m not sure what motivated us that day, but we decided to intervene. We invited them into the gym for a personal boxing session and were

surprised to find that they agreed. Word of mouth spread and over the following weeks they kept coming back, bringing more and more friends with them,” says Martin. Six weeks later, he and Jamie were unexpectedly teaching 50 young people how to box. Quickly they discovered that what they were doing was having a positive impact on these children’s physical and mental health. A teacher approached them both to tell them their student’s behaviour had changed significantly and asked if more students could get involved. “We were just a little boxing club doing a community job. We never imagined it would get this big,” says Martin. Despite getting positive results fast (more students were staying in school, their concentration had improved and many were less likely to join gangs), Martin and Jamie soon found that it wasn’t just boxing that a lot of these young people needed – many urgently required emotional, medical and education support that they just couldn’t get through local services. So they began providing tuition and plans to help those in need of mental health support, and for around six years they voluntarily ran these services for the local girls and boys before setting up Empire Fighting Chance as an official charity in 2013. Charity status As demand grew, they moved premises to a new building on Lower Ashley Road – the ideal location between some of Bristol’s most deprived wards including Lawrence Hill, Ashley and Easton. “The building had been the main youth centre in the local community for the last 40 years and was closing down. So we salvaged it and were able to continue its place in the community,” says Jamie.

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SPORT

“We were just a little boxing club doing a community job. We never imagined it would get this big…” With the help of a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, and support from trustees such as the former MP for Bristol North, Charlotte Leslie, the charity has developed rapidly over the years and now employs 22 people, from coaches to boxing therapists. And in recent years the trustees were even able to persuade Martin and Jamie to stop voluntarily running the place and come on board as CEO and COO, respectively. With its modern facilities, the gym has been able to extend its classes to appeal to more members of the local community, and to include a weekly boxing session just for Muslim women. It’s run by coach Shiren, who is a #BristolGirlsCan representative (part of a national campaign to encourage women to get active and break down barriers), and during these sessions the windows to the training room are covered up and the women have access to a female-only changing room next door. News of this class quickly spread and now at least 15 to 20 women attend regularly each week, allowing them access to a private and safe space to train and build their confidence, as well as their fitness. A helping hand The charity also now has strong links with local businesses and national companies which help with setting up work experience for the teenagers and young adults involved with the club. “We bring it back home for local business leaders and show them how there are these kids living in deprivation just half a mile away from their offices, and that they could help make a positive impact on their lives,” says Jamie. As part of the charity’s careers programme, 14 to 25year-olds can visit companies such as the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Rolls Royce, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Bristol Rovers Football Club and see, first-hand, the work people do there. This experience inspires these young people to think about their future career path – something which many of them may never have imagined before. As a result, 90% of targeted young 32 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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people involved with Empire Fighting Chance have progressed into employment, training or further education, and 88% say they are more confident – demonstrating how initiatives like these are vital in encouraging aspirations and developing workplace skills that can help them in the future. Royal treatment The remarkable effect the charity is having on these young people hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially during the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s recent visit to the boxing club. “We hoped it would be Prince William or Harry visiting because of their work in promoting the connection between sport and mental health,” said Jamie, speaking about being approached by Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Peaches Golding, about a possible royal visit. Despite the threat of heavy snow, the royal couple was undeterred and the visit was a resounding hit with the children. “Harry and Meghan got exactly what we’re trying to do here. And they gave those kids a day that they won’t forget,” says Martin. And for those who have been involved in crime or excluded from school in the past, the visit has changed people’s perceptions after seeing them in such a positive environment. “The visit has even made some of the parents look at their children in a completely different way after seeing them talk with the Duke and Duchess and learning about what they do here at the club.” After being thrust into the national news, Empire Fighting Chance has been inundated with requests from coaches across the country, enquiring as to whether the charity’s unique programmes could be implemented in other cities to help more young people around the UK. While it’s already working in areas across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and South Wales, there are plans in the pipeline to expand its programmes into Devon and Cornwall, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the charity expand nationally in the years to come. If you’re looking for recommendations for the unsung hero accolade at the next Sports Personality of the Year awards, you don’t have to look much further than the dedicated co-founders and staff at Bristol’s Empire Fighting Chance. Learning how to box is just the start of what can be a life-changing experience for a young person when they walk through the doors to that gym. Now, pass me those gloves... n

• empirefightingchance.org

IF THE GLOVE FITS Above left: A boxer skipping in the gym – photographs of the club’s past and current champions, including Ashley Lane and Ashley Brace, feature behind him. Young people involved with the charity have the opportunity to train with the club’s amateur and pro boxers, which allows them to get vital experience from these role models and is unique for a sporting charity Above right: Co-founders of Empire Fighting Chance Martin Bisp and Jamie Sanigar presented the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with pairs of boxing gloves which had their titles especially printed on them, during their visit last month Photography by Gareth Aldridge/Down and Out; downandoutmedia.com; and Kane Rich – Empire Fighting Chance

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2019 | SPRING-SUMMER

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the news and fall into a quagmire of ‘media-induced anxiety’ at the moment – so in the spirit of not contributing to that, we wanted to put together a little list of things worth smiling about locally over the coming months

egardless of where you are on the spectrum of Brexit blues (even those who have carefully ignored it and avoided knowing anything about it won’t have been able to completely escape the headache as we hurtle towards D-Day) there are reasons to be cheerful. There are. We don’t want to come over glib; we’re just doing our best not to let the seemingly endless political hoo-ha bring us down, by thinking of the good things happening around us now and in the future. From an increasingly positive attitude towards dealing with different everyday issues (and actual measurable action on these fronts) to exciting events and local milestones, there are many hopeful, forward-thinking and constructive changes afoot – they just don’t seem to get as much air-time. Channel 4 will begin to make a new life in Bristol this year; the long-derelict eyesore we see as we train it into Temple Meads, which David Cameron reportedly likened to the entrance of a war zone, is finally being demolished to make way for the new uni campus for enterprise; and the latest addition to the royal family is due in April, which is quite nice. (And so is the final series of Game of Thrones...) Traditionally quite elitist activities like classical music are more accessible than ever (anyone who went to St George’s ‘mixtape’ event or has seen Insight Ensemble can attest) and, more widely speaking, inclusivity is now seen as key – with disabled actors being integrated into our soap operas and being made ambassadors for beauty brands, and changing disability representation. Lots of things are looking up. Don’t forget to hit ‘attend’ on the EU leaving drinks event – “one last mad one with the other 27 member states” as it’s being billed on Facebook. Whatever happens, we’re all in this together...

COMMS UPGRADE

People have been talking about mental health a whole lot more, and getting on board to support it. Mental Health Awareness Week 2019 takes place from 13 – 19 May, further opening the conversation, changing its direction and helping to action new attitudes – mayor Marvin Rees recently signed the Time2Change employer pledge to raise awareness in the workplace and provide training, and that’s a jolly good start. The rise of self-care tech has also meant many of us are able to track our screen time to try combat the addictive nature of social media; while there’s currently a crack-down on media sexism, with adverts endorsing harmful gender stereotypes to be banned from June 2019 thanks to new guidelines issued by advertising watchdogs. Gambling adverts will soon be absent from child-friendly websites and games popular with youngsters, after it was found that kids were bombarded with them during the 2018 World Cup. Celebs who appear under 25 (here’s looking at you, famous footballing whippersnappers)

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The Spice Girls’ visit on 10 June will brighten many a Bristolian’s Monday

Bristol Cloth recently smashed its crowdfunding target; hurray!

will no longer be featured in gambling promotions either. The ‘Blue Planet effect’ has contributed to a huge rise in wasteawareness (cheers Dave!) with single-use plastic a new sworn enemy, evidenced by the huge growth of eco-organisations such as City to Sea (see also p22). The government has launched consultations on the subject and big brands are making an effort too. Nestlé is phasing out plastic Smarties caps, and Marks & Spencer has stepped up, launching lines of loose fruit and veg completely free of plastic packaging, plus plastic bins for customers to bring back any kind they can’t recycle at home. Now in the food and beauty halls at Cribbs Causeway, they accept crisp packets, cosmetics containers, black ready-meal trays – to be repurposed as store fittings or playground equipment for schools. Moreover, around £300,000 has been awarded to support ultra-low emission taxis in Bristol. Four rapid charging units will be installed, made up of eight bays at a central location near to the M32. Equally close to home, Bristol Cloth has raised £18,086 for the production of the UK’s first regenerative cloth, locally sourced and manufactured using regenerative farming and zero toxic synthetic chemicals.

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2019 | SPRING-SUMMER

There’ll be lots more excellent harbourside action this year (image by Chris Cooper; shotaway.com)

MUSICAL SANCTUARY

Massive Attack kick off this year’s mega music schedule with hometown gigs (1 & 2 March) to mark the 21st anniversary of the release of their landmark Mezzanine album at the custom-built ‘Steel Yard’ at Filton Airfield. Then there are the summer concerts – who’s bagged themselves tickets to New Order, or The Specials on 18 & 19 July? They’ll be kicking off Harbour Festival celebrations; while Bloc Party, Elbow, Cinematic Orchestra, Cat Empire and Tom Misch take care of the Bristol Sounds celebrations (26 – 29 June). Sports grounds are setting up for the stars too – over at Ashton Gate, Spice Girls are due to perform in June, as are Sir Rod Stewart, Muse and Take That, no less – and old superlungs Tom Jones is due to rock the Brightside Ground on 13 July. There’s also the likes of Lily Allen at Love Saves The Day in May if the Eastville shindig is more your bag, or Colston Hall’s River Town which returns in July with its programme of Americana. In conclusion, as usual there’s no need to be glum if you’re not going to Glasto. As the Chili Peppers so wisely put it, let music be your aeroplane...

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The new surf destination is 100% powered by renewable energy (image courtesy of Wavegarden)

BEING ACTIVE IS ABOUT TO GET MUCH MORE RAD

Don’t forget the news that Bristol is going to have a massive surfing lake installed later this year – which will get thousands of people moving and in a new and totally tubular way. The Wave Bristol will be an inland surf destination democratising surfing and accessible to absolutely all, with different levels of wave type (from gnarly to newbie-friendly) depending on surfers’ skill levels. All sounds superpositive on the social impact front, yes? Too right. But that’s not all, as it’s making sustainability a priority too. While the ability to create artificial waves has been around for a good while, commercial manmade wave-tech facilities that are also environmentally friendly are much more of a new thing. The Wave will be completely powered by renewable energy and we’re stoked about it. Dudes: happy shredding!

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Mesa + Mezcal is the new Mexican restaurant taking over Corner 77 with its authentic cuisine

NEW FOODIE FUN

Image by Kieran Waite

Our much-celebrated local food scene is going from strength to strength at the moment – see also our feature on the city’s Michelinstarred establishments on p66 – and there are yet more exciting openings to come this year. The team behind Bravas, Bakers & Co, Cargo Cantina and Gambas is currently transforming Stokes Croft’s Corner 77 into new Mexican restaurant Masa + Mezcal; and owner Imogen Waite says she won’t be able to look herself in the mirror if they don’t do justice to the Mexican food she and Kieran Waite fell in love with during trips to South America. Which bodes well, we reckon. “We’ll be stone grinding all of the Masa dough, in house, which is a process often not even done in Mexico itself, and we’re passionate about keeping the food as authentic as possible,” she says. “I’m under no illusion about how difficult this will be – it’s a real labour of love.” Meanwhile Casamia is opening its development kitchen at Finzels Reach (see also p108) to further its innovative and experimentational culinary magic. Hey, that sounds like thirsty work, doesn’t it? Good job Left Handed Giant is opening a brewery there in June, then... And, speaking of beer, Bristol Craft Beer Festival is being shifted from September to 7 & 8 June this year – very interesting things in the pipeline for that, we’re hearing. Oh, and if you find yourself in need some decent pizza, stat, look no further than Bath-born pizza restaurant Dough – run by festival pizza king Massimo Nucaro and ‘pizza acrobat and instructor’ Emiliano Tunno. It’s opening on Baldwin Street and bringing its adventurous bases – from gluten-free purple corn and hemp to seaweed and venus black rice flour dough – with it.

SUMMER OF SPORT

Bristol is hosting the England v Pakistan One-Day International at Brightside Ground on 14 May, and in March we’re getting visit from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy ahead of the three tournament matches the city is also staging between 1 and 11 June. Bristol will celebrate its status as a 2019 World Cup host by showcasing the prize for a few days, at local events and landmarks between 8 and 10 March as part of a 100-day tour of England and Wales. As well as schools and scout activities, the trophy will be taken to cricket clubs and the SS Great Britain as well as the St Mark’s Road Carnival (9 March) while Broadmead will host Super Saturday – an event with music, special guests, entertainment and a street cricket tournament on 4 May in the build-up to the tournament. “Our status as a CWC19 Host City, following the successful hosting of eight ICC Women’s World Cup matches in 2017, adds to Bristol’s profile in line with our goal to attract world class sports events to the city,” said mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees. “With reigning champions Australia, former champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as Bangladesh and Afghanistan all playing in Bristol, the Trophy Tour and tournament will be an excellent opportunity for the city’s diverse communities to enjoy a global sporting event together.” Australia and Afghanistan go head to head at Bristol’s County Ground on 1 June, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka meeting on 7 June and the Sri Lanka v Bangladesh fixture getting underway on 11 June. Fans will also be watching the warm-up fixtures between Pakistan and Afghanistan (24 May), South Africa and the Windies (26 May) and the Windies and New Zealand (28 May), prior to the tournament. In cycling, there’s the St Peter’s Hospice Tour de Bristol next month (40k, 65k and 100k routes), and the walking festival takes place in May, if you’re after something less high-octane and more low-key. We reckon there’s glory to come for Bristol in the rugby and footy spheres too – Bristol Bears host the West County derby against Gloucester at Ashton Gate on 1 March; while Bristol City will play Leeds United there on 9 March. Finally, British Rowing’s Power8 Sprints returns on 21 July, with crews from eight UK cities battling it out as the headline act on the water at Harbour Festival.

Image by Kieran Waite

The Power8 sprints will make a return to Bristol this summer

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2019 | SPRING-SUMMER

Head to Aerospace Bristol for its programme of celebrations this season

GREAT BRITISH INNOVATION CELEBRATED

This year marks 50 years since Concorde’s maiden flight (it took off from Toulouse on 2 March 1969, while the first British flight took place from Filton on 9 April that same year) – and Aerospace Bristol is celebrating the #Concorde50 milestone with talks, tours and special activities throughout 2019. You can step aboard the last one ever to fly, see footage of the maiden journey, and sponsor your own piece of Concorde Alpha Foxtrot to help Aerospace Bristol inspire the engineers of the next 50 years. Visitors can also watch important work on the Bristol Bolingboke aircraft. The team of engineers also aims to have Concorde’s droop nose working by 9 April – this was a feature that

could be lowered to improve visibility of runways and taxiways but which has not operated since the aircraft was decommissioned and the hydraulic fluid drained following its final flight all the way back in November 2003. This month you can test your reaction skills with a hands-on riveting game and get to grips with the physics of flight via fun and interactive exhibits in time for British Science Week (taking place from 8 – 16 March). Other options include watching the Battle of Britain under the wings of Concorde on 6 March, or on International Women’s Day (8 March – a great day, bang it in the diary) you can join the team for special talks as they celebrate the extraordinary women who shaped the path of aviation history. Summer, meanwhile, will see Aerospace Bristol teaming up with Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (which is happening this year from 8 – 11 August) for a special anniversary collaboration. Watch this airspace!

OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS (AND HORIZONS)

Lots of thought seems to be going into making later life as fulfilling as possible at the moment, which is inspiring and encouraging. We’re hearing of an innovative new VR suite in The Chocolate Quarter retirement village, due to open in spring – just think how access to virtual reality tech could open up new worlds to the elderly and immobile and the difference it might make to wellbeing. Residents are also going to be opening their own convenience store on-site, stocking Cadbury’s seconds, just like when the factory was live. There’s a chocolate festival at the quarter on 20 April too, which is ace. The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes is also airing on Channel 4 very soon, with a five-part series having been produced following Josh Eggleton’s Bristol-based social experiment. The project aims to show the public, who came in to dine at the pop-up eatery run by those living with dementia, that a diagnosis needn’t mean the end of a career, and the TV show aims to do the same for employers who have workers diagnosed with the condition. ■

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The social experiment is being televised on Channel 4

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INTERVIEW

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“I’m hoping to find some salvation for men; it’s difficult being a human, never mind what genitalia you have,” says Jordan, whose unflinching one-man play discusses failure and mourning through the story of his hunt for his biological father

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INTERVIEW

Homeward bound He won hearts in his role in ITV’s Victoria and now, former Bristol resident, actor and writer Jordan Waller has taken a trip down memory lane to create his most recent comedic piece. Words by Bethan Andrews

e’s one of those people that you meet and feel instantly as though you are talking to an old friend. And that is something that Jordan Waller would probably put down to his upbringing in the “glorious and friendly town” of Bristol. I can pretty confidently assure you of this because his love for the city was the star topic of the afternoon as we chatted about his new show The D Word. It is this that has brought Waller full circle and led to him revisiting his childhood in the city that he used to call home. Perhaps bestknown for playing Lord Alfred Paget in the hugely popular TV series Victoria and for his role in The Darkest Hour alongside Gary Oldman, Waller was born of lesbian parents in 1992 by sperm donation – something that has inspired his recent writing.

...It’s been an honour to represent LGBT in the period drama context. What a lot of people don’t want to admit is that gay people have built a lot of the world... “My biological mother and her partner Dawn raised me on the Gloucester Road and I grew up in this bizarre kind of lesbian seraglio, in a very tight-knit community where I was raised by an awful lot of women,” Waller remembers fondly. “All lesbians in Bristol know each other and a surprising amount of them are South African – honestly, I know, my mum has been out with a lot of them!” He has written The D Word, an unflinching one-man play and dark comedy, to discuss failure and his own experience of mourning. The show debuted in London at the Vaults Festival in February (he hopes it will make its way to Bristol in the future) and is the true story of his hunt for his biological father, even though by law he is not allowed to find out who he is. Waller often talks of having three mothers, and when one of them unfortunately passed away, he had an existential crisis. “Her death encouraged me to discover who I was,” he tells me. “I suddenly wanted to find my father, as the loss of one figure made me desperately seek another. The show explores that journey and those feelings about trying to find someone I’m legally not allowed to find.” So what does Waller hope that people take away from The D Word? “I hope that people can see that family is an incredibly important thing but it comes in so many different forms,” he says. “It

is about focusing on what you do have in life as opposed to focusing on what you feel isn’t there.” He also champions the fact that it is okay for men to show vulnerability and emotion. “There is an extraordinary power in masculinity and in the idea of what we think men should be,” he continues. “And I can still fall foul of these ideals so I like to show the pervasive power of masculinity and how it can get in the way of emotion. I’m hoping to find some salvation for men; it’s difficult being a human, never mind what genitalia you have.” I talk to Waller about how his role in Victoria has helped to raise the level of visibility for LGBT communities, and he beams in delight at the thought of it. “It’s been a complete honour to represent this in the period drama context. The most touching thing was just how pervasive the reaction was; we had so many people reaching out to us. What it really shows is that LGBT stories have an incredible power to move. “It’s fantastic that we are seeing more of these things but we need to continue to fan the flames because they are incredibly powerful stories,” Waller explains, and he continues with a chuckle, “What a lot of people don’t want to admit is that gay people have really built a lot of the world!” So what’s next? Considering his journey so far – going to the University of Oxford, being picked up there without any formal acting training by an agent and then making his way into star-studded casts – it’s clear that Waller is a talented man. I’m not surprised, then, when he tells me that he wants to push his writing and acting career to the limits. “I’ve just wrapped on a movie that I wrote, a Brexit comedy-horror called Go Home which is a working title. We filmed the last 80 minutes out in Queensland in the outback and then the first 10 minutes of the film in Long Ashton – from Brisbane to Bristol in one film is a pretty extraordinary experience,” he laughs. “It was really nice as I hadn’t been home for a very long time. It reminded me how lucky I was to grow up in the city, it’s beautiful and it made me who I am. Bristol has openness and a sort of accepting quality. It’s a city that’s unique in not making people conform and it’s perhaps why I was able to express my alternative lifestyle a little bit more and actually use it as a way of identifying myself.” Clearly, coming back home has reignited a sense of belonging and inspiration. “It’s funny how Bristol has come back into my career. I did the stereotypical thing of going to London to find my career but coming back to film has made me realise what formed me as an artist,” he says. “If I do have any humour, I have to say that I owe it all to Bristol and my family. My Bristolian mother and her clipped, rhotic Rs taught me comic timing. It’s an incredibly comic place, in a completely joyous way.” Joyous it is, and I think it’s fair to say that Waller is a true joyous credit to the city as well. ■ THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON IN MARCH Love story Noughts and Crosses comes to Bristol Old Vic

Nashville sweetheart Sarah Darling performs at The Fleece

galaxies and newly discovered planets. 16+. £7.50/£8.50; wethecurious.org

Submerge: Bristol International Digital Arts Festival 1 – 10 March, venues around Bristol The city’s digital arts festival features audiovisual artists, bands and musicians working in radical theatre, digital installation, sound, live music and immersive experience design. The theme of this year’s festival is belonging. Experience immersive shows, installations and experiences which challenge the senses. Highlights include performances from Gazelle Twin, JASSS, Klein, Batu, and UK premieres from Guillaume Marmin and Jan Mocek. Tickets available online; submerge.me/festival

Bristol Concert Orchestra 9 March, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol This evening concert by Bristol Concert Orchestra features Schubert’s Great Symphony (No 9), Bruch’s captivating Kol Nidrei (Adagio on two Hebrew melodies) for solo cello and orchestra, and Saint-Saens’ La Muse et le Poète, performed by young virtuoso cellist Frankie Carr and talented local violinist Jo Edwards. £1-£15; bristolconcertorchestra.org.uk

Gloucester Road International Food and Drink Festival 9 March, Gloucester Road One in three businesses on Gloucester Road serves up food and drink on a daily basis. Celebrate the wide range of international cuisine on offer with this day festival of food, drink and shopping. Explore the 2km road of restaurants, shops, cafés, delis and more, with food and drink inspired by food from all over the world including Brazil, China, India, Italy, Pakistan, Poland and more; great-bristol.uk

Leonardo Lecture with Martin Clayton 5 March, 7pm-8pm, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Join Martin Clayton to explore the stories behind the museum’s new exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci drawings. Tickets include entry into the exhibition between 6pm and 8pm. £9/£11; bristolmuseums.org.uk

Henleaze Concert Society: Strings Showcase 9 March, 7.30pm, Trinity-Henleaze URC, Waterford Road The versatile and virtuosic Bristol Ensemble strings take centre stage in a varied programme that includes Dvorak’s lyrical and energetic Serenade for Strings, Massenet’s beautiful Meditation from Thaïs, and Britten’s youthful and boisterous Simple Symphony. £5-£16.50. Tickets from Opus 13, tel: 0117 923 0164; henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk

Planetarium Nights 7, 14, 21 and 28 March, 7pm and 8.15pm, We The Curious Wander into the science centre’s planetarium for an evening tour of the known universe. Hear stories of ancient stargazers, far-away

Victory and Remembrance: Bristol Choral Society 9 March, 7.30pm, Bristol Cathedral Bristol Choral Society presents a programme featuring Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum, featuring British

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Sinfonietta and conducted by Hilary Campbell. Mozart’s Requiem has incredibly moving musical language that never fails to take the breath away. This is preceded by Handel’s victory march in which he created solos and choruses of brilliant, martial character that can be enjoyed today as songs of praise. £11-£28; bristolchoral.co.uk David Starkey: A Monarchy of Misfits 12 March, 6.30pm-9pm, Anson Rooms, University of Bristol Students' Union, Richmond Building, Queens Road This talk traces the radically shifting marriage customs of the British monarchy, from the laxity of the Middle Ages, through the stringencies of the Hanoverians, to the house of Windsor and its sometimes contorted adaptations to the realities of modern family life. £14-£20; bristolsu.org.uk/bristol-su-live Noughts and Crosses 12 – 16 March, times vary, Bristol Old Vic Sephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love. It is forbidden. Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is romance that will lead them into terrible danger. This gripping story by acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman and adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz is a captivating drama of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world. From £10; bristololdvic.org.uk The Music of Ludovico Einaudi 13 March, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Ludovico Einaudi’s most famous pieces will be performed by the professional musicians of the Bristol Ensemble to the backdrop of beautiful images of nature. Scored for piano and strings, the ethereal works create a meditative atmosphere, creating waves of emotion that engulf the listener. £10-£26; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Kauss photography/Duncan Elliott

Richard III 1 March – 13 April, times vary, Bristol Old Vic After decades of civil war, the nation hangs in the balance. Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to change the course of history. Richard was not born to be a king, but he’s set his sights on the crown. So begins his campaign of deceit, manipulation and violence. Yet behind his ambition lies a murderous desire to be loved. Headlong theatre company returns with Tom Mothersdale (The Glass Menagerie) to play Shakespeare’s iconic villain. Tickets from £7.50; bristololdvic.org.uk

Stephen Bailey brings his Our Kid show to the Hen and Chicken

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EDITOR’S PICK... BATTLE OF BRITAIN UNDERNEATH CONCORDE 6 MARCH, 6.30PM-10PM, AEROSPACE BRISTOL, HAYES WAY, PATCHWAY

Following two sell-out screenings of Airplane! and Top Gun, In Flight Entertainment returns with a screening of Battle of Britain underneath Concorde itself. This iconic plane is the last of its kind to be built and the last to fly; it ended its journey in Bristol and is now displayed in a custom-built hangar, and you will have the opportunity to look onboard prior to the film starting. You can also buy drinks and snacks in the shadow of the plane, before taking your seats below its wing to enjoy one of the finest Second World War films ever made. Both Battle of Britain and Concorde are celebrating their 50th birthdays this year – so expect live jazz and dancing to mark the occasion. £9-£15; bristolfilmfestival.com

WOMANS (like Romans but with a ‘W’) 13 – 15 March, 7.30pm, The Wardrobe Theatre It’s 46BC, Ancient Rome. Our hero, Leta, has been declared a traitor by the Roman Senate. She is given a punishment worse than death – “Damnatio Memoriae” – to be erased from history. While noble gladiators and infamous emperors around her are becoming legends, her name will be scratched out and forgotten forever. But with the help from some unexpected muses, she decides to rebel against the Republic and go to the ends of the empire to make her mark. £10; thewardrobetheatre.com

Michael Caine in the classic Second World War film Battle of Britain

Dinner Dance Fundraiser for Help Bristol's Homeless 14 March, 6pm, Bristol Harbour Hotel A black-tie charity dinner dance to help raise funds for Help Bristol’s Homeless, a charity which provides assistance for the homeless through a range of services including a night bus and organising temporary accommodation in refurbished shipping containers. Tickets include a drinks reception, three-course dinner, half a bottle of wine, music and entertainment. £45pp, table bookings for larger parties available; buytickets.at/na303/230372

Blade Runner 15 March, 6.30pm-9pm and 9.30pmmidnight, We The Curious We The Curious opens its doors for an exclusive, out-of-hours screening of Blade Runner (The Final Cut). Explore the science centre and its fascinating exhibits before settling down to watch this sci-fi classic on the big screen. £12-£15; bristolfilmfestival.com Fanfare: Music for choir and brass 15 March, 7.30pm, St Alban’s Church, Coldharbour Road, Westbury Park Join City of Bristol Choir and the celebrated Continued on page 44

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Tom Morris’ Touching The Void returns to Bristol Old Vic

See the stars at the We The Curious planetarium

test with only 20 minutes to turn blank canvases into incredible pieces of original art that will be available via silent auction. Watch the creative process unfold and vote for the winner. £5–£12; artbattle.com/uk

vehicle for the transformation of feelings and behaviour. It will introduce different methods such as embodiment, dramatic play and group story, forum theatre, improvisation and movement. No previous experience is necessary. Suitable for health professionals, teachers, theatre pros, therapists, prospective students or simply those who love theatre and therapy. £145. Call 07983393165 / 01803473079 or visit: dramatherapy.org.uk

WOMANS (like Romans but with a ‘W’) at The Wardrobe Theatre

Sarah Darling 18 March, 7.30pm, The Fleece, St Thomas Street, Bristol Nashville sweetheart Sarah Darling brings her country sounds to Bristol following the release of her latest album, Dream Country. Having toured with big names such as Carrie Underwood and Sam Palladio, Sarah was nominated for International Artist of The Year by the British Country Music Awards. Advance tickets: £15; thefleece.co.uk Touching The Void 19 – 23 March, times vary, Bristol Old Vic Following its sell-out world-premiere in 2018, Tom Morris’ show returns for one final week. Joe Simpson’s best-selling memoir, turned BAFTA-winning film, charts his struggle for survival in the Andes in 1985. The heart of the story is Joe Simpson’s mental battle as he teeters on the brink of death and despair in a crevasse from which he can’t possibly climb to safety. From £12.50; bristololdvic.org.uk

Stephen Bailey: Our Kid 22 March, 8.30-11pm, Hen and Chicken, North Street, Bristol Stand-up comedy star Stephen Bailey is embarking on a brand new tour with his new show Our Kid – a story full of northern warmth, some working-class guilt and a bit of blue. Following a sold-out run at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this features sidesplitting stories about his roots and finding out who he is. £15; henandchicken.com Thames Chamber Choir: O Earth, Return! 23 March, 7.30pm, St Paul’s Church, Clifton Thames Chamber Choir returns to Bristol to present a concert of music to celebrate the arrival of spring. The programme will feature three Byrd masterpieces, Vaughan-Williams’ powerful and evocative Three Shakespeare Songs, and Jonathan Dove’s spectacularly beautiful song cycle for double choir and piano, The Passing of the Year. £5-£10; thameschamberchoir.com

La Boheme on Sydney Harbour 20 March, 6pm-9.30pm, All Saints Church, Pembroke Road, Bristol Experience this unique 2018 performance of La Boheme, staged on Sydney Harbour against the backdrop of the city’s worldfamous opera house. Before the screening, enjoy a special introduction to the opera and a live music performance courtesy of acclaimed conductor Nicholas Chalmers and Royal Opera House Soprano Kiandra Howarth. £12-£15; bristolfilmfestival.com

East Bristol Post-Retirement Opportunities Fair 28 March, 6pm–-pm, The Vassall Centre, Fishponds This free event, run by LinkAge Network, will showcase the wide range of opportunities and advice available for retired or soon-to retire people. There will be a range of organisations to provide information and advice. Hear from those with lived experience of retirement, explore and share ideas, and also meet and socialise with people who are at a similar stage in life. Suitable for those aged 55 and over, with free refreshments also available. To book, call: 0117 353 3042 or visit: linkagenetwork.org.uk/pro

Art Battle Bristol 22 March, 7pm, Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol Great music, paint flies and masterpieces are created before your eyes at this competitive painting night. 12 artists put their skills to the

Introduction to Dramatherapy 30 & 31 March, 10am-4.30pm, Cherry Orchards, Canford Lane, Bristol This two-day dramatherapy workshop offers an in depth and practical exploration of drama as a therapeutic tool and as a creative

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A European Easter 30 March, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Exultate Singers and renowned early music ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts join forces for a celebration of baroque choral and music including music by Gabrieli, Schutz, Zielenski, de Vivanco and Ximenez. £12-£24; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Brahms’ A German Requiem: Bristol Cabot Choir 30 March, 7.45pm, Clifton Cathedral Bristol Cabot Choir presents Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem with soprano Jenna Brown and baritone Martin Le Poidevin. Also on the programme is Felix Mendelssohn’s O for the Wings of a Dove. £5-£15. Tickets from Opus 13, tel: 0117 923 0164; bristolcabotchoir.org.uk Labyrinth in Redcliffe Caves 31 March, 1pm – 3pm, Redcliffe Caves Frustrated while babysitting her baby brother Toby, teenager Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) wishes to be rid of him. Her words soon come back to haunt her when the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) steals Toby away to his magical realm, and Sarah must solve Jareth’s labyrinth before time runs out… Experience this cinematic classic in the atmospheric Redcliffe Caves. £15-£18; bristolfilmfestival.com Bristol Bach Choir: JS Bach’ St John Passion 6 April, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Bristol Bach Choir is joined by Canzona, one of the country’s leading baroque ensembles, to perform one of the greatest choral works – Bach’ St John Passion. Widely known for his performances of Baroque repertoire, tenor Nicholas Mulroy features in the role of Evangelist. £5–£28; bristolbach.org.uk n

Matt Austin/Lee Pullen

ensemble Onyx Brass for this concert of thrilling and celebratory music from across the ages including works by Handel, Naji Hakim, John Rutter, brass specialist Philip Wilby, Master of the Queen’s Music Judith Weir and a performance of that most iconic of royal anthems, Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad. £5-£18. Tickets from Opus 13, tel: 0117 923 0164; cityofbristolchoir.org.uk

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INTERVIEW | MUSIC

SPIRIT OF JAZZ: Singer, TV presenter and radio broadcaster, China spends a lot of time immersed in the music of heroes such as Janis Joplin and Chaka Khan, and will be sticking around after her Bristol show to watch Pee Wee Ellis

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MARVELLOUS MS MOSES A hand-picked orchestra with a superb local string section performs Billie Holiday’s brooding final album as part of the city’s annual celebration of jazz and blues this month. Up front, and playing her first Bristol gig, a charismatic vocalist putting her own stamp on the sumptuous arrangements

hina Moses is keeping to her kindest vocal register when we call her in Paris for a morning chat about her upcoming Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival appearance. “I’m gonna try and speak real low and real soft; I just have to remind myself not to get too excited,” she laughs slightly hoarsely – trains, planes, automobiles, back-to-back concerts and radio shows will do that to you. It’s almost immediately clear that it’ll be much easier said than done – her infectious energy and enthusiasm begins to crescendo as soon as she begins talking about her Billie Holiday tribute at St George’s. So, why the focus on Billie’s final album Lady in Satin?

Denny [Ilett, the festival’s artistic director] invited me to do it via my pianist Mike Gorman who is a good friend of ours and I thought it would be fun. I mean, I don’t sound anything like Billie Holiday and I really suck at imitation, so it’ll definitely just be me! But I thought it was an interesting challenge to learn, by heart, that mythical album. What’s funny is that my mom Dee Dee Bridgewater won a Grammy Award for her tribute to Billie and did a one-woman show on her that won an Olivier Award. So I know a lot about Billie’s life from just watching her learn her stuff and I thought it was a nice way for me to do it without trying to be like my mom. There’s always that comparison, which I don’t mind – she is fricking awesome and I’m so proud to be her daughter – but I try to keep the confusion minimal!

...The tunes Billie Holiday participated in artistically are the most poignant; about this conflicting love and vulnerability a woman like that could have at that time...

Which artists do that for you; bring you out of your daily world? Minnie Ripperton. Chaka Khan. Millie Jackson. I just released a new live track, a Janis Joplin tune, for her birthday because I’m also a Capricorn girl and love Janis. I have two radio shows; Jazz FM Love and also TSF Jazz on a national French station so I spend my time in the world of other artists when I’m doing the programming for those. I don’t often have the time so dive into people’s albums as I want to but I can still fangirl off of one song. One of the coolest albums of the last year for me was Joe Armon-Jones’ Starting Today – Joe has been playing with me for two years so we saw him go through all the demos while we were on the road which was super exciting, and I remember listening to the finalised album and getting hooked on this one song called Almost Went Too Far. Even when he was around I played it on repeat. I’d say, well, you play my music every night. Same thing! His song is in my new-music top five, next to Little Simz who I adore. (“I’m a boss in a dress” – yes!) Any other exciting new musical discoveries to speak of? I’ve been back and forth from Paris to London for about a year and a half now so I’ve been thrown into the UK scene. The other day I went to the showcase of this American guy named Jalen N’Gonda who just moved to London; amazing voice, amazing composer, multiinstrumentalist. I get excited about things like that. At the same time I just finished doing some gigs with the legend Pee Wee Ellis and Ian Shaw, one of my favourite vocalists of all time, so I’m surrounded by great artists and music and colourful people. We’re sure you’ll meet a whole load more in Bristol... Yes! The festival has a wonderful line-up; Pee Wee’s playing the next day and I’ve never been to Bristol so I’m going to stay to see that concert. When I went to Ireland to play Cork Jazz Festival I ended up staying to see Maria Schneider. I think it’s important for artists to be able to stay when they have time. You can really catch the vibe of a city. I look forward to Bristol; because I know where it is on the map...but that’s it!

What can the Bristol audience expect? Do you have a favourite Lady in Satin song to perform? The first half is going to be intimate, more like an introduction, with the reasons why we all decided to do this. I think it’s really important to tell the story in music; more so now because our attention is so dispersed between our phones and the information that we get all day. When you go to a concert you need a second to sit down and get into that moment. And sometimes I find that the music alone does not bring you out of your daily world; sometimes you’ve got to talk straight to people and actually ask them; “Hey, how was your day? Everybody okay? Before we get into this, let’s shake it off and relax together, forget about everything.” Because we take in a lot of information and thank goodness there’s art to relieve us.

You’ve Changed. And You Don’t Know What Love Is. But my overall favourite Billie tune is Don’t Explain; It’s brilliant. I think the tunes she participated in artistically are the most poignant because most of the time it’s about this conflicting feeling of love and vulnerability that a woman like that could have; what it was to be a woman at that time. You had to be married. There are so many things that we can’t fully imagine; how she navigated all those restrictions. She talked about that complicated, painful love. That line that basically says “I know you cheat but it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re here with me...” If somebody came out today singing that sentiment of “hush now,

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...Do I just sing ballads or do I let all the influences of my black American history come out and not give a f***?... don’t explain; it’s okay, forget the lipstick on your collar,” that woman would be heckled as anti-feminist. But I think it’s truly, honestly feminist to accept that there are situations that we know very darn well aren’t good for us but somehow we have to get through it. Now there’s this whole “girl, he did you wrong, you must leave him” thing. Often it’s so much more complicated. So songs like that, to me, are very powerful. What would you say to those who think jazz isn’t for them? I’ve only been singing jazz for 10 years; of course I grew up in that world but my music was hip-hop. When I was an MTV presenter, people always told me they didn’t like jazz. And I would say; you know jazz is just the pop music of the Forties, right? That Alicia Keys song you love so much, Fallin’, is based on an old James Brown tune. Of course you love jazz. You may not love five-minute solos, and not everybody does, especially if the soloist isn’t good! I think everybody who says they don’t like jazz needs to go to a festival like Bristol’s, like all the wonderful festivals there are all over the world, and realise how large jazz is and how much it is at the base of all things pop culture, more than people know. There are definitely parallels with more recently established genres! Oh yeah, I used to have a bass player who was totally into Nine Inch Nails. Those basslines are no different to Herbie Hancock’s; there are bass gods in metal music that know jazz. The changes in NIN tunes are

Jazz is at the base of all things pop culture, says China – even your maddest metal music

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really complex; they make it sound easy because there’s all this power guitar around it. Also when you hear organic electronica music, R&B, hip hop, it’s a lot of jazzcats doing it. Look at what Robert Glasper did. You hear records and you can tell it’s where they got their inspiration; it may only be a 10-second sample but it’s there. Dream collaboration? Alive: I’d love an all-girl power group with Lianne La Havas and Laura Mvula; that would be so awesome. Dead: that’s harder. I would love to have been able to work with great jazz arrangers like Nelson Riddle and Oliver Nelson. I do a lot with symphony orchestras and big bands so I’ve had my music arranged and the more I do it, I realise that they are basically the remixers, the DJs, they put the spin on the tune. So you are only as good as your arranger. Soon we’ll get back to the importance of the arranger. I think it needs to come back to that. What else is in store for 2019? A new album. I did my first in London with British musicians so I’m continuing that, working with a guy named Oli Rockberger who also works with Laura Mvula. We’ve been coming up with some really cool stuff that walks the fine line between what a modern jazz singer is – do I only do ballads and try to sing cool or do I let all of the influences of my black American history just come out and not give a f***? And I’m at the point where I’m not giving a f***. I’ll be releasing some live recordings I’ve done with the band – Joe Armon-Jones, Ashley Henry, Marijus Alexsa, Neil Charles and Luigi Grasso and they all have their own solo projects. These guys have been by my side for the past two years. We did one session a year ago when I decided to get an apartment in London and I still love the sound that they gave me so I want to share it! ■ • China Moses performs Billie Holiday’s Lady in Satin at St George’s Bristol on 23 March; bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

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MUSICAL NOTES

On the radar We asked Rough Trade’s Adrian Dutt for his top up-and-coming local acts to look out for this year

t’s been a good year for new Bristol music – ask anyone who keeps up and they’ll cite Idles as the foremost example of SouthWesterly success in 2018. The punk five-piece is now travelling the world on tour, back in the UK this month having sold out shows and caused queues to snake Down Under, but off to the States in May. So, which local contenders could potentially be next to garner some attention? Here are Adrian’s picks...

Wych Elm A scuzzy, slacker lo-fi quartet with squalling guitars, infectious rhythms and the songs to back up the hype. They’ve taken the Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Pavement grunge baton and put their own spin on it, delivering short, sharp, fuzz-filled songs to bounce about your head for days. The new EP, landing in March, will surely wake up the rest of the world and get them listening.

Herbal Tea An absolute masterclass in bedroom DIY pop. Full of the melancholy heartbreak that propelled Sharon Van Etten/Phoebe Bridgers et al into the limelight but with an added humility that is instantly endearing. Helena is a Rough Trade favourite, and even though she only has a handful of gigs under her belt, she blows everyone away the minute she sets foot on the stage. She’s just co-started a new record label so keep an eye on her and Deertone records as both will surely be the name on everyone's lips very soon.

Scalping If you’ve been lucky enough to catch a Scalping show, you'll know why we love them here at Rough Trade. Pulsing, syncopated live acidtechno that comes packaged with incredible visuals. Perfect for the 1am festival slot to lose your mind with. FFO Factory Floor, Daniel Avery, etc. Catch them on the festival circuit this summer.

Cruelty Dark, brooding, unforgiving post-punk with a big slice of new wave thrown in for good measure. I’ve only caught Cruelty a couple of times but they are the visceral serving of guitar noise I need in my life.

Emily Isherwood We are slightly biased on this one as Emily is part of the Rough Trade team, but she is a musical genius. Her song writing and arrangements are borderline flawless – each set she plays has the chameleonlike ability to change, depending on who she has performing as part of her band. Fragile yet strong, empowering and very selfassured, Emily’s music is a Emily Isherwood. Image by Ania Shrimpton woozy and bewitching experience. Mazzy Star, The Sundays, Julien Baker are all in the mix but Emily is breaking out from every mould and pigeonhole reviewers endeavour to put her in, and making some of the best music the city has to offer... ■ • roughtrade.com

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COMEDY

NOBLE CIRCUIT CELEBRANT: Shappi’s mission this month is to share with Bristol all the comedyland things that stand-ups don’t usually talk about – those behind-the-scenes moments

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COMEDY

Warrior mode Sharp cultural commentator Shappi Khorsandi’s new show is a love letter to the comedy clubs of yore. The funny-woman fills James Rampton in on how the comedy scene has changed, and being a terrible schmoozer

tand-up comedy has undergone a huge transformation over the last 20 years. “It’s got cleaner and more sober and a lot more career-minded,” reflects Shappi Khorsandi. “You meet 20-year-olds on the comedy circuit now who have a five-year plan. I’m sure stand-up is something career advisers at top private schools are telling their students to do. ‘You don’t want to go into the money markets or the law. You want to go into stand-up’.” It was all very different when Shappi began her career as a stand-up two decades ago. “I feel thankful that when I started out in comedy, it was punk,” she says. “The ultimate aim was to play the clubs, not telly. That’s why my new show is a love letter to the comedy clubs.” In Skittish Warrior… Confessions of a Club Comic Shappi looks back fondly on the late 1990s when she first made her name on the comedy circuit. A gifted cultural commentator and sharp-tongued observer, Shappi is a brilliant live performer and over the years she has attracted numerous critical plaudits. The Evening Standard, for instance, declares that she “makes live comedy thrilling.” “Plenty to say,” enthuses The Guardian – and all “with pointedness and potency”. Shappi also has an enormously loyal live following and makes for delightful company – as warm and witty in person as she is on stage, and an hour in her company simply flies by. “The show is a good opportunity to look back on how it all began,” she says, outlining the inspiration behind it. “This is the 20th anniversary of me being a stand-up – I know, I don’t look old enough! It talks about the bits that stand-ups don’t usually talk about, those behind-the-scenes moments where doors get slammed in your face. It’s about rediscovering that early passion. It’s a celebration of the comedy circuit.”

...When I started out in comedy, it was punk. The ultimate aim was to play the clubs, not telly... The best-selling author of two well-received books, A Beginner’s Guide to Acting English and Nina Is Not OK, recalls the early days. “I was a nervous wreck. It was terrifying. I would phone the Comedy Store for an open spot, and if they picked up, I would put the phone down. I was treading water for the first 10 years. It’s a sort of madness to carry on doing something that is so precarious. But I always knew that there was nothing else along my yellow brick road!” Skittish Warrior will home in on those moments when Shappi was her own worst enemy. “I’m the queen of sabotage! You go through your early career thinking the best thing is to be very famous, but the chances I’ve had to become very famous I’ve completely scuppered.” The stand-up goes on to give an example. “I was a guest on 8 Out Of 10 Cats, but I started daydreaming and completely lost the thread. When Jimmy Carr asked, ‘Shappi, what do you think?’, I didn’t know what anyone was talking about. I was daydreaming about becoming famous on the job that would have made me famous if I done it better!

“I’m not a very good schmoozer,” the comic admits. “When I was young, I’d meet a top agent and think it would be hilarious if I told them about gigs where I had died on my arse. That didn’t inspire them to propel me further.” Shappi recollects one occasion when she vitally failed to schmooze. “I was invited to a showbiz party. Looking around the room, I had clearly only just made the cut. The only person beneath me was a woman who was an extra on EastEnders. Thankfully, I met a guy who told me ‘I live upstairs. The celebrity only invites me to his parties so I don’t complain about the noise’. I chatted to him the whole time about his dog. I didn’t chat to anyone else or get any famous people’s phone numbers.” So, the show is about the funny side of failure? “It’s an ode to being an underdog. We celebrate the underdog. I have to. I don’t have a choice!” Shappi hastens to add that it’s a fun show. It reflects her deep sense of contentment with where she is at now. “It’s not doom and gloom. I’m perfectly happy. I’m not cut out for a tabloid level of fame. After 20 years, I feel completely comfortable with the fact that I’m vulnerable. It’s OK to say, ‘I’ve messed up so many things’. “It’s about realising that if you didn’t get something, it wasn’t what you wanted anyway. If it was very important for me to do well on panel shows, I wouldn’t have been daydreaming on panel shows! I look back on my career and see all the times I’ve sabotaged it. But if I had really wanted it, I would have got it. I’ve got two kids, and I really wanted them. It may sound cheesy, but they’re my greatest successes.” In the show, the stand-up, who has also headlined in her own Comedy Store Special for Comedy Central, astutely points out the pitfalls of celebrity. “It’s about really understanding what a full-time job it is to be famous and to stay there. It has to be at the cost of everything else. Instagram posts don’t post themselves!” Two years ago, Shappi reached a whole new audience when she appeared on I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! and has no regrets about starring on the reality TV show. “It changed my life. Because you’re hungry and have nothing to do in the jungle, it forces you to look at your life. While I was in there, my life was going on without me. I realised there was no other life I wanted and I desperately wanted to be back in it. “Some people may see I’m A Celebrity as crass, but it bought me time to re-evaluate. I realised what I didn’t want – to be on the front page of The Sun. That’s not worth anything. Doing stand-up, writing plays and books – those things have value and they were the things I wanted to come back to.” Shappi achieved her aim when she came out of the jungle and has written a play based on Nina Is Not OK, which will be staged soon. She also teamed up with fellow comedians Jenny Éclair and Natalie Haynes to pen a new musical comedy called Women in Power based on The Assembly Women by Aristophanes. Above all, she is relishing her return to stand-up. “It’s the joy of the job. I get an absolute adrenaline rush on stage. For me, it’s always been about the live stuff. I hope people will take away a great sense of warmth and a lot of heart. The show is saying it’s OK to be exactly who you are. The only person you should ever compete with is yourself.” With a laugh, she adds, “That’s quite wise. Write that down: ‘Shappi wisely said’!” ■ • See Shappi at Bristol Old Vic on 10 March; bristololdvic.org.uk; THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART xxe by A

Jenny Urquhart, Room 212, 6 – 31 March Jenny Urquhart is well known for her brightly coloured balloon collages of our city, and for creating the Gromit by the Suspension Bridge and at Paddington Station, but latterly she has gained popularity for her beautiful woodland and landscape scenes of Bristol. Jenny’s prints and printed canvases are always on sale at Room 212 and her work sells very well – she sold every original piece when she exhibited at Alchemy 198 during the North Bristol Art Trail weekend. Why not go to Room 212 and see why? • room212.co.uk

See gorgeous creations such as this as the Tobacco Factory

Spring into Colour, Tobacco Factory, 6 March – 2 April Bristol artists Mary Price and Jo Whiteland celebrate the new season in a joint exhibition featuring boldly coloured batik art and intuitive acrylic paintings that will fill the main bar and snug. Jo will be exhibiting paintings of British fauna, colourful exotic birds and ‘patchworks’ reflecting elements of spring and summer. Mary will be showing paintings inspired by a walk in the Tramuntana Mountains in Majorca. The artists last exhibited together over 15 years ago in what was then Cafe Unlimited on Gloucester Road and the formative meeting space for the North Bristol Artists. Although they use very different mediums they both love to create imagery in bold colours and take their inspiration from the natural world. There will be the chance, via prize draw, to win a small original painting during the duration of the exhibition, and small originals, giclée prints, art cards, lampshades made with custom fabrics will be available to purchase at the preview on 7 March. • tobaccofactory.com/whats-on/spring-into-colour

Gaudier-Brzeska: Disputing the Earth, RWA, 16 March – 2 June French artist Henri Gaudier-Brzeska (1891-1915) created an astonishing range of animalinspired artworks. This will be the first Bird Swallowing a Fish, c.1913–14, cast 1964, bronze. Tate: exhibition to examine his full range as an Purchased 196. Photo © Tate, London 2019 animal artist and the significance the animal kingdom held for him. Including works as varied as wallpaper designs, sculptures and sketches, the show will be grouped according to the places Gaudier found his subjects – zoo, park, wilderness. The collection will demonstrate his stylistic variety and the extent to which his abstract work was rooted in the observation of nature. He spent two years here in the South West, sketching in Bristol, Cardiff and surrounding countryside. This exhibition brings Gaudier-Brzeska's sculptures and drawings back to Bristol, a century after he first explored the city. • rwa.org.uk

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Commission a portrait in oils Robert Highton 07939 224598; rhighton@mail.com; robhightonart.com

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EXHIBITIONS

In Between 2 by N. A. Vague

International Photography Exhibition IPE 161, Royal Photographic Society until 24 March The newly opened Royal Photographic Society presents, from its lovely new Paintworks headquarters, 100 beautiful, strong and accomplished images by 54 contemporary photographers including IPE winners Catherine Hyland (Gold Award), Christopher Bethell (under 30s Gold Award), Alys Tomlinson (Silver Award) and Oli Kellett (Bronze Award). • rps.org

The Young Americans, Rainmaker Gallery, 21 March – 8 June Contemporary images of and by a new generation of Indigenous American artists. The diverse imagery embraces traditional, political, dynamic and exuberant facets of Native American life today. See acrylic and oil paintings, screen prints, monotypes and photographs, with influences from street art, Japanese anime, Italian renaissance, pop art and abstract expressionism. • rainmakerart.co.uk

Spring Foretold, Clifton Contemporary Art, 8 – 29 March For March the gallery will feature a collection of paintings and prints that bring the new season to life and reflect nature’s re-emergence from winter. Artists featured will include: Maggie Matthews, Robert Jones, Lisa Takahashi, Elaine jones and Sally Stafford. There will also be new Lake District paintings by landscape artist Neil Pinkett. • cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

Spring Light by Maggie Matthews

● Coming up... JP Jones at the Observatory, 11 April Musician and artist JP Jones made a name for himself in Sydney but is now back at home exhibiting in the UK. His career has been impressively varied and also includes success as a recording artist and an album with Chrissie Hind. His move to visual art is taken seriously by collectors such as Boy George, The Rothchilds and Madonna and his art pieces are very much inspired See awesome work by music and contemporary sound. by Adrian Bates • jpjonesart.com

Easter Sculpture Festival, Bristol Botanic Garden, 19 – 22 April Greek gods, tagelmust-attired Tuareg musicians from the Sahara, a bronze fox skulking across the grass, swirling multimedia figures, stained-glass creations and bronze and marble sculptures based on Buddhist prayer wheels all welcome the visitor to this year’s sculpture festival. The Botanic Garden provides a unique setting with its own backdrop of sculptural elements including soaring bamboos, prehistoric tree ferns, giant leaves and exotic treasures in the glasshouses – see enchanting creations in the Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden next to the Evolutionary Dell. Jude Goss (Lucian Stained Glass) and Aurora Pozniakow will take full advantage of the Bamboo Pavilion while willow weaver Maya Wolf will help visitors create willow sculptures to take home to their garden. Watch demos by chainsaw wood carver Denius Parson and enjoy children’s trails, free garden tours and refreshments in the Arts & Crafts mansion. • bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden

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Commissioned Portraits By artist Richard Shepherd Tel: 07494 541 939 richardshepherdartistportraits.com

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ART & EXHIBITIONS | M SHED

INCREDIBLE & INDELIBLE M Shed hosts a ground-breaking new exhibition celebrating a historic and widespread but often misunderstood art form

Tattooing is magical, romantic, exciting and often-misunderstood, says curator Dr Matt Lodder

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ART & EXHIBITIONS | M SHED

ere’s a thing: tattoos used to be considered posh. That’s right, from ruffians to royalty; sailors to socialites; pilgrims to punks: tattoos have been etched into bodies throughout history. Now, it’s estimated that one in five in the UK is tattooed and the figure rises to one in three for young adults. And while the visibility of tattooing in contemporary culture may feel like something relatively new, tattoo art has always held a significant place in Britain’s history and imagination. ‘Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed’, opening at M Shed on 16 March, is a major new exhibition offering a somewhat groundbreaking, comprehensive history of British tattooing – featuring cutting-edge designers, leading academics and major private collectors and challenging long-standing myths and pre-conceptions about class, gender and age, while celebrating the astonishingly rich artistic heritage of the art form in the UK. While the word ‘tattoo’ may have only come into the English language following Captain Cook’s first voyage, this was not the start of the story. Showcasing the rich maritime past of tattoos, the exhibition also explains how people from all areas of society have been tattooed over the years. We’re talking the largest gathering of real objects and original tattoo artwork ever assembled in the UK, with the work of major artists from George Burchett, via the Bristol Tattoo Club, to Alex Binnie and Lal Hardy. “There’ll be unique collaborations,” says Steven Bradley, exhibitions officer at M Shed. “We want to make the exhibition truly representative of Bristol’s rich tattoo culture so we have created an online forum for the public and local artists to submit their tattoo tales. Everyone who shares stories with us will receive free tickets to the exhibition as well as an invitation to the opening.” Visitors can see items from three of the most important private collections of tattoo material in Britain, belonging to Willie Robinson, Jimmy Skuse, and Paul ‘Rambo’ Ramsbottom – a rare chance to clap eyes on original artefacts not otherwise on public display. They can

...We’ve matched cutting-edge research – which challenges perceptions about the practice – with unparalleled access to the true custodians of tattooing’s history... delve into previously unseen private archives that reveal hidden histories, including the real story of Britain’s pioneering female tattoo artist, (and rather radical stuntwoman) Jessie Knight. Tattoos are a living and uniquely three-dimensional form of art and the show responds to this with an innovative installation which literally brings the art off the gallery wall to create a ‘sculptural map’ of British tattoo art today. The ‘100 Hands Project’ sees silicone arms tattooed with an original design by 100 leading artists across the UK – an artistic legacy for future generations and archival snapshot of a form of art all too often lost to the ravages of time. Major commissions from three artists working in three very different tattoo traditions feature unique designs on a hyper-realistic body sculpture which speaks to the historic artefacts around it. Tihoti Faara Barff’s work celebrates the modern revival of Tahitian tattooing; while Matt Houston’s commission is a heroic celebration of the sailor tattoo; and Aimée Cornwell, a second-generation artist and rising star in the tattoo world, illustrates how tattooing is breaking down different artistic boundaries with her own form of fantasia. “While British and global museums have had a longstanding interest in Western tattooing, none have ever managed to fully combine serious academic research with access to the vast but hidden troves of tattoo ephemera kept closely guarded in private collections,” says guest curator Dr Matt Lodder, lecturer in contemporary art history at the University of Essex. “In this exhibition, we have finally been able to match the most current and cutting-edge research on British tattoo

‘100 Hands’ has seen silicone arms tattooed by leading artists

history – which challenges all the most deeply held perceptions about the practice, its origins, its extent, and its reception – with unparalleled access to the true custodians of tattooing’s history: the artists and their families who have cared for these objects and their stories over decades. “Tattooing is a magical, romantic, exciting, often-misunderstood art and we hope our exhibition will communicate some of that magic.” ■ • bristolmuseums.org.uk/tattoo

Did you know? • Bristol Tattoo Club was started in 1953 by Les Skuse. He wanted to help promote and improve standards in tattooing, and provide artists and clients with a place to meet and show off their work. The first ever tattoo convention was held at the White Horse pub in St Pauls. When he died in 1973, his son Danny took over the presidency. It’s now run by his son Jimmie, who has lent some of his collection for the exhibition. • Jessie Knight took over her father’s tattoo shop in South Wales and started tattooing for a living in 1921, when she was 18. As a pioneering female tattooist she faced prejudice – her shops were broken into and her work was stolen. She was talented, brave and professional, and her designs were different to anything seen before. • Memorial tattoos commemorate deceased people and pets with an image, name or date. There is growing interest in incorporating a small amount of cremains into them as well. To find out more, hear Dr John Troyer (Centre for Death & Society) talk on 25 April at M Shed’s ‘Morbid Ink’ event. • Ta moko is the sacred art of facial tattooing among the Maori of New Zealand. Skin is carved with chisels rather than punctured by needles, giving a 3D effect. Major General Horatio Robley was fascinated; publishing extensive ta moko designs and techniques. More gruesomely, his collection also included 35 mokomokoi – preserved human heads. • Vegan-friendly tattoos are a growing trend. Tattoo inks, equipment and aftercare products often contain animal products such as glycerine, gelatine, beeswax and lanolin. • Permanent make-up such as eyeliner is a growing trend. In Iran, it’s the only form of tattooing allowed by the authorities. • You can experience M Shed after-hours on 16 May for Museums at Night’s live music and tattooing twist. Grab a drink, chat to artists, discuss ideas, dress up or show off your own tattoos.

Plaster cast of a Maori chief’s face, 1854, made by Major General Horatio Robley (image Bristol Culture)

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Director Judith Dimant and producer Poppy Keeling have joined Emma

MARCH 2019 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 59

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BOOKS

The political outlook From free movement to backstops; member states to the customs union; terms such as these have become familiar in our everyday lives for almost three years. As the UK plans to leave the European Union, we’ve been reading up with some titles that reflect on Brexit, Britain’s historic relationship with Europe, and the democratic challenges that lie ahead

Britain’s Europe: A Thousand Years Of Conflict And Cooperation

Reflect

Interpret

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, £9.99, paperback, Penguin

Brendan Simms, £9.99, paperback, Penguin

How does a democracy die? What lessons does history teach us? In the 21st century democracy is threatened like never before. Drawing insightful lessons from across history – from Pinochet’s murderous Chilean regime to Erdogan’s quiet dismantling in Turkey – Levitsky and Ziblatt explain why democracies fail, how leaders like Trump subvert them today and what we can do to protect our democratic rights. Described by Barack Obama as “a useful primer on the importance of norms, institutional restraints and civic participation in maintaining a democracy – and how quickly those things can erode when we’re not paying attention.”

Britain has always had a tangled, complex role in Europe’s history. It has invaded and been invaded, changed sides, stood aloof, acted with both brazen cynicism and the cloudiest idealism. Brendan Simms describes the highlights and lowpoints in Euro-British history, from the Dark Ages to the present including the issues around relations with the EU.

Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story Of Brexit

Observe

Why We Get The Wrong Politicians

Craig Oliver, £10.99, paperback, Hodder & Stoughton

Gimson’s Prime Ministers

Andrew Gimson, £10.99, hardback, Vintage Publishing A concise, sharp-witted and illuminating account of the lives of Britain’s prime ministers, from Walpole to May, illustrated by Martin Rowson. This Sunday Times bestseller is ideal for those who have heard of big political names such as Gladstone and Disraeli, or drunk in a pub called the Palmerston, but want to find out more about the PMs who have influenced British politics over the centuries. This entertaining and satirical read brings our fascinating parliamentary history to life. 60 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Identify

Isabel Hardman, £18.99, hardback, Atlantic Books

David Cameron’s director of politics and communications, Craig Oliver was in the room at every key moment during the EU referendum – the biggest political event in the UK since the Second World War. Unleashing Demons is based on his extensive notes, detailing everything from the decision to call a referendum, to the subsequent civil war in the Conservative Party and the aftermath of the result. This compelling book was the inspiration behind the Channel 4 drama Brexit: The Uncivil War.

Learn

How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future

No 177

Award-winning journalist Isabel Hardman’s revealing work won at the 2018 Parliamentary Book Awards, as well as being shortlisted for the 2018 Waterstones Book of the Year and featured in various newspapers’ top books of the year lists. Politicians are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. They’ve become embroiled in scandals around sexual harassment and expenses. But, with some exceptions, they are hard-working people, doing a difficult and demanding job. Filled with forensic analysis and revealing writing, this accessible book lifts the lid on the strange world of Westminster and asks why we end up with MPs with whom we are so supposedly unhappy.

Evaluate

Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain Fintan O’Toole, £11.99, paperback, Head of Zeus

In exploring why people voted for the UK to leave the EU, Fintan O’Toole finds himself discovering how trivial journalistic lies became far from trivial national obsessions; how a country that once had colonies has redefined itself as an oppressed nation requiring liberation; and how there is a strange political significance of prawn-flavoured crisps… This highly acclaimed book is an intuitive commentary on Brexit, the concept of heroic failure, and the consequences the nation faces. n

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Ma San Auction In Bath

AUCTIONEERS IN FINE ART, ANTIQUES AND LUXURY GOODS An 18th century Chinese bronze Buddha. SOLD £4,500

A Chinese 17/18th century Kangxi period porcelain dragon dish. SOLD £4,300

A Chinese late Ming dynasty porcelain moon flask marked Xuande. SOLD £3,800

A 19th century Chinese gilt bronze belt buckle with carved white jade inserts. SOLD £1,300 A fine pair of Chinese 18th century Yongzheng period porcelain tea cups. SOLD £13,200 A 19th century Chinese jade carving of a Kilin. SOLD £3,600

Now c a cepting ents consignm for our y p A ril/Ma 9 sale 201

A carved Tibetan Buddhist seal stamp. SOLD £1,020

Free valuations and home visits • Over 30 years experience • Competitive commission rates • Direct contacts in Hong Kong and China • Sales every month 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Tel: 01225 318587

www.masanauction.com

If you go down to the woods today...

Black forest hall stand

£500 - £800

Audemars Piguet wrist watch

Banksy ‘Walled Off Hotel’

Diamond ring

£10,000 - £12,000

£800 - £1,200

£5,000 - £6,000

Clevedon Salerooms Spring Quarterly Specialist Sale will be held on Thursday 7th March at 10.30am. The sale includes furniture, fine art, collector’s items, ceramics and glass, jewellery, silver, watches and much more. The entire catalogue can be viewed online with multiple images of every lot. You can even bid online from anywhere around the globe. The Salerooms will be holding free valuation days at their purpose built site on the 11th, 12th, 25th & 26th March 9.30 -1pm and 2pm - 5pm. If you have items you may be thinking of selling why not attend a free valuation day or alternatively email images for free auction estimate to info@clevedon-salerooms.com

Every lot in every sale illustrated and sold with live internet bidding

Spring Quarterly Specialist Sale Thursday 7th March at 10.30am Viewing 6th March 10am – 6.30pm

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Catalogue now on-line

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

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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‘BORING BROWN’ IS NOW ‘APPEALINGLY ANTIQUE’ Lawrences’ first Fine Art sale of 2019 drew to a close with a good selection of clocks, works of art, furniture and carpets. Throughout the sale there was a good feeling of ‘eagerness to buy’, always a good sign in an increasingly selective market. Mainstream pieces like davenports, better Georgian chests of drawers and sideboards were finding buyers at carefully judged estimates and it was gratifying to see that the valuers’ assessment of market conditions ensured that 87% of the furniture on offer was sold. “The phrase ‘boring brown’, long used to dismiss a lot of Victorian furniture as out of fashion, may now be replaced with a feeling that some of it is ‘appealingly antique’,” says Neil Grenyer, furniture specialist. “Good pieces are durable, dependable, well designed and quite desirable once more.” A pair of George III mahogany hall chairs made £3660; a Continental walnut and inlaid chest, possibly Italian, c.1800, was bid to £7320; a Georgian mahogany chest on chest, mid-18th Century, appealed to many before making £4880; and a Louis XV style kingwood and brass mounted bureau plat went over estimate at £6700. The sale’s top price was paid for an Aestheticstyle armchair in the manner of Dr Christopher Dresser. Consigned for sale from a Dorset vendor, the chair made a very comfortable £13,400. Lawrences hold monthly FREE valuation mornings at the Clifton Club. Contact andy.sagar@lawrences.co.uk for more details and dates

Lawrences AUCTIONEERS The Linen Yard, South Street, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 8AB. T 01460 73041

lawrences.co.uk

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FOOD & Drink

TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS Milky Punch

The Wickerman

NEW LOOK, NEW FLAVOURS The already pretty magical walled garden restaurant The Ethicurean has undergone an interior transformation and is reopening with a menu reinvention to match. Dishes are led by the natural cycle of the garden, using ingredients at their peak, celebrating the richness of the local soil and plant kingdom and allowing veg to take centre stage – complemented by pasturereared meat and sustainable seafood. The team divide the year into five distinct seasons – the season of scarcity, for example, is a time for imagination and creativity, while April heralds the season of growth, when the garden begins to reveal itself for the coming year. The joys of ‘fruiting’ begin in June, while harvest usually shows its riches some time in September. The ‘festive’ season begins in November and comes to a close with the annual Expect more gut-friendly January wassail. beverages plus a With a new charcoal fire reinvented food menu grill at its heart, the (image by Iain kitchen has nearly Pennington) doubled in size; the frontof-house space reimagined by expert carpenter Liam Rush. New drinks menus include more gut-friendly drinks, from kombuchas and keffirs to cider vinegarbased cordials but also low-intervention wines.

MEET GEORGE THIS MONTH The Milk Thistle has launched a unique new cocktail menu in tribute to the bar’s most colourful characters, pooling the team’s talents to tell the story of the venue’s eccentric taxidermy through original artwork and cocktails. Regular visitors should recognise the ‘Meet George’ menu’s namesake, George the Elk, from his position above the fireplace in The Parlour – follow him as he encounters other stuffed pals from around the bar during one fab fictional day out in Bristol. “Having studied narrative illustration at university it was an amazing opportunity to bring my two passions together,” said Milk Thistle assistant manager and trained illustrator Sarah Offa-Jones, who designed the new menu. “We wanted to create something completely different to what our customers are used to, while keeping it fun and unique.” Bar manager Alex Godfrey encouraged every member of the team to create a drink they felt was a reflection of the personality of the bar. “We wanted to bring to life the characters which are so known and loved in the bar, and make them as much as a part of the team as we are. The inspiration was a combination of Fantastic Mr Fox meets Spot Goes to School – something fun and imaginative that relates the colours in the menu to the flavours of the drinks and challenges people’s perception of what a cocktail menu should be!” • milkthistlebristol.com The menu celebrates the venue’s eccentric animal characters (photography by Kirstie Young)

• theethicurean.com

MIXOLOGIST OF THE MOMENT Dan Bovey of Hyde & Co has been named Bartender of the Year at the 2019 Imbibe awards. As judges heard, Dan has seen the industry from a variety of angles in his 15 years working in it, and has demonstrated how high-quality bartending can be fostered at any type of venue, from bar chains to independent cocktail lounges. Dan started out at Sahara bar in Reading and became general manager there while also proving himself in the realm of cocktail competitions. After Sahara was purchased by Be At One, he went to work for the bar chain and helped to open its Bristol location. “I wanted to prove that it’s personal drive that sets bartenders apart, not necessarily where you work,” Dan said. Now he serves as bar manager at Bristol speakeasy Hyde & Co, where he’s well-known for his engaging style. Congrats Dan! • hydeand.co

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Dan impressed the Imbibe judges

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THE

ETHICUREAN The walled garden restaurant has recently undergone a magical transformation. Expect a roaring new charcoal fire grill, a kitchen nearly doubled in size and a totally reimagined front of house space. There’s an exciting reinvention of the menu – still guided by the seasons and led by the natural cycle of the garden. The Bristol Magazine readers can get 10% off their total bill when they dine with us before the end of April.

Quote: ‘BRISTOLMAG10’ upon booking BARLEY WOOD WALLED GARDENS, LONG LANE, WRINGTON, BS40 5SA

01934 863 713 • theethicurean.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Wild mushroom tortellini magic at Wapping Wharf restaurant Tare

Gorgeous Iberian eatery Paco Tapas received its first star recently (image: Nick Hook)

Brown trout at Casamia (image: Dominika Scheibinger)

Best bib and tucker It’s been another brilliant 12 months for Bristol food. Melissa Blease catches up with some of those who’ve been blessed with the highest star-spangled approbation

he Michelin Guide – for which over 120 inspectors eat around 250 meals every year in over 40,000 restaurants and hotels scattered across three continents – is the indisputable upper-crust foodie bible, responsible for the star ratings and awards that can make (or break) the fortunes of the chefs working in the hottest kitchens in Europe. In last year’s announcements for the 2018-19 guide, Bristol’s food scene was elevated to stellar heights when both Bulrush and Paco Tapas were recipients of their first Michelin star. Meanwhile Casamia, Wilks and The Pony & Trap (which has held Michelin status for 11 years in Chew Magna) once more retained their onestar status, confirming Bristol as one of the UK’s foremost dining destinations. “With Casamia, we knew we had a Michelin inspector visiting us but we didn’t think it was going to happen,” says Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, looking back to when his restaurant was first awarded its star. “Jonray ran into the kitchen and let me read the ‘congratulations’ email; we were blown away. It was the pat on the back that we needed – we knew then that we were on the right track. We were struggling to pay bills and the response from the star really helped the business and transformed the restaurant, not only for that period of time but also for the future.” As for much younger project Paco Tapas... “When the announcement was made, I was like: WTF?” says Peter. “I couldn’t believe a tapas bar in Bristol had got a Michelin star! We thought; 66 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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d’you know what, we might actually be getting this right! Paco is special, and challenges what a Michelin star restaurant has to be; it’s just incredible food and incredible produce.” Peter acknowledges that his awards have impacted on the food scene around him, too. “Michelin is so highly regarded around the world, and having the guide officially sanction the food scene in Bristol shows just how powerful that scene is. Showcasing what’s going on in the city brings Bristol into the category of food destination – people travel to dine here; it’s undoubtedly a big part of why they come.”

...Michelin connects you to a lovely network of other chefs and offers a platform like no other. It brings people who appreciate what you’re doing to your door in a way that no other accolade does...

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FOOD & DRINK

Pony & Trap Michelin-starred chef/owner Josh Eggleton readily agrees on the positive impact of Michelin’s endorsement of Bristol. “I honestly believe that, outside of London, Bristol is the food capital of the UK,” he says. “Michelin has been an intrinsic factor in helping the city gain that recognition. On a personal level, Michelin connects you to a lovely network of other chefs – of course, you don’t need a star for that, but it helps. Michelin offers a platform like no other, and brings people who really appreciate what you’re doing to your door in a way that no other accolade does. It also puts you under a microscope, laid bare to receiving additional criticism and scrutiny, and you’ll always feel the pressure to maintain a star once you’ve been awarded one. But the other side to that coin is that it keeps you fresh, and on your toes, which is never a drawback.” Foodies ‘in the know’ – including, of course, many of the city’s residents – have predicted Bristol’s star-spangled approbation for quite some time. “If there’s any real surprise in Bulrush getting its first Michelin star, it’s simply the fact it didn’t get one sooner,” said Bristol food critic Mark Taylor when the announcement was first made. Similarly, Paco Tapas was hotly tipped for Michelin recognition just weeks after it first opened in 2017. But it’s worth highlighting, at this juncture, that there’s far more to Michelin than those illustrious stars. Since 1997, Michelin has selected and promoted ‘good quality, good value restaurants’ using the Bib Gourmand award. The price limit for Bib consideration varies from country to country, depending on the cost of living – “but the Bib Gourmand is about much, much more than value for money,” says Rebecca Burr, director of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland. “It’s about the very ethos and philosophy of a restaurant, too.” In the 2018/19 Michelin Guide, Bell’s Diner (Montpelier) Tare, and Root (both of the latter to be found within the Wapping Wharf food zone) are among the proud West-Country Bib Gourmand recipients. “We had no idea at all that the Bib Gourmand news was in the pipeline for us,” says Meg Oakley, manager of Root – which is a member of Josh Eggleton and local farmer Luke Hasell’s Eat Drink Bristol Fashion ‘family’. “We’re a small, independent restaurant

...I remember the excitement when Peter and Jonray got their first Michelin star; for our generation, it marked the start of a new wave of creative cooking for Bristol...

The Chew Magna pub has held onto its star for over a decade (image by Jon Craig)

housed in a shipping container, and we’d never specifically been working towards any kind of Michelin/Bib Gourmand ‘brief’ – our only target was to create a restaurant that people would enjoy. “The Bib is a great recognition for the team’s hard work and it’ll definitely help us grow as a business while staying true to our identity and our aim, which is to create simple and delicious dishes using the best local ingredients and produce available to us. But Bristol has got such a good name for itself for the quality of the restaurants in the city, and it’s great to be part of that!”

...When Jay Rayner’s review was published in The Guardian, I literally watched reservation requests scroll up the computer screen... And indeed, Root has been very much part of that scene since it first opened its doors in 2017; its early reputation further bolstered by very positive reviews in the national press. The Bristol food scene is, it seems, positively buzzing. “We love being part of it; all the chefs, owners and industry workers are so supportive of each other, which creates a great climate for new restaurants and aspiring chefs,” says Matt Hampshire, chef/owner of stylish little Wapping Wharf eatery, Tare. “It was a great honour to be awarded a Bib Gourmand and have our restaurant recognised by such a respected organisation – it’s always great to see hard work pay off. Since receiving the Bib, we’ve actually reverted back to our original format of a four-course set menu which has taken us over the £28 Bib threshold. But our aim is, was and always will be to cook great food and give a welcoming service to everyone; when customers leave happy, maintain repeat custom and share fantastic word-of-mouth recommendations, that means a lot to us.” Ah, yes: word-of-mouth – the other driving force that steers restaurant success. In these social media-dominated days, trusted reviews and peer recommendations dictate our eating out choices as much as – or possibly even more – than awards do. “You can’t underestimate the power of a good review,” says Tessa Lidstone, whose bijou little restaurant BOX-E – which she runs in partnership with her husband Elliott – was one of the first to open at Wapping Wharf back in 2016. “When Jay Rayner’s review was published in The Guardian in 2017, I literally watched reservation requests scroll up the computer screen; we still get people coming in and referencing that review.” Glowing reports from trusted critics including food and drink journalist Fiona Beckett and The Michelin Guide itself have all added to the chorus of BOX-E approval. “I’m delighted that Bristol is having its day, for our local food scene in general,” says Tessa. “I was born and grew up in Bristol and for a while – with a few notable exceptions – the city’s food scene had the opposite reputation. I remember the excitement when Peter and Jonray Sanchez-Iglesias got their first Michelin star for Casamia; for our generation, it marked the start of a new wave of creative cooking for Bristol, and it’s an honour to be part of the food scene here.” But are Tessa and Elliott aiming for the stars in terms of future developments at BOX-E? “Having our shiny Michelin recommendations screwed to the restaurant’s corrugated walls outside always makes me smile. But having everyone – not just the inspectors or the food critics – leave happy is our overall aim. Our menu is all about letting great ingredients shine, and we plan to just keep on doing what we’re doing – we’re very happy in our lovely little box!” ■ • guide.michelin.com THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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TRAVEL NEWS THE LATEST FROM THE HOLIDAY AND TOURISM SECTOR

GO OFF-GRID

Pel’s Post is the first satellite camp of its kind in South Africa

Like the sound of ‘slow travel’? Taking time to explore a culture and destination thoroughly rather than squeezing as many sights/cities in as possible? Pel’s Post might be your bag – a new satellite camp in the Kruger National Park and the first of its kind in South Africa. Situated within 500 hectares of wild African bush, it accommodates eight, is built with sustainable materials and completely solar powered, with its own infinity pool, and is supported by sturdy stilts above the Luvuvhu river. The area, ‘Eden of Kruger’, is home to 80% of the park’s biodiversity and is a birder’s paradise, with over 350 species – immerse yourself in the wilderness with guided bush walks, game drives and historical tours. • rareearth.co.za

BIG-UP BARBADOS

UKinbound, a leading travel association that represents nearly 400 tourism businesses, has announced that Bristol is to host its 2020 annual convention. Bristol 2020 will take place on 5 & 6 February, and it’s expected that nearly 300 UKinbound members from across the tourism industry will converge for the two-day business event. Tour operators and travel trade buyers from across Bristol’s key international visitor markets will have the opportunity to attend topical industry panel debates, a keynote speaker address, workshops, networking events and a black-tie gala dinner at which the winners of the association’s annual Awards for Excellence will be announced. Supported by Destination Bristol, UKinbound will facilitate familiarisation trips for delegates, to showcase the city’s diverse tourism offering and develop stronger relationships between buyers and local industry. “Destination Bristol presented a very compelling bid, and we’re confident that together we can make our 2020 convention a resounding success,” said UKinbound’s chief executive officer, Joss Croft. “During the event next year, we will work closely with Destination Bristol to provide as many commercial and networking opportunities as we can for our delegates, to grow their businesses and showcase Bristol’s outstanding visitor offering.” Kathryn Davis, head of tourism at Destination Bristol, added: “We are thrilled that Bristol has been chosen as the host destination. This relationship is critical in our work with the travel trade, and essential in realising our ambitions to develop a robust and sustainable visitor economy, supporting and developing careers now and in the future. To be chosen to host such a prestigious event is a real testament to the strong partnerships in the region, and businesses of all sizes who work so hard in the tourism, cultural and hospitality sectors.”

From 1 April, the importation, retail, sale and use of petro-based single-use plastic will be banned in Barbados. The popular destination, which attracted 623,293 visitors in 2018, is committed to the fight against pollution and joins the list of countries attempting to halt the use of plastic. "Banning single-use plastics goes some way to ensuring the protection of our pristine beaches,” said Cheryl Carter at Barbados Tourism Marketing. “Continuing to attract guests is our priority as we seek to enhance our sustainable credentials and be an environmentally friendly destination.” The minister of maritime affairs Kirk Humphrey explained that, with effect from 1 January 2020, there will be a ban on all petro-based plastic bags, except those used for the packaging of medicines, for hygiene and food preservation. “Barbados has to be a value-driven country,” he said. “We want to be fossil-fuel free by 2030; when we speak to the world we want to speak as an environmentally friendly country. These are the things that we must do if our words and our actions are to be aligned.”

• ukinbound.org

• sustainable-caribbean.com

CONFERENCE COUP

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the delicious guide



the best places in Bristol to eat, drink and enjoy

The Watersmeet Hotel in Woolacombe is a four star hotel on the waters edge with an indoor and outdoor pool & spa. Our two restaurants include a bistro and a fine dining option both with stunning views to the sea.

The Delicious Guide to Bristol featuring all our fave eateries and foodie treateries is available online at our website

Our current ‘Ramblers Package’ offer is superb value and a great time to visit the North Devon coast in Spring

www.thebristolmag.co.uk

The fabulous 3 night break includes the following:

THE

BRISTOL

• delux sea view room • 3 course dinner • complimentary cream tea • £715 per couple

MAGAZINE

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TRAVEL | FESTIVALS

Meadows in the Mountains looks pretty dreamy, no? (Image by Aron Klein)

Escape to...

Secret Solstice in Iceland oďŹ&#x20AC;ers glacier raves, surreal 24-hour sunshine and much more (image by Liam Simmons)

EUROPE Whether or not you thought the Brexit break-up was for the best, if you want to show some continental love, there are a few fab European festivals to consider. No hard feelings, eh?

Watch the sun rise from behind the ancient fortress walls that contain EXIT festival

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All the delights at Dutch performing arts festival Lowlands (image by Bart Heemskerk)

n the name of topicality, we thought we’d do a little research into European festivals this year, especially some of the lesser-known ones. Although, perhaps they aren’t lesser-known to you – maybe we at Bristol Mag HQ are just that uncool. Either way, we found all sorts for every kind of audience and all types of musical/cultural taste – and are now just a hop, skip and a mouse-click away from booking. That is, once we can settle on which one to attend...

Sea Star Festival, Croatia

Get your Serbian groove on in the EXIT dance arena

24 & 25 May; seastarfestival.com Superstar DJs and Mediterranean pool parties sound like your thing? This coastal dance extravaganza comes courtesy of the crack team behind EXIT, so it’s no surprise that it’s been nominated in the Best Medium Sized Festival category in this year’s European Festival Awards – less than two years after its first edition (it was also nominated for Best New Festival last year). Sea Star will return in 2019 to the idyllic Stella Maris lagoon in Umag, with special opening and closing parties, over 70 artists across six stages – from local Balkan heroes to international superstars – and seriously high production values all wrapped up in a Mediterranean paradise. And if you need a time-out from dancing, Umag’s historic Baroque and Renaissance buildings and winding streets are a real hive of quaint bars and restaurants. Still, it shouldn’t be long before you’re drawn back to the lagoon with that infectious 4/4 pulse nearby… Acts announced so far include Nina Kraviz, Sven Vath and Illario Alicante.

Meadows in the Mountains, Bulgaria 6 – 9 June; meadowsinthemountains.com If you ask us, this one sounds pretty flippin’ special. Guests in the Bulgarian village of Polkovnik (you can opt to stay with the villagers themselves or bed down within the forest), MITM festival-goers get a diverse musical offering across four stages as well as the chance to experience sunrise from above the clouds making the Rhodope Mountains. The wellbeing area has a diverse schedule with yoga classes plus workshops on everything from plant-based medicine to tarot, soulful celebrations with chanting, a cacao ceremony, and the village choir of local ‘babas’ dressed in full traditional attire alongside Kukeri dancers.

Secret Solstice, Iceland 21 – 24 June; secretsolstice.is Glacier raves and surreal midnight sunshine in one of the world’s most beautiful countries – yes please. If a unique experience is top of the priority list, get thee to Secret Solstice in Reykjavik, where the sun doesn’t set for the whole 96 hours, and pool parties in bright sunshine during the wee hours are the norm. As well as offering an eclectic line-up of US, European and local acts (Rita Ora, Morcheeba and Pussy Riot among those announced so far) the carbon-neutral festival prides itself on using Iceland’s breathtaking natural spaces and rugged landscape as a backdrop so that, while the main stage hosts many of the blockbuster acts, there are literal underground vibes to be enjoyed in the glaciers and a 5,000-year-old lava tunnel. Catch DJ sets in naturally heated lagoons or at bucket-list boat parties while marvelling at glistening waterfalls, black sand beaches, caves and vast volcanic fields on special day trips.

EXIT Festival, Serbia

Get loose and head down the rabbit hole near Nijmegen – where adventure, forest meditation and psychedelia await

4 – 7 July; exitfest.org For four days every summer, the 17th-century Petrovaradin Fortress opens its gates for this award-winning music festival in Serbia’s second city, Novi Sad. This year it’s hosting the likes of The Cure, Carl Cox, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. EXIT began in 2000 as a student protest fighting for political change, and over the years it’s grown into one of Europe’s biggest festivals, with thousands partying in the citadel, perched high on a cliff overlooking the River Danube. The sense of activism lingers in the air, and each year has a specific theme (it was freedom in 2018). The line-up is undeniably diverse, with 20 outdoor stages featuring death metal, pop, indie, reggae, techno and everything in between, among cobbled paths, courtyards, grass verges, ramparts and underground tunnels. The dance arena is the hub – ravers in the fortress moat energetically await the moment the sun rises above the ancient walls. After Nina Kraviz closed EXIT 2018 with an extended set until 9am, she declared it one of the most special places on Earth.

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Down The Rabbit Hole, Netherlands 5 – 7 July; rabbitresort.nl Editors, Underworld, Thom Yorke, Foals, Robyn, Skepta, The Roots, Vampire Weekend and Beruit join Down The Rabbit Hole attendees in 2019 – for the adventure, surrealism and psychedelia that has been an inspiration for rockers, artists, designers and filmmakers since pop culture got unchained in the Sixties. Dine in restaurants from all corners of the earth, meditate in the forest, swim, strum by the campfire, discover hidden discos and have a ball with brand-new bands and classic artists. Get loose, maintain an open mind and stay sustainable: the Rabbit Hole is all about keeping it green and clean. Take your own camping gear or rent luxurious digs at the Rabbit Resort near Nijmegen – let’s get ready to tumble...

Lollapalooza, France 20 & 21 July; lollaparis.com Beginning as a US-only festival, Lollapalooza has grown beyond the American event circuit to additional cities including Paris, to which it was introduced in 2016. It has varied French cuisine plus art exhibitions and it makes an effort to be eco-friendly – there’s also a space dedicated to those who want to learn how to help the world around them. This year notable acts at Hippodrome de Longchamp include The Strokes, The 1975, Jaden Smith, Ben Harper and Twenty One Pilots.

Will you make it your mission to get to MITM? (Image by Jack Pasco)

Father John Misty will be playing this year’s Flow Festival (image by Emma Tillman)

OFF, Poland 2 – 4 August; off-festival.pl This boutique festival values experimentation and diversity above everything else – founder Artur Rojek’s hands-on vision inspires many ambitious promoters. OFF takes place in the ‘Valley of Three Ponds’, Katowice – a green hideaway in the industrial Silesia region. Popular trends tend to be ignored in favour of a curated programme of esteemed artists. The event was born back in 2006 as a way for Rojek to indulge his passion for sharing music, even if that meant a black metal band would play next to a techno DJ, a post-punk act, avant-garde noise-rock, hip-hop or jazz. With international underground heroes and forward-thinking creatives, it aims for a meeting of minds.

Flow, Finland 9 – 11 August; flowfestival.com Held in the disused Suvilahti power station, built in the early 1900s, Flow is a pretty cool Nordic customer. A short walk from the centre of Helsinki, its industrial architectural site is brought to life with light design and decoration. The music ranges from indie and rock to soul and jazz; folk to contemporary club sounds – from both the Finnish and the international scenes. This year it’s attracted quite the line-up – think The Cure, Tame Impala, Father John Misty, Robyn and more. It’s also about urban spaces, visual arts, film, talks and design as well as food and drink. Spot the Balloon 360° landmark – a gigantic pressurised balloon of a stage.

Lowlands, Netherlands 16 – 18 August; lowlands.nl Something of a rite of passage for the Dutch since 1993, Lowlands takes place in rural Biddinghuizen – only an hour away from Amsterdam if you want to add in a city break either side of the shindig. It’s a weekender where music, arts and culture collide, with installations, theatre, comedy, film, debates and even science workshops. Each stage is covered for partying come rain or shine, and the ‘Armadillo’ area offers quirky bars, DJ booths and artisan restaurant areas that outrank your regular festival stalls. The Dutch are known as expert organisers, and Lowlands is a smooth operator, intuitively laid out with decent facilities. It’s a bit of a ‘lost weekend’ too, with no day tickets, so once you arrive you’re all in...

Sea Dance Festival, Montenegro 30 August – 1 September; seadancefestival.me The third sibling in the EXIT family, Sea Dance bottles some of the magic of its older sister’s dance stages, transporting it to the golden beach of Budva on the Adriatic coast. Even as a relatively new addition to the festival scene, Sea Dance has reputation for securing big names in electro. Top tip: Montenegro was recently listed by Skyscanner as the number-one cheap holiday destination, with mountain biking, hiking and watersports also available for those with all the energy. ■

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Bulgaria’s mountain celebration has workshops on plantbased medicine, plus soulful celebrations with the village choir in full traditional attire (image by Jack Pasco)

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY The company designs, develops and consults on physical, mobile, desktop and console games, from large projects to smaller rapid-prototypes

Image by Remco Merbis

TIME TO CHANGE

WELL ORCHESTRATED

Bristol City Council has pledged to become a Time to Change employer to support people in opening up about mental health problems. Time to Change is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and by signing the pledge, the council is committing to change the way it thinks about workplace mental health and lead by example, encouraging others to sign up. The One City plan, which has set shared goals for the city over the coming decades, wants all businesses in the city signed up by 2033. It plans to build on existing policies that support employee wellbeing and provide training for managers. The council’s executive directors will also champion mental health throughout the organisation and signposting to support will be more easily available. “This is an issue we can’t afford to ignore and we need to create a workplace culture where we are all confident to open up the conversation,” said Mayor Marvin Rees. “The work we do can play a big role in our mental health and there are many ways in which employers can support their staff.”

Bristol Symphony has raised £5,241 over the past year, in support of the St Peter’s Hospice Room to Care Appeal. Through a series of events the orchestra found various ways to raise funds, as well as help create an awareness of the appeal. In January 2018 the players gave up alcohol for a month in a sponsored Lose the Booze campaign, raising £1,135; in June they offered up their conductor, William Goodchild, as an auction lot at the St Peter’s Hospice ruby dinner and bidding ended at £600 in exchange for a conducting masterclass. The year ended with a major fundraiser ‘Night at The Opera’ concert at Clifton Cathedral. Through a combination of ticket and programme sales, retiring collection and a grand raffle, (with thanks to Longborough Festival Opera for the donated prize), the orchestra was able to raise a further £2,227.62. The talented musical bunch is proud to have been able to work with the charity to help raise funds – and it sounds like they’ve had a fun year into the bargain!

• time-to-change.org.uk

• bristolsymphonyorchestra.com

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CHANGING THE GAMING LANDSCAPE Indie games developer Auroch Digital has attracted significant funding from investors at Bristol Private Equity Club. Based in Stokes Croft near the Bristol Games Hub, Auroch Digital is a worldleading independent development studio and games consultant, set up by Tomas and Debbie Rawlings in 2010. The company has now attracted £200,000 investment from BPEC – augmented with additional funds from other investors including mobile gaming giant Miniclip. The company designs, develops and consults on games on a range of platforms, from physical games to mobile, desktop and console, from large projects to smaller rapid-prototypes. “We’re using the investment to fund new original intellectual property games,” said Tomas Rawlings, design and production director. “What this investment allows us to do is take our creativity and development skills to the next level and invest in two new, totally original game ideas. We've got huge ambitions for new titles. The newest IP we’re building up was backed by the UK Games Fund, which gave us a huge boost when we started talking to investors. Having Miniclip onboard is a major vote of confidence in our ideas, the team and our plans for the future.” The company currently employs around 15 people – depending on specific project requirements. “Game development has emerged from relatively humble beginnings to become a major worldwide growth industry,” said Allan Rosengren from Bristol Private Equity Club. “Auroch Digital is clearly a major force in this market and has already established impressive connections to some truly global brands. The company is constantly evolving and our investors are always keen to identify businesses capable of keeping pace with these rapidly advancing technologies.” • For more information, visit aurochdigital.com; bristolprivateequityclub.com

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MOTORING

She’s electric This month, Bristol Audi previews something rather special...

o we have it: 2019 looks dead-set to be the year of the electric car, with the arrival of several high-class batterypowered automobiles. One that needs to be on the radar is Audi’s new e-tron – its first fully electric series-production model and a full-size SUV that combines sportiness and everyday usability and has two electric motors together with electric all-wheel drive for awesome performance and agile handling. With a range of charging options for home and on the move, those behind the wheel can enjoy fully electric driving without compromise. The e-tron offers the spaciousness and comfort of one of the brand’s typical full-size models, with ample space for five occupants and their luggage, and exemplifies the driving experience of a new technological era with efficiency, performance and quiet tranquility. “We are delighted to have the all-new, all-electric Audi e-tron here from 11 – 13 March,” says Steve Smith, head of business at Bristol Audi, on its preview event. “Yet again our great city has been recognised as one of the most progressive in the UK and hence it was one of the selected preview destinations. Bristol welcomes the zeroemission vehicle you will want to be seen in but won’t be heard in!” The motors drive the SUV powerfully, free of emissions, and almost silently, with a system output of up to 300 kW and 664 Nm of torque. The maximum drive torque is available within fractions of a second and provides enormous pulling power – it completes the standard sprint in 5.7 seconds, with an electronically-limited top speed of 200 km/h (124.3 mph). Expect superlative traction and handling on any terrain and in any conditions. In most cases, the SUV tends to use its rear electric motor to achieve the highest efficiency. If the driver demands more power than it can supply, the all-wheel drive redistributes torque as required to the front axle. This also happens predictively even before slips occur in icy conditions or when cornering fast, or if the car understeers or oversteers. The e-tron covers more than 400km on a single charge and does away with traditional door mirrors; replacing them with live video feed from hi-tech cameras. The virtual exterior wing mirrors – a worldwide first in a series production model – have a small camera integrated into each mirror support, whose images are displayed on high-contrast OLED displays inside the vehicle. The large high-voltage battery in the Audi e-tron can store up to 95 kWh of energy; there is generally no need to stop at charging stations during everyday driving. On long trips, drivers can use fast charging stations to charge with direct current at up to 150 kW – a first for series- production automobiles – so they’re all set for the next long-distance stretch in approximately half an hour. ■

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 27th March from 6pm – 8pm. Contact Cheralyn Dark for details: efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk

The new e-tron preview event runs 11 – 13 March at Bristol Audi, Lysander Road, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol BS10 7FF Tel: 0117 958 1450; bristolaudi.co.uk

For further information about the course please visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2019/ssl/msc-strategychange-leadership/ 76 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

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

Celebrity Dusty Duck Trail Saturday 30 March – 6 May, 9am – 5.30pm Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucester See a very different flock of ducks landing at Slimbridge this Easter – they’re kind of a big thing. The 14 giant Dusty Ducks have been designed by Aardman with celebrities including the wild, Deadly 60 sensation Steve Backshall, the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley, naturalist Chris Packham and wildlife specialist Kate Humble. Price is included in admission ticket and free to WWT members. • wwt.org.uk

Top pick... DON’T MISS... Bing Live! Saturday 2 – Monday 4 March, times vary, Redgrave Theatre Calling all Bingsters! Bing and his friends are coming to the city in the first-ever Bing stage show. Join Bing, Sula, Coco and Panda as they learn how to tell stories by pretending, dressing up and singing songs. Perfect for preschoolers as their first theatre show but suitable for Bingsters of all ages. Children over 12 months old will need a child’s ticket. £17.50, £15.50 concession; redgravetheatre.com MiniBeats: Brilliant Brass Sunday 3 March, 10.15am, St George’s Bristol Join Laura Tanner and brilliant brass players from the Bristol Ensemble for a musical journey through the history of brass instruments. Learn about the instruments of the brass family, including fascinating facts about how they work, listen to exciting sounds, from fanfares to film music and join in during the show. Stay afterwards for the chance to try out some of the instruments. Recommended for ages three to five. £6; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Leonardo: Fantastic Creatures for Home Educating Families Thursday 14 March, 1.30 – 2.45pm, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery See real sketches made by Leonardo in the Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing exhibition. See his awesome animals and then explore the museum, looking for inspiration to create your own fantastic creature masks. Parent or guardian supervision required. Suitable for five to seven years. Advance

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booking is essential. £7; bristolmuseums.org.uk

Adults free, children £8; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

A Play in a Day Sunday 17 March, 9.30am – 5pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres Create a play in a day and perform A Midsummer’s Night Dream at 4.30pm. Working as an ensemble you will devise, direct and create a short performance that will be shared with family and friends at the end of the day. This is an active and physical workshop – expect story making, movement, drama and performance. All are welcome. No previous experience necessary. Make sure to bring a packed lunch and snacks. Wear comfortable clothing and footwear. Recommended for eight to 11-year-olds. £40; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Nutty Noah Sunday 24 March, 11am and 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market With his own serving of side-splitting nuttiness, Noah’s award-winning show includes cheeky original songs, crazy juggling and amazing magic for children aged three to eight, and their families. Ask nicely and he may even balance a ping pong ball on the end of his nose. Ages two and under go free, £8; thewardrobetheatre.com

Annie Tuesday 19 – 23 March, times vary, Bristol Hippodrome Join brave young Annie as she is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. But her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Running time two hours and 30 minutes including interval. Suitable for over twos. Tickets from £19.50; atgtickets.com TYNTEtots: The Little Red Hen Wednesday 20 March, 10 – 11.45am, Tyntesfield Estate Sow seeds, play with farmyard friends, create your own paper chick to take home with you and hear the story of The Little Red Hen. Suitable for ages two to five; tiny tots are welcome and go free of charge when accompanying an older sibling or companion. Appropriate outdoor clothing is essential.

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The Bristol Sessions Youth Choir Tuesday 26 March, 4.30 – 6.30pm, The Elmgrove Centre A brand-new contemporary pop choir in the heart of the city, The Bristol Sessions Youth Choir is holding auditions for budding new vocalists to work with its excellent choir leaders and mentors. These auditions are suitable for ages 12 to 19. Expect a fun and collaborative audition, where you can get the opportunity to shine. The choir is set to launch on 9 April. To apply to audition contact: bristolsessionsuk@gmail.com; bristolsessions.co.uk Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain Friday 29 – 31 March, times vary, Redgrave Theatre Prepare yourselves for Horrible Histories on stage with a brand new West End show that has never toured before. Be reduced to rubble by the ruthless Romans, mount a mutiny against King Henry VIII, see Mary Tudor knock the spots off Mary Queen of Scots, take a trip into the night with the night soil men and discover how to survive the first ever train ride. It’s the history of Britain with the nasty

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

DON’T MISS: An Easter egg hunt at Tyntesfield Estate

Image by Paul Coltas

Join brave Annie at Bristol Hippodrome

bits left in. Suitable for children over five. Running time one hour five minutes with no interval. £16; redgravetheatre.com Autism-Friendly Early Opening Sunday 31 March, 9 – 10.30am, We The Curious Enjoy an hour and a half of exploring the exhibits at your own pace, chat about your discoveries and take part in some intriguing activities. There will also be an autism-friendly show in the planetarium at 10.15am (suitable for over fives). The show will be in 2D, with softer music, the lights on and doors open.

Tickets £5.50 with gift aid; wethecurious.org The Gibbs Family Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt Saturday 6 April, 10am – 3.30pm, Tyntesfield Estate Find out more about the family of William Gibbs, who lived at Tyntesfield in the 1800s. Match William’s family portraits with each member of his family and have a go at Victorian activities along the way. Plus, there will be a tasty treat waiting for you at the end. Appropriate outdoor clothing is essential. £3 per trail, normal admission applies; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

Stella and The Starshiners Saturday 6 – 10 April, 11am and 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market In a secret place stands the tallest mountain in the world. On the peak of the mountain sits a tiny little village and in the centre of the village leans the tallest ladder in the world. At the bottom of that ladder is Stella. Stella is afraid of heights. Reach for the stars and enjoy this tale about bravery and overcoming the things that stop us from really looking up. Recommended for ages three to eight and their families. Ages two and under go free, £8; thewardrobetheatre.com n

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

MAX RESPECT

Bristol Museum oﬀered ground-breaking ideas and stimulating opportunities to explore writing in a new environment

Image by Tomas Cohen

BEING THE CHANGE

FOLLOW MY LEAD

Elena Spaven, a Year 13 student at Redmaids’ High School, has raised nearly £500 for charity with photographs taken on a school trip to Nepal. She held a private exhibition of 60 photos, which included striking and colourful images of Nepalese people going about their daily lives. Thirty were bought by members of the public to raise money for ‘Be the Change’, which helps bring meaningful economic and social change to disaster-struck villages across the world. Sixth Form students travelled to Nepal with the charity – founded by school alumna Linda Cruse – helping a community recover their village following a devastating earthquake. “It was an amazing opportunity to feel like you were directly helping people visibly in need,” Elena says. “I’ll never forget this trip, the amazing people that surrounded me, and the people who inspired me.”

Want to become a better leader? The University of Bristol is holding an open evening on 27 March, for its part-time MSc in strategy, change and leadership – a practical master’s degree giving a thorough grounding in leading high-performing teams, managing change and developing robust strategic direction. The programme has been designed to deliver a return on investment from day one and is designed to fit around the demands of a busy job. Gain a broader perspective on the complexities within organisations and the issues affecting success and failure. The programme will also help you understand how to enhance your own impact as a leader, develop deep understanding of how to deal with change and uncertainty, and increase your ability to think about organisational issues and opportunities in different ways.

• redmaidshigh.co.uk

• efim-scl@bristol.ac.uk

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Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has been chosen as a host venue for creative writing initiative the MaxLiteracy Awards. Bristol is one of four hosts nationally receiving award funding for a professional writer to work with a local school on a creative writing or literacy project, taking inspiration from the venue’s collections, displays or building. Funded by the Max Reinhardt Charitable Trust, MaxLiteracy brings together writers, schools, galleries, art museums and visual arts venues to develop new ways of teaching creative writing. Bristol’s project, being worked on until this month, will see links developed with local teachers and schools and literacy activities for a range of abilities created and piloted. It also aims to encourage the greater use of the museum by schools for creative writing and literacy work and build on recent successful creative writing workshops that have inspired Bristol Museum to make literacy the over-arching focus of its entire learning programme. “As a teacher I often find the most stimulating learning experiences happen outside of the classroom,” says Councillor Anna Keen, cabinet member for education and skills at Bristol City Council. “Immersing children in different environments is essential to widen their horizons and engage their creativity, something this project clearly puts at the core of its activity. I am delighted that Bristol Museum and Art Gallery has been selected and that our local schools will have another opportunity to benefit from the excellent work our museum learning team undertake.’’ The awards are run in partnership by Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education and the National Association for Writers in Education (NAWE). • bristolmuseums.org.uk

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Call 01225 743 566 or visit www.CalderHouseSchool.co.uk

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes: An era of new hope

ver the past 30 years, the number of people in the UK with type 2 diabetes has rapidly increased. One in ten adults now has the condition, meaning the chances are high that you, or someone close to you, will have been diagnosed. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes brings with it a worry of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, visual problems, nerve damage, and even amputation. However, it doesn’t need to be this way. At Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, we are working to help change the story of type 2 diabetes by supporting people to take back control of their health. Type 2 diabetes is now known to be a reversible condition, and with this comes an era of new hope. Dr Campbell Murdoch from Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital explains more: “20 years ago, when I was at medical school, I was taught that type 2 diabetes was progressive. This meant that once someone had type 2 diabetes, it would only get worse. Therefore, as a doctor, my job was to try to help make the best of a bad situation. This did not provide me or my patients with much hope. However, today the message to my patients is completely different. I tell them that type 2 diabetes can be significantly improved. Many of them are able to come off their diabetes medication, while also achieving normal blood sugars once again. This is called type 2 diabetes remission. The story of type 2 diabetes is now very different, and it’s a far more hopeful and inspiring situation.” Dr Murdoch comes to Nuffield Health with a range of other professional roles, which include working for NHS England and Public Health England. He is also the Chief Medical Officer for the website Diabetes.co.uk, and is a clinical adviser to the Royal College of General Practitioners. He continues: “My personal drive is to put my efforts into optimising individual and 84 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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population health and wellbeing. This is why it is such a privilege to have joined the team at Nuffield Health with its core aim to build a healthier nation, and champion the health of the individual. I’ve found the secret to success for my patients is when we focus on what truly matters to them. Then, having the support and resources to move towards their goals is when the inspiring life changes happen.” There are some key ingredients that make reversing type 2 diabetes more likely. Dr Murdoch suggests getting the best results requires an individualised approach, but there are common themes. Understanding your own physiology with blood tests, such as insulin level, gives you clarity on the lifestyle choices that will be most effective for you. Tracking how your body changes with the tests will also show that you are on the path to better health. Equally important is being clear on your individual needs and goals, as well as your preferences, options and choices. By combining all these components with the right support, a successful and enjoyable journey is far more likely. Dr Murdoch goes on to say: “With the right awareness, knowledge and support, everyone can make significant improvements to their type 2 diabetes. Around 50% of people manage to put their type 2 diabetes into remission. If we get the management plan right, then the lifestyle changes needed to achieve the improvement in blood sugar should also be enjoyable. I believe that if we do things right we should be able to achieve a good day today, and a healthier future. I am constantly learning from my patients, about what works and what doesn’t for different people. One of the greatest joys in my work is seeing people’s blood sugar improve and being able to take them off medication.” At Nuffield Health, we are committed to supporting you on your journey to better health. We have a range of services to help meet your needs within the hospital and

across our local network of gyms in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. In addition to supporting people to improve their type 2 diabetes, we can also help with conditions such as prediabetes, sustained weight loss, and optimised health and wellbeing. If you have type 2 diabetes, or feel you could be at risk of developing it, and would like to book an appointment with Dr Murdoch, please telephone the Bookings team at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital on 0300 131 1413, or visit our website: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

Expert in type 2 diabetes and metabolic health, Dr Campbell Murdoch.

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

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10A Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1PD 0117 405 8695 e: bristol@efmedispa.com w: www.efmedispa,com/bristol

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 85

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HEALTH & WELLBEING NEWS FROM THE SECTOR

We’re liking his thinking of Kings’ founder and director

PUCKER UP Chanel is releasing its new lipstick range Rouge Coco Chanel this month. Combining vibrant flashes of colour and shine with comfort, this 27wide collection focuses on providing luminous colour instantly upon application. We’re told we can expect hydration that lasts for up to eight hours from this lovely little lot, formulated with a combination of plant butter and oils that melt onto the lips. What’s more, there are also three limited edition translucent top coats to layer on top of all the lipsticks, making it nice and easy to enhance, heat up or add depth to shades.

REDEFINING MASCULINITY New men’s fragrance and grooming brand, Kings, is on a mission to inspire and empower men to live healthier and happier lives. “Having always suffered from social anxiety, I found that during my mid-twenties, this progressed to high levels of anxiety, stress and a period of depression,” says founder Blué O’Connor, out of whose own personal struggle with mental health the brand was born. “I felt an overwhelming sense of shame, believed it was down to me to solve this problem, and that I had to do it alone.” The Bristol start-up also helps fund two charities, Mentoring Plus and Bristol Mind, as well as the national male suicide prevention charity CALM. All products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free and approved by the Vegan Society and Cruelty Free Bunny. It’s also independently owned and ethically made in Britain. All products are paraben and palmoil free and contain natural essential oils. This environmentally sustainable grooming company looks to help redefine masculinity. “My aim for Kings is that the brand itself will encourage men to challenge the unhealthy, unrealistic ideas society holds about masculinity,” continues the founder and director. “Ideas that often contribute to men’s anxiety and low mood.” He wants to “empower men to think independently, break the mold and live by their own definition of ‘being a man’.” Blué, we’re right behind you! • kings-grooming.com

GET SET FOR SPRING The beauty buffs at Stila recently released their spring 2019 collection – full of products that, on application, are delightfully different to how they initially appear. There’s a ‘marbleous’ face gloss that contains three shades to create a subtle, multi-dimensional sheen; liquid eye shadow that starts out as a white sparkle and transforms into luminescent, pastel-inspired shades that glisten on the lids; and a loose setting powder spray that sets make-up. We’re into the Lingerie Soufflé – an opulently whipped and refreshingly lightweight tint to even out skin tone and created a fresh-faced look. Not to mention that it’s infused with over 70% water and coconut water to help keep skin hydrated all day long. • Lingerie Soufflé, £30; Shade Mystère Face Gloss, £24, Stila;

harveynichols.com

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• Rouge Coco Flash (launches on 8 March), £31 each, Chanel; chanel.com

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Acupuncture for Hayfever

According to the World Health Organisation, Acupuncture offers an effective solution to hayfever sufferers. Elle Fox answers for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine). “Acupuncture is more effective than antihistamine drugs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Acupuncture’s lack of side-effects is a distinct advantage in treating this condition…” World Health Organisation If you are a sufferer you will have experienced the misery this “seasonal allergic rhinitis” brings to millions of people every year. Hayfever is an allergic reaction to airborne substances, such as pollen that get into the eyes, nose, sinuses and throat. The name hayfever is misleading because symptoms don't just occur in autumn when hay is gathered and never include fever. Symptoms are similar to those of a heavy cold including runny nose, sneezing and watery, itchy eyes. Some people are allergic to early tree blossoms, while some get hayfever later in the year from rape or grasses (such as timothy grass). Although some individuals are considered genetically predisposed to certain allergic reactions, most people develop hayfever symptoms when their immune system becomes altered as a result of factors such as stress, poor sleep, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies and exposure to medications, vaccinations and environmental toxins. Acupuncture is one of the gentlest, most effective and least invasive treatments to

address hayfever and sinusitis; it precisely targets the affected tissues, regulates the blood flow and restores the body’s natural antihistamine production and healthy immune response in the upper airways. A recent randomised controlled clinical trial carried out by the Lishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine found that a treatment programme of acupuncture and herbal medicine resulted in a 91.1% effective alleviation of allergic rhinitis. Once an Acupuncturist has reached a diagnosis, very fine Acupuncture needles are placed in specific Acupuncture points along channels called meridians, which relate to the major organs within the body. In hayfever treatment it is common for the lung and stomach organs and their associated meridians to be addressed. Acupuncture needles may also be placed locally on the scalp or retained in the ear using ‘seeds’. The needles are retained for up to 25 minutes, during which time many people experience an extreme sense of relaxation and relief. “There are high-quality randomised controlled trials that demonstrate efficacy and effectiveness for acupuncture in the treatment of both seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis.” says Malcolm Taw, Assoc. Clinical Professor at the University of California. Y ou can also improve your hayfever symptoms by keeping your body as free from toxins as possible: eating local, seasonal, minimally processed wholefoods and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, smoking and refined sugars, drinking plenty of water and keeping regular daily bowel habits. Sugar consumption, in particular can aggravate blood sugar levels which can cause adrenalin spikes with a resulting increase in histamine – not what any hayfever sufferer would want! If you choose an Acupuncturist who has also been trained in Naturopathy, they will

have the additional set of skills to help guide you. As well as tongue and pulse diagnosis, they may use Herbal Medicine, Iridology, Nutrition and Homeopathic remedies. They will tailor-make a naturopathic plan for you that not only includes Acupuncture, but supportive dietary and lifestyle advice, so that you can address all the issues which may be contributing to or aggravating your hayfever. So if you suffer from hayfever, Naturopathic Acupuncture may be an appropriate therapy for you to explore. If you’d like to find out more about training with CNM as a Naturopathic Acupuncturist, a highly rewarding career which gives you the chance to make a real, positive difference to people’s lives, come along to an Open Morning at CNM Bristol. Elle Fox, Naturopath for the College of Naturopathic Medicine

Attend a FREE Open Morning 16th March, 2019 GeoffBristol Don to find out about training with CNM for a career as a Naturopathic Nutritionist (in class and online) or as a Naturopathic Acupuncturist.

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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.

MARCH 2019

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MARCH 2019

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WILD BRISTOL

Brown hares – which are most active at night, but decidedly jumpy during the day too – have suﬀered at the hands of agricultural intensification

Golden brown It’s the time for mad March hares, says Pete Dommett, if you can find one, that is

o you remember Masquerade? Like a lot of children who grew up in the late ’70s and early ’80s, I was fascinated by this curious picture-cum-puzzle book. Each page concealed clues to the whereabouts of a jewelled, golden hare that author and illustrator, Kit Williams, had hidden somewhere in the British countryside. It sparked a nationwide treasure hunt that lasted three years but, although I pored over the strange and compelling images for hours, I failed to fathom anything at all. Real hares can be just as hard to find. They’re most active at night, but decidedly jumpy during the day too. If disturbed, they flee at a famously quick lick, reaching speeds of 45mph on those long legs and earning them the title of the UK’s fastest land mammal. The brown hare (to give it its proper name) – like its smaller and commoner cousin, the rabbit – is not a native animal, however. It’s thought to have been introduced to Britain in Roman times, or even earlier, but is now considered to be fully one of ‘ours’. In fact, we only have one indigenous species of lagomorph (the scientific order that rabbits and hares belong to) – the mountain hare of the north of England and Scottish Highlands. March is the month for hares behaving madly, of course, which means they can be more visible at this time of year. The sight of a pair haring around a field, before squaring up on their hind legs and indulging in a bout of ‘boxing’, is a must-see spectacle of early spring. Until fairly recently, this bizarre display was assumed to be two males fighting for mating rights, but is now known to be a female hare (or ‘Jill’) fending off the advances of an overly amorous ‘Jack’ and, in the process, testing his strength and suitability as a potential partner. Mad then or just boxing clever? The brown hare’s breeding season lasts from now until September, during which time three or four litters may be produced with up to 90 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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four leverets in each. These arrive fully furred and with eyes wide open (unlike rabbit kittens which are born blind and naked). The young are raised in shallow scrapes on the ground, known as ‘forms’, rather than in burrows beneath it. To avoid detection by predators (like foxes, badgers and crows), the leverets lie motionless in these hollows with their ears pressed flat along their backs. Forms are also used by hares to shelter and hide in throughout the rest of the year. Like so much wildlife, brown hares have suffered at the hands of

...The sight of a pair squaring up on their hind legs and indulging in a bout of ‘boxing’ is a must-see spectacle of early spring... agricultural intensification. The loss of traditional, mixed farmland has meant a lack of optimal habitat for hares, but they can still be found in the fields surrounding Bristol. Avon Wildlife Trust’s reserves at Folly Farm, Clapton Moor and Walton Common are all home to hares, as is the National Trust estate at Tyntesfield and even Bristol Airport. Dusk and dawn are the most likely times to see hares, so I took an early morning drive across the moors of North Somerset, stopping every now and again to scan the fields for a tell-tale set of long, blacktipped ears. I spotted several roe deer, a few buzzards feeding on worms, plenty of pheasants and a rabbit, but not one hare. I’ll just have to keep on searching for this national treasure. ■

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GARDENING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

The ancient tor as seen from the west: it has an air of unreality and unworldliness

Glastonbury: a place apart An area of great history and healing, myth and mysticism, where the tang of incense hangs in the air, this little Somerset town’s legends have left an indelible mark says Andrew Swift

any places have half-forgotten legends connected with them – Bath, for example, with Bladud and his pigs; Goram and Vincent in the Avon Gorge. In a few places, though, far from being half forgotten, the legends have taken over, and nowhere more so than in Glastonbury. Perhaps that is because, instead of mythical beings, they involve real – if somewhat shadowy – historical figures. There is nothing shadowy, however, about the impact they have had on this small Somerset town, where shop after shop sells rune stones, crystals, dragons and all manner of esoterica. The tang of incense hovers in the air. Paths to healing and enlightenment lurk at every corner. Long before you arrive, Glastonbury proclaims itself a place apart. The tor which rises 500 feet above the town is visible 20 miles away. Topped by the tower of a ruined church, it has an air of unreality. Two thousand years ago, when the surrounding levels routinely flooded, it would have looked even more unworldly. Then, the silver waters of a vast lake would have stretched to the horizon, and waves driven inland from the Bristol Channel would have lapped at the base of the tor. That is how it would have looked when the first of those shadowy figures made landfall here. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Jesus after his crucifixion, founded the first church in Britain here. Stepping onto dry land, he plunged his staff into the ground, where it took root and flowered. It is also said that he brought with him the chalice used at the Last Supper, which he hid in a well for safe keeping. The tree which sprang from Joseph’s staff became celebrated as the Glastonbury Thorn which flowered twice a year, in spring and at Christmas, while around his tiny church grew up a great abbey. In 1184, however, the abbey was destroyed by fire. Rebuilding work started straight away, but the scale of the project was huge – as was the cost. Because of the fire, pilgrim numbers had fallen sharply and the 92 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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money was running out – at which point the monks claimed they had discovered the tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. As luck would have it, the cult of Arthur – largely invented by an imaginative historian called Geoffrey of Monmouth a few years earlier – was at its height. Pilgrims and money flooded back in, the abbey arose more magnificent than before, and in 1278 Edward I attended a service marking Arthur and Guinevere’s reinterment. Over the next two and a half centuries the abbey grew ever more magnificent, ever more powerful. It all came to an horrific end in 1539, when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, and Richard Whiting, the last abbot, who refused to submit, was dragged on a hurdle to the top of the tor, there to be hanged, drawn and quartered. The abbey was plundered for building stone and, although a few curious visitors came to see its ivy-cloaked ruins, the town fell quiet. Then, in 1750, Matthew Chancellor, who lived in a nearby village and had long been afflicted with asthma, was told, in a dream, that if he drank from a chalybeate spring in Glastonbury he would be cured. He followed the advice, his asthma disappeared and, as word spread, people followed his example. By the following May, there were over 10,000 visitors in town, many claiming miraculous cures, and a pump room was built to accommodate them. 40 years later, long after the craze had run its course, the Rev Collinson, in his History of Somerset, declared that “the whole story had been designedly trumped up with a view of bringing custom to the town, which had strangely dwindled since the demolition of its abbey”. But, although the craze had passed, belief in the healing properties of the waters held firm. By now, the old legends, which had never really gone away, were starting to reassert themselves, and to be joined by a host of new ones. The iron-rich waters which had drawn so many to the town stained red the channels through which they flowed. This tied in neatly in with the legend of the hidden chalice, so it was natural that

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

the well from which they flowed became known as Chalice or Blood Well. By the late 19th century, Glastonbury was gaining a reputation as a place of myth and mysticism, and attracting increasing numbers of latter-day pilgrims. One of the unlikeliest was a prominent Bristol architect called Frederick Bligh Bond, who had worked on Clifton College and the University of Bristol. In 1908, the Church of England appointed him director of excavations at Glastonbury Abbey. At first all went well, until in 1919 he revealed that his investigations had been directed by spirit guides. Dismissed from his post, he became editor of the magazine Psychic Science, before becoming education secretary of the American Society for Psychical Research. By this time, such esoteric beliefs were in full spate. In 1927, an artist called Katharine Maltwood discovered a map of the constellations formed by landscape features around the town. She claimed that it had been laid out by Sumerians around 2700 BC. Landscape archaeologists have dismissed it as having no basis in reality, pointing out that many of the ‘prehistoric’ features had been created comparatively recently. Nevertheless, the ‘Glastonbury Zodiac’ has proved one of the most potent and popular of the newly discovered legends. Whatever your view of these myths, ancient and modern, they have left an indelible mark on this small Somerset town and on many of those who have come as pilgrims over the centuries. It is a place where legends somehow become tangible. Visiting the abbey, for example, where jackdaws croak on crumbling walls, you can see the spot where Arthur’s tomb was found. Scions of trees descended from the thorn that sprang from Joseph’s staff can still be seen in bloom. And walking out of town, past the pump house built to accommodate those teeming hordes who came in search of healing, you can drink from the spring at Chalice Well, and spend time in the gardens laid out around it as a ‘living sanctuary’. From there, you can climb the tor to look out across the levels to the western horizon. Glastonbury is, as it always was, a place apart; a place which, for whatever reason, has always seemed that bit special. ■

Glastonbury Abbey and, above, carvings on the north door of Lady Chapel

Just to let you know, I am delighted with my new kitchen; it “blows people away”. Everything about the project, from concept to installation was so professionally thought out. Your personal input to all of the above was immense and you should be very proud of the outcome. Many thanks. -Mr B Davies

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MARCH 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 93

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MINDFUL | INTERIORS

TIDY, LIKE: Organise by category rather than by room, drawer or area

Spark that joy... For those who haven’t seen the hit Netflix show or read the best-selling book, KonMari is big. Certified in the method of home organising, consultant Jennifer Dudfield breaks it down for us

aven’t you heard? All the celebs are doing it... Yep, we’re talking about tidying up. KonMari™ is big news at the moment due to the recent release of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo on Netflix. It’s a philosophy created by the Japanese home guru back in 2014 with the release of her debut book and its 2016 follow-up Spark Joy. The method is based on the idea that you should surround yourself in items that ‘spark joy’ for you and serve your life today, naturally discarding those items that don’t, for a decluttered life. We asked KonMari disciple Jenny Dudfield to delve deeper – here are her thoughts in full... The main principle is that you tidy once and for all and never revert to clutter again. It seems like a bold statement but it works. You commit to tidying in one go (or a limited amount of time, for example six months) so you address all of your belongings together. You only keep items that serve you. Once you have committed, the first step is to imagine the vision you have for your life (think big – it can be whatever you want, regardless of how out of reach it might currently seem). This will give you a goal to work towards, whether it be finding your keys before you leave your house without having to search for them, having a guilt-free, relaxing bath or free time to do all of the things you want to but don’t seem to have the time for. We tidy by category rather than by room, drawer or area. When you

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try to declutter by specific areas you will never get the full picture of your belongings and will not be able to address things holistically, resulting in rebound. Start with clothes, then books, paperwork, miscellaneous then sentimental – the most emotional category.

...When you try to declutter by specific areas you will never get the full picture of your belongings and will not be able to address things holistically... Finish going through your belongings first before deciding where to store things. You will be amazed at the space you will create just by thinking of new, different ways of organising, that will work so much better for you and how you actually use your home. When you store and organise you should store vertically, rather than in piles. This saves space, is much more attractive and makes it so much easier to see everything you own at a glance. It’s simpler to use each item and then put it back in its home afterwards.

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MINDFUL | INTERIORS

As one of 229 certified consultants over 31 different countries, I can officially coach and support my clients in the method, and help them lead their life with more time, a reduced to-do list and much less stress. Consultants go through rigorous training and testing to become certified, so clients can have confidence in the fact that we are the best at what we do. I support them in making decisions, working through belongings and implementing ways of storing those items that spark joy so that they have a home that works for them. I have always been fascinated by organising and what a difference it can make; my bedroom was very organised as a child. I was more interested in organising my toys than actually playing with them. My parents still joke that they used to ask me to wash up and then come into the kitchen three hours later and I would have rearranged all of the cupboards. My background is in management accounting for large corporations. I have always wanted to start my own business since I set up my own babysitting enterprise when I was 10! It wasn’t until I completed the KonMari method within my own home that I understood how life-changing it was and wanted to help other people. I started researching decluttering as a career and discovered there was a whole industry out there that I hadn’t realised existed. The method changed my life in far more ways than I can articulate. It is so much more than just tidying and organising. The benefits impact everything you do. You finally create head space to start addressing everything that causes you stress and have the confidence to deal with it. I was regularly stressed in my high-pressured corporate job; my to-do list was ever-growing and I didn’t seem to be able to get on top of anything. I was constantly rearranging things in my home, and it never seemed to end. I wasn’t enjoying any of the things I had booked in for fun at the weekends, I was just ‘getting through’ them then stressing about preparing for the next thing. I didn’t have time in the evenings; I was constantly exhausted and just had too much to do. It wasn’t until I went through the KonMari method in my home that I managed to let go of the past and move forward. I finally had the courage to leave the career that wasn’t sparking joy for me, start a new hobby, enjoy the time I was spending with my friends and say goodbye to everything that was causing me stress. I became more mindful, enjoying the little things that I never had time to even acknowledge, let alone appreciate. I had the courage to start my own business doing something that I love, that helps people, which I had only ever dreamed of before. I created time and happiness for myself. The benefits to your mental health are endless. When you have clutter around you, you can be distracted, overwhelmed and experience feelings of stress, anxiety and depression (to name a few). By properly decluttering you will reduce these, boost your mood and feel happier. Too much sensory information and chaos causes distraction. It can also make you embarrassed of your home, which adds to the stress and it all becomes harder to deal with. It’s a vicious cycle. While you sleep, parts of your brain are still processing external stimuli – the more clutter you have in your bedroom the more it will affect your subconscious. Energy will not flow well enough, affecting your sleep. Decluttering can boost productivity, creativity and increase your concentration. If you are too distracted or overwhelmed, you won’t have the space to be as creative as you can be. Organising can increase your self-confidence and self-esteem too – you can learn so much about yourself, learn to trust your decisions and learn to love yourself in the process. I didn’t even realise how much I was holding onto the past until I was faced with the belongings that were holding me back – things like toiletries from 1998 that were clearly never going to be used! A lot of the feelings we attach to belongings aren’t necessarily happy;

we hold on to these possessions because they are sentimental but these feelings subconsciously play on our mentality every time we come across them. Everything in your home should make you happy. With a kitchen that works for the way you use it, you can bring back your passion for cooking. With more time you can do the exercise or long Sunday afternoon stroll you haven’t been able to. The things we most fight about as households are mess and money. When you organise your home you address both of these issues. Family tensions can be reduced. Be aware of what you are bringing into your home and how you are consuming. Think of the amount of money you will save; knowing exactly what you have and where it is will prevent you buying duplicates. All those items you are holding onto, just in case, are taking up your valuable time and space and will be better used by people who really need them. Your environmental impact will also be improved as you learn about your behaviour and your home will become a lot safer with nothing to trip over! I have had so many clients who wanted to buy more furniture, storage, new kitchens or even move to a new house because they didn’t think they had enough room. With proper organisation you won’t need to do any of these things. It’s wonderful to see Marie in action; the Netflix show really helps bring the method to life, showcasing how it works in reality and the changes the method makes. The families are so different to each other; it just shows that anyone can benefit from good organisation, regardless of your set-up, background or level of clutter around you (everyone’s coping levels are different). The method is not about minimalism, or people who demonstrate hoarding behaviours, it is just normal people who need a bit of professional advice to make their homes work better for them. However, what the show doesn’t indicate is that there are certified consultants supporting the families behind the scenes every step of the way. So, get started. Whatever is holding you back, don’t let it. If it feels like too much you can break the categories down into smaller subcategories – do your tops first, then trousers, rather than all of your clothes together.

...While you sleep, parts of your brain are still processing external stimuli – the more clutter you have in your bedroom the more it will affect your subconscious.... As we are understanding the impact that clutter has on us more and more, we are coveting a simpler life. People are starting to recognise that simplicity is beneficial, so I think our homes are going to start reflecting that in 2019. When you understand yourself and your style better you can start curating a home you are proud to show off. Although I am fascinated by interiors and design I strongly believe in individuality and not necessarily Instagram-worthy interiors. It is about real life. I advocate surrounding yourself in things that make you happy, and this doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but you. ■

• sparkserenity.com THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MARCH 2019

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INTERIORS | INTERVIEW

As a result of Brexit combined with factors such as the Polish economy strengthening again, we’re going to find construction reverting back to a very crude, unskilled place if we’re not careful, warns Kevin (image by David McHugh)

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INTERIORS | INTERVIEW

The man with the grand designs A familiar face in our homes since the Nineties, Kevin McCloud has just been awarded an MBE for his work on sustainability and energy saving. Melissa Blease quizzes him about his latest projects and love of the West Country

n a good day, Bath reminds me of Vincenza in the summer; it’s a beautiful place,” says the British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs, which he’s presented since the programme’s debut almost two decades ago. Although Kevin has lived in the West Country (specifically the Frome/Warminster area) since 1987, he’s at home in another way entirely when we chat. “I’m currently on the 13th floor of high-rise development in Vauxhall,” he says. “There’s a lot of building development going on around me, which, of course, I’m very used to. But no, I’m not putting my oar in on any of the building sites that I pass – I wear glasses and a flat cap when I’m out and about, and go around the world in disguise. I like a quiet life!” Kevin’s life, however, has been far from quiet. He studied history of art and architecture at the University of Cambridge and went on to train as a theatre designer before establishing his own lighting design practice and manufacturing business responsible for lighting fittings in venues such as Edinburgh Castle and Harrods’ food hall ceiling. In early 2007 he created HAB Housing Limited (Happiness, Architecture, Beauty) and led a consortium to purchase land to build a HAB housing development on the outskirts of Swindon. But in the direct public eye, Grand Designs (alongside early episodes of Home Front and the tall buildings/climbing series Don’t Look Down) brought him into our own homes on a regular basis.

...I always hesitate to suggest Grand Designs has been in any way responsible for changing tastes – we simply record what we see... “There will always be questions around whether television simply marks and records the passage of time or whether it determines the changes that happen over that time,” says Kevin, on the series’ legacy. “Programming may be increasingly determining who we are, and how we all live. But Grand Designs fits into a type of programming that’s based on very traditional storytelling; in each project we’re at the mercy of our contributors and the work that they’re doing, so I always hesitate to suggest that it has been in any way responsible for changing tastes – we simply record what we see happening.” Kevin readily acknowledges, though, that big changes have indeed gone on around him (and us!) outside of the Grand Designs bubble since the series first began – and not all of them are positive. “Some amazingly negative influences have impacted on British construction in the past 20 years,” he says. “The two biggest factors are the abandonment of the sustainability goals that Gordon Brown adopted as prime minister. I’m shocked that the Department for Energy and Climate Change no longer even exists – it’s as though the current government has lost the people, the enthusiasm, the drive and the collective will for driving forward. Today it’s all about cash saving and succumbing to the pressures of the market place – developers and

house builders who want to save some money and not have to be compliant with so much regulation. I think it’s disastrous and a massive retrograde step. The other huge issue is that in the 40 years I’ve been working in design and building, I’ve seen us move from a place where all our building trades used to employ apprentices on formal training programmes to a position where it’s all a bit of a freefor-all. For around 15 years, we’ve relied on migrant European labour from countries like Poland where people are still trained to a very high level, which has been very much to our benefit. As a result of Brexit combined with factors such as the Polish economy strengthening again, we’re going to find construction reverting back to a very crude, unskilled place if we’re not careful. We’ve got a crisis in affordable housing, we have a crisis in planning and we have a crisis in the construction skill base.” Oh dear. Can Kevin see any silver linings to the clouds on the horizon? “Oh for sure,” he says. “There’s a lot of very exciting energy technology emerging in this country. The focus is trying to squeeze heating, ventilation and hot water down into one small, superefficient box. I’m very excited by developments in infra-red heating and 24-volt renewable energy systems as well. When I was trying all this stuff out 10 years ago, I’d have about five different suppliers to deal with, including an engineer, an electrician and somebody who dealt with the software; today, it’s all in one box with one phone number on the front, so if anything goes wrong you just ring one person directly. It’s increasingly accessible to everybody; take the Mitsubishi air source heat pump – you buy it, job done. Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery is now standard in many homes.” We can expect to be introduced to more on this subject when Grand Designs Live – the award-winning home event presented by Kevin and specialising in ideas, inspiration and expert advice on all aspects of the domestic built environment – returns to London’s ExCell (4 – 12 May) and Birmingham’s NEC (9 – 13 October). This will be preceded by a brand new TV series (My Grand Designs) which follows 10 different houses on a street at an innovative development called Graven Hill in Bicester: the site of a new town consisting of 2,000 self-build homes. “I’m poised at the start of a kind of maelstrom that’s about to whir into action,” says Kevin. It doesn’t sound as though he’s going to have much time, then, to enjoy his preferred ‘quiet life’ in his West Country base. So what does Kevin most miss about home when he’s on the road? “I rather enjoy the slightly chaotic nature of politics in the region, and the slightly chaotic way in which business such as farming is carried out – it’s not the agricultural farming country of Norfolk, it’s sort of, well, wilder! And I love the Mendips, the Quantocks, the extraordinary World Heritage stuff in Bath. I adore the West Country.” If Kevin is a (west) country boy at heart, he’s a humble one. “There are many who find the honours system trite, or silly, or not worth responding to, but I find it flattering; it’s just a lovely thing,” he says of his MBE for services to sustainable design and energy saving property refurbishment. “It doesn’t change who you are, it doesn’t turn you into Superman, it doesn’t alter your health or bring fame and riches; it’s just a lovely recognition of the things you believe in. The award sits in that little part of my mind where my conscience is, and reminds me what I should be doing next. My work here is not done!” Grand news indeed. ■ THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MARCH 2019 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 97

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‘Inch’ by Red Dog Glass Design

INTERIORS | MOODBOARD

Patterns aplenty Addicted to Patterns; addictedtopatterns.uk

‘Moth Dance’ silk hanging

From the walls to the floors, there’s a lot to be covered. We’ve pulled together a few surface ideas including bespoke splashbacks and custom wallpaper and mural design Fired Earth; firedearth.com

Hexa Blush Porcelain Mosaic, Mandarin Stone; mandarinstone.com

‘Dusk’ splashback by Red Dog; reddogglassdesign.com

Disney Flooring; disney-flooring.com S m ok

S p ic e P i n k P ep

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neptun e.

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The Complete Flooring Co; thecompleteflooringco.com

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Redcliffe Im aging; custom-wal lpaper-printi ng.co.uk

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF

HOMES, INTERIORS AND GARDENS our guide to the best businesses and services

spring

/summer 2019 PROMOTED CONTENT

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BRISTOL GUIDE 2019

KÜTCHENHAUS Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NN 0117 2130680; kutchenhaus.co.uk Kütchenhaus is the UK arm of company Nobilia – the largest manufacturer of fitted kitchens in Europe, making up to 3,000 kitchens daily. This means Kütchenhaus 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 matte and gloss textures. With their free design service, they can come up with 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. Buying a kitchen is a big decision, and the Kütchenhaus team in Bristol work closely with every single client to give them complete confidence in their important new purchase.

SIMON CORBETT ARCHITECT 07969 607913; simoncorbettarchitect.co.uk

FAWN INTERIORS 3A Boyces Avenue, Bristol BS8 4AA; 0117 2050203; fawn-interiors.co.uk Fawn Interiors is a Clifton-based interior architecture and design studio providing design services for residential and commercial clients in the UK and Europe. Led by Robyn Knibb, creative director, the company is dedicated to designing beautiful interior schemes and bespoke fitted kitchens and wardrobes. All handmade furniture is tailored to suit your requirements and made in Bristol using highly skilled cabinet makers and master craftsmen. Robyn works with a wide portfolio of unique suppliers which contribute to her signature style – elegant and sophisticated with a contemporary twist. Fawn Interiors offers highly personalised packages which range from a little guidance to a full turn-key service including interior architecture, space planning, cabinetry design, product specification, soft furnishings and styling.

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Simon Corbett is a fully qualified, design-focused architect based in Winscombe, North Somerset. With over 25 years’ extensive experience he has worked on a wide range of building projects, from bespoke houses, extensions and modifications to existing properties in and around Bristol, as well as multi-million pound overseas commercial projects. His knowledge will also help guide clients through the various stages and challenges such as site appraisal, planning applications, building regulations, design and project management. Simon believes that good design is not so much about style, but more about the careful and thorough response to the brief, site-specific opportunities, and a considered use of space and light. He’s received great reviews for his work, and a showcase of his recent projects can be seen on his website.

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BRISTOL GUIDE 2019

LÉA+BOX INTERIORS

Twitter: @LeaBoxInteriors Instagram: @lea_boxinteriors Web: domusholmes.co.uk/lea-box/ Léa+Box Interiors is a Bristol-based design studio passionate about creating beautiful and inspiring interiors designed to transform any space. Working closely with clients, each design is unique, created from scratch to reflect the tastes, interests, desires, aspirations and lifestyle of each individual client.

The belief is that everyone should love the home they live in and for that reason they offer interior design services to suit any size project and any budget. Whether it is a quick turnaround e-design consultation for a single room, a fully managed project for an entire house, a shopping list or a specifically tailored service, Léa+Box Interiors ensures that every project is given the attention required to deliver beautiful spaces beyond their clients’ expectations.

THE COMPLETE FLOORING CO 4 Somerset Square, Nailsea, BS48 1AP 01275 854673; thecompleteflooringco.com Started by Nick Allen in 2011, The Complete Flooring Company specialises in carpet, wood flooring and luxury vinyl tiles. A wealth of previous fitting experience helped to create this lovely showroom, filled with some of the best products available for your floor. With an indepth knowledge on wood flooring and luxury vinyl you are in safe hands for a complete service – from initial advice through to measure, supply and fitting. Pop in to the showroom now to see displays of Quickstep, Amtico and Panaget French Oak.

PAUL WHITTAKER BATHROOMS AND WETROOMS

0117 2230086 / 07879 666221; paulwhittakerbathrooms.co.uk Showroom by appointment at Bathroom Solutions, 54 Redcliff Street, Bristol BS1 6LS Paul Whittaker Bathrooms and Wetrooms is a design, supply and installation bathroom company with a huge reputation in the Bristol area. Working closely with his clients, Paul is able to deliver cleverly designed bathrooms and wetrooms, expertly installed by his experienced team of fitters. With 3D design layouts to help with decision making and project management through the course of the works, Paul Whittaker makes bathroom renovations easy and stress-free.

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MARCH 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE III

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BRISTOL GUIDE 2019

GARDINER HASKINS Brunel Rooms, 1 Straight Street, Bristol BS2 0FQ 0117 9292288; gardinerhaskins.co.uk Inspiring homes since 1825. Gardiner Haskins Interiors boasts multi-department, luxury interiors showrooms that allow you to create your dream home. Design your very own fitted kitchen or bathroom with the help of their design experts or create your own bespoke curtains or blinds in the made-to-measure department. Add the finishing touches with a huge range of big-brand beds, flooring and paint that turn your house in to a home. Open seven days a week with a free customer car park.

BLOSSOM & BRUSH 07980 881381; blossomandbrush.com Blossom & Brush window film offers a stylish alternative to net curtains, blinds or plain frosted glass. Their range of ornate patterns provides privacy in your home without compromising on natural light. Each order is redesigned to suit the proportions of your window, so they can fit anywhere, from large, modern glass doors to old sashes with multiple small panes. All are available on clear or frosted film made from high-grade, self-adhesive polyester which is durable, semi-permanent and can be easily cleaned. They’re ideal for bays that look onto the street, bathrooms that require privacy or feature windows. The film is simple to fit at home and can transform an overlooked area into a pretty, private room in minutes. To get 10% discount online, please use the code: SPRING10.

ELLY’S WELLIES GARDEN DESIGNS 01275 462759 / 07788 640934; ellyswellies.co.uk

REDCLIFFE WALLPAPER 0117 9520105; custom-wallpaper-printing.co.uk Redcliffe Imaging Ltd is a Bristol-based company with over 30 years’ experience. They specialise in printing custom digital wallpaper, enabling you to turn your blank wall into a stunning original feature wall. Choose from your own photos and designs or from their collection of bespoke library images. Alternatively transform your room with a beautiful modern or historical wallpaper map of your local area, town, city or region based on Ordnance Survey mapping data. Redcliffe offers expert guidance throughout your order process, with easy-to-use online tools, free file checks, installation advice and pre-printed samples available.

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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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JOHN BOYCE PLASTERWORK Unit 5, Channel View Farm, Clevedon, Bristol BS21 6US 07970 278028; john-boyce.co.uk

ARLO & JACOB

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.

94C Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QX 03330 605262; arloandjacob.com Arlo & Jacob designs, hand-makes, and carefully delivers beautifully upholstered sofas that are more than just part of the furniture. They want to provide sofas for life. The 4,500 sq ft Bristol showroom on Whiteladies Road is the first to have opened outside London and is brimming with their full collection of traditionally manufactured sofas, armchairs, footstools and scatter cushions in a diverse range of fabrics. You’re sure to find inspiration so pop in for a complimentary drink, to pick up your free brochure and fabric samples, and to peruse over 120 house fabrics, plus designer and custom upholstery options with one of their expert design consultants. Arlo & Jacob’s furniture is handmade here in Britain, at their factory in Long Eaton, the home of British upholstery.

KNEES HOME AND ELECTRICAL Spitfire Retail Park, Trowbridge BA14 0AZ & High Street, Malmesbury, SN16 9AA; 01225 754161; knees.co.uk Loved locally since 1879, Knees offer a one-stop-shop to update your home. They sell the top appliance brands and beautiful furniture and pride themselves on spending time with their customers to help find the right product for their needs (and their budget). Knees regularly have great offers as well as a price match promise so that you can be sure you will receive the best deal available. Plus, buying from a local family business means that customer care is taken seriously. With a fabulous showroom in their flagship store in Trowbridge you can see a wide range of appliances, home furniture and accessories. You can also drop by for one of their regular free cooking demonstrations where professionals are on-hand to provide expert advice.

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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MANDARIN STONE 15 Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HW 0117 9731552; 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.

ARLBERRY BESPOKE No. 2 The Stable Courtyard, Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh, Bristol BS8 3RL 01275 371680; arlberry.com Arlberry Bespoke specialise in creatively designed, handcrafted kitchens, bedrooms, dressing rooms and bathrooms within Bristol and the surrounding area. They offer professional interior design and project management to ensure your project runs smoothly, on time and within budget. Arlberry furniture is handmade within Bristol and their skilled craftsmen use quality materials to transform your home goals into reality. The showroom, set within the lovely grounds of Leigh Court, boasts a beautiful collection of cabinetry and is a great place to visit to be inspired for your home. To book a free design consultation, discuss your requirements and to find out how Arlberry can help you, give them a call.

BEN ARGENT KITCHENS Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA; 01225 892270; benargentkitchens.co.uk Creators of bespoke contemporary kitchens that successfully combine functional design with elegant simplicity. Ben has a background as a designer maker and has extensive experience in the specialist furniture industry. He launched the company in 2007 with a clear understanding of the subtleties and technicalities required to achieve sophisticated and highly individual contemporary kitchens. Their gorgeous new showroom is conveniently located near M4 J18 with plenty of free parking. Contact them to arrange a viewing.

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CLASSIC CARPETS Unit 8b, The Village, Emersons Green Retail Park BS16 7AE 0117 9565667; classiccarpetslimited.co.uk 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 can enhance your home for many years. Regardless of your budget the team will help you find your dream carpet, luxury vinyl or wood floor to bring out the best of your interior space. They keep an eye on retail pricing to remain competitive while offering the very best in customer service and workmanship. Find a lower priced identical product and/or service from a recognised retailer and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll match it. Visit their showroom to see one of the best displays of Mastercraft rugs on show in the west, as well as a full interactive display of Moduleo vinyl tiles.

TOTAL SOLUTIONS

THE KITCHEN PARTNERS

24 Cooperage Court, Cooperage Lane, Bristol BS3 1FF 07834 161684; totalsolutions.technology

The Kitchen Partners Design Studio, 102 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY; 0117 9466433; thekitchenpartners.co.uk

Total Solutions is a multiple award-winning Bristol-based building technology company. The team design and implement beautiful wholehome technology, releasing your propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full potential. As the name suggests, Total Solutions takes a holistic approach to modern-day technology in the home, designing each installation from the ground up. This approach ensures smooth integration of all modern technologies such as wi-fi, audio visual, lighting control and home cinema alongside more traditional wiring techniques, ensuring a simple, elegant and consolidated system. Total Solutions won the highly coveted Best Media Room (level two) for the EMEA region at the 2018 CEDIA Awards.

Those continuous daydreams of the perfect kitchen may appear evermore distant, but the reality of your dream kitchen renovation is closer than you may think. The Kitchen Partners offer a free, inhome consultation to make your kitchen renovation ideas come true and will discuss your options and give you advice on the most efficient use of your space. With timeless products, your kitchen could be beautiful for generations to come. Their core value is a clear focus on complete customer satisfaction and they have a keen eye for up-to-the-minute design plus extensive product knowledge, innovative spatial awareness and a flair for interior design ideas. It is these values and skills that will make your visit to the design studio a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Go and see The Kitchen Partners with an open mind, and let them design your perfect kitchen for the year ahead.

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MARCH 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE VII

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RED DOG GLASS DESIGN Bishopston, Bristol 07827 525450; enquiries@reddogglassdesign.com reddogglassdesign.com An exciting new collection of original limitededition glass panel designs straight from the easel of fine artist Sally Coulden. Red Dog Glass Design offers a beautiful range of bespoke, extremely versatile, toughened glass panels – whether it’s for a stunning kitchen splashback or a spectacular bathroom feature. Or, perhaps you may want to bring impressive abstract imagery into a communal reception space or commercial building. Prices vary depending on specific requirements; a large splashback from the standard collection to fit behind a double stove would be in the region of £700. Please feel free to contact Sally directly to discuss any questions you may have. If you would like to take a look at the contemporary glass panels close up, head to the open kitchen at Alchemy198, Gloucester Road and The Kitchen Man showroom, Waterloo Street, Clifton Village.

ORIENTAL RUGS OF BATH Bookbarn International, Hallatrow Business Park, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS39 6EX; 01761 451764; orientalrugsofbath.com Rugs and textiles brought to the heart of the West Country. Show off the soul of your home through one of Oriental Rugs’ incredible pieces. They selectively source their rugs from all over the Middle and Far East: Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. All rugs are handmade from entirely natural fibres and use mostly vegetable dyes, following centuries-old traditions and designs. You can discover more through the website but for a more hands-on approach, visit the shop nestled in the countryside between Bath and Bristol and explore a huge selection of colours and sizes to suit everyone.

KINDLE STOVES Glenavon Farm, 331 Bath Road, Saltford BS31 3TJ 0117 9243898; 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 a 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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DISNEY FLOORING 11 Zetland Rd, Bristol BS6 7AG; 0117 9424949; disney-flooring.com This local, independent flooring retailer will encourage you to think differently about your floor. Disney Flooring offers a wide range of carpets, luxury vinyl, wood, laminate and rugs, and the team specialise in custom-made rugs and runners, with their 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 luxury vinyl tiles including some exclusive designs. The service includes measure, supply and fitting. Behind the scenes they are 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.

BONITI Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA; 01225 892200; boniti.com

1B Ambra Vale, Bristol, BS8 4RW 0117 3270000; core10studio.com Core10 Studio is a design and build company based in Bristol, specialising in creating well-formed spaces furnished with their own hand-made kitchens, fixtures and fittings. The team of in-house designers, carpenters and artists collaborate on each project and their diverse range of complementary skills combine to make your concepts a reality. Each Project begins by getting to know you and your space and how you wish to live within it. You may have a particular object, piece of furniture or painting, which acts as a catalyst for the direction of your design. Core10 take particular time and care in the finishing details to create a space that fits your practical and functional needs as well as reflecting your individual style and personality.

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 very 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 project – 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.

CORE10 STUDIO

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ARTISAN LANDSCAPES 69 Princess Victoria Street, Bristol BS8 4DD 0117 973 8519; artisanbristol.com Artisan Landscapes is a well-established landscape, design and build company, and an accredited member of the Association of Professional Landscapers. Combining passion and experience to deliver high quality projects, Artisan Landscapes’ core team of likeminded, highly talented professionals focus on revitalising gardens across the Bristol, Bath and the South West. They are also dedicated to using sustainable and expertly crafted materials in all their projects, and work tirelessly to ensure that the client’s visions are realised. Directors Will and Jamie provide a holistic approach to garden design and build, bringing together their professional knowledge and experience to ensure that designs are just as effective in practice as they are in theory. Jamie is director of design and horticulture and has trained at the prestigious Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Will, landscaping director and founder of Artisan Landscapes, has over 15 years’ experience working within the industry.

ARCHITECT YOUR HOME 0800 0515304; 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.

FIRED EARTH 65A Whiteladies Road (on Aberdeen Road), Clifton, Bristol BS8 2LY; 0117 9737400; firedearth.com Sometimes we all need a little help from an expert. That’s where the Fired Earth Bathroom Design Team steps in. From advice on product choice to helping you design a bathroom that truly reflects your personality and meets your needs, they are here to help. Fired Earth’s bathroom designers love nothing more than working with you to create a beautiful room. Their award-winning technology ensures it’s easy to imagine, plan and tweak your design. Watching your new bathroom unfold before your eyes is a uniquely exciting experience. Improving your home should always be an absorbing and rewarding pleasure – exactly what the Fired Earth bathroom design service is there to ensure.

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ETONS OF BATH 108 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG 01225 639002; etonsofbath.com Founded in 2006, Etons of Bath is the UK’s only specialist interior design practice focused on refurbishing, renovating and reinvigorating Georgian and Regency homes and hotels. Their team of 12 interior designers, planners and project managers can help you map out, design and deliver classically inspired interiors that add value, turn heads and improve the use of space. The showroom and studio are packed with ideas, inspiration, know-how and experience. They cover projects of all shapes and sizes from large country homes to city townhouses, boutique hotels to bijou boltholes – combining creative flair with solid experience together with a passionate and friendly team.

PURE GREENHOUSE 0333 2005833; puregreenhouse.co.uk Winner of RHS Chelsea’s garden product of the year 2017, the Pure Greenhouse is a totally frameless glass structure made from toughened glass held together by stainless steel brackets, allowing maximum light to reach your plants. The construction method allows for maximum ventilation, exceptional thermal qualities during winter and, because of the totally seamless interior, you can sterilise and clean the greenhouse in minutes. The doors have no threshold so there are no trip hazards or access restrictions for your wheelbarrows. When you purchase a Pure Greenhouse the dedicated team will arrange a delivery time and installation date, making sure everything is installed and up and running to your satisfaction. Finally a transparent shield is applied to give a hard and durable water repellent and non-stick surface – a must to keep your beautiful frameless greenhouse clean.

WREN KITCHENS Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, Lysander Road, Bristol BS34 5TX; 0117 2443168; wrenkitchens.com 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 collections 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 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.

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EASY BATHROOMS DAVID HUTTON INTERIORS

Unit 1, Wilverley Trading Estate, Bath Road, Bristol BS4 5NL 0117 9721070; easybathrooms.com

17 Druid Hill, Bristol BS9 1EW 0117 968 4813; davidhuttoninteriors.co.uk

Easy Bathrooms has beautiful, on-trend bathroom products and tiles to suit every style and budget, meaning that they can help you create a home that you love, without the hefty price tag. If you’re looking for inspiration, Easy Bathrooms’ knowledgeable advisors are on hand to help at every stage of your bathroom renovation. The team can chat you through the latest products or even provide you with a 3D design of your new bathroom. All you have to do is bring your measurements, and they’ll take care of the rest. Plus, all of their products are backed by a guarantee and they also have 0% finance available if you’d rather pay later. So why not visit them online or at the fully-fitted showroom in Brislington?

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 every step of the way to make sure each 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 ideal lampshade to complete a scheme – they are experts in interiors and offer a genuinely personal approach.

HEARTWOOD SAUNAS THE BUILD BRISTOL GROUP 0117 9091969; thebuildbristolgroup.com The Build Bristol Group is a privately owned construction company which specialises in residential refurbishment, renovation, extensions and new build construction. The company undertakes projects in Bristol, Bath, the South West and London. A group of architects, designers and builders provide a full design and construction service for both commercial and residential projects. “I hope the pictures speak for themselves as to the workmanship and quality of finish in our beautiful new space. What you can’t see is the conscientiousness that Dom and his team applied throughout the build. Dom’s experience shone through as did the trust he has in his team. Thank you Dom, Hannah and the Build Bristol team, you have helped us realise a dream!” – Ed, Redland, Bristol.

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07903 116673; info@heartwoodsaunas.com; heartwoodsaunas.com Heartwood Saunas hand-make the highest quality and most energy efficient outdoor saunas in the UK; both wood-fired and electric heated. The sauna designs are 100% hand-made in the workshop in Machynlleth, Wales, where Heartwood build each one to order and deliver it ready to go. Beautiful cedar cladding allows the sauna to blend naturally into its surroundings, whilst inside thick natural sheep wool insulation and a unique vapour barrier ensures maximum energy efficiency. The glass wall can give breathtaking views to the world outside as you relax and enjoy the health benefits of a traditional sauna. Surrounded by the knotless Western Red Cedar walls inside, you cannot help but relax and let your stresses melt away. Heartwood Saunas use the highest quality materials and design their saunas to last. The majority of the timber used is felled, milled and processed from a local private woodland. Heartwood offer high quality saunas to hire, to buy or bespoke design. Get in touch and make your dream sauna come to life!

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ADDICTED TO PATTERNS Instagram: addicted_to_patterns; addictedtopatterns.uk The Bristol-based Addicted to Patterns studio offers unique collections of hand screen-printed wallpapers and textiles, crafted to measure from the highest quality, eco-friendly materials, all decorated with original hand-drawn, illustrative designs. Experts in surface decoration, they offer a truly personal approach, colour matching and bespoke pattern designing for various surfaces. Known for quirky modern and twisted classical prints adapted for wallpaper, curtains, cushions and lampshades, Addicted to Patterns offer a free consultation at the start of every project and are commissioned by both private and commercial clients. Having a wide knowledge of production process and craft they are able to advise on the best quality paint, give clear instruction on how to hang their wallpapers, or assist with customised design.

Epstein pendant

THE LIGHTING STUDIO Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4TA; 0117 9635943; lightingwarehousebristol.co.uk The Lighting Studio offers a fantastic range of innovative and exciting products for use throughout the home and garden. Whatever your style and needs, their fabulous selection of traditional and contemporary table lamps, floor lamps, wall lights and ceiling lights are sure to meet your requirements. All products are sourced direct from their UK factory, allowing for unparalleled levels of quality, service and value for money. When it comes to everything from chandeliers and robust outdoor lighting to low-energy solutions, friendly and knowledgeable staff are on hand to offer impartial advice and answer queries. As every interior designer knows, lighting is key to achieving the look you want â&#x20AC;&#x201C; find the right solution at The Lighting Studio.

BRACEY INTERIORS 15 Waterloo Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BT; 0117 9734664; braceyinteriors.co.uk With over 50 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience, Bracey Interiors has earned 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 showcases 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 has friendly staff ready 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.

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STEPHEN GRAVER Elmsgate, Edington Road, Steeple Ashton, BA14 6HP 01380 871746; stephengraver.com Stephen Graver Ltd specialise in creating stunning interiors for each of their clients. From bespoke kitchens and beautiful bathrooms to listed renovations and commissioned pieces of handmade furniture, they offer a solution for everything. The design is the starting point and the foundation from which the project grows; with time and care taken over every project ensuring that the functional requirements are met, and an eye for features to make every project personal and unique. The end result of what they do is beautiful to look at, completely original and totally designed around your needs. They feel that what separates them and makes them stand out is the journey you will go on to reach that end result. Everything is designed and manufactured at the workshop in Steeple Ashton, and while their craftsmen work on your kitchen, you can arrange a time to come and see your project taking shape. In short, Stephen Graver Ltd put their heart and soul into providing you with your dream project, delivered to perfection.

GARDEN AFFAIRS Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT; 01225 774566; gardenaffairs.co.uk Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure, highquality 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 here. Take a look at the range of garden rooms – with contemporary concepts that solve 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 fixed-price installation service throughout the UK, or you can choose for a DIY kit to be delivered to your door.

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OLD MARKET PLANTS 48-50 Gloucester Lane, Bristol BS2 0DP Instagram: @oldmarketplants; oldmarketplants.co.uk 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-to-ceiling 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 Ruth 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.

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BOCONCEPT 51-53 Merchant Street, Bristol BS1 3EE 0117 9293503; boconcept.com

PARK FURNISHERS Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4AZ 0117 9669253; parkfurnishers.co.uk Park Furnishers is known by many as a premier destination for furniture, flooring and fitted kitchens, now 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.

SPARK SERENITY

BoConcept Bristol store on Merchant Street is situated in the heart of the bustling city centre, providing a calm haven of beautiful Danish inspiration for today’s discerning customer. Delivering contemporary designs for living, dining, sleeping and working areas of the home, BoConcept offers a high quality yet affordable range of furniture and home accessories, many of which can be tailored to suit constantly evolving lifestyle needs. BoConcept continues to innovate, ensuring good design and functionality go hand in hand. With the help of professional interior designers and free interior design service, BoConcept continues to achieve room solutions that help fulfil customers’ dreams. Originally founded in 1952, BoConcept’s unique furniture customisation sets it apart from other furniture brands and has lead to a portfolio or more than 260 retail branches worldwide.

MARBLE SUPREME

Bristol, Bath and Somerset; 07977 303334; sparkserenity.com

Unit 8, Bridge Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 4FW 0117 9563030; marblesupreme.com

Fall in love with your home again and create a sanctuary away from the stresses of the world: a home that you can be proud of, surrounded by the things that you love. One that works for you, not against you and your busy life. Spark Serenity is a professional organising service, helping you bring perfect balance into your life through the life-changing magic of decluttering and organising. Officially certified in the KonMari™ method of tidying, Spark Serenity supports you in becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be, free of stress, able to enjoy everything that you do, creating time, saving money and regaining happiness. That dream is closer than you think – get in touch to find out how.

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, splashbacks and sink surrounds. They provide a complete service, from sourcing the perfect stone for your needs, to crafting perfectly fitting, beautifully finished kitchen worktops. They also 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.

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DESIGN | INTERIORS

Grand scheme of things Sarah Latham is founder and creative director of Etons of Bath, which specialises in Georgian and Regency homes and hotels. She offers her tips and insights on the interior approach for a morning or drawing room EAST IS BEST When a room faces east and you are fortunate enough to have large Georgian sash windows, you’ll enjoy ample natural light. This room in our client’s house was aptly named ‘the morning room’ as it was used and enjoyed mostly during the day

LIGHTING Use a combination of central pendant and wall lights plus table lamps to allow you to layer light as you need to, depending on the time of day and what you’re using the room for

RESTORE ORIGINAL SHUTTERS While we love a beautiful window dressing, sometimes a window and its original features are too good to cover up. If you have an abundance of natural light, make the most use of the Georgian characteristics of the windows, shutters and architraves. These windows, with their elegant glazing bars and attractive shutters, were restored and decorated to be a main feature in the room

SILK WALLS Silk was a traditional wall covering used by the Georgians. This is one of De Gournay’s plain silk wall coverings. It lifts the space in a way that a flat emulsion could not, as well as giving it a tactile quality. With no fabric used at the windows, these walls also aid the acoustics in the room

OFF-WHITE WOODWORK Rather than using a standard white paint on woodwork, do think about what will create the desired effect within the colour palette. Using an off-white paint with the soft green creates a more luxurious palette that is rich and creamy

Photograph by Adam Carter

WOODEN FLOOR AND RUGS We used reclaimed Georgian boards to create an authentic floor in this room. But leaving too much exposed would have felt cold and the acoustics would have suffered. So we designed a bespoke rug that fills the room except for a 90cm border around the perimeter that allowed the salvaged boards to be featured

FLOWERS This may seem obvious, but think about the colour of the flowers you buy in relation to the colour of the interior space you intend to use them in. These soft pink flowers are a perfect complement to the pale green in the walls and upholstery, but add a lovely contrast within the room

PATTERENED FABRICS To create a calm and peaceful space, keep the colour palette soft but add complementary patterns to create interest. Each sofa and chair, as well as the ottoman and cushions, have individually specified fabrics that work together to create a harmonious scheme

Etons of Bath, 108 Walcot Street, Bath; etonsofbath.com

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Simon Corbett

Architect

Small local practice with 5 Star Google and Houzz reviews

Call Simon to discuss your project on 07969 607913

simoncorbettarchitect.co.uk BA (Hons), Dip Arch (Hons), ARB

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

| |

UNIT 8 BRIDGE ROAD

KINGSWOOD

E: INFO@MARBLESUPREME.COM

BRISTOL

BS15 4FW

WWW.MARBLESUPREME.COM

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INTERIORS | INTERVIEW

Design for life Bee O’Hara meets designer David Hutton in his Druid Hill studio

itting down to chat with me at a table teeming with trimmings, design scheme portfolios and fabric books filled with everything from Ikat to Argyle, David Hutton discusses his life as a graphic designer turned interiors don, and what could be big in 2019...

How did you find the transition to interiors?

It was pretty easy really because I’d trained as a graphic designer but a lot of my graphics jobs were always within the world of interior design. My first was for Display Ideas, a signage company which did signs for Centre Parcs; it allowed me to work within the creative side of graphic design and this is sort of how I fell into interiors. The company also got into interiors and I was quite involved in this but then I moved to London where I worked for Safeway Head Office. I moved towards corporate design, which meant many of my projects involved designing the stores. I then moved back to Bristol, deciding I wanted to do my own thing and get into interiors. I got back in contact with Display Ideas who was doing a lot of bars and restaurant interiors around Bristol. What was your first interior design project? I was working as a freelancer as well as working alongside the boss at Display Ideas and one time she was too busy and asked me to do a job. I had to do this office board room completely on my own which was actually a little scary at the time because I’d always supported someone,

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but this time I was in charge. Also, I had to design this office for a design company which added to the scare factor but it actually worked in my favour in the end because they were open to something a little different and allowed me to be creative. I did everything from scratch; I had the desk made, did the carpet and all the decoration and made a padded wall, but I only really hit my stride when I began working with a developer in Cardiff. So how did that work out? He was looking for an interior designer to look at the plans for this old Victorian house that had been spilt into nine apartments. It would have been the best start for a new interior designer. We didn’t get it which was crushing. Back then I did designs for nothing, I was just happy for the experience and for this guy to see my designs. Funnily enough, he then showed his wife who really liked my stuff so I started work on his house and then the planning on the first project, the Victorian apartments, changed so I resubmitted my proposal and got to work on it. Whether or not working on his house was a little test we’ll never know! Working on those apartments got us quite a lot of attention, especially on the residential side of things. How do you divide your time between residential and commercial these days? I’d say that it used to be an 80/20 split between residential and commercial but these days I’ve started doing more commercial projects. It’s about 60% commercial and 40% residential. One of my most successful projects is Finzels Reach in the centre of Bristol. It was with a commercial developer but it was a mixed site so there were a few office receptions and also show apartments. I used to prefer residential because I thought you could be much more creative and influence people whereas I thought that commercial projects were a little more restrictive. Nowadays a commercial project is a designer’s dream because there’s a budget and a timeframe so you have to be efficient and get it done, but I still do like residential projects.

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INTERIORS | INTERVIEW

Loving David’s work! He’s done a lot at the Finzels Reach development – which you can read more about on p108

How does the process work with residentials? More often than not the client picks me because they’ve seen my portfolio and they like what I do and therefore it’s relatively easy as it’s quite a collaborative process. With some clients, who know exactly what they want, it can be more challenging because it’s harder to suggest stuff they may like or influence their decision. It’s most enjoyable when you work with people who are really open to ideas. Recently I worked with a slightly older couple and I encouraged them to have a dark wall, which is quite daring but they loved it. Eight years ago, this was quite a dramatic feature to add to a house but now it’s a bit too much of a trend. When the market becomes too saturated by a trend, I try to move away from it and try to mix it up a bit instead. You do sometimes stop and ask yourself ‘will it work?’. Luckily I haven’t had a disaster, yet! Any themes you regularly return to? I use a lot of textured wallpaper as I think adding texture is a game changer. I did some show apartments in Birmingham recently and I used a lot of textured wallpapers. They don’t have to be crazy, outlandish prints but I feel that adding a little texture to the walls makes a room a lot more homely and exciting. Do you use art in your projects? I do but it can be hard because art is so personal so when I’m doing a residential project, I suggest different companies whose work I think the client will like. Commercially it’s a lot easier; you can be quite creative in show homes and other commercial spaces. It’s also fun to play around with how you hang pictures on a wall and this can really change a room; for instance, hanging them in a group or in a sort of gallery set-up is always interesting.

not that keen on following trends. I prefer playing with familiar themes that’ll last. I think if you’re keen on a trend, a good way to follow it is by adding accessories such as cushions, fabrics or even art that allow you to reference a trend without changing your whole room. That said, what are the trends for 2019? Colour is going to be big, especially on walls. Pantone’s colour of the year is quite a bright one. I think colour is becoming trendy because a lot of designers are bored of grey! Currently there are all these almost muraltype wallpapers coming through which are full of colour and really fun which is nice to see. What inspires you most? When I started out magazines were so important and I’d go through them, cover to cover. I also really like books and architecture can influence me as I walk around a city. There are also some designers I really like; Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels and Martin Brudnizki, who’s done a lot for Soho house. I try not to stray too far from my own tastes and ideas; it’s important to be influenced but not to copy. Top items for making a house a home? Lamps are essential. Curtains are a must, as is textured wallpaper and then I’d say art, probably. These all make the greatest impact on a room, you could keep the same furniture but mix these items up and the room would transform itself. Dos and don’ts?

You’re more of a setter then...

My dos would be play around with how you hang art because it can make a massive difference. Also, do fill a room even if it’s tiny, make it look cosy and lived in. Then for my don’ts I think it’d have to be don’t be scared and don’t use too much white! n

I’m quite funny about trends; interior trends often follow fashion but I’m

• davidhuttoninteriors.co.uk

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MARCH 2019

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Photography by Dominika Scheibinger

INTERIOR | DESIGN

THE JOY OF PRINT: The Oxford in Totterdown looks absolutely gorgeous with its window design

Print-ciples of pattern Textile designer and interiors expert Rhiannon Southwell offers tips for the home and discusses work around Bristol

rints and patterns have been used in houses for centuries. From early cave paintings to opulent Baroque mansions, you can see everything from murals and frescos to tapestries and richly upholstered furniture. But getting it right can be a challenge. “It’s all about being selective and knowing when to use a pattern,” says Rhiannon, who’s been creating prints on clothing and for the home for over 15 years and designed for high-street brands including H&M, Next, M&S, Monsoon and Fat Face. If you shop on the high street, you’ve probably seen or worn her work. “A single wall can look good as long as it’s not too bold,” she continues. “Too often people think they have to be really daring rather than thinking about how a room will come together. You need to ask yourself how the print will tie into an overall scheme.” A common theme is essential. “Don’t be afraid of mixing and matching prints, but there must be a clear link,” Rhiannon says. “It might be a colour, a style or even just a scale. A tiny floral will look odd next to large, bold, modern shapes.” Another good tip is to take it slowly. “My husband is terrible at rushing things in our house. He just wants to get the job done. But you need to take time and try things out. Ask for samples. Get colour cards. Create mood boards before you go to the shops. You must plan, because what looks good on a shelf or in a magazine might not work in your home.” Part of that preparation is keeping texture in mind. “Two subtle prints can work well together but be careful about mixing in other 102 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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textures to a room, such as fur, velvet or tweed.” Finally, consider using print where you might not have thought possible. “You could have a very simple, minimalist room and a print on the window to cast beautiful patterns when the sun shines.” This is exactly what Rhiannon does with her Blossom & Brush window film. She launched the brand in 2015 after a fruitless search for a stylish way to gain privacy in her Bishopston home. So, she painted a folk-inspired pattern on the window. Four years later and she’s replaced hand-painting for made-to-measure, self-adhesive and semi-permanent window film. There are now properties across the world with her opaque, ornate films casting beautiful shadows inside, while offering privacy and curb appeal outside. Rhiannon says she can’t imagine a world without prints and patterns. She was inspired by her childhood in Snowdonia, full of nature. Her step-father Nick created a ‘make-it’ cupboard when she was little, and they made everything from collages to hot-air balloon models. Later he bought her a sewing machine, putting her on the road to fashion. Having studied art and then textiles at university, the budding creative worked in H&M on Kensington High Street. She showed her portfolio to the store manager who told her she was wasted in the store – from there she became a trainee womenswear designer at their HQ in Stockholm. She returned to the UK and spent 10 years living near Portobello in West London, and in 2013 she moved to Bristol where she continued to design from home. But she wanted to get involved with the vibrant

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Fine print We toured Bristol to look at some of Rhiannon’s favourites. Location: The Oxford pub, Totterdown Print: Folk “This was one of my first Bristol orders. The idea is to give customers privacy as they sit at the window seats.”

creative scene in the city and applied to become one of the artists for the Shaun in the City trail, creating a design based on the collection of willow pattern tableware at Tyntesfield House. Fast forward a few years and she was back with a design for the Grand Appeal’s Gromit Unleashed 2 trail, promoting and raising money for the phenomenal, life-saving work of Bristol Children’s Hospital. Her Blossom & Brush inspired sculpture was called Cupid and featured her popular folk design in punchy pinks and reds. It was a real hit for Valentine’s Day and the figurine sold out in days, raising money to help even more children across the South West. It seems whatever Rhiannon gets involved with, whether it’s clothing, interiors, charity or even designing posters for her kids’ school, beautiful patterns aren’t far behind... ■ • For more about Blossom & Brush, visit blossomandbrush.com. To see Rhiannon’s work with textiles, visit rhiannonsouthwell.com

Location: Southville Print: Flora (pictured left) “The Flora design is inspired by traditional Polish paper-cut art. I love the baby blue of these windows.” Location: Windmill Hill Print: Folk in reverse “The folk film is our most popular. This version is in reverse, giving more privacy.” Location: Bishopston Print: Folk with door number “This door colour and knocker combination is fantastic. The fanlight commissioned film with a door number is popular.” Location: The Milk Shed, North Street Print: Folk “This café was launched by two mums who wanted a place where parents and babies could gather, relax and feed. The window film provides a little privacy – and lots of style.”

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INTERIORS

Inside track We learn more from Fawn Interiors about achieving a luxurious-looking interior space

ed by Robyn Knibb, Fawn is a Clifton-based design studio providing residential and commercial design for clients in the UK and Europe. Robyn has worked within the superyacht industry supplying the world’s finest with luxury interiors but now works with land-based clients. Back on terra firma, she began designing high-end cabinetry and has developed technical knowledge in all aspects of bespoke furniture design. TBM: Your signature style is elegant and sophisticated with a contemporary twist. What materials and techniques help achieve this? Robyn: My designs are ultimately contemporary and it is the sophisticated materials I use that give the whole thing an elegant touch. There has to be balance; the design of the room or piece of furniture is the bedrock and from that you can choose what materials would suit. There’s nothing worse (in my eyes) than a busy design and a mixture of busy finishes; you don’t know where to focus. I use a lot of exotic wood veneer finishes and marbles. Specialist veneers are one of nature’s finest creations and there is a diverse range of colours, grain patterns and structures. It is these sophisticated materials that, combined with innovative design, make our furniture stand out. Our woodworkers, joiners, marquetry experts and cabinetmakers have techniques of their own that bring our designs to life to the highest quality. As a trained interior architect, I allow the existing building to play a part in my design, which is very important – being sympathetic while bringing in new elements and making them work harmoniously.

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How has your time in the yacht industry informed your approach? I was fortunate enough to experience the interior tastes of many of the super-rich – some really interesting tastes that come from different cultures and inspiring interiors that sparked my imagination. Learning that these clients, some of the most demanding in the world, expect perfection over other aspects helped me identify where my effort is best aimed. If I am completely honest, my tradesmen produce as good, if not better quality products than a lot of the world’s biggest super-yacht interiors. Another aspect that drove me to prove that it can be done better and it makes me proud to say that I use Bristol cabinet-makers to achieve this. What are the aspects to focus on when creating a luxury interior? A client’s dream. If they give me carte blanche then I will take a look at their lifestyle, their family, their way of living, and create a space that is sympathetic to the building but injects some style that will reflect them as individuals and they will love to live in. Just because it is bespoke and luxury doesn’t mean it can’t be lived in and just admired from the outside in. What parts of a luxury home would you love to do more of? A very expansive question! I am currently designing a bespoke dressing room and I would love to do others as I have so many ideas. Anything from games rooms, libraries and children’s nurseries to spa/swimming pool areas. Fawn Interiors specialises in residential designs however we are currently working on a couple of commercial developments such as a restaurant and a coffee shop. I am getting more and more into photography with the rise of social media; it has awoken a desire to capture the most intricate details of my designs and portray them to my target audience. I want people to see a photograph of one of my kitchens or dressing rooms and feel like they’re as immersed as the client is when they walk in. ■

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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

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MARCH 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 105

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GARDENING

Follow the light In possession of a smart new digital SLR, Elly West enlists the help of leading local garden photographer Jason Ingram, who believes the nuts and bolts of taking a good photo remain the same even in this digital age

here’s so much to see in the garden this month, with rising spring sap bringing everything back to life. It’s a great time to get outside and appreciate the beauty in fresh new buds and blooms, and there’s plenty of inspiration and subject matter if, like me, you’ve any interest in garden photography. Photography has come a long way since I fiddled about with homemade coloured lenses and black-and-white film for my A-level art projects back in the 1990s. And when I started working in magazines a decade later, colour slides would arrive from photo libraries in their hundreds for inspection through a loupe on the lightbox to find the best images for inclusion. Now, of course, nearly all photographs are digital and most people have access to a relatively good camera on their smart phones, which brings both advantages and disadvantages. Photography is so much more accessible, with instant results and easy editing, encouraging us to take many more photos than we did in the past. But I don’t think I’m alone in having at least five years’ worth of pictures to sort through, edit and print – that’s assuming anyone does actually print pictures these days? When the number of images on my various devices runs into thousands, it’s a daunting task. Gone are those exciting days of rifling through 24 or 36 prints landing on the doormat in a fat, glossy envelope, to pick out the ones worthy of the album or a frame. With the onset of digital photography there’s also been a surge in amateur garden photography, as shown in the dramatic rise in numbers and quality of entries for competitions such as International Garden Photographer of the Year, which regularly receives more than 20,000 submissions. (The 2019 exhibition is on until 10 March at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, if you want to visit). Anyone with a smart phone is potentially a photographer and the quality can be amazing, as shown in the iPhone Photography Awards 106 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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(ippawards.com). Smartphone cameras are convenient as we carry them around with us, and they make it easy to share our pictures. However, they generally have fixed-focus lenses giving limited flexibility – in essence you can’t experiment with zoom lenses, shutter speeds and apertures for more artistic results. I’m well-established on the amateur photography bandwagon and have long been armed with a decent bridge camera as well as my phone. Not quite a fancy SLR (single-lens reflex camera to those in the know – ie. one with lots of buttons and things to turn) but more than just your basic point-and-shoot. Although I have to admit, embarrassingly, up until now I’ve only used the auto functions. It’s useful to be able to take good photographs of clients’ gardens for my portfolio and website, and of gardens and plants for inspiration and ideas. However, I’ve recently found myself in possession of a smart new digital SLR and I’m planning to up my game and move away from the ‘auto’ settings to see what is achievable. With this in mind, I chatted to renowned Bristol-based photographer Jason Ingram for some tips. Jason graduated with a degree in photography in 1992 and has since established a name for himself as a leading garden photographer, contributing to numerous top-selling gardening books and publications, including BBC Gardeners’ World magazine and Gardens Illustrated. He regularly works with some of the top names in the industry, has recently been shooting with Swedish designer Ulf Nordfjell for a new book that I’m excited to see, and has also taken images for Adam Frost’s latest book, published next month, plus a new book about the Piet Oudolf Field at Hauser & Wirth in Bruton. He agrees that times have certainly changed in the industry, with digital photography making everything easier, but says the nuts and bolts of taking a good photograph remain the same. “Light is the single most important thing, more important than the

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GARDENING

Opposite page: Jason graduated with a degree in photography in 1992 and has since established a name for himself as a leading garden photographer, contributing to numerous top-selling gardening books and publications

Right: One of Jason’s lovely garden shots – he’ll spend lots of time studying the weather before a shoot to avoid a wasted journey if the conditions aren’t right

subject matter itself,” he explains. And while I was merrily thinking the rule was to stand with the sun behind you for a good photo, in garden photography I’ve now learned that it’s all about the backlight. “Never have the sun behind you; it flattens the subject matter,” he says. “Backlighting defines the elements of the garden. Quite often you can see the sun in my pictures, or there will be a natural component within the composition that shields it, such as a tree or building.” Jason says he spends a lot of time studying the weather and has numerous weather apps on his phone – another advantage of technology. Travelling hours to a job means the conditions need to be just right to avoid a wasted journey, and he’ll then chase the light around a garden in order to get the best shot. It can also mean going back to the same location several times. Composition is also very important, he says, and it’s not just about getting the obvious shots, but finding new angles or paths to lead the eye into the picture. What’s behind is crucial. “In a plant portrait, the background is as important as the plant itself and I’m always looking at the four corners of the camera lens to make sure there’s nothing distracting in the way.” Fortunately for me, Jason says it is possible to take good photos on the auto settings, but it’s important to know what the functions mean to get the most out of the camera. “The two things that travel together are shutter speed and aperture. Aperture can be very small or large, and that controls the depth of field. A plant portrait needs a shallow depth of field to blur the background, for example.” It sounds like a few tweaks and a little more understanding could make a big difference to the quality of my photos, and I’ll certainly have fun practising. ■

Find out more... Jason Ingram runs regular workshops and talks on garden photography, including one on 2 July at Bury Court in Hampshire, and one on 12 September at Wildegoose Nursery in Shropshire. Visit gardenmasterclass.org or jasoningram.co.uk to find out more. He will also be talking at Highgrove Gardens on 10 April. Visit highgrovegardens.com for details. Photography courses are also held regularly at the Bristol Botanic Garden. The next is on 17 March, 10am – 4pm. Visit bristol.ac.uk to book. • Elly West is a garden designer. For more details about her services, visit ellyswellies.co.uk

Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

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

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

www.ellyswellies.co.uk ellyswellies@gmail.com 07788 640934 THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 107

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PROPERTY | DEVELOPMENT

Finzels Reach is becoming a thriving social hub for the city

The new bridge connects the quarter to Castle Park and the city-centre shops

Work being carried out on the Compressor Building

Castle Bridge by night An aerial view of the developing quarter

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PROPERTY | DEVELOPMENT

In Reach Have you checked out Bristol’s latest brand new community yet? It’s one of the largest and most significant mixed-use regeneration projects in the South West – and it’s growing fast

lowly but surely, Finzels Reach is really coming together. Once home to sugar refiners and brewers, this historic corner of the city has become a very desirable waterside spot for living, working and socialising, with stylish apartments, sustainably designed offices and an emerging leisure quarter. Car-free public routes and spaces reconnect the site – previously closed to the public for over 200 years – back into the city, and Castle Bridge, the eye-catching new pedestrian and cycle bridge, provides easy access from the development to Castle Park and has become a new landmark for the city in the process. We got all the latest from the thriving neighbourhood, including a few bits of exciting news for 2019.

Hop to it Left-handed Giant is to open its brewery and brew-pub in June. The ground floor of the historic Compressor Building will be returned to its former use as a fully operational and cutting-edge brewery, where a selection of modern, progressive beers will be fermented on site. Alongside this will be a pub where visitors can relax and enjoy the freshly brewed beers in a modern, urban-style bar. Built as mezzanine levels, the first and second floors of Compressor Building should feel nicely connected to the rest of the space with open views from each floor to the brewery and brewpub below. Peter SanchezIglesias of Michelin-star restaurant Casamia will be taking over the first floor of the Compressor Building with a new restaurant.

Phase two coming through Plans push ahead for the second phase of Finzels Reach on the former Avon Fire and Rescue headquarters site opposite, including new workspaces and homes. The £140million mixed-use scheme includes a 116,00 sq ft contemporary office building named Halo, featuring a unique corkscrew-style staircase rising up through a glass atrium to a rooftop terrace.

the city’s first major ‘build-to-rent’ scheme. As work nears completion on the 194 specially designed abodes, owner and manager Grainger – the UK’s largest listed residential landlord – is set to take over the Hawkins and George apartment buildings and welcome its first residents. They will be joining the thriving community already living and working at Finzels, where, by the end of this year, there will be around 2,500 people in a new city quarter, on a site that had just a handful of workers when the Courage Brewery closed in the 1990s.

New biz buzz Work is set to complete on creating exciting new leisure spaces on the ground floor of the Fermentation Buildings and along the medieval Hawkins Lane which runs right through the heart of Finzels Reach. This year, more retailers are expected to be announced in what is set to become a new social hotspot, home to an eclectic mix of independent businesses, which could range from a florist, clothing brand and a restaurant to a gym, a hairdresser’s and a café.

Great minds The first creative and media businesses are ready to move into the first and second floors of the Fermentation Buildings. The unique new office space overlooks the Floating Harbour to the north and Temple Cross in the centre of Finzels Reach to the south. Designed to make the most of the high, glass atrium-style roof and loft-like space, a range of flexible units is being created within this attractive industrial setting and some exciting names are lining up to join the business community. This already includes the BAFTA-winning company BDH which provides broadcast content, digital immersive experiences and design and direction for films, and moved into The Malt House at the end of 2018. ■ • finzelsreach.com

More from the market The weekly Finzels Reach Market, with all its mouth-watering food from independent Bristol caterers who know how to put the punch into lunch, has become a firm Friday favourite for many office workers and people living in the area. It’s set to build on this success this year, with plans to grow the regular market, plus some special surprise pop-up events which are being curated by market director Sophie Bowden.

Full of beans Spicer & Cole is now open on the ground-floor corner of the Premier Inn and Counterslip. Like the company’s other cafes, Spicer & Cole at Finzels Reach will be open seven days a week, with owners Carla and Chris Swift hoping that it will appeal to both office workers and local residents. The cafe maintains the brand’s emphasis on good, healthy food and coffee with regularly changing guest beans. The popular food market is expanding this year

Making the move The first residents will soon be in their rented apartments as part of THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 109

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

his beautiful Grade II* listed William and Mary country house is situated in a rural but not isolated position about one mile south of Winford Village. It sits within grounds of approximately 2.41 acres of formal gardens and pasture with views over the surrounding countryside. In recent years the house has undergone a programme of extensive modernisation and improvement, carefully retaining all architectural features including period fireplaces, ornate ceiling plaster work, shuttered sash windows and window seats. The elegant and light accommodation is arranged over three floors and comprises: Reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, study/morning room, dining room, breakfast room/kitchen (with Aga), cloakroom, cellars. Galleried landing, principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom with dressing area, en-suite bathroom and sitting room/nursery, three further bedrooms, family bathroom, second floor kitchen/laundry. Garden room with shower, garaging, greenhouse, two paddocks.The garden room provides an ideal space for a number of uses which could include annexe accommodation or a staff flat. This romantic, historic home is the perfect country house in a wonderful park-like setting yet with superb access to central Bristol and to Bristol airport as well as local amenities and schools. For full details contact agents Knight Frank Clifton. Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 317 1999

BEECH COURT WINFORD NORTH SOMERSET • Grade II* listed William and Mary Country House • Park-like setting • Beautifully presented • 5 bedrooms including master suite and guest suite • Garden room / annexe / staff flat • Garage block & paddocks

Guide price: £ 1,500,000

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BURSTON COOK FOLLOWING THE COMPREHENSIVE REFURBISHMENT OF OUR BRISTOL CITY CENTRE OFFICES

“the very latest office specification to offer the very best working environment”

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING PROMOTIONS:

Charlie Kershaw Director

Chloe Burston Director

Finola Ingham Director

FOR THE BEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ADVICE

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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

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• Loft style offices • 1,600 sq ft • 5 car spaces

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• Large 630 sq ft shop

• 1,200 sq ft

• Prominent busy pitch

• New lease

• Terms on application

STUDIO OFFICES CLOSE TO BBC – BS8

MARINER HOUSE, BS1 • Loft style offices

• Coming soon

• 1,242 sq ft

• Suite 1 - 1,500 sq ft

• Superb modern refurb

• Suite 2- 2,000 sq ft • Open plan studio style

• New lease – Rent on application

350 BRISTOL BUSINESS PARK

LOFT OFFICES IN KINGSWOOD

• Modern open plan office suite • 2,145 sq ft (10 cars) • New lease to be agreed • One of Bristol’s best business parks

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CITY CENTRE OFFICES

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PROPERTY NEWS

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM ACROSS THE CITY’S BOOMING SECTOR Scott Cinemas has signed an agreement with Bristol developer Firmstone Consortia One to create the new venue

BUILDING LIVES

Eugene Street

Two Bristol-based groups which help people in need to build their own homes have won building materials in a national competition. Community Self Build Agency and Ashley Vale Action Group have received £500 each to spend at Selco Builders Warehouse, having been named winners of the Selco Stars scheme. Each month, Selco is donating £500 of materials to two groups across the UK. All monthly winners will feature in a public vote later in the year to win £5,000 in cash. Ken Hames, who applied for the prize on behalf of Community Self Build Agency, helps armed forces’ veterans build new homes. “The veterans build their own homes, learn new skills and – most importantly – rebuild their lives after the trauma of war,” he said. “The veterans are usually homeless or sofa surfing and, during the build process, grow in confidence and move on with their new lives in their new homes. We’ll be going all out to win the £5,000 later this year!” Ashley Vale Action Group, meanwhile, aims to build houses for young people who can’t otherwise afford a home. Barbara Harvey, who applied for the materials on behalf of the non-profit company, said: “As a group we recently bought a farm in Bristol after contributions from a number of our friends. Now we’re going to try to build some houses for young people to help them onto the housing ladder.” Selco Stars is open to any charity or group which provides a benefit to the local area and entries can be made by explaining how they would use the building materials or money to benefit them.

The Purdown BT Tower, the Brabazon Hangar at Filton, the Odeon on Union Street and Waring House are among the latest buildings to be placed on a register which provides extra recognition in the planning process. Bristol City Council has published the latest additions to its local list of valued buildings. It recognises monuments not already listed, to preserve their quality, style or historical importance. This year’s list focused on the important architectural monuments of the 20th century; entries were nominated by the public and assessed by an independent panel. “This year’s focus sees a number of buildings added to the list that challenge traditional ideas of what historic monuments look like,” said Cllr Nicola Beech. “Nevertheless these buildings have a strong architectural importance, or social significance, that express the attitudes and beliefs of people in the era they were built. It’s a challenge to focus on modern buildings, many built within our lifetimes, as heritage, but it’s important to protect the achievements of recent generations, so they might be appreciated by those in the future. Bristol is leading the way nationally in protecting and managing appropriate change in these buildings.”

• selcobw.com/stars

• c20society.org.uk

118 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

VALUABLE ADDITION

PICTURE THIS Independent cinema group Scott Cinemas – which owns the popular Henleaze Orpheus cinema – is planning to open a new three-screen cinema in Bedminster. The South West cinema operator has signed an agreement with Bristol developer Firmstone Consortia One. Subject to planning permission, Firmstone will invest £5million – including £1.5m into the new cinema – in refurbishing St Catherine’s Place shopping centre, as part of its redevelopment. Scott Cinemas will invest an additional £1.5m. The new venue will have the latest technology including Dolby Atmos sound and 4k laser projection in all screens, as well as a bar/cafe. Scott Cinemas operates a tiered pricing structure to ensure it is accessible to all local customers and makes auditoriums available to community groups so they become social hubs. A planning application for the redevelopment of St Catherine's Place, which will create a further 271 homes, has been submitted. It is expected to go before one of Bristol's planning committees in April. So far Firmstone Consortia One has created 54 new apartments in Catherine's House, which was formerly offices and is part of the wider St Catherine's Place scheme. Its wider plans for St Catherine's Place form the gateway to a major regeneration scheme called Bedminster Green. "This is fantastic news for Bedminster. The new cinema will become a social hub and is set to be a catalyst for the wider regeneration of East Street," said developer Francis Firmstone. "We have worked hard to find a business that's the right fit for the community to create the kind of step-change so badly needed for the shopping centre. Scott Cinemas is a great South West company, loved by its loyal following in Henleaze and our plans will help reinvigorate the East Street area, which, in its heyday, was the social and economic hub of South Bristol. We are investing significantly to make sure this becomes the vibrant heart of Bedminster.” • scottcinemas.co.uk

MARCH 2019

No 177

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Richard Harding PIF full Page March 18.qxp_PIF Full Page 20/02/2019 11:22 Page 1

PROPERTY | FOCUS

alisbury Road is ideally located close to a number of primary schools and the well-regarded Redland Green secondary school, as well as an interesting range of shops, bars and restaurants on the Gloucester Road and Whiteladies Road. This is a handsome, late Victorian semi-detached family home which is beautifully presented and full of character. In keeping with the period the rooms are classically proportioned with high ceilings and large sash windows. The accommodation is over three floors. On the ground floor there is an elegant sitting room with fireplace and large bay window with a pretty stained glass overlight. To the rear the fantastic kitchen and dining area has been designed with family living in mind. Adjacent to the kitchen, the dining area has bi-folding doors which open out onto the rear decking and garden. A large study completes the space at this level. Upstairs there are four good sized bedrooms all with pretty period details. The master bedroom includes an en suite shower room and there is also a very stylish family bathroom. A large fifth bedroom is found at upper mezzanine level. On the lower ground floor is a large cellar space which forms three rooms, including a utility area as well as a WC. Outside, the front garden incorporates two parking spaces and to the rear the familyfriendly garden is mostly laid to lawn with a raised decked area providing a great space for outside dining. Number 38 is a lovely example of a Redland family home and is ready and waiting to welcome the next generation wanting to put down roots. Richard Harding, 124 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RP. Tel: 0117 946 6690

120 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

MARCH 2019

NO¯ 177

38 SALISBURY ROAD, REDLAND • Well proportioned Victorian family home • Five bedrooms • Stylish family bathroom and en suite to master bedroom • Family-friendly rear garden • Off street parking for 2 vehicles • Located close to many good schools

Guide price: £1,150,000

BRIERCLIFFE ROAD, STOKE BISHOP Marketed with a complete chain and renovated to a high specification, this three storey, semi-detached family home offers living room to front, full width extended kitchen/diner with bi-fold doors onto a 40m landscaped garden with detached lodge at rear and garage. EPC - D 2

Guide Price £900,000

HOWARD ROAD, WESTBURY PARK This light and spacious natural four bed 1920’s family home offers living room to front, sitting room to rear overlooking a south facing garden and opening to a quality fitted kitchen diner. Access to a converted studio / office space offering flexible use and a double garage to rear. EPC - E 3

Guide Price £950,000

Howard Davis t: 0117 923 8238 (sales) t: 0117 946 6588 (lettings)

Markets are forever in flux. So our handling of them must be flexible too. There are occasions when there is a lot of stock and buyers can take their time. But we are not in that market now. In many places around the UK it is quite the opposite. Figures show that there are up to half as many properties on the market as there were this time last year. So, at present, there is much less choice. So forget a leisurely, late evening, browse through your preferred property portal. Because by the time a good property gets onto a portal nowadays the early bird will have already caught its worm. Serious buyers know that they need to find a property before it ever reaches a portal - and that the best way to do

this is to get to know their local independent estate agent so they can be first in the queue for the pick of the properties. Local experienced agents know the local market best. They match who wants to sell with who wants to buy. Property portals don’t do that. Nor do most of the so-called, on-line ‘local property experts’, who, sadly, often don’t even work in the same town. So if you are serious about buying get to know your local agent. You will find their knowledge and experience provide the very best value in professional advice - because it won’t cost you a thing. Howard Davis MD Clifton

REDLAND

CLIFTON

GUIDE PRICE £1,200,000

GUIDE PRICE £899,000

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

A four bedroom family home forming part of this converted Victorian School, a well presented interior offers a kitchen/dining room, lounge/bedroom, reception room/bedroom, master bedroom with ensuite, shower rooms, utility room, garage and an allocated parking space. EPC C

ABBOTS LEIGH

REDLAND

GUIDE PRICE £765,000

A lovely four bedroom detached home consists of: a spacious lounge area, rear conservatory, dining area, separate kitchen, rear garden, four bedrooms, a family bathroom plus a garage. Offered with no onward chain and requiring some updating throughout. EPC E

GUIDE PRICE £650,000

A beautifully presented period home offering three bedrooms plus a loft conversion which is used as a home office, fabulous views, an impressive sitting room plus dining room and a rear kitchen with French doors to rear garden. Located closely to Redland Green School, offered with no onward chain. EPC E

SNEYD PARK

GUIDE PRICE £475,000

SNEYD PARK

GUIDE PRICE £465,000

An upper floor maisonette comprises of: a lounge diner, separate kitchen, three double bedrooms, a family bathroom, an en-suite shower room and a contemporary wet room. It also benefits from a communal rear garden and one FCFS parking space. EPC D

A delightful two bedroom Victorian property consists of: a lounge, kitchen plus a dining room area which leads to a sizeable conservatory, an under stairs W/C, a family bathroom and a separate W/C. The rear garden is laid with patio slabs and stone walled on three sides. EPC C

REDLAND

CLIFTON

SSTC £525,000

GUIDE PRICE £450,000

A well-presented 1930’s built semi-detached three bedroom home comprising of; a reception room, rear dining room, fitted kitchen, an extensive conservatory, a family bathroom, a rear enclosed garden as well as a front garden area and a drive leading to the garage. EPC D

An attractive two bedroom garden apartment offers a sitting room, private South East facing front garden plus a discrete rear courtyard area, kitchen/dining room, master bedroom with access to an en-suite and a second bedroom plus a fabulous shower/wet room. EPC E

CLIFTON

REDLAND

SSTC £395,000

A two double bedroom, consisting of a central hallway leading to all rooms plus overhead storage, generous lounge/diner, kitchen breakfast room, a master bedroom to the rear, second double bedroom, quality bathroom, cloakroom plus a walk in utility room. EPC C

GUIDE PRICE £325,000

An excellent top floor two bedroom flat, offers a spacious living room with superb views over the surrounding area, useful storage cupboard, separate fitted kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms with bedroom one having a built in wardrobe/ storage cupboard. EPC D

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Rupert Oliver FP March.qxp_Layout 1 18/02/2019 13:43 Page 1

Clifton, Bristol | Guide Price ÂŁ1,150,000 A stunning family house lovingly refurbished throughout and providing elegant accommodation over five floors; with a private rear garden, distant views and a self-contained studio apartment. Fabulous family house arranged over five floors with circa 2995sq. ft of accommodation | Beautiful retained period features throughout | Comprehensively refurbished over the last five years | Family kitchen with a Juliet Balcony and direct access to the rear garden | Drawing room with an open fire; separate dining room | Four double bedrooms and three bath / shower rooms over the upper floors | Games room / Bedroom five | Self-contained studio apartment with underfloor heating and en-suite shower room | Walled rear garden and dining terrace | Well-maintained communal garden to the front | Residents parking scheme | EPC: E

In all circa 2295 sq. ft (279 sq. m)

Apsley Road, Clifton

Offers in excess of

£625,000

Newly refurbished · Spacious sitting room · High spec kitchen & bathrooms · 2 Large double bedrooms · Large sash windows · Garage This stunning and spacious two bedroom first floor apartment has been recently renovated to an incredibly high standard. Situated in a Victorian villa in a tree-lined road in Clifton, close to Clifton Village. This property offers its owners a generous and stylish living space just a stone’s throw away from the ever-popular Whiteladies Road with its shops, restaurants and cafes. The apartment comprises: beautiful entrance hall, large sitting room with sash windows, high spec kitchen, shower room & ensuite bathroom with a bath and two large double bedrooms. It is walking distance to outstanding primary schools including Christ Church Primary and private secondary schools including Clifton College and Clifton High School. Ideal home, city pad or investment therefore viewing is highly recommended.

SALES

0117 332 0074

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

Â®

SALES

0117 332 0074

www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

hamptons.co.uk

Berkeley Square Guide Price £2,000,000

Forming part of this stunning Grade II* listed terrace, the property takes pride of place in this renowned garden square. This exquisite 5 bedroom Georgian town house, with classic Bath stone façade, has been luxuriously and sympathetically finished throughout and includes gated parking. EPC: Exempt

Windsor Place

Guide Price £925,000

An elegant and sophisticated Grade II listed Georgian townhouse which is a stone’s throw from the shops in Clifton Village, beautifully renovated throughout, enjoying a covered balcony with fantastic views and landscaped gardens. EPC: E

Hamptons Bristol

Sales. 0117 369 1004 | bristol@hamptons-int.com

Park Street

Guide Price £385,000

Occupying the top floor of this exquisite newly rennovated building in the heart of Park Street is this luxurious two bedroom penthouse apartment. Lovingly refurbished, period charm resonates throughout the building. EPC: TBC

Redland £350,000

Clifton Office 0117 946 6007

Two bedroom flat

A stunning period flat with an abundance of features, lovingly updated by the current owner, there is a delightful lounge/diner with a Victorian bay window with westerly aspect, two double bedrooms with rear facing windows offering pleasant leafy views. Modern separate kitchen with front facing window, working shutters and space for breakfast bar. EPC - TBC

oceanhome.co.uk

Westbury-on-Trym Office 0117 962 1973

Westbury-on-Trym £575,000 Three bedroom house

A well-presented and characterful three bedroom semi-detached family home with parking and a garage. Positioned on a corner plot on a quiet side road close to Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze shops and amenities as well as Westbury-on-Trym Academy and St Ursula’s Primary School. EPC - D

Kingsdown ÂŁ700,000 Three bedroom house

A beautifully presented three double bedroom, Grade II listed Georgian townhouse arranged over four floors. The front sitting room with its wood burner is the ideal place to cosy up whilst the spacious kitchen/diner is great for entertaining. There is also a third reception, perfect as a home office or occasional guest bedroom. EPC - C

Westbury-on-Trym ÂŁ525,000 Three bedroom house

Detached home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Westbury-on-Trym. The accommodation comprising of: entrance hallway, fitted kitchen, dining room, downstairs WC and an impressive sitting room with a picture window to the front garden. EPC - D

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