The Bristol Magazine May 2021 by MC Publishing Limited

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Issue 198

THE

MAY 2021

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

Force of nature Bristol-born Adjoa Andoh from brave beginnings to Netflix royalty

THE THEATRE OF FASHION

Costume designer, Ti Green, launches sustainable fashion label while in hiatus

ON A MISSION

A GLOBAL STORY

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL

From Oscar winner Author and scholar, to entrepreneur, Dr Peace Adzo Bristol model and Dr Chen Mao Davies Medie, chats rave prop-making on her pioneering reviews and company divulge on motherhood app TV adaptation Bridgerton cameo

PLUS...

SO MUCH MORE IN THE CITY’S BIGGEST GUIDE TO LIVING IN BRISTOL

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Photography by Imogen O'Connor

20 Contents May 2021 REGULARS

WHAT’S ON

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Here’s a round-up of the city’s upcoming events

ZEITGEIST

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Happenings and updates for the month to come

CITYIST

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ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

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Exhibitions and displays from Bristol galleries and art scene

WOODEN SPOONS

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Catch up on local news and meet muscians Charlie G and Jodie Mellor

Clevedon Salerooms’ Chris Yeo offers his expert opinion

BARTLEBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

FEATURES

Year of the Staycation

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Business and community news

Dr Chen Mao Davies talks about her fem-tech start-up, LatchAid

EDUCATION NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 The latest from the city’s schools and colleges

PICNICS WITH A VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Andrew Swift reveals six lesser-known walks where a quiet picnic might be possible

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STAYCATION SPECIAL .................................................... INSERTED AFTER PAGE 34 Aria resorts present a 16 page guide to luxury holiday homes now availble at their fabulous developments in Cornwall

FOOD & DRINK

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Elly West on how to get the most out of our gardens

Melissa Blease looks at the mid-spring season’s superstar crops

CULTURE

HABITAT

LADY IN RED (AND PURPLE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SUMMER PARTY

Melissa Blease chats to Adjoa Andoh about her life and work, and starring as the indomitable Lady Danbury in Bridgerton

THE THEATRE OF FASHION

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We discover more about Ti Green’s new, sustainable fashion label inspired by her work on theatre design and with performers

A GLOBAL STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Dr Peace Adzo Medie tells us about her mesmerising debut novel

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Simon Horsford catches up with Mangostone co-director Laurens Nockels about prop and model making for film and TV

4 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Go for a stylish summer sundowner in your own back garden

PROPERTY

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News from local estate agents and developers

ON THE COVER There’s so much more to the Lady. Adjoa Andoh talks about her life and incredible 30-year career performing on stage and in film... and that’s before Bridgerton

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THIS MONTH WE’RE...

Image: Policeman directing traﬃc © James Barnor See p.24 for more details

Fozia Ismail. Photo by Plaster

Drinking... This year’s Bristol Craft Beer Festival has created a new signature brew. The England-style pale ale is brewed with a new hop called Talus, as well as Xawaash, a Somali blend of spices. The spices were selected by Fozia Ismail, the founder of Somali supper club Arawelo Eats, who worked with St Werburgh’s brewery Wiper and True to create the new beverage.

from the

EDITOR

Derese Alebe, a future project participant, with his children

Bristol tree-growing charity, Tree Aid, has joined forces with celebrities to save a forest in Africa’s Great Green Wall. The appeal aims to raise £352,875. Donate between now and 11 July and your gift will be doubled by the UK government.

Excited...

... to see Touching the Void return for one week only for a global broadcast, live from Bristol Old Vic. See p.8 for more details...

MILLIE BRUCE-WATT ACTING EDITOR

@thebristolmag

6 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

Supporting...

Image: Geraint Lewis

here is a joyful thread weaving its way through this month’s issue as more sectors of the city swing open their doors. We were elated to be in the (virtual) presence of Clifton-born Adjoa Andoh – aka Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury – who features as our May cover star. Melissa Blease chats to Adjoa on p.14 about her close connections to the south west and how she loves Lady Danbury’s appetite for life, celebrating strong women. This sense of empowerment is also found within our interview with Dr Chen Mao Davies, who is preparing to launch a revolutionary motherhood app on the Apple Store. After winning an Oscar and BAFTA for her work creating visual effects for blockbuster movies, the entrepreneur now has an unquenchable desire to help others and support the young girls and women interested in a career in tech. “There might be certain barriers for some people but, with all those spirits within you, you can make it happen,” she says. Such patience and grit is also very evident in my interview with theatre designer turned fashion designer, Ti Green, who was inspired to launch her own label, Article Green, when “a year’s worth of work went up in smoke”. Sustainability sits at the very heart of her new venture and she is unapologetically pushing the boundaries of slow-fashion. As seen on p.20, Ti’s creativity knows no bounds. Innovation runs through Bristol’s veins and this month model and prop-making company Mangostone’s mesmerising work caught our eye in the shape of Champagne coupes in Bridgerton’s first season. Simon Horsford catches up with co-director Laurens Nockels on p.38 and discovers the devil is very much in the detail. From backstage to centre stage, a Clifton author prepares for her novel to hit the big screen. As a film production company snapped up the rights just months after Dr Peace Adzo Medie’s debut novel hit the shelves, she is now looking forward to exploring her characters’ stories in a television adaptation. We chat to Dr Medie on p.28 about what it was like to receive global recognition from the likes of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. If it’s escape you are looking for this month, you can find plenty of it on p.46 as Harvey Nichols shares its beauty must-haves. Andrew Swift whisks us away to familiar places, recommending the best spots to enjoy lunch with a view and Chris Yeo talks finding the extraordinary in the ordinary in his latest column on p.36. And finally, after a long wait, we welcome back our theatres, museums, cinemas and many of our much-loved businesses with open arms this month – we’ve sure missed them...

thebristolmag.co.uk

MAY 2021

No 198

@thebristolmag

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ZEITGEIST

top things to do in May

Enjoy

Relax Headline chefs and multi-generational family activities have been announced for Cornwall's first festival of the year. Joining the line up at Porthilly Spirit – which is taking place from 28 to 30 May 2021 at Trefresa Farm, close to Rock – is renowned Venetian wine trader Luca Dusi, and open fire and BBQ expert Genevieve Taylor. Both will be hosting feasts on the Saturday night. Adventure club Wild Warriors has also announced its night-time sessions at the festival, where they will take care of children while parents dine and catch up around the campfire. • Book your tickets at: porthillyspirit.co.uk

Watch

From the Creators of Pub in the Park and Drive & Dine Theatre, The Alfresco Theatre arrives in Bath for the weekend of 7 to 9 May with a tasty mix of big-screen movies, comedy gigs, live theatre and exciting music acts. Pull-up, pop the handbrake on, turn your car radio up to the max and enjoy your show from the safety and comfort of your own private patch. Enjoy live shows and feel-good movies, all served alongside one-off dishes from some of the UK’s finest chefs; Tom Kerridge, Rick Stein, Jason Atherton, Paul Ainsworth and Atul Kochhar. The events take place in the glorious surroundings of Warleigh Lodge Farm near Bathford. • thealfrescotheatre.co.uk

Meet Bristol Zoo Gardens is the perfect fresh-air destination for half-term with over 12 acres of outdoor space and the chance to see animals from all over the globe, including many endangered species. Spot the youngest western lowland gorilla, Juni (born December 2020; pictured) on Gorilla Island and say hello to the first sloth (born April 2021) to be born at the Zoo in almost a decade. Bristol Zoo has a one-way system, social distancing measures and additional hand washing facilities in place to ensure a fun and safe day out. • Book tickets online in advance at: bristolzoo.org.uk

Following its sold-out world premiere in Bristol and critically acclaimed West End run, Touching the Void returns from 26 to 29 May for a global broadcast, live from Bristol Old Vic. Be transported from the comfort of your living room to the freezing peaks of the Peruvian Andes, as Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’ perilous descent of Siula Grande becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival. Bringing the thrill of live theatre to your home, experience the death-defying heights and life-changing decisions from a more intimate angle than ever with our unique multi-camera set-up and an engrossing 3D soundscape. Read our feature with the production’s set designer, Ti Green, on p.20, who tells us all about the making of Touching the Void.

Create Their fluid, upward motion seems to invite us to draw them, yet they can be surprisingly difficult to capture. In RWA’s Drawing Trees workshop, which is taking place on 21 and 28 May as a two-day course, you will look at how to bring trees to life on the page, using some of the great masters as inspiration. How does Bonnard use shorthand and texture to define individual species of tree in just pencil? How does Giacometti use energy and line to give each tree a sense of space and character? Both days will be outside drawing from life on Brandon Hill. Precise meeting point details will be sent to participants in advance. ■

• bristololdvic.org.uk • rwa.org.uk 8 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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ist

THE CITY

BRISTOL Meet Bristol muscians Charlie G (xskarma) and Jodie Mellor, who have recently released their latest single Changing, inspired by Greta Thunberg’s speech at the UN Climate Summit in 2019

xskarma is the recording project of Bristolbased producer/drummer/songwriter Charlie G. Much of the music is inspired by classic 90’s triphop bands. Tracks often feature local guest vocalists, and the latest single Changing features the amazing vocals of local singer/songwriter Jodie Mellor.

BECOME A HERO Thatchers Cider has launched an exciting initiative to help support local pubs and bars throughout the South West and the country as they begin to reopen as Government restrictions are lifted. Participating pubs are being sent a supply of limited-edition t-shirts – free of charge – that will be available for regulars to purchase – and show their support for their local pub. As pubs sign up to take part, pub-goers will be able to find participating outlets via an online map on Thatchers’ website. So, if you're keen to get your hands on one of the limited edition t-shirts, the map will let you know where you can purchase one. The t-shirts have been created to back pubs across the country, with all proceeds going to support local pubs and bars. Keep an eye out for these limited edition t-shirts, and become a #ThatchersPubHero. Martin Thatcher, fourth generation cider maker says: "Become one of our #ThatchersPubHeroes by supporting your local pub! We've been overwhelmed by the number of pubs that have already opted to sell our limited-edition t-shirts.” After the first national lockdown in 2020, Thatchers gave away over 6,000 kegs of cider to pubs and bars up and down the country, helping them get back on their feet as they reopened.

What is your connection to Bristol? J: I grew up in a small village called Winterbourne in the North of Bristol. I loved growing up surrounded by greenery and would spend days by the River Frome. I’m now studying in the city centre and love how I’m still discovering new places to go. C: As a student, I lived in Redland and then after graduating, I lived in Bishopston for many years. I now live in the countryside between Bath and Bristol. Tell us about your new track, Changing C: Somehow the phrase ‘changing’ came to mind, and this got me thinking about climate change. I revisited Greta Thunberg’s inspirational speech to the 2019 UN Climate Summit and that gave me the idea for the narrative. I built the lyrics around it and then approached Jodie to provide the vocal. J: Over the past few years I’ve worked with Charlie (xskarma) on the production of my tracks and online content. He asked if I would like to feature as a vocalist on Changing, so I recorded the vocals in my bedroom during lockdown and he worked his magic on them. C: The song is raising awareness of climate change and the path to mass extinction for much of our wildlife unless we can dramatically reduce CO2 emissions. We wanted to do something positive with this song, and so we have partnered with OneTreePlanted – a US NGO which funds tree planting programs all over the world. We are donating all proceeds generated from the song to help re-forestation in central Uganda. Every stream of the song is helping to fund the planting of trees. Who in Bristol deserves a special shout out for their work/achievements recently?

• thatcherscider.co.uk

J: I recently played a show at The Louisiana, 10 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Jodie Mellor

which is an incredible Bristol venue. The set was live-streamed on their Facebook page and it was so lovely to get out of the house and play some music. They’ve supported so many local artists throughout lockdown and provided music lovers with amazing shows. They also do great pizza. Where are your favourite places to eat, drink and be entertained in Bristol? J: I’ve been loving SandwichSandwich. Saffron in Clifton is my favourite place for breakfast, and I love the Playground Coffee House. Open mic nights at The Grain Barge have always been such an inspiring place for me, and Thekla is my favourite venue to see shows. If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive who would it be? J: Probably Taylor Swift. She’s the reason I play guitar and write songs – and 10 year old me would cry (so would 21 year old me). What would be your first action if you were mayor of Bristol? C: I would ensure the Clean Air Zoning goes ahead and take the money raised and provide a local subsidy for householders installing solar panels. • Listen to Changing on Spotify. Read more about OneTreePlanted at: xskarma.com/changing

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CHALLENGE YOURSELF Auditions are now open for Bristol Pre-Conservatoire’s three programmes, which provide high-level ensemble training for talented young classical and jazz musicians. Pre-Con students learn in a supportive, fun and friendly environment with top class tutors and world-famous visiting musicians. Founder and music educationalist Dr. Jonathan James challenges students to think outside the box and always be curious. All forms of music are explored and experienced throughout the year and a large percentage of Pre-Con students go on to join national youth musical ensembles and conservatoires, as well as achieving success in performance competitions and composition. As the programme works in small groups on challenging repertoire, a Pre-Con musical training is like no other. So, if you're committed to developing your musical journey then get in touch with Pre-Conservatoire to audition. All ages from 10 upwards are catered for as they run a Roots, Intermediate and Senior programme. Auditions are now open!

• bristol-preconservatoire.com

Photo by Cancer Research UK

GIVE A HELPING HAND Two new Cancer Research UK superstores have officially opened their doors to the UK public, along with 500 of the charity’s shops. Leading cancer scientist Professor Richard Martin was on hand to cut the ribbon at a largescale charity shop in Bristol’s Brislington Retail Park, which also includes a brand new coffee shop, Coffee Together. A new superstore in Newport – the largest Cancer Research UK outlet in Wales – was also unveiled on 14 April. It’s hoped the new stores will play a role in the charity’s recovery from the loss of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic, generating funds for life-saving research. “Every day, every pound counts, so I hope people in Bristol will support this new superstore so that we can help keep making discoveries,” says Josephine Mewett, head of retail operations at Cancer Research UK The Bristol superstore will be stocked with everything from furniture to electrical items, clothing and soft furnishings, while Coffee Together will offer a range of barista hot drinks, sandwiches, salads and a selection of healthy snacks. Strict health and safety measures will be followed in Bristol and Cancer Research UK shops to ensure customers can shop, volunteers can return and supporters can donate safely. The charity’s shops typically contribute more than £25 million a year to life-saving work to beat cancer. “We support thousands of scientists and world-leading initiatives in all parts of the UK, all with the aim to improve the lives of people with cancer,” added Mewett. As well as clothes, the Bristol superstore also sells gardening supplies, homeware and books. Cancer Research UK is accepting donated items as usual but recommends people call ahead to arrange a drop off time with their local store. The charity’s superstores are located in retail parks across the UK with plenty of parking and storage space to accept items set aside during lockdown clear-outs. • cancerresearchuk.org/getinvolved/ways-to-shop

WELL VERSED Phrases like ‘climate emergency’ and ‘ecological breakdown’ are just not going away, they highlight a reality. Not only a potential future, but something well and truly underway for many lives across the planet. Increasingly it is bursting through the fault lines of our daily lives – if nowhere else, then certainly in our minds. Speaking from his lived experience, Tom Burgess explores in his book, Tangled Yet Coiled, the myriad emotions around this existential threat as he searches for light, wrestles with hard truths and seeks to build solidarity. The poetry is vivid, lyrical and profound, clearly coming from a place of deep feeling. Tangled Yet Coiled is a collection of 22 poems exploring the climate emergency, the unifying potential of nature, and experiences of wilderness that vault the ego, that captivate and sustain. There is a strong thread of dissonance and uncertainty in these pages, as Tom interrogates where mental health intersects with these issues. But, ultimately, it is written with the hope of turning powerlessness into small acts of courage and championing the natural beauty found in humans and all living things. Tom is a Poet living in Bristol. His day job concerns play, nature and adventure for young people. This influences his poetry in the sense that he Is interested in transformation. Tom has a poetry collection titled Paint Yourself published by Arkbound. Arkbound was founded in Bristol as a social enterprise in early 2015. It actively supports people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the world of publishing and writing. The publishers work on behalf of the Arkbound Foundation, and in early 2018 formally became it’s charitable trading company, with 100% of profits going back into the charity. The book is suited for a general audience with an interest in environmental issues. In particular it will resonate with people who experience anxiety about the growing number of ecological issues we face and those looking for spiritual fortitude in the face of it. • arkbound.com

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B R I S TO L MAGAZINE

Year of the Staycation

hose of us who enjoy words and language have had a mixed time of it over the past year. Though mostly a source of misery and drear, Covid has given us one or two lexicographical gems. Super-spreader was an early favourite, suggesting a collision between Superman and a muck-spreader. We had the suitably SAGE government taskforce of boffins, who told everyone to WFH and those with symptoms to selfisolate, presumably because ‘isolate’ sounds a bit… sad. To isolate means sitting alone in your room for a couple of weeks, whereas if you’re self-isolating you’re making an active and positive contribution to the war on Rona. Of course we’ve all grown weary of words and phrases we have heard too often now. And there are phrases that should never have been used at all. Jabs in arms is such an expression. But the worst offender has nothing to do with Covid per se. It’s an American term that describes what happens when you take time off for a holiday – or vacation – but you don’t go anywhere, ie. you stay at home and eradicate termites or whatever it is Americans do in their free time. Stay plus vacation equals staycation. They don’t travel as much as we do, so it’s not that unusual. For us Brits, with our ancestral itchy feet, it seems very strange indeed. At Whitsun last year my sister and family were forced to cancel their holiday to Cornwall, so they re-enacted it, day by day, camping in the garden and doing all the things they would normally do on their hols: cream tea one day, pasties (homemade) the next. Even a swim in the sea (paddling pool with added salt) followed by a sandcastle-building competition using builder’s sand in an old sink. A playcation, you might say, rather than a staycation, but they were definitely at home. In the end, people were able to travel abroad last summer, but this year even France seems a long way off. Since January, therefore, the papers have been telling us that we’re all going to staycation this year, but they don’t mean ‘remain at home, grouting the bathroom or recreating a week in Corfu with a copy of My Family and Other Animals and some posh olives’. Far from it. According to the pundits of today, any holiday that doesn’t involve leaving the shores of Blighty is a staycation. You may THINK you’re packing up your tent and heading west across the Severn for a breezy week in Wales, but according to the experts you’re not going anywhere. This may seem like so much lexicological quibbling, but there is a lot more at stake here than you might think. Imagine, if you will, a young family living quietly in the Home Counties. Mulling over their holiday options their first thought is to stay put, get those shelves up, maybe potter down to Camber Sands for the day. Then Mum says, so long as we have to staycation why don’t we pop to Wales. It’s not much further. We’ll just buy one of those inflatable tents… what could go wrong? Like many Bristol people we staycation in Wales quite a lot, usually near St David’s. And I can safely say that the experience is very rarely like being at home. First, there’s the magical thing that happens as you cross the Severn and trundle westward: the heat of England is left behind and the temperature gently declines to a refreshing 17°. Once on site there’s the whole business of living outdoors with no power and no phone signal, and a 10 minute walk to the loo (can you imagine putting up with that in Majorca, or at home for that matter?). And now here comes the farmer on his bike. ‘Might be seeing a bit of weather tonight,’ he says, meaning that we’re in for a Force 7 gale. Suddenly I see the appeal of a real staycation. ■

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14 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW | ADJOA ANDOH

Lady in red (and purple)

Since its debut on 25 December, 82 million households have streamed Bridgerton – the new period drama has held the number one slot on the top 10 list in over 70 countries and has made the fifth biggest original series debut on Netflix. Melissa Blease speaks the force of nature that is Bristol-born Adjoa Andoh, also known as Lady Danbury

And if you grow up in the Cotswolds in the 1960s and 70s, it’s not an option that you consider seriously – you may as well say you want to be an astrophysicist, at a time when wanting to work for Lloyds Bank or apply for the civil service was about as fancy as it got. But when I was doing my A levels in 1979, I went to the Old Vic and saw Kate Nelligan in David Hare’s Plenty. I was a pretty miserable teenager, but there was something about that play that touched me quite profoundly, even though it had nothing to do with my life; it was set during World War II, and it was about a woman who worked in Special Ops. But there was something about that character discovering that she’d found something that she was really good at – in this case, running spies – whereas being a secretary wasn’t what she was really good at. When she returns to London, post-war, and realises that she’s supposed to get back in her box and go back to her previous life... that was heartbreaking. The whole experience of seeing that play led me to understand that something really powerful happens when you act, or when you watch a piece of storytelling of any kind that means you can be in conversation with it in a way that goes beyond what’s actually happening on the stage, or on the TV. It can really touch you in a way that makes you think about your own life. I understood, right then, that I really wanted to be part of that.

rom Casualty, EastEnders and Dr Who to His Dark Materials and Invictus by way of A Streetcar Named Desire, Richard II and countless audio book narrations and radio dramas, Adjoa Andoh – born in Clifton, Bristol in 1963 – has, for the last three decades, been virtually omnipresent in theatres, on our screens and over the airwaves. But on Christmas Day 2020, Andoh secured a very special place in the nation’s hearts as Bridgerton’s indomitable dowager Lady Danbury. Formidable but always fair, frank but funny, and always, always full-on fabulous, she’s the woman you want as your best friend... but woe betide you turning her into a foe. With viewing figures topping 82 million, Bridgerton has become the most-watched series on Netflix in 76 countries across the globe. And here’s the really good news: there’s at least a third and fourth season in the pipeline, and season two is currently being filmed in Bath. We caught up with Andoh in a break from filming to take a whistlestop walk in her footsteps, from brave beginnings to right here, right now all-things-Adjoa.

I was a punk in my early teens, and I saw

➲

The Clash at Bristol Exhibition Centre in 1977

Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury and René Jean Page as Simon Basset

Bristol and Bath: early days, beyond... and back again

Growing up: where it all began I was the kid that always did the school play, or put on plays in the front room. I used to write stories, and make books. I put quizzes together, and cartoon strips, and all that sort of thing; I always liked storytelling, and I suppose I always wanted to act, but I just didn’t know that it was something I could actually do as a career.

Image : Courtesy of Netflix

I spent much of my early childhood in Leeds and then the Cotswolds, but I was born in Clifton and still have very strong connections with both Bristol and Bath. My grandmother lives just off the Downs in Bristol, and my family lived in Whitchurch before moving down to the Cotswolds when I was four. We lived in Wickwar which was very beautiful but very quiet: just a couple of buses a week, and lots of cows and sheep. But Bristol was my Mecca. I was a punk in my early teens, and I saw The Clash at Bristol Exhibition Centre in 1977. I used to go to the Locarno and Trinity Hall all the time – they were ‘my’ places. My dad worked for British Aerospace; I sat my A levels at Filton Tech; I started a law degree at Bristol Polytechnic; I signed on in every dole office bar one in Bristol – I lived all over the city, I’ve still got lots of friends and family there and I’m very, very fond of it, and Bath too. I eventually moved to London and started acting, but I came back to play Miss Haversham in Great Expectations at the Bristol Old Vic in 2013, and stayed with friends I’d kept in touch with since 1981 when we were in Bristol Black Women’s Group together; my readymade little gang, still going strong! My best friend still lives in Bristol too, and my godson. And my mum went to teacher training college in Bath, where we film Bridgerton! So my West Country connections are very, very strong.

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Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton and Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury on the set of Bridgerton

But even after that experience, I didn’t know how to go about it until I joined my Black Women’s Group in Bristol and met a San Franciscan woman called Deb’bora John-Wilson, who hosted acting classes. When I packed in my law degree after two years (which made my father cry!), I started doing classes with Deb’bora. She eventually got funded to do a show in London and suggested I audition for it, so I did, and I got the part. I was working in Bedminster Resource Centre at the time and I thought I’d go to London for two months then return to Bristol and get on with my life – but I never looked back. Deb’bora was a huge inspiration to me at the time, and she showed me a path that I didn’t really know was there.

Inspire, unite – and fight for what's right I think it’s really important that we give a hand up to, or just show what opportunities there could be for, people who are interested in wanting to do things with their life, and show them where the access points might be. In the village I grew up in in the 1960s and 70s, there were only three black people: me, my dad, and my brother. I learnt about sticking up for myself very early on, and sticking up for other people too. There were certain houses I wasn’t allowed in to because “you can’t have that coloured girl in here” – that was the attitude. And even when I moved to Bristol and tried to get student accommodation, it was okay when I was on the phone because I just sounded like anybody phoning up about the student room to rent. Then when I arrived to see it, I’d get “I’m so sorry my love, if you’d have arrived 10 just minutes earlier you could have had the room, but I’m afraid I’ve just let it.” If you encounter that once, you just think, oh well, I missed it. But when you encounter it six times in one day, you know what’s really going on. So I grew up with a strong sense of what was and wasn’t fair, and that’s something I’ve carried forward, all my life. It’s not just about race either – it could be about disability, or

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poverty, or transgender issues. I believe we’re all fabulous human beings, and we should all be taken on our merit and the equality of who we are: are you a decent person? Are you kind? Are you troubled? Are you poor? Do you need some help? What do you think you’re brilliant at? How can I make a space for you? That’s how I strive to think.

Tough times Covid has been – and remains to be – dreadful, for so many people, and on so many levels. Think of the loved ones we’ve lost, the funerals that haven’t been attended, the births that have gone uncelebrated, the weddings that have been cancelled. Think of the people who have lost their jobs and their livelihoods – there have been so many tragedies to bear. It’s been a very exposing experience, a spotlight on the state of the nation and how we value each other, and who we are to each other – fortunately, often in a good way. There have been such acts of kindness and generosity, and a real sense of people balancing their values – realising, for example, that they never made time to get to know their neighbour, but now they do; that’s got to be good, hasn’t it? But we have to remember that for many people, staying at home hasn’t been an option, and their incomes were so precarious that they couldn’t not work, or there was no furlough to rely on because of zero hours contracts, or they live with lots of other people so they couldn’t isolate even if they needed to. You consider all that – which none of us should avoid considering, regardless of our own personal circumstances – and we end up considering all sorts of issues about wealth, and work, and our immediate environment. There are lots of things that could come out of the situation we’ve all been through that could be positive if people pay attention, and hugely negative if we don’t. I really hope that we hang on to the beautiful things and learn from the tough times. And we’re not out of those tough times yet; I

Image : Courtesy of Netflix

INTERVIEW | ADJOA ANDOH

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We’d all been landed in a world that was sad, and difficult, and suddenly there was Bridgerton think it’s going to go backwards and forwards for a while, and we’ll all need to hold our nerve for a bit.

Image : Photography by Ingrid Pollard

The response to Bridgerton has been extraordinarily strong in part, perhaps, due to the fact that it opened on a Christmas Day that was really disappointing for lots of people. Whether Christmas is part of your faith tradition or not [another fascinating Adjoa fact: she was licensed as a Church of England Lay Preacher in 2009], it’s a countrywide holiday tradition, and last year we needed that more than ever before, after being apart for so long. We’d all been landed in a world that was sad, and difficult, and suddenly there was Bridgerton: slightly other-worldly, and totally addictive, and offering people the opportunity to just sort of fly off somewhere else for a while. Yes, Bridgerton may well have had that impact anyway, but I think it was doubled-down on by the circumstances when it first was broadcast. My friends’ daughter who lives in Bath, where the Holborne museum doubles for Lady Danbury’s house, noticed the museum has renamed their outside space ‘Lady Danbury’s Terrace’! I love the fact that you can enjoy Bridgerton on many different levels. If you like a good costume drama, or love a historical romp, or thrill to a romantic will they/wont they saga, it’s for you. If you want to look for elements that are more reflective, you can. There are many different races represented, and gay love affairs, and women who want to do things other than get married; it’s a broad remit that says to everybody, “come on in, you’re welcome!”

Adjoa in the 2020 production of Richard Il at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, in which she not only played King Richard ll, but also co-directed it as well

Portrait by Chelsea Lauren

Bridgerton: the impact

Lady Danbury: for it is she... I think every actor brings something of themselves to any given character. Even if you’re playing somebody absolutely reprehensible or the absolute antithesis of who you are, every character, at some level cares about themselves, and you have to play it as though you are them, and connect that you/them with the audience, and then allow the audience in. I love Lady Danbury’s appetite for life. I salute people who don’t get wearied or downcast but remain hopeful and optimistic, which can be quite a challenge. I’m playing Lady Danbury as a black woman, so I think about the challenges that a woman and a woman of colour would have had in the Regency period. I think about her – the widow of a duke who doesn’t have any offspring that we hear about, who’s independently wealthy, and not beholden or responsible to anybody. Whatever choices she makes in her life are freely hers to make (apart from doing what the Queen wants!). She understands that world, she has status in that world, and she navigates that world very well. But she’s also somebody who can see the fragile ones, and she can scoop them up in her care as she sees fit. She’s not a bully but she doesn’t suffer fools, and she has no time for people who are mean. She knows the bohemian side of the world she lives in as well – the artists, and the drinking clubs, and all that goes along with that. And she’s fun! She likes a good party, and she likes a good frock, and she likes knowing what’s going on, and she can put her shoulder to the wheel if she wants things to happen, or change. Lady Danbury is an absolute delight to play; I think about all those fabulous aunts you might have grown up with, or great aunts, or friends of your mother who you liked to call aunty; I think about my mum, and my English grandmother, and my Ghanaian grandmother, and all those mighty women who are just ploughing their way through the world as best they can, and finding joy and excitement where they can, and dealing with hardship, and supporting each other through all that and moving forward. I guess, overall, I just want Lady Danbury to celebrate sturdy women – and she most certainly does that! ■ • Watch the first series of Bridgerton on Netflix

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SUSTAINABLE FASHION

The theatre of fashion When Covid hit, actors and backstage crew members – the lifeblood of Britain’s theatres – were forced to forge a new path overnight. Among them was two-time Tony Award-nominated theatre designer, Ti Green. Following her creative instincts, however, she launched a sustainable fashion label inspired by her work with performers. Millie Bruce-Watt speaks to Ti about a year of rediscovery and the excitement of seeing the green shoots of new theatre coming through Ti Green has been the brains behind some of the UK’s most memorable costume creations and set designs over the last 20 years. Her portfolio is extensive in scope and scale and her work has taken centre stage, both figuratively and physically, in theatres all across the world, including in London’s Globe, on Broadway and in our very own Bristol Old Vic. In March 2020, Ti was working on a production about a 19thcentury physician who advocated the lifesaving benefits of hand washing. Semmelweis, starring Mark Rylance, was due to open at Bristol Old Vic but, as the pandemic swept the world, the show’s billboards were paradoxically replaced with government reminders to keep our hands clean. The production was put on hold, along with four other shows that Ti was due to work on. However, in the summer of 2020, Ti discovered the creative answer to the current constraints and launched her own fashion label, Article Green, from her studio in Bristol. Ti placed sustainability at the heart of her brand – a movement that is not only blazing through the fashion industry but a word that has been on Ti’s lips since 2017. Four years ago, Ti initiated a sustainability project at the Royal Shakespeare Company while designing Dido, Queen of Carthage. Recognising the wastefulness in costume production, Ti began maximising the use of sustainable textiles, sourcing material from more environmentally friendly suppliers and pushing for more awareness in the industry. “I’ve been working for over 20 years – when I started work this wasn’t an issue, it wasn’t something anyone talked about – but as it has become an issue around the whole conversation of fast fashion, I realised that it’s as relevant in theatre as it is in any other industry,” she says. Article Green’s elegant, minimalistic, quietly theatrical pieces are all made using sustainable fabrics – natural textiles, grown using

environmentally sustainable methods. “I source textiles from mills that work responsibly, using crops that aren’t polluted with fertilisers and pesticides. I get all my organic cotton from a mill in Turkey that is solar-powered – it has a responsible employment policy, which is really well enforced. All my packaging is also bio-degradable, compostable and marine safe.” Ti describes her pieces as ‘everyday costume’ and says there is an element of performance involved in getting dressed regardless of whether you’re preparing for the stage or not. “When you’re designing a costume, you have to try and tell the story of every character through what they wear. You become incredibly aware of how every garment choice, every colour choice, every silhouette, every choice of fabric communicates something about the inner workings of the person wearing the clothes – and exactly the same is true in life. There are a large number of people in the world who read clothes as clues about who’s wearing them – it’s part of the first picture you get of someone when you meet them. To me, that’s a very important language to be aware of. Clothes can outwardly express who you are on the inside but they can also affect how you feel on the inside.” As Ti has spent her career designing clothes for performers, she is focused on ensuring that her clothes fit real bodies. “I’m really happy to make individualised versions of the garments in my range. I invite people to get in touch with me through my website. I have a standard trouser design, it fits a standard body but then I say if you are appleshaped let me know, if you’re six-foot, let me know. Essentially it’s all

➲

Below and overleaf: Article Green’s Spring collection, which includes a selection of the limited edition garments as well as pieces from the core collection. Photography by Imogen O'Connor

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SUSTAINABLE FASHION

Ti’s three-dimensional kinetic structure made of welded metal to represent Siula Grande mountain in Touching the Void. Josh Williams (Joe), Angus Yelllowlees (Simon). Photo Michael Wharley

Bristol Old Vic has got an absolutely unique atmosphere. It’s nothing like any other theatre I know, other than possibly The Globe

Actor Amanda Lawrence modelling. Photograph by Craig Fuller

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SUSTAINABLE FASHION

the same design but I know how to make it work for different body shapes.” With concerns about fast fashion continuing to dominate the conversation in the fashion industry, Ti is challenging the boundaries with Article Green, describing her label as anti-fashion. She is purposely moving away from throwaway trends and instead inviting customers to build a capsule wardrobe. Each and every collection or new piece released from Article Green is designed to complement the last. “It’s not trend driven, it’s modern and it’s timeless and that’s the opposite to buying a cheap trend and throwing it away,” she says. Article Green was launched during a time of great uncertainty for the arts and Ti’s first collection undoubtedly reflects the melancholic mood of the industry. Wanting to give something back to Bristol Old Vic, Ti designed a small collection of items inspired by the red and green theme of the auditorium. She asked her friend, actor Amanda Lawrence, to model the pieces on stage and committed 10 per cent of sales to go towards the theatre’s commissioning fund, set up by artistic director Tom Morris, to raise money for freelancers so they could keep producing new work while the theatres were closed. The photoshoot not only captured the physical emptiness of the theatre but the bleakness felt by the theatre community at the time. The one-woman show held a mirror up to society, as theatre often does, and showed us that we were cold and lifeless without performance in our lives. “Things that normally felt very natural there suddenly felt very awkward partly because that space is all about having an audience,” says Ti. “If a building can be desperate, that building is desperate to get an audience back.” Ti’s relationship with Bristol Old Vic stretches back to the start of her career and she classes it as her favourite theatre in the country. “I started working there long before I lived in Bristol, in the early 2000s. It’s got an absolutely unique atmosphere. The work Tom Morris has done to restore the auditorium back to its original structure, having rebuilt the forestage, has completely reintroduced that relationship between actor and audience. The actors have been put back into the heart of the audience and it’s absolutely nothing like any other theatre I know, other than possibly The Globe.” Ti’s sets and costumes have appeared at theatres around the world. She won two Tony nominations for costume design and scenic design for her work in Coram Boy in 2007. Her portfolio also includes the set design for mountaineering drama Touching the Void in 2018. Instead of a predictable snowscape, Ti used a huge, three-dimensional structure made of welded aluminium and paper to represent Siula Grande Mountain.

“I was exploring how you can create the sense of a towering landscape by combining triangular facets, and I ended up with this kinetic structure that felt massive but was also transient and transformable. There was a long process of experimentation – it was so exciting to design.” Following the launch of her first series of core pieces, Ti’s spring collection sees Article Green moving into a new phase in its evolution. “When I launched Article Green last year, I was reacting to the closure of our theatres, to the hiatus in my career, and to the uncertainty and pain that everyone in the theatre industry was experiencing. The photoshoot that we did at Bristol Old Vic had a melancholic atmosphere that reflected the loss we were feeling, standing on an empty stage in an empty auditorium. It was a truthful reflection of that moment. “This spring, we have the green shoots of new theatre coming through and the hope that audiences will soon be back in their seats. Alongside this, Article Green has developed into an ongoing proposition. The new garments that I have created to release through spring and summer reflect my feelings of hope and celebration. Wearing them feels special, in the way that every step out of lockdown feels special. Our lives have been too interior for the last 12 months and it’s time to connect again,” she says. Ti is offering a new limited edition piece every month to Article Green newsletter subscribers, which will sometimes be an entirely new garment and sometimes a new version of an existing piece in fresh fabrics and colours. Her online shop will also continue to offer a core collection of its best-selling garments in neutral colours. “One of the central messages of the green economy is that the most sustainable version of anything you want is the version that you already have,” she says. “So, in that spirit, I have edited the core collection to form an ongoing basis for the variations that the limited edition pieces will offer.” As we move forward into a new season and brighter days appear on our horizon, Ti says she feels very hopeful about the future of theatres. “What’s brilliant is what we’re all experiencing at the moment has clarified our need for this kind of communication and the value of the arts in our lives. I don’t have any worries about the audience still being there when we return.” ■ • Shop the collection at: articlegreen.co.uk. Touching the Void is returning for one week only for a global broadcast, live from Bristol Old Vic from 26–29 May; bristololdvic.org.uk

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON in May Women Over 50 Film Festival Image from SWING, Dir: Natacha Horn

Women Over 50 Film Festival n Throughout May, Watershed Women Over 50 Film Festival (WOFFF) showcases international films by and about older women. Now in its 7th year, WOFFF creates a film community centred around older women and inspires younger people to re-think ageing and see creative potential in an ofteninvisible demographic. WOFFF's virtual Best of the Fest is packed with award-winning short films of witches, warriors and women who roar. watershed.co.uk Bristol Walk Fest n Throughout May, various locations Bristol Walk Fest will return this May with a Covid-secure edition. Offering digital excursions via the Go Jauntly app, plus signposts to a variety of walking routes and activities – and a choice of guided and themed walks – the festival caters to all ages, interests and fitness levels. bristolwalkfest.com Improv in the Park n 2 and 9 May, The Bristol Improv Theatre Join experienced instructors from The Bristol Improv Theatre for two hours of fun improv games and exercises in the beautiful surroundings of the great outdoors! Each class is capped at six (plus instructor) to adhere to physical distancing guidelines. This class is a great way to have a laugh, connect with others and build your improv, communication and performing skills in a controlled environment. Classes take place in

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the lovely Arlington Gardens just behind The Bristol Improv Theatre. Organisers invite participants to bring their own picnic blanket or camp chair to make their audience seat. improvtheatre.co.uk Fiction Writing Workshop n 5 May, University of Bristol, online This workshop provides an inspiring and supportive space to sharpen skills for those already engaged in creative writing projects. Participants will be given guidance on technical aspects of creative writing, including characterisation, use of language and dialogue, establishing time and place as well as overall structure and progressing the story. Creative writing tutor, Rachel Bentham is an experienced author and teacher who writes drama for the BBC, as well as prose. bristol.ac.uk Philosophical Times with Julian Baggini n 8 May, 10.30am, online Join St George’s Bristol resident philosopher Julian Baggini in your own home for his regular look at philosophy behind the headlines. Julian takes to Zoom to conduct his discussion around the weekend papers and the often under-explored philosophical issues tied up with the big issues of the day.As usual, there’ll be a chance to ask questions and feed into the conversation at designated times. The news is bursting with headlines right now so it promises to be a captivating session – a great way to start the day. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

48 Hour Film Challenge n 14–16 May, with Redmaids’ High School Keen filmmakers, writers, directors, producers and future stars of screen are invited to take part in Bristol's first 48 Hour Film Challenge this May. Teams from schools and extracurricular clubs will be given the challenge of making an original film from start to finish in just 48 hours. Workshops from teachers and industry professionals will be held for staff and students in the weeks leading up to the weekend to help participants brush up on their skills. There will also be an exciting panel of judges from within the industry. An entry fee of £5 per team will go to Babassa, an awardwinning youth empowerment social enterprise based in St Pauls. redmaidshigh.co.uk KOKOROKO n 15 May, 7pm, Brisol Beacon presents at SWX KOKOROKO return with a brilliant new single Baba Ayoola for released on Brownswood Recordings on 11 November 2020, their first single since the sublime Carry Me Home in February that received huge support from BBC 6 Music, 1Xtra, Afropunk, Clash & NPR. Catch them at SWX this month. bristolbeacon.org Scott Matthews n 15 May, 8pm, online Scott Matthews launches his new album, New Skin, with a live show from his home studio

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Auditions now open!

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bristol-preconservatoire.com

St Monica Trust, BS9 3UN

07715 372950

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LOCAL | EVENTS first time. Matthews will be performing live via Zoom. bristolbeacon.org Candlelight: Mozart’s Best Works n 18 May, 7pm, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery Whether you’re looking for a beautifully unique classical music performance or a romantic candlelit experience, this performance is for you. You don’t need to know all things Mozart to enjoy the evening, simply sit back and savour the stunning atmosphere and pieces you’ll hear. Join the event at one of the city’s most emblematic venues, where the walls will be flickering by candlelight to create a magical atmosphere. Prepare to be taken into the clouds with Mozart’s most treasured masterpieces. feverup.com

48 Hour Film Challenge with Redmaids’ High School

where it was recorded during lockdown. A daring and audacious record, New Skin is swathed in Eno-esque electronica and Thom Yorke-centric uncovering. It is bold and fearless, experimental and compelling. Join Scott as he explores this rare terrain live for the

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Bristol Photo Festival: James Barnor n 18 May, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery Born in Accra, Ghana in 1929, James Barnor was witness to the country’s Independence. He came to London in 1959 where he photographed the African and Caribbean diaspora. He photographed the first Black woman on a magazine cover and in 1969, he brought colour photography to Ghana. This exhibition shows Barnor’s early work from his Accra studio; his press photography for the Graphic in Ghana and Drum magazine across Africa; his London portraits; and his return to Accra. bristolmuseums.org.uk

Garrett Millerick n 27 May, 8pm, Brisol Beacon Foyer Bristol Beacon presents a night of sociallydistanced comedy from the foyer with a trio of comedians ready to tickle your funny bones – Garrett Millerick, Chloe Petts and MC Luke Kempner. Compering the night is Luke Kempner, known for his celebrity send-ups in cult BBC Three comedy series Murder in Successville and more recently, co-presenting on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch. bristolbeacon.org Joan Shelley n 27 May, 8pm, The Louisiana Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, singer/songwriter Joan Shelley brings the traditional attitudes of folk singers across Ireland, Scotland and England and blends them with the dispositions of Dolly Parton and Roger Miller. Enjoy Joan’s music at The Louisiana this month. Plus support from James Elkington. bristolbeacon.org Open Studios Online with Spike Island n 28–30 May, online Spike Island’s hugely popular Open Studios weekend is taking place online so you can enjoy it from wherever you are in the world! Go behind the scenes of artists’ studios, meet creative practitioners and learn about their processes and ideas, tune into a diverse programme of events, films, performances, radio broadcasts, and more. spikeisland.org.uk

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CITY | BOOKS

A global story A brave young Ghanaian woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she enters a less than perfect marriage in Dr Peace Adzo Medie’s mesmerising debut novel, His Only Wife. As a film production company gains the rights to the acclaimed novel, Millie Bruce-Watt chats to Dr Medie about her global success and what’s next for her characters

hen Dr Peace Adzo Medie published her debut novel, His Only Wife, last September, the Clifton author almost instantaneously caught the attention of Academy Award winners, filmmakers and global publications. “First of all, who even thinks that their book will be published?” Dr Medie jokes. “Then it gets published and there’s interest from filmmakers – it was shocking but it was really amazing,” she says. Dr Medie is a Senior Lecturer in Gender and International Politics at the University of Bristol. Just one month after publication, Reese Witherspoon picked her novel, which tells the story of a young Ghanaian seamstress navigating her way through modern life, for her monthly book club, Hello Sunshine. His Only Wife was also recognised in the New York Times, who named it Editors' Choice and Notable Book of 2020. Time Magazine soon dubbed it a Must-Read Book of 2020 and The Observer called it a Best of Book of the Year. American production companies, SK Global and The Mazur Kaplan Company, acquired the rights with the aim to make it into a television series and hundreds of voices from around the world poured in to express their love and appreciation for the vivid characters. “The feedback has been great,” says Dr Medie. “There’s this really great team behind Reece’s Book Club and they do a really excellent job at supporting and promoting the books that have been selected. I am very lucky to be a part of it. The feedback has been the highlight of being published – especially hearing from people in Ghana. I saw on social media that one person had said, “This author must have read my life story.” It’s nice to know that the book resonates with people.” His Only Wife follows the life of Afi Tekple, who lives in a small town in Ghana with her widowed mother. One day, she is offered a lifechanging opportunity – a proposal of marriage from the wealthy family of Elikem Ganyo, a man she doesn’t know. She acquiesces but soon realizes that Elikem is not quite the catch he seemed. He sends a standin to his own wedding and only weeks after Afi is married, and installed in a plush apartment in the capital city of Accra, does she meet her new husband. It turns out that he is in love with another woman, whom his family disapproves of and Afi is supposed to win him back on their behalf. But it is Accra that eventually wins Afi’s heart and gives her a life of independence that she never could have imagined for herself. Throughout the novel, Dr Medie draws on her research in gender, politics and conflict and focuses particularly on the social pressures that affect the behaviour of women. “I use fiction to teach in my social science courses and I am always keen to explore the issues that I work on in my research. I really wanted to write this book and focus on a woman who finds herself in a situation where she is under pressure from the people around her and look at how she is able to navigate these pressures. I wanted to also focus on marriage because there’s a lot of pressure on women in Ghana, especially young women, to get married and stay in a relationship that, ultimately, they might not be happy in.” The themes that Dr Medie addresses in her novel are very much relevant to today’s conversation surrounding women’s rights. “It’s very much a Ghanaian story – the place, the food, the fashion, the experiences – but, at the same time, it’s also a very global story, now more than ever, when we are having conversations around movements like Me Too and we are talking about feminism in popular culture. I think all of that shows that we are in a moment where people are really thinking about women’s experiences.”

Above all, however, Dr Medie wants her readers to be entertained and offers a world in which to escape – a world packed full of complex characters, each battling with their own narrative. “More than anything, I am the kind of reader that approaches fiction with the question, am I going to be entertained? Am I going to be swept away by this story? Is this going to grab me and not let go? And not, am I going to learn something? Even though I touch on a lot of important themes in the book, my first thought is not ‘I want to educate people.’ I didn’t want it to be instructional or judgemental – I want to tell you a story that will cause you to forget physically where you are and transport you into somebody else’s life. And if you learn something in the process, that’s also wonderful.”

I want to tell you a story that will cause you to forget physically where you are and transport you into somebody else’s life

His Only Wife was a work in process for five years. Dr Medie started working on it when she was a student at the University of Pittsburgh. “I spent months and often years thinking about characters and the plot. I really began writing in 2013 and I finished in 2017. It was a balancing act between writing fiction, teaching, researching and doing admin work. I did most of my writing really early in the morning. I was usually up around 4am and I would write for a couple of hours. I also have an academic book, which I was writing at the same time. So I would start one and switch to the other. I am at my best in the morning.” Dr Medie has already written her second novel, although not yet published, and aims to continue to write her third this summer. The brilliant scholar is also working on a project about female traditional leaders in Africa and continues to develop her academic research alongside her fictional writing. In terms of the television series, Dr Medie tells us that talks are still in the very early stages but, if it gets made, it will allow the story to focus on characters that were not at the centre of the book. “It’s very exciting,” she says. In the meantime, we delve back into the world so wonderfully created in His Only Wife and look forward to the day we see Afi’s story portrayed on the big screen. • His Only Wife is available to buy online via bookshop.org. Read Dr Peace Medie’s short stories on her website: peacemedie.com

Image right: cover design by Jaya Miceli Image left: Dr Peace Adzo Medie. Photo by Sylvernus Darku/Team Black Image Studio

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STATE OF THE ART

Four by Four, Clifton Contemporary Art, throughout May The May show at Clifton Contemporary Art brings together four artists whose work is defined, shaped and inspired by nature and its elements. Hannah Woodman's visceral, dynamic paintings use outline, texture, layers, confident mark making and pure accident to evoke the raw Atlantic coast and light dappled farmland close to her studio. Parastoo Ganjei's powerful, emotive acrylics capture the restless wash of sunlight and cloud over her local Wiltshire landscapes, but are equally expressions of feeling and imagination. The gently enigmatic abstracts of Masako Tobita are an intensely personal creative response to the wild places she explores and knows. They evoke space, movement and form, but are layered too with feelings about the past, present and future. Rosie Musgrave has been mesmerised by the beauty and quiet presence of stone since she was a child, but has more recently also explored the charismatic forms and exquisite colours revealed by bronze casting. Her sculptures have a timeless, universal quality, balanced with subtly harnessed intimacy. Four by Four is an exploration of difference: of how artists find the utterly unique and diverse in shared environments and common themes.

Spring 2021, Rainmaker Gallery, until 18 June Rainmaker Gallery is celebrating 30 years of exhibiting contemporary Native American art. Throughout the year, the gallery will be showing artworks selected in accordance with seasonal colour pallettes, including as many artists from the three decades as possible. The spring exhibition is filled with joyful spring greens, pinks, yellows. • rainmakerart.co.uk

• cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

Above: the featured photographic image Wakeah by Cara Romero has recently been acquired by MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art, NY) and is also on show in Rainmaker’s gallery spring 2021 exhibition.

Above: Navy Skies, Cornwall by Hannah Woodman

A Picture of Health, Arnolfini, until 13 June A Picture of Health is accompanied by an artist film programme, Look at this skin… it keeps changing, exploring experiences of wellness, recovery and ageing. The sensory nature of these films presents yet another interpretation of what ‘a picture of health’ might look like. The exhibition is due to reopen from 18 May 2021 in accordance with Government guidelines around covid. • arnolfini.org.uk Left: a still from Helen Petts’ film titled Poleaxed.

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Elemental: gardens and garden rooms Elemental are designers and makers living and working in North Devon and Somerset. They design unique elements for the home and garden in copper, steel and glass. Alongside art pieces they also create garden gates, trellis and screens to order and believe these features should be beautiful as well as functional. Incorporating fused glass, lead work and traditional glass painting techniques Elemental make windows to fit an existing space or as individual art panels mounted in specially designed frames which stand off the wall allowing light to shine through the glass. The creators at Elemental are always adding to their range of designs and are happy to work with customers on an original piece for their home or garden. • elementaldesignandbuild.info Below: Elemental designers create unique garden pieces using copper, steel and glass.

Spring exhibition, Hidden Gallery, throughout May Clifton’s remarkable Hidden Gallery has emerged from lockdown with an outstanding exhibition highlighting the breadth of its roster of worldrenowned artists. Whether your taste is for local hero Banksy, contemporary favourites such as David Hockney, Damien Hirst or Tracey Emin or C20th masters such as Picasso, Matisse or Warhol you’ll find something to feast your eyes on here. Hidden specialises in original, hand signed lithographs, screen prints and a variety of works on paper and has been established in the Clifton Arcade for six years. It has recently expanded to Brighton and is about to open in London. Renowned for its warm welcome as well as the astonishing art, Hidden is an antidote to the stuffy art galleries of old. • hiddengallery.co.uk Above: Chris Levine; Lightness of Being, 2018; three-colour silkscreen with Swarovski crystals on Somerset satin white 410 gsm paper; numbered 76 from a limited edition of 100; hand-signed and numbered by the artist in pencil.

Scribble and Sketch Online, Royal West of England Academy (RWA), throughout May Do you enjoy optical illusions? Have you ever tried to create your own? Look at the work of artist Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely or Jesus Rafael Soto, who are all famous for their patterned paintings that play tricks on our eyes. This month, follow these clear instructions created by Scribble & Sketch artist, Abigail Reed. This Op-Art workshop is inspired by Bridget Riley's line paintings. Download the workshop instruction sheets from RWA’s website and keep an eye out for when the workshops resume at the venue. • rwa.org.uk Right: RWA’s optical illusion workshop will be running virtually throughout May

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Oversized paintings, The Fine Artist

Canaletto: Painting Venice, 17 May – 5 September

Tracey Bowes is a professional fine art painter and is particularly passionate about Bristol, Bath and Clevedon. She explores meaning, colour and expressive mark making techniques traditionally and digitally. Her work contains a visual narrative, which is expertly conveyed. Her career has enabled her to problem solve and create show-stopping exhibitions and visuals. As the weather warms up so do the colours of the city. Tracey Bowes has completed a large painting of this glorious scene of Clifton Suspension Bridge. This piece is part of a collection which includes uplifting scenes of the South West. Tracey produces large artworks which allow her to create high quality Giclée prints which are large enough for feature walls. Her smaller framed prints make superb gifts alongside her eye-catching greeting card collection.

From 17 May, the Holburne Museum in Bath will present the most important set of paintings of Venice by Canaletto (1697 – 1768), which will leave their home at Woburn Abbey – one of world’s most important private art collections – for the first time in more than 70 years. This once in a lifetime exhibition will enable art lovers to enjoy and study upclose twenty-three beautiful paintings, in a fascinating exhibition that also explores Canaletto’s life and work, alongside themes of 18th-century Venice and the Grand Tour. This is one of the rare occasions that any of the successive Dukes of Bedford and Trustees of the Bedford Estates have lent the set of paintings since they arrived in Britain from Canaletto in the 1730s. Created over a nine-year period, when the artist was at the pinnacle of his career, the Woburn Abbey paintings are the largest set of paintings that Canaletto ever produced, and much the largest that has remained together. The Holburne Museum is also home to Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury played by Bristol-born Adjoa Andoh – read our full feature with Adjoa on p.14.

• thefineartistshop.com Left: Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol by Tracey Bowes

• holburne.org Below: View on the Grand Canal looking north from the Palazzo Contarini dagli Scrigni to the Palazzo Rezzonico

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COLUMN | CHRIS YEO ON ANTIQUES

Expert opinion From Chris Yeo, expert on BBC Antiques Roadshow, Valuer at Clevedon Salerooms and Curator of the Ken Stradling Collection in Bristol

Warming up for Summer

Wooden Spoons

oled up at home with time on my hands, I recently found myself contemplating the Big Bang. Well, to be more precise, my Big Bang. What was the thing that kick-started my life in antiques? It’s a question I’m often asked but have never been able to answer. Try as I might to identify a moment of dazzling epiphany, I could not recall any such event. I can only conclude it must have been lurking in my DNA. For as long as I can remember the man-made things around me, be they buildings or dinner plates, have held a magnetic fascination. It was only natural that, sooner or later, antiques would attract my attention and, true to form, I was hooked whilst still in short trousers. My enjoyment, however, has always been much more about discovery than possession. I have always been captivated by the notion that an object – no matter how ordinary - can be a silent witness to history, a tangible link with a time, person or place. You could almost say it’s meat and drink to me. Which brings me on to wooden spoons. Back in the 1990s, a friend of mine was working at one of the major London auction houses. At the end of a long day, just a fraction before closing time, as the liveried doormen were about to swing the heavy oak doors shut, a rather scruffily dressed young man strolled into the grand reception area. T-shirts and ripped jeans are now de rigueur on Bond Street, not so in the ‘90s. Eyebrows were raised. The young man’s enquiry was as unlikely as his appearance: Would the auction house be interested in selling his Aunt’s wooden spoons? He went on to explain that he had approached all the other auctioneers in the area but – suspecting youthful high jinks – each had shown him the door without further enquiry. Unfazed and intrigued, my friend asked his aunt’s name. ‘Elizabeth David’ came the reply. The young man was indeed the nephew of the fabled food writer and the resulting sale of the contents of her kitchen, which included her wooden spoons, became headline news. The moral of the story? Have an enquiring mind. Don’t be put off by appearances and remember, it’s not always the early bird that catches the worm. ■

clevedon-salerooms.com; @chrisyeo_antiques (Instagram)

Wooden spoon found on board the 16th century carrack Mary Rose. Image courtesy of The Mary Rose Trust. WikiCommons

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Lemonade Jug London 1875

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The devil is in the detail You may miss it at first but avert your eyes to the far right of the photograph and you will see a spectacular arrangement of “Marie Antoinette” coupes drowning in lavish Champagne. The intricate display was built by Bristol-based model and prop-making company, Mangostone, whose work often plays a cameo role in our much-loved films and dramas. This month, Simon Horsford catches up with co-director Laurens Nockels, who talks Bridgerton and beyond

ridgerton’s frivolous and steamy take on the Regency era may have made it Netflix’s mostwatched series, but the devil is also in the detail. Production designer Will Hughes-Jones, who worked on the series for the TV company Shondaland, said earlier this year: “I was like a kid in a sweet shop... what’s not to like about creating a heightened pastiche of the Regency world?” Similarly, show runner Chris Van Dusen had a vision of something “lavish, fun, big and bold.” The look throughout the series is sumptuous, but one that’s been carefully and imaginatively crafted. And so it was to a Bristol-based model and prop-making company, Mangostone, that the production team turned to when they wanted an extravagant tower of champagne coupes for one of the ballroom scenes shot in The Guildhall in Bath. A still of the “Marie Antoinette” glasses together with lovers Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) in the foreground was also used to announce that Bridgerton had been commissioned for a second season (subsequently it’s been signed up for at least four series). Mangostone’s co-director Laurens Nockels explains that the commission came in late 2019 when they were contacted by one of the production’s art departments. “We didn’t know it was Bridgerton when we were quoting on it. It sounds straightforward [the design], but when you drill down into how many glasses there were [around 200], you need to know how it’s going to work and how they are all going to stack together neatly. There’s quite a lot of maths involved. “They were actually normal, plastic, catering glasses. So what we are seeing here is smoke and mirrors. We stuck different tiers of glasses together and filled them with clear resin with a yellow tint and gold

glitter to get the right sort of Champagne look. Then when a gloved hand pours the Champagne over the glasses in the shot, it looks like they are filling up.” It certainly looks very convincing. Nockels, who has worked for more than 20 years as a sculptor, prop maker, and project manager in the film, TV and advertising industries, runs Mangostone with fellow creative Tony Tarquini. They collaborated on numerous occasions as freelancers before forming the company in 2017. The name, incidentally, coming to Nockels while eating a bag of mangoes on a beach in Honduras 20 years previously. Nockels’ long association with Bristol stretches back to childhood when his family moved to Somerset, and continued via studying fine art sculpture at UWE Bristol. A work experience position led to a role at Aardman Animations in the city where he worked on making sets and props for the likes of The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. “It was a dream job. For me it was like being a round peg in a round hole,” jokes Nockels, whose freelance gigs went on to include making props and models on music videos for Finley Quaye, Jamiroquai and Billie Piper and working on advertising promos. “What we do is quite a niche thing, so you have to work across a lot of sectors,” he adds. In 2013, Nockels got a call to work at Pinewood Studios on Ridley Scott’s biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings, which led to him helping set up Pinewood Creative, an in-house prop-making and set-building department. “It was a real challenge, but I loved it,” he says about working on projects such as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, where they made all the doors and windows. It was a huge operation, says Nockels, for instance “there were 70 plasterers on that production.” At the other end of the scale, Nockels also made models

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of the Minions, Dave and Kevin, for a promotional tour. One of the last tenders that Nockels won for Pinewood Creative was for a giant head of Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Being Brunel museum, which was being planned for Bristol. Although he started work on this impressive bust, one of Nockels’ project manager’s finished the commission as he left to set up Mangostone with Tony Tarquini in 2017. They did, however, work on other features at the museum, such as three sculpted replica busts for Brunel’s office and two interactive mechanical devices, set into drawers, illustrating Brunel’s ideas. It was all part of a continuing association with SS Great Britain, which began in the early 2000s when he worked on refurbishing the steamship. Another early project for Mangostone was making a cross-sectional model of a human eyeball for the Glasgow Science Centre and they also created 46 life-sized effigies (representing refugees) for Opera North’s production of The Greek Passion.

The agency wanted the bottles to “float DavidBlaine-style above the table!” In the end, we used a combination of perspex and LED lights to create the effect – we deal in fakery

says Nockels. “I was constantly making things as a child. My parents were both creatives – painters and illustrators – so there was an art studio in the house.” As to the future, the pair are working on a new TV series Becoming Elizabeth, a history of the SAS (“we are making Second World War grenades, tank barriers and various artefacts”) and a Netflix crime drama, Havoc, starring Tom Hardy. I can only imagine what a fascinating place their workshop must be – littered with a weird and wonderful collection of props and models. But what happens to all their creations after they’ve been used? “We make it bespoke,” says Nockels, “the models never come back to us. They either get kept, such as with Aardman, but film props are destroyed, like all the stuff for Beauty and the Beast. I asked for some pieces back, but Disney said no, they are very guarded about their intellectual property.” Sustainability is, however, a key feature of how Mangostone works. “TV and film production is by its very nature a wasteful industry,” says Nockels, “we are using resins and plastics and so will have some footprint, but we will try use as eco a resin as possible, we use biodegradable materials where we can and [furniture] removers’ blankets instead of bubble wrap.” With support and mentoring advice from Creative Scale-Up, a government scheme which helps creative businesses in the West of England, Mangostone is certainly going places thanks to its imaginative, can-do approach to making dreams – and ideas – come true. • mangostone.org

‘We bring your ideas to life’ is the catchline on Mangostone’s website, but I wondered if there was ever a time when a request was just too outlandish. He recalls a product launch for a perfume when the agency wanted the bottles to “float David Blaine-style above the table!” In the end, says Nockels, we used a combination of perspex and LED lights to create the effect, “we deal in fakery,” he adds. Two years ago Mangostone made a range of interactive exhibits for the wooden walkway through Bear Wood at Bristol Zoo’s Wild Place site in South Gloucestershire, while at present they are working on a series of animatronic creatures for the BBC series Spy in the Wild – fake creatures, with cameras in their eyes, which interact with their real-life counterparts. “Sculptures of any kind is where my heart is,”

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First page: Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton and Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset. Photo: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX Above: Co-director of Mangostone, Laurens Nockels Right: (top) 46 life-sized eﬃgies (representing refugees) for Opera North’s production of The Greek Passion; (middle left) a cross-sectional model of a human eyeball for the Glasgow Science Centre; (middle right) making the extravagant tower of champagne coupes for one of Bridgerton’s ballroom scenes shot in The Guildhall in Bath; (bottom left) co-director of Mangostone, Tony Tarquini; (bottom right) three sculpted replica busts for Brunel’s oﬃce at the Being Brunel museum.

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GARDENING LOCAL BUSINESS

A force for good

B Corporations push brands to adopt ethical business practices and, since the pandemic began, we’ve seen global giants seek out the certification. Millie Bruce-Watt looks at B Corps in Bristol and what we might expect in the coming years

n official terms, certified B Corporations are “businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.” The B Corp movement began life in Pennsylvania in 2006 before launching in Europe in 2015. Founded by non-profit organisation B Lab, the certification is designed to push businesses to change their practices, with the aim of building a more inclusive and sustainable economy that tackles society’s most challenging problems. The B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on people, communities and the environment, which attempts to ensure progress towards social and economic justice. Each B Corp is graded on a points system. The process measures five key areas: governance, workers, environment, customers and community. They need eighty points to pass. The process also highlights a company’s

weaknesses and provides a roadmap for those striving to achieve sustainable practices. Since the launch, 3,682 companies in over 150 industries, across 74 countries, have become certified B Corps, all unified by one goal: to use business as a force of good. How to become a certified B Corp It is a relatively simple process to become a B Corp but it is also known to be a lengthy one. Typically taking around six months, companies must complete an online assessment, undergo a verification and validation process and be willing to meet certain transparency requirements and background checks. Aiding post-Covid recovery The B Corp certification is appearing to be crucial in the Covid recovery and its status has grown in importance and impact. During the pandemic, many brands came under fire for mistreating employees and burdening suppliers with debts. B Corps would be reprimanded for

these actions. They would either have their certifications revoked or face probation with remedial action through the complaints process. Since the pandemic was first reported, we’ve seen tech giants and fashion leaders join the community of progressive companies. In June, WeTransfer added its name to the list. The Jamie Oliver Group followed suit in July, and British fashion designer Christopher Raeburn, along with multiple other fashion brands, aim to be certified in 2021. The pandemic has called for companies to look inwardly at their operations, processes and structures and, ultimately, people want to work for, buy from, and invest in businesses they believe in. B Lab’s rigorous processes build credibility, trust, and value in businesses. Perhaps, as we enter a new decade – and the global economy seeks to reinvent itself – we will see a mass drive towards practices that are best for people and the planet. ■ • bcorporation.net

The rise of B Corps in Bristol... Bristol itself could be perceived as something of a beacon for B Corps. In recent years, our green-leaning city has produced two UK firsts. In April, Ecosurety, based in Finzels Reach, became the first recycling compliance scheme to successfully receive B Corp status in the UK. They invest in quality recycling for packaging, electrical waste and batteries. Similarly, in May 2019, Yala Jewellery, an award-winning African jewellery brand, became the very first certified jewellery company in the UK. Founder Audrey Migot-Adholla employs 150 talented Kenyan artisans and only uses raw materials that can be ethically sourced, reused and recycled. Bristol is home to 14 of the 320 B Corps in Britain. Renowned organic herbal tea company Pukka Herbs, based in Keynsham, has been a B Corp since September 2016 and

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prides itself on using the finest organic and fairly traded herbs. Greenhouse PR, based on Thomas Lane, drives positive social and environmental change through the power of communications, operating as a B Corp since February 2017. One of the world’s leading sustainable banks, Triodos, which was originally founded in the Netherlands in 1980, also has its UK headquarters in Bristol. It became a B Corp in 2015 and only finances companies that it believes benefit both people and the environment. The city’s much-loved concert hall, St George’s Bristol, owes its two-storey extension to Triodos’ lending in 2018. Ultimately, from what we wear, to what we watch, to how we invest our money, the city is conscious of its carbon footprint, aware of its environmental sustainability and shining bright on the world stage.

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Audrey Migot-Adholla, CEO of Yala Jewellery

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Compliments of the season

The UK’s spring season superstar crops don’t hang around for long; if you miss any of the produce in the spotlight here, says Melissa Blease, you’ll seriously miss out... and there’s no going back until next year. Just imagine a medley of roast asparagus, sautéed morels, steamed Jersey Royals and wilted spinach topped with a freshly poached egg...

Spinach Few vegetables scream ‘green!’ quite as loudly as spinach, and its uniquely distinctive flavour profile matches its attention-grabbing hue. One of the UK’s greatest green growing things is, of course, available all year round, and frozen spinach is one of our greatest quick-fix assets. But we can enjoy it at its sprightliest best from now until the end of June, when baby leaves are picked fresh from the nutrient-rich earth. Look for bright green leaves with a fresh smell and no hint of wilt, pick off any thick stems (there shouldn’t be many, on young spinach), give it a quick rinse and shake off all the excess water before sautéing, bearing in mind that spinach miraculously reduces to around a quarter of its volume when cooked, so too much at once is never enough. Added bonus, plus fun fact: spinach contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Contrary to popular belief, however, it isn’t laden with iron; this myth began in 1870 when a German scientist accidentally moved a decimal point, giving spinach 10 times more iron than it actually contains. Take that, Popeye! Spinach

Jersey Royals When is a new potato not just a new potato? When it’s a Jersey Royal. Small, smooth and loosely dressed in a fragile, papery skin, these creamy white angels of the tuber family have a sweetly nutty, subtly earthy flavour, a delicate aroma redolent of freshly mown grass and are at their brightest best from now until July, with the peak of their season in mid-May. Roast them? Criminal! Fried? Don’t you dare! Simply boil or steam until tender and serve with a slick of melted butter, a cascade of salt and a sprinkling of fresh chives – potato paradise indeed.

Asparagus British asparagus season doesn’t officially begin until 23 April. But due to an unusually mild winter, an advance party of vivid green spears (all of which have to be harvested by hand when they reach the right height) of the UK’s most celebrated, indigenous icons arrived early this year. Asparagus will bring uniquely flavoursome elegance to any dish whether you use it raw (slice thinly or shave into salads), roasted, steamed, grilled, stir-fried or barbecued. It’s

Feta’s best friend, tastes marvellous with mint, loves to be bathed in Hollandaise, and makes a glorious addition to risottos, tarts and pasta dishes. Spoiled for choice? You have from now until around the end of June to create asparagus alchemy.

Morels Many chefs consider the highly revered Morel to be the King of Mushrooms – and it’s easy to see why: earthy, nutty and uniquely fragrant with a honeycombed head and a thick, creamy coloured trunk, Morels look as special as they taste. But this lesser-spotted fungi has a very short season: six weeks if we’re lucky, from midApril to late May. Morels come with another warning, too: they must never be eaten raw as they contain a seriously nasty toxin called hydrazine. But, once cleaned (use a vegetable brush and treat them to a brief salt water soak) and cooked, the hazard lights are off. To experience full-on Morel magic, simply sauté them in hot oil and butter, season well and serve hot, on toast.steamed, grilled, stir-fried or barbecued.

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Wild Garlic One of the UK’s most overlooked seasonal treasures is growing freely (literally) in a hedgerow near you from now until very early summer. It grows plentifully in and around areas of mature woodland, and is especially abundant around Bath. At first glance, it’s easy to mistake the clusters of tiny white, star-shaped flowers for some variation on snowdrops, but close up, you’ll notice slender, spear-shaped, vivid green leaves and a pungent, garlicky aroma that belies the milder flavour of the plant itself. Pick the leaves (and the flowers, to use as an interesting garnish), rinse them and use raw to add a subtle garlicky backdrop to salads, risottos and wilted spring greens, or chop finely and sprinkle over warm pizzas, hot soup, pasta/gnocchi sauces or an omelette. Wild garlic also makes a lovely pesto (processed with olive oil, pine nuts or walnuts and parmesan cheese), loves lamb, is fabulous with creamy mushrooms on toast and has a natural affinity with spring onion mash.

Wild garlic

Rhubarb Let’s get ready to crumble! Outdoor-grown rhubarb – thicker stemmed than its forced cousin, and brighter red in colour – thrives from now until around the end of June. It's easy to stalk the good stuff: just be sure to select bunches with firm, unblemished, snappable stalks, and off you go. But beware! Never, ever eat rhubarb leaves: they contain high levels of oxalic acid (poisonous to both people and animals) so dispose of them immediately. To poach rhubarb, simply rinse, trim, chop and tip into a suitably sized pan with a sprinkling of caster sugar and a splash of water and simmer (partially covered) until soft. Roasting, meanwhile, brings a jammy, rich intensity to the rhubarb party: toss your prepped stalks with caster sugar, tip onto a baking tray (in a single layer), cover with foil and roast in a medium-hot oven for 15 minutes before shaking it all about, removing the foil and roasting for a further 5–10 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and the juices have turned syrupy. n THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

january 2010

Rhubarb

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BEAUTY | SPECIAL

beauty NOTEBOOK

HOURGLASS Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara £29.00 The look of lash extensions in an instant. The Unlocked Mascara by Hourglass is the ultimate formula for when more is more: more definition, more lift and more length to transform lashes with impossibly real results. Using filmforming technology, it coats each lash in lightweight fibres that lock in place for a high-impact, fanned-out finish and smudge-proof wear. For effortless removal, the tube-like film slides off with warm water.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Magic Marc'er Precision Pen Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Marc Jacobs’ Magic Marc'er Precision Pen Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner features a calligraphy-inspired proprietary capillary system that draws thick and thin lines for accentuating the lash line or building a bolder look.

LAURA MERCIER Caviar Eye Stick Colour £25.00

In the eye of the beholder From smokey to sultry and colourful to subtle, our handpicked eye makeup edit has everything needed for a transformation. Perfect brows using a soft sculpting pencil, create luxuriously full lashes with a thickening mascara or add polish with a shimmering eyeshadow palette. With beloved brands such as Hourglass , Tom Ford and Fenty, the perfect eyeliner flick is moments away.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Highliner Matte Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner £21.00 Matte-not-flat. Extreme colour. Waterproof. A gel eye crayon for a bold, matte finish. Experience the intense colour payoff, amazing glide and 12-hour wear of Marc Jacobs' original award-winning Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner—now re-envisioned in a bold, matte finish.

All products featured are available from the ground floor beauty hall at Harvey Nichols Bristol and online at harveynichols.com

NARS Euphoria Face Palette £56.00 Glow to another dimension with the Euphoria Face Palette from NARS. Turn skin on with a limited-edition palette of eight eyeshadows in a range of satin, matte, and glittering finishes, with three glistening shades of highlighter. Build and blend your way to an irresistible sheen that catches light from every angle.

FENTY BEAUTY Brow MVP £17.00 An ultra-fine, retractable brow pencil made for hairlike precision, born in a ground-breaking range of 14 longwear, waterproof, smudge-resistant shades – plus a built-in paddle brush for effortless blending and styling.

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Laura Mercier's versatile Caviar Eye Stick Colour delivers effortless application, high-impact colour and up to 12-hour wear. Pigment-rich shades—nudes to deeps, shimmer and matte finishes—glide seamlessly onto lids. Creamy formula gives you plenty of time to smudge, blend, line, fill or define, so it's easy to create any look. Sets for crease and transfer-resistant wear and layers easily over or under other eyeshadows (including powder).

TOM FORD Eye Colour Quad £68.00 Four coordinated eyeshadows in sparkling to matte finishes designed to create soft to bold iconic Tom Ford eyes. Formulated with advanced colour processes, the four luxurious finishes—sheer sparkle, satin, shimmer and matte—offer a spectrum of intensity and effects and deliver incredible shade fidelity and outstanding adhesion.

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“Studying with CNM is one of the greatest experiences you’ll ever have”

Voted Best College/University - 2021 IHCAN Education Awards

Kelly Mulhall, Nutritional Therapy graduate

worked for many years in events and marketing which was very stressful. My diet was poor, I lived off ready meals, pastries, crisps and coffee. I had suffered longterm with IBS, eczema and adult acne after coming off the pill for 15 years. I was run down and kept getting ill all the time. After countless trips to the GP and fruitless medical testing to get to the bottom of it all, I was so confused and upset as to why my body was completely out of sync. I’d finally met my tipping point. From then on, I decided to start taking my health into my own hands and exploring ways to improve my symptoms. I was sure that my poor diet and prolonged hormonal contraception were not good for my body and wanted to make changes to my diet and lifestyle. Whilst talking to a friend, the topic of nutrition came up and it really resonated with me. There I was, struggling to enjoy full health and stumbling across Naturopathic Nutrition was like an epiphany moment. I could get to the root cause of

my symptoms, and improve my health through food; a win-win! I went on to research different functional medicine degrees and realised none of them had any real-life clinical experience. CNM’s 200 clinical hours meant I would be confident in my own practice as soon as I graduated. It was a huge bonus to have so much real life clinical experience rather than just academic learning and case studies. Nutrition has changed my life in every way possible. I think, feel, look and sleep better and I am constantly rewarded when I am able to help those around me to live a better life. Whether you are interested in learning more about nutrition and health for yourself, to help someone you know, or even to become a practitioner, studying with CNM is one of the greatest experiences you'll ever have. The knowledge you gain is invaluable and the ability to help others is everlasting.

Become a Nutritional Therapist or Acupuncturist with CNM Bristol Discover how natural therapies promote true health and vitality. Our events are packed with inspiring tips on how to nurture yourself in natural, sustainable ways. And if you are thinking of turning your passion into a career, an Online Open Event will also cover what you need to know about studying at CNM. Geoff Don Visit cnmcourses.com

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CNM has an exceptional 22-year track record training successful natural health practitioners online and in class. Over 80% of graduates are practising.

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MAY 2021

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 47

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Clinical excellence MBST: Next generation devices arrive in Bristol enhancing the management of long-term injury, osteoarthritis and elite sports injuries. James Scrimshaw and Jonathan Webb with the new MBST machine at Cura’s clinic in Westbury-on-Trym

ames Scrimshaw, Clinical Director of Cura Clinical Consultancy tells us about the latest generation of MBST technology available at his Westbury-on-Trym clinic.

First of all, what is MBST? MBST stands for ‘Molecular Biophysical Stimulation’. It’s a technology widely used in Europe and simply put, it’s a therapeutic adaptation of MRI used to treat osteoarthritis and soft tissue damage. Unlike an MRI, MBST doesn’t create an image but it does use the same energy to stimulate a significant repair response in damaged tissue and joints. There are over 200 clinics in Germany almost exclusively run by Orthopaedic surgeons, and the technology is now being used by a growing number of clinics here in the UK.

I’ve been hugely impressed by the significant improvement in symptoms of my patients I have referred to CURA Clinical. The MBST technology is widely used in Europe with proven clinical benefit. Furthermore, this is a group of patients who up till now have few other effective options. I recommend it highly

How did you discover MBST? I heard about the technology about three years ago, although it has been around for nearly 15 years now! I had started to develop arthritic pain and mobility issues in my knees, finding simple things in life painful. On the recommendation of colleagues, I tried MBST and was extremely impressed in the results - enough so to invest in the technology at my clinic here in Bristol. Two-and-a-half years on, we’ve introduced the very latest machines which offer even better levels of repair and relief.

Tell us about the patients you treat Patients we treat range in age from 21 (more trauma/sports injuries) to 84 years. The majority so far have involved significant osteoarthritic

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change in necks/backs, hips, knee or ankle joints. Most often, these patients are not yet ready for surgery but are suffering with mild to moderate stage of joint damage and some considerable pain. For this group, the results from MBST treatment really are extremely impressive. Based on the preliminary validation of the results from the 300 patients we’ve treated here in Bristol, 80-90% have seen significant improvement of symptoms from these long-term conditions. MBST isn’t just used for patients with arthritis. We’ve recently had the pleasure of working with some of Bristol’s elite sports teams such as Bristol Bears, helping to facilitate the recovery of some of their elite squad.

What about patients with severe arthritic conditions? For those patients who are experiencing severe symptoms and require an operation, the good news is that MBST can provide the antiinflammatory effects to help the wait for surgery more comfortable. We regularly work alongside Bristol-based consultant knee surgeon, Jonathan Webb, to give treatment and support to a significant number of his patients.

How is the treatment given? We undertake an initial assessment of your condition and where appropriate suggest the suitable course of MBST treatment. This normally involves an hour a day for 7 or 9 days and is undertaken in private rooms, so very COVID safe! MBST is regularly used alongside other management protocols to address all areas of your injury. Most importantly, it’s a non-invasive treatment, so it’s both pain-free and risk-free.

For an informal discussion with James about MBST treatment, please call on 0117 959 6531. Cura Clinical Consultancy 1 Henbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym www.curaclinical.com

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THE EYES HAVE IT

As we get older, cataracts aﬀect many of us, but acting early can reduce the impact they will have on your life. Here, we focus on the signs to look for, and what can be done to alleviate the problem.

ataracts are a very common eye condition, and many people aged over 60 years will have at least some amount present. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye, which causes your sight to become misty. Cataracts slowly get worse and your sight gets cloudier over time, but the vast majority can be treated successfully. How does your eye work? Light enters your eye through your cornea (the clear window at the front), and the lens ensures this light is focused correctly to form an image when it reaches the retina. Just like glasses lenses, in order to see clearly, the lens in your eye needs to be clear. Throughout your life, your lens changes shape to help you see things clearly in the distance and close up. This is called “accommodation of vision”. As we get older, the lens isn’t able to change shape as well as it used to, and when this happens, most people can see clearly in the distance but need reading glasses for close work. How does a cataract affect your sight? Cataracts could affect your sight in a number of ways. Your vision may become blurred or appear misty; you may be dazzled by lights; or your coloured vision may seem washed out or faded. Most people will eventually develop a cataract in both eyes, though one eye may be affected before the other. If a cataract isn’t removed, eventually it will be like trying to see through a frosted window. Even if your cataract gets to this stage, it can still be removed and your sight will be almost as it was before the cataract developed.

In the past, eye surgeons often waited until the cataract became “ripe” before removing it, but with modern surgical precision and techniques, the operation is usually done as soon as your eyesight interferes with your daily activities, such as reading and driving, especially at night. What does the operation involve? Cataract surgery is usually done with a local anaesthetic and generally takes about 20 minutes. Small cuts are made and the cataract is removed in small pieces using sound waves (phacoemulsification) so you don’t need stitches. The artificial lens implant is then simply placed inside the eye.

What causes a cataract?

How soon will I recover?

The most common reason is growing older. Most people over the age of 60 have some amount of cataract and this gradually worsens with age. Apart from getting older, other common causes of cataracts include diabetes, medications such as steroids, and longstanding eye conditions. They can also be present at birth (congenital cataracts).

After surgery, you can usually go back to your everyday activities within a few days. You will be given eye drops to use for up to four weeks, but the majority of people have no problems following cataract surgery and are up and about the next day. What should I expect to see after the operation?

clearly at more than one point of focus. Premium lenses are not available on the NHS, and are not suitable for everybody, but your surgeon will help you make the best decision, based on your individual needs. Since March 2020, Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital has been supporting the NHS through the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional safety measures are in place to make our hospital COVID-19 secure, and our team of Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons continue to hold regular clinics. Consultants specialising in cataract surgery include Mr Adam Ross, Mr Kieren Darcy, Mr Sidath Liyanage, Mr Mo Majid, Mr Rafik Girgis, Mr Richard Haynes, Mr Michael Greaney, Mr Philip Jaycock and Miss Rani Sebastian. Call our Enquiries team on the number below, who will be able to assist you in booking a consultation. If cataracts have been limiting your ability to do the things you enjoy, surgery to remove them can be a truly life-changing experience. If you would like to book an appointment with one of our Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons, call 0117 911 5339, or visit our website: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol.

What treatment is available? The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove your cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial clear lens implant. New glasses will not help if the cataract is too advanced, and cataract surgery is one of the most successful operations there is.

Usually, everything in the distance will be clear, but your reading vision in the operated eye may be blurred. This is because the standard lens implant isn’t able to provide clear vision for both distance and near. However, premium lenses are also available at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, and offer the potential to see THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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

MAY 2021

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DR CHEN MAO DAVIES. Final.qxp_Layout 2 22/04/2021 15:59 Page 1

Dr Davies was part of the Oscar-winning visual effects team behind the blockbuster Gravity

Shaping the future It uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to simulate the brain of an expert; it attracted 800 users worldwide within the first 48 hours in trial mode; and it has the potential to change the lives of millions of women across the globe. Introducing LatchAid, the revolutionary app guiding new mothers through breastfeeding and early parenthood. Millie Bruce-Watt catches up with founder Dr Chen Mao Davies to find out everything you need to know

n International Women’s Day, 40 female entrepreneurs were presented with Innovate UK’s prestigious Women in Innovation Award. Among this year’s recipients was Oscar and BAFTA-winner – and SETsquared Bristol member – Dr Chen Mao Davies. She received a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support for her fem-tech start-up, LatchAid. Now, Dr Davies’ pioneering app, which uses interactive 3D technology, artificial intelligence, virtual peer support groups and live healthcare specialists to help new mothers combat problems experienced with breastfeeding and early parenthood, is set to launch in six NHS Trusts as well as on the Apple App Store. “I didn’t think I had a single chance of winning,” Dr Davies says. “For me, personally, the award is great recognition that I am an entrepreneur. Before, I felt like I was a technologist learning to be a businesswoman but this award meant that my and my team’s hard work has been recognised by Innovate UK and by the UK government. Winning the award was the final call for me to give up my day job.” Lived experience An expert in computer graphics and animation, Dr Davies was part of the Academy Award-winning visual effects team behind blockbuster films, including Gravity and Blade Runner 2049. “Before I became a mother, visual effects was my life. I spent a decade working in a worldclass team, creating breath-taking visual effects for companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, and Marvel Studios. It was my lifetime dream.” 50 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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However, Dr Davies’ life changed dramatically after giving birth and experiencing tremendous breastfeeding challenges. “I was determined to breastfeed my child,” she says. “It’s natural, it’s bonding, it gives the baby antibodies, but nobody told me how difficult and painful it could be. By the time I left hospital, I was already damaged and in pain. It went on for days with mastitis; mum and baby crying during feeding time and I just felt such a failure – I couldn’t feed my own baby. The baby’s weight dropped and I developed postnatal depression. “I never thought this would happen to me but, as I got through this, I realised breastfeeding mothers and mums-to-be needed 24/7 support. There was very little innovation in this area. The general support women receive is mostly face-to-face from midwives and health visitors and, when you are struggling in the middle of the night or at the weekend, you are pretty much on your own.” Combining lived experience with her technical expertise in cuttingedge technology, Dr Davies was determined to find a solution to this deep-rooted problem. “After I became a mother, I realised that innovation is needed for public health. It was my dream to be a little part of the Hollywood industry but I knew I could do something more; I could change people’s lives. The more I spoke to women about it, the more it made me feel like it was my mission. If I don’t do it, who else will?” A revolutionary app Upon learning that the UK had the worst statistics for breastfeeding in the world because of inconsistency in professional help – and around 90% of new mothers stop breastfeeding before they want to – Dr

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WOMEN IN TECH | ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Davies quickly realised that mothers needed maternal support fit for the 21st century; a smart, on-hand, interactive way to learn vital and practical breastfeeding skills. With the pandemic also paralysing the predominantly face-to-face support model in place, it was clear that an app was more necessary now than ever before. Enter LatchAid. Dr Davies’ app was co-developed with leading infant feeding, baby development and maternal health experts and she has established strong connections with multiple healthcare organisations. Using AI, the app is a revolutionary way for mothers to learn evidence-based information and latching techniques, to seek

It was my dream to be a little part of the Hollywood industry but I knew I could do something more; I could change people’s lives

advice and support from lactation consultants and find companionship with mothers experiencing similar challenges. “We are trying to replicate a real-life peer-to-peer support group. When new mums join the app, they are allocated into a small discussion group; they can talk to each other and give each other support. Then, when they have a question, we use AI that simulates the lactation consultant’s brain. Every week we analyse the AI; we look at how the app is responding to the mother, we find anything that the AI hasn’t answered very well and we train it again to make it even better. Yes – tricky situations can’t be resolved over AI – sometimes you do need face-to-face support, which is always the gold standard – but our app also connects mums to experts directly. We have an inhouse lactation consultancy team, which can answer personal questions in a one-on-one format. All this information can then be used to train the AI, making it even more robust.

“The end game is to scale the system so that we can support millions of mums everywhere, not just in the UK but around the world. It’s like a lactation consultant, an infant-feeding and baby expert in your pocket.” Building a community Ultimately, Dr Davies and her team are determined to change the shocking statistics surrounding breastfeeding and build a safe community within the LatchAid app. “In September, we did a UKwide survey about how Covid has impacted women’s experience. 81% of respondents felt that they were not getting sufficient breastfeeding support due to social distancing measures; 75% responded that they were feeling isolated; 58% felt that Covid negatively impacted their breastfeeding journey. This is not good enough, that’s why I am passionate about changing this through LatchAid. We want to reassure women that motherhood is hard but you can do it – all your problems are normal.” In 2020, LatchAid secured three rounds of Innovate UK funding to develop its AI-powered virtual supporter chatbot. Dr Davies's Women in Innovation award funding will be used particularly for “sentiment AI” – a tool that will discern the emotional state of the mother and shape answers and responses appropriately and sensitively. “Maternal suicide is the leading cause of deaths in first postnatal year,” says Dr Davies, “so our aim is to analyse language, spot crisis signals and prescribe the right support. Our AI will do this while acting as a personalised companion, almost like a buddy, asking how you feel today, making suggestions, providing information at certain milestones or just having a conversation with you.” Changing the world Dr Davies is also eager to tackle breastfeeding inequality and the app prides itself on being inherently accessible and democratic, empowering women everywhere, regardless of their economic or environmental circumstances. Currently in beta trial mode, 800 people registered on the LatchAid app within the first 48 hours, with over

Dr Davies with her two children, Oscar and Anya

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WOMEN IN TECH | ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The entrepreneurs who took part in SETSquared’s Enterprising Women 1.0 programme

600 active users in 20 countries across six continents. “Breast milk is free and packed with loads of antibodies, it is great for the mother and the baby but, shockingly, women who are from certain socio-economic groups have a much poorer breastfeeding outcome,” she says. “We really want to change this because they are the people who really need to access the information and benefit from breast milk, breastfeeding and the improved life expectancy.” This year, six NHS trusts will be given free app licenses to prescribe to women who are in need of professional and peer-to-peer support when they leave hospital. “Through this pilot partnership, we will explore the feasibility of using digital breastfeeding support, leveraging AI and real-life specialists, within antenatal/postnatal maternity services.” In June, LatchAid will be launching on the Apple App Store and will become available to mothers worldwide. “We ultimately want to become the global market leader and go-to breastfeeding and early parenthood support app,” says Dr Davies.

The end game is to scale the system so that we can support millions of mums around the world. It’s like a baby expert in your pocket.

Bristol talent Dr Davies is a member of SETsqaured Bristol – a University of Bristolled tech incubator, which provides a dynamic, modern, and supportive environment to grow technology businesses. In 2020, Dr Davies was part of its Enterprising Women 1.0 programme, which she says helped crystallise her ideas for the app. On International Women’s Day, the same day as Dr Davies received her award, SETsquared Bristol opened its applications for Enterprising Women 2.0. The pre-incubation programme is for women-led businesses, in partnership with NatWest. It is designed to help women with business ideas get to the next stage of their development. Eighteen early-stage women entrepreneurs will be selected for the fully funded, high-impact, low engagement programme where they will receive access to mentoring, business advice and workshops. Earlier this year, SETsquared Bristol also revealed that its members had raised a combined £40.2 million in 2020, contributing to over 10% of the total investment raised by the South West region for the 52 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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third consecutive year in a row. Despite the South West seeing a slowing down in investment due to the pandemic, more than half of SETsquared’s 80 members secured funding in 2020, which was a record figure for them. “Bristol itself is the third biggest tech hub in the UK behind London and Manchester and it massively punches above its weight constantly,” says Paul Forster, Community Manager at SETsquared Bristol. “Manchester has lots of money as the northern powerhouse but Bristol has grown on its own. That very Bristol DIY aspect is even woven into its tech scene. One of the best things about that is that the Bristol tech ecosystem is really collaborative and partnership-driven, which is one of the massive benefits of being here. Everyone looks out for each other, helps each other, develops each other. SETsquared is also a big part of that because we revolve very much around helping, upskilling and developing growth.” Dr Davies said she received amazing support from SETsquared Bristol and was honoured to secure a Breakthrough Bursary through which she accessed their business acceleration support services. “I’ve received three Innovate UK grants in the last year, one of which was a Covid-19 Rapid Response competition as, unfortunately, one of the many side effects of the pandemic has been lack of adequate breastfeeding support for new mums, which will have lasting and distressing consequences.” Women in tech One of Dr Davies’ new duties as a Women in Innovation Award winner will be to visit schools and persuade more women and girls to pursue careers in innovation and entrepreneurship. “I came to the UK with minimal English, I didn’t know anyone and it was such a scary experience at the beginning but I think with that inclination, that dream in your mind and that fire in your belly, you can really make things happen. Anything is possible. “My advice would be that you need to pace yourself. It’s a marathon not a sprint, especially with entrepreneurship. I think the analogy of Chinese bamboo really summarises it well. While it is the fastest growing plant in the world, it takes seven years underground to develop a complex root system, gathering energy to shoot up to the sky. So, when you do anything, especially entrepreneurship, you need that resilience and that persistence. There might be certain barriers for some people but, with all those spirits within you, you can make it happen.” • LatchAid app is launching on the Apple App Store in June; latchaid.com; @latchaid. Applications for SETsquared Bristol’s Enterprising Women 2.0 programme close on 8 May 2021; SETsquared-bristol.co.uk

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BRISTOL UPDATES NEWS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS The Start Strong appeal is raising money to support 1,000 women and their children in Nepal

Paintworks, Bristol’s creative quarter located oﬀ the Bath Road

DOUBLE THE IMPACT

TAKING SHAPE

In March, Bristol based charity PHASE Worldwide, launched its Start Strong UK Aid Match Appeal, which is raising money to support 1,000 women and their children in Nepal. Until 25 June, the UK government will match all donations made to the Start Strong appeal, allowing PHASE Worldwide to double their impact. The appeal will fund a three-year project, starting in October 2021, which will improve maternal healthcare and increase the availability of high value foods, ensuring that all children, no matter where they were born, are given a strong start in life. Supporting primary healthcare is at the foundation of PHASE Worldwide’s appeal and has been throughout their work to date. In order to increase strengthen healthcare and improve standards of existing practices, PHASE Worldwide developed a short-term programme for experienced GPs to participate in teaching, mentoring, and supporting Nepali health professionals. Since 2009, over 150 GPs have travelled to Nepal.

Bristol creative agency Workbrands has relaunched as Shaped By, a creative studio for global tech brands. Workbrands, founded by Nick Farrar and Steve Goss in 2005 has grown from bedroom start-up to a 15-strong agency based in Paintworks, Bristol’s creative quarter, located off the Bath Road. The company has steadily extended its influence and expertise within the tech sector on both sides of the Atlantic over recent years, working with global companies including Autodesk, Rubrik and Nutanix. These companies may build tech products, but they’re really in the business of change. Shaped By delivers brand identity and creative marketing that helps these changemaker brands to communicate how their technology changes people’s lives for the better. “The marketing landscape has changed dramatically over the years. Now, the need for effective communication through great design has never been more important,” says Nick. “As an agency we’re continually evolving to meet this challenge and felt it was the right time to recognise this with an ambitious and playful new brand.” Shaped By revolves around the idea that there is a direct link between the level of creativity invested in marketing, and the impact that it has. According to an Adobe State of Create report, companies that foster creativity boost one and a half times more market share compared to those that overlook it. The Shaped By team believes that for changemaker brands to reach their potential, creativity needs to be a sustainable part of their culture: a means by which they can carve out deeper connections with their customers on the premise of bold, authentic stories told in an original way. Nick originally trained in furniture design before breaking into the creative scene in Bristol 25 years ago. He heads up Shaped By with co-director Steve Goss, business director Dave Corlett, creative director Tom Ovens and client services director Wei Kee.

• To find out more about the appeal, and to donate, visit phaseworldwide.org

IMPROVING LIVES As Dementia Action Week takes place from 17–23 May 2021, we are celebrating those taking action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. One standout performer is Zoe Watson, founder of BUSYHANDSCREATIVE. After her mother developed early onset Dementia, Zoe began sewing custom-made fidget blankets to help ease her mother’s restlessness and agitation.”She would constantly fidget with her hands and carry this fluffy bag, emptying the contents and refilling it,” says Zoe. “I realised this bag was providing her some comfort as her stress levels increased, which led me to create a customised blanket for her. This proved to be meaningful and also functionary for my mum to keep her mentally stimulated and calm.” Zoe eventually set up her own business, BUSYHANDSCREATIVE, creating custom-made blankets for those in similar situations. Zoe’s custommade fidget cubes

• Visit busyhandscreative.co.uk to shop Zoe’s handmade textiles

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• shaped-by.com

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES Graduation Cohort 2017

RESUMING PLAY

ASPIRING LEADERS Across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, today’s leaders are facing the most challenging operating circumstances for generations. In this landscape of global uncertainty, leaner workforces, budget cuts, and reliance upon digital communications and the competencies needed to lead organisations successfully have shifted. Leaders now need to be skilled at crisis management, dealing with uncertainty and high-level strategic leadership. Due to the continued success of the School of Management’s part-time Executive Masters in Strategy Change and Leadership, the University of Bristol is now taking applications for its ninth cohort in September 2021. This challenging and rewarding programme is designed for those aspiring to, or holding senior manager and leadership positions and will fit around the demands of a busy, professional leadership role. This bespoke master's degree in Strategy, Change and Leadership is aimed at providing senior managers with the tools and techniques they need to navigate their organisations through demanding times. By attending the programme, you will learn how to improve your ability to manage change and uncertainty; increase your leadership impact; understand organisational complexity and issues affecting success; make better choices about growth and strategic direction. Programme Director Helen Ballard says: “I am delighted to be recruiting our ninth cohort of executive students to this successful and practical master’s programme. Excellent leadership is critical in this challenging climate, and organisations recognise the importance of developing their management talent in such uncertain times. This practical master's degree will offer a return on investment from day one.” If you would like to have a chat about the programme or to attend the next webinar on 8 June 6pm-7pm, please contact Cheralyn Dark, Programme Manager by phone or email: 01179546694; mgmt-scl@bristol.ac.uk. • To find out more or to apply for September 2021 entry, visit: bristol.ac.uk/strategy-change-leadership

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Work on the sports facilities at The Lawns at Cribbs Causeway, is now underway. The site was purchased by Redmaids’ High School in 2017 for student use, with a continued emphasis on community access. The school has recently appointed Verde Recreo, a local firm of specialists in sports design and construction, who, along with award-winning architects, O’Leary Goss, are working hard to realise the school's vision for the sports site. Head of Redmaids’ High School Paul Dwyer said: “After a year that has asked much from all members of our community and seen us pause and reflect on the best way to realise our ambitions with this project, we are excited to be able to look to the horizon. These kind of facilities will benefit all students across the Junior, Senior and Sixth Form at Redmaids’ High for many years to come.” Phase one will primarily focus on the creation of a brand-new international hockey federation standard pitch, ready for use for at the start of the 21/22 academic year. The school is working closely with Cribbs Sports and Social Club who are remaining on site as well as Cribbs FC who are continuing to use The Lawns as their home site. Further phases will see a new sports pavilion, netball courts and athletics provision. • redmaidshigh.co.uk

Redevelopment of The Lawns is underway Helen Ballard

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Picnics with a view

With everyone getting out more, the popular beauty spots are proving very busy. Here Andrew Swift reveals six less well known walks with great vistas and where a quiet picnic might be possible

nlike last spring, when we could only venture forth for an hour, we can at last start to travel more freely. Days out will, for many of us, though, remain the norm for a little while longer. Not surprisingly, with people more desperate than ever to get out and enjoy themselves, the most popular places to visit will be busier than usual, and with social distancing still very much in force, this creates something of a problem. With this in mind, here are suggestions for six places you may not have thought of visiting, all within less than hour’s drive from Bristol, all ideal for a picnic, all with superb views, and all with plenty of room to wander freely.

Brean Down viewed from Uphill

Uphill A couple of miles south of Weston-super-Mare, Uphill offers a much quieter option for a seaside stroll, and the sands are just as enticing. Free parking is available at the Village Car Park on Uphill Way (ST316585; BS23 4XP), ten minutes walk from the beach. If you head 100m along the road from the car park in the other direction, however, a track leads up to the ruined church of St Nicholas high on a breezy down, with superb views in every direction. You can also climb a nearby windmill, converted to an observatory, where various landmarks are identified on information boards. Southward lie two nature reserves, tracks through the levels of the River Axe, and – if you’re feeling energetic – the Somerset Coast Path, leading onward to Brean and Burnham.

Combe Hill Wood Combe Hill Wood, on the western edge of Mendip, lies on the Polden Way, which runs along an escarpment with some of the finest views in Somerset. A free car park can be found 3 miles south of Street on the back road to Charlton Mackrell (ST503329: BA6 8TP). From here, a 1200m all-ability access path, suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, leads to a magnificent viewpoint over the Somerset Levels. For a longer walk, you can head south for two miles along the escarpment to Hurcot Hill. Alternatively, you can head north for three-quarters of a mile to a 33m-high monument to Admiral Hood, and one of the most dramatic surprise views anywhere, where the woods have been cut away eastward to reveal Glastonbury Tor. www.combehillwood.co.uk 60 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Glastonbury Tor viewed from Combe Hill Wood

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LITTLE ESCAPES

Uley Bury & Coaley Peak Another walk which is more or less on the level can be found, somewhat surprisingly, just off the Cotswold Way. Uley Bury is the most spectacular Iron Age fort in Gloucestershire and a walk around its ramparts yields some superb views – and plenty of places to stop for a picnic. To get there, drive north through the village of Uley, carry on along the B4066 for half a mile and pull into a lay-by on the left at the top of the hill. (ST786993; GL11 5BH) Here there is a choice of two gates. The one on the right leads to a viewpoint from where you can head north along the Cotswold Way; the one on the left leads to Uley Bury. If the lay-by is full or you fancy driving a little further, carry on along the B4066 for a just over a mile and, when you see a sign for Coaley Peak picnic area, pull into a car park on the left. (SO794012; GL10 3TP) Here too you are on the Cotswold Way and the views westward towards the Welsh Mountains are just as fine.

The view from Uley Bury

Lansdown The Park & Ride car park on Lansdown, north of Bath (BA1 9BJ: ST731680) is signposted from the A420 in Wick and from the A46/A420 roundabout at Cold Ashton. It is the starting point for some spectacular walks and a succession of splendidly-situated picnic spots. Gates lead from the car park onto an expanse of playing fields from where you can head south along the escarpment, following a rough path through kissing gates to an Italianate tower built by William Beckford with the proceeds from his Jamaican sugar plantations. Once surrounded by ornate pleasure gardens, it now stands amidst an atmospheric Victorian cemetery with views over the Avon valley. If you head north from the car park, meanwhile, you can follow the escarpment alongside Bath Racecourse to Prospect Stile, which commands a view stretching from the Wiltshire Downs to the Welsh Mountains, as well as the cities of Bath and Bristol. Northward again, along the Cotswold Way, is the site of the Battle of Lansdown, fought in 1643.

Beckfords Tower, Lansdown

Browne’s Folly Administered by the Avon Wildlife Trust, this 98.5 acre site consists of flower-rich grassland and ancient woodland, high above the Avon valley. Although it lies to the east of Bath, you don’t need to drive through the city to get there. Head south along the A46 from junction 18 of the M4, carry on past the turning for Bath and turn right at the end of the dual carriageway along the A363. Take the first left by the Crown Inn and after two-thirds of a mile, turn right up Prospect Place, which climbs steeply for a quarter of a mile to a car park on the right (BA1 7TP: ST797664). From here paths lead through the woods, past old caves and quarry workings to an area of open downland, with trains rattling along the valley below and a ruined tower high above. Some paths are steep and rocky, but there is the option of heading westward across Farleigh Down to the picturesque village of Monkton Farleigh, and you can also follow a waymarked geological trail. www.brownsfolly.org.uk; www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturereserves/brownes-folly

The view from Browne’s Folly

Purton Hulks The views here rely not on height but distance – in this case across the tidal reaches of the Severn Estuary. After pulling into a car park alongside the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal in the village of Purton (SO692042: GL13 9HS), you can follow the towpath south to an extraordinary ships’ graveyard (known as the Purton Hulks), where over 80 craft have been deliberately beached to protect the canal from the ravages of the Severn. From there you can continue south past the remnants of a railway bridge abandoned after being rammed by two barges in 1960 and on to Sharpness, where the canal flows into the river – making a round walk of four miles, all on the level and with plenty of places to stop for a picnic. Many more walks can be found in Andrew Swift’s book, Walks from Bristol’s Severn Beach Line, published by Akeman Press; akemanpress.com.

One of the Purton Hulks

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CITY HISTORY EDUCATION

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CITY | INTERIORS

A new show at Gardiner Haskins In partnership with Royal Warrant holders Stoneham Kitchens, the vast showroom at Gardiner Haskins Interiors has re-opened to feature an exquisite display of four luxury looks by this top British maker.

athroom and kitchen showrooms may have been closed across the country but that is not holding back Gardiner Haskins Interiors in 2021. During the lockdown and temporary closure of the store, precious time has been put to good use, by planning and building exciting new displays. Focusing on improvements and new additions to their Bristol based showrooms they re-opened in April to welcome back customers with open arms, (so to speak!). Gardiner Haskins Interiors has invested in excess of £100,000 in their Bristol kitchen showroom, to showcase their new partnership with Stoneham Kitchens, holders of the Royal Warrant. As Gardiner Haskins reopens the vast showroom, it is home to four new luxury kitchens featuring some of the incredible attention to detail and high quality to be expected from Stoneham Kitchens. These exquisite kitchens handmade in Great Britain highlight the latest trends designed to inspire and excite customers when they enter the store. Stoneham kitchens specialise in highly crafted, bespoke fitted kitchens blending traditional craftmanship with modern

technology. Classic or modern style kitchens, state-of-the-art design and a wide range of colour combinations, the choice is yours. Managing Director, Ben Allen, says: “Following the success of our new showroom launch in 2018 we are continuing to invest in our showrooms to keep them up to date with the latest kitchen trends to inspire our customers. Stoneham is the perfect partnership for us with their 150-year history and high-quality products that are approved by Royal Warrant. The COVID-19 pandemic has made trading more difficult in the past year, but we thank our customers for their continued support.” Rest assured, customers can browse the whole showroom in a safe, hygienic environment with regular cleaning carried out daily and distancing measures in place. Gardiner Haskins Interiors offer home measure and design appointments with one of their experienced team who boast decades of experience between them. Visit their website: www.gardinerhaskins.co.uk or call the team on 01179 292288 to start your dream kitchen or bathroom renovation. n

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OUTDOOR | LEISURE

Summer Party Field, beach, riverbank, or even in your own back garden, go for a stylish summer sundowner

PICNIC BLANKETS By the Natural Blanket Company A luxury picnic rug is perfect for a day out at the beach, a concert in the park or just picnicking in your back lawn. This pure wool blanket will also protect you from damp ground with its durable waterproof backing. With real leather carry straps it makes a great gift that will be a pleasure to sit on for years to come. Choose from a variety of colours and designs, 145cm x 183cm, Made in Britain. £120. See the range at: thenaturalblanket.co.uk

TAKE COVER IN STYLE A shelter for all seasons The four-sided very popular Crete gazebo is flexible, in a range of sizes from a petite 1.8m square to a showcase 4.2 x 6m. This multi-tasking gazebo range takes you from a hot-tub shelter to a restaurant terrace via every possible use in between. Choose from felt tiles, cedar shingles or slate eﬀect roofing. Choose to add solid sides, balustrades, or open sides to create the style you dream of. Paint the sustainable timber any colour you like for the perfect look. Visit: gardenaﬀairs.co.uk

LIGHTING FOR FUN FIREBOWL COOKERY Gather around the Kadai Original Kadais are up to 100 years old. Each one completely unique with a rich heritage from years of use as cooking bowls at weddings and festivals across India. Hand-picked in Rajasthan and available in sizes from 60cm – 170cm diameter. The Kadai can be raised to the perfect cooking height with a handmade iron stand or can be used as an impressive fire bowl to enjoy evenings under the stars throughout the year. The Boniti showroom on the A46 has an impressive selection of Kadais and accessories. Order from boniti.co.uk

Fiesta Festoon lights Add these fiesta festoon lights to the top of your garden party list. A 7.25m string (with a 5m lead-up from transformer) of 30 multi-coloured bulbs have a deep intense colour in the darkness that’s sure to liven up your indoor or outdoor space. Lightweight, safe LEDs and durable so they’ll survive blustery days and are oh so easy to hang in your home. £33.99. Order from lights4fun.co.uk

EXTREME LOUNGING

Outdoor, indoor weatherproof bean bag Engineered to defeat the elements, the Outdoor B-bag by this fabulous Brit brand takes lounging to new places and extremes. All eleven fabric colours are fade-resistant even in direct sunlight. Plus the tough and waterproof fabric of the outdoor bean bags is double-stitched for extra durability. Available in Mini, Mighty and Monster sizes, the Extreme Lounging bean bag collection and many more great products can be found at: extremelounging.com

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SCATTER CUSHIONS

Evie Stripe Outdoor Cushion Take your Neptune cushions outside. Evie is made from a showerproof and highly lightfast polyester fabric featuring a ‘Nanoblock’ fluorocarbon treatment, so it won’t fade in the sun or grow mouldy over time. Most of all it looks great and very comfy too. Shown here in Burnt Sienna and Flax Blue, 45cms x 45cms, £90 each. Order from Neptune.co.uk

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Our 2021 media pa ck can be viewed online

FOR A COPY OF OUR 2021 MEDIA PACK EITHER VISIT THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE WEBSITE THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK OR CONTACT US ON 0117 974 2800 EMAIL: SALES@THEBRISTOLMAGAZINE.CO.UK

New Build Extensions Renovation

Say hello. 0117 259 1591

Visit our design studio at: 23 Chandos Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6PG www.halbuild.co.uk info@halgroup.co.uk

Building excellence by design

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GARDEN | GETAWAYS

The eco-friendly log cabin oﬀers guests a unique countryside escape

Log cabin getaway

Do you have spare land in your garden? Then you can build a dreamy log cabin and make it into a source of income. This eco-friendly cabin by Garden Aﬀairs provides a stylish holiday destination in Wales

n outdoor garden building can be used to extend your living space, creating a studio or garden room, but it can also be self-contained and provide a source of income. Rose wanted to create a holiday let business in her countryside Welsh home, which had land and breathtaking views of rolling hills and valleys, but no spare indoor space. A beautifully crafted timber log cabin from Garden Affairs was the inspired solution. A stand-alone building such as this would make an idyllic countryside hub for guests to enjoy nature, go on countryside walks and bike rides, or just relax and soak in the views. The result was Rose Lodge – now up and running as a holiday let in the Radnorshire hills, offering guests a unique countryside escape in an eco-friendly log cabin, including kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Rose explains, “We looked around and saw

that Garden Affairs produced the very model we were looking for, at an affordable price and the flexibility we needed. They were pragmatic and took a helpful approach to our needs and pocket. And they had an extensive knowledge of the product.” The team at Garden Affairs set to work to deliver the vision, aware that special care was needed to make sure the building complemented the tranquil countryside around it. The 4 x 8.5m log cabin is made of natural, sustainable materials and with its earthy colours and textures, it blends seamlessly into the natural environment. The cabin was a very suitable choice for the Airbnb business that is now established there. It was quick and easy to assemble, reasonably priced and the additional porch gives a subtle nod to the natural architectural grandeur of the surrounding landscape. Inside the cabin, the look is bright, airy and contemporary, in large part due to Rose’s exquisite taste and styling, and the generous windows and glass doors which bring the drama and delight of the outdoors into the living space. The feature beams add a cool, chalet-style feel to the building, a blue kitchen adds a splash of colour, and thoughtfully placed furniture helps create a warm, practical environment for guests. As well as feeling invigorated by nature, guests will also sleep in the double bed sound in the knowledge that the building is made from sustainably sourced timber, making it an eco-friendly alternative to other types of holiday accommodation. Its extra-thick, 70mm wooden walls will also guarantee comfort. Timber is breathable – no mustiness or condensation – and it’s a

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natural insulator, so guests will stay warm in winter and cool during the summer months. Rose Lodge now occupies a unique and enviable position in the Welsh valleys. Its tranquility, comfort and outlook are sure to make it a go-to destination for leisureseekers wanting to relax, re-energise and get away from it all. “I love the look and feel of it,” says Rose, “and the way it has become a part of our garden. It stands there like a good, solid friend.” n Book your luxury stay in this destination in Radnorshire hills by searching AirBnb 39266977 in your internet browser. Enquire about log cabin options at Garden Affairs Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 0DT; 01225 774566; gardenaffairs.co.uk

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Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

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

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

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

THE

KI TC HEN PAR TNER S DESIGN STUDIO

Remote Kitchen Design Service Available Call or email for further details 01179 466433 • studio@thekitchenpartmers.co.uk

Founders and Lead Designers - Fiona & Clinton

www.thekitchenpartners.co.uk 102 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2QY | 01179 466433

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GARDENING

Fresh organic Rainbow Swiss Chard

The power of plants

As we look forward to warmer months ahead, Elly West shares how we can get the most out of our gardens

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source of dietary fibre. Curly kale has a long cropping season that can extend right through the winter, and has the added bonus of ornamental appeal with its red-purple frilly foliage. It's happy in shade and is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.

Gardening reduces stress levels, helping us to wind down – all conducive to a good eight-hours of shut eye

If you are short on space, you can always mix edibles in with your ornamental plants. Globe artichokes look fantastic at the back of a border with their large thistle-like heads and architectural leaves. Colourful chard is another vegetable that can hold its own in the flower border with its vivid stems and leaves. Try the variety 'Bright Lights’ for stems in yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, white and red. A resolution on my list this year is to get more sleep. Quality sleep is vital for good health, both physical and mental. Lack of it negatively affects our concentration and memory; can contribute to depression and anxiety; and also lowers our immune system, making us more likely to contract infections. Gardening is all about fresh air and exercise, so can improve our sleep by making us physically tired. Being exposed to natural light as much as possible also helps regulate our internal body clocks. Gardening reduces stress levels, helping us to wind down – all conducive to a good eight-hours of shut eye. And, if you want to grow crops that will help you rest, then try tomatoes, walnuts, cherries, broccoli and strawberries, as they contain melatonin – the natural sleep hormone.

Credit: Adobe Stock

ow that we're finally emerging from the third – and hopefully final – lockdown, looking to the future with an end to the pandemic firmly in sight, we may well be thinking about what we have learned over the past year. The value of good health and mental well-being has never been so apparent – and gardening has long-proven health benefits. Our garden layout, the plants we choose and the physical act of tending our outdoor space can all contribute to enhancing mood, lowering stress levels, encouraging relaxation and promoting happiness. So if 2020 made you appreciate the importance of a healthier and happier life, then the garden is a great starting point. If you don't already have a vegetable plot, then this could be the spring that you decide to grow your own produce, even if it's just some salad leaves, herbs or cherry tomatoes in a pot. Consider making room for fruits and vegetables that will actively boost your health. Growing your own will save you money and if you choose organic methods then you can be sure your food is chemical and pesticide-free. Freshly picked crops also have more vitamins and minerals than those from a supermarket shelf – and children are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables that they have had a hand in growing. Easy-to-grow 'superfoods' – those that are bursting with nutrients – include artichoke, kale, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, chard and beetroot. Leafy greens in particular are rich in prebiotics, vitamins and antioxidants. Most are easy to grow from seed and tend to be shallowrooted crops that don't need an extremely rich soil, so are easy to grow in an average border. They do need plenty of water though, as well as good levels of sunlight. Spinach beet, also known as perpetual spinach, is an ideal starter crop as it can be sown from early February right through to the end of August for crops from May to October. The bright green leaves can be eaten in salads or cooked in the same way as regular spinach, and it's packed with calcium, magnesium and vitamins E and K. It's also a great

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GARDENING

Another way to get a good night's sleep is to ditch the caffeine and drink home-made herbal teas instead. Chamomile tea in particular is well-known for its calming properties, also helping with nerves and anxiety. The scent of lavender is also said to aid restfulness, so place lavender bags under your pillow or in with your stored sheets and pillow cases. Many garden herbs have other healing benefits as well. Rosemary is an attractive evergreen shrub that works well in mixed borders, a herb garden or pots, and contains healthy antioxidants. A tea made from its leaves may help boost mood, enhance alertness and memory. Mint tea is good for digestion and mint is very easy to grow. Grow it in pots or a separate bed in the garden though, as it tends to run rampant and can become invasive. The bark, leaves and sap of witch hazel are well-known for their astringent, anti-inflammatory healing properties, and are used in cosmetic and skincare products worldwide. Widely available in chemists, you can also make your own soothing tincture by boiling chopped twigs and scraped bark in water for half an hour or so, then straining into a jar. Keep it in the fridge and use within a few days. Think about the layout of your garden as well, to ensure it's a space for calm, quiet contemplation, where you can relax and feel at one with nature. Include peaceful and secluded seating areas, harmonious colour schemes and sensory plants that offer scent and texture, as well as colour and form. Consider screening eyesores with trellis or planting, and masking noise pollution with the calming sounds of a water feature. Summer is on its way and our gardens are definitely calling us to get outside and appreciate the great outdoors. ■ • ellyswellies.co.uk; Instagram: @ellyswellies1

Plant of the month: Wisteria Scent is a vital element in a garden, and May brings the sweet aroma of wisteria, which can be seen flowering in all its splendour this month. This coveted plant produces distinctive long racemes of purple or white flowers in abundance, wafting their fragrance and attracting bees and other pollinators. Wisteria grows large and needs a strong support, which is why it is often grown on the front of a house where it has room to spread, or over a large arch or pergola. Plants like full sun and grow quickly. The twining tendrils can get under tiles and into roof spaces, so keep an eye out and make sure you prune them regularly, both for the best flowering performance and to keep them under control. Prune twice a year, shortening the long whippy growth at the end of the summer to about 30cm from the main stem, then in February cut these back again to short flowering spurs about 10cm long.

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

01225 774566 • www.gardenaffairs.co.uk

Visit our Display Centre at Trowbridge Garden Centre 288 Frome Road, BA14 0DT THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MAY 2021

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 69

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PROMOTED CONTENT

James Rippon & Chopzilla James has been into American cars all his life and made the decision to buy a Cadillac after a change in life five years ago made him rethink his priorities. “Owning a Cadillac had always been on my bucket list.” Chopzilla is the second Cadillac he has owned. The first was a blue 1965. The president of Cadillac Kings, which is a Cadillac owners club for those who like to customise their cars, saw it at a car show and left a note on his car asking him to join. James describes Cadillac Kings as “more like a brotherhood than a club.” It started in North America but has spread around the globe. It started because other Cadillac owners clubs turned their nose up at chopped (customised) cars and their owners. James is now the vice president of Cadillac Kings’ UK Chapter. Soon after joining James sold his 1965 and bought Chopzilla, a 1968 Coup d’Ville, from America. “It’s taken me two years of working on it every weekend to get it ready.” It looks really fabulous now, with Air Ride suspension, a bat wing air intake, a high lift cam, a custom exhaust, a lowered roof and a rebuilt dashboard decorated with bank notes from South America.

James will be taking Chopzilla to the American Car Show in Yate on 6 June. He also plans to take it to Big Power Meet, the world's largest car show, in 2022, driving to Sweden with ten other Cadillac Kings members. “It's an expensive hobby, but I can afford it because of the excellent property investments I made with the help of Fox & Fox Property. They showed me how to get way more rent for my properties than any other agent could, and manage it for me, so I don't need to worry.” www.facebook.com/cadillackingsworldwide

Investing in Property – advice from the experts

Tom Derrett and Eva Callaghan oﬀer an insight into the current market and what clients can expect from agents Fox & Fox TBM: How does investing in property compare with other forms of investment? Property investment has consistently outperformed investing in stocks and shares over the last 50 years. It's also safer because, while a company can cease to trade, properties rarely cease to exist. Many people also prefer property investment because it's something that they can directly influence. You can't add value to your share portfolio by spending your weekend repainting it, nor can you make decisions about which direction a company you invest in goes, but with property you can improve it's value with your effort and you do get to make the decisions. What can potential clients expect from Fox & Fox? New clients can expect lots of good advice and a personal service. Just like other forms of investing, there is much to learn about property. If you talk to us before you invest, we can help you to buy the right property to suit your requirements. What’s your assessment of the current market for investment property in Bristol. Are there any sectors which are particularly buoyant or looking promising for the future? The suburban house with a garden has made a massive resurgence during the last year of lockdowns as people, quite understandably, want their own outside space. Providing properties for social housing is also a big thing now, and there are some amazing finance deals for those in the know who are happy to make inexpensive adaptions to their houses so they meet the more stringent standards of this type of investing.

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Has the pandemic had any significant effects on returns, either in terms of rents or capital growth? I don't think many people foresaw the effect of the stamp duty holiday on the housing market. It's been an incredible year for the housing market with significant rises in the market everywhere except the city centre. Rental returns have grown significantly for houses with outdoor space, but equally fallen substantially for apartments in blocks. We're also seeing institutions buying in the social housing sector as they see professionals as too risky in the age of lockdowns and a lack of job security. It's topsyturvy all over, which is why people need to make sure they get the best advice before investing. Case study We recently helped an investor with a three bed house in an average Bristol neighbourhood get 50% more than market rent by letting it out to a social housing scheme. They pay a fixed rate per room, which works out much better than the market in rent in some areas of town. You just have to know where! The adaptations that our client had to make to the house were minimal. Things like handrails on the stairs, mains smoke alarms and thumbturn locks. All in all, his additional investment was less than £500, and he receives £6,000 per year extra in rent. He has no extra headaches because Fox & Fox Property fully manage the property, performing regular inspections and ensuring the property is kept up to legal, licensing and amenity standards at all times.

Fox & Fox Property. Tel: 0117 2141411 foxandfoxproperty.co.uk

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

(0117) 934 9977

INVESTMENT FOR SALE

30 QUEEN SQUARE BS1

• St Stephen St BS1

• Top spec boutique office suite • 1,651 sq ft • Open plan & full fit out • Self contained own ground floor access • New lease – rent on application

• Office 1,293 sq ft • Office 440 sq ft • Nightclub 2,000 sq ft • ERV £48,000 pax • C £525,000 25/27 CLARE STREET BS1

WATERFRONT OFFICE SUITES

• Landmark office building

• Penthouse 1,800 sq ft • First Floor 2,375 sq ft

• 2,651 sq ft • Prime city location

• 7 car spaces total

• New lease – rent on application

• Stunning views

83 ALMA ROAD CLIFTON

MONARCH COURT, EMERSONS GREEN

• Two small office suites

• Open plan,over two floors

• Suite 1 – 240 sq ft Suite 2 – 157 sq ft • 1 Car space

• 3,110 sq ft with an excellent amount of car parking

• New flexible tenancy

• £17.50 per sq ft

MARINER HOUSE BS1

HAMPTON LANE GARAGE

• Prime loft style office suite

• Garage / car repair workshop

• 1,242 sq ft

• Suit other industrial & commercial use

• Open plan • New lease

• 2,956 sq ft • To let – flexible terms

8/10 WHITELADIES ROAD

ST GABRIELS COURT, BS5

• Hall floor office suite

• Brand new units for sale • Units from 710 sq ft up to 5,800 sq ft + parking • Use Class E – suits many commercial uses • For sale – Prices O/A

• 1,475 sq ft • 4 car spaces • Competitive rent • New lease

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

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

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

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

(0117) 934 9977 59 QUEEN SQUARE

38 WHITELADIES ROAD

• A beautiful self contained office building

• Superb self contained office building

• 1,341 sq ft + rear patio

• 2,035 sq ft – 6 cars • New contemporary refurb

• New lease

• £29,500 pax

MERCHANTS HSE, WAPPING WHARF, BS1

CITY CENTRE OFFICE

• 8,150 sq ft – 6 cars

• Queen Charlotte Street

• Fitted open plan office suite

• 1,808 sq ft

• Lease & rent on application

• New refurbishment

• 2 car spaces • Only £17 per sq ft

16 ORCHARD ST, BS1

7 QUEEN SQUARE, BS1

• Contemporary period refurbished offices

• Prime office space • Whole office building 2,898 sq ft

• Bright & light space

• New lease

• Or suites of 913 sq ft, 1,067 sq ft, 1,618 sq ft

OFFICE FOR SALE

THEYNES COURT

• Helios House Backwell

• High quality offices • Beautiful setting yet close to Clifton and BS1 • 610 sq ft to 2,195 sq ft • New leases, rent on application

• 1,362 sq ft

• ECO office building 1,341 sq ft – 20 car parking spaces • Suit various uses • Price on application QUEEN CHARLOTTE STREET

CITY CENTRE OFFICES • New contemporary refurbishment

• Modern office suite 1,005 sq ft

• Suites from 150 – 4,200 sq ft

• Prime location close to Queen Square

• On site car parking

• New flexible lease

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

• Flexible leases available

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

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

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

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

(0117) 934 9977 CLIFTON – TO LET

58A UNION ST, BROADMEAD

• A beautiful self contained office building

• Prime city centre unit • 808 sq ft • Busy trading site

• 1,341 sq ft + rear patio

• Only £29,500 pax

• New lease • £29,500 pax

HIGH STREET SHIREHAMPTON

57 QUEENS ROAD, CLIFTON

• Fantastic large retail / showroom unit

• Prime retail unit • Busy pitch

• Established high street pitch

• 1,200 sq ft sales + basement

• 4,105 sq ft + customer parking

• New lease

COMMERCIAL PREMISES + 3 BED FLAT BLAGDON, NORTH SOMERSET

BRIDGEWATER ROAD (‘AIRPORT ROAD’), BRISTOL

• Former coach depot, garage, office, storage + yard • C 11,455 sq ft. • Suit other commercial uses – to let (might sell)

• Retail/showroom • 1st floor office separately available if required • Close to Bristol Airport yet 15 minutes from BS1 • New leases – low rent

GROVE HOUSE, CLIFTON

92A WHITELADIES ROAD

• 2,793 sq ft

• Busy retail pitch

• Office building

• 1,305 sq ft unit

• Suit other commercial uses

• New lease • No premium!

• To let

45 HIGH STREET, BS1

RHUBARB TAVERN, BARTON HILL, BS5

• Retail shop with upper floors • Suit various commercial uses • Shop & upper parts separately available if needed • New lease – Rent on application

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

• 1,296 sq st + cellar • A4 Drinking Establishment use • Suit other commercial uses • New flexible lease

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• • • • •

Sales / Lettings Acquisitions Valuations Landlord & tenant Auction Sales

• • • • •

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

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REDLAND BS6

GUIDE PRICE

£650,000

An extended three-bedroom 1920’s end of terrace home. Excellent views of the surrounding area and towards the city. Attractive south west facing rear garden, off street parking. Viewing highly recommended.

CLIFTON BS8

GUIDE PRICE

£1,500,000

An exquisite Victorian family home with self-contained lower ground floor flat. A versatile and well-presented 5 bedroomed interior. Exceptional kitchen/breakfast room. Beautifully presented lawned garden offers a great deal of privacy. An open outlook enjoyed over the surrounding area. Superb Clifton location situated between Whiteladies Road and the Village.

0117 923 8238

www.howard-homes.co.uk

hello@howard-homes.co.uk

CLIFTON BS8

GUIDE PRICE

£345,000

Stunning two-bedroom first floor apartment set within a Grade II listed property. Open-plan living area and quality kitchen, period features with a contemporary update. Off street parking for one car. Offered with no onward chain

COTHAM BS6

GUIDE PRICE

£345,000

A spacious and well-presented two-bedroom garden flat. Excellent central location. Kitchen/ Breakfast room with doors opening to garden. Private rear garden and front courtyard. Viewing highly recommended.

203 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XT

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