The Bristol Magazine November 2023

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Issue 228 I NOVeMBeR 2023

THE

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£4.25 where sold

THEBRISTOLMAG

BEAUTY AND THE BEACON Bristol’s premier concert venue glows up

LIGHTS

CAMERA

Get set for Evolution, a Capturing the spectacular drone night sky with display coming astro-photographer Josh Dury to Bristol

ACTION

EXCLUSIVE

The illustrious life of globe-trotting ballet dancer, Alexandra Pickford

Our interview with journalist Polly Toynbee ahead of Clifton LitFest

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

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TheGermanKitchen

The kitchen you’ve been searching for.

German engineering | Quality | Craftsmanship

Visit our showroom or request a brochure by scanning the QR code or see uk.kutchenhaus.com

BRISTOL - Clifton Down Shopping Centre, BS8 2NN - 0117 213 0680 BATH - Saracen Street, BA1 5BR - 01225 634025

CONTENTS – SEPTEMBER V2.qxp_Layout 1 27/10/2023 17:04 Page 2

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Contents NOVEMBER 2023 8

THE CITYIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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GLAMOROUS FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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BEAUTIFUL GIFTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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BRISTOL BEACON UNVEILED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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WHAT’S ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Find out what’s happening in the city in November!

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BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Keep up to date with the city’s best businesses and community organisations

POWER OF THE ROOTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We interview journalist Polly Toynbee ahead of her appearance at Clifton LitFest

BLUE PLAQUE PANEL SCHEME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Malcolm Ravenscroft tells us more about local war heroes . who have been honoured with the Blue Plaque panel

COMING TO THE SKIES OF BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Drone light show promises to take you on a journey through time and space

TAKE FIVE BOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The team at Gloucester Road Books choose their favourite gothic tales

Bristol’s musical, cultural cornerstone finally reopens this month

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CONNECT WITH THE STARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learn about astrophotography with Josh Dury

Specially picked Christmas gifts from Harvey Nichols

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LOOK BACK WITH PICKFORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bristol-based ballerina reflects on her career dancing with the greats

Mint Velvet fuses relaxed comfort with glamorous, yet wearable trends

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ARTS & EXHIBITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A round up of the great art on display at our local galleries

Meet Bristol-based sculptor, Dr Andrew Stevens

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GO DOWN IN HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Andrew Swift explores the history of pioneering inventor and unstoppable force, Sarah Guppy

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BRING THE SPA TO THE ROOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learn different ways to create a spathroom at home

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Elly West teaches us how to prep our gardens for the year ahead

ON THE COVER The iconic music venue Bristol Beacon is reopening this November. Read all about it on p.20.

Photography by Paul Blakemore

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ZEITGEIST

things to do in November

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Image: Lily Holman

Indulge

Experience Join Bristol Beacon on their re-opening weekend and witness the space reborn as sound and light collide in a spectacular fashion.

This concert experience will be opened by a new commission from Paraorchestra composer Xia Leon Sloane, Prelude to a Beginning, a sensual and spatial work which will showcase the full extent of Bristol Beacon’s new astonishing natural acoustic.

Conductor of Paraorchestra, Charles Hazlewood, says the “new composition will embody the sense of hope and possibility, opportunity and renewal that the new Beacon represents”. Turn to our feature on p.20 to find out more. Beacon Hall, Thursday 30 November, 7pm or 9.30pm • Book your tickets at: bristolbeacon.org

Join the Harvey Nichols launch dinner as Bristol based street artist, Sickboy, presents Optical Delusions, an exhibition of artwork and light sculptures.The second floor restaurant will be transformed with brand new paintings, luminous light boxes and sculptural works. The launch dinner will include a welcome cocktail, followed by a bespoke three-course menu, whilse Sickboy discusses the artworks within the show and the concept hehind his work. After dinner there will be the opportunity to meet the artist, while enjoying DJ sessions.

Harvey Nichols Bristol, Thursday 23 November, 7pm. £45 per person, includes a cocktail, three course menu and after dinner soirée.

• To book: email: reception.bristol@harveynichols.com

Photo Credits: Mark Dolman

Shop local The much-anticipated Made in Bristol Gift Fair, a celebration of local creativity, announces its return for the 15th consecutive year. This festive season up to 200 talented designer-makers from Bristol and its surrounding areas will transform the Bristol Beacon into a bustling marketplace.

The Made in Bristol Gift Fair promises an enchanting atmosphere where visitors can connect directly with the makers, learn about their creative process, and find that perfect, oneof-a-kind gift. From beautifully crafted ceramics and illustrations to hand-knitted garments, exquisite jewellery, and captivating artworks, there is something to enthral every taste and preference.

Expect greatness this year with some of Bristol’s favourite artists: illustrator Naomi Wilkinson, Bec Prior, of Priormade and Prior Shop, knitwear from Amber Hards and many more.

Bristol Beacon, 25–26 November, 9–10 December, 10am.

• madeinbristolshop.co.uk

Discover

Get involved The Bristol Fashion Show team is excited to announce their 2023 Show at The Mount Without. It is a celebration of Bristol’s incredible talents of fashion designers, photographers, hair stylists, make-up artists, models and more. Join to see over 19 designers present their work in a two-hour show, with a catwalk of multi-cultural fashion, colour, music and dance.

Their mission is to create a diverse and passionate community in which everyone has a voice. The Bristol Fashion Show provides individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the opportunity to showcase their talents and get involved in an inclusive community and spirited event.

This year The Bristol Fashion Show will donate £2 of each ticket sold to Cure4Carmela, run by Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK). The Mount Without, 19 November, 5.30pm–7.30pm

Join Tim Bryan, Director of the Brunel Institute at the SS Great Britain, as he launches his brand new book, Iron, Stone and Steam: Brunel’s Railway Empire. The book reveals the story of the great engineer’s complex character and the roles of the people who helped the creative and sometimes dictatorial genius build his railway. Discover how this extraordinary engineer changed the British landscape forever with iron, stone and steam. Tickets to the event are £12 and include a talk, Q&A and book signing by Tim Bryan, as well as a viewing of specially selected GWR-related materials from the SS GB collection. There’ll also be a welcome drink – always a great bonus!

Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Wednesday 22 November, 6.30pm.

• Tickets available at: tickettailor.com

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• ssgreatbritain.org

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THE CITYist

My

BRISTOL Meet Bristol-based sculptor, Dr Andrew Stevens

Au Revoir to the Circus?

The Invisible Circus, famous for their Carny Ville productions and prolific work at GlastonburyFestival recently invited Bristol to run away with the circus as they bade farewell to their Unit 15 Creation Space. The Invisible Circus are well known in Bristol as maestros of weird and wonderful installation performance spectaculars, taking over disused spaces and creating incredible experiences for audiences.

‘Welcome To The Future’ was the final set of performances in their Unit 15 Creation Space after a decade of creative collaborations. This is the latest in a host of spaces previously used for culture to disappear in Bristol city centre.

Wim Penhaul, Co-Director of Invisible Circus said “We’re sad to be leaving Unit 15 but are incredibly proud of what we have achieved here. Over the last 10 years we’ve built a versatile and well-equipped creation space which has supported hundreds of artists and companies to create and develop their work. The reputation of Unit 15 has spread nationally and internationally and the community of artists using the space continues to grow.”

Wim continued “As much as we face an uncertain future, I think it is also an important moment for Bristol to look at how the latest wave of development is affecting its historically rich cultural sector, with more and more independent cultural projects being forced out of the centre and the wider city.”

Find out more about how Invisible Circus are stepping bravely and creatively into the next era.

• invisiblecircus.co.uk

We came to Bristol in the mid-1980s. I’d been lecturing at a university in Edinburgh, did an MA and PhD whilst lecturing, plus doing freelance fashion photography for clients like Vogue magazine. We wanted to come south and as I had a really good client in Bristol, it seemed the perfect base. Brilliant restaurants, a great creative hub and inspiring for both my photography and now my sculptures.

From our large studio in Redland (once a ballet school) I travelled for work to Singapore, Japan, India, Turkey, Iraq, the US and all over Europe. In 2020 a friend gave me a large bag of old toys for my still life photography and I was inspired to work in 3D, building the first of the ‘Winged Minotaur’ series of sculptures.

The studio is now my sculpture studio/gallery and the work is a combination of influences from Michael Ayrton (of Minotaur sculptures fame), Heath Robinson and Roland Emmett. I originally intended to be a sculptor – whilst on Foundation course at Folkestone I was lucky enough to have lunch with the sculptor Henry Moore at his studio in Hertfordshire and came back fired with enthusiasm. I created a very ‘Henry Moore’ type piece (I thought) which soon became too big for the studio and was moved into the lean-to outside, for me to finish after the Easter break.

I came back and… the dustmen had taken it to the tip as they thought it had been put out for rubbish! So I became a photographer. My wife, Helen (an award-winning illustrator and fine artist), has been my muse and helped me to develop and make the series of Winged Minotaurs – minotaurs have had a bad press and someone needed to stand up for them!

I’d read about the London Biennale and, thinking I’d not really had the experience to put work in, delayed right up to the last moment. There were 6000 artists from 60 countries worldwide and each artist could only submit one piece. I entered one of my ‘Winged Minotaur’ sculptures and not only did it get exhibited (only 380 artists were chosen) but it then went on to win one of the major prizes (the Art Club Chianciano Prize) even though they had put it on the plinth backto-front.

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The Downs keeps me sane, healthy and inspired; meeting a huge variety of different walkers (whose dogs’ names I mostly know) and even picking up detritus in the form of old bits of broken toys and suchlike to incorporate in my sculptures. So few cities have anything like the green spaces that Bristol has. The Waterside is just lovely to walk around plus the VIEW Gallery, which has some of my work (see viewartgallery.uk).

I ought to be doing something profound but…

I’m re-reading the whole Terry Pratchett Discworld series, listening to The Beatles and just about anything from the 1960s and Ella Fitzgerald; watching Netflix – what more can a boy ask for?

If I could have anyone round for a dinner party it would be Terry Pratchett – an absolute genius and one of the funniest and most irreverent writers I’ve read; Paul McCartney; Henry Moore (to repay him for the lunch I had); and Jane Grigson, the food writer, who was so encouraging when I was a (much younger) food and interiors photographer for Homes & Gardens.

My philosophy in life is: If you see a cake, eat it (before it’s gone).

• Find more of Andrew’s work on Instagram: @andystevevenssculpture

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THE CITYIST

A drama with Bristol’s iconic movie star Look out for Jason Isaacs as Cary Grant in Archie, the fourpart drama about the life of Hollywood’s leading man, launching on ITVX later this month. Written by awardwinning screenwriter, Jeff Pope, the series is directed by BAFTAwinning Paul Andrew Williams (who also serves as executive producer) and produced by Jason Isaacs as Cary Grant.

BAFTA-winning Rebecca Image courtesy of ITV Hodgson.

Archibald Alexander Leach was born in Bristol in 1904 to parents Elsie and Elias, and Archie narrates the story of his troubled childhood and how extreme poverty, his father’s adultery and the loss of his older brother, John, tore the family apart and sent his loving mother into a downward spiral of grief and depression. Jeff Pope’s scripts reveal how deceit, cruelty, and one overpowering lie, shaped Archie’s life.

The series also stars Laura Aikman (Not Going Out, Gavin and Stacey) as Cary’s formidable ex-wife, actress and filmmaker Dyan Cannon, with Harriet Walter (Succession, Ted Lasso, Killing Eve) as Elsie Leach, Cary’s mother.

• Visit: itv.com for schedule

Celebrate African cinema with a showcase of stories at the Afrika Eye festival Afrika Eye – Bristol’s annual celebration of African cinema and culture – will visit all points on Africa’s compass and beyond when it returns to Bristol from 14–22 November with a programme of screenings and events taking in street art, architecture, chess, politics, music, food and folklore.

Afrika Eye was founded in 2005 by two Bristol-based filmmakers: Zimbabwe-born Simon Bright and Ingrid Sinclair who lived and worked in southern Africa for nearly 20 years. Its current director is Annie Menter, formerly the director of the WOMAD Foundation and still the curator of the Taste the World food and music events which have been part of WOMAD’s UK festivals since 2006, and its producer is Esther Afikiruweh.

Annie Menter commented: “Producer Esther Afikiruweh and I are delighted to be bringing our 2023 selection of films from and about Afrika to venues across Bristol this November. These are films that dig deep into political issues, transcend the mundane, highlight the creative spirit and touch hearts and minds.

Short story winner: Abhishek Sengupta

Abhishek Sengupta wins 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize Abhishek Sengupta, a writer based in Kolkata, India has won the 2023 Bristol Short Story Prize.

Sengupta won with his story, Things to Do on the Eve of Your Killing. The Bristol-based competition, now in its 16th year, is open to writers worldwide and received nearly 2,200 entries this year from writers based in more than 60 different countries.

• For full details on the Bristol Short Story Prize, visit: bristolprize.co.uk

Dip for donations with St. Peter’s Hospice We’re introducing the Cold Water Dip, a brand-new shiver-inducing fundraising event from St Peter’s Hospice. As well as all the positive mental health benefits of cold water swimming, this new event will directly impact the hospice’s work with the money raised.

To inspire participants, there will be an opening performance from the Almost Synchro synchronised swimming team. After the Dip, St Peter’s Hospice will provide a warming hot drink for fundraisers, and give them access to hot tubs and a warm room.

The event takes place from 3pm on Saturday 2 December at Portishead Open Air Pool To attend, all you need is your swimming gear, your courage and the money you and your friends raise.

• Find out more at: stpetershospice.org/coldwaterdip

• For full programme updates, see afrikaeye.org.uk Neptune Frost

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Image: Zoe Power

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THE

B R I S TO L

MAGAZINE

Contact us: Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Guest Editor Tel: Email:

Emma Clegg 0117 974 2800 emma@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Assistant Editor/Web Editor Isabelle Blakeney Email: isabelle@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Digital & Editorial Assistant Jasmine Tyagi Email: jasmine@thebristolmagazine.co.uk Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales

Liz Grey liz@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

For advertising enquiries please contact us on: 0117 974 2800

Email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk The Bristol Magazine is published by MC Publishing Ltd. An independent publisher.

Every month The Bristol Magazine is hand delivered to more than 15,000 homes in selected areas. We also deliver direct to companies and businesses across the city.

Additionally there are many places where we have floor-stands and units for free pick-up:

The Bristol Magazine Tel: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2023

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bristol Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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Ma San Auction In Bath

SPECIALISTS IN ORIENTAL WORKS OF ART A Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Vase, Qing Dynasty.

SOLD £4680 incl. premium

A Chinese Painted Pottery model of a camel with rider, Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD).

SOLD £2600 incl. premium

A Chinese Gold Coin, memento, birth of Republic of China, 1912.

SOLD £6825 incl. premium

ng Offeri tions a u l a v free e visits m o h & ting accep Now ments for n consig re sales! u t u f

A Chinese Wucai Porcelain Jar, Qing Dynasty 17th Century.

SOLD £4464 incl. premium

A Chinese Silver Teapot, Circa 1900 by Yang Qing He. SOLD £4420 incl. premium

Over 30 years experience • Competitive commission rates Direct contacts in Hong Kong and China • Sales every month

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Tel: 01225 318587

www.masanauction.com

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2023 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 13

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FASHION BRAND | MINT VELVET

Relaxed glamour on rotation Mint Velvet fuses relaxed comfort with glamorous, yet wearable trends – relaxed glamour is the fail-safe style formula. The collections are overflowing with versatility to lean on day-in, day-out. Every shape, silhouette, fabric and detail are scrutinised to ensure the brand always delivers flattering, great quality fashion, whether it’s elevated basics-with-a-twist or standout eveningwear.

Shop at 44 Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HU or online at mintvelvet.com

Black Tuxedo Blazer, £179.00c Black Tuxedo Trousers £119.00c

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Black Diamantec Mesh Top, £99.00c

Black Pearl Detailc Midi Dress, £199.00

Gold Bow Detail Mini Dress, £149.00 c

Black Sequin Jacket, £179.00 c

Cream Chain Detailc Clutch Bag, £99.00c

Black Diamante Mesh Skirt, £139.00c

Black Suedec Toe Cap Flats £119.00

Cream Straightc Trousers £139.00c

Black Satin Shoulder Bag, £79.00c

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beautynotebook A Beaut-iful Christmas Gift Give the gift of glamour with the collection of gift sets from Harvey Nichols. The perfect idea for beauty lovers, this handpicked collection is home to everything they desire and features favourites from Hourglass, Sisley and Tom Ford – you might even want to treat yourself. Don't miss out on the exclusive beauty hampers and bespoke Advent calendar too for the ultimate in pampering presents. Find items at Harvey Nichols Bristol in Quakers Friars, or online at: harveynichols.com

AUTUMN BEAUTY GIFT Refresh your new season beauty bag with REWARDS Elevate your product haul for autumn with the REWARDS Beauty Gift, worth over £400.

Packed with cult products, the tote bag includes a mix of must-have skincare, makeup and fragrance, plus hair and body.

Worth over £400, the Autumn Beauty Gift is complimentary when you spend £250 on two or more beauty products with REWARDS.

HOURGLASS At Night Cheek & Lip Duo £57.00

The Harvey Nichols Beauty Advent Calendar 2023 £250.00 The Harvey Nichols Beauty Advent Calendar is back to make the countdown to Christmas even more exciting. Worth over £1300, it's overflowing with 45 products (including 24 full sizes) to indulge beauty obsessives throughout December. Behind each door, you'll discover skincare staples from Dr Barbara Sturm, Sisley, MZ Skin and Dermalogica; fragrances from Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Memo Paris, and makeup favourites from Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, and Fenty Beauty. Plus, there's a soothing candle from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, an Eve Lom Rescue Mask, CBD sleep drops from OTO, and Neom's cult Pillow Spray, so when it comes to unwinding from the festivities, you can do so in style. And to sprinkle a little more joy, Harvey Hichols have randomly hidden a £100 gift card in a select number of calendars – one in every fifty in fact!

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The At Night Cheek & Lip Duo from Hourglass features a Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick and a mini Ambient Lighting Blush. Each ultra slim refillable lipstick delivers creamy saturated longwearing colour with a satin finish. Each ultra slim lipstick is encapsulated in a sleek gold applicator to provide the ultimate control to precisely accentuate contour and define the lips. The gold applicator can be used interchangeably with the full collection of Confession Ultra Slim Lipstick Refills (sold separately). Elevate lipstick to a new level of luxury.

The travel-sized Ambient Lighting Blush is a groundbreaking hybrid that combines the customised lighting effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with a spectrum of breathtakingly modern hues. The result is seamless soft-focus and multidimensional colour.

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TOM FORD Private Blend Eau de Parfum Sampler Set £40.00 Discover iconic Tom Ford's Private Blend scents designed for the true connoisseur. Lost Cherry is a warm and spicy gourmand; Tobacco Vanille is an opulent woody tobacco scent; Soleil Blanc is a coco de mer-infused solar amber floral; Oud Wood is a masterful blend of rare oud notes and exotic woods; and Rose Prick is a pristine floral bouquet.

SISLEY New In. Pump Up The Volume Discovery Kit £66.00 The Pump Up The Volume Discovery Kit from Sisley aims to restore and nourish the hair whilst giving it bouncy volume. The set includes a Revitalizing Volumizing Shampoo with no sulphates surfactants designed to gently clean the scalp and hair, a restorative heat-activated haircare cream and a volumizing yet light and airy hair styling product for an immediately fuller look and feel.

AUGUSTINUS BADER The Hand and Lip Kit £66.00 Powered by TFC8® backed by over 30 years of research and innovation this deeply nourishing self-care kit by Augustinus Bader is the ultimate way to address dry overworked irritated skin. Bringing together two luxurious essentials this set pairs the intensely hydrating Hand Treatment with the conditioning Lip Balm for long lasting moisturisation.

Harvey Nichols Let It Glow Hamper £200.00 Nothing is higher on our Christmas wish list than a glowing complexion. Perfect for the savvy skincare lover, the Let It Glow Hamper offers a complete routine of products that are enriched with glow-giving vitamin C and glycolic acid to keep your complexion looking healthy and radiant right through to the new year.

Acqua Di Parma Candle Set £123 Celebrate the spirit of good fortune and joy with Acqua di Parma's limited-edition scented candle gift set where each scent is crafted to embody the serendipitous essence of the festive season.

The fascinating scent of fir trees and the green facet of frosted pine needles in the Bosco candle capture the essence of a magical forest.

Neve Fresca exudes the luminous beauty of freshly fallen snow, creating an atmosphere of pure bliss while the captivating aroma of Portafortuna will fill your space with an aura of precious wishes and dreams. Allow the warm glow of these exquisite candles to elevate the ambience of your home and fill the hearts of your guests with the magic of the holiday season.

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NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS

From our

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SHOPPING

Recipe by Melissa Blease

FOOD & DRINK

Recipe: Croque Monsieur Ingredients (serves 2) 4 slices from a crusty white loaf (ideally a Pain de Campagne, a Boule de Pain, or white sourdough) 100g Gruyère (plus a little extra for sprinkling), grated 4 slices of really good French ham, smoked or unsmoked 20g melted butter

Finisterre Save the Sea collection Ocean activism is at the heart of Finisterre, protecting what we love and call home. The Save the Sea Chore Jacket in 100% organic cotton is embroidered with a call to save the sea, using our collective voice to stand up for what we believe in. £150 The Save the Sea T-Shirt uses the new oversized t-shirt fit, also in 100% organic cotton. £40 Shop now at finisterre.com

MAGAZINE KIOSK From Magalleria: curated by Daniel McCabe LE MILE is a Berlin-based fashion magazine that aims to celebrate ‘emerging and established creatives in fashion, arts, culture and entertainment’, a generic mission statement which masks how innovative it actually is. Originally a digital release, it moved to print within three years and recently converted to a dual landscape/portrait format which provides a fascinating framework for creative expression. The 35th issue is out this week and is themed ISSUE as ‘a testament to our collective human spirit that seeks to understand, address and innovate in the face of challenges’ – a bit vague again, so you’ll be surprised at how boundary-pushing it all is; £16 Shop at: store.magalleria.co.uk

For the Béchamel Sauce: 20g butter 20g plain flour 125ml semi-skimmed milk, warmed 125ml single cream 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard Fresh nutmeg, grated Method Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 7. Meanwhile, make the Béchamel Sauce: melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, add the flour and cook (stirring continuously) over a gentle heat until it smells biscuity. Gradually whisk in the warm milk followed by the cream and bring to a gentle boil, whisking as you go, until you've created a smooth, thick creamy sauce. Remove from the heat, add 1 tsp Dijon mustard and a smattering of freshly-grated nutmeg and set to one side.

Brush one side of all 4 slices of bread with the melted butter. Place them buttered-side up on a baking tray and toast under a hot grill until golden. Remove from the grill, turn the slices over on the tray and spread the untoasted sides of two slices with a thin layer of Dijon followed by a layer of the Béchamel (keeping some of the sauce back for topping), the ham and half of the grated Gruyère.

Top with the remaining two slices of bread (untoasted sides facing down). Spread the remaining Béchamel over the top of each sandwich and sprinkle with more Gruyère.

Put the Croques into the oven and bake for around 10 mins or until the Béchamel is oozy and the Gruyère topping is a rich, goldenbrown. Serve with extra Dijon and mayonnaise to hand and a simple, well-dressed green salad on the side.on top, and serve with a well-dressed green salad.

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CITY STORIES | BRISTOL BEACON

The new look bar area

Beacon reborn

Image: Paul Blakemore

Bristol’s musical, cultural cornerstone finally reopens this month, kicking off party season with an almighty shindig and much more. On a hunt for the venue’s new highlight features and focal points, we had a nose around ahead of opening night. Words By Amanda Nicholls

30

November; put a ring around it.

It’s on this date – arguably the biggest on the city’s arts calendar this year – that the long-awaited, futureready Bristol Beacon will be unveiled.

When the Beacon closed its doors five years ago, Bristol – and the world beyond – was a different place and, touring the new space, revamped from top to bottom, it’s clear that a thorough re-evaluation has been undertaken in terms of the venue’s history, purpose and onward trajectory. The aim of the transformed Beacon, in conjunction with its recent renaming, is to “create unity and joy through live music” and help achieve a greener, fairer, more equal society.

Acknowledging and openly discussing past associations, it’s moving forward into the light – quite literally. Windows that have been boarded up for 60 years have been cracked open once more; gorgeously glazed skylights have been restored.

The 1867 concert hall’s multimillion-pound, once-in-a-generation remodelling has made for a gargantuan task, with one million hours of work going into the build. The Bristol Byzantine frontage has been reconditioned, revealing details concealed since the Fifties, and Victorian magnificence has been brought back to the historic core with an elegant spiral staircase, airy new bar and restaurant, striking artwork and a story wall depicting the vivid history of the place. And that’s not the half of it.

There’s a lot to explore while navigating Bristol’s world-class new music hub on your first visit – here are the headlines… th

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Electro-orchestral alchemy: tripping the light fantastic Under the artistic direction of award-winning conductor Charles Hazlewood, fourth-wall shattering Bristol favourites Paraorchestra will be joined by ambient/techno and analogue fan Surgeons Girl in performing an ambitious, bespoke piece of music commissioned for opening night. Part-inspired by the poet John Milton, Trip The Light Fantastic symbolises free speech and a Beacon reborn. Expect loud, powerful, intricate, uplifting, euphoric, surprising stuff – “the sublime interface between the world of techno and the best of an orchestra” – and performers milling about, disrupting the orchestral norm, plus Limbic Cinema’s 360-degree immersive light show, using signals generated by Surgeons Girl’s hardware. “Bristol has been missing its beating heart,” says Charles Hazlewood, “and now, at long last, the heart is being put back into the body and fired up. This place is something else.”

Hell of a housewarming Free day-to-night festivities are in store on 2 December, when a vibrant cross-section of Bristol’s creative scene – over 60 acts ranging from grassroots groups to well-known faces – will be staging a takeover. Whether you fancy dancing in the Lantern with local alternative legends; five foyer floors filled with family fun; or making your descent to the cellars for a youth showcase plus emerging grime, rap, pop and R&B artists, every taste will be catered for.

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CITY STORIES | BRISTOL BEACON

World-class acoustics and a tuneable room The Beacon will bring two international-standard performance spaces to the table, with 21st-century movable stage technology making for Europe’s most flexible, accessible performance spaces. Now accommodating up to 2,196 people, main auditorium Beacon Hall has a new seating arrangement with improved sizing, comfort, leg room, full wheelchair access and bespoke fabric designed by artist Rana Begum with local fabric specialists Dash & Miller. Having two balconies instead of one will also make for better audience sightlines and unrivalled acoustics. Top acoustician Bob Essert led a team of specialist engineers working in granular detail on porous bricks that simultaneously absorb and reflect sound, and acoustic drapes that can be adjusted depending on how much bass is desired – basically making the hall a tuneable room.

“Bristol has been missing its beating heart, and now, at long last, the heart is being put back into the body and fired up.

This place is something else.”

Illuminating stories lost in time Up until the 1990s, the 156-year-old venue’s history was told largely through a white, male journalistic perspective, but recently researchers have reinvestigated it through a new lens, undertaking thorough research on female artists of the past. Led by renowned creator and disability activist Cathy Mager, the Lantern Heritage Project shines a light on lost stories of everyday folk and lesser-known artists such as

1890s Black acrobat Carlos Trower, who walked above the audience on a tightrope while cooking a beef steak, and 1920s Black bisexual cabaret star Leslie Hutchinson who was alleged to have had affairs with Cole Porter and a member of the Royal Family.

Let there be light (when appropriate) The second auditorium, Lantern Hall, has a hydraulic stage for maximum performance flexibility; ornamental plasterwork restored by local artisans Hayles & Howe; and new windows letting in natural light as well as bespoke acoustic curtains to block it out and protect sound quality when needed. A raucous festival could be going on in there while a tranquil piano concert takes place next door, with zero sound transfer. Heritage project findings are revealed in a 12-metre frieze designed to give the impression of walls that sing with lost voices including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Elton John and Tina Turner.

Byzantine beauty in the Colonnade Restaurant The Colston Street frontage has been restored to prominence with columns and a glass front in the original entrance space, and masons have brought back the old Bristol Byzantine stonework to create a new and independently functioning all-day restaurant with 100 covers, accessible from the street. Look out for the ‘crush room’ ghost sign where ladies of the 1800s once gathered in their big frocks. With the second Festival of Britain-style rebuild in 1951 not of the best quality (materials were still scarce after the Second World War), this part of the build was beset by challenges, including the realisation that its architectural columns were hollow – they had to be reinforced, with concrete poured inside very slowly so that the columns wouldn’t explode!

Going underground: The Cellars The vast, previously inaccessible vaulted Victorian cellars now

➲

Image: Paul Blakemore

The main auditorium

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CITY STORIES | BRISTOL BEACON

house a club-style space with a 4am licence for underground events, a bar, state-of-the-art recording studios and a sound engineering room for young people to learn, practice and record music. A separate entrance, featuring an abstract light work by neurodivergent artist Frankie Boyle, make this another area that can be used independently.

Simons’ Bar: a stylish new place to be It's likely that London Underground artist Giles Round’s terrazzo tiling will catch your eye first in a light, bright new bar making the most of a skylit space designed in Italian palazzo style. Round creates sculptures and installations that employ geometric structures, monochromatic panels, lights and typographic schemes. Previous works can be seen in London’s Hayward Gallery and Southbank Centre. Inspired by the extraordinary architecture of Bristol, the design references the polychromatic decoration used on the Beacon’s façade. Bristol Beacon chief executive Louise Mitchell has been contributing to the cost of the building through payroll giving throughout the closure and named the bar in tribute to two men who have been instrumental to the project: current Beacon board chair Simon Chapman and Simon Cook MBE, who guided the foundation of Bristol Music Trust.

Turn the clock back and get creative – in the city’s coolest cupboard A redundant foyer cupboard has been turned into a ‘sound lounge’ styled like a vintage record store. A hub for the community to explore stories about famous acts that have played the Beacon, it’s decked out with retro posters, a till from the old box office and an interactive lyric wall for people to compose songs on. The idea is an exchange of past tales and current community stories, so that the building continues to serve local people as it was intended.

Accessibility, accessibility, accessibility The ‘get in’ for touring shows and artists – once a source of embarrassment – has been overhauled with a new lift, backstage storage areas and step-free access from street level. Wheelchair users will no longer have to be ushered into the building round the back, Image: Paul Blakemore

Artwork by Giles Round

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making for a much more inclusive, positive, optimised experience: a core thread of the Beacon’s modified DNA. Floor levels have been altered across the site; dedicated wheelchair spaces exceed the legislated number; bathroom facilities feature male, female, genderneutral and accessible provisions. For visually impaired and hearing-impaired visitors, there’s cutting-edge navigation technology and adjustable lighting plus electric doors, a new wayfinding scheme, and hearing systems with surtitles and audio description in addition to an audio guide (with a British Sign Language version) featuring the voices of local boxers, wrestlers and performers.

Art at the heart Much is rightly made of Bristol’s historical links with the transatlantic slave trade and, although previously called Colston Hall, the building was not built with Edward Colston’s money and came about 150 years after his death. The public art programme does not shy away from Bristol’s past – its brief inviting artists to consider a relationship to the city’s generations of international trade. By commissioning artworks that embrace historical context in a contemporary and sustainable manner, Bristol Beacon is entering its new phase with its eyes wide open. Visual artist Linda Brothwell, based at Spike Island and interested in heritage and place-making, looked at key events and the history of the Beacon’s architecture, plus the sounds and movements of people in and outside of the Lantern building, to create a contemporary response to the neoclassical façade; a large-scale work in bronze. British-Namibian artist Libita Sibungu, in residence at Bristol’s Pervasive Media Studios and exploring the politics of the body and landscape in relation to migration, blackness and colonialism, has created an audio artwork examining the history of the building and city and the tension around its relationship to the harbour, thinking about maps and cartography within the context of hidden histories and memories of people of colour in the city. n

Visit: bristolbeacon.org

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CITY STORIES | BRISTOL BEACON

Paraorchestra musical collaborators, Lisa Bec and Steve Varden

Bristol Beacon - Did you know? ● The transformed venue will be the fifth new iteration on the site.

● Far from being a new or ‘woke’ idea, the venue’s 2020 name change to eradicate the perceived association with transatlantic slave trader Edward Colston was a topic of conversation from as far back as the 1890s. The research team found quotes relating to an anti-slavery meeting in the Lantern, in which country’s inability to address slavery even after its abolition was called out. ● In May 1909, suffragettes Vera Holme and Elsie Howey hid in the grand pipe of the organ and interrupted a political speech by Augustine Birrell.

Image: Guy Peterson

● While anti-slavery songs were being sung within the Beacon’s walls as early as the 1800s, the venue also provided a platform for British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley to speak in March 1934 (while 6,000 people protested outside): a fact that the venue openly recognises in the name of education.

The Paraorchestra in action

● In December 1933, the auditorium underwent a series of alterations to make the space suitable for a circus featuring elephants, seals, ponies, kangaroos and bears. ● You could once spot palm trees in the orchestra pit for the annual flower show. ● New research shows that the building has long served as a community hub, with free concerts for school children and a concert raising money for the children’s hospital, plus a platform for gifted working-class musicians who could just come up to the door, audition and potentially find themselves the star of the show that evening. ● In World War II, the venue was turned into a gas mask distribution centre and became the broadcasting site for local BBC radio.

Image courtesy of Bristol Beacon

Image: Paul Blakemore

Image: Paul Blakemore

Auditorium seating fabric designed by artist Rana Begum

Conductor, Charles Hazlewood and electronic composer, Surgeons Girl

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BRISTOL EVENTS | NOVEMBER

What’s On

Our guide to some of the best things to see, do and experience in and around Bristol this month

Quiz night at the Tobacco Factory n Every Wednesday, 8pm to 10pm Join ‘Hostess with the Mostess’ @bucksquizz for saxophone based shenanigans, laughs, and a cash money prize! Maximum six to a team. £1 to enter. tobaccofactory.com A Celebration of Bristol and Bach n 4 November, 7.30pm St Alban's Church, Redland, BS6 Bristol Bach Choir presents a double musical celebration perfectly matched to its name: the music of J.S. Bach, and music by contemporary Bristol Composers to mark the 650th anniversary of the city’s Royal Charter. The choir will perform Bach’s glorious Magnificat in D major and Cantata 129 which both alternate stunning solo arias with stirring choruses, and the brief double-choir Cantata 50. These will be accompanied by the Bristol Ensemble using period instruments to provide the authentic sounds which Bach would have expected.

As a compliment to these works the choir will perform beautiful choral music by some of Bristol’s most prominent composers, including Raymond Warren, John Pickard, Maya Kitay, and a commission by Esther Bersweden which will receive its premiere performance. bristolbach.org.uk Shipman and King Cinemas: a celebration of Jewish enterprise and family n 8 November, 7.30 pm Redland Quaker Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, BS6 In this illustrated talk, local author of Cinema King, Jenny King tells the

remarkable story of her grandfather Sam King and his journey from an impoverished Jewish immigrant family to a cinema and property mogul. Together with his friend Alf Shipman, they fulfilled their dream of building a chain of magnificent Art Deco cinemas (including the ABC on Whiteladies Road) starting in the First World War with a tiny cinema in the back of a Sussex pub. davarbristol.co.uk Viva Vivaldi by Candlelight n 8 November, 7.30pm St George's Bristol, Great George Street, BS1 St George’s will be transformed into a candlelight auditorium taking us back to the Chiesa di Santa Maria Della Pieta in Venice where Antonio Vivaldi worked and performed many of his compositions. 200 candles will adorn the stage and the Bristol Ensemble along with the Fitzhardinge Consort will perform some of Vivaldi’s greatest works including the stunning Dixit Dominus and concertos for Sopranino Recorder, Two Cellos, Two Trumpets and of course Autumn from the Four Seasons. bristolensemble.com Festival of Economics 2023 n 13 – 16 November Watershed, BS1 Now in its 12th year, the annual Festival of Economics returns, with economists and experts from around the world invited to Bristol to debate the key economic questions of our time. Bristol Ideas is presenting this year’s festival with the Economics Observatory to bring together economists, policy makers, academics and

24 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | No 228

Bristol Ensemble play Vivaldi by Candlelight at St George’s Bristol

the public to discuss the challenges our society and economy are facing, and some of the possible solutions. Find out more at: Bristolideas.co.uk Bristol Film Festival: The Greatest Showman n 17 November, 2 screenings: 5.45pm and 8.45pm Circomedia, St Pauls Church, Portland Square, BS2 BFF’s first ever event with Bristol’s very own Circomedia, the acclaimed circus.

Guests will enjoy a taste of live circus performance before the film itself. It’s a firm Festival favourite, and it promises to be a spectacular evening’s entertainment that will guarantee you leave humming the hit songs. bristolfilmfestival.com Bristol Choral Society, Duruflé n 18 November, 7pm Clifton Cathedral, Clifton Park, BS8 Clifton Cathedral is the setting for the beautiful Duruflé Requiem. The requiem is one of the most beloved choral compositions of the 20th century.

Reminiscent of Faure’s requiem, which the choir presented a year ago in the same venue, Duruflé’s text intentionally focuses on inner peace and eternal rest.

The audience will also be treated to Duruflé’s Messe cum Jubilo, a work for lower voice parts only, and will also have a chance to hear the great organ in Clifton Cathedral, with the solo ‘Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain’. bristolchoral.co.uk

Continued on page 26

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BRISTOL EVENTS | NOVEMBER

Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt.

Image: Johnny Hathaway

Bristol Classical Guitar Concert Francisco Correa n 18 November, 7.30pm The Performing Arts Centre, Redmaids School, BS9 The programme will include music by Stephen Goss, Barrios, Tarrega and Albeniz. Press quotes about Francisco Correa -‘Equally comfortable gliding through brisk virtuosic numbers, heartfelt songs, Correa is one of Colombia’s top classical guitarists. Highly recommended.’ Classical Guitar magazine. ‘Beautiful and expressive playing’. Soundboard magazine. bristolclassicalguitarsociety.org A Life in The Theatre n 18 November, 8pm Tobacco Factory Theatres, Raleigh Road, BS3 Misplaced Theatre presents David Mamet’s bittersweet comedy following Robert and John as they face the challenges of an actor’s life both under the spotlight and backstage.

In a series of short, spare and increasingly raw exchanges between the two men, the estrangement of youth from age and the inevitable cycle of life is played out. Starring Ciaran Corsar and Edmund Bradshaw.

Directed by Amy Tanner.

Funny, touching and at times absurd, this warm and humorous play will delight all those who love the theatre. tobaccofactorytheatres.com Cookery Book Event n 21 November, 7pm Boston Tea Party, 293 Gloucester Road, BS7 Gloucester Road Books is teaming up with Boston Tea Party to host an event with 2021 Masterchef finalist, Alexina Anatole, who will be introducing her dynamic new cookbook, Bitter. Bitter features 80 accessible recipes that reveal how bitter

Francisco Correa performs at the Bristol Classical Guitar Festival

flavours can add depth and complexity to cooking. Alexina Anatole will be in conversation with Bristol’s very own culinary superstar, Elly Pear (Curshen). Alexina will be bringing along samples of a recipe from the book. gloucesterroadbooks.com Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt n 24 November – 23 December Westonbirt Arboretum, Westonbirt, Tetbury GL8 What better than a captivating landscape and stunningly lit trees, creating an enchanting world full of wonder?

Don’t miss well-loved Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, where the magic of the festive season comes to life in spectacular illuminated fashion.

On selected evenings from Friday 24 November until Saturday 23 December prepare to be dazzled by an enthralling winter wonderland, filled with sparkling lights, festive sounds and mesmerising installations. The perfect time to create cherished family memories to last a lifetime.

Pre-booking essential, see website for specific dates. forestryengland.uk Bristol Old Vic x ACH Winter Market n 25 November, 10am – 1pm Bristol Old Vic Foyer, King Street, BS1 Shop local, ethical and homemade products made by small businesses on ACH’s Migrant Business Support Project. These products include locally-produced and crafted goods, handmade by Bristolians.

Shop an array of small and local crafts, including handmade glass jewellery, locallysourced crafted gifts and treats, scented candles, individually printed cards, posters and accessories. bristololdvic.org.uk

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Christmas Artisan Craft Fair n Sunday 26 November, 10am – 4pm Ashton Court Mansion, BS41 A popular event for Bristol Makers and crafters with 40 stalls indoors. Handmade gifts cards artwork, jewellery, soaps candles, knits, crochets, textiles, lampshades, glassware, Christmas wreaths and decorations, craft beer, preserves and much more. All stalls inside mansion house rooms, plus the Vintage Christmas Café serving teas, coffees and mince pies.

Ashton Court car parking via the Kennel Lodge entrance or Church Lodge (off Ashton Road). £2 entry – under 16s free.

COMING SOON Clifton College Panto: Rapunzel – A Tangled Tale n 12 – 31 December, Redgrave Theatre Get ready for a hair-raising adventure about the girl with the magical golden hair as Polka Dot Pantomimes and the Redgrave Theatre proudly present Rapunzel – A Tangled Tale!

This festive extravaganza about the lonely princess with the super hair trapped in a tower but longing for a life of adventure in the outside world will keep audiences of all ages amused, entertained and enthralled. As always there will be plenty of audience participation, modern songs to sing along to, huge amounts of laughter and spectacular special effects including an incredible flying jet pack.

So let your hair down this Christmas at Bristol's biggest and brightest pantomime. For tickets and information visit: redgravetheatre.com

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Theory of Evolution

There is a new drone light show called Evolution coming to the skies of Bristol in December, which promises to take its audience on a journey through time and space. To find out more we caught up with Celestial co-founder and chief creative officer John Hopkins and Yuup founder Dominic Mills who have collaborated to create the event.

E

volution, a new cinematic drone light show will be illuminating the skies of Bristol this December. This one-of-a-kind event is brought to you by Celestial, the creators of drone light shows for brands across the globe; Yuup, the local experiences company and venue partner Seat Unique Stadium, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Dominic, could you tell us about how and why Yuup and Celestial chose to collaborate on this event?

Yuup is about connecting local communities with artists and creators who can provide exciting new experiences. When I first met the team at Celestial, I was blown away by their spectacular work and inspired to create an opportunity for many others to experience what I believe is the future of entertainment. Evolution, the drone light show that Celestial has created, is truly epic. We are beyond excited to share this spectacular experience with the people of Bristol this December.

John, tell us about Evolution Evolution is a drone art show like never before, promising to take audiences on a mesmerising journey through time and space. The narrated story starts with the Big Bang, the explosive inception of the universe and journeys into the emergence of the sun, our solar 28 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | NO¯ 228

system and the planets that inhabit it.

The cosmic voyage, accompanied by an original cinematic narration and soundtrack, guides viewers through the origins of conscious life on Earth, from the humble beginnings of single-cell organisms to the awe-inspiring reign of the dinosaurs, and culminates in a celebration of the diverse tapestry of life on Earth today.

It takes place on 20 and 21 December at Seat Unique Stadium, the Gloucestershire Cricket Ground located just off Gloucester Road in Bristol, with a late afternoon show and an evening show on both nights.

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“ This software then computes the ‘choreography’ for each specific drone, flight paths, formation changes, light effects, and the precise timing for each moment.”

How is a show like this produced?

The show design follows a Hollywood-style production process akin to crafting a short-animated film. From the initial brief, script, and storyboard, the specialist animators use 3D-animation software to craft intricate shapes and seamless transitions. This software then computes the ‘choreography’ for each specific drone, flight paths, formation changes, light effects, and the precise timing for each moment.

The production itself is delivered via hundreds of drones, commanded by specialised drone piloting software. This software sends commands to the aircraft, specifying take-off times, and continuously monitoring their status. The wealth of real-time information about each drone is what ensures the accurate and synchronised movements of hundreds of drones simultaneously.

What will the show offer to those who attend?

The science, tech and creativity of the production culminates into immersive themes of transformation, growth and the perpetual dance of change. Audiences can expect an epic-scale theatrical event that fuses cutting-edge technology and creativity to spark the imagination and stir the soul. This spellbinding show is a celebration

of the living world, a captivating homage to the past, a celebration of the present and glimpse into the horizons of the future. This should not be missed!

Dominic, who should go and see it and what else can they expect?

Everyone should go! The event is suitable for the whole family and for all ages to enjoy. At the time of writing, nearly 20,000 people have purchased tickets from diverse communities across Bristol and further afield. We’ve got one group travelling all the way from Scotland!

We’re also working hard to make the experience as inclusive as possible. For example, there will be a British Sign Language Interpretation of the show available at the evening performance on 20 December.

Evolution is not only offering a documentary-style show in the sky – a source of winter entertainment unlike anything anyone has ever seen – but those attending the event will be able to enjoy festive fun with fairground rides, including the classic teacups, music and a food village with local traders. The food and drink offering has something for everyone, with fish and chips, pizza (including a gluten-free option), Greek street food, coffee and doughnuts, and much more. n

• The Evolution shows are at Seat Unique Stadium (the Gloucestershire Cricket Ground located just off Gloucester Road in Bristol) on 20 and 21 December, at 4pm and 7.30pm on both nights. Tickets: £14 children/concessions, £21 adults, under 3s free. yuup.co/evolution THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2023 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 29

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BOOK YOUR TICKETS

FAMILY DIARY GET READY FOR NOVEMBER WITH OUR PICK OF THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO WITH THE LITTLE ONES

Arabian Nights n 23 November – 6 January, Bristol Old Vic A daring heroine, captivating songs, and a timeless story of wonder and hope.

Schere has the quickest wits, greatest courage and most marvellous stories. Now she plans to liberate every young woman in the Kingdom from the greedy, tyrannical King. All through the power of her storytelling. Is the first person she has to turn to really her annoying younger sister?

As their mission grows more complicated, the sisters turn to the people of the Kingdom to join their cause. Working together, they overcome old grudges and petty disputes to find their collective voice. bristololdvic.org.uk Annie at the Hippodrome

Autumnfest n Until 30 November, Bristol Zoo Project Explore beautiful British woodlands full of autumn colour, pick up the spotter sheet provided by Bristol zoo and become a nature spotter as you explore the Auntumnfest trail.

Get up close to amazing animals including giraffes, zebras, and cheetahs and meet the zoo’s new spotted deer! Under 2s and carers go free. bristolzoo.org.uk

Stories from the Stars n 2 – 16 November, Windhill City Farm Get cosy with your blankets and listen to stories from many different cultures across the northern hemisphere to discover how people used the stars and other celestial objects to live off the land. Listen to dynamic storytellers from We the Curious guide you through 60 minutes of tales from science, history, and mythology. wethecurious.org

toy giraffe) whole, a polar bear that likes fishing and maybe, just maybe, a tiger in the garden.

Created for children aged 3–7 and their grown-ups. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Annie n 20 – 25 November, Bristol Hippodrome The smash-hit West End production of ANNIE comes to Bristol for one week only, so don’t miss it!

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.

Her luck soon changes when she's chosen to spend a fairy-tale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.

Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family…

Not suitable for children under the age of 5. atgtickets.com

There’s a Tiger in the Garden n 4 November, Tobacco Factory Theatres Bored at home with nothing to do, Nora is sent out to play in the garden in search of a tiger.

Flock Theatre Makers will be bringing their musical-theatre adaptation of Lizzy Stewart’s award-winning children’s book There’s a Tiger in the Garden to Bristol this Autumn.

Using puppetry, imaginative design and music, audiences are invited to join Nora as she discovers dragonflies as big as her head, plants that can eat you (and your 30 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | No 228

Tiger in the Garden, Tobacco Factory Theatres

Concorde20 Anniversary Weekend n 25 – 26 November, Aerospace Bristol Visit the museum to commemorate Concorde’s final flight from Heathrow to Filton. 20 years on from the iconic last flight embark upon a fun hands-on journey through aviation history, get involved with interactive exhibits, and enjoy family friendly Concorde tours and supersonic sound activities. tickets.aerospacebristol.org

Book ahead Victorian Christmas Weekends n 2–3, 9–10 Dec, Brunel’s SS Great Britain Step back in time at Brunel’s SS Great Britain to celebrate the holidays Victorian style, with Old Father Christmas in his traditional green robes.

The dockyard will be transformed into a winter wonderland with falling snow and Christmas greenery. Enjoy a mince pie or some mulled wine before stepping aboard the ship itself.

Notice the festive smells, the hand-made Victorian decorations and how the different classes celebrated Christmas. ssgreatbritain.org

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32 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | NO¯ 228

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INTERVIEW | POLLY TOYNBEE

Polly Toynbee: A Touch of Class

Journalist, author, and activist Polly Toynbee – who is appearing at the Clifton LitFest on 11 November – has a family tree that is made up almost entirely of radical, left-wing, but solidly middle-class thinkers and activists. Isabelle Blakeney chats to Toynbee about her new memoir, An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals, and discovers how the roots of class privilege run a lot deeper than it may seem...

Polly Toynbee in the 1960s

“Yes, they certainly are. Money, of course, helps a lot – but the confidence, the assurance, the assumption that you can do anything, meet anybody, confront anyone – that’s a self confidence that you often gain from growing up in a confident, middle-class family; particularly a highly educated one.”

The book marks a shift from her previous publications. From A Working Life (1971) to The Lost Decade (2020), her books have been an outward criticism of state failures. So what sparked this self-reflection?

“I’ve been thinking increasingly about how to deal with the guilt and embarassment of being left-wing but middle-class”

A

rthur Toynbee, Jessica Mitford, Bertrand Russell – these are just a few of the notable names mentioned in An Uneasy Inheritance, Polly Toynbee’s account of her colourful and impressive heritage. Spanning generations and continents, the Toynbee family network is full of influential figures. But they all seem to have two things in common – their commitment to radical, left-wing activism against injustice and inequality, and their very comfortable, uncontested place in the middle class. These conflicting traits have created a substantial sense of middle-class guilt that has been passed down through generations, and continues to be felt today.

Toynbee herself has been described as the ‘queen of leftist journalists’ by The Independent and deplored as the ‘high priestess of political correctness’ by Boris Johnson; certainly, her multi-award winning writing is no stranger to scrutiny. Her work as the BBC Social Affairs Editor and subsequently as a Guardian columnist led to her involvement in New Labour policy meetings, and at one point her work was even praised by former Prime Minister David Cameron.

But her latest book is much more personal than her previous work. An Uneasy Inheritance examines her heritage, but rather than revelling in her ancestors’ successes, Toynbee looks at how class and privilege have influenced their lives and work. Not just in the sense of financial advantages, but recognising how the impacts of class privilege are more intricate: 34 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | No 228

“I’ve been thinking about it for years, and I’ve been working on it on and off for about ten years. And I’ve been thinking increasingly about how to deal with the guilt and embarrassment of being leftwing but middle-class, and how my family have all struggled with being on the left and yet also being privileged professionals. And how did they cope with it? Well, sometimes not very well, sometimes quite comically, sometimes disastrously, but it was always something that they were thinking about.”

That struggle is a theme that runs through the book. With each family tale that Toynbee grippingly re-animates, there’s an obvious pain at the inevitable hypocrisy of their work. Her own father, writer Philip Toynbee, at one point resorted to turning the family home into a selfsufficient commune – before moving to a nearby cottage when his leftist ideals failed to match up with his comfortable middle-class life.

“I also wanted to write about my own family and put their stories to paper. Like all families, the stories are funny, serious, moving, awful; but satisfying all the same. The writing took so long, in part, because I was working out how to blend the themes together. On the one hand, there were the sociological influences – the things I’ve done in my writing life, at The Guardian, at the BBC, and then there are the stories of my family. I wanted to see if there was a way of blending those themes together without the awkward corkscrew turns, and it certainly took a while – I kept re-writing, re-organising in order to try to make it work, and I think it has.”

So has Toynbee had to reconsider herself and her own history under the scrutiny of the privilege that she has inherited?

“Absolutely. I mean, it goes back so many generations, further than I can reach, really. And you know, I really did look hard to see if I had a branch or even a twig of a working class root, a thread anywhere, but there was not one. And I know why people look for it – because you want to prove that you’ve earned what you’ve got.

I have no idea if I would have become any sort of writer if I hadn’t come from a middle-class background. Given that I’ve done exactly what my family has done, I think probably not, so I can’t claim merit.

When you read about people who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps there’s a different feeling – an admiration because they’ve done it themselves. There is a measure of luck where everybody lands. But some people, without a doubt, have far more determination than I’ve ever had to show.”

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INTERVIEW | POLLY TOYNBEE

LEFT TO RIGHT: Polly Toynbee and Jessica ‘Decca’ Mitford, Toynbee whilst researching for her book, Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay Britain, and will be appearing at the Clifton Litest

Was there a time when Toynbee started to consciously consider her class privilege?

“I think that a lot of middle-class kids have the awareness, but I was probably more conscious of it than most, having come from a leftwing, class-conscious household that was so riddled with guilt over it.

And then, really, it was when I started out as a journalist and I was working on my first book, A Working Life, and I realised that I really didn’t know much about the country that I was reporting on. I mean, where had I been? Oxford, Suffolk; that was it. And so I felt that I

“There’s a measure of luck where everybody lands. But some people, without a doubt, have far more determination than I’ve ever had to show” needed to learn about real work, away from my middle-class life.”

And so she did: in the book she reflects on her initial naivety, dropping out of Oxford to work in a sugar-packing factory by day, writing Tolstoy-style at night, only to realise that most factoryworkers have no energy left to write great novels at the end of a shift.

This somewhat-comedic lack of awareness is a theme that runs through her family tree. Her own self-awareness, however, is very apparent. And so when working on her first book, she spent months travelling the country and doing low-paid, manual work in order to understand, to an extent, the realities of work in Britain.

Thirty years later, she decided to repeat the research for her book Hard Work (2003) to see if anything had improved – but it showed that things had only got worse. When working in a hospital, she found that her wage had actually fallen from what it had been in the 1970s (when considering inflation and average pay). And that wasn’t an isolated finding – it appeared that the chasm between the rich and poor was wider than ever.

So is there any way of creating positive change?

“Well, I’m fairly positive that Labour is going to win the next election. I think that it’s inconceivable that this government is going to be re-elected, no matter what desperate things they do. I think there’s beginning to be a cultural shift, and if Labour can win several elections they can push things in the right direction. If schools, universities, education can all be made much better, then hopefully things will begin to improve. And with any luck, that will push the Conservatives back towards the centre so if at some point they do win again, they’re happy to pick up where Labour left off.”

Toynbee believes that there is a way that individuals can do their bit: “I think that the tax burden is an important idea to challenge.

When people complain about the ‘tax burden’, I think, well, hang on – what do you think your tax buys? It buys you all of the things that you care about the most. It buys you safety and security, healthcare, education, clean air and clean water, nice parks and nice public spaces; it preserves ancient buildings, funds museums, galleries, sport facilities, leisure centres, everything that’s far more valuable to people than things that you can buy in a shop. So any time people go ‘oh God, the tax burden’, I would want people to turn around and say that that’s really not right. You actually get very good value for your taxes rather than the narrative that it’s always the wasteful government throwing your taxes away.”

An Uneasy Inheritance is a fascinating, funny, and moving family memoir that reflects both on the past and on how we can do better for the future. Hope for a classless society seems minimal, however: “It is a fairly grim outlook from the class point of view. But I’m very confident that things are about to change, that things are about to get better. Maybe there won’t be solutions to all of the appalling problems, but there definitely will be a change of atmosphere that will be encouraging to anyone with remotely progressive tendencies.”

Toynbee is coming to the Clifton LitFest in Bristol in November.

While her memories of her time at school here are not the fondest, she feels a real sense of connection with the city.

“Outings into Bristol I loved. I really like Bristol very much as a city, I think it’s terrific; I have very warm memories of it. I used to sneak out to the centre of the city and travel about and go and see all of its sights. I think it’s a completely fascinating place – but in a strange way, it’s slightly underplayed in the national story, and I can’t quite work out why that is.”

In true Toynbee-style, she concludes the conversation with new questions to consider. Perhaps a new book idea there? In the meantime, An Uneasy Inheritance will provide you with enough food-for-thought to keep you going for some considerable time. n

Polly Toynbee is in conversation with Chris Mullin at the Clifton LitFest on 11 November at 12pm.

Find out more at foccal.com.

An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals by Polly Toynbee is published by Atlantic (£22)

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ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

ART and the galleries Elias Sime: ‘Eregata እርጋታ’, Arnolfini, Until 18 February This is the first, major solo European museum exhibition of one of Ethiopia’s leading contemporary artists, Elias Sime.

Eregata እርጋታ will primarily focus on work from the past six years, including Sime’s monumental Venice Biennale commission Veiled Whispers (2022), alongside intricately woven abstract topographies from the landmark series Tightrope (2013 to present), key works from his early stitch, yarn and button series and the tactile fragility of Bareness, a large-scale ceramic installation from 2014.

Also showing: Dream and Refuge | Works from the Jerwood Collection 4 November – 21 January 2024 This winter the Jerwood Collection present Dream and Refuge at Arnolfini; an exhibition of works that explore home, refuge and movement, from prints of dancing figures and colourful dreamscapes, to carved clay sculptural bowls and still life oil paintings.

• arnolfini.org.uk; 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA Image: Tightrope Evolution (1), 2017. DETAIL. Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan Gallery. Photo Adam Reich

‘Winter’, The Vestibules, 21 November - 7 December ‘Winter’ is a group Aboriginal Art exhibition presented by the Coe Gallery, celebrating emerging and established Aboriginal artists.

Experience the works of Coe Gallery artists including Hannah Lange and Cara Shields, and discover Inningai Gunggari artist Ethan-James Kotiau, who debuted his artwork to UK audiences at the Australian High Commission earlier in September.

‘Winter’ is an opportunity to experience Aboriginal arts with artists sharing their stories of connection to the oldest continuous practising culture on earth.

• The Vestibules, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR For more infor visit: coegallery.com Image: ‘Iningai- Body Paint’ by Ethan-James Kotiau, Inningai Gunggari Artist

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170th Annual Open Exhibition, Until 14 January The RWA’s renowned Annual Open Exhibition is now in its 170th year, and – as always – offers a magnificent variety of work from emerging and established artists. The exhibition includes a stunning array of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, installation and mixed media artworks, and is a showcase for some of the most exciting artists from across the country and beyond.

The RWA is also showing the exhibition ‘Also Artists’, 7 November – 7 January This exhibition is a vibrant and diverse showcase of the hidden talents within the RWA. This exceptional exhibition features over 80 unique works by 43 members of the RWA team, including office staff, front-ofhouse personnel, freelancers, and Drawing School Tutors.

It is also a a celebration of the individual creative practices that drive the daily operations of the RWA. The exhibition is not only an opportunity for the RWA’s dedicated staff to display their artwork in a professional gallery setting, but it also serves as a platform for members of the Visitor Experience team to explore diverse roles within their organisation and gain invaluable skills that can further their careers in the culture sector.

• RWA, Queen’s Road, Bristol BS8 1PX; For more info visit: rwa.org.uk

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ARTS & EXHIBITIONS

North Bristol Art Trail, various locations 25–26 November More than 100 Bristol artists and makers show their original artwork in homes, studios and public venues around the Bishopton, Henleaze and Redland area with everything from original paintings, prints and ceramics to jewellery, photographs and homeware. Pick up a map in many venues around Bristol including Future Leap, Niche Frames and Room 212 on Gloucester Road, all venues on the trail.

The event runs from 10am – 5pm.

• Visit: northbristolartists.org.uk Image: Cathie Cooper

Rainmaker Gallery, Winter Trees 14 November – 29 February Rainmaker Gallery welcomes back 78 year old Native American artist Rick Grimster for his second solo exhibition ‘Winter Trees’. In this exhibition we see a mixture of his latest works on paper alongside earlier pieces, each featuring landscapes of bare branched trees often with the full moon.

Rick Grimster is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. His first ever show in March of this year completely sold out.

• rainmakerart.co.uk; 140 Whiteladies Road, Clifton Bristol BS8 2RS Image: ‘Orange Moon’, acrylic on paper by Rick Grimster

Far Flung Collective presents Earthen at Bristol Guild Gallery. 4–25 November From Aberdeen to St Ives, four far-flung artists invite you to share their natural worlds. Devon ceramicist Bethan Jones works West Country clay into exquisite tableware. Briony Jenkins paints the immense Scottish landscape. Mary Scott creates abstract images of the Cornish country and Bristol’s Bev Campbell makes painterly interpretations of birdsong.

Image: Laura Richards

• bristolguild.com; Bristol Guild Gallery, 68 Park Street, Bristol BS1 5JY

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair, Sunday 12 November, 10am–5pm Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath

Image: Landscape painting by Bev Campbell

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The award-winning monthly Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair (BCAF) is back on Sunday 12 November. Committed to bringing the best of contemporary art from the city and beyond to the heart of Bath, the fair has created a regular space where artists can network, share ideas, connect with the public, and where the public can connect with art. Visitors can browse the works of local artists and admire fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and much more, all under the vaulted glass roof of Green Park Station. For updates and exhibiting artists visit the website.

• bcaf.co.uk

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CITY LIVES | BALLET

The First Hand (Seamstress) in Le Beau Danube (1970s), choreographed by Massine

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CITY LIVES | BALLET

Alexandra Pickford: a dancer’s journey Bristol-based Alexandra Pickford was formerly with the Royal Ballet Company and English National Ballet and has danced with some of the great stars, including Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. Here she reflects on her dancing career.

M

y life as a ballet dancer spanned the globe, taking me from Bristol to London, touring across the UK and venturing as far as the USA, Australia, Europe, and even China. Along the way, we met fellow dancers who had endured hardships during the Cultural Revolution in remote Chinese villages. I spent three and a half years in Croatia and six and a half years in South Africa. Those were very happy years.

The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet My journey in the world of ballet began with The Royal Ballet Company, where I honed my craft. After dancing with The Royal Ballet as a student, fate handed me an opportunity when another dancer was injured, allowing me to step into her place.

These days ballet companies typically tour with either one fulllength ballet or a triple bill, performing five or six times a week with an eight-hour day. During my first season with The Royal Ballet, from September to Easter, we carried a repertoire of 14 ballets, including full-length productions and triple bills.

Touring was gruelling. We had to buy food for the day, arrive for class at 9.40am, rehearse until 1pm, take a one-hour lunch break, rehearse until 4pm, and then rehearse again until 6pm. Afterwards we’d snack, clean our pointe shoes, check costumes, apply makeup, and arrange our hair in the ballet’s historical style. Then we’d warm up again for a 7.30pm performance after which we’d need to prepare again for the following day. It was a relentless routine with 12 and a half hour days, six times a week. Sundays were often reserved for travelling to the next city.

Tears were not uncommon, especially among the women who had more demanding roles, but we supported one another. My energy was boundless, but my fellow dancers were quick to tell me off for slamming dressing room doors. This habit stayed with me; I never shut doors to this day.

Evolution as a dancer My career began in the Corps de Ballet at The Royal Ballet School, starting as a Court Lady and eventually graduating to roles like Swans, Willis (ghostly unmarried maidens), and Shades (ethereal maidens in the underworld). Our director in The Royal Ballet Company skilfully arranged the stage for productions like Swan Lake and La Fille Mal Gardée, ensuring that the Corps would dress the stage while the soloists danced. This approach became part of my stagecraft, even as I moved to other companies. I also learned never to sit or eat in my costume, a habit instilled during my early days.

Our director used to despair that the public weren’t open to new dance works and showed new and different works and championed new choreographers to encourage them. The English National Ballet’s current production of Giselle is certainly a step forward in this direction.

Encounters with dance legends I danced with Fonteyn and Nureyev many times in my ballet career.

While I was still at The Royal Ballet School, during the second act of Giselle Nureyev allowed Fonteyn to drop to the floor right beside me. A partner is always chivalrous, but this was shocking.

We were playing frightening ghosts and were not supposed to move, but I couldn’t help but glance in their direction, breaking character for a moment.

I never saw this happen again. Nureyev and Fonteyn were very

close. Nureyev would rage at her but Fonteyn always kept her cool and understood his youth and impetuosity.

Fonteyn guest-starred with our Royal Ballet touring company and was the only ballerina who fulfilled her commitments, which wasn’t always the case with other ballerinas.

I was privileged enough to dance with Nureyev once as the Countess in his production of The Sleeping Beauty. He never took his eyes off me during our time on stage together. It left me wondering if he saw a kindred spirit in me. I also had the opportunity to portray Carabosse, the wicked fairy, in Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty production.

The Corps danced once with Fonteyn and Nureyev in Grenada, but in the middle of the first act, the orchestra stopped. To my surprise, at the front of the stage Fonteyn and Nureyev were remonstrating with the posse of photographers who were snapping when asked not to. They stopped the photographs and we carried on. Fonteyn and Nureyev could not allow unvetted photographs of them on the front pages of the world’s newspapers.

Most memorable performances Some of the most cherished memories from my career involved performing in outdoor settings during the summer months with The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet. We toured Europe for 10 weeks with Fonteyn and Nureyev with The Royal Ballet, representing Britain in Portugal and enjoying royal treatment from the Portuguese embassy. We performed in unique venues, including a bullring in Lisbon.

➲

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longer and leaner for the Swan Queen and Sleeping Beauty. My director in the Royal Ballet used to say that half the audiences consist of men, and they like to see women on stage, not stick-thin spiders!

Dancers today are expected to be highly flexible with slim legs and arched feet, often leading to a homogenised look, which can lead to a loss of dramatic tension of movement, and sometimes we just see high legs and gymnastics. In my day each woman in The Royal Ballet was chosen for their difference and all the women were beautiful and different in their own way. I looked on in wonder at the start of my career.

Lessons from ballet Ballet has taught me invaluable life lessons. The challenges and discipline of ballet instilled practical and organisational skills, the determination to achieve artistic goals, and the ability push on through tiredness. It has encouraged me to keep up my fitness and continue learning about life and art.

If I’m going on stage for a challenging solo, with my heart thumping in my chest from nerves, I’ve learned to focus on the audience’s perspective. They don’t want to see fear; they want to enjoy the performance. Nervousness is really excitement. I encourage aspiring dancers to find a mentor who can provide guidance and support, as I wish I’d had during my career.

Odette the White Swan in Swan Lake (1980s), choreographed by Petipa/Ivanov

Our flights with Spantax Airlines (which we nicknamed Tampax!) were not without drama – it was common for flames to stream from the aircraft wings due to residual fuel, and one of our number was once carried off the plane in fear. We also succumbed to what we called ‘Barcelona Bum’, experiencing vomiting, sickness, and exhaustion. Despite these challenges, dancing at the Alhambra Palace Gardens in Granada stands out as one of the most beautiful experiences of my career.

Beyond ballet Since ballet gave me up, I’ve taken on various roles as a fitness teacher, yoga instructor, massage therapist, and water exercise teacher, which still allow me to show off! But apart from trying to save the environment all on my own, retirement left me missing the theatre.

I participated in a show called Once Upon a Time at the age of 65 and later joined Gerry’s Attic Dance Company, which eventually led to an invitation to join Untold Dance Theatre at 73. Performing twice a year wasn’t enough for me, and that’s when I decided to create my own opportunities.

I organised a workshop/show of interest, collaborating with mature dancers and actors to craft performances rooted in life experiences.

This inspired me to create Bluffing Your Way In Ballet, a history of ballet told through the fascinating stories of the stars of each period.

‘Bluffing’ is my story – when I die all my experiences as a dancer and human will go off into the ether, so I wanted to give people and idea of what it was really like to dance professionally.

The evolution of ballet Reflecting on how ballet has evolved since when I was dancing, recent BBC programmes have shed light on concerns around body image and the rejection of dancers with the ‘wrong’ body type. I was so lucky not to have trouble with weight gain and I bless my parents’ body types for this. But in the 1960s and 1970s, dancers were chosen for their special personalities and bodies were seen as suited to specific roles, such as a shorter and stronger physique for Coppelia or Titania or 42 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | NO¯ 228

What’s next My journey continues as I reach out to collaborate on new projects.

After a successful dance project in Leeds, I’m embarking on a performance project with Rachel Achol de Grarang, celebrating our extensive dance careers in African Dance and Ballet, respectively.

Additionally, I’m planning a one-woman show that will offer a glimpse into the reality of being a ballet dancer in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and even in old age. While dancers today may not endure the same gruelling hours as we did, the passion for dance endures, and I'm excited to share my story with others. n Alexandra’s Seizing the Day Company: facebook.com/groups/seizingthedaycompany

Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet (1980s), choreographed by Killar

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COLUMN | CHRIS YEO ON ANTIQUES

Expert opinion From Chris Yeo, Valuer at Clevedon Salerooms and regular expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow

Hatts Off to Doris One of the joys of my job is the adrenaline rush I always get when I find a work by one of my favourite artists. So, I’m currently feeling doubly energised that Clevedon Salerooms Fine Art sale on December 7th will feature not one but two works by a Somerset artist whose work has long held a magnetic attraction for me.

Doris Hatt (1890-1969) was an artist of singular vision who shunned the conventions of her time to live a life as vibrant and compelling as the canvases she painted. Born to a well-to-do Bath family at the end of Queen Victoria’s long reign, an early passion for art saw her take a place at Bath School of Art and eventually the Royal Academy. She also travelled to Paris, where she rubbed shoulders with artists such as Picasso and became influenced by the Cubist art movement.

Doris went on to become a pioneer of British modernism, a feminist and lifelong socialist. To add to her talents, she was also an accomplished architect, designing in 1935 a house in sleek Bauhaus inspired modernism in Clevedon’s Swiss Valley, which for the following

Doris Hatt (1890 - 1969) - Oil on card - Reclining Figure in landscape with Walton Castle, 23cm x 27cm.

To be offered in Clevedon Salerooms Winter Specialist Fine Art sale, estimate £600-800

thirty years she shared with her life partner, Margery. Clad in the colourful textiles that Margery made, Doris cut a distinctive figure around Clevedon, whether it was selling copies of the Socialist Worker in local pubs (which sold well – largely due to the reliability of its horseracing tips), or with her easel, capturing scenes around the town in her highly individual style. She was described in her lifetime ‘an artist of distinction’ who pursued her own path ‘with delicate modesty and with an artist’s curiosity and conscience’. Never one to allow success to go to her head, she remained true to her Communist beliefs, often selling her paintings in local cafes for a few pounds or even give them away.

Perhaps predictably for a woman who refused to conform to society’s norms, obscurity beckoned. The last few years have, however, seen a surge of interest in Doris’s life and work and recognition at last of the groundbreaking and highly talented artist that she undoubtedly was. ■ • clevedonsalerooms.com; @chrisyeo_antiques (Instagram)

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INTERVIEW | JOSH DURY

There’s a starman

West Country astrophotographer Josh Dury was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Astronomy Photographer of the Year award. We go stargazing with Josh to find out more about the wonder of this mysterious celestial world...

H

osted by The Royal Observatory of Greenwich, only 140 images are shortlisted from over 4000 submitted. It’s the biggest astrophotography competition and globally acknowledged as the finest. Representing the South West is Josh Dury with his image The Enigma of the North. On a starry night, high on a hill in the Mendips, we find out more about Josh’s work.

What first inspired you to become an astrophotographer, and how did you get started?

I became interested in astrophotography at the age of seven years old, having been inspired by children’s science fiction programmes. These are largely about the planet Mars, however this inspired me to get a telescope and look up to the stars. At that moment in time the planet Jupiter was visible in the night sky, and when I saw it for the first time it captivated me. It all started from here. I wanted to document this experience somehow, so I turned to astrophotography.

Can you share some of your favourite astrophotography locations and explain what makes them ideal for capturing the night sky?

Where’s the best dark sky location in the West Country?

My homelands – the Mendip Hills near the Chew Valley – have some of my favourite astrophotography targets. This is because we are fortunate enough here to have dark skies. Because of the light pollution emitted from nearby towns and cities, the Mendip Hills is a really special place. Not only is it an area of outstanding natural beauty and a place of special scientific interest, it is an open window to the Universe – allowing us to look up to the night sky in its entirety.

Finding dark skies – Josh Dury on location

What kit bag do you typically use to capture your images of stars, planets, and other celestial objects?

Depending on what I decide to shoot, I use a variety of different cameras, lenses and equipment. Normally when taking images of the night sky, I like to concentrate on the composition, because that is what tells the narrative of the image, and is the reason for taking the photograph. Whereas if you are taking images of the moon you use a much narrower field of view to capture large open shots of the moon.

“The experience is just as important as taking the photograph... This is why I like to be connected with my subjects” How do you plan your astrophotography sessions?

A lot of planning can go into these images. The first thing to think about in the United Kingdom is the weather. You need to have a clear sky. Next, I look at the phase of the moon and shoot when the moon normally tends not to be visible. I then determine the levels of light pollution in the area which is measured by the bortle scale between the scale of 1-9, with 1 being a dark sky and 9 severely light polluted. It really depends what I want to shoot, but again the subject, and where it’s located can largely tell the story.

Like your shortlisted image The Enigma of the North on Lewis, how do you incorporate the natural scenery or foreground interest into your astrophotography compositions?

I strongly believe the experience is just as important as taking a photograph. This is why I like to be connected with my subjects to understand what is possible from a certain location. For example, my photograph of the Enigma of the North came from receiving Aurora alert notifications on my mobile phone. At a time when the skies were clear, which can be rare for the outer Hebrides, I knew I needed to find a composition that captured the dark skies of the United Kingdom. This is where I really wanted to capture a beautiful image of the Milky Way against the Callanish stones. My own interest in stone circles and ancient sites is what brought me to Callanish. Only then to realise the Aurora Borealis could be seen low down on the horizon, so to combine my aspirations for astrophotography and ancient sites was a treat like no other.

Could you describe one of your most memorable astrophotography experiences?

My most memorable experience in my astrophotography career was when I took the photograph of Llanddwyn Bay on the Isle of Anglesey. The night I took this photograph I walked onto the island; no problem whilst the tide was out. However in the time it took me to catch the images of the Lighthouse with the backdrop of the Milky Way, I was greeted to a body of water. I had isolated myself on the island! I had to wait four hours for the tide to retreat before it was safe enough to cross the shore.

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INTERVIEW | JOSH DURY

The night-sky from Llanddwyn Bay, Anglesey.

The Milky Way with planets:- Jupiter (the brightest) and Saturn to its left

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The Enigma of the North, Josh’s shortlisted image of the Milky Way ascending above the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis

Do you have any favourite events or celestial phenomena that you look forward to photographing each year?

Some of my favourite astronomical events to capture are the Northern Lights and eclipses. The reason? Because they are events within the astronomical calendar that do not occur very often and special arrangements need to be made to go and see them.

How do you balance astrophotography with daily life?

One thing I have learnt is that there are days where you have to burn the candle at both ends. Sometimes you can be shooting really early in the morning hours, and before you know it clear skies are forecast and you can be shooting again in the evening, so really your life is controlled by the weather.

How has shooting the stars enriched your connection to the night sky and your awareness of the natural world around you?

As you become more closely connected with the stars, you realise your routes and where you come from. This is how I got interested in stone circles in ancient sites, recognising their astronomical alignments. This developed my understanding of how far we have come, recognising the close relationship we have with the Cosmos. Only once we realise our night skies are under threat, do we consider the impact that light pollution is having on our natural environment. In my work as a delegate of the International Dark Skies Assocation I realised that this not only concerns astronomers and our view of the universe, it also affects nocturnal wildlife and pollinators as well as ourselves and our human health. It is a big and newly emerging climate issue and a story which I strive to tell through my photography.

How does it feel to be shortlisted for for the Royal Observatory Astronomy Photographer of the Year?

To have been shortlisted was massively emotional. When I took the photograph I had not picked up a camera in six months, and I believed my astrophotography career was over. But if anything else, it made me stronger and I put all of the energy I had into that one photograph. So when I received an email (in my spam folder) saying that I was shortlisted, I was moved to tears. I had previously been shortlisted for the competition in 2017 with my image of Glastonbury 46 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMEBER 2023 | No 228

Tor and the double flash which captures a rare astronomical phenomenon. I didn’t realise the media attention it would get. For my work to have been recognised by the media, from the BBC to ITV and CNN in America has been a massive deal, having been invited to interviews with major television and radio outlets as well having my work published. From this, my work and photography has enabled me to become an ambassador for major photography brands such as Sigma and Benro.

“As you grow more closely connected with the stars you realise your roots and where you come from”

When I went to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum, I was greeted by some of the big guns of the astrophotography community. To meet like-minded people and to see my photograph obtain the recognition it deserves was a special experience – and to see my image amongst the greats in the hall of fame.

If you could choose a dream location to capture your next amazing image, where and what would it be?

I could go on forever about dream astrophotography locations.

The first one is to capture an annular solar eclipse, which will occur next year across South America and Easter Island. To photograph the celestial connection between the Moai Statues and the eclipse would be absolutely spectacular, not to mention future opportunities to catch the Northern Lights and to have some of the leading astronomical observatories of the world as subjects. It would make me feel closer than ever to the stars. n For more information and to see more of Josh’s images visit: joshduryphoto-media.com

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FOOD NEWS

Grape expectations

FOOD & DRINK TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S BEST RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS

A world of fine wine This month, we’re going cross-continental to pick out some of the finest wines the world has to offer. With bottles from Italy, Lebanon, and South Africa, this November wine list is showcasing the intricacy and art of the very best vineyards on the planet.

First up is Italian winemaker Poliziano’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The wine is the flagship of the southern Tuscan estate, and is as noble as its name implies. Deep-coloured, juicy and intense, with flavours of dark cherries and ripe plums, it has the richness, tannic structure and balance to reward keeping, even if with suitable decanting it can be enjoyed more immediately.

Picking is done exclusively by hand, ensuring that the fruit is 100% pristine. £32 Next on our list is Ixsir’s Decanter World Wine Silver award-winner, the Grande Reserve Red. This Lebanese wine from the Batroun region is intensely-flavoured, saturated with Mediterranean character and exuberant aromas of ripe fruits and spices. Its concentrated palate has fine tannin texture and attractive lively black fruit, which lasts through to the long finish. £35 Heading down to South Africa we have our final pick for this month, a Cabernet Sauvignon by Thelema Mountain Vineyards. This wine has a complex nose of mint, blackcurrant and chocolate and the palate is juicy and ripe. There is a good layer of toasty oak in the background to complement the black cherry and cassis fruit flavours and grippy mid-palate tannin. Very long, clean and elegant on the finish.

Gambas opens a new private dining room Local hospitality group Season + Taste have launched a private dining room at their well-loved Wapping Wharf restaurant Gambas. The intimate space is perfect for gathering with friends, for special occasions, or for corporate hospitality. Up to 20 guests can enjoy a Spanish feast tailored to their gtoup by the Head Chef Gustavo Benet. Gambas is a Spanish tapas restaurant focused on fresh, high-quality ingredients, sourced from Spain and closer to home. They specialise in gambas, which is Spanish for prawns, and serve an array of fish and seafood dishes. The menu celebrates traditional Spanish cuisine with sustainably and ethically sourced produce, much of which is cooked in the kitchen’s charcoal oven.

Find out more at gambasbristol.co.uk

Head to KIBOU for some Japanese-inspired fun this Christmas!

If you're looking for somewhere special to celebrate this Christmas, but aren't keen on that usual turkey affair, then head over and discover a festive Japanese feast at KIBOU in Clifton.

Alongside their much-loved regular dishes, they’re also running a range of festive sharing menus from 20 November which are great for groups of six or more.

And for those looking for a more decadent twist, there’ll be a range of seriously indulgent specials on the menu throughout the festive season too. Throw in one (or two!) of their cute festive cocktails, and a Japanese-whisky flight to end your evening, and we think sushi and Santa could top the Christmas wish list this year!

Discover more at greatwine.co.uk To find out more, visit kibou.co.uk/christmas2023 48 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | NO¯ 228

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FOOD NEWS

Sandwich Sandwich wins Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year 2023

Noah’s makes it into the Top 10 Fish

& Chip Restaurants of the Year 2024 A Bristol fish & chip restaurant was named in the Top 10 Restaurants of the Year in the National Fish and Chip Awards 2024 on Tuesday.

Noah’s, a new family-run restaurant tucked under the flyover at Cumberland Basin, has been shortlisted, putting it in with a chance of getting through to the next stage of the prestigious competition. The 10 finalists were selected following a panel of judges reviewing each business for their environmental standards, sustainability, best practice methods, customer service and knowledge of the fish and chip industry.

Dan Rosser, who opened Noah’s in May this year with his wife, Joie, said: “When Joie and I set out on opening Noah’s, we dreamt of creating an informal restaurant where everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the best fish and chips and freshest British seafood with a waterside view. To make it to the Top 10 Fish & Chip Restaurants when we’ve been open less than six months is a massive achievement for us."

Open Tuesday – Sunday for lunch, and Tuesday – Saturday for dinner.

1 Brunel Lock Road, Bristol BS1 6XS For more info visit noahsbristol.co.uk

After several rounds of voting and a judging panel that included celebrity faces Prue Leith and Monica Galetti, familyrun restaurant Sandwich Sandwich was announced as the winner of UberEats Restaurant of the Year, and awarded with a £100,000 cheque to invest in the business.

Josh Kleiner, who runs the company with his dad and brother, announced plans to expand into London: “We want to set a standard for a lunchtime offering that isn't currently available – where you can meet high quality with good value” sandwichsandwich.co.uk

Gin in a Tin’s festive extravaganza With Christmas just around the corner, Gin in a Tin has announced its 2023 festive collection with exquisitely beautiful gins.

Their range of delightful offerings includes hand-rolled Christmas-crackers, each one filled with a 35ml miniature of deliciously crafted gin, gorgeous 12 Days of Christmas gift sets, mini-tins that are perfect for grown-up stocking fillers, and so much more...

And make sure to try their limited edition Christmas gins with exquisite flavours such as pine, cinanamon, orange peel, and spiced pear.

Discover festive gins at gininatin.co.uk

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A Change of Art Calling all food and art lovers. Join our launch dinner on Thursday 23 November as Bristol based street artist, Sickboy, presents Optical Delusions, an exhibition of artwork and light sculptures.

The Second Floor Restaurant at Harvey Nichols Bristol will be transformed with new paintings, luminous light boxes and sculptural works, alongside canvases, murals and prints in true Sickboy style. Temples, Giraffes and Smurfs will also feature, rich in the symbolism and colourways the artist is renowned for.

Join us for a cocktail on arrival, followed by a bespoke three-course menu as Sickboy discusses the show artworks and the concepts behind his work. After dinner there will be the opportunity to meet the artist. Every guest will receive a Sickboy print and there will be a complimentary goody bag for customers who purchase art on the evening. There will also be the opportunity to win a Magnum of Crystal Head Vodka customised by Sickboy.

The Second Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols Bristol, Thursday 23 November. 7pm.

Tickets cost £45 per person.

To book: email: Reception.bristol@harveynichols.com

or scan the QR code to book online

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BOOKS

Spine-tingling Tales This month the team at Gloucester Road Books have chosen some dark and gothic tales to hunker down with as the nights draw in.

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note from the team: “Our primary aim is that the shop be a fascinating place to explore. Some of the subject sections are a little broader than they might be elsewhere – for instance our ‘Time and Place’ section encompasses books on History, Travel Literature, Geography and Reportage. We also have a significant focus on titles published by small independent presses. There are lots of really brilliant small publishers putting out incredibly exciting books, and we want to help get these out into the world.

The stock is carefully chosen and constantly changing, so even if you pop in every week there will always be new books to find.”

To sign up, visit Gloucester Road Books’ website: gloucesterroadbooks.com. Follow them on Instagram: gloucester_rd_books and browse the collection in store: 184 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, BS7 8NU. Open Monday – Tuesday 9.30am – 5pm; Wednesday – Saturday 9.30am – 6pm

The Snow Ghost and Other Tales Published by Vintage Classics This is a collection of classic Japanese ghost stories taken from a number of works from around the turn of the 20th century (a great time for ghost stories generally!). The stories were originally published in English with a western audience in mind as an introduction to Japanese folklore and mythology, and also to feed the growing fascination with Japanese culture. The edition also comes with a particularly beautifiul dust jacket illustrated by Yuko Shimizu.

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of Black Horror Edited by Jordan Peele Published by Picador Writer and director Jordan Peele has curated an anthology of brand-new stories from Black writers, including N.K. Jemisin and Lesley Nneka Arimah. The anthology brings together stories Peele describes as “raw imaginings of our deepest dreads and desires”, and while the stories contain the speculative and supernatural, they also play on Peele’s penchant for capturing the true horror of injustice.

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Penny Bloods: Gothic Tales of Dangerous Women Edited by Nicole C. Dittmer Published by The British Library This collection brings together serialised texts known in the early 19th century as ‘penny fictions’, with serials containing more violent themes more specifically labelled ‘penny bloods’. Moralising tales featuring monstrous and deviant women became a focus of the penny bloods and even established archetypes such as the seductive vampiress that inspired Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla.

This collection looks to reintroduce both the popular and more obscure penny bloods to a new audience.

Dead Drunk - Tales of Intoxication and Demon Drinks Edited by Pam Lock Published by the British Library Part of the outstanding British Library Tales of the Weird series, this collection focuses on alcohol and intoxicants. The stories are taken largely from the Victorian era when plenty of strong views about the influence of alcohol on society made for some richly imagined tales. We’re going to be hosting an evening with the editor, Pam Lock, with dramatic readings and drinks from some authentic Victorian recipes. Details to follow on the Gloucester Road Books website.

The Coiled Serpent - Camilla Grudova Published by Atlantic This is an exciting new collection of stories from one of the Granta Best Young British Novelists of 2023 list.

Camilla’s two previous titles have been favourites of the shop, and this looks to be just as fun. Her writing tends toward the strange, weird, twisted, sometimes surreal, and always absorbing. We’re delighted to be welcoming Camilla to the shop for a talk about her writing on 13 November.

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Local War Heroes Since it was established in 2015, the Bristol Civic Society’s Blue Plaque scheme has recognised several people involved in global conflicts. Malcolm Ravenscroft, a member of the Society’s Blue Plaque panel, tells us more.

In September 2016, a Blue Plaque was placed on St Mary’s Church, Fishponds to honour a World War II codebreaker. Gordon Welchman worked on signals intelligence with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park, analysing German military messages.

His work formed the basis for what is known today as meta-data analysis. Under Gordon’s direction, code-breaking evolved from a linguistic base to one based on mathematics. His work was so secret that he received no recognition for many years. His traffic analysis technique has endured. It greatly helped the hunt for Bin Laden.

More than 60 attended the unveiling including Gordon’s daughter, Susanna Griffith; Chris Davis, Deputy Lord Mayor and GCHQ Director Robert Hannigan. GCHQ staff brought a German Enigma cipher machine to the ceremony and as part of its schools outreach programme they hosted a code-breaking workshop for students from nearby Fishponds Academy.

The plaque was supported and paid for by the Greater Fishponds Neighbourhood Partnership. They considered it would foster community interest in a worthy past resident of Fishponds.

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Hardy Parsons was a Second Lieutenant in the 14th Gloucesters, commanding a frontline trench near Vendhuile, France. An enemy attack forced back the troops holding Hardy’s post, but he refused to retreat. In spite of being very badly burned, he single-handedly held the post until a British counterattack could be launched. He died of his wounds that day and posthumously received the Victoria Cross.

In November 1917, Hardy Parsons’ father was presented with his son’s posthumous Victoria Cross by King George V. Exactly 100 years later in November, 2017 a Blue Plaque was unveiled in Salisbury Road, Redland to honour this brave young hero.

Around 100 people attended the commemorative event, including Cllr Lesley Alexander, Lord Mayor; Colonel Andrew Flint, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for the County, and cadets of Bristol University Officer Training Corps.

The unveiling was a deeply moving occasion, encapsulated by the haunting rendition of the Last Post by buglers from the 1st Rifles in Chepstow and the Salamanca Band of the Rifles from Exeter.

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A Blue Plaque honouring a Korean war hero was unveiled in June 2016 at the childhood home of Terry Waters in Westbury-on-Trym.

A young lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment, Terry was captured after the Battle of the Imjin River in April 1951. He was seriously wounded in the head and arm. Terry and his men were imprisoned in the notorious POW caves near Pyongyang. They endured dreadful conditions with little food and no medical attention.

The prisoners were forced to participate in propaganda against their own side. Terry ordered them to pretend to accede to try to save their lives. He refused to go himself.

The North Koreans tried to persuade him to save himself by joining his men. Terry steadfastly refused to do so, and he died in June 1951.

He was 22 years old; his birthday had been just two months earlier, about the time of the battle.

Terry was awarded the George Cross, ranked equal to the Victoria Cross. His decoration was specifically awarded not for courage in the heat of battle but for his courageous stance in captivity. In awarding the decoration the deed is cited as ‘fortitude as a PoW’.

Terry had been a pupil at Bristol Grammar School and the school’s former pupils’ organisation, the Old Bristolians Society, funded the cost of the plaque.

On 17th April 1916 Walter Ayles, a city councillor, was arrested for distributing a leaflet criticising conscription for the First World War. He served 61 days in prison and was then conscripted. He applied for conscientious objector status, but this was refused. He was then court-martialled and served 112 days in prison with hard labour. In later life he went on to become a member of parliament.

Exactly 100 years later, in April 2016, a Blue Plaque was unveiled at his home in Ashley Down to honour his moral courage. The Bristol Radical History Group organised a programme for the event with poetry readings and a choir. Around 120 people attended the respectful and celebratory occasion.

For more information about the Bristol Civic Society and the Blue Plaque scheme, visit: bristolcivicsociety.org.uk

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NEWS FROM THE CITY

Bristol UPDATES NEWS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS

Bristol brands announce support for Gympanzees Two leading Bristol brands – full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau and planning, design and development consultancy Marrons – have joined forces to support Gympanzees for the next year.

Founded in Bristol in 2016, Gympanzees provides children with physical and other disabilities access to exercise and leisure opportunities – giving them equal opportunities to play to aid their physical and mental development to ensure they can meet their potential. Shakespeare Martineau and Marrons will be raising money for Gympanzees through various fundraising initiatives, including bake sales, pet photo competitions, marathons and Easter egg hunts. People from the brands will also be giving up their time to volunteer with the charity. To support this, the brands have implemented a responsible business committee, champions who are committed to driving positive change in the community, and providing opportunities for employees to support causes they are passionate about.

Image: Craig Fuller

• gympanzees.org shma.co.uk marrons.co.uk

Tobacco Factory Theatres announce new Chair of the Board Tobacco Factory Theatres has announced that Bertel Martin will become their new Chair of the Board. Bertel takes over from Sarah Smith MBE who is standing down after 13 years.

Bertel Martin has been involved in Bristol’s voluntary sector and arts scene for over 30 years as a director, producer, manager and freelance writer. He has worked for the Black Voluntary Sector Development Unit, Bristol Old Vic and Kuumba and sat on the board of Circomedia, Albany Centre, Bristol Broadside, Theatre Bristol, Come the Revolution, Nilaari and Bristol Short Story Prize.

A founding member and coordinator of Bristol Black Writers Group that helped change the perception of Black arts in Bristol, his national work has included being director of Plymouth International Book Festival. He has sat on Arts Council England advisory boards for developing Black theatre in England and he currently works as Finance and Operations Manager for acta Community Theatre.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

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New Eastern Entrance to Bristol Temple Meads begins Construction on a new entrance to Bristol Temple Meads station has begun. The new Eastern Entrance will make it easier for people to access the station from the east of the city and will open directly into the University of Bristol’s new Enterprise Campus. The new entrance is funded by the £94.7 million won from central government for the Temple Quarter programme

by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority last year. It is the first major piece of infrastructure delivery under the regeneration programme, which is being administered by the authority, and will see three new entrances delivered to the east, south and north of the station, alongside new homes, jobs, and public spaces.

The Temple Quarter regeneration programme, a partnership project between the Mayoral Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, Homes England, and Network Rail, will transform 130 hectares of land around Bristol Temple Meads station to deliver 10,000 new homes and thousands of new jobs, alongside new public spaces.

Initial works to prepare for the delivery of the new entrance were carried out within the station in 2021 with £22 million of funding by the Mayoral Combined Authority, to keep the programme on track before the government grant was won by the Mayor. By taking this proactive partnership approach, the Temple Quarter partners were able to save time and money, as well as reduce disruption to rail passengers.

Over the coming months, works will include piling work to support the creation of the new entrance in the existing retaining wall, followed by breaking through the wall and excavation works to create a tunnel through to the subway inside the station.

In early 2024, construction on the new entry building will begin and is expected to take 13 months. Once complete, the building will be shrouded until September 2026 to allow the development of the new university campus and public space outside the entrance to be completed.

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SCHOOL SUCCESS

EDUCATION NEWS NEWS FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Compass Point Primary join with Excalibur Compass Point Primary School in Bedminster held a special ceremony to officially commemorate joining Excalibur Academy Trust’s family of schools (following its merger with Gatehouse Green Learning Trust). With a choral assembly, flag-raising, cakes and a plaque unveiling, the entire school community including parents/carers, came together for this symbolic and happy occasion.

Compass Point Primary School joined EAT’s growing Trust together with former GGLT schools – secondaries Redland Green and Ashton Park, plus primaries Ashton Vale and Luckwell, bringing Excalibur’s total number of schools to 20. The Trust looks forward to nurturing and educating 10,000 young people in its care, along the M4 corridor from Bristol through to Reading.

The opportunities and benefits the merger is providing stakeholders is already evident. Networking, sharing of best practice/resources and a broader curriculum, an experienced Academy Improvement Team, a comprehensive programme of professional development and training, plus skilled central support teams specialising in finance, HR, health and safety, estate management and marketing all being key.

Furthermore, colleagues have been involved with a commitment to form a new shared set of joint values; an important message that everyone’s views are imperative as the Trust enters its next chapter.

Linda Brown, headteacher at Compass Point Primary School comments: “We were thrilled to hold a ceremony to introduce our staff, students and parents/carers to Excalibur. We look forward to the next stage of our rosy future as we contribute to, and grow with, the Trust.”

• For more information visit: excalibur.org.uk Left to right: Linda Brown (headteacher) and Nicky Edmondson (Excalibur CEO) with students

Redmaids’ High School launch new Sixth Form Redmaids’ High School, recognised for providing an outstanding all-round education for girls in Bristol, has announced the launch of its pioneering new sixth form offering. The High School has refurbished its Sixth Form Centre, ensuring that students have access to the best possible learning environment.

From September 2024, students will have the freedom to select their studies from an extensive new range of A Level subjects, alongside additional qualifications called Electives such as TEFL courses and food hygiene certificates, and every student will also have the opportunity to complete the highly respected EPQ. Understanding that universities and the professional market is becoming increasingly competitive, Redmaids’ High will ensure that their students stand out and are equipped and adaptable to meet the ever-evolving demands of the modern world.

Included in both Year 12 and Year 13 will be one-on-one guidance mentoring, UCAS conventions and specialised support for candidates applying for Oxbridge, health professions such as medicine and dentistry, degree apprenticeships and overseas applications.

All students will engage with weekly volunteering and Activities Afternoons to help them strike a balance between their studies and further instil the importance of service to others.

A notable extension of the support that the school will be offering sixth form students, is their new and unique Athena Grants. Every student will be able to apply for a grant of up to £250, designed to support a passion for learning or furthering personal development.

• info.redmaidshigh.co.uk

Volunteer with Schoolreaders Children’s literacy charity Schoolreaders is looking for more volunteers who can help spread the joy of reading to children in primary schools in Bristol.

The latest SAT results showed that every year, 1 in 4 children leave primary school unable to read to the expected standard.

Schoolreaders recruit volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools, focusing on schools where children require the most support. Volunteers are asked to listen to children read once a week in term time and to commit to an academic year. Volunteers will also offer regular one-to-one face-to-face reading support in primary school, to help the children who struggle to catch up.

Partner schools reported that volunteers had a positive impact on pupils with 95% improving their reading confidence and 87% their reading enjoyment.

By applying now, new volunteers will be matched as quickly as possible to a partner school and be ready to start once they have completed a mandatory DBS check and virtual safeguarding training.

• For further media information, please contact Izzy Perks on i.perks@schoolreaders.org.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

IS KNEE PAIN HOLDING YOU BACK?

We all know that keeping active is one of the key ingredients to living a healthy life, but when knee pain interferes with normal activity and prevents exercise, it is time to act and seek medical help.

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f you are suffering with knee pain, a visit to an orthopaedic surgeon can help. The surgeon will determine if the pain is caused through injury or a more long-term issue, such as osteoarthritis. This is the most common form of arthritis, and is characterised by inflammation and 'wear and tear' damage to the knee. It develops over time, and can sneak up on you. When symptoms first appear, much of the damage has already been done.

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

Up to 25% of people with knee arthritis will retire early due to the pain it causes. There are several risk factors for osteoarthritis, including your genes, lifestyle factors, previous injuries, hypermobility and obesity.

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

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

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

If there are symptoms of mechanical locking in the knee, or stiffness, then keyhole surgery (arthroscopy) may improve this.

However, this cannot reverse the arthritis damage.

For those patients who might be suffering with arthritis but are hoping to avoid surgery, there are less invasive, non-surgical options available, such as injection therapy. This can prove beneficial in managing joint pain to the point whereby the need for surgery is delayed. Steroid injections are an example of this. Another technique available is Platelet Rich Plasma treatment (PRP), which uses a patient's own anti-inflammatory cells to promote the healing of injured joints.

If the arthritis pain is severe and you have exhausted non-operative treatment, then you may decide to proceed with a knee replacement. Knee replacement surgery has evolved, with innovative, state-of-the-art robotic-arm technology available to assist the surgeon with the procedure. This brings a range of enhanced benefits for the patient, including even greater surgical precision, which in turn leads to a faster recovery and decreased post-operative pain. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital is currently the only hospital in the city to offer robotic-arm assisted knee replacement surgery, highlighting Nuffield Health’s commitment to providing patients with the best possible treatment. The decision to proceed is made with your surgeon, so that you fully understand the benefits and risks of each procedure.

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

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Some of the treatments offered for arthritis by Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital: • Full and partial knee replacements • Physiotherapy • PRP injections • Steroid injections • Weight loss therapies Joint Pain Programme Nuffield Health also offers a free-to-access Joint Pain Programme at its two Bristol Fitness and Wellbeing Centres in Clifton and Stoke Gifford. The six-month programme is designed to help you self-manage your chronic joint pain and lead a more independent life by incorporating lifestyle advice, health checks, low-impact exercise sessions and support from a trained Rehabilitation Specialist. You don’t have to be a Nuffield Health gym member to join the programme – it’s free and open to anyone living with joint pain.

The Joint Pain Programme has helped over 11,000 people across the UK since it launched, and those who’ve completed it have shown improvements in mobility, pain, general fitness levels and overall quality of life. To find out more, including how to apply, search “joint pain programme” on the Nuffield Health website.

It doesn’t matter if you want to climb a mountain or simply tidy the garden, any symptom that prevents or limits your ability to do the things you love is cause for concern.

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

If you would like to book an appointment with a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, call the Hospital Enquiries team on 0117 911 5339, or visit the Nuffield Health website.

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

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HISTORY

Sarah Guppy

An Unstoppable Force

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n recent years, the name Sarah Guppy has emerged from obscurity as it has become increasingly clear that she was a woman far ahead of her time. Crucial to this rehabilitation has been a play about her, performed to great acclaim by Show of Strength Theatre Company, alerting Bristolians to just how extraordinary she was.

It isn’t as though she wasn’t well known when she was alive – Sarah Guppy was the sort of person you couldn’t really ignore. Formidable, charming, persuasive, impulsive, determined, but above all indefatigable, with a passion for improving the lives of those around her, she was by turns social reformer, writer, philanthropist, businesswoman and engineer. Above all, though, she steadfastly refused to conform to received notions of female propriety in Regency and early Victorian England.

Despite her close association with Bristol, she didn’t live in the city until she was 25. She was born in 1770 – as Sarah Beach – in Birmingham, where her father was a brass founder on Park Street in Digbeth. In 1795, she married Samuel Guppy, 18 years her senior, who was also a brass founder, but by the time of his marriage was running the Patent Pure Copper Sheathing Nail Company. This was located in a factory on the Grove in Bristol, which backed onto his home at 34 Queen Square. In keeping with the name of his company, he patented two nail-making processes, the second of which, in 1804, brought him over £20,000 from a contract for supplying nails to the Admiralty.

Sarah, who dealt with many aspects of the business, negotiated the contract. It seems likely, given that both patents date from after their marriage, that she also helped to come up with the ideas for them.

Sarah had six children, and drew on her experiences to write Mrs Guppy’s Dialogues for Children, which was published in 1800, with the proceeds going to a girls’ charity school. It was engineering for which she really had a passion – and a flair – however. On 27 July 1811, the Bristol Journal reported that, ‘Mrs Guppy has been assiduously employed in forming the model of a bridge to be erected across the Avon, from the Hotwells to the opposite side’. So keen was she on the project that she took out a patent for ‘erecting and constructing bridges and railroads without arches or starlings, whereby the danger of being 62 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | No 228

washed away by floods is avoided’. Her solution was to install, on each side of the river, ‘a row of piles, with suitable framing, to connect them together; and behind these … other rows of piles’. ‘Strong metallic chains’ would then be slung across and drawn tight, creating a platform to ‘support … a road or pavement ... or for railroads’. The bridge was never built, although it is believed that when Thomas Telford drew up plans for building a suspension bridge across the Menai Strait a few years later, he borrowed the idea of installing parallel rows of piles on either bank from Sarah Guppy.

In 1811, Sarah also wrote to Lord Liverpool with proposals for redesigning Smithfield Meat Market, evincing a concern for animal welfare that would continue throughout her life. The following year, she not only founded a Society for the Reward and Encouragement of Virtuous, Faithful, and Industrious Female Servants but also patented the first of several labour-saving domestic implements – a tea or coffee urn containing a vessel in which an egg could be boiled and fitted with a lid designed to support a plate for keeping food warm. Around this time, a succession of pamphlets, such as one which proposed ‘providing suitable, agreeable and permanent residences for ladies’, also started to appear on a regular basis.

In 1819, after Sarah received a handsome legacy from her father, Samuel closed the factory and the family moved to Arnos Vale. We have very little information about what she got up to over the next few years, although the couple may have become estranged during this time.

Samuel died in 1830, however, and the following year Sarah demonstrated that her capacity for invention was undimmed, by patenting a bed for the sickroom. Drawers underneath could be pulled out to form steps up which an invalid could climb into bed. Once there, they could take hold of ropes attached to overhead pulleys to raise or lower themselves ‘and enjoy a degree of exercise unknown to invalids who are condemned to the recumbent posture’.

Through her second son, Thomas, Sarah also got to know Brunel.

Thomas was a distinguished engineer as well as co-owner, with his brother Samuel, of a large sugar refinery on Merchant Street in Quakers Friars. He met Brunel when he arrived in Bristol in 1829 to take on the challenge of building a bridge across the Avon Gorge, and the two men became close friends. Thomas was one of the main promoters of the Great Western Railway and became Directing Engineer of the Great Western Steamship Company, overseeing the construction of the SS Great Western and SS Great Britain.

Naturally, Brunel got to know Thomas’s mother, whom he described as ‘a shrewd woman’. There can be no doubt that she would have regaled him with details of the bridge she had patented 20 years earlier.

How much of what she told him about parallel rows of piling was incorporated into his design for the bridge at Clifton is unknown, however. What is known is that she was an enthusiastic supporter of the project, writing in the Bristol Mercury that it was ‘a most suitable investment for ladies’. She also bought £5,000 worth of shares in the GWR, and took an active interest in the enterprise, firing off a series of letters in 1841 suggesting ways in which ‘some disagreeables in some part of the railway’ could be remedied.

In 1837 she remarried. Her new husband, Charles Eyre Coote, cousin to the late Lord Castle-Coote, was 28 years her junior. Despite his aristocratic connections, he turned out to be an impecunious gambler who soon started to run through his wife’s inheritance. In 1842, the

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HISTORY

couple moved to 7 Richmond Hill, opposite the Victoria Rooms in Clifton. Sarah was still wealthy enough to buy the houses on either side, however, and the tract of land opposite, where a nursery was established. The range of her interests and the focus of her campaigns also remained as eclectic as ever. In 1841, she presented a paper to the Royal Agricultural Society on the care of sheep and the prevention of foot-rot, and in 1844 she took out a patent for ‘improvements in caulking ships and other vessels’. The new designs she came up with at this time also included a portable stove, a candlestick which prolonged the life of candles and a fire hood for a stove which she dubbed the ‘cook’s comforter’.

When she died in 1852, aged 81, the Bristol Mercury described her as ‘a lady of a most active and enterprising mind ... ever animated by a strong desire to be of service to the age in which she lived.

The study of mechanics and chemistry and of the science of agriculture engaged much of her attention, and if it cannot be said of her that she perfected many important improvements, it may be truly conceded that she laid the groundwork for others to build upon.’

She was soon forgotten, however, her role as a trailblazer for women engineers ignored for almost a century and a half. Finally, though, her long overdue rehabilitation got under way. In 2006, a plaque was unveiled at 7 Richmond Hill, by Nicholas Guppy, a descendant. Ten years later, in 2016, she made it into the august pages of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Then, following extensive research into her life by Sheila Hannon, Show of Strength Theatre Company premiered Sarah Guppy: The Bridge, The Bed, The Truth, bringing her remarkable story to life.

On 25 March this year, a ceremony was held in St Andrew’s Churchyard, Clifton, where Sarah had been laid to rest 171 years earlier. After falling into poor condition, her memorial had been restored and the service to mark its reinstatement was led by the Very Reverend Dr Mandy Ford, Dean of Bristol Cathedral. It was attended by Paula O’Rourke, the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Peaches Golding, the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, and Sheila Hannon, the guiding force behind the restoration. Also present were some of Sarah’s descendants, including her fourth great-grandson, Chris Curling, who gave the opening speech.

Recognition of her association with Brunel has also come from Swindon’s STEAM museum, where an exhibition entitled Great Women’s Railway: In a Man’s World, which opened in April, features Sarah alongside other female pioneers in science and engineering.

It may have been a long time coming, but Sarah Guppy is finally receiving the recognition she deserves. As Stuart Burroughs, director of the Museum of Bath at Work and chairman of the Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society, puts it, ‘in the case of Sarah Guppy, we have a combination of invention, drive and confidence which makes her, with hindsight and in her own time, a worthy pioneer and an unstoppable force – to whom male inventors may be compared’.

Opposite top: The plaque on Sarah Guppy’s last home, at 7 Richmond Hill, unveiled in 2006.

Bottom: Sarah Guppy’s Dialogues for Children drew on her own experiences of bringing up six children.

Above: The newly-restored memorial to Sarah Coote – as she became after her second marriage – in St Andrew’s churchyard, Clifton.

CURA: Treating Disc injury and SCIATICA Are you looking for relief from pain and immobility caused by osteoarthritis, back conditions or a sports injury? We can help.

Here at CURA, we use the latest technologies: MBST Cell Regeneration Therapy and Deep Tissue Laser Therapy to heal and repair the damaged tissues. We combine these technologies with hands-on Chiropractic and Physiotherapy to ensure your body heals itself to its maximum potential.

Francis came to me in complete agony with sciatica. We tried everything we could to help him using conservative caretractions, laser etc yet there was no change at all. I had his lower back MRI scanned which showed a large L4/5 disc extrusion causing moderate central cabal narrowing compressing the left L5 nerve root and suggested a surgeons referral.

This explained his severity and lack of response.

Knowing that surgery was always an option we discussed my recent set of results using MBST for nerve healing which had been outstanding. He decided to go for it, having his discs and nerves treated and the results in this case were off the scale.

4 weeks later we had a pretty emotional meeting at my clinic in which Francis was flabbergasted at the lack of pain he’s now in. We were both blown away by this case and have set up a follow up meeting in 3 months.

His email the same day: James, it was good to see you this afternoon. I can’t really express how pleased I am with the MBST treatment, I would thoroughly recommend anyone with back problems to come and see you.

On a different matter, do you think you could photoshop the photo of us together and make me look less like my blood pressure is sky high !! I’ve had it tested and it’s fine ! Alternatively put a note under the photo to say I’m healthier than I look !!

Once again, thanks for sorting out my back, I’m truly grateful.

Francis

An award-winning innovative treatment for: Osteoarthritis | Back & disc problems | Bone conditions & fractures | Cartilage damage | Ligament, tendon & muscle damage | Sports & accident injuries.

Talk to us today : 0117 959 6531 www.curaclinical.com THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2023 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 63

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INTERIORS

Bring the spa to the room Wanting to refresh your bathroom into something that embodies your idea of glamorous spa? From earth tones and rustic textures to boldly coloured marble tiles and elegant parquet, there are so many different ways to create a spa bathroom at home.

The following ideas from Mandarin Stone are guaranteed to inspire...

1. Create a sauna vibe Practical, stylish wood-effect porcelain tiles are nothing new when it comes to surface design, but more recent introductions of panelled or slated wood-effect tiles have taken them to the next level, uncannily mimicking wood panelling. Adding both warmth and texture they create an organic feel in this bathroom. Paired here with Malmo, a striking large format porcelain that mimics the look and texture of angular and varied breccia-like stones, the combination is modern yet inviting.

2. Revel in retro styling Who can resist these cool retro fixtures and fittings and bold red and pink tones to create a fun, statement bathroom? Resist the urge to go to bold with your tiles if other bathroom elements are going to take centre stage. Keep tiles simple in tone such as the soft terracotta flooring and the grey marble-effect porcelain wall tiles with their subtle tan veining that link the two. The tiles certainly add character but are just paired back enough to tie the overall design together perfectly without being overbearing.

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3. Go classic with neutral elegance Sticking to neutral shades in a bathroom can allow you to play more with size and texture.

Here, both the Riga Chevron and Sawn Sand are large format tiles with subtle yet eye-catching surface details. Sawn has a surface graphic replicating traditionally ‘cut’ stone whilst the Riga has a more contemporary ‘chevron’ surface design and texture. By keeping tones neutral the space feels interesting yet completely cohesive.

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INTERIORS

4. Find your colour zoom

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An impactful bathroom with a fun use of colour will always put a smile on your face. The extra elongated brick tiles allow the strong pink tones to still feel elegant (feel the Wes Anderson!) and the lustrous glaze cleverly bounces light around the narrow shower, making it feel more spacious. The horizontal black pencil moulding breaks the strong vertical lines and perfectly pairs with the monochrome patterned tiled floor.

5. Go softly with a linear statement Rightly so, green tones have certainly earned their place as one of the top shades when it comes to bathroom tiles.

Derived from nature, green tones are both calming and energising when it comes to interior design. These slender bricks have an organic, rustic feel and a beautiful, almost handmade texture and glaze. To create a more modern feel they have been laid in an attractive stripe design in the shower enclosure. This distinct tile layout also zones the shower from other areas of the bathroom, where the classic white version of ‘Alba’ has been used throughout.

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6. Channel a luxury hotel spa with stone Subtle toned porcelain tiles that cleverly replicate traditional travertine are certainly having their moment, especially those with linear vein striations that can draw the eye. Combining different materials in the same space such as stone effect porcelain and real marble needs careful consideration.

However here, the boldly veined, fabricated Violetta Marble door surround works beautifully against the soft tones of the porcelain tiles, resulting in an elegant shower room design. n

Mandarin Stone, 15 Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4HW; 0117 973 1552; mandarinstone.com

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK 2023 | 2023 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 65 | NOVEMBER THEBATHMAG.CO.UK xx | august | theBATHMagazine

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PROMOTED CONTENT

Film stars at Bristol Airport

Filmcote Ltd revolutionises passenger experience at Bristol Airport with solar control window films

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ilmcote Limited, a leading specialist in solar control window films for both commercial and domestic buildings, has recently completed an innovative project at Bristol Airport. With a mission to enhance passenger comfort and drive energy efficiency, Filmcote has installed 260 square meters of solar film in five departure lounges at the eastern end of the airport.

Enhancing Passenger Comfort The primary goal of this installation is to create a more comfortable environment for passengers awaiting their flights. By reducing heat and glare, Filmcote’s solar film transforms the departure lounges into spaces that are not only visually inviting but also more pleasant, ultimately improving the passenger experience.

The solar control window films employed by Filmcote are specially designed to mitigate the impact of solar radiation. By filtering out excessive heat and glare, passengers can relax and enjoy their time at the airport without discomfort or visual disturbances.

This cutting-edge technology ensures that Bristol Airport remains a preferred choice for travellers.

to have been part of this transformative project at Bristol Airport.

Our solar control window films have not only improved passenger well-being but also provided a smart financial investment. We believe that sustainable solutions can drive both comfort and costefficiency.”

Richard Withey, the Energy Efficiency Manager at Bristol Airport, expressed his satisfaction with the recent solar film installation, stating, “It has been an excellent experience from the initial visit through to delivery. The installers were polite and professional and worked well in the busy operational environment; we have already noticed a significant temperature reduction in the lounges treated.”

About Filmcote Limited Filmcote Limited is a leading specialist in solar control window films, serving a wide range of commercial and domestic clients.

With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, Filmcote offers cutting-edge solutions that enhance comfort, reduce energy consumption, and create a more sustainable future. n For further information, please visit www.filmcote.co.uk

Financial Benefits Through Energy Savings Beyond passenger comfort, Filmcote’s project at Bristol Airport is set to deliver substantial financial benefits. The solar film installation is anticipated to pay for itself through energy savings in an estimated seven years. This means that in just seven years, the initial investment in solar control window films will be fully recouped. The installation has a life expectancy of fifteen to eighteen years, making it an extremely cost-effective and sustainable choice.

This not only underscores the efficiency of Filmcote’s solutions but also highlights their commitment to delivering value to their clients.

A Sustainable and Forward-Thinking Solution Filmcote Limited’s project at Bristol Airport is a testament to their commitment to providing sustainable and forward-thinking solutions to businesses committed to reducing their carbon footprint and net zero targets. By reducing the load on the air conditioning system and decreasing energy consumption, this installation aligns with the airport's sustainability goals. It’s a win-win situation, where passengers enjoy greater comfort, and the environment benefits from reduced energy usage.

Kyle Minchin, Director of Filmcote Ltd, stated, “We are delighted

66 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | NO¯ 228

The Filmcote team installing solar control window film at Bristol Airport.

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FOUND UK WEST VINTAGE RECYCLED FURNITURE j e f fo s b o @ h ot m a i l .c o m | 0 7 8 7 5 1 2 9 9 6 4

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November in the garden

November takes on a slower pace in the garden, but simple maintenance and clearing tasks, some bulb planting, protecting tender plants and feeding the birds as other sources of food run scarce will prep you for the year ahead, says Elly West

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love this month in the garden. Everything has slowed right down, giving us time to breathe, catch up and get on top of any jobs that need doing. In summer mowing the lawn and pulling out weeds can feel like a fruitless task when a week later it all needs doing again, but in autumn there is satisfaction from clearing and cutting back, knowing the garden will stay that way for a while.

Now is a good time to don thick socks and wellies and get outside to clear away summer growth that has become old and tatty. This will make way for the current stars of the garden to shine, whether it’s the golds and reds of autumn leaves, interesting and colourful stems, architectural seed heads or jewel-like berries. Leave the more attractive and architectural seed heads in situ, such as hydrangeas, sedums, cardoons, grasses and phlomis as they will provide structure over winter, look beautiful when sparkling with frost and strung with cobwebs, and will also provide food and shelter for wildlife.

By the end of the month, leaves will be falling in earnest, so make time to sweep them up to help avoid overwintering pests and diseases. While they will eventually break down in the borders, it’s better to collect them to make leaf mould – a brilliant soil conditioner that can then be spread around your plants. If you have space, a simple leaf bin made from chicken wire and posts will do the job. Otherwise just chuck them in old compost bags with a few ventilation holes spiked with a fork, and leave it out of sight for a year or two to break down.

While you’re outside clearing and cutting back, take stock and assess what’s worked and what hasn’t during the previous season. Don’t be afraid to prune or remove shrubs that have outgrown their space (or ones that you just don’t really like) to make way for more cherished and chosen new specimens. This is an easier job now, while the soil is soft and easier to dig, and you can better see the bare bones of the 68 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2023 | No 228

garden. New shrubs, hedges and trees can be planted and there are bargains to be had if you choose bare-rooted options. I prefer to wait until spring to plant new perennials though, as it’s always a little disheartening to plant a pot of what looks like just soil and dying twigs, as opposed to a pot full of fresh green growth emerging from that overwintered rootstock.

This is also the perfect time to plant bulbs, and with the borders cut back and cleared, you’ll be able to find patches of bare soil to dig into and squeeze in these little parcels of promise. Then you can sit back and wait for a succession of colour next spring and into

A wood nuthatch and young blue tit on hanging bird feeder

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GARDENING

summer, starting with snowdrops and followed by crocuses, daffodils, tulips and alliums.

One of the great pleasures of the garden for me is watching birds flitting to the various feeders I have dotted around. Provide a good range of treats in the colder months and beyond, including sunflower and niger seeds, fat balls and nuts, and keep bird baths topped up with clean water. Other sources of food are running scarce at this time of year so doing your bit can make a big difference to their survival. They’ll reciprocate by helping to create that all-important eco-system, eating up garden pests such as greenfly, slugs and snails.

With the unpredictability of the weather, it’s best not to take the risk with slightly tender treasures in the garden such as tree ferns, bananas and vulnerable plants in pots. I’ve never bothered to wrap the tree fern in my garden, as it is in a sheltered spot, but nearly regretted it after last year’s harsh winter. Luckily it did survive, but took a much longer time to get going and unroll its soft, furry leaves from the crown, to the point that I thought it must have died. I’ll choose a dry day and give it some protection this year by folding up the leaves together and tying fleece around the entire plant.

Move pots and pack them in closely together against a sheltered house wall or in a greenhouse to avoid them cracking with hard frosts, as even those labelled frost-proof can be susceptible over time. Your plants will thank you for it as well and will be stronger and healthier next year, especially if they are slightly tender.

Once the garden is put to bed, then you can hunker down and plan ahead for next year, whether it’s browsing the internet, reading those gardening magazines or flicking through the catalogues and choosing bulbs and seeds to try. n

Plant of the month: Ivy (Hedera) It may not have the best reputation, but there’s no denying that ivy has its uses, growing well in complete shade and effectively screening would-be eye-sores. It requires no effort, and will grow in just about any soil, sending out self-clinging stems that are great for covering a fence or wall. The yellow-green strong-smelling flowers appear in autumn, and are great for wildlife, attracting an abundance of bees, flies and late-flying butterflies.

These are followed by berries that provide an important food source for birds, including blackbirds, and its evergreen leaves also give shelter to birds and small mammals.

Admittedly it can be a thug, and needs keeping in check to stop it choking other plants and spreading too far, but some of the smallerleaved variegated varieties such as ‘Chester’ or ‘Silver King’ are excellent for brightening a shady corner with their more delicate silvery-marked leaves. ‘Goldheart’ is another popular variety, with larger leaves and attractive pink-red stems.

Ivy can also be used for topiary, trained over a wire frame, and is ideal for cutting and bringing indoors to add foliage to cut flower displays and Christmas wreaths.

• ellyswellies.co.uk

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2023 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 69

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Award-Winning Vulnerability Champions

By Richard Higgs. Chartered Independent Financial Planner We are thrilled to let you know we have won for the second year in a row, ‘Company of the Year – up to 5 advisers’ in Just Group’s Vulnerable Customer Awards. Our Community Engagement Manager, Amy Wood has also won ‘Vulnerable Customer Champion.’

It’s a big deal for our little firm in Westbury on Trym to have been recognised and winning these national awards, and we would like to let you know what made us stand out.

All of our staff receive extensive training in a range of topics to help people that may be vulnerable from bereavement to living with dementia.

We made a couple of videos which will hopefully help other businesses become more dementia friendly.

This year we have done lots of research around different vulnerable circumstances. With this research, we thought hard about what adjustments to our service our clients could find useful whilst they’re experiencing these vulnerable circumstances.

With the research we did, Amy found lots of support suggestions to help people. She also has lots of contacts in the local community because of the work she does here.

With this knowledge, she is helping to signpost people to various support groups and organisations when it’s needed.

Amy is happy to help both our clients and non-clients with this so if you need some help and don’t know where to start, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

These are just a few things we’ve done which caught the attention of the judges but there is lots more information on our website: www.haroldstephens.co.uk. If this sounds like the kind of financial advice firm you would like to work with, we are here to help with all aspects of later life financial planning.

Call 0117 3636 212 or email office@haroldstephens.co.uk for a relaxed chat about your circumstances.

For more financial planning tips, search “Harold Stephens IFA" on YouTube.

www.haroldstephens.co.uk 50 High Street, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 3DZ.

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PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS

DISCOVER THE LATEST NEWS FROM BRISTOL’S PROPERTY EXPERTS

an existing relationship with the selling agent, or those using a local Buying Agent.

For a buyer of an off-market property, there will be less competition from other buyers, and the buyer is best placed to negotiate a price that prevents the property going on the open market. Whilst gazumping is still relatively uncommon, when offering on an off-market property the buyer is less likely to be exposed to the risk of being gazumped; fewer buyers are aware of the property being on the market and therefore competing for the same property. Early access to properties and the ability to put forward a well negotiated offer is the key to securing of an offmarket property.

Speed of Transaction

Buying a Property

Off-market sales tend to move more quickly from a transactional point of view once the offer has been accepted by the seller. This is mostly down to buyers of off-market properties being immediately able to proceed: whether cash or sold up and already in rented, creating fewer opportunities for the purchase to fall-through.

This is mutually beneficial and attractive to both parties.

Whilst a buyer often feels a great sense of delight in being able to secure a property before it is listed on the open market, there are however implications which buyers should always consider:

Less Available Information

D

espite off-market sales being the more hidden element of the UK property market, it is reported that 1 in 10 properties are sold off-market, with these ratios set to increase in the current market. Whilst historically off-market sales were popular for “high end” properties, we are recently seeing more sellers of homes priced under £1 million also adopting this approach.

But is buying off-market a good idea?.

Buying a property off-market means purchasing a property that is not listed on the open market. This can mean that the selling agent has not listed the property on-line, or a Buying Agent has contacted the owner directly if it is a street or area a buyer is particularly keen on.

Privacy was often the key for owners looking to sell their property off-market, particularly in London. Increasingly however the driver behind this approach is not so much discretion but rather the seller’s perceived ability to secure a higher price. In the current climate of uncertainty and reported stock shortages, we are seeing many sellers “testing” the market by seeing if they can agree a sale by not going public.

Sellers are also mindful of the perceived time on the market and the risk of the property looking less desirable the longer buyers see it “still for sale”. Recent research by Street.co.uk has seen the number of days taken to agree a sale online (from Listing to Sold STC) increase by 19 days from 39 to 48 compared to the same period last year (Q3 2022 v Q3 2023).

For these reasons it is also increasingly common for agents to quietly market a property for a period of a few weeks before a more public launch.

What are the advantages to the buyer of an off-market property?

Less Competition The challenge for buyers is even knowing about an off-market property. Often access is restricted to proceedable buyers who have

Properties coming to the open market tend to come with a package of information readily available to the buyer such as floor plans, extensive photos of all rooms, as well as detailed brochures.

Typically, this is less common for off-market properties and there is the risk that a buyer is feeling hurried into making an offer through the fear of someone else having the opportunity to view the property.

Paying Too Much The main disadvantage is the risk that as a buyer you are paying more than the market value. Increasingly we are seeing examples of properties being discreetly marketed for a period before going on the open market, with the list price then being less than that hoped to be achieved off-market.

In cases where a Buying Agent has targeted a specific property with a view to persuading the owner to consider selling their home, often the seller will have an expectation of securing the highest price to even consider moving; they might not have found a new home themselves or will have the extra expense of considering a rental.

Where the property has not been tested on the open market, it is difficult to establish the true market value. It is therefore essential for the buyer to undertake third party professional due diligence before putting forward an offer to ensure that they are getting it for a fair price.

Where both the seller and buyer are independently advised however, buying an off-market property truly can be the best way to secure that much sought after home.

Whatever stage you are at in the search for your new home, we’d love to chat.

Oliver Roth Property Consultants oliverroth.co.uk 0117 987 7828 home@oliverroth.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | NOVEMBER 2023 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 77

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TO LET Prime Clifton Restaurant!

9 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4DP A great opportunity to acquire a fully fitted restaurant premises with an alcohol licence, in the heart of Clifton Village next to The Ivy. Premium sought for the opportunity, price available upon application.

The restaurant is situated over ground and lower ground floors, approx. 809 sq. ft, and consists of a customer seating area, WC facilities, storage rooms and a large fully fitted kitchen with full commercial extraction. At lower ground floor level is a bar with further customer seating, and a large store room.

Rare opportunity!

TO LET ‘Loft Style’ Studio Offices

Second Floor, Arclight House, 3 Unity Street Located on Unity Street, just a stones throw from Park Street, the office provides open plan office accommodation with features including high quality contemporary flooring, ‘brick slip’ feature walls, LED lighting, together with fitted meeting rooms, WC’s and showers Approximate NIA of 2,456 sq ft (228 sq m).

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Burston Cook November.indd 1

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

Vicki Grimshaw BSc(Hons)

26/10/2023 14:38

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 Eden Office Park FOR SALE – POA 1,841 – 6,110 sq ft (171 – 567 sq m)

Queen Square TO LET - POA 1,909 - 4,192 sq ft (174 - 388 sq m)

3 office buildings currently occupied as one, but can be available separately or combined.

An impressive pair of period buildings available to lease individually or as a pair and benefitting 5 parking spaces on the square.

53 Queen Square, BS1 TO LET 480 – 1,730 sq ft (44.5 – 160.7 sq m)

St Michaels Hill TO LET - £14,950 pax 843 sq ft (78.30 sq m)

An impressive office which is due to be extensively refurbished throughout and could suit a range of uses (STC).

Excellent opportunity to acquire a commercial unit prominently situated in the vibrant Cotham area

Whiteladies Road, BS8 TO LET 798 sq ft (74.1 sq m)

An attractive office suite providing light and airy accommodation which is due to be refurbished. On site parking available!

A charming office with a large car park to the rear.

Available floor by floor or as a whole.

The Old Brewery, Pill TO LET - £16.50 psf pax 884 – 2,279 sq ft (82 – 130 sq m)

Whiteladies Road, Clifton TO LET - POA 1,203 sq ft (111.76 sq m) Large shop plus suit café or offices situated on the ever-popular Whiteladies Road. Prominent and busy location. To let flexible terms.

A characterful office which can be taken as a whole or split into two, and which is set within a unique environment benefitting on-site gym and ample car parking.

Queen Square BS1 FOR SALE 2,099 sq ft (195 sq m)

Harbour Crescent, Portishead TO LET – POA 1,395 - 4,964 sq ft (130 - 461 sq m)

Office with resi potential.

Rare virtual freehold – only £525,000. Parking included. Suitable for a variety of uses.

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Burston Cook November.indd 2

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

Lower Park Row, Bristol TO LET - POA 406 sq ft – 2,429 (38 - 225 sq m)

Two new build commercial units due to be fitted to a high standard. Use Class E and would therefore suit a range of uses.

Vicki Grimshaw BSc(Hons)

26/10/2023 14:38

PRIME INVESTMENTS FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Mixed use Investment in a prime letting location

13 Perry Road, BS1 5BG & 13 Lower Church Road Located on Perry Road in the city centre this attractive end of terrace building provides a mixed use investment opportunity with potential to add one or two beds.

Comprising a ground floor commercial unit, a 2/3 bed maisonette over the two upper floors and a self-contained mews building at the rear which is currently fitted to provide 1 bedroom but has good potential to extend into an unused area to provide further accommodation.

Rare opportunity!

FOR SALE

4 Bed House PLUS 1 Bed Garden Flat

11 Grove Road, Bristol, BS6 6UJ A fantastic opportunity to acquire a 4 double bedroom, end of terrace HMO with garden and a 1 bedroom self-contained garden flat, located close to Clifton’s Durdham Downs.

Currently fully let and producing £41,100 pax with scope to increase to £51,600 pax.

The property was comprehensively refurbished three years ago to a high standard and suits investors, or could be readily adapted to create a wonderful family home.

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Burston Cook November.indd 4

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

Vicki Grimshaw BSc(Hons)

26/10/2023 14:39

FO

Rupert Oliver FP November.qxp_Layout 1 20/10/2023 16:52 Page 1

Clifton, Bristol | Guide Price £900,000 A newly converted coach house offering three double bedrooms and a private rear courtyard garden, situated in a highly sought-after location in Clifton, only a stone's throw from The Downs.

Stunning “turn-key” renovation of a Victorian cottage | Fabulous open-plan ground floor flooded with natural light | Kitchen, sitting room and dining room | Principal bedroom with an en-suite shower room | Two further bedrooms | Family bathroom with a separate shower | Separate cloakroom | Fully enclosed private paved terrace | Sold with “no onward chain” | Private lane with parking by arrangement | EPC: D

In all circa 1057 sq. ft (98.1 sq. m)

@rupertoliverproperty

Tel: 0117 452 3555 home@rupertoliver.co.uk

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