The Bristol Magazine October 2018

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THE

Issue 172

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

MAGAZINE

£3.95 where sold

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october 2018

Fantastic beasts Wildscreen’s new natural history award

The stage is set...

For Bristol Old Vic’s brand new chef

Rev it up For the written word at Bristol Lit Fest

Technical challenge A slice of Bake Off kitchen style

Grave matter Forgotten stories from Arnos Vale Cemetery

Mindful design & the psychology of redecoration, AW18 trends & the shift towards sustainability

Hospital heroes Where do our Gromit trail donations go?

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

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Benedict Allen visits 1532 this month (image by Martin Hartley)

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Contents

FOOD & DRINK

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14

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

58

October 2018

REGULARS ZEITGEIST

Bristol Old Vic’s chef Coco is heading up the 1766 kitchen

Green is the new black: see Neptune’s gorgeous George sofa in situ

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Tasty tidings from our local eateries and producers

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CHEF PROFILE

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Meet Suzanne Rolt of St George’s and catch up on Bristol goings-on

The stage is set at 1766 for new Bristol Old Vic chef Coco Barone

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

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Weighing up the pros and cons of musical neighbours

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Bite-sized business and community news from across the city

FAMILY DIARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Fun, informative seasonal activities to get involved in

58

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Snippets from the sector

REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Crystal Rose tries out laser hair removal at EF Medispa

EDUCATION NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

HABITAT

News from local centres of learning

THE GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

THE CULTURE

Andrew Swift visits the ever so slightly creepy Brockley Combe

LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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

Interesting venues in which to enjoy our festival of the written word

Pete Dommett dispels a few urban myths about our local bats

WHAT’S ON & HAPPENINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

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

Get your trees and shrubs in the soil now to give them the best start for next season says Elly West

COMEDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

AW18 INTERIORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Dylan Moran on his new show, about to hit the Hippodrome

AUTUMN ART GUIDE

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46

A look at some of our local galleries and seasonal arts venue offerings

KITCHENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

FEATURES SHOPPING

Why do we decorate? How can we do it more sustainably? And what’s in vogue for the coming season?

How to recreate Great British Bake Off style at home

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The AW18 wishlist we’ve been cultivating since the new season arrived

NATURAL HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

SHOPPING

ADVENTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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News, new builds and developments

THE

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MAGAZIN

CITY OF THE DEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Bristol’s history is surprisingly brought to life in Arnos Vale Cemetery ..........................................................

104 I

Explorer Benedict Allen is back in town to share his experiences

BEST OF BRISTOL

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Local hospital heroes putting the Gromit trail donations to good use

ON THE COVER

Now the new season’s setting in, we’re turning our attention to those interior projects we’ve been pondering... See p86 for more (image courtesy of Neptune; neptune.com)

Fantastic beasts

Wildscreen’s new natural history award

The stage is

set...

For Bristol Old brand new chef Vic’s

Rev it up For the written word at Bristol Lit Fest

Technical challenge A slice of Bake kitchen style Off

Grave matter Forgotten stories from Arnos Vale Cemetery

Hospital heroes

Mindful design & the psychol ogy of redecoration, AW18 trends & the shift towards sustainability

Where do our trail donations Gromit go?

THE CITY’S BIGGEST M O N T H LY G U IDE TO LIV ING IN BRI STOL

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Let’s go geometric – the incoming interiors trends are full of pastel colours and liney structures

PROPERTY

Bristol’s illustrious Wildscreen festival has launched a new strand

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Autumnal scenes at Neptune on Whiteladies Road – pop into their flower shop for some seasonal colour if you haven’t time to gather nature’s decorations from the local arboretum...

THIS MONTH WE’LL BE...

Image by Fosters

Visiting...

...The recently reopened Bristol Old Vic front-of-house spaces and checking out the new bar and kitchen, named 1766. Flick forward to p58 for Melissa Blease’s chat with head chef Coco Barone

from the

• bristololdvic.org.uk

EDITOR

Embracing...

W

hy do we decorate? Textile historian Mary Schoeser reckons it’s all to do with gossip and grooming (p86). Whatever the case, a lot of us like to refresh the living space for the new season in some way, however small, so this issue includes a few tips from local stylists and craftspeople on AW18 trends as well as mindful design and sustainability, plus our directory of interiors businesses to hit up for the goods.

If you can’t wait to head back indoors and hunker down into hibernation mode (it is quite nice not to feel guilty for not being out every summer evening), get your fill of film via a string of immersive movie events starting this month courtesy of Bristol Film Festival (p18). Or rev up your appreciation of the written word in a quirky location as part of the city’s literature festival (p24) – we never realised how pretty Easton Jamia Mosque is inside. Alternatively, comic Dylan Moran is heading to Bristol Hippodrome (p40) and there is also plenty of art around to peruse – see p46 for a brief rundown including the new Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at M Shed.

Feeling particularly hermit-like? Sack it all off and settle for some online shopping (we can compare wishlists on pages 22 and 94) or cosy up and read about the outlandish adventures of Benedict Allen (p32) and imagine snugly and smugly what perennially outdoorsy types might be up to.

If you are one of those, then 1) sadly our paths may never cross and 2) there are still lots of alfresco pursuits to consider. On p52 Georgette McCready explores leafy inner-city expanse Arnos Vale Cemetery – a veritable city of the dead, housing some 30,000 memorials – where Bristol’s history is surprisingly brought to life for visiting tombstone tourists. It’s also a good place for winged mammal watching – no timely October wildlife column would be complete without a look at some sort of creepy critter so that’s what Pete Dommett is focusing on (p80). Bats might get a bad rap, he says, but there’s nothing to fear about our local varieties.

Elsewhere, read about some of the local children’s hospital heroes who treat thousands of sick kids from across the South West and who’ll be putting all your recent Gromit Unleashed donations to excellent use (p60). News just in: you guys walked an estimated 1.25 million miles during this summer’s trail so we reckon you’ve earned a rest...

• zaraschocolates.com

Nosing...

...Around Tobacco Factory Theatres’ new 84-seat Spielman Theatre – the result of a £1.6million transformation that began in January. Its season opens on 24 October with Ellie Dubois’ No Show, followed by Shôn Dale-Jones in The Duke

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR

@thebristolmag

12 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

...‘Choctober’ at Zara’s on North Street – among the programme of events, Sunday 14 October sees a tasting collaboration with Bristol’s Wogan Coffee

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@thebristolmag

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

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ZEITGEIST

Experience Arnos Vale Cemetery after dark

fab things to do in OCTOBER

OBSERVE

BE SPOOKED As the nights get longer and the air gets chillier, we’re just about resisting the urge to shout “I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!” at the prospect of Halloween on the horizon. If you’re into the spooky celebration, then a night of partying at Arnos Vale Cemetery should be in order this month. The Bats Ball, on 20 October, celebrates all things gothic, and this year’s theme is Victorian mourning.

So assemble your best goth/punk/Victorianainspired outfits, explore a gallery of creepy creations by local artists and get an afterdark cemetery tour, all before dancing the night away at the disco with music by Bristol’s best goth DJs. Tickets £20.

Shining a light on an important era of modern British history, Phoenix Dance Theatre presents a thrilling new dance piece this month, marking the 70th anniversary of the arrival of SS Empire Windrush which brought the first Caribbean migrants to the UK. Featuring an uplifting soundtrack, from calypso, jazz and blues to ska, gospel and reggae, this is a lively celebration of the rise of multicultural Britain. Windrush: Movement of the People is at Bristol Old Vic on 9 & 10 October, 8pm. Tickets £12-£20.

• bristololdvic.org.uk

• arnosvale.org.uk See The Greatest Showman under the stars Qanunist Maya Youssef

WATCH MOVIES IN THE MOONLIGHT

© IGORSTUDIO

Pack a picnic, grab a blanket and snuggle up in front of a favourite film in the beautiful grounds of Ashton Court Mansion as a leading open air cinema outfit arrives in Bristol this month. The Luna Cinema will be showing the record-breaking musical The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, as well as beloved dancing duo Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing, before Tom Cruise takes to the sky in ‘80s classic Top Gun. Showings from 5 – 7 October, doors 6pm, film 7.30pm. Ticket: £7.50-£27.50.

• thelunacinema.com

LISTEN...

Introduced at an early age by her family to a whole range of music, from Arabic classical, jazz, fusion and world music to Tibetan monks and Western classical, Maya Youssef grew up in Syria determined to become a musician. From the BBC Proms to Womad, Maya has been impressing audiences with her 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither, and now is making her Bristol debut, with percussionist Elizabeth Nott and Barney Morse-Brown on cello, at St George’s Bristol on 9 October, 8pm. Tickets £16.

• stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

14 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

REFLECT The ‘At the Going Down of the Sun’ exhibition at Bristol Cathedral is the culmination of a fouryear photographic project by Bristol artist Marko Dutka commemorating the centenary of the First World War. It remembers those who have lost their lives in conflicts over the last 104 years and German POW graves in who are honoured at sites in the Bristol and Bath Greenbank Cemetery region. Marko’s photographs portray a rich and respectful repository of war graves in cemeteries such as Greenbank, Arnos Vale and Bristol Jewish Cemetery, all captured within a contemporary, night-time setting. On display until 18 November.

• bristol-cathedral.co.uk

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

My

BRISTOL

Grrrl (image by Louise Roberts)

Suzanne Rolt – chief executive of the revamped St George’s Bristol – tells us a little about herself and changes at the venue I came to Bristol after the non-stop, cashstrapped nature of living in London in my early 20s convinced me there had to be a better way. It offers the best bits of city life combined with easy access to my homeland (South Wales) and its unsurpassed coastline.

Encourage a kinder world The creators of Shambala Festival have unveiled a new Bristol event taking place from 8 – 11 November. ‘Kin’ will bring people together at Arnolfini for talks, workshops, conversations, games, art and music designed to “expand minds, warm souls and create change”.

The premise? Well, against a backdrop of Trump and Brexit, there has been a rise in interest in political workshops and talks, and the new event will cater to this demand by creating a space for those keen to encourage a kinder world. “We’re offering the opportunity to reflect on how we could live differently but through a prism of art, creativity and fun – the opposite of a dry and dull political party conference!” explains co-founder Sidharth Sharma. “And Bristol, being such a hotbed of social justice and environmental activism, is the perfect place to launch it.”

Expect discussion from body positivity champion Chidera Eggerue and cult animator David Firth – creator of Salad Fingers and fakenews video series The News That Hasn’t Happened Yet. Enrol for workshops inspiring young change-makers, or perhaps enjoy a “feral choir” followed by some immersive theatre. It all opens with a feast and photographic reportage from Monika Bulaj, whose work blurs cultural division, re-imagining identity.

There’ll be opinion – why should protecting the earth be enshrined in international law? – and speakers charged with taking apart and exploring our societal systems. Author Paul Mason is to lead ‘Global Systems Failure’ – an interactive board game for 80 people, which rebuilds society from the ground up – as renowned economist John Kay explains how banks became the most powerful force in the world, and activist Claire Birkett gives a crash course in economics through games, showing how financial systems affect people and planet.

Thought-provoking film includes the premiere of Black Mother – a documentary on Jamaican identity – and a Q&A with director Khalik Allah, collaborator on Beyonce’s Lemonade; and music will come courtesy of the likes of electro collaboration Grrrl, from revolutionary women across the world.

• kin.world

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St George’s beautiful new two-storey contemporary building joins seamlessly to the existing hall, doubling space for events.

A striking glass façade looks out over a terrace and lawn while, inside, we have an all-day café and bar and staircases leading to new rooms and a second outside space. It’s very much a building with the ‘wow’ and ‘feel-good’ factors, offering views of the sky, gardens and the historic building alongside.

There’s an old Arab saying: “The pleasure of food and drink lasts an hour, of sleep a day, but of a building, a lifetime” – the bit it left out is that when it comes to building, it sometimes feels as it if takes a lifetime to get there too! The real planning for this ‘Building a Sound Future’ project began some seven years ago...

So many of the big, nationally recognised venues have had (or are getting) a facelift and they’ve been joined by an amazing assortment of new spaces, studios, pop-up stages and festivals. We’re all going out of our way to experiment more and do things differently.

St George’s has always had a strong sense of community and its audiences are as loyal as they come. Now we hope the very fact that you can see through the glass front into the building will prove more welcoming for new visitors from all across Bristol, encouraging people to step inside and either just have a drink and something to eat or get involved in the expanding programme of events. There will be talks, performances and films, workshops and meetings, on subjects ranging from music, food and history to current affairs, fashion and much more.

We launch Bristol Keyboard Festival – which celebrates pianos, harpsichords and Moogs – on 30 October, and the run up to Christmas includes festive fiestas, carnivals and carols, an oratorio with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a Viennese New Year celebration with Aurora Orchestra. We have more than 100 concerts this autumn with stand-out events across classical, folk, jazz, world music and spoken word. I can’t wait

to hear the extraordinary folk singer Karine Polwart on 1 November and, as a crime aficionado, I’ve booked my seats for the ‘Investigating Murder’ evening with Ian Rankin on 12 November.

It used to be that cultural institutions were jealous custodians of their own spaces and work but those boundaries are falling away.

Some of our best work has emerged through regular or one-off collaborations with organisations like Bristol Festival of Ideas, Bristol Music Trust, Ujima and Watershed. If I’m planning a series showing how music is made, I’ll pick up the phone to We the Curious or the universities. If I want to challenge audiences’ thinking I might approach MAYK or the amazing artists working around the city. An idea shared usually ends up being at least twice as good.

I admire the all-too-often unsung heroes who teach, conduct and inspire the young musicians in the city; The British Paraorchestra which is re-inventing the orchestra for the 21st century from its Bristol base, and all those writers tucked away around the city who sit, observe and put into words everything we’re feeling.

I’d love to create more safe spaces for teenagers to meet and spend time – at least two public lidos like the one in Portishead, kept heated for autumnal dips – and impose heavy penalties for people who drop litter and cigarette butts.

This month I’ll be visiting the Annual Open Exhibition at the RWA (7 Oct – 25 Nov) and I hope I get a chance to see the newly opened Bristol Old Vic (perhaps for Marcus Brigstocke’s Devil May Care) and Swan Lake at Bristol Hippodrome – bliss. n

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THE CITY

BRISTAGRAM Some of our favourite recent snaps taken by folk around the city! Tag your Bristol pics using #thebristolmag Noel Gal lagher bo ssing @thedow nsbristol

BIMM’s class of 2018 graduated last month

High five for Bristol music Last month saw plenty of success for music college BIMM Bristol – celebrating its 10th anniversary this year – with the class of 2018 completing their degrees and graduating at Bristol Cathedral. There was further celebration as two Bristol graduates attained impressive positions in the official UK album chart – George Ezra’s Staying At Tamara’s charting at number nine and punk quintet Idles – featuring former student Jon Beavis on drums and tutor Lee Kiernan on guitar – making it to the massively impressive number five spot with their second album Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Now with two campuses, BIMM has flourished into a significant contributor to the local music economy and its Idles’ album charted presence continues to have a at number five! positive effect on the national music industry. This year, it is adding a brand new degree-level course to the curriculum – a BA in music journalism, as a nonperformance option for those looking to forge a career in music.

stival ft Beer Fe Bristol Cra st yet be e th as 2018 w lcbf) to is br @ (image

The ‘modfa ther’ at @thedowns bristol

• bimm.co.uk/bristol

Pick of the flicks The 2018 Bristol Film Festival line-up has been announced, with the autumn and winter screenings (18 October – 18 November; 14 – 30 December respectively) set to comprise the event’s largest and most diverse programme to date.

It all comes to life with a roar on at Fowlers motorcycle showroom with a rare opportunity to see the classic Bruce Brown documentary On Any Sunday on the big screen, featuring Steve McQueen and innovative 1970s filming techniques.

Highlights of the line-up include the crime-themed triology of Reservoir Dogs, 21 Jump Street and The Departed at The Island’s old police cells; classic Bizet opera Carmen on the Lake at All Saints Church in Clifton, with live music, a drinks reception and introductory talk; and Top Gun at Aerospace Bristol, where guests can explore Concorde before enjoying the nostalgia of the Eighties film classic.

Just ahead of Halloween, the popular Horror In The Caves collaboration returns, with The Descent, Alien and The Fly screened in Redcliffe Caves, plus themed wine tastings – drink along to Don’t Look Now or Interview with the Vampire. The festival is also partnering with the planetarium at We The Curious for the first time, for a double bill of sci-fi hits Wall-E and Gravity.

Meanwhile, to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Titanic, in November there’ll be a special evening on board the SS Great Britain with a drinks reception, live music, actors and light supper, with the epic romance screened in the ship’s First Class Dining Saloon. Other fun locations including Bristol Museum, which the festival visits for an immersive cinema event (think family favourite Dumbo, singalong hit The Greatest Showman, and horror success IT) with live circus performers tying in with the Circus 250 celebrations. There’s plenty more – so grab the diary and head to the website...

• bristolfilmfestival.com

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eLast of the lat angling summer leg-d (@visitbristol)

The @brisopendoo rs Smokestack Sketc hes tour

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THE

B R I S TOL MAGAZINE

THE RHYTHM OF LIFE

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don’t know if this has been your experience, but certain houses seem to attract a particular kind of resident. One house always seems to be quiet, while another is the Party House for generations of students. The sensible family that owns a particular house is replaced, when they move on, by an equally sensible family. Looking back all those years to our arrival at Bartleby Towers I can see how the process works: we ended up in the house that felt the most like us, with an element of what you could generously call ‘shabby chic’.

But some trends are harder to understand. Why, for instance, is the house next door to us so appealing to drummers? Over the years I think we have had four, which seems like quite a lot, although I don’t really have much other data for comparison. A couple of them have been pretty good, and I’ve often found myself humming tunes to their rhythms. One was quite bad, but thankfully that was a long time ago.

Being an unskilled but periodically enthusiastic guitar player I am all in favour of people playing musical instruments and practising them as required. Someone on our street plays the saxophone and has done so for years, but so unobtrusively that the music seems to be a natural part of life. You’ll be walking home on a summer evening and a melody comes drifting up the road to meet you, but it’s impossible to tell exactly where it’s coming from – an attic room, I think, but which house I’m not sure.

This mystery saxophonist is obviously quite accomplished, but we have our fair share of beginners too. There was a time some years ago when a wave of enthusiasm for piano playing swept through the young of the neighbourhood, and for a few months you couldn’t walk past a house without hearing the plink-clunk-plunk of a poorly constructed scale, often followed by youthful wails and adult cries of mingled anguish and encouragement. If this sounded like torture when heard through an open window it was much worse when the young prodigy was practising in the next room, as we discovered when piano fever spread to our house.

Like all crazes this one eventually petered out, but not before we experienced a few moments of musical magic to set against the pain of practice. A scale completed with all the fingers doing what they were supposed to do in the right order. A tune perfected and then performed in the school hall, the pint-sized player hidden behind the instrument so that it seemed to be playing by itself.

Our neighbours put up with the torment of daily piano practice without complaining, but this I have discovered is not always the case, particularly when the musician involved is properly dedicated and must therefore spend several hours a day banging or honking or twanging. I suppose some people just don’t like music very much; to others perhaps the sound of a violin can become like the shadow cast by an unloved leylandii. I heard of one occasion when a neighbour grew so incensed with the trombone-player next door that he went round and attempted to seize the instrument, intending to thrust it under the nearest steamroller. There was a struggle. The trombone was saved. But in the end the musician moved house.

You can understand, I suppose, that the constant playing and replaying of the same melodies might provoke a reaction, yet this kind of incident seems unusual. For the most part people seem to be tolerant of musicians, even proud of having them around. I know that’s how I feel about the mystery saxophonist; he or she makes the street seem a bit glamorous, a bit like a neighbourhood in a film rather than a humdrum road in Bristol. The bad drummer not so much, but he’s someone else’s neighbour now... ■ 20 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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BRIST OL MAGAZINE Bristol and Exeter House, Lower Approach, Temple Meads, Bristol BS1 6QS Telephone: 0117 974 2800 www.thebristolmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2018 Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bristol Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Change, Courage, Equality, Freedom, Integrity, Peace and Voice.

One of Bristol’s most creative jewellers has a unique new exhibition this month

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As demand for these designs grew alongside that for her bespoke commission pieces, Diana wanted to ensure her work could be created as ethically as possible. After a research trip to the Fairtrade Gold mine in Cotapata, Bolivia, she decided to create all her jewellery in Fairtrade Gold as standard.

The Sibyls are available on silver chains, leather thongs, as earrings, or sold on their own. As fashions have changed, many wearers have chosen to add to their collection, purchasing new words to complement one another, worn on chains of varying length around the neck, as is the contemporary style.

A little-known fact is that along with the 21 positive, life-affirming words, Diana made a separate secret box with 21 negative words. These mysterious Sibyls bear more resemblance to a sword shape and have remained in storage for 25 years – they will only be on display this once for Diana’s new exhibition, with no pictures allowed, so you’ll have to pop by if you want a look...

ach of these words, reflective in their own way of the current climate we live in, have been carefully chosen by local jeweller Diana Porter and meticulously etched into a new range of Sibyls to add to her collection marking the 25th anniversary of her uniquely creative business.

The original range, inscribed with words such as ‘joyful’, ‘strong’ and ‘vision’, first began life in Diana’s university sketchbooks; these stylised pendants or ‘life dolls’ as they were initially called, featured alongside the main pieces in her degree collection. For this degree show, some 25 years ago, Diana crafted Japanese-inspired boxes to store the Sibyls in – hand-etched and decorated with enamelled beads that slid along strings to secure the lid. Originally made in pewter, the Sibyls would be taken around by Diana to different stockists, shops and trade shows, each safely nestled in their own compartment.

Shortly after graduation in 1993, Diana created a jewellery studio in her living room and began making Sibyls in silver instead of pewter. As the popularity of her work grew, new silver collections such as the ‘On and On’ range were developed. Then, a request for a set of hand-etched partnership wedding rings to be made in gold sparked the creation of a selection of new designs in platinum and gold.

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• See the Sibyls exhibited at Diana Porter, (33 Park Street, Bristol BS1 5NH) from 1 – 31 October. Contact Diana and the team on 0117 909 0225; dianaporter.com

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Looking for a perfect Gift?

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SHOPPING | AW18 WISHLIST

Noisemasking sleepbuds, £229.95

Gina gold-plated hoops, £38 amuletboutique.co.uk

bose.co.uk

Mock croc ankle boots, £130 duoboots.com

Enamel poppy and pearl bracelet, £12.99 poppyshop.org.uk

Cult Gaia bamboo clutch, £145 harveynichols.com

WE’RE FALLING FOR...

Dusty browns and golds, gorgeous gadgets, check prints and warming scents...

Autumn’s here

Breast cancer awareness Red Roses cologne, £94 jomalone.co.uk Grey check mac with wool, £95 Topman.com

Les 4 Ombres, Quiet Revolution, £52 chanel.com

Alexander McQueen panelled runner trainers, £620 harveynichols.com

Immortelle reset serum, £49 for 30ml loccitane.co.uk

Contactless payment watches powered by bPay, £79 – £149 adexe.co.uk

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Fantastic range of lighting

Ceramic Table Lamps & Shades

Lighting the way is should be

Tel: 0117 963 5943 Email: info@thelightingstudiobristol.co.uk www.thelightingstudiobristol.co.uk Visit us in store at: Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4TA

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LITERATURE

WORD ON THE STREET (AND IN THE MOSQUE, ON THE FARM, DOWN THE PUB...)

Fancy gaining access to some of the extraordinary, quirky venues scattered across the city while getting a dose of literary inspiration? We know just the festival... Words by Judy Darley

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ristol Festival of Literature returns from 19 – 29 October with performances, workshops and other logophilic happenings to rev up your appreciation of the written word. These events are a great way to sneak a peek at Bristol’s eclectic range of venues, and what they have to offer. Here’s our pick of the highlights...

The mosque Step into the spacious interior of Easton Jamia Mosque for a free introduction to Sufi poetry by Abdul Malik. Within the mosque’s dappled surrounds, hear readings of renowned Sufi poets Rumi and Hafiz and others, both in their mother tongues and in English translation. The mosque has been part of Easton’s skyline since 1983 – renovations completed in 2017 added the imposing dome – and it hosts numerous cross-cultural happenings. The Bristol Festival of Literature event includes a chance to discuss Sufi texts, and a tour of the mosque. Afterwards, head across the road to take part in a Sufi writing workshop at St Marks Community Cafe. Led by Satellite of Love’s Helen Sheppard, Pauline Sewards and Stella Quinlivan, you’ll be offered guidance on writing your own Sufi poems and other poetry, plus tips on delivery and performance. The workshop will conclude 26 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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with a Sufi-inspired poem created in collaboration with attendees.

Introduction to Sufi Poetry, 20 October (10am – 3pm), St Mark’s Rd

The historic pub Spend an afternoon at old Bristol inn The Hatchet on Frogmore Street, enjoying a free session on the art of songwriting. Local rock and folk music professionals will share their own process plus brief live sets to get your pulse racing and unleash your own inner songwriter. Leading lights taking part include Dutch jazz and ‘dark folk’ songwriter Maaike Siegerist, Sue Weekes and Darryl W Bullock. The grade-II listed setting is ideally suited to the occasion. Once popular with the Clifton Wood foresters referenced in its name, as well as pirates and 18th-century fans of cock-fighting and bare-knuckle boxing, the 400year-old building now regularly hosts rock and heavy metal nights.

The Art of Songwriting, 20 October (1pm – 3pm), The Hatchet Inn

The old police cells On the edge of Broadmead’s shopping district, Bristol’s former Central

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LITERATURE

Police Station now houses an eclectic assortment of art studios and more. Happily, the early 20th-century police cells are preserved beneath the grade-II listed building, providing the perfect setting for a gathering of crime writers from the city and beyond. Attendees will have a chance to interrogate authors including Sunday Times bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club pick Jane Shemilt, horror master Tim Jeffreys, as well as Amy Morse, GB Williams, Jo Ullah and AA Abbott, among others during the free event. Buy signed books and venture into a vintage cell to snap a selfie or listen to chilling readings.

The Cells Bookfair, 20 October (2pm – 4.30pm), The Basement, The Island, Bridewell Street entrance

The bookshop

Interrogate author AA Abbott at The Cells Bookfair

Discover climate fiction at the wonderful YHA

Every literature festival deserves at least one standout event in a bookshop, and what better than a (free) book launch? Author, Bristol Festival of Literature founder and ex-soldier Jari Moate will present his latest work of fiction, Dragonfly, which will be fresh on bookshelves in October. Packed with explosive passages on war, lost love and dark secrets, the story rattles with New Weird and British Gothic undertones, not to mention nebulous hints of chocolate. (No, we’re not sure either, but can’t wait to find out!) Jari will be in conversation with thriller writer Christopher Wakling, with live music, searing visuals, readings and refreshments. The venue, Waterstones Bristol, is a cornerstone of The Galleries shopping centre, with a favourable disposition towards browsing and a pleasant café, plus thousands of books, makes it an enticing retail refuge.

Dragonfly launch, 20 October (7.30pm – 9.30pm), Waterstones

The city farm Listen to an assortment of poetry and prose courtesy of Wordy Women, part of Bristol’s Cafe Corner Writers’ group. Drawing inspiration from all aspects of life and members’ own vibrant imaginations, their afternoon event is the perfect reminder of why grown-ups deserve the pleasure of being read to just as much as children do. The performances promise original viewpoints and a variety of voices, including those of Suzanne Stewart, Rebecca Bryce, Ruth Foster and Jane Allen. Windmill Hill City Farm’s training room is a fabulous example of the unexpected treasures available to be discovered on your doorstep, surrounded by trees and within earshot of occasional goats, chickens and other livestock. The farm was created in 1976 by a group of residents eager to see an area of wasteland revitalised to offer local people the chance to experience a breath of rustic life within the city.

Wordy Women, 21 October (free, 2pm – 4pm), Windmill City Farm

The Victorian cemetery The city will be getting the surreal treatment from The Bristol Fiction Writers, who will be sharing strange stories and poems inspired by local surroundings. Attendees are asked to leave logic at the door as authors Tim Kindberg, JC Thomas, Suzanna Stanbury, Juliet Hagan and others present their own unique narratives on the things that make Bristol an exceptional place to live and write. Arnos Vale Cemetery is the perfect setting for a touch of the peculiar – opened in 1839, the garden cemetery was designed to resemble classical Greece, and luminaries buried here include Mary Carpenter, George Muller and Raja Rammohun Roy. It also serves as an inner-city wildlife haven. Surreal Bristol is taking place in the grand Italianate-style Anglican Chapel, which has a beautiful tiled floor and impressive bell tower.

Surreal Bristol, 21 October (2pm – 4pm), Anglican Chapel, Arnos Vale Cemetery, £5

The caves Abdul Malik can introduce you to Sufi poetry on 20 October

Sidle into Redcliffe Caves after nightfall for an evening of eerie stories on the theme of ‘dark confessions’. With the man-made hollows providing a suitably spooky backdrop, this is always a sell-out event.

The culprits/performers are Bristol Writers Group and friends (or THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LITERATURE

should that be enemies?) who will dredge up their darkest tales as they head underground. The caves themselves were dug in the Middle Ages when the red sandstone was used to produce glass and pottery.

Although rumours of African slaves being chained in the caves are untrue, French prisoners of war were kept there during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the spacious caverns were used to store cargo, while those directly beneath Redcliffe Parade became a handy rubbish tip for hypodermic needles and more from the Tuberculosis Hospital that closed in the 1930s. Perpetrators at the confessional include Gavin Watkins, Mike Manson, and Louise Gethin, promising “confessionals new and old, from worlds you are familiar with and those you are not…” Bring a torch and something to sit on.

This event is not suitable for children.

Bristol Writers Group perform in Redcliffe Caves (image by Paul Bullivant)

Confessions With Bristol Writers’ Group, 23 October (7pm – 8pm), Redcliffe Caves, Phoenix Wharf, £8

The YHA Chances are, you’ve passed this building on Bristol’s waterfront a thousand times without realising. Located close to the Architecture Centre and Arnolfini arts house, it has a bistro bar that’s as popular with locals and passersby as it is with residents. The five-storey building was once a grain warehouse, before becoming a nightclub in the 1970s. Architect Niall Philips transformed it into a 37-bedroom youth hostel, which opened in 1989 as part of a wider dockside regeneration. Bristol Climate Writers, including Deborah Tomkins, invite you to join them for a workshop examining how writing can raise awareness of the issues we face, giving you the chance to hear readings and write your own short fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Along the way you’ll discover how CliFi, or Climate Fiction, can potentially change the world for the better.

Finding the Positive – Dystopias and Utopias in a Changing Climate, 28 October (2pm – 5pm), YHA, Narrow Quay, from £6 ■ • bristolliteraturefestival.org; @BristolLitFest Enjoy a free session on the art of songwriting at The Hatchet (image Maaike Siegerist)

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Meet Amy Morse at the old police cells event

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NATURAL HISTORY

A Complicated Conservation is a stunning story from Adrian Steirn

CANDID CAMERAWORK Bristol’s illustrious natural history festival Wildscreen has launched a brand new strand for this year’s celebrations

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owerful stories of humanity’s increasing impact on nature, species on the brink of extinction, and the dedication of wildlife carers, protectors and communities: the first ever Wildscreen Photo Story Panda Award nominees have been chosen not just for celebrating the natural world but for their role in raising awareness of its conservation and protection.

The Bristol not-for-profit organisation behind the world’s biggest festival of natural world storytelling recently announced the finalists for the inaugural award, which will join the existing suite of Panda Awards recognising the best in international wildlife film, TV and content. Created to showcase the cream of photographic narrative the Photo Story Award also gives voice to engaging young photographers through its emerging talent category.

“The competition received an impressive number and diversity of submissions from around the globe,” said Wildscreen communications and photography consultant Sophie Stafford. “Entrants ranged from early-career photographers just exploring the power of visual communication to great masters who excel in their craft. The final line-up was selected for originality, creativity and powerful or moving narratives. I hope the Award will inspire more committed photographers to share their stories about the beauty and fragility of the natural world.”

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From 12 October to 8 November, the shortlisted work will be showcased in a free, large-scale, outdoor exhibition in the centre of Bristol, shining a spotlight on globally important conservation issues and bringing world-class photography to the public.

Nominees for the main award include photographer and filmmaker Adrian Steirn who has compiled a selection of images taken from many different countries over the last five years to represent a body of work that has sought to tell every side of the complicated conservation story; and Doug Gimesy, who documents one of the world’s largest types of bat to raise awareness around its importance as a keystone species and highlight some of the stresses it is under.

Fellow nominee Ami Vitale has been shortlisted for Warriors Who Once Feared Elephants Now Protect Them which outlines the work of the first ever community-owned and run elephant sanctuary in all of Africa.

In the running for the Emerging Talent Award, meanwhile, are Luke Massey, whose photo story follows two peregrine falcons around America’s ‘Windy City’, and the community of volunteers helping the Chicago Peregrine Program; and Austin Ferguson who has looked at the lives of wild salmon in Washington State and British Columbia, illustrating the critical role that they play in the ecosystem, while investigating some of the major causes of their decline.

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NATURAL HISTORY

The overall winners are to be revealed at the Wildscreen Panda Awards ceremony on 19 October at The Passenger Shed – the annual gala is the climax of the Wildscreen Festival gathering which sees over 900 leading filmmakers, photographers, broadcasters and content creators convene for a week of business, film premieres and an unrivalled programme of over 120 hours of content from more than 150 keynote speakers. This year these include National Geographic’s photographer Thomas Peschak and president Gary Knell, Adrian Steirn, Hans Zimmer (yep, the acclaimed film score composer) and global president of Animal Planet, Susanna Dinnage.

You can explore the full list of nominations for the new award on the website... Good luck to all nominees!

• wildscreen.org Image below: Lifeblood (© Austin Ferguson)

Above: High Rise Falcons (© Luke Massey) follows two peregrine falcons through the urban jungles of Chicago, as well as those who study the birds Below: Ami Vitale's story Warriors Who Once Feared Elephants Now Protect Them shares the work of the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

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GREAT OUTDOORS

Adventure is in Benedict’s blood – his father was a test pilot who flew a Vulcan bomber and inspired his son to test his own limits

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GREAT OUTDOORS

ULTIMATE EXPLORER From Montpelier to the Amazon, former Bristol resident and intrepid explorer Benedict Allen – who was last year feared lost in an Oceanian jungle – has explored many a community around the globe.

This month he’s back in town to share his experiences

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dventurer, documenter of far-distant and often dangerous places, cat who’s used up several of his nine lives: Benedict Allen will tell you it all comes down to the basic human instinct to investigate the unknown. This raison d’etre has taken him all over the world – including a much-publicised stint in Papua New Guinea last year – but now he’s heading back to the city he, until recently, used to call home, armed with stories galore to regale audiences at Bristol Grammar School’s arts centre 1532.

We caught him just after he emerged from the Amazon...

When did you realise that being an explorer was what you wanted?

The initial spark was seeing my dad – a test pilot – fly a Vulcan bomber over my head. Seeing him do this again and again, when I was just five years old, made me feel that you could be something unusual; a pioneer, someone who tests their limits. By the age of 10 I had decided I’d be an explorer – I was far too obsessive and passionate to be an actual test pilot, but by then I knew I’d find my own way. I remember making an announcement about my future career about two years later – my dad said it was wonderful and my mum just sighed. Both probably knew there was no changing my mind. My poor mum! My dad had just retired from a dangerous career, and I was intending to start one.

Fondest memory from your expedition to Papua New Guinea?

The strange thing is that, though that expedition attracted worldwide attention for me being “lost” (I was trapped in the forest by a war between ethnic groups), actually everything had gone brilliantly according to plan. It was almost the perfect expedition. Despite torrential rain, I trekked with people I knew and trusted, into the mountains to check up on some remote people called the Yaifo who had been very good to me 35 years before, and were under threat relating to a huge gold mine. We had to negotiate tricky rivers, make vine bridges, cross a treacherous ridge and travel at speed – all in order to find this community of only 200 people. The previous time, all those years ago, they had thought I was a goldminer and circled me, threatening me with bows and arrows. I’m saving my fondest memories for my lecture tour, but there were so many, and none of them reported in the press. The most wonderful thing was travelling with the locals day after day without any outside help – no phone, GPS – and this forged us into a tight group. For a month, we trusted each other with our lives; I was so sad to say goodbye to them, after all we’d achieved together.

What else will you delve into during your UK tour?

How we arrived, exhausted at the Yaifo village, not knowing how we’d be received. How we heard a war had broken out ahead and how, after all we’d done to get up the mountain, there might not be a way out for me. Even then, my companions stuck by me. I got malaria and dengue fever – not a good combo! – and my options were fast running out. I am a professional –survival in remote places is what I’ve done all my adult life – but walking through a warzone is not part of my skill set.

How did it feel, making a video-will for the worst-case scenario?

Fortunately, I’m good in a crisis. I get it from my dad. He was an incredibly vague man but somehow clear-headed in the cockpit. So, I set about leaving instructions, in English but also Tok Pisin – the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea – in a clear-headed way. There’s no room for emotion in such a moment, you’ve somehow got to get a grip, get

the message exactly right, for the sake of your loved ones. It helps that I’ve survived a lot of danger in my life – being shot at by Pablo Escobar’s men, and later robbed and left to die. Even so, it’s a horrible moment, knowing these might be your last words to those you love.

You are admitting, perhaps for the first time, that things are very bad.

Which expedition would you say has been the toughest for you?

The first – when I crossed NE Amazonia and didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I got malaria twice! Fortunately, though, I was scared – very aware that I was out of my depth. My innocence also protected me.

Aged 23, I didn’t know quite how dangerous my 600-mile trek was! But it was being scared for month after month that was so tough.

Any advice for anyone looking to take on a similar adventure?

I was ill-equipped mentally and physically. I had almost no knowledge or skill. I only survived though very great luck. So I’d say that someone else who tried it would probably die, unless they got the same stream of luck. That isn’t a great strategy! My advice is to find an adventure of your own, because you really need to believe in what you are doing.

Don’t just plunge in; test yourself. Learn from the people who live locally; they don’t see these environments as a threat but as a resource.

Make a few mistakes and learn from them, then gather courage and go!

What’s it like to immerse yourself in the communities you come across?

It’s not as romantic as people think! I spend months with remote people and you need a lot of patience – you are surrounded by people with skills and, at first, have none yourself. But if you make yourself useful – I usually end up carrying firewood! – gradually you feel less isolated and more in tune. I am not imposing, I’m able to look the locals in the eye and say I’m doing this journey on their terms... It’s the most wonderful feeling – a whole community wishing you well when you set off... Last week I was in the Amazon – I'm presently in Iquitos, Peru, having just emerged – and still in my mind is the simple act of a child climbing up to fetch a mouthful of refreshing drinking water from where it had been caught, above my head, by a large leaf.

You’re an expert in survivalism; what wouldn’t you be caught without?

My survival kit changes with each expedition. The one I was using last week had all sorts of things in – fishing hooks, waterproof paper and matches... What I like most is the drinking straw. It’s virtually weightless, but means you can drink from the shallowest of puddles.

Such a neat and simple solution.

What do you think of Bristol?

I love Bristol. It’s the energy, the independence, the fact that beautiful countryside is all around... Until fairly recently I lived in Montpelier. A great mistake, leaving!

Any more expedition plans?

I’m still recovering from the Amazon and decompressing because, mentally and physically, each expedition for me is quite draining – being so immersed, without comms, in another world. I’m getting ready to face my world again – especially my lovely wife and family. ■ • Benedict brings his tour, Ultimate Explorer, to 1532 on 28 October; 1532bristol.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LOCAL | EVENTS

WHAT’S ON IN OCTOBER Baba’s Song at The Theatre Shop

Twelfth Night, Mihaela Bodlovic/WNO, Bill Cooper

Welsh National Opera’s La Cenerentola at Bristol Hippodrome

Twelfth Night at Bristol Old Vic

Touching the Void Until Saturday 6 October, times vary, Bristol Old Vic What happens when you look death squarely in the face and how do you find the strength to crawl back towards life? Joe Simpson’s best-selling 1988 memoir Touching the Void, international bestseller and BAFTA-winning film sensation, charts his struggle for survival on the perilous Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes. The heart of the story is Simpson’s mental battle as he teeters on the very brink of death and despair in a crevasse from which he can’t possibly climb to safety.

14+. £7.50–£35.50; bristololdvic.org.uk The Planets 2018 (3D) Monday 1 October, 6–8pm, We The Curious Holst’s The Planets was first performed 100 years ago. But what would it sound like if created today? Inspired by modern astronomy and music, the Ligeti Quartet performs eight new planetary works spanning contemporary classical, electronica and jazz, created especially for planetariums. The wonderful sounds accompany live 3D visuals in an astronomical journey into new music. 12+. £14.95/£12.95; wethecurious.org Sons of Pitches Tuesday 2 October, 8pm, St George’s Bristol The Sons of Pitches’ brand new show will be their most ambitious yet. Expect all kinds of genres – iconic songs, massive medleys, the odd tear jerker and plenty of spectacle – from the vocal group who won Gareth Malone’s BBC Two contest The Naked Choir in 2015. £27–£50; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Saturday Night Fever Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 October, 34 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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times vary, Bristol Hippodrome Marking 40 years since its famous UK cinema release, Saturday Night Fever is spectacularly reimagined in a big new music and dance extravaganza. While paying homage to the 1977 John Travolta classic, this new stage version promises more drama, more music and hot new choreography, which is sure to have you dancing in the aisles. £17–£56.40; atgtickets.com/bristol The Fitzhardinge Dinner Thursday 4 October, 6.30pm, Bristol Cathedral Enjoy a drinks reception, exceptional threecourse dinner and outstanding music at this annual fundraising event. Marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, it will have music and poetry to reflect the anniversary. All proceeds from the evening to go towards the renovation of the cathedral’s historic organ. £95pp or £900 for a table of 10; bristol-cathedral.co.uk Baba’s Song Thursday 4 October, 7.30pm, The Theatre Shop, Queen’s Square, Clevedon Armed with a token of love from her dying mother, Vasilisa is on a journey into darkness to discover her own strength. Devised using song and physical theatre, Baba’s Song is the story of one woman’s journey into motherhood, exploring the less talked about themes of becoming a parent. 16+. £12; theatreshop.org.uk The Luna Cinema Friday 5 – Sunday 7 October, doors 6pm, film 7.30pm, Ashton Court Mansion You can pack a picnic, snuggle under a blanket and watch a favourite film under the stars at The Luna Cinema’s open-air screenings. On Friday, the smash hit The No 172

Greatest Showman will be on the big screen, with ’80s musical favourite Dirty Dancing on the Saturday, before Tom Cruise’s fighter pilot classic Top Gun kicks off on Sunday. £10– £15; thelunacinema.com The Enormous Room Friday 5 and Saturday 6 October, 7.30pm, Circomedia, Portland Square In the latest epic production from Stopgap Dance Company, we follow a father and daughter gradually coming to terms with the loss of Jackie – their wife and mother.

Thoughtful, moving and uplifting, this is a show about saying goodbye and moving on.

Stopgap is committed to making discoveries about intergrating disabled and non-disabled people through dance. £14/£11; circomedia.com Planetarium Sounds – Dark Side of the Moon; The Fulldome Experience Friday 5 October, times vary, We The Curious An audio-visual extravaganza, inspired by the music of Pink Floyd, featuring the entire 1973 Dark Side of the Moon album in glorious 5.1 surround sound, with spellbinding abstract projections on the full dome enveloping the entire audience to create a truly astounding experience. 16+. £8.50/£9.95; wethecurious.org Under The Sea Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October, times vary, The Loco Klub, Temple Meads Enjoy an orchestral odyssey beneath the waves with Insight Ensemble’s latest captivating performance. As well as a full symphony orchestra, this will feature fishy choreography, contorting creatures, eerie theremins, mesmerising new compositions and much more. £9–£21; insightensemble.co.uk

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LOCAL | EVENTS

EDITOR’S PICK...

THE SPOOKY SHIP WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 3 NOVEMBER, VARIOUS TIMES FROM 6.40 – 10.50PM, SS GREAT BRITAIN

Step on board Brunel's SS Great Britain after dark this Halloween and settle in for a good, old-fashioned, Victorian fright-fest. Follow your ghoulish guide and navigate the darkest nooks and crannies of the 175-year-old ship; explore the eerie sights, sounds and smells and watch out for characters lurking in the shadows, hoping to share their terrible tales with you. In association with Bristol Old Vic, The Spooky Ship brings history to life as professional actors roam the decks and ghostly figures from the past stalk the corridors. 8+. £14; bristololdvic.org.uk

Chocolate Teacups Monday 8 October, 7–9pm, Zara’s Chocolates, North Street, Southville Join Zara in the kitchen and learn how to decorate and mould your own chocolate teacups and saucers. Recreate the shop’s original products and fill with delicious salted caramel. £50; zaraschocolates.com Maya Youssef Tuesday 9 October, 8pm, St George’s Bristol Syrian qanun with cello and percussion.

Bristol debut for the virtuoso of the Syrian 78 stringed plucked zither. Maya grew up in her native Syria influenced by a range of music

from Arabic classical to jazz and fusion. She has performed at BBC Proms, Womad and with Africa Express and The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians. A memorable evening awaits. £16; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

as musical director and an 11-piece orchestra, this centres around Robert, a British soldier, and Claire, a French villager, who quickly fall in love, much to the horror of her family and the whole village. £15; operainabox.com

Opera in a Box: A Foreign Field Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 October, 7.30pm, Redgrave Theatre, Clifton Bristol-based Opera in a Box revives local composer Eric Wetherell’s A Foreign Field to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. This lyrical opera tells the story of three soldiers who find love and betrayal when caught behind enemy lines. With The Archers’ John Telfer as director, Ben England

Beautiful Thing Thursday 11 – Saturday 27 October, times vary, Tobacco Factory Theatres Teenagers Ste and Jamie are next-door neighbours on the Thamesmead estate in South London. Jamie’s being bullied at school and Ste’s being bullied at home. One evening when it all gets too much, Ste seeks refuge at Jamie’s and something frightening and beautiful begins. Beautiful Thing offers a Continued on page 36

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Maya Youssef at St George’s Bristol

Rip It Up at Bristol Hippodrome

razor-sharp depiction of life and love on a post-war council estate, and a gloriously nostalgic trip back to the early ’90s. 14+.

Tickets from £12; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Chilean Wine Dinner Thursday 11 October, 7pm, Second Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols An evening celebrating undiscovered gems of the Chilean wine world with wine writer and presenter Susy Atkins. Susy will share some of her favourites wines, which have been flavourmatched to four courses prepared by the restaurant’s award-winning head chef Louise McCrimmon. £60; harveynichols.com Choral Celebration for St Peter's Hospice Saturday 13 October, 7.30pm, All Saints Church, Clifton Bristol Bach Choir kicks off its season with with music chosen to celebrate St Peter’s Hospice’s 40th anniversary. The programme ranges from Handel and Fauré through to Brahms and Rachmaninov, to Stanford and the present day. £5–£22; bristolbach.org.uk Bristol Ensemble: Mostly Mozart Saturday 13 October, 7.30pm, Trinity-Henleaze URC The Henleaze Concert Society season opens with performances of two of Mozart’s bestloved works – the elegant and lively Symphony No.29 and lyrical Oboe Concerto – alongside works by Maria Walpurgis and Henryk Górecki. Tickets £16.50 (under 25s £5), from Opus 13 music shop: 0117 923 0164; henleazeconcertsociety.org.uk Autism-friendly Early Opening Sunday 14 October, 9–10.30am, We The Curious A quiet, early-morning, autism-friendly session, this is a chance to explore the We The Curious exhibits at your own pace, chat with the staff and take part in some intriguing activities. There will also be an autismfriendly planetarium show at 10.15am (suitable for ages 5+). Reduced entry fees apply; wethecurious.org

Whitney – Queen of the Night Sunday 14 October, 7.30pm, Bristol Hippodrome A celebration of one of the greatest singers of our time – Whitney Houston. Be taken on an emotional rollercoaster through three decades of classic hits including I Wanna Dance With Somebody, One Moment In Time and I Will Always Love You. Tickets from £29.15; atgtickets.com/bristol Rip It Up Monday 15 October, 7.30pm, Bristol Hippodrome Following the smash hit success of Rip It Up: Dancing Through The 50s last year – which sold over 50,000 tickets and was acclaimed as the most exciting Strictly Come Dancing spinoff tour ever – Rip It Up brings the fabulous soundtrack of the 1960s to life in an explosion of song and dance with celeb Strictly favourites Harry Judd, Aston Merrygold and Louis Smith. £27.65–£106.15; atgtickets.com/bristol Twelfth Night Wednesday 17 October – Saturday 17 November, times vary, Bristol Old Vic “If music be the food of love, play on…”

Shakespeare’s bittersweet comedy delights in the mischief and mayhem of blurred genders, crossed boundaries and a world turned upside down. Director Wils Wilson saturates this tale of magic and wonder with all the psychedelia and bohemian delight of the ’60s Summer of Love. £10–£39; bristololdvic.org.uk Lankum Wednesday 17 October, 8pm, St George’s Bristol Rough-hewn and raw, Lankum is one of the most talked about bands to come out of Ireland in decades. Recognised for their distinctive four-part vocal harmonies with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, accordion, fiddle and guitar, their repertoire spans Dublin music-hall ditties, street songs and classic ballads from the traveller tradition. £5–£21; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

The Craft4Crafters Show Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 October, 10am – 5pm, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet Having run large craft and textiles shows in the South West for more than 18 years, The Craft4Crafters Show has more than 100 of the finest craft suppliers on display, as well as more than 70 workshops and demonstrations.

Explore the quilt and textile exhibition with over 100 quilt and textile displays, and see lots of local quilt groups present including Bath Quilters and South West Quilters. The amazing BrisWool Woollen City will also be exhibited. Restaurants, cafés and free parking available. £8/£9, £2 off advance tickets, under 16s free; craft4crafters.co.uk La Tragedie De Carmen Thursday 18 October, doors 7pm, The Assembly Rooms, Bath Pop-Up Opera performs La Tragedie De Carmen – a reworking of Bizet’s masterpiece

by Peter Brook including favourites such as Habanera, Escamillo’s Toreador Song and Don José’s Flower Song Together with powerful new passages. £19/£22; bathvenues.co.uk/popupopera You Are Friday 19 October, 7.30pm, Redland Church, Redland Green Road Think Mumford and Sons meets Ed Sheeran and you will have an idea of what You Are is – a contemporary folk-based album of songs based on the Book of Psalms by awardwinning composer Steven Faux and his son Clem. This live performance by talented musicians featuring mandolin, saxophone and more is not to be missed. £12/£15; redland.org.uk/news/psalms-concert Julian Baggini – The Philosophical Times Saturday 20 October, 11am, St George’s Bristol Join resident philosopher Julian Baggini in his look into the philosophy behind the headlines.

Taking his cue from the weekend papers, he’ll be unpacking the often under-explored Continued on page 38

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Maya Youssef © IGORSTUDIO

The Enormous Room at Circomedia

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Whitney – Queen of the Night at Bristol Hippodrome

Opera in a Box’s A Foreign Field

Lankum at St George’s Bristol

philosophical topics tied up with the big issues of the day. £6, includes coffee; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Bristol Film Festival: Reservoir Dogs Sunday 21 October, doors 12.30pm, The Island, Nelson Street Explore the unusual location of the old police station, now The Island, and take a ‘cell-fie’ in a holding cell or against the mugshot wall, before settling down to Quentin Tarantino’s legendary debut feature film, Reservoir Dogs. £10–£12; bristolfilmfestival.com Autumn Serenade Sunday 21 October, 6pm, Redland Hall, Redmaids’ High School City of Bristol Choir and the 120 young voices of Bristol Youth Choir join forces to perform uplifting music for choir, percussion and piano including works by Britten, McDowall, Dove, and Copland. Tickets £15 (£5 students/under 18s), from Opus 13 music shop: 0117 923 0164; cityofbristolchoir.org.uk

Ruby Wax: How to be Human Sunday 28 October, 8pm, Bristol Old Vic A follow up to Ruby’s sell-out shows Sane New World and Frazzled, with a little help from monk Gelong Thubten, who explains how the mind works, and neuroscientist Ash Ranpura, who explains where everything that makes us ‘us’ can be found in the brain. £24; bristololdvic.org.uk

WNO: La traviata and La Cenerentola Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 October, 7.15pm, Bristol Hippodrome Welsh National Opera returns to Bristol with two revivals – Verdi’s popular classic opera La Traviata, a feast for the eyes with sumptuous 19th-century costumes, and Rossini’s delightful retelling of Cinderella, La Cenerentola. Features music director Tomáš Hanus’ much-anticipated return to the main stage to conduct following a critically acclaimed 2017 season. Tickets from £15; atgtickets.com/bristol

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An Evening of Eric & Ern Saturday 27 October, 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Redgrave Theatre, Clifton Highly acclaimed for their uncanny portrayal of the legendary comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, actors Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens return with their show crammed full of renditions of those famous comedy sketches – evoking memories of times when families would huddle around the telly on Sunday evenings to share in the much-loved antics of Britain’s national treasures. £23; redgravetheatre.com Farewell to Arms Saturday 27 October, 7.30pm, Bristol Cathedral Marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, this is a programme of moving works by 20th-century British composers, reflecting on war and peace and including Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem.

Bristol Choral Society and Westminster Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Hilary Campbell. £5–£18; bristolchoral.co.uk

Westonbirt Charities Fair Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 October, 10am–5pm, Westonbirt School More than 120 stallholders will be selling fashion, homeware and other goods that cannot be found on the high street or online, to raise funds for local charities. Coffee and light refreshments served throughout the day.

Westonbirt School gardens will be blooming, and there is free parking. Tickets £8 on the door, £7.50 when pre-booked online; westonbirtfair.org

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Stacey Kent Thursday 25 October, 8pm, St George’s Bristol Grammy-nominated, million record-selling Stacey Kent is one of the great jazz vocalists, and with her band, featuring saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, she will be showcasing songs from her latest album I Know I Dream. £5–£25; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Free Jewellery and Watch Valuation Day Tuesday 30 October, 10am – 4pm, Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Road Specialist valuers will be on hand, including gemmologist John Kelly FGA, to assess your

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jewellery, watches, silver and gold before giving you a free verbal estimate, all with no obligation to sell. If you wish, then your items can be entered into the salerooms’ specialist sale on 22 November; clevedonsalerooms.com Terrifying Tyntesfield Tuesday 30 October and Thursday 1 November, 10.30am and 1.30pm, Tyntesfield Estate There have been some spooky goings on in the woods at Tyntesfield and the team needs some brave detectives to find out who – or what – is responsible. In this family session, you can paint a pumpkin, make a spooky friend and take part in some festive games. £2 adults, £6 children; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Jersey Boys Tuesday 30 October – Saturday 17 November, times vary, Bristol Hippodrome This smash-hit musical, about four boys from the wrong side of the tracks who went on to become one of the most successful bands in pop history, has won 57 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Jersey Boys is packed with hits by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons including Beggin’, Sherry, Walk Like A Man and Working My Way Back To You. £18–£65; atgtickets.com/bristol Frankenstein: Red Rope Theatre Company Friday 2 – Sunday 11 November, 7pm (plus 9pm Fri – Sun), Anglican Chapel, Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bath Road Hear a tale that’s been told for over 200 years.

A story of creation, rejection, love and disaster. Adapted by award-winning writer Matt Grinter from the chilling gothic novel by Mary Shelley, and presented by Red Rope Theatre. In an attempt to defy death, Frankenstein creates a creature – a monster that is both childlike in its innocence but repulsive in its form. The horror-stricken Frankenstein drives out the bewildered thing into an unforgiving world where it is met with cruelty and pain wherever it goes. 16+. £12/£14; arnosvale.org.uk, redropetheatre.co.uk n

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COMEDY GARDENING

the critics and charm his audiences with live shows such as Monster, What It Is and Off The Hook, while his TV and film credits include Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, BBC comedy-drama How Do You Want Me?, brittle Irish movie Calvary, and zombie romcom Shaun Of The Dead.

But never does Dylan seem more alive than when he’s working his material before an audience. “I have high hopes for this show, I’m really into it. And I’m really into what an incredible time it is to be doing comedy. I want people to come in and have a great time and go home feeling better. I’m not going to ask people to understand anything too complicated or anything that I feel can’t be understood.

A lot of it is about pulling the squirrels out of the bag and giving them a name or a number. Let’s just say that I’m organising the squirrels.”

So, who is this Dr Cosmos that Dylan Moran speaks of? Is it some fictional man of the world? Or is it the Irish comedian himself in stage guise? “I get these ideas for themes or identities that obsess me for years and Dr Cosmos has been around for a while,” he tells me. “I’m writing a pilot episode which has Dr Cosmos as the title and it’s about all kind of things, like consumerism and mental health. It’s the idea of a snakeoil salesman, like those ads you see on the net about losing your tummy by eating bananas or not eating bananas, whatever it is. A lot of the live show is about people just trying to cope. The big things still apply: family is still there and the root systems don’t change, it’s just the way we’re living has.”

We miss the art of storytelling, says Mr Moran, and it’s time to gather round the fire again

...I want people to come in and have a great time and go home feeling better...

WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED Dylan Moran on his brand new show, taking over Bristol Hippodrome this month. Words by Brian Donaldson

A

s he prepares to take Dr Cosmos across the UK, it might feel as though Dylan Moran has an intricately conceived game plan in place given that he announces a new comedy tour approximately every three years. But that feeling would be quite wrong. “I’m glad to be able to say that I don’t know how often I tour, because I can’t really deal with knowing exactly what I’m going to be doing,’ he explains. “But I do enjoy touring and I’m really looking forward to this one. It’s great fun getting to go places.”

A reader and a thinker, Dylan is always alert to the comedic or philosophical possibilities around him, and never is this more apparent than when he’s on the road. “I try to make myself very responsive, and you’re always on when you’re touring, constantly receiving and transmitting, but you can’t be like that all the time. You have to come home and be boring Dad. Which I’m very good at apparently. And yes, they tell me that in no uncertain terms.”

He is, of course, also one of the most acclaimed UK comedians of the past three decades. In 1996, at the age of 24, Dylan became the youngest winner of the Perrier Award, and this Navan-born, Edinburgh-based comic, actor and illustrator (his ‘doodlings’ are likely to be used as the backdrop to his new live set) has continued to woo 40 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Much of this new way of living has, of course, to do with the technology constantly at our fingertips. It’s fair to say that Dylan isn’t exactly approving of our dependency on screens. “Look at the mystery that has been taken away from us: the whole romance of human history was made by all the imagination and projection of people in one place wondering what was over the hill. There was myth and storytelling, but now everything we could concoct in the dark has been replaced by the crystal-clear Samsung LED screen. All those deliberations that were needless but very human and showed how inventive, capable and nutty we were have been swept away now.”

So where does over-reliance on technology that answers all our questions in a nano-second leave the art of storytelling? “I think people are desperate for it; we really need it,” he says. “And we need to be around the fire and hear it. We’re confused about what’s happening to us now, and that’s why you get Brexit and you get Trump and you get all this polarisation.”

If people are craving stories and storytellers, then they can still delight in the innovative world of Dylan Moran. And the good news is that he has plenty to say. “I write a lot, so I’ve got tons of material. That’s never been a problem for me, the problem is deciding exactly what to do with it. Much of what I have for this show is about the incredibly fluid nature of now, how disorientating and tiring it all is and how it feels to try and orientate yourself and stay foursquare on the earth.”

What Dylan won’t be doing is looking around at other comedians for inspiration or to glean a sense of what’s on other people’s agenda. He’s certainly not immune to what’s going on in the comedy world and enjoys everything from the Dutch absurdism of Hans Teeuwen to the smart observational work of Kevin Bridges, but you’re unlikely to find him lurking in the shadows at a stand-up show.

“That’s just sensible. Are there jockeys out there hiding behind hedges looking at horse races? I don’t think so. Are there hookers with their noses pressed up against the windows of cheap hotels? I don’t think so...

I don’t know why hookers and jockeys came to mind, but there you go.

I don’t seek live comedy out but I love it when I see someone who has their own voice.” n • See Dylan Moran’s Dr Cosmos at Bristol Hippodrome on 20 October; atgtickets.com

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SHOPPING

WE’RE MAKING A LIST...

It’s almost time to start thinking about the festive season – why not make this year’s Christmas shopping experience a little more enjoyable, and charitable too?

H

ighgrove, the private residence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall – 40 minutes away in charming Tetbury – stops its garden tours this month and begins to look towards the festive season.

Next on the calendar is the start of the estate’s annual Christmas shopping events – which generate funds for The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation and its projects – and, you know what, they sound a bit dreamy.

If you’re keen to make one of this year’s gift-seeking stints more stimulating for the seeker – ie. you – join the Highgrove team some time between 17 November and 16 December for Christmas shopping at its indulgent best at the private estate.

There are three unique experiences to choose from – morning browsing with complimentary mimosa, afternoon shopping with champagne and a seasonal two-course lunch, and a cream tea option, plus champagne and time to peruse for potential presents. Away from the mad rush of the high street, you can take in Highgrove’s festive fair, stocked with the sort of unique local artisan wares that you just won’t find on your usual Christmas shopping rounds. From festive decorations and stationery, to seasonal food and drink, the estate’s own collections, home accessories and luxury clothing, there’s pretty much everything you need for a cracking Christmas under one roof.

The lunch option is highly recommended; go solo or gather up family and friends to be seated in the classy Orchard Restaurant where the resident chefs will be cooking up a storm with everything from slow-braised beef in Highgrove claret, to traditional roast turkey with confit leg wrapped in pancetta.

The Christmas events are key fundraisers for The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation which aims to transform lives and build sustainable communities, and acts as a grant-making body that 42 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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delivers programmes such as the International Sustainability Unit and Accounting for Sustainability.

Highgrove Enterprises and Duchy Originals Limited are subsidiaries of The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation. Profits generated by sales of Waitrose Duchy Organic and Highgrove products, and from events and tours of the gardens at Highgrove, are donated to the Foundation to enable it to support causes and make a strategic impact for good.

At the end of last year, the Foundation donated £5,000 each to local charities Gloucestershire Arthritis Trust – to fund a new hydrotherapy pool – and Kate’s Home Nursing – to help care for patients through the last stages of illness – both nominated by Highgrove staff.

“Once completed this facility will allow thousands of people suffering with arthritis or recovering from joint replacement surgery to receive much-needed hydrotherapy treatment,” said Steve Morton at the Trust. “Such is the respect in which the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation is held, it also enabled us to gain the confidence of other trusts, who in turn donated to our campaign.”

“During this year we expect to provide nursing care for more than 100 patients and provide support for families and carers,” explained Sue Hutt at Kate’s Home Nursing. “This will cost the charity in the region of £370,000 and although we will receive a grant from the NHS, most of the money will need to come from donations and the fundraising activities of our committee and local people.”

To do your bit in a most festive way, pre-book onto a Highgrove shopping morning free of charge (champagne and lunch events cost £29.95; £9.95 for champagne and cream tea). n

• highgrovegardens.com

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Consignments invited for our pre-Christmas Specialist Sale

£8,600

£23,500

£19,600

Our 22nd November pre-Christmas Quarterly Specialist Sale is timed to coincide with the busiest time of year for the sale of fine & decorative arts & antiques, fine Jewellery, silver & watches. To take advantage of this we have four FREE VALUATION DAYS at the Salerooms in October plus a Jewellery, Watch, Silver & Gold Valuation Day at Stoke Lodge in Bristol on Tuesday 30th October where our Specialist Valuers will provide free no-obligation verbal estimates with the pre-Christmas Sale in mind. Alternatively why not email images of items you may be thinking of selling to info@csrauctions.com (Home visits can be arranged for large collections – Call us for more details).

Free Valuation Days in October 8th, 9th & 22nd, 23rd At the Salerooms 9.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 5pm --------------------------------------------------

Bristol Jewellery & Watch Valuation Day Tuesday 30th October 10am – 4pm At Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Rd, BS9 1BN (Ample Free parking)

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

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

Tel: 01934 830111 www.clevedon-salerooms.com

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CHECK YOUR WATER TANK FOR TREASURE! Auctioneers learn to expect the unexpected, even when scrambling around in an Aberdeenshire attic. Whilst assisting a client of long standing at The House of Glennie near Huntly, Lawrences’ valuer Anthony Kilroy was a long way from home as well as a good distance from the house’s ground floor when – stashed alongside a water tank in a dark and cold attic - he found a manuscript map, meticulously coloured and remarkably well preserved on a 25 x 31in (68 x 80cm) sheet of vellum, depicting `North West America and Canada from Hudson's Straights [sic] south through Labrador and Newfoundland to New England and New York`. It dated from 1699 and was signed by John Thornton, a distinguished London `plattmaker` or cartographer. Its curious re-appearance in a Highland attic was explained by the owner’s late father having had trade associations with Canada but Platt is known to have made nearly a dozen maps for the Hudson’s Bay Company between 1680 and 1702 and his work has exceptional scarcity. Thornton had been paid £3 for two maps in 1700 and his survey was vital in enabling the Hudson’s Bay Company to assert its dominion in Canada. Over three hundred years later, Thornton might have been surprised to see his map get snapped up for just over £200,000. It is thought that the substantial proceeds paid to the vendor were banked somewhere more secure than a dark attic but, appropriately, the map had taken the auctioneers on a long journey of research and discovery before its significance was unearthed at auction. Why not have a look alongside your water tank when you are next up in your attic?

Lawrences Auctioneers have 10 specialists and will be holding monthly valuations at The Clifton Club in Bristol and the Holburne Museum in Bath. Contact Andy.sagar@lawrences.co.uk

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

lawrences.co.uk

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We’re into this fuzzy flamboyance of flamingos... (Paul Mckenzie/Wildlife Photographer of the Year at M Shed)

AUTUMN ARTS From landscapes to photography; sculpture to graffiti; jewellery to graphic prints, the Bristol scene really does have it all.

Whether you’re seeking a new piece of artwork to spruce up your home or simply a stroll round an indoor art space as a stimulating way to pass the time, look no further than the city’s galleries and museums

CLIFTON CONTEMPORARY ART

M SHED

25 Portland Street, Clifton, Bristol W: cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol W: bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2018 20 October – 24 February The acclaimed wildlife photography exhibition developed and produced by the Natural History Museum is back with 100 beautiful and thought-provoking images.

From breath-taking animal portraits and dramatic landscapes, to bizarre species and endangered habitats, this exhibition showcases the most arresting and spectacular images of our natural world. The competition also celebrates biodiversity, promotes conservation and champions ethical photography.

Whether young, old, professional or amateur, the photographers featured raise awareness of the beauty and fragility of the world around us. First launched in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives nearly 50,000 entries from 96 countries. £5/£6, under 16s free.

Clifton Contemporary Art is dedicated to showing the very best original painting, print work, ceramics and sculpture, with a strong emphasis on artists based in and inspired by the West Country, from South West Cornwall to Wiltshire and the Cotswolds.

Regular themed exhibitions explore elemental forces and landscape, the living form and Royal York Crescent enigmatic still-life compositions, the

by Neil Pinkett power of light and the energy of colour – often in surprising, inspiring combinations. The gallery is happy to advise people in selecting the right pieces for their home, as well as help businesses to transform their workspaces into inspiring place to be, through carefully chosen original artworks.

Currently showing are new oil paintings by Neil Pinkett, a collection of stoneware animal sculptures by Stephanie Cunningham, and Maggie Matthews’ richly colourful mixed media landscapes.

Then, from 12 October – 3 November, CCA is celebrating the evocative and influential post-war modern print work of key figures such as Sir Terry Frost RA, Albert Irvin RA and Bryan Pearce. The exhibition ‘Power of Print’ will be an opportunity to enjoy the dynamism, skill and pure visual impact of print making at its very best.

Continued on page 48

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ART | SCENE

LIME TREE GALLERY

What A Week That Was

by Steven Lindsay

84 Hotwell Road, Bristol W: limetreegallery.com This is a welcoming, internationally recognised contemporary fine art gallery representing artists in Bristol, and at art fairs across the UK, Scandinavia, and the Far East. Its attractive Bristol harbourside setting makes it a pleasure to visit, and easy, with free parking directly outside.

Exhibited work focuses on painting and drawing, colour and light.

Ranging from the traditional to the modern, the figurative to the abstract, the paintings are complemented by a selection of fine individual glass pieces.

This autumn it features the much-anticipated solo exhibition by Swedish artist Mats Rydstern from 27 October – 13 November. Lime Tree Gallery is Rydstern’s sole representation outside his native country and his very fine still-life and landscape work is deservedly popular and widely collected.

From 29 November the gallery is then hosting its regular, wide-ranging Christmas exhibition.

BRISTOL MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Queens Road, Bristol W: bristolmuseums.org.uk This gorgeous Grade-II listed building houses a wonderful mix of the arts, natural sciences, archaeology and world cultures. Cutting-edge contemporary art rubs shoulders with fossils which are millions of years old. Old Master paintings meet Eastern glass and ceramics and Victorian taxidermy shares the space with Ancient Egyptian and Roman remains.

The museum hosts a changing programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. Current shows include ‘Masters of Japanese Prints’, ‘Clowns: The Eggshibition’ and ‘Fabric Africa’. Bristol’s collection of Japanese woodblock prints ranks in the top five regional UK collections and this will be showcased through three exhibitions over the next year. ‘Clowns: The Eggs-hibition’ reveals the wonderful world of clowning through 168 ceramic clown eggs – each one is a record of a clown’s unique identity – while ‘Fabric Africa’ is a beautifully colourful snapshot of modern and historic textiles from across the continent of Africa.

CLIFTON FINE ART

RAINMAKER GALLERY

12 Perry Road, Bristol W: cliftonfineart.com

123 Coldharbour Road, Bristol W: rainmakerart.co.uk

Among the hustle and bustle of Christmas Steps, Clifton Fine Art provides a wonderful selection of work from world-renowned and local artists and sculptors such as the celebrated 20th-century artists John Piper RA and Joan Eardley. The gallery’s team prides itself on its diverse selection, including screen prints by exciting new talents from London, and Bristol’s own established artist and gallery owner Tom White.

From 8 – 21 October, the gallery will be celebrating the new works by John Piper, one of the most iconic artists working in Cornwall today. You can also test your art knowledge with the ‘Will The Real John Piper Please Stand Up’ test, featuring work by both Piper and Eardley.

The UK base for showcasing contemporary Native American art and jewellery. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the gallery’s current location on Coldharbour Road. In celebration the autumn/winter exhibition ‘Birds, Beasts and Butterflies’ will be filled with nature-inspired works from many of the best-loved Native American artists including Tony Abeyta (Navajo), Preston Singletary (Tlingit), Nocona Burgess (Comanche), Yatika Starr Fields (Osage), George Alexander (Muscogee), Billy Hensley (Chickasaw) and Eugene Tapahe (Navajo).

In addition to paintings, original prints and fine art photography, Rainmaker carries a superb collection of exquisite jewellery, enchanting Zuni carvings and beautiful Pendleton blankets, and promotes awareness, education and cultural exchange through artist talks, residencies, events and exhibitions.

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Mats Rydstern Solo Exhibition: Oct 27 - Nov 13 Lime Tree Gallery, 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB

Tel 0117 929 2527 • www.limetreegallery.com

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ART | SCENE

COLDHARBOUR FRAMERY & GALLERY 111 Coldharbour Road, Bristol W: coldharbourgallery.co.uk This small gallery, just off the Downs, is home to a diverse collection of mainly local, affordable art and crafts. It is packed with an evolving mix of original paintings, prints, sculpture and ceramics.

There is always a great selection of images of Bristol here: from drawings and etchings of local landmarks to colourful contemporary graphic prints; from dark and moody night-time cityscapes to vibrant watercolours of the harbourside.

The ceramics and sculpture offering includes a variety of hand-picked, individual pieces including colourful decorative bowls and vases, fiery raku pots, delicate porcelain pieces and hand-thrown ceramics, as well as Christine Baxter’s irresistible iron resin garden sculptures.

This autumn there will be the latest prints by popular local artist Cath Read, followed by an eagerly awaited new set of paintings by Abigail McDougall on display. 2018 ends with the annual Christmas show, this year entitled ‘Magic, Myth and Moonlight’, starring Jay Luttman Johnson’s hand-painted linocuts and quirky structural pieces.

Art! by Tom White

GREAT WHITE ART 8 Perry Road, Bristol W: greatwhiteart.com

PORTSIDE GALLERY Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf, Bristol W: portsidegallery.co.uk

Gathering by Jane Reeves

Celebrating one year at Wapping Wharf, Portside Gallery was established by artist Jane Reeves, having moved the gallery from Padstow to be in her home city of Bristol. The gallery features Jane’s unique and sought-after fused glass seascapes alongside contemporary art, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery from local and national artists and makers. Local artists include the excellent plein-air painter Tom Hughes, ceramicist Sophie Howard, and the ever-popular contemporary enamel artist Janine Partington.

The gallery also offers high quality jewellery, all hand made and aimed at a range of budgets. There are colourful and elegant ceramics that make excellent gifts or a special statement piece.

From 27 October – 4 November, the gallery will be holding a special one-year anniversary offer: a free small row of colourful glass cottages for every £100 spent.

SPIKE ISLAND Cumberland Road, Bristol W: spikeisland.org.uk Spike Island is an international centre for the development of contemporary art and design. By offering a high quality, challenging programme of exhibitions and events, and honing a dynamic and critically engaged community of artists and designers, the centre strives to put art at the centre of society.

From 6 October – 9 December, French visual artist and philosopher Benoît Maire’s first solo exhibition will be on show, titled ‘Thebes’ and featuring more than 90 works ranging from paintings and sculptures to furniture, everyday objects and films that explore French philosopher and sociologist François Lyotard’s concept of the ‘differend’.

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With a reputation for selling some of the most vibrant, collectable and investable art in the country, this gallery represents well-established artists such as Tom White, Harry Bunce, Alex Lucas and JJ Adams. It most recently acquired vinyl artist Ben Riley and painter/street artist Tommy Fiendish, and also shares the work of up-and-coming talent.

Four of Great White Art’s artists – Harry Bunce, Alex Lucas, George Harding and Miche – all participated in Upfest 2018, creating wonderful works of art for the city to enjoy.

In October, Tom White’s latest Bristol cityscapes will be on display, which include a beautiful painting of St Agnes Church.

Alongside this will be new work by Harry Bunce, whose cast of cool, vaguely sinister anthropomorphic animals have earned him the reputation of being a hybrid between Beatrix Potter and Quentin Tarantino. The show runs from 18 – 27 October.

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Great White Art Presents

Tom White & Harry Bunce 18th – 27th Oct

Great White Art, 8 Perry road, Bristol, BS1 5BQ Tues-Sat 10am-5pm

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

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Photography by Chris Reynolds

HISTORY

LIFE STORIES: (Clockwise from top left) Tombstone tourists will have a field day at Arnos Vale; a memorial for footballer Jim Sanders; the tranquil space, full of ornate stonework, has been voted one of Bristol’s best attractions; lose yourself among the ivy-clad gravestones; Rajah Rammohun Roy’s majestic tomb, as seen from afar; stop and take a moment to consider the stories of those buried in Bristol

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HISTORY

WRITTEN IN STONE Bristol’s history is surprisingly brought to life in its cemeteries, as Georgette McCready discovers

W

ho would have thought that a visit to a cemetery would make it to the top 20 of Bristol’s favourite attractions?

But there on Tripadvisor is the city’s largest burial ground, Arnos Vale, with 442 largely favourable reviews and placed at number 13 of 236 things to do in Bristol.

So why visit a load of old graves? Well, firstly because the 45-acre site is a beautiful, tranquil green space within the city and it’s packed full of human interest stories, of lives recorded in stone. Its gravestones tell of love, loss and suffering and of great achievements too. There is also a family friendly cafe on site, some parking, a gift shop, wildlife and birdsong – and admission is free. It’s no wonder that on a sunny day in early autumn the place is a popular destination for families, dog walkers and the lone wanderer, in search of peace among the trees.

Tombstone tourists, or taphophiles to give them their Greek title, will have a field day in Arnos Vale. There are weeping angels, ornate urns, impressive obelisks and fascinating epitaphs to get engrossed in. And once you venture off the main driveways it’s easy to get pleasantly lost among the ivy-clad tombs and paths that lead nowhere. The cemetery was designed by Bristol architect Charles Underwood, who was part of the garden cemetery movement, which is why the plans include sweeping walkways, classically inspired chapel buildings (one for Church of England members, the other for what they called dissenters, or non-conformists) and the planting of specimen trees including cedar, pine and cypress. It truly is a city of the dead, containing memorials and commemorations to more than 30,000 people.

Unlike Highgate Cemetery in London there is no obvious tourist trail of the great and the good. But there are plenty of graves of people who came to Bristol and who made their mark on the world, that you might like to seek out during a visit...

The lifesaver Dr William Budd (1811 – 1880) worked at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and was a pioneer of research into waterborne diseases typhoid and cholera. After a massive deadly cholera outbreak in the city he concluded that the use of dirty water was carrying the disease and persuaded the city authorities to clean up Bristol’s water supply and so save the lives of future citizens. There is a stone carving of a pelican, piercing her chest with her beak to feed her young, on another doctor’s gravestone. This mythical act of sacrifice was chosen for the memorial

The distinctive rows of war graves are easy to spot

The social reformer The most impressive and majestic tomb in the cemetery is dedicated to the memory of Indian writer and social reformer Rajah Rammohun Roy (1772 – 1833). He coined the word Hinduism to describe the diversity in Indian religions and campaigned effectively for social reform, improved education and for women’s rights. He was a key figure in influencing the end to the ritual of sati, or suttee, in which widows were encouraged to throw themselves on to their late husband’s funeral pyre as an act of sacrifice. Roy died of meningitis during a visit to friends in Bristol and his tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for Indians and Bengalis.

The sportsman One of the more recent and striking memorials in the cemetery is a statue of a footballer – a tribute to James Sanders, known as Jim, who died in 2007. He combined a life as a travelling showman with his professional footballing career and in his time he played for Crystal Palace, Rochdale, Exeter City and Bristol City.

The children’s champion Tens of thousands of Bristolians turned out on to the streets for the funeral procession of Prussian-born George Muller, who died in 1898.

He was hugely admired in his adopted city; having come here with only a modest amount of money he managed to raise enough funds to open an orphanage. Over the years he rescued thousands of local children from poverty and abuse. His coffin was escorted by 1,000 children who paid their respects to the man who had changed their lives.

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HISTORY

to surgeon Joseph Williams, who died in 1849 after volunteering to tend cholera patients at Stapleton Workhouse and contracting the disease himself.

The tireless campaigner Mary Carpenter (1807 – 1877) is one of relatively few women who have memorials in their own right, rather than as wife, mother or daughter. She founded a so-called ragged school for the city’s poorest children to learn to read and write. She also opened two homes for children with criminal records and was a tireless campaigner for prison reform and the education of girls.

There are many more stories to be explored at Arnos Vale, some of them easily traceable, like the Wills family who founded the tobacco factories, and some of them not widely known but which pique the curiosity. What is the story behind the Warrior family’s decision to have ‘No Surrender’ carved on their joint memorial, I wonder?

Whenever you visit a cemetery you’ll see serried ranks of small, simple stones, or sometimes an individual one on its own – always easy to spot, carved as they are from almost white Portland stone.

These war graves – such a familiar sight in Bristol’s cemeteries – are a design classic. They were created by what was then known as the Imperial War Graves Commission with a view to creating gravestones for those who had died in the First World War, but without distinguishing between rank or religion. Rudyard Kipling was invited to choose the wording used and the architects Edwin Lutyens, Herbert Baker and Reginald Blomfield came up with the simple design. All the stones are uniform, rendering all men and women equal in death. It is only when the viewer gets closer that they can read the name, age and rank and see a symbol such as a battalion badge or a Star of David.

There are several large cemeteries in Bristol that serve as green spaces. Greenbank Cemetery in Easton is worth a visit, counting some fine carved angels among its tombs. It also has a memorial to the dead of the Second World War bombing raids over Bristol and the graves of German Luftwaffe crew who died during those raids.

Not far from St Mary Redcliffe, tucked away beside the busy roundabout, is a former Quaker burial ground. It doesn’t much look like a burial ground, but if you go to the back of the site you’ll find hundreds of gravestones stacked up. The Quaker community graciously allowed part of their burial ground to be used for road widening, and this is the sad consequence.

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Another spot for quiet contemplation is Birdcage Walk in Clifton, the delightful tree-lined walkway which passes between an ancient churchyard once part of St Andrew’s Church, which was destroyed in the Second World War. Most people pass through without really noticing the graves beyond the railings, but the curious find their way through the small gates, free to wander among the overgrown graves.

It was this spot that inspired the late Bristol-based (and awardwinning) novelist and poet Helen Dunmore to write her last work of fiction, the best-selling Birdcage Walk, set in 18th-century Bristol. n • For events at Arnos Vale visit arnosvale.org.uk. Guided walks are held every Saturday until 10 November, from 1.30pm to 3pm.

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FOOD & Drink

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

ATTENTION, BRUNCHERS!

Brett St Clair has been enlisted to enhance the Bakers & Co offering (image by Kirstie Young)

BONJOUR, LA GUINGUETTE A new restaurant styled on Parisian bistros has launched on Cheltenham Road in Bristol. La Guinguette – meaning ‘the tavern’ in French – opened its doors last month, serving up traditional Gallic treats, good cheese and lip-smacking wines alongside a menu of simple and delicious dishes.

Husband-and-wife team Roxane and Jérôme, along with their best friend Ophélie, wanted to bring the best of tasty French food to Bristol in a less stuffy atmosphere. The menu features everything from steak frites, mushroom tapenade, tuna and tarragon rillettes and pissaladière (a kind of pizza), to cold meats, croque monsieurs and autumn/winter favourites including deliciously cheesy and indulgent raclette dishes.

More than enough reason to pop in and say bonjour...

• Follow on Twitter: @guinguette_uk

They must have seen us coming...

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Gloucester Road eatery Bakers & Co has launched a revamped breakfast and brunch menu and welcomed a new head chef with a prestigious baking background.

Having become popular for its laid-back daytime dining – inspired by the vibrant farm-to-table foodie scene of San Francisco – the restaurant has enlisted Brett St Clair. Brett has worked in some of the UK’s most revered kitchens including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, Michel Roux Jnr’s Le Gavroche and Bath’s The Bertinet Bakery, where he spent seven years running the pastry section and development kitchen. “The new menu aims to take the Californian influence and add more multicultural influences and a lighter, fresher approach,” he said.

“We’ll be changing it in line with the seasons so people will be able to try something new and different every time they visit.”

As well as serving an array of dishes such as Bakers’ full English, huevos rancheros and homemade breakfast sandwiches, Bakers & Co is offering a wide selection of bakery goods and hot drinks to to take away, including its much-loved sourdough loaves and fresh coffee from local roasters Extract.

• bakersbristol.co.uk

GORGE NEW LOOK It’s always had one the best views in Bristol and now beloved local venue the Avon Gorge Hotel has an ultra-elegant new look to match thanks to Hotel du Vin. The hotel group has revamped the interior – uncovering some beautiful original stained glass in the process – and opened a new restaurant named after a local legend that tells of two giant brothers who fell in love with the same woman. The dining space – Goram & Vincent – now offers floor-to-ceiling views over to the suspension bridge as well as ethically sourced produce and a smokehouse with open kitchen, coal-fired grills, a smoker and clay ovens.

Hand-cut steaks, Dinner with a side of baked scallop pie with suspension bridge chestnut mushrooms, and sweet-and-sour salads populate the menu, with breakfast highlights including galette complète (fried eggs, British roast ham and Gruyère in a freshly made crêpe).

Dessert options, meanwhile, include 18-layer Black Forest gateau, best washed down with a fine wine, chosen from around the world by expert sommeliers.

• hotelduvin.com

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E E L AM AB , G IL AR AVA BO N D O IL IS W EN V &

Award winning fish & chips www.cliftonvillagefishbar.co.uk www.stokebishopfishbar.co.uk 4 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4BP 13 Druid Hill, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, BS9 1EW

Molesworths of Henleaze 101 Henleaze Road, Bristol, BS9 4JP

Molesworths of Frampton 147 Church Road, Frampton Cotterell, Bristol, BS36 2JX

0117 962 1095

01454 777337

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GARDENING FOOD & DRINK | CHEF PROFILE

THE STAGE IS SET...

Melissa Blease meets the Italian chef at the helm of Bristol Old Vic’s brand new kitchen

Vibrant confit duck salad (all photography by Fosters)

“F

ood and cooking play a very important part in my family’s life, and my love of cooking comes from my family. While I’m sorry I’m no longer living in Italy with them to help support those traditions, I’m confident they will still carry on.”

Ah, it’s always tough for a family when they wave goodbye to part of the clan – especially if they’re losing a keen cook. But for those of us who live in the south west of England, Coco Barone’s relocation to Bristol is good news – and she’s clearly very happy heading up the brigade at the Bristol Old Vic’s brand new eating and drinking venue.

The 1766 Bar and Kitchen – named to commemorate the year that the now-iconic theatre first opened its doors – was unveiled towards the end of last month and forms an integral part of the Old Vic’s multi-million pound redevelopment, aiming to be a new social hub for Bristol.

The curtain rises early at 1766, with breakfast dishes including fresh waffles, smoked streaky bacon and maple syrup or fried halloumi, smashed avocado and roasted vine tomatoes on chargrilled turmeric and chilli bread. As the day rolls along, a daily-changing salad bar, tapas menu and set theatre menu (from £9.95 to £17.95 for two or three courses, also available as a pre-theatre supper menu) dominate the lunchtime scene, seguing into a more extensive three-course prix fixe in the evening.

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“We want 1766 to be a destination for all sorts of people in the city, whether they’re after morning coffee, lunch, dinner, cocktails before a show or a fabulous Sunday lunch in a characterful environment,” says Coco, of the new venture. “Just like the theatre, we offer a programme that has something for everybody.”

And how might the glorious historic building that 1766 is based in impact on those menus? “The building is old but the food is contemporary, and we like that balance,” says Coco. “We’ve had a bit of fun with it too – the breakfast menu, for example, features a few dishes inspired by some Bristol Old Vic legends, like Peter O’Toole and the theatre’s resident ghost, Sarah Macready. If you want to see how we’ve directed that influence, you’ll have to come along and try our food!”

Coco was born in Mantino, a small village in the south of Italy. When she was 19, she went to work as a chef in a hotel in the north of the country, but, after four years, decided that she wanted to progress her skills and relocated to one of the best Italian restaurants in Zurich.

“This was my first role as a chef de partie, and it taught me a great deal,” she says. “After working in Zurich, my father encouraged me to explore more cuisines and work on improving my English. I had some good friends who already lived in Bristol, and they told me what a fabulous city it is – so here I am!”

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FOOD & DRINK | CHEF PROFILE

Coco worked at both Glassboat and Rosemarino before taking up her role at 1766, and brings a wealth of both local and international experience to Bristol Old Vic. “Learning to cook has offered me the opportunity to travel and experience other cultures,” she says. “On holiday, when other people want to relax, I want to eat; when I want to experience a new place, food is the best way to do that. So, keeping the ingredients and produce I use as local and as seasonal as possible is very important to me. But every day, I am given the opportunity to learn something new; I can constantly improve myself, and I love that.”

Coco’s role is not, however, without its tests. “In a kitchen, there are challenges to deal with every day,” she says. “When you’re working in a busy environment to very high standards, it can get quite stressful.

But you must keep calm with both the people around you and the food. My father told me that, when stress sets in, the best thing to do is to take a step back and breathe – he said, if you’re going to rush it, don’t do it. I try my best to follow his advice.”

Inevitably, the subject of how few female chefs are heading up kitchens in the UK arises. Why does Coco think that this is still the case? “In the hospitality industry, kitchens in particular can be quite misogynistic and even the very word ‘chef’ is still synonymous with men,” she says. “As a result of that outdated culture, there are still very few female head chefs in this country; Clare Smyth [a former Gordon Ramsay protégé who now runs her own restaurant, Core, in London’s Notting Hill] is the only female chef with three Michelin stars in the UK, so she’s a real inspiration. I really, really want to see a more equal split in the kitchen – Duck and Waffle is a great example of a 50/50 kitchen. I really hope more women start to show the power they have in kitchens, and Bristol Old Vic is a great place to start!”

A Gallic-looking winter starter

One of Coco’s intricate berry desserts, which we need, stat...

...Kitchens in particular can be quite misogynistic... As a result of that outdated culture, there are still very few female head chefs in this country...

When it comes to who else, apart from her family and Clare Smyth, Coco looks to for inspiration, she cites Steffano, her head chef when she worked in Zurich, as one of her food heroes. “Every day, he would put 100% into everything he did,” she recalls. “Everything he did was done with total effort and commitment. It was hard to work to that level of perfection all the time – I think I cried every day for the first month I was with him! But I learnt that if you want to achieve, you must have that attitude. Steffano’s restaurant is still the best Italian restaurant in Zurich. He doesn’t take days off, but he doesn’t want to – I really admire his determination.”

While having high expectations and steely resolve to aspire to, the ingredients Coco couldn’t create her dishes without are accessible, familiar and down-to-earth – the classic base upon which the world’s best menus are built. “It may sound too obvious, but I couldn’t cook without good tomatoes, and good olive oil,” she says, in true Italian fashion. “And salt is so important! Even desserts need salt. If used correctly, salt can be your best friend.”

Unlike many chefs, Coco doesn’t have a signature dish – but she readily makes recommendations for those keen on touring her menus.

“If I was eating at 1766, I’d opt for a selection of the small plates, because that way you get to taste more flavours. I prefer to eat lots of small different things, rather than one dish. On my side of the pass, I most enjoy creating something good from almost nothing with my hands – pasta, for example. I like to stand in my flour-covered apron and look at a ravioli and say, I made that!”

Right this way, Ms Barone, your centre-stage spotlight on the Bristol food scene awaits... ■

Bit of beef before a show? Don’t mind if we do

It’s curtain up for 1766’s kitchen queen Coco

• 1766 Bar and Kitchen at Bristol Old Vic, King Street, BS1 4ED; bristololdvic.org.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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BEST OF BRISTOL

GRAND JOB, GROMIT! The immensely popular sculpture trail that took over the city recently raised thousands for its local charity partner – and will help scores of sick children from across the South West. We met a few of those working hard to put Bristol’s donations to their best use

T

his year’s crop of larger-than-life Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw figures saw families scurrying around the city all summer in a bid to tick off every attraction on The Grand Appeal’s arts trail Gromit Unleashed 2. This year there were also contactless payment facilities in place for fans of the colourful creations to donate to the charity which organises the whole thing in aid of sick and injured children around the city. The response to the new donation tech was quite incredible, and now the trail’s over, the money will go towards 10 designated wards, as well as the hospital as a whole. Some will support ongoing projects such as the 3D cardiac printer – which allows exact replicas of an individual heart to be made – and also music, art and play therapy. We went behind the scenes at Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s Hospital to chat to some of those who work in the departments set to benefit.

TBM: Hello and thank you for everything you do to help the kids of Bristol! Tell us a little about your role...

Dan Magnus: I am a consultant in paediatric emergency medicine which means being in charge of the children’s emergency department and helping the whole team look after sick and injured children – from the first day of life through to their 16th birthday. I treat everything from minor problems like coughs and colds through to life-threatening illnesses like sepsis or major injuries caused by severe accidents.

Giles Haythornthwaite: I am a paediatric emergency medicine consultant and clinical lead of the children’s Major Trauma Centre.

Not a lot of people know that Bristol Children’s Hospital is a dedicated major trauma centre.

What that means is that anytime a baby, child or teenager suffers a traumatic injury anywhere in the South West, they are rushed to us by land or air ambulance for immediate and life-saving treatment. Because we have so many leading specialities at the hospital, we’re the best possible place for really severely injured children to be treated.

Lottie King: I am one of a team of six sisters on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Each day my colleagues and I provide outstanding care to critically ill children from across the South West.

We respond to medical emergencies around the hospital and those arriving in the emergency department. A huge part of our job is also to provide advice and support to families at a very difficult time.

Michelle Seymour: I am lead nurse for children’s epilepsy surgery.

Anoo Jain: I am a consultant in St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. As a specialist referral centre, our hospital treats over 800 babies each year from all across Bristol, the 60 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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South West and South Wales. Every day I work with a team of dedicated nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals to care for premature babies born as early as 23 weeks, to those requiring lifesaving treatment and care when they are born at full-term.

Why did you want to work in your particular department?

Michelle: I like the complexity of the speciality and the detective-style work of trying to pinpoint exactly where in the brain the seizures are coming from!

Giles: Diagnosis and treatment in an emergency setting can be really challenging but it’s also one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

Children are great patients and I get to meet some remarkable families.

Dan: I completely fell in love with paediatrics when I started as a junior doctor and have loved every minute. When I decided to become a specialist in children’s emergency medicine it was because I wanted to be there to support children and families when they most need emergency help, but also to work with the inspiring and amazing doctors, nurses and others that work in paediatric emergency medicine.

Lottie: I really enjoy being part of a highly motivated and dedicated team with the knowledge and skills to deliver life-saving treatments.

No two days are ever the same as we care for a wide range of patients

Consultant Giles Haythornthwaite loves Bristol for its independent thinkers – they make ideas like the trail become a reality

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BEST OF BRISTOL

Dan Magnus has loved his time in paediatrics and is working with The Grand Appeal on a dedicated area for children with special needs and a new resuscitation station for babies

Colourful creations like this one could be seen all over the city this summer

xxxxxxxx

No two days are ever the same for PICU’s Lottie King – who loves a stroll around the harbour with her chihuahuas in her spare time

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BEST OF BRISTOL

Prima Featherina is raising money for Bristol the Writers Group perform in Redcliffe Caves (image by Paul Bullivant) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital

Rocket Man – inspired of course

by David Bowie – was a firm favourite with trail visitors

Meet Amy Morse at the old police cells event

Members of the emergency department with their Lego Gromit

with varying conditions and needs. We are always prepared for whatever may come through our doors.

Anoo: I’ve loved looking after children from the early stages of medical school. This developed into a desire to be a specialist in neonatal medicine in 1993 when I worked in an Australian neonatal unit.

What’s your favourite bit of the job?

Giles: Oh that’s a hard one. I would have to say leading the children’s trauma team in the resuscitation room. Based in our emergency department, it’s where we assess and stabilise our most ill or injured patients. We’ve been a dedicated major trauma centre for over four years now and in that time I have watched the team get more and more efficient and effective. It is deeply satisfying seeing everyone’s hard work come together to treat a severely injured child and ensure they get the best treatment in a timely way.

Michelle: I will never tire of hearing how epilepsy surgery has stopped or significantly reduced the amount of seizures in a patient; how it’s enabled children to learn new skills or attend school for a full week or apply for a driving licence. It can have such a life-changing impact on parents too. It’s amazing to hear that they can sleep through the night and not be up worrying that they’ll miss their child’s seizure.

Anoo: It’s wonderful to meet families who have been through our unit, listen and learn from their experiences. I enjoy being part of a great team doing a really worthy job.

Dan: Seeing children and their parents in the emergency department comes with a lot of responsibility and I am constantly aware that it is a privilege to be part of their lives at that moment. It is a job that is sometimes upsetting and occasionally tragic but more frequently it is full of hope, smiles, laughter and children who get better. The chance to do something important and good for children is what gets me out of bed in the morning; without doubt the part of the job I love most.

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Michelle Seymour from neurosurgery with patient Harry

Lottie: Seeing those that we have cared for walk back onto our unit once they have fully recovered is amazing. Those moments make it all worth it for me.

What mightn’t we know about your department?

Dan: Recently, over 24 hours, the entire department pulled together to row 365 miles to raise money for The Grand Appeal. Rowing through the night on machines in the main entrance of the hospital was a gruelling challenge, but one that I was incredibly proud to take part in alongside my colleagues. Everyone pitched in to get us to the finish line and we raised over £3,000.

Anoo: We get through a lot of cake!

Michelle: The epilepsy surgery nursing team consists of three part-time working mums. We all worked together 12 years ago at Frenchay Hospital on the neurosurgery, burns and trauma High Dependency Unit. It’s great to be working together again! We are all good friends and share the same commitment to the children and families we look after. We have also become experts at juggling work and home life...

Giles: Major trauma often involves a host of different teams – from neurosurgeons and emergency department staff to burns specialists and neuro rehabilitation staff – as different specialities are required for children with multiple injuries. One other thing is that family care and support is a huge part of our role. These families, sometimes hundreds of miles from home, have been thrown into an incredibly stressful and daunting situation, and we do everything we can to make sure they understand what is going on and that they feel emotionally supported in a truly tough time.

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BEST OF BRISTOL

Why is the support of The Grand Appeal so important?

Michelle: Epilepsy surgery can be life-changing and as a designated centre it’s crucial we have access to the latest developments. The Grand Appeal has been instrumental; in 2015 it funded a pioneering advanced neurosurgery robot and brain lab diagnostic suite (one of the first in the UK specifically for children). This is a highly specialised piece of equipment that allows the surgeons to operate on patients with brain tumours and other complicated neurological conditions with incredible precision, and has already revolutionised epilepsy treatment here.

Dan: It’s vital in helping us to be one of the best children’s emergency departments in the world. In the last year alone The Grand Appeal has funded life-saving emergency equipment, better facilities for parents and families and support for our staff. Our partnership means we can improve the overall experience for our patients from the moment they enter our doors to the point that they leave. Creating a more childfriendly environment and funding parent beds and additional life-saving kit are just a few of the special things we simply wouldn’t be able to do without charitable support.

Giles: Major trauma is a very challenging area and care is being improved all the time. The Grand Appeal gives us the edge and the ability to give each and every child who comes through our doors the very best chance. Whether it is the intraoperative MRI scanning suite – one of only a handful in a Europe – their family accommodation house just a stone’s throw away or visits from the charity’s music therapists, these essential touches provided by The Grand Appeal that make the world of difference to our young patients and families.

Anoo: Cots for Tots, part of The Grand Appeal, has donated some of the most pioneering medical equipment to the unit and the transport team that helps us do our job. The biggest difference has been Cots for Tots House, the family accommodation run by the charity. Our unit has a huge catchment area, including much of the South West and Wales, which often means families have to travel far from home for their baby to be treated here. Cots for Tots House is just minutes from the unit and provides free accommodation 365 days a year for all family members who need to stay close to their sick baby. It’s had such a positive impact for so many since it opened six years ago.

Which Gromit Unleashed 2 sculpture was your favourite?

Dan: Apart from the fabulous Lego one (cracking build, Gromit!) dedicated to our department, my favourite has been Rocket Man who used to sit on a bench outside the hospital. I felt like he kept a watchful eye over it and used to keep me company when I would leave the hospital late at night or come in early.

Giles: Sulley for sure – he has blue fur with spots! And not just because he’s supporting Major Trauma...

Anoo: Prima Featherina – raising money exclusively for our unit, supported by Marriott Royal Hotel. It drew a huge crowd this summer as part of Bristol’s largest fairy gathering – the costumes even rivalled my pink tutu from our 2017 Wrong Trousers Day fundraiser!

Lottie: I should say Caractacus Paws who’s raised money for our unit.

However I am obsessed with Gromit P. Sullivan – I love his hair!

Michelle: Tricky to choose. Rocket Man, obviously! He’s the sculpture helping raise money for the neurosurgery department. Also Sulley because he’s fluffy (and my children’s favourite).

What developments are going on in the department at the moment?

Michelle: At the moment, we are really excited about the use of a deep brain stimulation for the treatment of certain types of epilepsy. This equipment places electrodes into the affected area of a patient’s brain, creating an electric field which overrides the pathway causing the issue.

Giles: Being a major trauma centre for such a large area means we get a lot of young patients referred to us from hospitals across the region when they need specialist treatment. That means we are regularly communicating with lots of other medical professionals and improving that communication is a real focus of ours. During the referral we can conference-call in several specialists to discuss the best path to take and listen to recordings of the discussion to improve and speed up our decision making in the future.

Dan: Our team is working closely with The Grand Appeal on projects including a new-look waiting room, a dedicated area for children with special needs, a new resuscitation station for babies and new parent

beds for the department’s observation ward.

Anoo: We are always developing ways to have parents more involved in their babies’ care, and improving care with the best quality research.

For example, Cots for Tots recently funded the use of vCreate in the unit – a secure video messaging service that our nurses can use to record and send video updates of their special-care babies to parents while they’re away from the unit, minimising separation anxiety and stress. It’s the little things like this that can make the biggest difference to families going through an incredibly tough time.

What improvement would you most like to see?

Michelle: Improved awareness of epilepsy surgery. There are children that could benefit but for lots of reasons don’t get referred to the service. We are always striving to educate and raise the profile to ensure children and families have the best options for treating epilepsy.

Dan: We want to be a world-leading children’s emergency department, providing the best emergency care. We are looking to push boundaries and become a leader in patient experience, safety, digital technology, research and education and training. The NHS is celebrating 70 years this year and we want to make sure emergency care is future-proofed for the children of Bristol in the next 70 years too.

Giles: Our main goal is always to improve outcomes for young patients and save the lives of the seriously injured. However, we’d also really like to see patient transfers to the hospital from others in the region become faster, and be able to provide more resources to the rehabilitation side of our patients’ journey.

Anoo: We want to be a shining star of excellence in all aspects of neonatal medicine in our families’ and peers’ view. Ultimately, the goal is always to create a better environment for families in and outside our unit.

If you weren’t working in this job, what might you be doing?

Dan: I’d be an actor, but possibly not a very good one… Or maybe working for a global health charity.

Giles: If I am honest I don’t know, I’ve been doing this for so long and I am more interested in healthcare now than ever! Although I imagine being a teacher would be immensely satisfying.

Michelle: I knew I wanted to work within the healthcare profession from an early age after spending time in hospital as a patient myself.

Perhaps working on an air ambulance or playing netball for England!

Lottie: I love my job but have always wanted to be an airline pilot...

Surprise us with something about yourself...

Michelle: I can watch all sorts of gory brain operations but if I see a nail hanging off I’ll pass out... Oh and I can juggle – I mean with balls this time, not life!

Giles: I’m dyslexic. When I was eight years old I couldn’t read or write.

Dan: I speak Luo – the tribal language of western Kenya.

Anoo: I’m learning Tai Chi Chen style short form; I also love cooking – ‘Poulet Robert’ is a firm family favourite. It’ll take more than that to get my secret ingredient though!

Favourite thing about Bristol?

Giles: Independent thinkers. Projects like Gromit Unleashed have made me realise how much innovation and art there is in Bristol. The trail brought together high-tech companies, independent artists and famous brands to put their own twist on the classic Aardman sculptures. It’s given so much to the children’s hospital, all while creating a spectacle in the city that we should all be proud of. Bristol is the sort of place where an ‘out-there’ idea can become an incredible innovation!

Dan: Penfold’s Kitchen – my favourite coffee shop (and cinnamon bun provider) just opposite the hospital.

Anoo: It is such an open and welcoming city – we are lucky to have so many beautiful places on our doorstep.

Lottie: I live just outside Bristol, however on a sunny day there is nothing nicer than a stroll around the harbour with my chihuahuas.

Michelle: The accent! I’m still trying to master it! ■

• grandappeal.org.uk; gromitunleashed.org.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY 6 O’Clock Gin is one of the trailblazing local businesses

TOP TIER TRADING

They were named after Air ViceMarshal Owen Tudor Boyd and Air Commodore P L Lincoln Sandra Stark (managing director, Retirement Living) and Sherrie Hewson

AMAZING SPACES Two former WWII barrage balloon hangars – named Boyd and Lincoln after two commanders of the RAF Balloon Command – have been refurbished to create unique warehouse space.

Vacant for years, the Grade-II hangars on Pucklechurch Industrial Estate benefit from 12-metre eaves, twice the height of conventional industrial buildings of this size. The refurbishment has resulted in strong interest, with Lincoln already let to Fairway Engineering.

“The transformation is remarkable,” said Henry de Teissier of letting agent JLL. “Both properties have been refurbished to a high standard and offer a quality warehouse in a supply-starved market. With the severe lack of industrial space in the east Bristol and Bath area, Pucklechurch is well placed to capitalise on the demand.”

Will Pasco at surveyor Malcolm Hollis added: “This was a challenging project given the listed status and requirement to retain the form and proportions of the original buildings. The refurbishment has preserved the form and historical importance, while providing modern commercial space on a great estate.”

HURRAH FOR HEWSON

• jll.co.uk

• hawthornsretirement.co.uk

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The Clevedon-based independent retirement community The Hawthorns recently announced that stage and TV actress Sherrie Hewson has been appointed ambassador for its services and all-inclusive rental senior living brand.

Sherrie is passionate about the senior living sector – conscious that, in her words, “we are all going there” in later life – and has now become a prominent voice in the quest for better choice and improved standards for retirees.

Sherrie was impressed by the hotelstyle living provided in The Hawthorns’ package, and the flexibility and choice offered through the rental model – as opposed to the responsibilities of property ownership and upkeep.

Balancing her ambassador work with her acting career – she’s currently in Benidorm on ITV, as key long-running character Joyce Temple-Savage – Sherrie will be visiting all of The Hawthorns communities around the country in the near future.

Up to 400,000 businesses believe they could export to China yet are not doing so, international trade secretary Liam Fox declared recently; meanwhile several Bristol businesses are already trailblazing export opportunities.

“As the government steps up efforts to persuade more companies to export their products, several West businesses are already breaking through the cultural and language barriers and making inroads into ‘top tier’ markets” said Bristol and West of England Bureau chief executive Dianne Francombe. “As the Chinese economy continues to grow, The Bristol and West of England China Bureau is working hard to provide the links, introductions and a supportive environment through various networking and information events on how businesses can access these exciting new markets – which will become increasingly vital as Brexit negotiations unfold.”

The latest companies to open trading links to China include 6 O’Clock Gin in Bristol. “We chose China as an ideal overseas market because of the massive and growing middle class. They will buy quality,” said head distiller Michael Kain. “Gin is not known to the average Chinese consumer so opportunity is huge – although not without challenges. It is an open market with a positive trade outlook. The government is stable with a long-term investment and growth strategy.”

Khushi Fan of Bookbarn International in Hallatrow near Bristol, said: “We have secured our biggest order yet – all the way from Shandong Province in China – for a variety of antiquarian titles including Shakespeare and Dickens collections as well as a selection of early bibles.

Shandong Province was the home of Confucius and remains a centre of learning. It is great to think these classics of English Literature will be treasured in China.”

Visit the website below to find out about trading opportunities.

• chinabureau.co.uk

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

FAMILY DIARY Things to do with the little ones in Bristol this month

Halloween Unfairground Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 and Wednesday 31 October, starts at 7.30pm each night The Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare Enter the lair of the infamous Seaside Slayer, escape from the Dead End or steer clear of the killer clowns at the Halloween Unfairground.

Opening its doors for its annual spooktacular event, it’ll deliver thrills, chills and some frightnight specials. This year, expect five brand new scare zones, rides and a few additional surprises along the way. It’s going to be fangtastic. Price £15 per person. Advanced booking is recommended but tickets on the creaky doors will be £17.50.

• grandpier.co.uk

Top pick... concessions. Suitable for ages 12 plus; wethecurious.org

DON’T MISS...

Clowns: The Eggs-hibition Until 6 January, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Step into gigantic shoes and tumble into the wonderful world of clowns. Explore what makes a great clown at this exhibition featuring fabulous costume, fascinating archives and intriguing clown ‘eggs’. Each egg is a record of a clown’s own unique identity, preserving the unwritten rule that no clown should copy another’s look. The perfect place to try out circus skills and clown around in costume; bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristolmuseum-and-art-gallery

Giant Bionic Bug Trail Saturday 6 October – Sunday 4 November, Slimbridge Wetland Centre Meet a six-foot-long dragonfly, a four-foot buzzing bee and many other bugs along the trail; all brought to life with state-of-the-art animatronics and sound effects. You’ll have everything you need for a buzzing day out as you look out for giant bugamatronic bionic bugs around the site and collect your sticker at the end. Suitable for all ages. Trail is free with admission; wwt.org.uk

Autumn Explorers Monday 1 – 26 October, 10am – 4pm, Tyntesfield Estate Dive into autumn at Tyntesfield and enjoy some seasonal activities. Play in the fallen leaves, build a bug hotel, wang a welly and conquer the tree maze; there’s lots to do across the estate. Do dress appropriately for the weather and wear sensible footwear. Free but normal admission charges apply for the venue.

Dogs on leads are welcome and children must be accompanied by an adult; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

Madagascar The Musical Tuesday 9 October – 13 October, times vary, Bristol Hippodrome Join Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria as they bound out of the zoo and onto the stage.

Watch as all of the gang escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. With no choice left but to move it, move it, you’ll be up on your feet in no time with this Dreamworks musical. Suitable for ages three plus. Running time one hour 40 minutes (including interval); atgtickets.co.uk/bristol

The Planets 2018 Monday 1 October, 6.30pm, We The Curious Inspired by modern astronomy, enjoy an hourlong show featuring live visuals as you embark on an astronomical journey into new music.

Expect contemporary classical music, electronica and jazz performances by the Ligeti Quartet. Tickets £14.95; £12.95 for 66 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Autism-friendly Early Opening Sunday 14 October, 9am – 10.30am, We The Curious Enjoy a quiet early morning at We The Curious with a chance to explore the exhibits at your own pace, chat with the team and take part in some intriguing activities. Don’t miss the planetarium show at 10.15am. Explore the

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solar system in 2D with softer music, the lights on and doors open. Visitors are welcome to stay on after 10.30am, when other visitors will be allowed in to the venue.

Reduced entry fees apply. Suitable for ages five plus; wethecurious.org TYNTEtots: Hansel and Gretel Wednesday 17 October, 10am – 11.45am, Tyntesfield Estate Walk through the woods and follow a fairytale trail to a gingerbread cottage. Play woodland games and crafts and then hear the classic story of Hansel and Gretel. Suitable for two – five years; tiny tots are welcome when accompanying an older sibling or companion.

Adults £3 or free if a National Trust member.

Children £7; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Anglo-Saxons for Home Educated Children Thursday 25 October, 2pm – 3.15pm Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Bring the Anglo-Saxons to life and find out about Britain’s invasions, settlements, village life and kingdoms. You will also handle artefacts, solve puzzles and learn Anglo-Saxon words. Meet in the museum foyer five minutes before the session is due to start. Tickets £7 per child, adults are free. Suitable for ages seven – 12. Sessions last 75 minutes; bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-andart-gallery Wizard Adventure Weekend Saturday 27 and 28 October, times vary Avon Valley Railway Have your wands at the ready and help in the search for the missing magic as you join the Grand Old School of Wizardry. Board the steam train, muster some magic and enjoy the

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

Break stereotypes with Princess Charming at The Tobacco Factory

Enjoy an egg-stravagant exhibition at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

adventure. Suitable for children five plus.

Tickets: children £8, adults £10, concessions £9; avonvalleyrailway.org Lo Fi Funky Space Quest Monday 29 October – Saturday 3 November, 11am and 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market Calling all intergalactic little humans! If you’re full of super-human energy and imagination, Babyhead Tom and DJ Cheeba are looking for an eager crew of space cadets to help them on their latest mission into space. Who knows what surreal planets and bonkers alien species they’ll discover. Strap yourselves in for a sci-fi, superhero, hip-hop mash-up. Running time is one hour with no interval. Suitable for ages

three – 10. Tickets £8, ages two and under go free; thewardrobetheatre.com Princess Charming Friday 2 – Sunday 4 November, 10.30am and 1.30pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres Enjoy a topical exploration of gender identity and stereotypes through cabaret, sticker books, song, dance and even acrobatics.

Celebrate being exactly who you are and break free of any gender stereotypes. Suitable for children aged seven – 11; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Go Aloft! Climb The Rigging Throughout October, SS Great Britain Could you have sailed the seven seas? Step

into the shoes of a Victorian sailor and climb the main-mast of the SS Great Britain, ascending to over 25m above ground level.

Height and weight restrictions apply. Free for under 18s; £10 for adults; ssgreatbritain.org Scribble and Sketch Saturday 13 October, 10.30am – 12.30pm, Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road Enjoy a free morning of fun and informal art and drawing activities inspired by the current exhibitions. Designed for children and grownups to take part in together, this session is all about getting creative in a friendly and relaxed environment. Suitable for all ages; children must be supervised; rwa.org.uk n

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Bristol’s Reading in Schools Consortium is appealing for volunteers to help children with their reading

GREAT MINDS A collaboration between universities and businesses in the creative technology sector is to receive a multi-million pound investment from the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Creative Industries Clusters Programme, to support, connect and amplify the work that takes place in the region.

The Bristol & Bath Creative R&D programme combines research from UWE, University of Bristol, Bath Spa University and the University of Bath, with the reach and community of Watershed, and companies working across design, broadcast, performance, technology and publishing.

Through a mix of development labs, fellowship schemes and large project funding, the programme will build on existing thematic strengths in the region including XR (immersive experiences), live performance and 5G. The model puts inclusion and new talent at its heart to identify and support the thought leaders of tomorrow, with every programme including new talent fellows, supported to think about innovation in a digital-first way.

In turn, these fellows will co-produce skills workshops for the next generation, creating a radically inclusive leadership model.

Emmy-winning team Radium – which relocated its music and sound production to Bristol in 2014 – has launched professional sound and music workshops at The Bottle Yard Studios to share expertise with aspiring creatives.

Designed to kickstart careers, the sonic data and sonic motion workshops will take place at the production hub in Bristol, from this month. The intensive courses offer practical exploration of creative and technical approaches to sound, with guidance on how to improve commercial skills and negotiate business terms with clients. Participants will also finish with a sound design library and toolkit, a visual self-promotional package and showreel piece for commercial use.

• radium-audio.com/workshops

• ahrc.ukri.org

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Hundreds of primary school pupils could benefit from extra support with their reading thanks to a new recruitment drive aiming to get more volunteers helping out in schools.

The appeal is run by Bristol’s Reading in Schools Consortium, a partnership organised by the council which brings together different organisations who all recruit volunteers to read in class.

Last term over 250 people from all across the city volunteered in 50 schools, but now sights are being set even higher. Mayor Marvin Rees wants to make sure there’s a reading volunteer for every child who needs one and that means 300 additional volunteers are needed.

New training sessions for volunteers interested in taking part will be held in central locations throughout the autumn – the next are on 25 October and 28 November – and cover everything from helping children read for enjoyment to assessing a child’s progress in learning to read. Training sessions will also be held throughout next year.

“If a child can’t read well when they leave primary school, it can have a big impact on that individual’s life, so this reading programme is about giving pupils an extra boost,” said Marvin.

Volunteers are trained to deliver 10 sessions of reading support, which will be allocated to the schools most in need or those which are without easy access to volunteers.

• candobristol.co.uk/projects

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Why The Downs School?

Headmaster Marcus Gunn gives us his view on what makes The Downs School unique.

I

am often asked what distinguishes The Downs from other schools. We enjoy an outstanding ISI Inspection Report, but this does not necessarily highlight how the school might differ from others. So here goes: Firstly, a wonderful setting of 70 acres of stunning parkland and woodland is used to enhance the children’s development; in their learning by perhaps attending lessons in our Tree House Classroom or Forest School, in their play by climbing trees and making dens, and in their sports.

Secondly, our children are also extremely happy; they hugely enjoy school. They are undoubtedly challenged - in all areas - and importantly they experience disappointment. We seek to develop resilience, perseverance and courage, traits of fortitude that will serve them well in later life. We also provide exceptional pastoral care that the children can rely on when the going gets a little tough. Indeed the relationship between the children and staff is one of genuine, unusual warmth and care.

Furthermore children find recognition in a host of different ways.

Pursuing an interest offers satisfaction in itself but by pushing for the highest standards children find fulfillment and confidence that readily translates into school life. Many schools boast an all round education but very few provide the range, the depth of opportunities our children are fortunate to enjoy. They are young and we guard against them becoming specialists too early in their school lives. Rather we cajole children into choirs, theatre productions, club and teams. Within this environment of diverse opportunities our children become confident, self-assured, rounded individuals who value the difference of others.

And then there is the ‘big fish in a small bowl’ factor: Years 7 and 8 are excellent reasons why pupils should attend The Downs. It is these two year groups, a tender time in the physiological development of young people, our pupils are the ‘biggest fish’ in the pond, top of the pile, albeit small. The self-esteem and confidence they develop from this experience is tangible and unique in the local market. Each pupil experiences considerable responsibility, increasing independence and subtle privilege that inevitably informs the development of their character.

Additionally a small school, a close and happy community, the class sizes are small, so that children are not overlooked and teachers know the strengths and weaknesses of all their students.

Finally ‘Why The Downs’? Because we nurture happy children of natural grace and unaffected manner. Achievement is always applauded quietly within the community but quality of character is equally celebrated. Six good reasons why children should attend The Downs.

The best way to test my assessment is by visiting - you’re very welcome.

The Downs Preparatory School Wraxall, Bristol BS48 1PF T: 01275 852008, E:registrar@thedownsschool.co.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS FROM THE SECTOR

HELLO, HONEY Jo Malone has just released what it hopes to be the perfect transitional fragrance for the new season.

The honeysuckle and davana cologne – think soft, peachy tones of untamed honeysuckle –aims to give an extra hit of sunshine to keep you going through the chillier months.

There’s also a candle available in the scent, to add to your Jo Malone collection.

• 100ml £94, jomalone.co.uk

FROM BEDMINSTER TO PARIS (AND LONDON) Local hairdresser Emilio Vincenzo swapped his Bristol salon for the catwalk recently. Preparing models for the London Men’s Fashion Show and Paris Fashion Show, the managing director of You Lifestyle, situated on North Street, received the call from British Hair to join an elite group of hairdressers, and ended up styling models for rapper-turned-designer Tinie Tempah and Love Island’s Alexandra Lewis – just two of his highlights. Quite the change from his Bedminster cuts, blow dries and wedding ’dos! Next up: New York and Milan...

Well, who knows?

AUTO-CORRECT Over at Erborian there’s a new release – the colour correcting CC Crème – all about achieving that ultra-even complexion. Combining makeup with moisturising benefits, redness is reduced and radiance is brought out. If it’s anything like the BB Crème, we’re going to fall head over heels for it.

• 45ml £38, spacenk.co.uk/uk

SECRETS OF THE SOIL We can’t get enough of this cooling face mask from Elemis, which aims to restore the skin’s natural glow. Containing a trio of willow tree extracts, lactic acid and Brazilian black clay, it works to gently exfoliate and transform dull-looking skin and its mousse texture is derived from fallen organic flowers, herbs and botanicals.

Sustainably sourced and great for your skin... it’s a yes from us!

• 75ml £37, elemis.com

• you-lifestylesalon.co.uk

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLY

DEVILISH DIOR No we’re not ready for autumn but, yes we’re obsessed with this limited edition palette from Dior. Reinvented for the changing season, expect red-hot shades of fall and monochrome pigments à la Volcanic 5 Couleurs Dior en Diable.

We recently attended Harvey Nichols Bristol’s 10th birthday shindig to raise a glass and celebrate a decade of the Quakers Friars store – where one hot topic was the transformation that the Knightsbridge store recently underwent. Did you see? For the month of September Harvey’s turned into Holly Nichols to “hear it for the girls” in aid of their campaign to honour women in the fashion industry and “celebrate female empowerment” and as well as the Knightsbridge store’s new first floor.

• £48.50, dior.com

• harveynichols.com

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SUPER SKIN SAVIOUR Skincare has never looked so chic, with the new CC Cream from Chanel introducing itself as a superhero for the face.

Offering five benefits, it promises to have your skin tone evened out, hydrated, protected, corrected and radiant. Did we mention it also has SPF 50? Available in six shades, our guess is that it’ll win you over in a heartbeat.

• £46, chanel.com

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

NATURAL HEALTH TIPS FOR DEALING WITH CANDIDA

By Gemma Hurditch for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine).

What is candida?

Help for overgrowth

Candida is a common fungus that lives on and in every one of us. When in balance it causes no problems, but if its growth is unchecked, it can become a chronic infection that requires repeated anti-fungal treatment. In very serious cases candida may become a blood-borne infection requiring immediate medical attention. Symptoms vary, and some can seem unrelated to the condition, including sugar craving, bloating and flatulence, mood changes, irritability, brain fog, anxiety and depression. Candida often presents as oral thrush or vaginal thrush, but the skin can also be infected, as can the intestines.

Improving your diet, primarily by choosing to eat more vegetables, (preferably organic), and taking regular exercise, is not only a great mood booster, it will also support your immune system, too.

Avoid refined carbohydrates: white flour products, sugary foods such as sweets and cake, and anything that has a high glycaemic load. High GL foods are those which quickly spike your blood sugar levels. You’ll find a GL list on line.

Avoid alcohol and anything that you are allergic or sensitive to. A naturopathic practitioner can help you to discover your food triggers.

Why does it get out of control?

Anything that compromises our immune system can precipitate candida overgrowth.

Antibiotic use is linked with candida as in the absence of beneficial bacteria, the unhealthy flora can get out of control. A Western diet high in refined carbohydrates, alcohol, sweets and caffeine will raise blood sugar and sugar is the number one fuel for candida. Sensitivities to foods such as milk, gluten and additives can also increase the load on the immune system and allow candida the chance to thrive. High stress can reduce immunity and candida can increase anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.

Find ways to help you cope with stress, such as a course of Acupuncture.

Foods to eat • The oil, milk and water of the coconut contains caprylic acid which fights candida.

Try coconut in place of dairy yoghurt, coconut cream in dishes, oil for cooking, etc.

• Garlic - eat a couple of cloves daily, raw if possible but never on an empty stomach!

Add a crushed clove at the end of cooking to retain the properties; add to olive oil and lemon juice for a spicy dressing; roast an entire bulb and squeeze out the softened cloves to spread on wholegrain toast.

• Probiotic and prebiotic foods - sauerkraut, kimchi, apple cider vinegar, onions and leeks can help repopulate the bowel with friendly organisms.

• Spices - cloves, oregano, rosemary, nutmeg, turmeric and cayenne are anti-fungal and fantastic antioxidants and antiinflammatories, which can help up mop up candida-induced damage and prime the immune system. Try them in herbal teas, and add loads of spices to your cooking.

• Walnuts and Brazil nuts – they’re great mood boosters and high in compounds to support your immune system.

Other tips A naturopathic practitioner can advise on specific dietary and lifestyle changes.

They may also consider appropriate supplementation to increase your intake of probiotics, and to boost your mucous membrane health and your immunity.

Adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola or Withania can help you deal with feelings of stress. A herbalist could create a specialist blend of these, plus herbs which have antifungal and immune boosting effects, such as Barberry, Oregon Grape, Garlic, Black Walnut and Olive Leaf, along with others which can address individual factors leading to your candida overgrowth.

Gemma Hurditch

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

3rd October Please book online at:

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

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK | OCTOBER 2018 | THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 75

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW...

Crystal Rose goes under the laser and stops beating around the bush with unwanted hairs

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rotective goggles on, I thought about the countless body hairs I constantly obsessed over and how they had led me to the EF Medispa clinic. While we’re repeatedly told they’re completely natural, in all honesty I still feel deflated when I look down at myself and see the latest jet-black foe that’s appeared (once even on my chest...)

After opting for a laser hair removal treatment and talking about it more to those around me, I had come to realise how much unwanted body hair can knock body confidence. As Becca from EF Medispa reminded me, you never know what concerns people are concealing from the world and how they may view themselves. To you, something may seem the most unsightly thing but to others it’s just human, barely noticeable.

Speaking as a self-confessed depilation lover, it can be so easy to obsess – and with no hair of mine ever left unwaxed, shaved or groomed for long, I decided it had all become too much maintenance and was time to take real action.

Set in the heart of Clifton on Whiteladies Road, the clinic welcomes a variety of ages through the doors, who visit in search of solutions to different problems including unwelcome fluff. During my consultation, Becca and I discussed my worries and set about deciding the best treatment for me. She also informed me of the areas that people usually wish to have laser hair reduction on – most commonly the face, stomach, legs and bikini regions.

An initial patch test was conducted on my stomach and underarms to ensure that my skin would be suitable for the treatment. Though a course of six sessions is recommended to ensure long-lasting results, the length of the treatment is uniquely designed for each individual. This is to ensure that the best results can be achieved for everyone. EF Medispa is all about the long-term solution for your concerns – helping you to get what you’ve always wanted with no quick fixes in sight. Even after the six sessions, maintenance is recommended. This is not to target those same hairs from before – those should be permanently reduced – but to eradicate any newbies that have grown since.

The day before each of my sessions, I prepped my body by shaving the 76 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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areas to be targeted and ensured that my fake tan had been completely exfoliated off. Tip: be sure not to wax or pluck any hairs during the whole course of your treatment as this fully removes the hair follicle and will hinder the removal process. It’s also a no-deodorant zone 24 hours after the treatment to ensure there is no irritation of the skin. Make sure to avoid any sun exposure on treated areas and wear SPF at all times, especially two weeks prior and after each session. It’s also advised that you avoid hot showers for 24 hours – it’s worth it in the long run – and try not to shave the areas for at least a week after each session. After this time, it’s absolutely fine to shave as usual.

While I was happily chatting away with aesthetic therapist Goda, the Soprano Ice Laser set to work. It all began with a cool sensation that gradually warmed as the laser moved along the skin, targeting the hair follicles underneath. Passing light through the skin, the virtually painfree treatment saw the sensations come rolling in as the laser zoned in on the follicles and sought to effectively destroy the cells so they could no longer produce hair – a thought that I found very reassuring. Leaving the rest of the surrounding tissue untouched, the laser only targets the individual hair follicles themselves. I was told to inform Goda when the heat got to a good seven out of 10 on my personal heat radar, to avoid any burning of the skin – this is something that changes for everyone depending on skin and hair types. As Goda told me, this treatment is incredibly successful at reducing hair growth but it does not stop new hairs from growing; it can be down to various hormone changes such as those experienced during pregnancy. That’s exactly why maintenance sessions are suggested after the treatment – to target the hairs that have since sprouted.

It’s amazing what a difference even one session can make; I had fewer hairs on my stomach and underarms and the fluff-free patches were clearly visible. A few sessions later and my hairs have significantly reduced and my skin is so soft. A great way to remove those unwanted hairs and ensure a confidence boost to boot. n • EF Medispa Bristol, 10A Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PD; 0117 370 5741; efmedispa.com/bristol

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SHARED VISION

G

ood pals and Bristol 10-year-olds Eleanor and Lucy have abandoned their glasses but are now both seeing better than ever, having taken up a little-known form of vision correction called EyeDream Ortho-k which allows them to sleep off their myopia and be free of glasses and contact lenses every day.

The overnight, bespoke lenses create a moulding force with tears which ensures good vision for the day ahead. “Eleanor came into school without her glasses and I thought she had forgotten them,” Lucy explained. “She said she was using Ortho-k. As I have worn glasses since I was four, I was really interested. I’m -3.00 Dioptres and really needed my glasses, so I decided to give Ortho-k a try and it is amazing. All my friends are saying ‘where are your glasses?!’”

Lucy didn’t like wearing glasses, but without them could not see the interactive white board, her friends in the playground, and sometimes even the teacher. Taking them off for PE also created problems. “I started Ortho-k two months ago and I can see everything,” she said.

“Seeing well has given me more confidence at Badtri, the Bristol and District Triathlon Club. Before, I couldn’t fit my glasses under my cycling helmet and swimming was a problem.”

Her mother, Kate Budd, whose vision is -8.00 Dioptres, was keen for Lucy to try Ortho-k. “If this was around when I was a child it would have changed my life,” she said. “I was short-sighted from five but wouldn’t wear glasses. There are massive benefits for Lucy. I like the fact that it is under my control for hygiene and ensuring the lenses are not lost. It can also limit short-sightedness and I am hoping that Lucy’s eyesight does not deteriorate at the same rate as mine.”

Ruth Altwasser shares the same concerns about her daughter Eleanor’s vision, as she, too, is very myopic. “There was a lot of motivation to try Ortho-k, as I have so many problems with glasses,” she said. “I have never been able to take part in contact sports, and if Eleanor’s vision continued to deteriorate as much she wouldn’t be able to do so much, particularly swimming underwater and following the ballet teacher’s instructions. Eleanor has been using Ortho-k for seven months and it is going really well. She has taken responsibility for cleaning the lenses and putting them in,” Ruth added.

A form of Ortho-K – the fastest growing form of vision correction in the UK, suitable for all ages – was first used by the ancient Mandarin Chinese. They would sleep with tiny bags of sand on their closed eyelids which resulted in better vision the next day, having created temporary change in the cornea. Refined to an almost perfect science, Ortho-k is now prescribed by opticians after taking detailed topographical maps of the cornea. Lenses are produced for each eye and gently flatten the cornea by less than a hair’s width.

“We know that myopia in UK children has doubled in the past 50 years and the likelihood of developing more serious eye conditions in later life is significantly higher with even low levels of myopia,” explained optometrist Peter Turner, who treated the girls at Turners Opticians in Fishponds. “If we can arrest the progression of vision loss in young people it has to be good.”

• turnersopticians.co.uk

TOP BACK CARE TIPS – Spine Centre Specialists Whilst many people suffer with a bad back, many more adults are unaware of the causes, symptoms and effects of back pain. Based at the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield, in Clifton, the Spine Centre Bristol provides comprehensive private assessment and treatment for a range of spinal conditions affecting the neck and back and avoiding surgery wherever possible.

Consultant spinal surgeon and fellowship trained Mr Stephen Morris explains: “Evidence suggests that prevalence and rates of severe and chronic low back pain are increasing, particularly after 40 years of age.

The key to keeping your back healthy is about protecting your spine by knowing how to lift correctly, how to sit and stand properly, and doing core-strengthening exercises.

Top tips for a healthy back: • Maintain good posture – avoid slumping in your chair or hunching over a desk or when walking. Make sure your bed has the correct support and comfort for your weight and build • Take a break from sitting – move away from your desk or arm chair every 30 minutes • Exercise your back regularly – walking, swimming and cycling are all good ways to strengthen your back muscles • Always bend at your knees and hips, not your back • Lift heavy objects correctly and carry larger loads in a comfortable rucksack using both shoulder straps to even out the load, avoiding sling bags • Lose excess weight and stop smoking to prevent your discs from degenerating • Use relaxation techniques to combat stress which is a major cause of back pain

Mr Stephen Morris, consultant spinal surgeon at Spine Centre Bristol

Consultant spinal neurosurgeon, Mr Nitin Patel

Consultant spinal neurosurgeon, Nitin Patel, adds: “Patients with persistent back, neck, arm or leg pain may have an underlying spinal condition. A consultation with a spinal specialist would help determine the need for further tests such as MRI scanning for diagnosis. In most patients with a spinal condition, non-surgical treatment is usually successful. This can include pain management, exercise, steroid injection therapy, specialist physiotherapy and preventative advice. Surgery may be useful for some conditions when patients fail to improve with nonsurgical treatment and their symptoms continue to interfere with work and leisure activities. Wherever possible, less invasive surgical procedures using modern microsurgical techniques are used to aid recovery and improve overall results.”

To find out more or to book for one of our free events, ring 0117 906 4870: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol/events Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital The Chesterfield, 3 Clifton Hill, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1BN

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Canine king of the ruins, sniffing out the paranormal

CALL OF THE COMBE Andrew Swift finds forgotten woods, enigmatic ruins and possible paranormal activity just past Backwell

B

rockley Combe is a strange and secretive place. Most people will know it, if at all, as a busy, winding cutthrough between the A370 and Bristol Airport. Not that long ago, though, it was a celebrated beauty spot. As recently as 1942, one writer described it as “a romantic fairy-like glen of great beauty”, while over 150 years earlier the Rev John Collinson claimed that, “if this spot had the advantage of water, it would be a second Matlock on a smaller scale, but not less romantic and beautiful.” In 1795, when Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge passed this way, he was even moved to pen a sonnet to its charms.

It also happens to be one of the most haunted places in Somerset.

Not that I knew that when I pulled into a lay-by there some years ago to explore its woods. There were no signs or information boards to welcome me to this lonely spot, and nothing to indicate which way I should go – just a gap in a fence and a far from well-walked track climbing steeply uphill. Armed with an OS map, though, I felt sure I would be able to make sense of the paths weaving through the woods.

My confidence was misplaced. All went well for a time, as I chanced upon a broad and rutted track winding through one of the densest woods – thanks to a superabundance of yews – I had ever encountered.

Things started to go wrong after I stumbled upon a mysterious group of weed-choked ruins set within a walled enclosure.

Heading past the ruins, trying to follow the path shown on the map, I soon ran into trouble – thick vegetation, barbed wire fences and, before long, in the depths of the wood, nothing to indicate in which direction I was heading. How was I to know that the path I was attempting to follow had fallen into disuse some 50 years earlier? The haunting words of a Rudyard Kipling poem – “but there is no way through the woods” – came uneasily to mind and, though I soon managed to find my way back to the path I had followed earlier, it was to be some years before I felt inclined to renew my acquaintance with Brockley Wood.

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This time I intended to be well prepared, digging around on the internet and in old books to glean what information I could on these forgotten woods and their enigmatic ruins.

My first surprise was to discover that until the mid-18th century these woods had been airy downs. It was an 18th-century squire, John Pigott of Brockley Court, who was responsible for the transformation.

He had a passion for planting trees, and yews were among his favourites. Over 250 years on, the results of his enterprise are only too apparent.

He also established pleasure grounds with a bowling green on the downs and constructed a carriage drive so that visitors could arrive in style. Remarkably, we know what all this looked like because sketches made in 1788 by an artist called SH Grimm survive in the British Library and can be viewed online. They also show a windmill on the highest point of the downs.

Armed with this information, and with copies of old maps, I was naturally eager to revisit the woods. I was also pleased to discover that new footpaths and bridleways had been established to replace those that had disappeared. Parking as before in the lay-by and squeezing through the same gap in the fence, I joined the broad track which I now recognised as the carriage drive up which visitors rode to the pleasure grounds.

As I approached the site of the ruined pleasure grounds, the idea that the sun once shone on manicured lawns in this gloomy spot seemed preposterous. It also seemed preposterous that, armed with maps, I would fail to locate the remains of the windmill, but so impenetrable was the undergrowth I was forced to abandon the quest.

I had also not anticipated any return of the unease I had felt on my previous visit. Yet – largely because of those yews – few woods cut you off from the outside world so effectively and, so little frequented are they, it is quite possible to visit them without meeting another soul.

And this time I had a dog with me, whose trick of seeing things that aren’t there was even more pronounced than usual. She clearly felt

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

uneasy, and not just because of the periodic – and to her inexplicable – roar of planes taking off from the nearby airport. And the more she growled at rustlings in the bracken and started at shadowy stirrings in the branches overhead, the more it began to dawn on me that this would be a perfect setting for a tale of the supernatural.

On returning home, I wondered whether the same idea had occurred to anyone else and, widening the scope of my internet searches, almost immediately discovered a website informing me that “Brockley Combe is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in England”. There were many others in a similar vein.

The most frequent sightings, it seems, are of a coach and four rattling through the woods, driven, according to some accounts, by a headless coachman. One unfortunate cyclist even claims to have had it drive through him when he failed to pull up in time. There have also been reports of a headless huntsman or phantom horseman and, while all the sightings have occurred at night or when the light is fading, other people have reportedly heard coaches approaching, but failing to materialise, in broad daylight.

The spirit of a wayward reprobate, 18th-century parson John Hibbetson, who cheated the family of a local man out of their inheritance, is also said to walk these shady paths. In 1870, the Bristol Times & Mirror reported that “two grave and elderly gentlemen” – a clergyman and a doctor – had had the misfortune to come across it when returning home late one night.

Others claim to have seen the ghost of a young girl wronged in love, who threw herself from one of the crags in the combe. The most celebrated ghost, though, is that of Dinah White, who lived in an isolated cottage and provided refreshments for visitors. A guidebook of 1828 described her as “the guardian priestess of the combe”.

Unfortunately, the money she took from visitors proved too tempting for some local ne’er-do-wells, who on 30 December 1833 raided her cottage. So frightened was she that, even though she managed to escape, she was found dead in the frosty woods the next morning.

Should you be tempted to take a look a look at the ruins and the site

The old carriage drive

of this paranormal activity, you can find them by heading west from Bristol along the A370. After passing Backwell village centre, carry on for 1½ miles and, and turn left at traffic lights up Brockley Combe Road, following a sign for Bristol Airport. Continue up the road for just under a mile before pulling into a lay-by on the right and parking by the fence (ST483663; BS48 3DF).

Follow a bridleway sign through a gap in the fence and a steep track bearing right uphill for 200m, before joining the old carriage drive and continuing along it. After 900m, when the track forks, fork left, passing a stand of laurels on your right and carry on for 100m to find the ruins of the bowling green and pleasure grounds. It is, as you will doubtless discover if you make the trip, a fascinating and atmospheric spot – by day at least. Ghosts or no ghosts, though, it is not one I would want to linger in after sunset. ■

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WILD BRISTOL

Bats like to follow linear features such as hedgerows, walls and woodland edges, too

URBAN MYTHS No timely October wildlife column would be complete without a look at some spooky animals – but there’s nothing to fear about bats, says Pete Dommett

L

et’s start by busting a few of those ridiculously batty beliefs. Firstly, bats aren’t blind – they use echolocation to ‘see by sound’ at night, but their eyesight is as good as ours. Nor do they get stuck in your hair. Anything that can pluck a gnat out of the air in complete darkness is not going to get itself caught in your barnet. And lastly, bats don’t suck your blood. Well, not in Britain they don’t: all of our bats are insecteaters. Vampire bats do exist, but they live in South America, not Southville.

Bristol boasts plenty of other kinds of bats though. According to Stewart Rowden of Avon Bat Group, 16 out of the 17 species resident in the UK* can be found in the old Avon area, including the city itself. “Any park in Bristol with a nice pond or lake and plenty of trees and other vegetation should be an attractive area for bats,” Stewart told me. “The more diverse the habitat, the greater the variety of insects and, consequently, the higher the number of bats.”

The most common Bristolian bats are thumb-sized pipistrelles.

These really are tiny (I remember, when I was at primary school, a boy brought in a dead one in a matchbox) and only weigh as much as a 20 pence coin.

“These are the bats people normally see flying around the back garden or the park just after sunset,” explained Stewart. “But they may also see noctule and serotine bats, which are as big as your hand, and smaller Leisler’s bats. All three are known to be in the most urban parts of the Bristol area.”

The Daubenton’s bat – or ‘water bat’ – can also be seen in the city, foraging just above rivers and lakes in places like Eastville Park and grabbing insects from the surface with their feet.

One of the best batting spots in Bristol is the cemetery at Arnos Vale [see also pxx]. The wide variety of habitats in this 45-acre 80 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Victorian garden graveyard – including woods, grassland and old buildings – provides the perfect home for several species. I joined an evening bat walk there last month, led by the appropriately named ecologist (and ex-gravedigger) Dan Flew. With bat detector in hand (a very cool device that enabled us to tune into the ultrasonic utterances of hunting bats), Dan took us on a ramble along the paths and tracks that criss-cross the cemetery.

Bats like to follow linear features such as hedgerows, walls and woodland edges, too, and Dan’s nifty gadget quickly picked up a handful of different species. Common pipistrelles were the most frequently heard – their clicking calls ending in a distinctly flatulent squelch as they acrobatically chased down moths and midges just above our heads – but we were also treated to a quick fly-by from a rare lesser horseshoe. This bat is particularly sensitive to bright, urban lighting and Arnos Vale is an important, relatively dark refuge within the city.

Bats usually begin to hibernate by the end of October, emerging again next spring – so now is your last chance to see them for a few months. Mating takes place before the big sleep, but females don’t give birth until the summer. Some have the amazing ability to store the male bat’s sperm until after hibernation when the egg is eventually fertilised. And that one’s not a myth. ■ * The missing species is the alcathoe bat which was only first identified in the UK in 2010

• You can borrow a bat detector from any library in South Gloucestershire; and you can hear Dan Flew give a talk on the bats of Arnos Vale on 11 October (arnosvale.org.uk)

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TRY BEFORE YOU RENT!

RECEIVE A FREE LUXURY GIFT BASKET When you join us for a trial period in Redland or Henleaze

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AUTUMN GLOW Now is the best time to plant many trees and shrubs, says Elly West. Get them in the soil while it’s still warm to give them the best start for next season

T

he garden is winding down now that autumn is here, but there’s still a riot of colour to look forward to as the colder weather brings new treasures in the form of berries, fruits, leaves and stems. Despite the ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ Keats once spoke of, autumn isn’t a subtle season.

Gone are the soft pastels and gentle shades of spring and summer and instead we have strong and vibrant reds, russets and oranges to illuminate the shorter days.

That’s why I think every garden, no matter what its size, should have a tree chosen particularly for autumn colour. I’m a huge fan of trees in the garden, and there are plenty that work well in a small space. They bring height and structure, and a year-round dimension – a feeling of permanence. On the modern housing estate where I live, built about 16 years ago, every garden included a tree of some description as part of the specification (as well as the usual poor soil, builders’ rubble and scrubby lawn). Many remain and they are now mature specimens that make the gardens feel established. Mine is a particularly beautiful columnar Japanese flowering cherry, that provides spring blossom and also autumn colour.

Trees are generally low maintenance, and can bring benefits in terms of shade, screening, fruit, berries, or somewhere to hang a bird-feeder, some fairy lights or even a swing. They are great at softening new hard landscaping and blocking neighbours, not to mention their benefits to the environment in terms of providing habitats and reducing carbon dioxide.

When we think of trees that provide colour in the garden, Japanese maples (acers) are perhaps unrivalled in their display.

They’re a popular choice for small gardens with their compact habit and graceful, slow-growing form, and also do well in pots where the conditions, in terms of soil type and position, can be adapted to suit them perfectly. They are generally easy to grow, unfussy and very versatile, but will appreciate a neutral to slightly acidic soil and, importantly, a sheltered spot away from scorching sunlight, strong winds and late frosts.

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Naturally woodland dwellers, dappled shade suits them well, but make sure you give them space so they can be fully appreciated. Often grown as a specimen or feature tree, they do come with a high price tag, but are a long-lived investment that you’ll continue to enjoy year after year.

Acers are suited to formal and informal styles and, of course, Japanese gravel gardens where they will sit comfortably next to rocks and a water feature. One of the best, in my view, for autumn colour is Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’, which has green leaves turning to bronze and then red in autumn. Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ has one of the finest red leaves in autumn, although the change is not as dramatic, as they are purple for the rest of the year.

When choosing an acer, check its overall shape and form.

They require minimal pruning and are best left to their own devices, so find one that is already a pleasing shape, without crossing branches or stems that are noticeably lopsided.

Other trees on my must-have list for autumn include the rowan, Sorbus vilmorinii. This is another good tree for a small space, as it is slow growing, neat and compact, with an open canopy that won’t block too much light. It also offers plenty of interest through the seasons, with creamy flowers in spring, attractive foliage, crimson berries fading to white, and dazzling autumn colour.

Amelanchier lamarckii is another favourite, and a tree that I love spotting as I drive around in spring when its brand new bronze foliage, combined with white flowers, really makes it stand out from the pack. During summer it takes a back seat, but then in autumn it comes to the fore again when the leaves turn stunning shades of copper and yellow.

As well as trees, there are plenty of shrubs and climbers that are worth growing for their autumn display. Callicarpa bodnieri ‘Profusion’ has violet berries teamed with golden purple foliage at this time of year, with the berries lasting like little jewels on bare stems into the winter months.

Above: Virginia creeper comes into its own in autumn with a fanfare of radiant red leaves Opposite: Every garden, no matter its size, should have a tree chosen for autumn colour, and Japanese maples (acers) are perhaps unrivalled in their display

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Virginia creeper deserves a mention, coming into its own in autumn with a fanfare of radiant red leaves. It’s a chimney reacher, so you’ll need to prune it to keep it in its bounds (best done in autumn or early winter).

Pay particular attention if it’s encroaching on windows, gutters and roofs, as it will happily romp away if left unchecked. It grows well in sun or shade and has inconspicuous greenish flowers in summer, which are attractive to bees and hoverflies.

Now is the best time to plant many trees and shrubs. Choose a tree to plant this autumn, and you may be able to buy bare-root, often at a fraction of the cost of the same specimen potted up in compost at the garden centre. Get them in the soil while it’s still warm, and the roots will have a chance to settle and grow before winter, giving them the best possible start for next season. ■ • Elly West is a garden designer. For more details, visit ellyswellies.co.uk

OCTOBER TASK: MAKING LEAF MOULD We’ll enjoy the gorgeous colours of autumn leaves on the trees this month, but when they start to cover the garden, we might not be enjoying them quite so much. Trees are an asset to any garden, but the autumn clear-up is not a job most gardeners look forward to.

Leaves make a mess on the lawn, smother the borders – creating breeding grounds for slugs, snails and fungal diseases – and just when you’ve raked them into a nice neat pile to pick up, a gust of wind scatters them everywhere. Choose a dry, still day to collect up leaves and use a rake or a leaf blower to get them into piles. But don’t get rid of them. Instead, create your own leaf mould – it’s garden gold! Either build a simple leaf bin with a length of chicken wire around some posts in the ground, or just put the leaves in bags (empty compost bags are ideal) spiked with some holes, and leave them to rot down. In a year or two, you’ll have beautiful crumbly leaf mould, which is great to use as a nutritious mulch on your soil.

Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

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

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

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

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INTERIORS

AW18 sees a few New York design trends weaving their way across the Atlantic (photo

by Will Horner, styling by Emily Rickard)

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN Why do we decorate? The use of an exotic paint shade, the creative upcycling of an antique chair or the choice of a black quartz kitchen must be about expressing who you are as well as following interior trends.

Textile historian Mary Schoeser says it’s all a matter of gossip and grooming... xxxx

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F

ashions come and go in interiors. However while interiors are full of objects, they differ from what we wear, eat or read in generally existing over a much longer period of time. Few are created ‘from scratch’ and even these seldom remain unchanged. Evolving with us, they are places of both privacy and sharing, solace and celebration. They offer a chronicle of our lives.

The desire to decorate is found around the world and through time, as is the ability to take something intended for one purpose and use it for another. These human traits would have less value if we were unable to remember and share our inventiveness. This is, in part, what interiors do for us; they carry memories of our own activities, as well as the evidence of previous lives, both known to us and far distant and past.

The furniture we live with varies from culture to culture, but in each instance it has changed little in the past 500 years. The basic ingredients of today’s interiors are recognisable by the 1550s. What has changed since then is the styling of interiors, but more in the matter of details than of function. The major changes occurred slowly – it was not until the late 17th century, for example, that seating developed fixed padding and upholstery. Fabric and blinds first supplemented and then began to replace wooden shutters only 150-200 years ago.

This gradual process suggests not disinterest but rather satisfaction, tempered by the inventiveness of human nature. The slow pace of change also suggests that the rooms we inhabit today cannot be radically new. Yet there is an urge to create highly individual, even eccentric, interiors. It is as if we are looking for an interior reality to tame the alarming effects of globalisation. ‘No’, our interiors say, ‘we are not all the same’. This impulse, though, again has roots in the far-distant past.

The universal message of interiors is that they are places to meet and create in. They also offer safety beyond the obvious physical barriers of walls and doors. Robin Dunbar is a developmental geneticist who argues that language emerged in humans to replace the grooming activity of our nearest relatives, the great apes.

Grooming is their way of establishing bonds. Dunbar believes we use language in the same way, to develop the relationships and loyalties that bind together the ‘small world’ of people that we depend on. Everywhere our small world numbers about 150 people, which is also, interestingly, the average size of a four-generational family. But without kinship links of this quantity, how do we form our clans? What if objects also play a part in creating and remembering bonds? Then how we decorate takes on new significance.

The importance of the table and the visible signs of individuality in our interiors provide direct links to those important activities of gossip and grooming. The gossip, or informal, personal conversation about persons or incidents that forms alliances, seems to be more confidential when shared inside around dining room or restaurant tables. The grooming, a sensuous, touch-based form of bonding, is offered to family and friends in a ritual event each time they enter your home. After the warm greeting, the multitiude of interior textures and colours take over, sending their clues to the senses.

Friends and allies will respond positively. If you point out a new vase or a newly painted wall, their response will be to touch it. If others are content amid the contents of our homes, they are likely to be content with us, too.

Decorating, then, is not a trivial pursuit. Representing the anthropologist’s point of view, Mary Douglas declared that ‘good taste’ is an index of social connections, reproductive fitness and our ability to mobilise resources. My own view is that the way the index of good taste varies from place to place all over the globe is explained by the small-world theory. We need only understand and partake in the tastes of our own ‘clan’; in decorating our homes we participate in preserving and adjusting that style. Doing so declares our allegiances. Doing nothing sends a message of disinterest in worldly connections, which is why the bare interior is rightly associated with hermits and religious orders. Clearly the common urge to make a room one’s own is more than a decorative indulgence; it may be a matter of survival.

Living rooms are receiving a dose of colour with elegant, romantic pinks like Farrow & Ball’s Rangwali No.296 (Traditional) 3

The drive towards sustainability is helping the resurgence of the age-old craft of upholstery say stalwart Bristol upholsterers Hamilton and Hodson

All in good time: decorating mindfully There is often a sense of urgency and trying to ‘get it all done’ when it comes to decorating and design, especially in a new home, says Bristol stylist, designer and twelvemonthsahome.com writer Emily Rickard. Taking your time and being mindful not only lessens the anxiety of making big decisions, it also helps financially. Here are a few Emily’s top tips...

• Don’t buy interim furniture. It can be wasteful, and often you’ll end up settling for something that doesn’t quite work.

Leave a corner empty, or pile books on the floor artfully while you take time to find that perfect piece.

• Embrace the ugly and the unwanted. Instead of ripping out something you cannot bear, think about how you can design the room around it.

• Don’t hang all your art on day one. Feel the empty space, see how it looks a few days later. Then start to plot out where art should live. If you rush, you’ll no doubt be doing it twice. Lean some pieces in places you might like to see them, then live with them a little.

• If an item from your old home doesn’t quite work, think about any minor adjustments you can make to it, rather than replacing it. A lot can be said for a lick of paint, a new piece of upholstery or re-framing a piece of art.

• Green is the new black. Decorate with house plants – they never go out of style and keep the oxygen levels balanced in your home. They are also known to clean the air and boost healing.

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INTERIORS

House plants never go out of style and keep oxygen levels balanced – pair with some deep green tiles to tap into AW18’s dark interiors trend (styling and photography by Emily Rickard)

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK: See Bancha No.298 (Modern) 2 from Farrow & Ball’s brand new collection and, below, the gorgeous George sofa from Neptune in situ

AW18 trend alerts Dark interiors are becoming more popular in both traditional and modern homes, especially as autumn gets underway. “For those who are nervous about using dark colours on the walls of larger rooms, a small room is the perfect space to experiment with bold shades,” advises Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. “It’s easily assumed that white will make a small, north-facing room appear larger, but it actually makes the room look dull and lifeless.

Instead of fighting the nature of a room that lacks natural light, use a deep tone to transform it into an enveloping space.”

The Bristol team have noticed a rise in popularity in using bold and beautiful shades to make an immediate impact. “As interior trends steer away from more neutral colour groups, people are becoming braver as they paint the rooms in their homes with a plethora of bright colours,” Charlotte continues. “Greens are extremely popular at the moment – ‘Calke Green’, a deep sage hue, looks fantastic in bedrooms and studies while ‘Breakfast Room Green’ belongs in busy living spaces like kitchens and bathrooms.

Living rooms are also receiving a dose of colour with elegant, romantic pinks like Cinder Rose and Peignoir.”

“The trends for this coming year are, indeed, bolder and stronger, with more of the deeper colour palette,” agrees Laura Reynolds at bespoke kitchen designer Fifteen Twelve. “But maintaining simplicity is key. Bristol habitats are still loving the dark blue shaker kitchens with bright white surfaces and brass handles. This design sits beautifully in the local period properties – as something respectful of the era with a contemporary feel.”

Brooklyn to Bristol This autumn/winter also sees the influx of a few New York design trends weaving their way across the Atlantic and into the homes of many in London, Bristol and beyond says Emily Rickard.

“Spa bathrooms: we used to only see these kinds of luxury bathroom ideas over in the States or in hotels,” she says. “Marble flooring, luxury taps and brassware finishes in copper, brass or oilrubbed bronze. Include bold statements such as luxury pendant lighting and feature mirrors. This is the year not to hold back with your bathroom renovation. According to Pinterest, we are now 268% more interested in spa-bathroom inspiration than ever before.

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It’s a similar story in the world of kitchens (see also p92).

“Previous years have kept us all in the safe world of navy and charcoal cabinets, mixed with white. We have remained very British,” posits Emily. “This coming year will see the re-introduction of boldly coloured kitchens, with high-end looking fixtures and fittings, and the integration of concrete, marble and stone.”

Brooklyn is abundant with mixed metals, she tells us. “Taking design inspiration from the industrial areas like Dumbo and Gowanus, and with the constant gentrification of the whole borough, they’re bang on-trend. Don’t be afraid to mix – be it with lighting or fixtures or something more temporary like a combination of silver and gold picture frames for a gallery wall. Take it one step further with a dark bronze paint colour.

If you’re keen to bring a little Brooklyn to Bristol, you could start with a feature ceiling – many of the borough’s brownstones still have tin ones as part of their current design story. Recreate the look with a textured ceiling, or simply paint a darker colour than the rest of the room to make a statement, create a sense of vertical space and add a bold pop.”

For a feeling of grandeur, even in the simplest of dwellings, you might consider making a library wall. “Create a wall of books and objects from existing cabinetry or simple flat-pack shelving,” suggests Emily. “Many Brooklyn apartments boast shelves of colourful stylised books and the impact of curated books that are well thought-out is fabulous.”

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INTERIORS

The shift to sustainability Eco-consciousness is another big consideration for the coming season – and, of course, one that needs to stick around and become perennial. What’s great is that now so many businesses are on board, sustainability no longer means compromising on style.

“When it comes to sustainable interiors my favourite thing is rugs and flooring,” says interior designer David Hutton in Stoke Bishop.

Roxx has “I recently discovered The Unnatural Flooring Company which become a staple part of my designs; I’ve used them on most of my projects since. What makes them special is that their flooring is made out of recycled plastic bottles, which is great, but for me it’s the aesthetic – it looks like sisal natural flooring and is really practical as it’s bleach cleanable so you can glug down that red wine with confidence! My favourite range is the New England which I’ve used for carpeting a holiday home in Devon and a city flat in Clifton.”

“We do as much as we can to protect the environment we live in – it’s something we value and live by,” says Charlotte at Farrow & Ball. “From the creation of our quick-drying water-based paints and wallpapers printed onto responsibly sourced paper, to raw materials, energy use, packaging and distribution, we are motivated by a desire to care for our environment. As a result, all our paints comply with the latest EU environmental legislation regarding volatile organic compounds content of paints.”

Fifteen Twelve’s Laura Reynolds feels the same as an increasing number of Bristol companies. “It is important to us that we use independent small and local businesses for all of our trade – ensuring we’re keeping the supply traffic of all our goods to a minimum,” she says. “Our bespoke cabinets are handmade and painted in Bristol, the stone worktops are manufactured at Marmobello in Bristol, range cookers come from Nailsea Electrical on Gloucester Road, and flooring is sourced from the Mandarin Stone tile shop in Clifton.”

Brighter future Shorter days and darker evenings – is it time to reasses the lighting in your living space? Thanks to tech advances, lighting with LEDs is a now a far more environmentally friendly, energy efficient and economically viable option compared with traditional lighting methods including fluorescent and halogen lighting. LEDs use much less power but don’t compromise on performance, now producing high levels of brightness.

“The retro LED filament lamp is widely available and its popularity as a decoration in its own right is set to continue,” says Gordon Gurr at Lumination. “In our Bristol store we have now moved entirely away from tungsten and halogen lamps and LED prevails. While its introduction into the UK was not entirely satisfactory, the market is now much more mature and the range of lamps and fittings is superb. Prices have come down as the volume of sales has increased so now we have LED lamps at similar prices to the halogen of the past, but with the distinct advantage of energy efficiency and long life.

“Crystal also remains a favourite but in general the move is to a modern interpretation rather than the classic chandelier. Subtle use to enhance xx chrome light fittings is an established approach which will continue.

“Mixing light fitting colours, for example over a kitchen island, is gaining popularity, so a three-drop set of pendants might include one in chrome, one in copper and one in white.” n

Working with what you have The drive towards sustainable living is helping in the resurgence of the age-old craft of upholstery; which has great eco-friendly credentials as restoring rather than replacing reduces the consumption of natural resources such as wood and reduces pollution (with less electricity consumed and minimal transport costs). “In an era of brand new furniture bought on interest-free credit, where you’re likely to find your exact sofa in your friend’s house, the investment of reupholstering classic pieces is so worthwhile,” say Nicky Hamilton and Erica Fredricksson at Hamilton and Hodson, one of Bristol’s oldest upholstery companies.

“Furniture from the key design periods, such as the Victorian era and mid-20th century, was built to last by highly skilled craftspeople. It was often produced in small-scale workshops that demanded attention to detail and people would save for years to buy beautifully crafted pieces that could be handed down from generation to generation. Even furniture made 20 years ago, before manufacturers were forced to cut corners with mass-produced items, is generally better quality than its modern equivalent and, by today’s standards, a custom piece.

“You can strip back a sofa to its frame and if the stuffing is horse-hair, this can be washed by hand to regain its softness, even if it’s decades old,” advises Nicky. “A wing armchair from the 1800s often only needs new fabric every 15 to 20 years, with normal wear and tear.” She has seen a significant increase in demand for her services as more people opt to preserve what they have rather than buying new, and is often commissioned to reupholster something that holds sentimental value. “If you want to update a much-loved piece to blend with a new colour scheme or interior remodelling, the cost of just recovering with new fabric is fairly reasonable. You’re also not adding to the land-fill mountain by dumping it for new furniture.”

To find something special to have restored, take a look around your parents’ or grandparents’ houses – you never know what they may have tucked away in a corner or gathering dust in the attic. Another great source for interesting pieces and great bargains is auctions. However, when buying at auction or online, try to ascertain the condition of a piece; you may find yourself paying for unforeseen repairs that are not obvious through photos and could be quite costly. Finding pieces by a well-known designer but in need of some TLC can be a good investment. And spending money on a quirky piece that you love, but not by a noted designer, is also worth doing.

“With pieces from design periods like mid-century modern, you can go two ways,” Erica says. “Reupholster with a fabric very similar to the original, or go off-piste, teaming a classic piece with eye-popping, vibrantly coloured fabric that refreshes the design for the contemporary aesthetic.”

A word of caution though: not all furniture is worth reupholstering. An experienced, reputable upholsterer can advise on this. The weight of a piece can be a useful indicator; if it’s heavy, it usually means it’s well made and traditionally upholstered (using coil springs and stuffed with horse-hair and coir fibre rather than foam). Upholsterers can also advise on choice of fabric, suggesting textures and colours to suit the style. Hamilton and Hodson have fabric books to browse, and extensively research more unusual ‘statement’ fabric designers.

Considering updating a classic piece? Take inspiration from fabric and wallpaper designer Timorous Beasties – experts in sourcing antique and vintage furniture, and reupholstering in their dazzling fabrics to result in works of art that you can sit on. Many fabric companies are now striving to improve their green credentials, coming out with ranges made from recycled and natural fibres and dyes, and manufacturing in Britain.

Some of Nicky and Erica’s favourites are Linwood, Bute, Moon & Sons, House of Hackney and Emma J Shipley, who still manage to produce stunning fabrics in rich colours, patterns and textures that last for years.

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FIFTEEN TWELVE is a local, independent design business specialising in kitchens. After spending the last three years transforming peoples’ living spaces across the city we have revamped our brand, packed our bags and ventured a short distance south of the river into a large industrial unit with a soonto-be new kitchen showroom.

We plan to open our doors at the end of the year with some very new and exciting additions to our kitchens :– Heres a small clue: “10 colours”... Watch this space.

FIFTEEN TWELVE Phone: 0117 379 0152 Web: fifteentwelve.co.uk Unit 9, Bristol Vale Industrial Estate, Bristol, BS3 5RJ

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GREAT BRITISH BAKE SPACE Fancy a slice of GBBO style for your own home? We can always count on Wren to help with any technical challenge that presents itself during perfect kitchen creation

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he return of what is, arguably, the nation’s favourite food show, to our screens – the wonderfully reassuring sight of Prue, Paul and the team back in the pretty pastel tent for our annual dose of sugar, showstoppers and soggy bottoms – has not only inspired us to embrace our inner domestic deity but to rethink our own kitchen spaces. We asked a few friends at Wren for some ideas on how to bring the look and feel of the Great British Bake Off kitchen into the home...

Signature style The GBBO space is all about nostalgia for a traditional country kitchen. From the trademark bunting to the shaker-style units, the vibe captures the charm of days gone by. You can get the look with Wren’s charming shaker, country and Edwardian kitchens which come with panelled units in lots of colours and traditional handle options.

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vintage crockery with pride, or choose open shelves for easy access and convenient storage.

Perfect pastels If you close your eyes and visualise the Bake Off, you’ll see pictureperfect baking stations complete with pastel units and accessories.

Take a look at the colour palette of Wren Kitchens’ Macaroon Collection, which includes mild and dreamy blues, greens, lavenders and lemons, if you’d like to recreate this look at home. Try pretty Jelly Bean, Bubblegum, Lavender, Spearmint and Lemon Curd or opt for a gentle, neutral scheme with soft creams or whites and add a splash of pastel paint on your kitchen walls to bring in the whimsical English look of the Bake Off kitchen.

Island paradise You can be the star of your own show with a kitchen island all to yourself for prepping, mixing and decorating. It’s every baker’s

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Perfect pastels: Recreate the pretty, whimsical look of the bake stations with something like Wren Kitchens InfinityShaker Plus Milano Shaker the Infinity Plus Milano in ‘Gummy Bear’in

Gummy Bear

Get yourself a nice timber worktop for that warm, traditional finish – you could even integrate a marble pastry slab

dream, isn’t it? At Wren you can sit with an expert kitchen designer and create a unique island perfect for you – style it up with a wine rack and wine cooler and then finish it off with a cook’s table suited to all culinary connoisseurs. Accessorise with vintage bowls, cooking tools, and wicker baskets for storing all those delicious ingredients.

Wonderful worktops If you want to make like the GBBO bakers, you’ve got to have a nice traditional timber worktop, right? It’s a staple. A timber worktop is a lovely surface to work on and gives a warm finish to a kitchen. Like a shaker kitchen, they integrate just as well in both modern and period homes too. Get one in oak or walnut, in one of two thicknesses and the right shade for your kitchen. Serious bakers can always treat themselves to the luxury of having the features of a professional kitchen in their own home by integrating a Carrara marble pastry slab into their worktop as well. We love that idea.

Marble maintains a low temperature which helps to keep pastry cool and stops dough from sticking.

A pro-standard oven However good your baking skills, a sub-standard oven is always in danger of letting you down. For an oven with everything a baker needs, your best bet at Wren is probably the NEFF Slide & Hide, which comes with the sliding door feature you see contestants nervously peering through on the telly show – and 12 different options including bread baking and dough proving settings.

Kitchen goals: Get your tunes on, a drop of wine on the go and be the star of the show with your Wren Kitchens Infinity Plus Milano Shaker in very own island to prep on and dance around

• To begin your Bake Off kitchen transformation, visit wrenkitchens.com

Gummy Bear

➲

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INTERIORS | SHOPPING

GEOMETRY RULES The incoming trends are shaping up to be full of pastel shades and liney structures too. Crystal Rose finds a few pieces fit for the wishlist

Candlestick holder, £20 johnlewis.com

Unstained Meghan desk, £375 oliverbonas.com

Ellingham round pot, £25 neptune.com

Fornasetti Scacco scented candle 900g, £265 harveynichols.com

Optical geo jacquard cushion, £16 next.co.uk

Round pouf in grey velvet by Rice DK, £350 fig1.co.uk

Scrapwood wallpaper by Piet Hein Eek, £199 (width 47m, length 9m) archerandcompany.co.uk

North Hampton hex tile, £137.18 per m² firedearth.com

Daborn armchair, £695 habitat.co.uk

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A NEW ERA

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he Bed Workshop, established in 1984 in Bedminster, has moved from its Victorian pickle factory home to new premises at the bus depot in Avonmouth, after the team fell for the Grade-II site and decided to restore it. The Bed Workshop has produced a range of contemporary beds in sustainably sourced pine and oak for more than three decades now; modifying them to customers’ design – with large beds their speciality. The simple and timeless styles on offer can be stained, painted, distressed, lacquered, oiled or waxed and paired with any of a large range of mattresses in stock – beds can be made, delivered and assembled in one to two weeks.

With two staff in Brittany, the team is also able to offer fantastic and functional antique French furniture, affordably priced to compete with high-street offerings. Dozens of the beds are king-size, super king-size or other larger models – at the moment the team are loving their incredible 17th-century Catalan marriage bed from Givenchy’s chateau (yep!) but most date from the late 19th century.

If you’re after something from Fin de Siecle Paris – an era which produced many incredible unique beds – buyers can source it for you.

From crofts through to chateau, beds can be in natural wood, painted, gilded or upholstered with a style for everyone.

Fancy a farmhouse table? They have always been sought after, with zinc-topped and industrial/dressmakers’ models gaining popularity.

Perhaps you’d prefer a regional armoire – the flagship of French furniture – a tiny maids’ wardrobe or a highly carved or painted and gilded masterpiece. Empire, Louis XV or XVI chests of drawers look stunning below a period mirror, with some regional pottery and vintage posters helping to complete the display.

Visit the new store at the bus depot and see what you can find... n • The Bed Workshop The Old Bus Depot, 206 Avonmouth Road, Bristol BS11 9LP Tel: 0117 982 1706, www.thebedworkshop.co.uk

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

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

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 95

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

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

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WWW.MARBLESUPREME.COM

D. ROBSON

Specialist Joinery Where wood works

Balustrade • Handrail • Staircases Restoration of Victorian/Georgian

Handrailing • Staircases • Sash windows • Sky lights Shop fronts • Curved wood • any wood work

Unit 1, Hillside Industrial Units, Manor Road, Landkey EX32 0JW

www.robsonstairjoinery.co.uk robsonstairjoinery@gmail.com

01271 831002 | 07926 144323

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF

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

autumn

/winter 2018 PROMOTED CONTENT

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ARCHER & CO 24 Alma Vale Road, Bristol BS8 2HY 0117 239 0432; archerandcompany.co.uk

Archer & Co is an independent design store now located in the ‘Alma Quarter’ between Whiteladies and Pembroke Roads, and just a short walk from Clifton Down Station. The studio was opened by Ian and Judy Archer in 2010, to showcase their own furniture and textile designs.

New in store for 2018 is Ian’s work for up-and-coming Scandi brand SITS, alongside their exclusive range of bespoke British crafted sofas and chairs. Their distinctive collection is complemented by an ever-changing selection of design accessories and art work.

HATHAWAY’S CARPENTRY 07748 151682; hathawayscarpentry.com Hathaway’s Carpentry and Joinery is a family-run business operating in Bristol and London. It offers a reliable, qualitydriven service covering all aspects of bespoke carpentry and joinery. As skilled tradesmen, the team specialise in making contemporary built-in and made-to-measure fitted wardrobes, bookcases, cupboards, alcove units or shelving. They offer joinery expertise across an array of projects such as staircases, balustrades, doors and windows, architraves, and skirtings. They are expert in laying wooden floors and patio decking and fit kitchens, from flat-pack to pre-made, and can also provide a facelift service, replacing doors and frames, to an existing and pre-loved kitchen. Hathaway’s aim is to provide a very high standard of service, based upon the principals of professionalism, honesty, fairness and intimate design knowledge.

GARDEN AFFAIRS Trowbridge Garden Centre, 288 Frome Road, Trowbridge BA14 ODT; 01225 774566; gardenaffairs.co.uk Garden Affairs specialises in made-to-measure, high-quality garden buildings. The extensive display of top-notch garden offices, posh sheds, summerhouses and gazebos can all be made to the size and style you require – flexibility is what they’re all about here. Take a look at the range of garden rooms – with a contemporary concept that solves the problem of space constraints, especially in city gardens. The Linea range of modern, Scandi-style cabins are perfect for all uses, comply with most planning guidelines and look great too. Garden Affairs offers a fixed-price installation service throughout the UK, or you can choose for a DIY kit to be delivered to your door.

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PARK FURNISHERS Willway Street, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4AZ 0117 966 9253; parkfurnishers.co.uk Park Furnishers is known by many as a premier destination for furniture, flooring and fitted kitchens, now celebrating 50 years as a proud, independent, family-owned business. On display you’ll find over 300 sofas, 100 dining sets and 100 different beds. There’s a huge choice of carpets and flooring to discover, with many stocked rolls and remnants ready for immediate delivery. The kitchen department has over 20 fitted kitchens on display and the consultants offer a free measuring and design service. As well as all of the above, you’ll find a host of home accessories including lighting, pictures and mirrors. While you take time out to discuss your options, complimentary tea and coffee is available in the in-store coffee lounge.

BONITI INTERIORS

MANDARIN STONE

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

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

Run by Giles and Simon Lunt, Boniti is a high-quality interiors (and exteriors) business, whose showroom is a destination for all types of natural stone, porcelain and timber flooring, as well as decorative tiles, stoneware, Kadai firebowls, garden furniture, homeware accessories and the very desirable Everhot range cookers. Boniti has an impressive client list of property developers and a specialist bespoke service that can supply and fit worldwide.

When it comes to any projects – both large and small – the Boniti team are masters of their profession and it shows in every detail.

You can reach the showroom easily from junction 18 of the M4.

Renowned for its comprehensive natural stone collection, more recently Mandarin Stone has gained quite a reputation for its on-trend and beautifully designed porcelains. Ranging from those that cleverly mimic materials such as wood, concrete and marble to striking glazed and patterned tiles, the collection has endless surface design possibilities.

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

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HOMES & INTERIORS | BRISTOL GUIDE 2018

ROBSON STAIR JOINERY

LUMINATION LIGHTING

Unit 1, Hillside Industrial Units, Manor Road, Landkey EX32 0JW; 01271 831002; robsonstairjoinery.co.uk

Lumination, within Gardiner Haskins, Broadplain, Bristol BS2 0JP 0117 922 6435; lumination.co.uk

Robson Stair Joinery is owned by Darren Robson, a craftsman with nearly 30 years’ experience in the trade. In this time Darren has created many bespoke solid wood staircases and handrails for straight, curved, or any shape staircase plan. Darren started his trade with a four-year apprenticeship with the renowned handrailing company F. J. Lewis in Kilburn, London. During this time he spent a great deal of time developing an understanding of the traditional tools and methods needed to create bespoke handrails and staircases. His expertise lends itself to building and renovating traditional staircases using many different types of wood including oak, utile, walnut, poplar, tulip, cherry and red pine. However in recent times Darren has worked on many projects involving contemporary materials such as stainless steel and glass.

Whatever shape or form your project requires, Darren will find the right solution for your home, making the best use of the space available to create a visually impressive staircase to make the statement you desire.

Lumination Lighting is a leading specialist retailer of lighting products and services stocking more than 20 of the leading industry suppliers from UK, Europe and the Far East which includes their own exclusively designed and specified ranges. Lumination understand that lighting design is not only about the location, intensity and control, it is about the aesthetics and the ambience created. They provide a comprehensive service covering all aspects of lighting and offer a design service to help you achieve the best possible results. There are hundreds of products on display in the showroom and online and thousands more products available to order. The store is manned by trained and experienced advisors who actively ensure that they are in touch with latest trends and technological developments and are only satisfied when you have exactly the lighting you desire.

PAUL WHITTAKER BATHROOMS AND WETROOMS

0117 223 0086 / 07879 666221; paulwhittakerbathrooms.co.uk Showroom by appointment at Bathroom Solutions, 54 Redcliff Street, Bristol BS1 6LS Paul Whittaker Bathrooms and Wetrooms is a design, supply and installation bathroom company with a huge reputation in the Bristol area. Working closely with his clients, Paul is able to deliver cleverly designed bathrooms and wetrooms, expertly installed by his experienced team of fitters. With 3D design layouts to help with decision making and project management through the course of the works, Paul Whittaker makes bathroom renovations easy and stress-free.

THE KITCHEN PARTNERS The Kitchen Partners Design Studio, 102 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY; 0117 946 6433; thekitchenpartners.co.uk Those continuous daydreams of the perfect kitchen may appear evermore distant, but the reality of your dream kitchen renovation is closer than you may think. The Kitchen Partners offer a free, inhome consultation to make your kitchen renovation ideas come true and will discuss your options and give you advice on the most efficient use of your space. With timeless products, your kitchen icould be beautiful for generations to come. Their core value is a clear focus on complete customer satisfaction and they have a keen eye for up-to-the-minute design plus extensive product knowledge, innovative spatial awareness and a flair for interior design ideas. It is these values and skills that will make your visit to the design studio a worthwhile and rewarding experience. Go and see The Kitchen Partners with an open mind, and let them design your perfect kitchen for the new year ahead.

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE V

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JOHN LEWIS OF HUNGERFORD Clifton showroom, 14 Princess Victoria Street BS8 4BP; 0117 946 7961; john-lewis.co.uk

SOFA WORKSHOP

John Lewis of Hungerford designs, manufactures and installs exquisite hand-made kitchens, bedrooms and furniture. The team have been designing and crafting beautiful painted kitchens and furniture since 1972, with their fitted wardrobe collection following in more recent years.

With such a passion for great design, each kitchen and bedroom is individually designed and built, allowing each customer to have something original in their home. All the cabinetry is made in the company’s Oxfordshire factory and everything used to make the luxury kitchens and bedrooms is selected with great care, with only timber and material which comply with the highest forestry and sustainable standards sourced.

Quality workmanship is the key to a long-lasting product and that’s why the team take such great care when building each cabinet. They use a combination of traditional and modern techniques and select only materials best suited to making each part.

76-78 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QN; 0117 970 6171; sofaworkshop.com Located just a stone’s throw from beautiful Clifton Village, Sofa Workshop on Whiteladies Road has to be the first port of call for anyone in search of a very comfortable sofa. All of them are handmade in Britain and available in the greatest choice of fabrics on the high street, including all the best-known design houses. Visitors can find a wide choice in the spacious showroom with sofa styles ranging from contemporary to traditional. The experienced team are always on hand to help customers through the process, ensuring that they choose the sofa that’s right for them.

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

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ARCHITECT YOUR HOME 0800 849 8505; architect-yourhome.com Architect Your Home’s service kicks off with an initial design consultation in your home – think of this as the real starting point of your project. It will provide you with sketch drawings of a properly considered and collaborative design proposal, help you develop a clear understanding of the practical implications of your design and equip you with the necessary tools so that you can move your project forward confidently to the next stage. During the consultation there will be an in-depth discussion to fully establish requirements and aspirations, a set of sketch design drawings showing the proposals, advice on planning permission/listed building consents/structure etc, an agreed proposal by the end of the session, and recommendations on the next steps and on how to move the project forward.

SHUTTERCRAFT 4 Wootton Road, St Anne’s Bristol, BS4 4AL 0117 322 4900; shuttercraft.co.uk Martin Burge was only the second owner of a Shuttercraft franchise when he set up the business on his wife Sue’s birthday in August 2012. The husband-and-wife team have since opened the first UK showroom of the national plantation shutter and blind company. The showroom demonstrates the exceptional products on offer in various situations such as bay windows and patio doors so that customers can experience the quality and versatility of the products and visualise the end results. The couple plan to work closely with local contractors such as kitchen and bathroom companies and designers and will be personally involved in overseeing the fitting process to ensure a quality service from start to finish.

BEN ARGENT KITCHENS Dunsdon Barn, West Littleton, Wiltshire SN14 8JA; 01225 892 270; benargentkitchens.co.uk Creators of bespoke contemporary kitchens that successfully combine functional design with elegant simplicity.

Ben has a background as a designer/maker and extensive experience in the specialist furniture industry. He launched the company in 2007 with a clear understanding of the subtleties and technicalities required to achieve sophisticated and highly individual contemporary kitchens. The beautiful new showroom is conveniently located near M4 J18 with plenty of free parking. Please contact them to arrange a viewing.

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE VII

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FIRED EARTH 65A Whiteladies Road (on Aberdeen Road), Clifton, Bristol BS8 2LY 0117 973 7400; firedearth.com The Fired Earth story began in 1983, selling terracotta floor tiles from a farm in Oxfordshire. Demand for other stylish tiles grew and so wall tiles were added alongside stones and slates, followed by beautiful bathrooms and a unique 120-colour paint collection, made with the environment in mind. Its aim is always to offer handmade products, where possible, produced with authenticity, creativity and style. Fired Earth feel improving your home should always be exciting and rewarding, but understand it can seem daunting, which is why they have a dedicated design service team. Its designers have a wealth of knowledge and will guide you throughout your project, exploring options using award-winning technology to help you visualise, plan and tweak the design – taking the stress out of finding the perfect interior for you.

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

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

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

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Elly’s Wellies Garden Designs can help you take your garden to the next level. With qualifications in horticulture, garden and planting design, our lovely gardening columnist Elly West offers a bespoke, personal and friendly service whether you are looking for a complete overhaul and redesign of your garden, or just some help deciding what to put in a border. The process starts with a free initial consultation, where Elly will visit your garden and discuss your aims and objectives. From here, the creative process can begin, keeping you involved at every stage as necessary to ensure the end result is something affordable that you can enjoy for years. Elly works alongside reliable landscapers who can build your project, offering a complete, professional service.

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ARLBERRY BESPOKE No 2 The Stables, Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh, Bristol BS8 3RL 01275 371680; arlberry.com Arlberry Bespoke is a creatively inspired, individual and hand-crafted furniture design company based at Leigh Court in Bristol. Probably best known for their beautifully crafted kitchens, Arlberry design and make unique bedrooms, dressing rooms, bathrooms, studies, libraries and much more. Priding themselves on being a quality local company, designing and crafting within Bristol and the surrounding areas, Arlberry ideas are brought into reality by skilled cabinet makers who hand-make the furniture using high quality timbers and materials. The ethos is to create beautiful bespoke designs (small and large) tailored to suit you, your home and your lifestyle. Arlberry take great pride in paying attention to even the smallest of detail within each project, and consider every element from the initial space planning, aesthetics and functionality, right through to the final touches of every room. Visit the showroom opening soon at Leigh Court to view the collection of furniture and discuss your project with one of the friendly designers.

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

Ground Floor, 12-13 King Square, Bristol, BS2 8JH 07479 862380; chanbriscoarchitects.com

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

They carry out ceiling surveys and repairs, lime plastering and rendering and bespoke one-off pieces; offering free noobligation quotes and advice. Visit the website for a small taste of what John Boyce Plasterwork can offer.

Chan Brisco Architects is an architectural studio creating characterful and lasting buildings and spaces. The practice specialises in a range of projects from interiors, residential extensions and conversions up to new-build projects in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Each project will begin with an initial consultation to discuss aspirations and design ideas which is then followed by a developed design for planning submission if required, detail plans to cost up a design, and overseeing the whole build and construction if needed. CBA will enable you to realise your design aspirations while offering a good eye for design and detail.

STEPHEN GRAVER Elmsgate, Edington Road, Steeple Ashton, BA14 6HP 01380 871746; stephengraver.com Stephen Graver Ltd specialise in creating stunning interiors for each of their clients.

From bespoke kitchens and beautiful bathrooms to commissioned pieces of handmade furniture, they offer a solution for pretty much everything. The design is the starting point and the foundation from which the project grows: time and care are taken over every project, ensuring that the functional requirements are met, while always looking for features to make every project personal and unique. The Stephen Graver team like to think that the end result of what they do is beautiful to look at, completely original and totally designed around your needs. They feel that what separates them and makes them stand out is the journey you go on to reach that end result. Everything is designed and manufactured at the workshop in Steeple Ashton, and while the craftsmen work on your kitchen, you can arrange a time to come and see your project taking shape. Stephen Graver Ltd promise to put their heart and soul into providing you with your dream project, delivered to perfection.

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE IX

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INFINITI2

SLIDING DOORS, WARDROBES

100 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY 0117 973 8100; infiniti2.co.uk Head to Infiniti2 if you want to discover the art of space management. Their tailor-made wardrobe and sliding-door storage solutions are not just ingenious but visually beautiful too.

Experience a sense of order throughout your home when clothes, shoes, accessories and all your clutter are tidied and sorted and given an extended life. Find inspired design, craftsmanship and all the finishing touches – from bedroom wardrobes to walk-in dressing rooms, the smallest of box rooms to home office organisation, the Infiniti2 effect is as pleasurable as the joy of being in control. Design, planning and installation: it offers the complete bespoke service.

WREN KITCHENS Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, Lysander Road, Bristol BS34 5TX; 0117 244 3168; wrenkitchens.com A visit to the Wren Kitchens website reveals an exceptional choice of over 60 kitchens in three ranges to suit all tastes and pockets. The Vogue, Infinity and Infinity Plus collections are further divided into modern, shaker and traditional styles allowing you to create your own perfect kitchen. Add to this your choice of handles and thousands of unit sizes and you’re well on your way to creating a truly unique room which will be the heart of your home for many years to come. Book a showroom appointment for a free consultation with one of Wren’s expert kitchen designers; chat about layout and design requirements; see a personalised 3D design and get a quick price estimate, with no obligation to buy. Whether you’re looking to follow the latest colour trends or choose something timeless and classic, Wren will have the kitchen for you.

THE BED WORKSHOP The Old Bus Depot, 206 Avonmouth Road, Avonmouth Village, Bristol BS11 9LP 0117 982 1706; thebedworkshop.co.uk The Bed Workshop has a new and suitably charming and quirky home at the Grade II Bus Depot in Avonmouth. The team have restored the previously derelict building so that it now houses four showrooms and additional workshop space as well as improved access. As well as producing a wide range of contemporary beds in sustainably sourced pine and oak for more than 30 years, expert antique furniture restorers and cabinet makers Paul Wood and Ned Fitzgerald stock a fascinating range of antique French and early 20th-century furniture including farmhouse beds, tables, chairs and dressers which have been carefully selected from Brittany and Normandy and then lovingly restored. Currently gaining popularity are zinc-topped and industrial/dressmakers’ tables and the Brittany-based buyers are always delighted to source to customers’ specific requirements. There is a wealth of expertise here and The Bed Workshop should be a first port of call for lovers of vintage furniture.

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FIFTEEN TWELVE Unit 9, Bristol Vale Industrial Estate, Bristol, BS3 5RJ 0117 379 0152; fifteentwelve.co.uk Fifteen Twelve specialises in kitchen design and interiors, managing projects of all sizes in and around the local area. It offers a bespoke interior service that is personalised to the client, designing a kitchen that reflects the individual style and character of the home. The team at Fifteen Twelve take into consideration a kitchen’s surroundings to ensure it is an area to enjoy cooking, relaxing and entertaining family and friends.

They keep one step ahead of all the latest kitchen and interior design trends, providing a service that puts the customer at the heart of every decision. Along with advising on colours, design features and functionality, they can project-manage the site in the areas needed. Working with clients they can help tweak the design, change colours or swap materials until it’s absolutely right. If you have a project in mind, give them a call.

HAMILTON & HODSON Hamilton & Hodson, Redland Train Station, South Road, Bristol BS6 6QP; 0117 924 3355; hamiltonandhodson.co.uk Housed in the old train station building in Redland, you’ll find one of Bristol’s oldest upholstery companies. Nicky Hamilton and Erica Fredricksson provide a comprehensive upholstery service, restoring muchloved family pieces, auction finds and design classics for their clients. As well as taking on commissions, they also sell beautiful mid-century modern pieces through their trading arm Mid-Century Revisited. If you appreciate the aesthetics of the iconic TV show Mad Men, and films like Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, then you’ll love the pieces. Hamilton & Hodson upholster furniture in modern fabrics that accentuate the clean lines of the elegant designs, but with a contemporary twist. And if you’d like to learn the craft of upholstery yourself, you can enrol on one of their one-day courses. Whatever your upholstery needs, help is on hand.

PANORAMIC WINDOWS 2 Richmond Road, Bristol, BS16 9HB 0117 956 321; panoramicwindows.co.uk Steve Evans, owner of Panoramic Ltd, one of Bristol’s longest established window installation companies, believes that when you’re making a significant investment in your home, you’ll want to touch the product before you buy. With over 40 window styles, 20 door styles and five complete conservatories and ‘sky rooms’ to explore, and a full suite of furniture options on show, customers can compare bespoke PVCu solutions with industry-leading finishes directly with ranges in aluminium, steel, composite and solid timber to achieve the perfect balance between design, style and efficiency.

Panoramic consultants have almost 100 years of experience between them and along with the fitters and remedial teams, they all have expert knowledge of every window and door on display. So if you are planning to change your windows or doors any time soon, or perhaps you desire a new internal screen or a luxurious sky room, then a visit to Panoramic is a must; it might be the best home improvement decision you make this year.

Award-winning ‘Ultimate Rose’ arched sliding sash windows in timber alternative, perfect for use in conservation areas

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE XI

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KÜTCHENHAUS Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NN 0117 2130680; kutchenhaus.co.uk Kutchenhaus is the UK arm of company Nobilia – the largest manufacturer of fitted kitchens in Europe, making up to 3,000 kitchens daily. This means Kutchenhaus can not only keep prices competitive but still deliver high quality, German-engineered kitchens. They provide a wide selection of kitchen styles and can create both traditional and contemporary looks in matte and gloss textures. With their free design service, they can come up with superb, photo-realistic images giving a clear visual of a customer’s ideal kitchen. They also supply a full range of appliances including Bosch, Neff, CDA and Miele.

Buying a kitchen is a big decision, and the Kutchenhaus team in Bristol work closely with every single client to give them complete confidence in their important new purchase.

FARROW & BALL 16 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BP; 0117 973 3900; farrow-ball.com

MARBLE SUPREME

Located among Clifton’s charming Georgian terraces, Farrow & Ball showcases its entire collection of richly pigmented paint colours and artisanal wallpaper designs. Customers can experiment with colour, texture and finish, and browse the entire collection of wallpapers alongside Farrow & Ball’s edited palette of 132 colours in a range of interior and exterior ecofriendly paint finishes. The experienced showroom team are also always available to offer complimentary colour advice and decorating schemes.

If you’re hoping for a little more guidance, there are expert Farrow & Ball colour consultants around to help you create your unique look. Considering up to four rooms in an hour, they’ll be able to share tailored design advice and suggest a cohesive scheme all from the comfort of your own home.

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Unit 8, Bridge Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 4FW 0117 956 3030; marblesupreme.com Marble Supreme provides master craftsmanship in stone.

Whether you’re looking for new stone worktops for your kitchen or bathroom, it offers a range of materials to suit your needs. With over 20 years of experience, the team produce a wide range of products from beautifully crafted granite kitchen worktops and flooring, right through to bespoke stone fireplaces, vanity tops, splash backs and sink surrounds. They provide a complete service, from sourcing the perfect stone for your needs, through to crafting perfectly fitting, beautifully finished kitchen worktops, and pride themselves on delivering the very best in granite, marble and quartz stone, knowing their creations will play a part in family life for years to come. Whether you know what you want or are considering the options, the team is happy to discuss your plans so pop into the Kingswood showroom...

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ITALIAN KITCHEN STUDIO 20a Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucester, GL8 8AQ; 01666 239301; cocteau.co.uk Find The Italian Kitchen Studio, Tetbury, in the heart of the Cotswolds, featuring Torchetti luxury kitchens from southern Italy.

It’s a family-run company with over 100 years of quality and design.

You can visit the showroom to see the quality of the manufacturing as well as ranges offering kitchens from the very modern, with porcelain doors in marble effect, to traditional hand-painted solid wood fronts. Italian kitchens are manufactured with many design features that add to the typical Italian flair and originality associated with good design. They try hard, as a company, to fulfil the dreams of those wanting not only to have an aesthetically designed kitchen but one with the personal touch. They understand a new kitchen is a big investment in one’s home and appreciate this with economically attractive designs. They can supply granite and quartz worktops shaped to any specification and marble for bathrooms. They also design and install bathrooms of any shape or size and can also include Torchetti bathroom cabinets.

HOTWELLS PINE 253, Hotwell Road, Hotwells, Bristol BS8 4SF 0117 927 3700; hotwellspine.co.uk Hotwells Pine has been trading since 1985. You can find an impressive selection of new and antique pine furniture there and the company specialises in providing a bespoke, made-to-measure service.

The showroom has six rooms packed with furniture, lamps, mirrors and an array of accessories to browse.

The pine furniture is made locally and can be painted to suit your décor in any shade of Farrow and Ball paint, or waxed in a traditional style.

The ranges include bedroom, living room, dining and kitchen furniture. The selection of antique furniture changes regularly, as well as the ever-popular display of wardrobes (that are easily disassembled for delivery), and antique boxes. Hotwells Pine also offers free local delivery on all furniture.

THE LIGHTING STUDIO Unit 2, Bedminster Retail Park, Sheene Way, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 4TA; 0117 963 5943; lightingwarehousebristol.co.uk The Lighting Studio offers a fantastic range of innovative and exciting products for use throughout the home and garden.

Whatever your style and needs, their fabulous selection of traditional and contemporary table lamps, floor lamps, wall lights and ceiling lights are sure to meet your requirements.

All products are sourced direct from their UK factory, allowing for unparalleled levels of quality, service and value-for-money.

When it comes to everything from table lamps to chandeliers, robust outdoor lighting to low-energy solutions, friendly and knowledgeable staff are on hand to offer impartial advice and answer queries. As every interior designer knows, lighting is key to achieving the look you want – find the right solution at The Lighting Studio.

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NEPTUNE 98 B/C Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QY 0117 246 4200; neptune.com/bristol

Neptune’s Clifton showroom is a double-height gallery space that’s open and airy with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow light to flood into its flower shop. Founded in 1996 by friends John Sims-Hilditch and Giles Redman, Neptune is an interiors retailer recognised for its exacting standards, design-led aesthetic and expert craftsmanship. Perhaps most well-known for its kitchens, every Neptune piece is designed for a lifetime of use, with its trademark look rooted in British heritage. The Bristol

branch displays a large number of Neptune designs, including all four of its kitchen collections and living and dining collections.

Additionally, visitors to the store will see a bedroom area complete with a timber-panelled washroom, as well as a large accessories area. It also has a section dedicated to Neptune Tailored, where customers can get up close to house-blended paints and the extensive selection of textiles that make up its lovely fabric library.

PIETRA WOOD AND STONE The Old Filling Station, 400 Ham Green, Holt BA14 6PX Tel: 01225 783527/782408 Web: pietrawoodandstone.com

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

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

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

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Experts in both supply and installation, Pietra has over 25 years of experience in providing surfacing solutions to retail and professional clients. Their knowledgeable and helpful staff can help and advise you on the best option for your home, as well as professional estimates using architects’ drawings and site measuring. Their strength is that they offer the full range of wood, stone or porcelain flooring options which saves time and money and allows them to specialise in new-build and refurbishment projects. With strategic partnerships with quarries and factories across Europe and the UK, Pietra ensures quality materials and competitive pricing.

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE – to advertise tel: 0117 974 2800 email: sales@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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Stay Local, Be Local, Use Local

airbristol Specialists in short term lettings and Airbnb Management

www.airbristol.com Tel: 0117 9113473 • hello@airbristol.com

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

T

he Old Rectory, situated in a lovely secluded and hidden setting in the centre of a picturesque Somerset village must be many homebuyers’ dream. It is a fine Grade II listed house with an adjoining self-contained ‘Wing Cottage’. The property was sold by the church in the early 1950’s and is believed to date from around 1780 with Wing Cottage thought to be of even earlier origin. There are three floors and all the rooms have charming views over the garden, with some looking towards the hills to the south. Many period features are still in place including archways, shuttered and French windows, ornate plasterwork, fireplaces and wood floors. Altogether the accommodation comprises: Reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, dining room, breakfast kitchen with Aga, garden room, utility room, cloakroom and cellar. Principal bedroom with en suite bathroom and first floor conservatory, five further bedrooms (one with en suite dressing room), three further bathrooms. Wing Cottage: Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, study/store room, three bedrooms, bathroom.

The property covers approximately 1.66 acres and the grounds and gardens are a delight with an impressive park-like setting on the approach. The established, mature setting includes a summer house, green house, potting shed, outbuilding and a double and single garage. The magical setting provides a number of areas for indoor/outdoor entertaining. This idyllic retreat is available for sale with agents Knight Frank Clifton.

THE OLD RECTORY BLAGDON NORTH SOMERSET • Period country property in centre of village • 6 bedrooms • 4 bath/shower rooms • Charming, secluded setting • Separate 3 bedroom cottage

Guide Price: £ 1,600,000

Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 317 1999

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PROPERTY

Nibbles and fizz beside the suspension bridge of an evening, you say? We’re sold.

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE...

A rare chance has arisen to buy and live in one of Bristol’s most coveted locations, in a house rivalled by few in the city

I

f, like us, you’ve ever gazed up at the beautiful balconied abodes of Sion Hill, which steeply descend with the breathtaking Gorge beside Clifton Suspension Bridge, you’ll probably have surmised that they don’t come onto the market very often. Yet an opportunity has recently popped up to purchase one of these fine houses – the four-storey 8 Sion Hill, whose last owners, the Speirs family, held onto it for a good two decades.

With its walled garden, parking for two cars, and big old basement (currently used as a utility, workshop and cinema room), it’s fair to say number eight is a real catch. An elegant dining room is set at the front of the house so as to benefit from the enviable views, while the bayfronted sitting room and comfortable kitchen/breakfast room overlook the mature back gardens. Upstairs, it’s the master bedroom that catches the eye with its full-width canopied balcony, dressing room and bathroom, but there are a further six bedrooms to boot.

Margaret Speirs is only leaving because their four children are adults, she tells us, and the house is too big now the “chicks have flown the nest”. Light pours in through large windows onto polished mahogany doors, fine coving, fireplaces, arches and curved walls to the taste of the Georgian architects that designed the place.

Imagine entertaining here; with the bridge lit up at night and in full view over supper thanks to the dining room’s full-height double windows. Looking onto the the vast vista of the wooded Gorge beyond, you don’t feel as if you’re standing in an urban home at all. The Speirs’ dining table comfortably seats 14 – Margaret relishes memories of family Christmases with log fires and candlelit dinner parties in front of that lovely backdrop. In the summer the favoured dining space is the garden – designed and planted by previous owner and founder of the Bristol Botanical Garden, Hiatt Baker – so on warm days they eat all their meals outside. Hiatt’s legacy? Interesting specimen plants including 102 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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a pomegranate tree for the picking. While it’s surprisingly large for a city garden, there’s an even bigger one a hop, skip and a jump away – the 400-acre Downs. However on rainy days the kids will probably stick to the play space in the cellar (never cold or damp as that’s where the boiler lives). Top schools are also within easy walking distance – at one stage Margaret’s four children were all at different ones but they all walked or cycled there.

One of the earliest houses constructed on the hill, number eight has only formed part of the current terrace since about 1780. Before redecorating their hall a few years ago, the Speirs peeled back a layer of plaster to find an arched stained-glass window within the wall which originally gave a view south towards Dundry Hill – testament to the fact the house did not have an adjoining property when it was first built. The glass resembled that in the butler’s pantry (now the downstairs WC): lead-edged small panes, lending the hallway a slightly ecclesiastical feel. Other historic features include a range and oven from when the house was staffed with servants, and the original rain water supply which functions from a lead pipe over a Belfast sink in the cellar.

More modern features include solar roof panels which not only provide free electricity but also a small income by feeding into the national grid.

Got a few million to spare? Then what are you waiting for... ■

PROPERTY PROFILE Guide price: £3,000,000 Agent: Property Concept, 21 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, BS8 4BX; 0117 970 6119; propertyconcept.co.uk

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

(0117) 934 9977

11 BERKELEY SQUARE, BS8

SOUTH PARADE MANSIONS, OAKFIELD ROAD, CLIFTON

• Prime office unit

• Superb HQ offices

• 671 sq ft

• 1,890 sq ft

• To be refurbished

• 2 car spaces

• To let – flexible lease terms

• New lease – Rent on application

BRADBROOK HOUSE ALMONDSBURY

HARVEYS CELLARS DENMARK STREET, BS1

• Open plan office suite

• An iconic restaurant / bar • Fully licensed with kitchen • Excellent location • Only £24,000 pax

• C. 2,020 sq ft • Easy access to M4/ M5 • New flexi lease

6 MARSH STREET

1 & 2 Eden Office Park

• Excellent A3 restaurant opportunity

• Easy access to Clifton and Gordano

• Open plan ground floor office unit

• May suit other uses

• 9 car spaces

• New lease – Rent on application

• New lease NEW STUDIO OFFICES

UNIT 4 BROOK OFFICE PARK, EMERSONS GREEN BS16

• Located in BS5 • High quality refurb

• Open plan office suite • 3,752 sq ft – 21 car spaces • High quality – comfort cooled • New flexible lease BS1 OFFICES

• Adjoining the new Proctor Stevenson HQ • New lease

CLIFTON RETAIL SHOPS

• High quality refurb

Various shops to rent in Clifton:

• 2,500 – 3,600 sq ft • Clifton Village – c £20,000 pax

• 4 car spaces

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon

Burston Cook october.indd 1

MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

• Cotham Hill – c £9,500 pax

• New lease

• Whiteladies Road – c £20,000 pax

• Rent on application

• Café business for sale in BS8 – O/A

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

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

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

20/09/2018 12:59

Property news.qxp_Layout 1 17/09/2018 12:19 Page 1

PROPERTY NEWS

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM ACROSS THE CITY’S BOOMING SECTOR

EXTRA CAPACITY AT THE WHARF

Many Bristolians have taken Wapping Wharf to their hearts in a way developers had only dreamed

HOUSING FOR HARTCLIFFE A major South Bristol housing scheme is a step closer after securing planning consent to build 350 homes over at Hartcliffe Campus.

The project, led by Bristol City Council, is part of an ongoing commitment to tackling the housing crisis and increasing the number of homes being built in the city.

It is hoped that development will begin by the end of 2019. “South Bristol needs decent housing and the local economy boost that will come with transforming housing provision in this area,” said mayor Marvin Rees. “I’m pleased to see progress being made.”

Bristol City Council ran a series of consultation events relating to the developments from October 2017 to January 2018, to give residents and businesses an opportunity to have their say and find out more information about the project.

Hartcliffe Campus is an allocated brownfield site for housing-led development within the Bristol Local Plan. The site is in close proximity to existing retail, leisure and employment facilities and the project proposes a mixture of houses and apartments.

To provide long-term protection for wildlife at the site, new habitats will also be incorporated within the masterplan, including a wildlife corridor, pollinator park and rooftop habitats. Outline plans for Hengrove Park have also been prepared by the council and the application is likely to be determined later this year.

SOUTHERN LIGHTS Contracts have been exchanged on the sale of newly completed office building Aurora, with over 85% of the state-of-the-art space now let at record rental levels.

The 95,000 sq ft ‘Grade A’ building is part of Finzels Reach, the quarter being created on Bristol’s waterfront by South West developer Cubex, which has sold Aurora for £62.13million to Royal London Asset Management. Aurora has consistently been able to secure record headline rents throughout its construction.

With construction now complete, this striking new building is ready for office fitouts and deals with three new tenants have been signed. The rent achieved on Aurora has now broken a new record, rising above the £35 per sq ft mark.

Financial services firm Parmenion, part of Aberdeen Standard Investments, and professional recruitment and consulting specialist Experis join previously announced tenants law firm Simmons & Simmons and intellectual property specialist Mewburn Ellis LLP inside the glass-fronted building.

Aurora is the only building outside London and one of just six in the UK to achieve the BREEAM ‘outstanding’ environmental award under the new, toughest rating scheme • aurora-bristol.com

• bristol.gov.uk/plans-for-hengrove

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Construction work is underway on over 250 new homes at Wapping Wharf – one of the city's most exciting new neighbourhoods – following ground preparation and with the construction of a retaining wall to support the historic, Grade-II Bristol Gaol gate that will provide its feature entrance.

Last month the concrete was poured for the initial section of the first-floor superstructure. By the first half of 2019, passers-by should see the building take shape on the city's skyline.

Wapping Wharf Living, a venture between developers Umberslade and Muse, has secured £23.4million funding from Homes England, to enable the creation of the new homes. The support comes from its Home Building Fund, which provides loans to help unlock or accelerate the delivery of residential and mixed-use housing developments.

Infrastructure company Balfour Beatty, which is building this phase of the scheme, has been working closely with the Wapping Wharf Living team for the past 18 months on the delivery of the project and has been on site for several months, preparing the way for the emergence of the new homes.

Most of the apartments will be offered for sale on the open market, with 93 being sold to Sovereign Housing Association, 49 of which will be shared ownership housing with the remainder for private rent. "It's very exciting to see further progress at Wapping Wharf,” said Duncan Cumberland, development director at Muse Developments.

"Bringing the best of the public and private sector together has enabled us to create a scheme that both blends well into the local landscape and has an affordable element."

Stuart Hatton, MD at Umberslade, added: "Wapping Wharf has won a place in Bristol's heart in a way we only dared dream a few years ago. Phase two will see it continue to evolve as a creative, dynamic neighbourhood that honours the spirit of Bristol."

• wappingwharf.co.uk

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Longwell Green Andrewsonline.co.uk

North Street, Oldland Common, BS30 £550,000

Mesmerising period home that has brilliantly combined modern touches and retained the character with exposed stone walls and large open plan kitchen/family room with bi fold doors out on to the rear garden.

Sumptuous master suite to retreat to and much, much more. Ample parking and generous garden.

Energy Efficiency Rating: E

0117 911 6902 longwellgreen@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Southville Andrewsonline.co.uk

Osborne Road, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1PR OIEO £550,000

0117 963 3000

Andrews October.indd 1

Rare is a word used all too often with property, but one would be forgiven for using it in this instance, as this beautiful home comes with features that simply don’t regularly appear in this ever popular suburb. A beautiful, 1930’s semi detached home on the North side of Southville, with a garage and driveway and a 57’ x 30’ rear garden. Energy Efficiency Rating: E

southville@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

17/09/2018 09:37

Yate

Andrewsonline.co.uk

Ridgeway, Yate, BS37 7AF £425,000

This superb 4 double bedroom semi detached property situated at the end of a no through road on the ever popular ‘Ridge’ has been significantly developed and improved by the current owner. Now offering en suite to master bedroom, contemporary 24’ x 11’ kitchen with separate utility area, downstairs WC, 22’8 x 14’3 lounge and a modern stylish 1st floor bathroom. The property further boasts a well-manicured 52’ x 24’6 enclosed rear garden, off road parking for 2-3 cars and integral garage. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

01454 322 255

yate@andrewsonline.co.uk

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

Westbury-on-Trym Andrewsonline.co.uk

Church Road, Bristol, BS9 3EQ £500,000

This unique property is believed to have originally been two cottages and therefore benefits from a superb garden. The property is overflowing with period charm including exposed beams, a fireplace, handmade wooden kitchen with double Belfast sink, a quirky layout and exposed stone walls. The property has four bedrooms, a spacious family bathroom, three reception rooms, lots of built-in storage and no onward chain.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

0117 405 7685 westburyontrym@andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews October.indd 2

To view more properties and other services available visit Andrewsonline.co.uk

17/09/2018 09:37

Andrews Advertorial fp 2.qxp_Layout 1 14/09/2018 16:24 Page 1

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Inspirational new homes at Sheep Field Gardens Portishead

W

oodstock Homes build a select number of exclusive new homes each year, so they can deliver superior properties without compromising on quality.

As one of the leading homebuilders in the South West and South Wales for well-designed and appointed homes they take a great care in the overall design and construction, from initial plans to final working techniques.

Andrews Land & New Homes have been chosen as the appointed agent as they share the same core values of delivering high standards ensuring your move is as smooth as possible.

If you’re new to Portishead you’re following in ancient footsteps.

Prehistoric tribes were followed by Celts, Romans, Saxons, and Normans. All were eager to set up home on the high ground overlooking the Severn estuary.

Modern settlers have driven Portishead’s impressive growth.

Boasting a wealth of traditional Victorian architecture, this popular seaside town has seen a surge in new homes in recent years. The industrial dock area is now an impressive marina. Now, on the

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southern tip of Portishead, you’ll find a select group of just seven new eye-catching properties.

In a mature setting close to open countryside, Sheep Field Gardens is in easy walking distance of the town centre.

Portishead offers a wide range of shops, from a choice of major supermarkets through to small independent traders.

Schools are always a major focus of interest to families. Portishead gives you an excellent choice, from pre-school right through to sixth form. By car you can reach J19 of the M5 in minutes. Passing over the motorway is your direct route to Bristol, with its myriad opportunities for work and leisure. Your link to the national rail network is in nearby Nailsea, while Bristol Airport is only a few miles away.

As it looks to the future, Portishead seems to be heading for one of the most exciting periods in its long history.

For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Andrews Land and New Homes on 0117 946 1799 or email: Bristol&bath@andrewsonline.co.uk

Rupert Oliver FP October.qxp_Layout 1 14/09/2018 16:42 Page 1

Electricity House, Bristol | Guide Price ÂŁ1,100,000 An outstanding 2013 sq ft penthouse apartment; arranged over two floors with a 7-day concierge service, two allocated off-street parking spaces, private balcony and a secure storage unit.

Stunning duplex penthouse in a Gilbert Scott architect designed art-deco apartment block | Seven day a week concierge service and lift access | Private balcony with panoramic views over the city centre and across to Dundry | Secured off-street parking for two cars and space for two motorbikes | Spacious open-plan reception room and a bespoke fitted kitchen | Three bedrooms each with an en-suite bath / shower room | Separate utility room and a further cloak room | Excellent internal storage with an external private storage pod | Underfloor heating throughout and air-conditioning to all principal rooms | Walking distance to the Law Courts and Chambers, BRI and business district | EPC: D Circa 2013 sq. ft (187 sq. m)

clear and effective property sales Fixed commission of ÂŁ5,000 + VAT that you pay only on successful completion Professional photography, floor plans and marketing included Transparent on-line tracking of your sale from valuation through to completion Our fee is fixed. Everything else is about moving To discuss your property sale or purchase requirements, please call or email Rupert, or visit us in our central Clifton office.

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Property Concept October.qxp_Layout 5 14/09/2018 17:18 Page 1

MANAGEMENT • SALES • LETTING • CONSULTANCY

Clifton £3,000,000 Number 8 Sion Hill represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase one of the finest houses in Clifton, set in a coveted location with breathtaking views of the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

With over 6000 sq ft of accommodation arranged over four floors, a beautiful walled garden, parking for two cars and a sumptuous staircase this really is a very special Grade II listed home which hasn’t been to the market for 20 years. The house has been well maintained by the current owners who are keen to see another family fall in love with this wonderful home. There are plenty of features to enjoy including polished mahogany doors, fine coving, fireplaces, arches and curved walls. There is an extensive basement which is currently used as utility, work shop and cinema room but could equally be a self contained unit with the necessary consents. The elegant dining room is set at the front of the house benefitting from the spectacular views with the bay fronted sitting room at the back with views over the garden to the rear with the comfortable kitchen/breakfast room next to it. The master bedroom has a full width canopied balcony again with beautiful view. A dressing room and bathroom, are close by. The study/music room has an adjoining to door so alterations to layout usage are possible. There are a further six bedrooms, a bathroom, shower room and cloakroom. The gardens are mature with interesting planting having been designed by a previous owner Hiatt Baker (founder of Bristol Botanical Garden), a good size garden store and off street parking for two cars with a door through from the garden. This is a magnificent home, with so many period features, and such a calming atmosphere that anyone that views will fall in love with it.

21 Princess Victoria Street

Tel 0117 970 6119

enquiries@propertyconcept.co.uk

Clifton, Bristol BS8 4BX

Fax 0117 970 6109

www.propertyconcept.co.uk

ANdrews New Home - Sheep Fields FP.qxp_Layout 1 14/09/2018 16:25 Page 1

HENLEAZE ROAD, HENLEAZE Beautifully restored and immaculately presented throughout this fine Victorian semi-detached family home offers five bedrooms; master with ensuite, two receptions, a practical private garden including driveway and secure garage. EPC - E 2

3

5

Guide Price ÂŁ975,000

HOLMWOOD GARDENS, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM A substantial detached executive family home, positioned within an extensive plot with panoramic back drop and views to rear. Offering four receptions, four bedrooms with two ensuite shower rooms, a generous landscaped garden, double garage and driveway. EPC - C 4

3

4

Guide Price ÂŁ915,000

CJ Hole October.indd 1

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Clifton t: 0117 923 8238 (sales) t: 0117 946 6588 (lettings) clifton@cjhole.co.uk

www.cjhole.com The leaves are beginning to change, everybody is settling in after the mad September rush, however the market remains relatively the same with the Bristol property bubble still refusing to burst. With the average property sale taking around twelve weeks, October brings with it; trick or treating, pumpkin carving and one of the last opportunities to sell before the New Year rolls around. With the darker evenings setting in, once

again the home becomes the focal point of family life. Whether you’re beginning to feel that the living room is feeling slightly too cramped, or perhaps running a larger home for the winter sounds like too much work. Whatever the reason for moving on may be, if you’re thinking of bringing in the New Year in new surroundings, the time is now.

Howard Davis MD Clifton

REDLAND

CLIFTON

GUIDE PRICE £1,000,000

GUIDE PRICE £950,000

A substantial 5 bedroom family home offers a generous entrance hall, 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 bathrooms, cloakroom, basement area, integral garage, driveway and a southerly facing rear garden. The house requires modernising and does retain a great deal of its original charm and character throughout. EPC F

A spacious four double bedroom family home, in the heart of Clifton, consisting of a private south facing enclosed rear garden, sitting room, separate dining room, kitchen/breakfast room and a playroom on the basement level. Offered with no onward chain! EPC F

HARBOURSIDE

REDLAND

GUIDE PRICE £815,000

A charming 4 double bedroom Georgian home, well presented throughout and offers a light and versatile interior with views towards the harbour and surrounding area. Externally there is an attractive courtyard garden to the rear with a garage situated in a nearby block. EPC D

GUIDE PRICE £680,000

A beautifully presented end of terrace period home offering three bedrooms plus a loft conversion which is currently used as a home office, presenting fabulous views, an impressive sitting room plus dining room and a rear kitchen with French doors on to the rear garden. Located just 500m (as the crow flies) to Redland Green School, offered with no onward chain. EPC E

Download our dedicated iPhone App today

CJ Hole Clifton October.indd 1

14/09/2018 16:38

REDLAND GUIDE PRICE £650,000

CLIFTON GUIDE PRICE £650,000

A most impressive 3 bedroom home offers an individually designed and thoughtfully arranged interior which was worthy of an extensive feature in The Daily Telegraph.

This unique two story detached house with upper mezzanine level, complete with integral garage has been designed and built by the current owner. EPC C

A spacious two storey maisonette, which has been refurbished to the highest of standards keeping the period features, it offers four double bedrooms, open plan kitchen with granite breakfast bar and a sitting/dining room. It also comes with both allocated off street parking space and bike storage. EPC D

REDLAND SSTC £535,000

HARBOURSIDE SSTC £365,000

A simply stunning 2 bedroom hall floor garden apartment, consists; of a sitting room plus dining room and separate kitchen, lower ground floor study and storage room, front and rear garden with side gate access and a 37’ long garage with electric roller door. EPC D

A modern 2 bedroom apartment with beautiful views over the harbour, offers a light and spacious living area, open plan kitchen/dining space, a master bedroom with an en-suite, the second bedroom features a built-in wardrobe with overhead storage, a contemporary bathroom and parking available. EPC B

STOKE BISHOP

REDLAND GUIDE PRICE £435,000

GUIDE PRICE £550,000

A 1930’s 3 bedroom semi-detached family home offers: a driveway plus a detached garage, a spacious main hallway, two reception rooms and a separate kitchen breakfast room with access to the beautifully lawned rear garden. EPC E

A lovely 3 bedroom ground floor level garden apartment. The property offers a sitting room/diner, separate kitchen with a door on to the rear garden, large master bedroom plus two further bedrooms, front and rear garden plus a private entrance door and a garage with a rear door leading to the private garden. EPC D

Download our dedicated iPhone App today

CJ Hole Clifton October.indd 2

14/09/2018 16:38

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Clifton Offers in Excess of £2,000,000 Forming part of this stunning Grade II* listed terrace, the property takes pride of place in this renowned garden square. This exquisite 5 bedroom Georgian town house, with classic Bath stone façade, has been luxuriously and sympathetically finished throughout and includes gated parking. Its contemporary and elegant style effortlessly complements the myriad of original period detailing.

Grade II* listed Georgian town house • Vestibule entrance hall • Kitchen, dining room • First floor rear drawing room • Sitting room, study, utility room • Gym/cinema room, plant room • Master suite with twin dressing rooms • Three further bedrooms, family bathroom • South-west facing terraced garden • Private gated parking

Hamptons Bristol

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

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Hamptons October.indd 2

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Waterfront ÂŁ500,000

Clifton Office 0117 946 6007

Two bedroom waterfront apartment Nestled on the edge of the water and overlooking Castle Park, this amazing 1205 sqft apartment is just a 10 minute walk away from Temple Meads. Finished to an exceptional standard with underfloor heating throughout. The living space is vast with a superb outlook.

Allocated underground parking space EPC - TBC

oceanhome.co.uk

Ocean October.indd 1

Westbury-on-Trym Office 0117 962 1973

Westbury-on-Trym ÂŁ550,000 Three bedroom house

A well-presented 1930s, three bedroom semi detached family home on a quiet side road with level access to Westbury-on-Trym shops.

Delightful open plan accommodation with living room to front, double glazed bay window and period style fireplace opening to the dining room and a quality fitted kitchen. EPC - E

19/09/2018 12:19

Clifton ÂŁ360,000

Two bedroom apartment Not only is this flat massively attractive, it has bundles of charm and character as well as high ceilings and large sash windows creating wonderfully bright rooms. The kitchen is nicely fitted and very spacious and two double bedrooms. Ideal for first time buyers or as an investment. EPC - C

Westbury-on-Trym ÂŁ300,000 Two bedroom cottage

Chock Cottage is perched at the top of Chock Lane. The cottage is arranged over 3 oors, providing a surprisingly spacious interior, including a cellar. The interior comprises of an open plan living/ dining room with log burner, tted kitchen with access to the rear courtyard. EPC - E

Ocean October.indd 2

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Richard Harding October.qxp_Layout 6 14/09/2018 16:42 Page 1

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

WESTBURY ON TRYM

guide £675,000

A bright and welcoming 4 bedroom (1 with en suite), 2 reception room, 1930’s family house located on a popular, leafy road just off Stoke Lane, off street parking for 2 cars, single garage and 130ft south-west facing rear garden. EPC: E

A handsome 5 bedroom, 3 reception room, Victorian home located in a wonderful position, close to the Downs and further benefitting from additional lower ground floor rooms offering flexibility and further potential. Enjoying well stocked front and rear gardens and covered off street parking.

Highly convenient position on a peaceful road on the upper slopes of Clifton, close to Durdham CLIFTON guide £525,000 Downs and within just a few hundred metres of Blackboy Hill/Whiteladies Road and St John’s An impressive 2 bedroom hall floor garden apartment within an elegant Primary. A homely and traditional period residence in a wonderful location for families which has been loved and enjoyed by the current owners for over 40 years. EPC: D grade II listed Victorian period terrace in Clifton Village.

CLIFTON

guide £1,095,000

A superb 2 double bedroom garden apartment in Clifton Village within Victorian period building, having front and private patio rear courtyard gardens. EPC: C

CLIFTON

guide £385,000

A truly exquisite 5 bedroom (2 with en-suite) detached family home situated in an enviable location in Abbots Leigh. Extensively renovated by the current owners over the last 5 years, this gorgeous family home enjoys ample accommodation including a breath-taking 25ft x 20ft kitchen/dining/family space leading seamlessly out onto a 75ft x 75ft landscaped rear garden. Further benefits include off SNEYD PARK guide £599,950 street parking for multiple cars, a double garage and a newly-renovated principal bedroom suite with A delightful, 3 double bedroom semi-detached 1930’s family house, dressing area and en-suite. Situated in Church Road, Abbots Leigh, one of Bristol’s most desirable enjoying a peaceful location, with south facing rear garden and driveway addresses offering a semi-rural village feel, whilst being in striking distance of Clifton and central Bristol. EPC: D parking for 2 cars. No onward chain. EPC: D

ABBOTS LEIGH

Professional, Reliable, Successful

guide £1,395,000

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

Richard Harding October.qxp_Layout 6 14/09/2018 16:42 Page 2

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

A well-proportioned 5 bedroom, 3 reception room, semi-detached family home situated in the heart of Redland within just 500m of Redland Green School, having 50ft x 28ft walled rear garden, cellar storage and wonderful potential. No onward chain. EPC: E

REDLAND

Having been extensively renovated and greatly enhanced; a stunning 5 double bedroom, 3 bath/shower room, semi-detached Georgian period house, of circa 3,500 sq. ft., having 45ft semi open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with full width sliding doors opening to a 65ft south-west facing garden. The house also benefits from driveway parking and sun terrace. Close to so many amenities: level and easy walking distance to the Whiteladies Road, Clifton Down shopping centre and Clifton Down station with the link to Bristol Temple Meads, Cotham Hill with its abundance of shops, restaurants and coffee shops, and within easy reach of the city centre, the Downs, university, hospital areas and the BBC. EPC: D

REDLAND

guide £950,000

guide £1,495,000

An exquisite 5 double bedroom, 3 reception room, grade II listed family home with a fabulous 90ft x 55ft private walled garden and parking for multiple cars.

HENBURY

guide £875,000

An attractive 4 double bedroom grade II listed early Victorian period town house with an individual, eclectic and modern style and a wealth of charming period features.

COTHAM

An individual and contemporary styled 5 double bedroom detached home situated in one of Bristol’s most sought-after roads in Stoke Bishop. Recently renovated by the current owners, this striking, light and airy family home offers generous, balanced accommodation with a truly impressive 28ft x 15ft kitchen diner, 21ft x 20ft family room with stunning views from a picture window and direct access to a southerly facing terrace. Situated directly behind remote electronically operated double gates with generous driveway parking. EPC: C

STOKE BISHOP

Professional, Reliable, Successful

guide range £925,000 - £940,000

guide £1,475,000

A 5 double bedroom, 3 reception room, semi-detached Victorian period family home with 60ft rear garden and useful lower ground floor storage room. EPC: tbc

BISHOPSTON

guide £950,000

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

Bristol’s Independent Estate Agents

Henleaze

Guide Price £935,000

Superb detached 4 bedroom family home set in a large plot on a highly desirable side road in Henleaze. Boasting fabulous split level open plan rear area opening via bi-fold doors onto the rear garden this house is ideally suited to growing families. Sympathetically improved and extended by the current owners over the past decade the house was built in the 1950’s to a traditional style on a much larger than average plot and enjoys a fabulous position situated at the top end of The Crescent within 500m of Henleaze infant school and walking distance of Henleaze High Street. EPC - F

TEL: 0117 974 1741 61 Apsley Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2SW

Leese & Nagle October.indd 1

sales@leeseandnagle.co.uk

14/09/2018 16:40

www.leeseandnagle.co.uk

Westbury on Trym

Guide Price £545,000

Stunning 4-bedroom ‘cottage style’ detached family home built approximately 5 years ago to a high specification and would be suitable for families, professional couples or down sizers. The property of nearly 1400 sq. feet offers off-street parking and is brimming with charm and contemporary character. It is hugely energy efficient being a ‘B band’ and cannot be improved upon according to its Energy Performance Certification. EPC - B

Westbury on Trym Guide Price £625,000

Westbury on Trym Guide Price £610,000

Stoke Bishop Guide Price £795,000

Modern but characterful early 1990’s built 3-bedroom end of terrace home arranged over three floors and located in this highly popular district.

EPC - D

Very attractive 1950’s 3-bedroom semi-detached family house, positioned on a highly desirable road in Stoke Bishop located just off Parrys Lane. EPC - E

This loved 4-bedroom family home has been sympathetically extended over the years to provide spacious accommodation arranged over two floors and a beautiful 90 ft long level rear garden. EPC - D

TEL: 0117 962 2299 125 Stoke Lane, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3RW

Leese & Nagle October.indd 2

wot@leeseandnagle.co.uk

14/09/2018 16:41

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