The Bristol Magazine February 2019 by MC Publishing Limited

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Issue 176

THE

february 2019

MAGAZINE

THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

£3.95 where sold

NEW PERSPECTIVE Escape into the art world and explore alternative realities at Royal Photographic Society’s lovely new HQ

Decode Da Vinci

Yes queen

Heart of Bristol

Doctor who?

Leo’s renaissance at Bristol Museum marks the death of a genius

The play broaching the Bristol Bus Boycott in a beautiful way

Pave the way for a positive 2019 via local social enterprise

The Bristol-born medic who made history in the United States

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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BESPOKE CABINET FURNITURE, KITCHENS & BATHROOMS, UPHOLSTERY, CURTAINS & BLINDS

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Our annual clearance of sofas and ex display models is now on with savings of up to 65% from list price

These pieces can be delivered within 2-4 days and are in a wide variety of fabrics across sizes Chair to 3 seater Sofa Library manufacture bespoke upholstery, curtains and blinds in our own factory in Bristol as well as fine cabinet furniture in hundreds of different specialist veneers and any solid timber.

Our Kitchens, Bathrooms and Cabinet Furniture are completely bespoke and can be in any contemporary or period influenced design and are conceived and detail designed with you or your interior designer and fabricated in 8-12 weeks.

We are just past Clifton Down Shopping Centre 56/60, Whiteladies Rd, BS8 2PY Mon-Sat 9.30 - 5.30/Sun 12 - 5

Tel: 01173 292746 www.thesofalibrary.co.uk

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Richard Harding February.qxp_Layout 6 21/01/2019 11:19 Page 1

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

A well-proportioned 5 bedroom, 3 reception room (plus study) Edwardian semi-detached family residence with 55ft rear garden and a garage, within 150 metres of Westbury Park School and within 600 metres of Redland Green Secondary School. EPC: tbc

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A stylish 4 bedroom (1 with en-suite), 3 reception room 1920’s family home with 60ft rear garden, within 100 metres of Henleaze Road. EPC: E

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Richard Harding February.qxp_Layout 6 21/01/2019 11:19 Page 2

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

In need of modernisation, a well-proportioned 5 bedroom, 3 reception room semi-detached Victorian house within 500 metres of Redland Green School, having 50ft walled rear garden. EPC: E

Redland BS6

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An exceptional 4 bedroom (formerly 5), 2 bath/shower room, Edwardian family home with south-west facing garden, within 300 metres of Westbury Park Primary and 900 metres of Redland Green Secondary School.

Westbury Park BS6

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Professional, Reliable, Successful

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

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Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

Redland BS6

A spacious 2 bed garden apartment (grade II listed) with private garden and parking.

Guide Price £435,000

Clifton BS8

A 2 bedroom courtyard apartment within grade II listed townhouse close to Whiteladies Road.

Guide Price £360,000

A refined 5 bedroom, 3 reception room, late Victorian semi-detached family home with parking for 2 cars and southwest facing garden. EPC: E

St Andrews BS6

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Clifton BS8

A modern 3 bedroom, 2 bath/shower room apartment, with underground parking and stunning views. EPC: D

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Harbourside BS8

An impressive 2 bedroom duplex harbourside apartment with parking and views. EPC: C

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Professional, Reliable, Successful

A beautiful and extended 4 bedroom (1 with en-suite) semi-detached Victorian family home and 28ft kitchen/dining space and 40ft rear garden. EPC: D

Bishopston BS7

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

Richard Harding February.qxp_Layout 6 21/01/2019 11:19 Page 4

Richard Harding Chartered Surveyors • Estate Agents • Auctioneers • Valuers

A 2 bedroom, 2 bath/shower room first floor apartment, within Italianate style grade II listed building, having allocated parking.

Cotham BS6

Guide Price £430,000

An impressive, stylish & highly individual 3/4 bedroom newly built contemporary city home located in historic Kingsdown. EPC: B

Kingsdown BS2

Guide Price £725,000

Set on a quiet road and in need of modernisation, a 3 bedroom, 2 reception room 1930’s semi-detached home with sunny rear garden. EPC: D

Redland BS6

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A 2 bedroom garden maisonette in convenient location with 45ft garden and allocated parking. EPC: E

Brandon Hill BS1

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Full of charm and original character, an engaging 3 double bedroom Victorian townhouse with 50ft landscaped garden plus garden workshop. EPC: D

Cliftonwood BS8

Guide Price £725,000

Professional, Reliable, Successful

A light and airy 2 bedroom 4th floor apartment, having views, lift access and off street parking for two cars. EPC: C

Clifton BS8

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

Bristol Contents February.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2019 12:50 Page 1

Image © Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018

Visit the Royal Photographic Society’s opening exhibition for Bristol

Contents

Visiting Ontario this year? Be sure to see surreally situated Niagara Falls

February 2019

REGULARS

FASHION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Crystal Rose tries the personal styling service at John Lewis

ZEITGEIST

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FOOD & DRINK

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Top activities for the month to come

CITYIST

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Meet winning composer Liam Taylor-West and catch up on the news

Tasty tidings from local eateries and producers

SHOPPING

REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

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Tangible tokens: Valentine’s Day gift ideas

Step away from your desk and lunch like a culture vulture at St George’s

BRISTOL UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Bite-sized business and community news from across the city

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

THE CULTURE THEATRE

Snippets from the sector

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SHOPPING

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Cyndi Lauper talks Kinky Boots while the Bristol Bus Boycott provides the backdrop for Bristol Old Vic’s thought-provoking new play

Beauty products perfect for the older visage

WHAT’S ON

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

Retirement doesn’t mean retreating from everyday society, says Dr Naomi Woodspring: attitudes have really matured

PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

HABITAT

The International Print Exhibition 161 will launch Paintworks’ new hub for contemporary camerawork

WILD BRISTOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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FINE ART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

LATER LIFE

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Two by two: Pete Dommett talks tawny owls

Leonardo da Vinci is experiencing a renaissance at Bristol Museum

GREAT OUTDOORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

FEATURES

A gritty working hub transformed and rebranded into a residential urban idyll: a potted history of Bristol Harbourside

COMMUNITY

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GARDENING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Local social enterprise projects to get behind this year

Sowing seeds takes skill and patience but the rewards are well worth it

HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

PROPERTY

The Bristol medic who made history in the United States

News and developments

TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 How to spend 10 days in totally cosmopolitan Toronto

EDUCATION

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Enlightening chat on digital hygiene with a Bristol professor, fresh off the set of Channel 4 show The Secret Life of Four and Five-Year-Olds

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ON THE COVER

A Good Day by Natalie Christensen is an extension of her practice as a psychotherapist. Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2017, from the series ‘New Mexico Deconstructed’. See it at Royal Photographic Society from 7 February; nataliechristensenphoto.com; rps.org

100

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Contact

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Aberdeen . Aberdeenshire . Beverley . Brentwood . Bristol . Cardiff . Chester . Chichester . Farnborough High Wycombe . Linlithgow . Liverpool . London North . London West End . Manchester . Orpington Preston . Romsey . Sheffield . Shrewsbury . Southport . Sutton Coldfield . Tunbridge Wells . Wilmslow . York

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Gypsy Rose by Kristin Bedford – at the Royal Photographic Society this month – looks at the car as a mobile canvas and is giving us romantic notions of doing things our way and driving oﬀ into the sunset à la Los Angeles lowrider culture...

THIS MONTH WE’LL BE... Perusing...

...Agent Provocateur’s pop-up, at House of Fraser until 14 Feb. Expect a HoF edit celebrating the diverse female form, and pick up any necessary chocs, pink Moët and pretty blooms as part of the one-stop Valentine’s shop. • houseoffraser.co.uk

from the

Celebrating...

EDITOR

Editor’s image by Paolo Ferla; ferlapaolo.com

16 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

thebristolmag.co.uk |

Anticipating...

The team behind Bravas, Bakers & Co, Cargo Cantina and Gambas is starting work on transforming Stokes Croft’s Corner 77 into new Mexican restaurant Masa + Mezcal, and we want in! • Twitter: @MasaAndMezcal

Visiting...

...‘Albert Irvin & Abstract Expressionism’ (until 3 March) which has broken RWA visitor records. The retrospective exhibition saw numbers up by 400% one Saturday in January! • rwa.org.uk

AMANDA NICHOLLS EDITOR

@thebristolmag

Bristol Cloth has met its crowdfunding target and raised £18,086 for production of the UK’s first regenerative cloth, locally sourced and manufactured using regenerative farming and no toxic synthetic chemicals. • bristolcloth.co.uk

Image by Imogen Waite

here’s a lot going on at the moment and while we wouldn’t recommend any burying of heads in sand or hiding beneath a fusty old floral carpet (see p39) it probably wouldn’t do any harm to take a short breather and indulge in some different realities. Have a gander at Royal Photographic Society’s new gaff – there you’ll find alternative worlds and obscure takes on civilisation in which to immerse your mind as part of a launch exhibition which marks the opening of the stalwart institution’s new HQ on 7 February. Along with its neighbour the Martin Parr Foundation, the RPS gallery, auditorium and education centre has made Paintworks a real local destination for culture, cutting-edge visuals and social commentary (p36). Also opening this month is a special exhibition on Da Vinci at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (p40). Leo’s having a bit of a renaissance as part of a nationwide event marking the death of a genius, 500 years ago, through fresh examination of his multi-disciplinary drawings. They show how he made sense of the world, and his diverse interests in everything from anatomy to engineering and the movements of cats... By way of sharing the love, yes there are V-Day gift ideas and fine florists to frequent this issue but we’ve also done a sweep of the city in search of sustainable/social enterprise projects paving the way for a positive 2019 (p48). Plenty to inspire there. In theatre, there’s a new Weston Super Mare-set story being staged against a backdrop of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement (p30) while Eighties pop queen Cyndi Lauper talks to Jasper Rees about the move into musicals and writing for Kinky Boots, which arrives in the city this month (p28). Then, as Stephen Roberts harks back to the life and achievements of a Bristol-born medic who made history in the States as the first female doctor, on p50, Dr Naomi Woodspring – research fellow with the Bristol Ageing Better project – looks ahead and explains why, increasingly now, retiring doesn’t mean retreating from everyday society (p84). Far from it. And elsewhere (p68) we’ve an enlightening chat with the University of Bristol professor from TV’s Secret Life of Four and Five-Year-Olds who has some interesting points to make about emerging classroom tech and ‘digital hygiene’. Dig deeper (p82) and get the lowdown on the local tawny owl population, loved-up and loud this month (eesh), and find transatlantic travel (how to fill 10 days in Toronto on p56) plus Jessica Hope’s thoughts on St George’s, which has made like other local arts venues lately and launched a lush all-day foodie offering (p61). ’K, love you, bye.

FEBRUARY 2019

No 176

@thebristolmag

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ZEITGEIST

top things to do in FEBRUARY

Whether it’s friends or siblings, new loves or old flames, We The Curious is celebrating all things affectionate at a special Valentine’s latenight opening that adults can enjoy. Spend time playing with over 250 interactive exhibits that reveal the workings of the world, be part of a guided exploration of the heart while thinking about your relationship with your own, and journey to the birthplace of stars in the planetarium and experience the beauty of the winter stargazing 3D show. Be challenged, engaged and entertained by some intriguing activities designed around this most human of emotions. Plus there will be DJs, bars and food available. Taking place 14 February, 6.30 –10pm, entry from £7.95.

HOW DAL-ING Businesses from around Bristol will be celebrating all things lentil, bean, pea and pulse as the second British Dal Festival week kicks off on 10 February, and our mouths are watering at the dishes on offer already! The festival will take over the Bristol Farmers and Producers’ Market on Corn Street and Wine Street on 13 February, where the Thali Café will be handing out delicious free lunches. Other events include a dal masterclass with Bojan, a supper at Gopal’s Curry Shack and Soil Sunday at Windmill City Farm. And don’t miss the Grand Dal Finale at Paintworks on 16 February, where there will be demos from the likes of Chetna Makan, Jenny Chandler and Kalpna Woolf, plus a market place, street food, workshops and children’s activities. It’s going to be dal-tastic!

• wethecurious.org

SWEET SOUNDS A queen among UK jazz vocalists, Claire Martin joins forces with singer and saxophonist Ray Gelato (‘The Godfather of Swing’) for a grand tour of some of the bestloved romantic numbers in the Great American Songbook. Embraceable You, That’s Amore, When I Fall in Love and many more are among the delights of this brand new show, which visits St George’s Bristol on 7 February, 8pm. Tickets £21/£24.

• britishdalfestival.com Swooners and crooners: enjoy Ray Gelato and Claire Martin

• stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

DON’T GIVE A PUCK

Cats, lions and a dragon by Leonardo da Vinci, c.1517–18

WORKS OF WONDER Marking the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery will be showing 12 exceptional drawings from the Royal Collection from this month. The works reflect on da Vinci’s extraordinary scope of interests, from painting and sculpture to engineering, zoology, botany and anatomy, as well as his different use of media. ‘Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing’ is on from 1 February – 6 May, tickets £5/£6/free for under 16s. To find out more, turn to page 40.

• tobaccofactorytheatres.com

• bristolmuseums.org.uk

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FEBRUARY 2019

The course of true love never did run smooth… And that is certainly the case in the new adaption of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream which opens at Tobacco Factory Theatres this month. Lysander loves Hermia but to be together they’ll have to run away. Demetrius loves Hermia too, but she hates him – unlike Helena, who loves him like mad. It’s all a bit of a mess! Vengeful fairies, warring lovers, amateur actors, mind-altering herbs and dangerous desires collide in Shakespeare’s riotous comedy of mad, bad romance. Following last year’s critically acclaimed production of A View From the Bridge, this production is part of the second Factory Company season at Tobacco Factory Theatres and is directed by Mike Tweddle. On from 20 February – 6 April, tickets from £12.

No 176

Image: Paul Blakemore

LET THERE BE LOVE

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THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

FEBRUARY 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 19

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THE CITY THE BUZZ

BRISTOL This month, we meet local composer Liam Taylor-West I came to Bristol to study music at university. I studied for four years, stayed and worked for a fifth, then went to London for a couple before moving back to Bristol in 2016. I call myself a composer, which means I spend some of my time writing music. The rest of the time I am involved in music preparation (editing/arranging/transcribing) for other composers and orchestras. I’ve also begun studying composition again, part-time at the Royal College of Music.

Image by Johan Persson

Oh, we just can’t wait! ...To be seated in the Hippodrome, that is, ready for curtain-up on this one. The Walt Disney Company is taking its award-winning musical The Lion King on a second UK tour, opening in Bristol in September, with tickets going on sale this month (patrons can sign up for priority access at thelionking.co.uk). The tour coincides with the show celebrating 20 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre. Since its UK premiere, the popular show has entertained over 15 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production – the previous tour broke attendance records across the nation. With a cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers, the story of young Simba’s struggle to accept the responsibilities of adulthood is brought to life using masks, puppets and striking costumes. The show’s team of designers drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate the rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna. Director Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation opened on Broadway in 1997. Julie – who made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical – explored classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask and movement, while South African composer Lebo M set about creating an evocative blend of African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina. Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting soundtrack for the show is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, with unforgettable songs including the Academy Award-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland.

• atgtickets.com

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My main project at the moment is linked to a company I founded called Roomsize. I’m a resident at Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio, and there’s a team of us developing a piece of technology that can spread a musical recording across a physical space. Essentially you put on a pair of wireless headphones, walk around, and each individual element of the musical composition appears to emanate from different places in room the around you. Lots of people can listen at once, and the music reacts to your presence. It’s very exciting but also very difficult to describe! I spent just over a year and a half working with Bristol-based organisation Open Up Music, whose goal it is to make orchestras accessible to young disabled people. I wrote two pieces of music, and the first, The Umbrella, recently won the community/educational project award at the British Composer Awards. It’s a piece for 10 performers playing a mixture of traditional orchestral instruments alongside some amazing new inventions, like the clarion. I wouldn’t have won this award without the huge amount of work put in by the performers and the team of music leaders. I’m hugely grateful to them all! I’ve been revisiting Steve Martland’s music. He’s someone who did modern classical in a really punchy, loud, exciting way. Also an album just out by Braxton Cook. I knew of him as the sax player in Christian Scott’s band but this is his own material. Christian Scott is a long-time favourite trumpeter my girlfriend introduced me to. I can always happily return to his stuff. I had a bad leg accident recently, and since relearning to walk I’ve judged everything by how close it is to home. I think my first trip out of the house was to reach the Highbury Vaults. I also recent did an interactive audio walk that happened around Broadmead called ‘Of Home and Each Other’. You got

put into someone else’s thoughts, and the way you moved around the city changed the experience. Genius. If I was mayor of Bristol, I’d have to do something with music in schools. I’m not sure if the mayor has any power there but I’m not going to give an answer about parking permits or speed limits... So, music and schools it is! Keeping fit: walking and cycling seems to do the trick in this city! Again, I’ve scaled in my ambitions recently, but I’ve always had a thing for following the river alongside Hotwells Road. Or any part of the river actually. Spike Island, the boatyards. As a freelancer I’ve forgotten the concept of weekday/weekend, which is a bit sad. I tend to just seize a free day when I can, ignore my phone and do very little. Rediscovering weekends is my new year’s resolution. There are too many admirable Bristol creatives to name, which is a good thing. My teammates at Roomsize, creative producer Emma Hughes and the creative tech company All Seeing Eye are involved in so many incredible projects. The recent launch event of a podcast/book series called RadioBook Rwanda, made by Lily Green’s company No Bindings, was really great. Also the Insight Ensemble team, Paraorchestra and Friends, Bloom Music Collective. Many more; it’s all very positive. n • Follow Liam on Twitter: @LiamTaylorWest

Image by Mark Allan

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THE CITY

Calling all good local sports stars! Up-and-coming athletes in Bristol are being given the opportunity to receive funding from a local leisure provider as part of its mentoring scheme. Everyone Active is urging aspiring sports stars to apply for support as part of its Sporting Champions scheme – the online application is available until 22 February. The scheme has helped over 800 local athletes achieve their sporting potential by offering them access to quality training facilities and expert advice. Athletes have free access to Everyone Active centres across the country, and those on higher tiers of the programme can also receive a grant of up to £5,000 to help towards training and competition costs. Athletes are also given opportunities to join mentoring sessions led by influential sports stars including Olympic silver medallist Colin Jackson CBE. Everyone Active operates seven leisure facilities, including the Easton, Henbury and Horfield leisure centres in partnership with Bristol City Council. “We’re proud to have invested over £500,000 in helping upcoming athletes up and down the country to achieve their goals and continue in their sporting career,” said Jon Senior, Everyone Active regional director. “We have exciting plans for the future of the scheme and I would encourage any Bristol athletes that are looking not just for funding but also mentoring for their future sports career to apply.”

BRISTAGRAM Some of our favourite recent snaps as seen on social media! Tag your Bristol pics using #thebristolmag Bedminst er Parade (i Lantern mage by @barcan kirbyllp)

• easportingchampions.com/apply-now News of jones @realsirtom stol ri B to g headin ing us in July gett r summer psyched fo

We love seei ng you enjoy the m ag around the city! Tha nks @lauracharlo ttephotos

See New Order on Bristol’s waterfront this summer

Here comes summer... Just recently it’s been a little easier to envisage warmer times ahead, thanks to a flurry of exciting announcements including two major one-off gigs on Bristol’s Harbourside. On 18 July, New Order will take centre stage, while ska pioneers The Specials are kicking off the weekend with their rock-steady beats on 19 July as part of their 40th anniversary tour. Tickets go on sale at 10am on 1 February. Taking place in Lloyds Amphitheatre, the big double bill will lead Bristol into the Bristol Harbour Festival. The outdoor concerts form part of the Colston Hall Presents programme, which sees the venue programming in the city’s independent venues and unique spaces while it undergoes its £48.8million transformation. “It’s great to be bringing two legendary British bands into Bristol for the biggest weekend of the summer,” said Todd Wills, Colston Hall’s artistic director. “The Specials and New Order are arguably two of the most iconic bands of their time, so to have them each playing a one-off show in the height of the Bristol summer is going to be absolutely fantastic.” 2019 marks 40 years since The Specials created their infectious mix of danceable ska and punk attitude, with a focused, informed political message. After a string of top 10 singles they disbanded, reforming in 2009. Their new album, Encore is released on 1 February. New Order was formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, from the ashes of Joy Division. Their integration of British post-punk with electronic dance made them one of the most critically acclaimed and publicly loved bands of the era.

First to be anno unced for Bristol Sounds : @thisisblocpa rty (pic by Rachae l White)

• colstonhall.org

22 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

g for Always livin uture @annacakeco

FEBRUARY 2019

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Comfort or clutter?

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e were watching a film recently in which a couple in their forties made friends with another couple, both of whom were in their twenties. The older couple were typical of that generation, in that they had got rid of all their books, records, CDs and what have you, replacing all this clutter with a laptop and a couple of phones. On visiting the younger couple they were shocked to discover piles of vinyl records, stacks of magazines and shelves crammed with books: all the stuff they had got rid of, acquired for nothing at charity shops and put to use again. The older couple remind me of the mother of a friend when I was growing up. She was obsessed with dieting and used to have long debates with herself as to whether or not she should eat a spoonful of cottage cheese. Come to think of it, their house didn’t have much in it either. She seemed, to me, to spend her time wandering hungrily round an empty house, hunting for things to throw away. That didn’t seem like much fun then, and it doesn’t now. When it comes to clutter I’m on the side of the twenty-somethings in that movie. There’s a de-cluttering TV guru everyone is talking about at the moment who has apparently decided that each of us should only be allowed 30 books in our home. As I write, I have 30 books in a pile next to my desk. Well, two piles. It started out as one but got too tall and tipped over, and now there are two piles leaning together like a badly constructed church steeple. These are books that have no home in spite of the fact that two walls of the room are entirely taken up with bookshelves. There are two big bookcases in the sitting room, two more in the dining room and several upstairs. The other day, in a token gesture towards minimalist control-freakery, I took five boxes of books to Oxfam. You’d never know. Underlying the new minimalism is the belief that books as physical objects are no longer necessary. These days, so the argument goes, everything we need is online. As someone who has always loved books as objects to hold, look at and otherwise enjoy, I don’t agree with this but I have, in the past, made the mistake of ditching a book through an erroneous belief in the all-encompassing power of the web. For instance I used to have a Reverse Dictionary, a book that doesn’t define words so much as open up relationships between them. This sort of thing is used almost exclusively by people trying to solve crosswords and it was while attempting the Times’ jumbo crossword over Christmas that I realised my mistake in disposing of my copy. Yes, there are similar things online, but they’re nothing like as good. It isn’t just books that are under attack, though, it’s everything that doesn’t have an immediate practical use. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that, in these uncertain times, people are trying to take control of their lives in this way; it’s the Brexit equivalent of throwing excess baggage overboard and battening down the hatches in the face of a coming storm. I suppose also that some people feel calmer in an empty room, but I can’t imagine anything worse. A room full of books and pictures and all the funny bits and bobs accumulated over the years; that to me is a room full of warmth and humanity. If there are uncertain times ahead I want all my old books around me, and that strange clay head my son made at primary school and the tiny horse that was once part of a farm set, not to mention the collection of miscellaneous bike parts saved because they might come in handy one day. Who knows, perhaps they will. ■

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THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 25

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SHOPPING | VALENTINE’S

Ideas from us, with love In need of a little romantic inspiration? Perhaps a tangible token of affection – whether low-key or extravagant – is what you’re looking for...

4 5

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1. Limited edition heart-shaped boxes available when purchasing two or more products from 1 – 14 February, Jo Malone; jomalone.com 2. Rose & dark Ecuadorian chocolate hearts, £8, Flowers & Thorn; flowersandthorn.co.uk 3. Bella peacock necklace with freshwater pearls, £135, Catherine Amesbury at Artemis; catherineamesbury.com 4. Evolution 50ml eau de toilette, £39.99, Kings Grooming; kings-grooming.com 5. 9ct white gold heart pendant with pink sapphire, £535, Julie Anne Palmer; julieannepalmer.com 6. Silver endless bangle etched with the words eternity, endless, infinity, everlasting; £249, Diana Porter; dianaporter.co.uk 7. Kemps offers an extensive range of beautiful engagement rings from £300 to £9,000, Kemps Jewellers; kempsjewellers.com 8. A swirling ruby and diamond 18ct white and yellow gold dress ring, £2,350, Nicholas Wylde; nicholaswylde.com 9. Pink hearts phone charger compact, £29.99, Emma Bridgewater; emmabridgewater.co.uk

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SHOPPING | VALENTINE’S

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1. Chopard 18ct white gold diamond earrings, £5,390, Mallory Jewellers Bath; mallory-jewellers.com 2. Diamond pavé marquise in 9ct white gold, £1,029, Clifton Rocks; cliftonrocks.co.uk 3. Loubivalentine’s coffret rouge Louboutin, £103; christianlouboutin.com 4. Kiki kimono, AP x House of Fraser, £495; houseoffraser.co.uk 5. English strawberry & rose petal preserve, rose dark-chocolate hearts, Earl Grey rose tea, almond & rose chocolate, £43, Flowers & Thorn; flowersandthorn.co.uk 6. 0.52ct ruby and diamond 18ct white gold necklace, £2,010, Nicholas Wylde; nicholaswylde.com 7. 9ct yellow gold ear studs with a peachy rose-cut diamond, £600, Diana Porter; dianaporter.co.uk 8. Silver sweetie necklace and bracelet, necklace £135, bracelet £65, Catherine Amesbury at Artemis; catherineamesbury.com 9. Damascena candle, £53, Diptyque; spacenk.com

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The show is loosely inspired by an old family firm of Northampton shoe manufacturers that was about to go under, only to discover a new niche in the market: ladies’ footwear worn by men who like to dress up (photo by Matt Crockett)

BOOTYLICIOUS! As an award-winning modern musical prepares to hit Bristol Hippodrome, Jasper Rees chats to its songwriter, Eighties pop queen Cyndi Lauper

here’s no book, no bible, entitled How to Be Famous for Dummies – that’s according to Cyndi Lauper who, at 65, has not lost her New York drawl. “So you just do what you can,” she says. “All of a sudden you get to the top of the mountain and everybody around is like; ‘You can’t do that! Don’t do this! You’ll be ruined!’” Above all, the Eighties’ punkiest pop queen who was catapulted to stardom with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Time After Time, was warned off musical theatre. “I was always being beckoned,” she remembers. “But I was like, ‘I can’t, because if I do my career is over.’ I would lose my credibility in pop. It was really a big divide. After a while you then get to a point where you think, ‘Well, I think I’ve been ruined enough, it doesn’t matter now, I can do whatever the hell I want.’” The result is Kinky Boots, the musical mega-hit that conquered Broadway and the West End, now on a tour of the UK. The songs were written by Lauper, and in New York they won her a Tony Award for Best Original Composition. In 2016 the show went on to win three Olivier Awards – for Best New Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Actor in a Musical. She had never written for theatre before, and became the first woman ever to win the Tony in the Best Score category on her own. “What I was really taken with was how that community accepted me,” she says. “To have these people, literally in my own backyard on Broadway, take me in was what got me.” Aptly enough, acceptance is the take-home message of Kinky Boots. “Accept yourself, you’ll accept others,” says Lauper. “It’s a very important show at this time in the world.” 28 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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The show is loosely inspired by the story of an old family firm of Northampton shoe manufacturers that was about to go under, only to discover a new niche in the market: ladies’ footwear worn by men who like to dress up. The BBC told the story of the firm’s rebirth in the series Trouble at the Top. In 2005 it became a charming independent British movie which starred Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola, a fictional crossdressing diva demanding sturdy stilettos. But the ultimate destiny for such a fabulous story was always the stage. Kinky Boots the Musical,

...It’s a story about friendship and there’s a great redemption at the end. I’m a sucker for redemption... which explored the unlikely friendship between Lola and straightlaced factory owner Charlie, opened in Chicago in 2012, moved to Broadway the following year, and made its way to the West End in 2015. It’s also gone all around the world to territories including Canada, Australia, Germany and Japan. But now it’s come home: the tour opened at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, the quiet town in Middle England where it began. “I would have liked to have been there, because I just think that part of it is special,” says Lauper. But she advises against thinking of

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Minneriya elephants gather in great number between May and October

Expect heart-stopping ballads as well as wig-out dance anthems (photo by Matt Crockett)

Kinky Boots as a specifically English show. “It’s a story about a really great friendship and two very, very opposite people and there’s a great redemption in the end. I’m a sucker for redemption.” Perhaps there has been some redemption for Lauper too. She was a huge star in the Eighties but, as with most of her contemporaries bar Madonna, gradually slipped from the top of the chart. She was thinking of creating a musical about her upbringing in Queens when she got a call from her friend Harvey Fierstein – theatre royalty, writer of the hit play Torch Song Trilogy about a gay drag performer, and the cross-dressing star of the musical Hairspray. “He said, ‘I’m doing a show called Kinky Boots. Would you like to write the music for me?’ I thought, ‘Wow’. He told me I had to watch the film. I loved it. I thought, ‘Oh I get it. He wants me to write 12 good pop songs with a good hook.’ I figured, I could do that. Then I realised you have to move the story along.” She set about composing anywhere and everywhere. “I brought my phone along with me and I recorded melodies on it. I belonged to a gym where they had a track on an upstairs roof and I would walk and sing and write. When I woke up in the middle of the night I picked up my iPhone.” The product of four years’ development is a string of catchy numbers from wig-out dance anthems to heart-stopping ballads, among them The Most Beautiful Thing In The World, The Sex Is In The Heel and Not My Father’s Son. Ideas came from surprising sources. She thought of the shoe factory workers as Monty Python’s knights of the round table. The History of Wrong Guys, a comic scene-stealer about a woman who has bad luck with men, was inspired by a line from Kung Fu Panda. “I gave everybody a different style because everybody has a different jam when they’re in the shower singing.” She didn’t really think about writing for specifically English characters. “When England started doing pop music it sounded like American music. Their translation of Duane Eddy and the Everly Brothers and Chuck Berry was the Mersey Beat. It was different but still based on rhythm and blues. It wasn’t like Harvey asked me to write some foreign stuff. You’re not going to ask me to write an opera. I don’t study opera.”

What she did study as a child was her mother’s record collection, which was full of musicals such as My Fair Lady, another study of the English written by Americans. “I did what kids do: I would play each character. I sang Stanley Holloway’s part, Rex Harrison’s part and Julie Andrews’ part.” At the Tony Awards in 2013, Kinky Boots was up against Matilda the Musical, with words by Tim Minchin, which was considered the favourite to win. “I was constantly asking Harvey if it was a hit and he was saying, ‘I don’t know yet, Cyn. We have to win Best Musical.’ So when it won Best Musical I said, ‘Is it a hit now?’” See it and judge for yourself. You’ll never think about shoes in the same way again. • Kinky Boots is at Bristol Hippodrome, 25 February – 9 March; atgtickets.com Musical theatre always beckoned, says Cyndi (photo by Helen Maybanks)

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Princess and The Hustler has been shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award 2018 for Best New Play

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THEATRE | CULTURE

IF THE CROWN FITS... Princess thinks she’s beautiful, so why shouldn’t she enter a beauty contest? Award-winning local playwright Chinonyerem Odimba reveals the political and racial influences behind her new play opening at Bristol Old Vic this month

he year is 1963. Civil rights activists are taking to the streets of Bristol, the city’s buses are being boycotted, and the national news is turning its cameras to the West Country. By the early 1960s, despite there being labour shortages in local transport companies, the Bristol Omnibus Company colour bar meant that many of the local residents were refused jobs as bus crews on the basis of being black or Asian. After months of pressure the bus company agreed that discrimination would not be tolerated when employing new crews. The Bristol Bus Boycott is seen by many as having a vital influence on the UK parliament passing the Race Relations Act in 1965, making racial discrimination unlawful in public places. This pivotal story in the British civil rights movement is often overlooked or forgotten. Some Bristol residents may never have heard of it, yet it played a crucial role in securing anti-discrimination laws in this country. The tale is now being used as the backdrop for award-winning local playwright Chinonyerem Odimba’s new play, Princess and The Hustler, which opens at Bristol Old Vic this month. Shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award 2018 for Best New Play, it follows 10-year-old Princess as she conjures up a plan for how to win the Weston-SuperMare Beauty Contest. But with a busy working mum, a brother who doesn’t even want to take her picture, and civil rights activists protesting on the streets, Princess discovers what it really means to be black and beautiful. We caught up with Chinonyerem ro find out more about the production… Could you tell us a little about Princess and The Hustler and where the idea came from? The story follows a young girl who has big dreams to win a local beauty pageant. When her estranged father comes back into her life, her dreams are threatened. For me the idea came from wanting to write a story that spoke to what I call ‘black girl joy’ – a celebration of what it is to be a young, black, British girl full of dreams for the future, and the joys of being young and innocent, as well as the magic of that. It is set against the backdrop of the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott. Why did you choose this particular event? I was initially unsure about taking on the

Bristol Bus Boycott story. I felt that many people were also trying to tell the story. I had known, talked to and interviewed Paul Stephenson (who led a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company) many times, and if I’m honest, I was a little scared of not doing the story justice. However when I started to talk about it as an event in Bristol and British history, I realised that actually there are still lots of people who don’t know that story. Yet it is a national story because it is one of the emergence of a black civil rights movement in the UK and it led to the first race equalities act in this country. It suddenly felt important to tell it and to tell it in a way that we could all understand – and highlight how it affects us personally. How does the bus boycott influence the lives of the characters and the plot of the play? The boycott is, in one way, a catalyst for all the characters to come to some understanding of how they can create a future in Bristol; how they work and live in this country; and how they find a voice to fight the racial injustice they are faced with. Princess’ brother is a budding photographer. How did photography play a part in the British civil rights movement in the 1960s? One of the first points of contact I had in researching the play was photographs. I remember, one day, thinking how lucky we are that there were men like Princess’ brother to capture those moments because without them, who would have told these visual stories of the black British experience? Photographers like Raphael Albert (who photographed many black beauty queens) and Armet Francis were capturing the ordinary, as well as the extraordinary, lives of black people in the 1960s and ’70s, capturing worlds and people that can inspire the next generation of civil rights campaigners. That was when I decided to make Princess’ brother and his friends photographers. Do you think that audiences will be shocked by the historical context of the play, especially in regards to discrimination and colour bars in the workplace? In some ways yes, and in some ways no. If anything this is an opportunity to learn more about our history as a city.

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Playwright Chinonyerem Odimba

What has it been like working with director Dawn Walton and the creative team? The creative team are amazing. Even after years of being in rehearsal rooms, I am still in awe of how hard so many people are working to make my little dreams come true. People from the local communities of the cities and towns where the play is touring will be taking part in the production. Why did you want to get local people involved? This element of the play was always part of the story I want to tell. I wrote in the involvement of local people from the first draft because it felt important that we do not assume that some of the things the play touches on are just a challenge for Princess. I want people from across Bristol to be part of the discovery of her beauty, and this exciting moment in Bristol’s history. Your work has previously been shown at Bristol Old Vic, including Medea in 2017. Are you excited to be staging this play in the new Weston Studio? Bristol is my home for the foreseeable future and it is the city in which I became a writer. And I have had my work performed at BOV several times, but now to be part of its new building and its new place in people’s imaginations, it is very exciting. n

• Princess and The Hustler is on at The Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic from 9 – 23 February. Tickets from £16; bristololdvic.org.uk

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LOCAL | EVENTS

What’s on in February

Silje Nergaard at St George’s Bristol

Enjoy all the antics of Great British Mysteries

Rusty Shackle at The Exchange

Jo Dunkley: Our Universe 1 February, 6.30pm, We The Curious Jo Dunkley, leading astrophysicist and awardwinning champion of women in STEM, reveals the remarkable history of our universe and its discovery, from the first star catalogues etched into ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets, to the metres-wide telescopes constructed in Chile’s Atacama Desert today. £6/£8; wethecurious.org Classical Mixtape Live 1 1 February, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol This is the perfect try-it-out event for those a bit nervous about giving classical a go. There’s a huge variety of music, all of which is thrilling, soothing, moving or energising. Composers include Bach, Beethoven, Tavener, Chopin and Eric Whitacre. There are two main performance stages, but performers move around the space and pop up in surprising places. 8+. £15-£20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Bristol Playwright Festival 3 February, from 10am, The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market Assembly Join Bristol-based Elvin Acting Theatre Company for their annual Bristol Playwright Festival. From 10am there will be a range of workshops for all ages and abilities, including creative writing, acting, lively discussions and slam poetry delivered by industry professionals. From 4.30pm sit back and enjoy the Festival Performance, where actors will deliver segments of five shortlisted plays, in front of an industry panel of judges, before a winner is crowned. Workshops £3, performances £9; thewardrobetheatre.com ‘Work Hard’ Storytelling Tours 4 February – 1 March, times vary, Tyntesfield, Wraxall, Bristol On weekdays in February, access to the house at Tyntesfield is on a Work Hard storytelling tour only. Find out more about the Gibbs family’s servants and what it was like to work

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at Tyntesfield. Tickets available on the day. £8.25/£16.50; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield Your City. Your Voice: City Conversation IV 4 February, 6.30pm, Bristol Old Vic Following the 2017 Runnymede Trust report which stated that Bristol was the most segregated core city in the UK, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Post and Ujima Radio set up City Conversations to address the actions needed to address the city’s racial inequality. In the fourth conversation, the pledges from previous events will be readdressed and discussions around what should happen next will take place. Free, but ticketed; bristololdvic.org.uk Sing-a-Long-a The Greatest Showman 4 February, 7.30pm, Bristol Hippodrome The producers of Singalonga Sound of Music and Singalonga Grease brings you their newest show, the smash-hit musical that nobody can stop singing – The Greatest Showman. Learn the dance moves, use the interactive prop bags and sing along to the film’s chart-topping hits. £16; atgtickets.com/bristol

working with director Nicolas Kent, uses his own demise to explore the state we’re in. What’s going right, what’s going wrong and how does it get better? Winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2018. £13/£17; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Russian State Ballet of Siberia 7 – 9 February, times vary, Bristol Hippodrome Over consecutive nights, be transported into a different world with the elegant storytelling from the Russian State Ballet of Siberia’s portrayals of Giselle, Nutcracker and Swan Lake, performed with Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. Tickets from £13; atgtickets.com/bristol Planetarium Nights 7, 21 & 28 February, from 7pm, We The Curious Wander into the giant silver ball for your very own evening tour of the known universe. The We The Curious presenters will deliver a different show every time you visit, telling various stories of ancient stargazers, flying you to far-away galaxies and showing you views from distant and newly discovered planets. Winter Stargazing 3D begins at 7pm, with Exploring the Galaxy 3D kicking off at 8.15pm. 16+. £7.50/£8.50; wethecurious.org

Southside Stories 6 & 7 February, 7.30pm, Spielman Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol Invisible transport, talking pets and the midnight market where all currency is accepted. Welcome to Southside, a mystical and little known neighbourhood between Hartcliffe, Withywood and Bishopsworth. Inspired by the experiences of the local community, BS13 Theatre presents a tale of overcoming adversity, challenging oppression and waiting for buses that never arrive. £10/£12; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Bristol Film Festival: The Grand Budapest Hotel (with wine tasting) 8 February, 6.45pm, Averys, Culver Street, Bristol Enjoy a screening of Wes Anderson’s hilarious Grand Budapest Hotel while tasting four top wines from around Europe. 18+. £25; bristolfilmfestival.com

Mark Thomas – Check Up: Our NHS at 70 6 – 8 February, 8pm, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol Based on a series of interviews with leading experts in the NHS and residencies in hospitals and surgeries. Mark Thomas,

Art Battle Bristol 8 February, 7pm, Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol This is a wild night – with great music and masterpieces created before your eyes. Twelve painters put their skills to the test with only

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LOCAL | EVENTS

EDITOR’S PICK... THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY 12 – 16 FEBRUARY, 7.30PM (2.30PM MATINEES WEDS, THURS AND SAT), BRISTOL HIPPODROME

20 minutes to turn blank canvases into incredible pieces of original art that will be available via silent auction. Watch the creative process unfold and help vote for the winner. £5/£10; artbattle.com/uk Sense of the Divine: Love and Harmony 9 February, 6pm, St George’s Bristol An early-evening concert on the theme of love, performed by Bristol’s accomplished chamber choir Exultate Singers and the distinguished Alberni String Quartet, including music by Finzi, Purcell, Lauridsen, Chilcott, Ešenvalds, Whitacre, Dvořák and Borodin. Tickets £12-£20; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

The Big Hearted Valentine’s Ball 9 February, 6.30pm, Apex City of Bath Hotel, James Street West, Bath A charity black-tie dinner and ball to raise funds for a fibre-optic laryngoscope to be used for treating heart patients at the NHS Bristol Heart Institute. Entertainment includes closeup magic from Peter Baffles, live music and comedian Tank Sherman as host. Tickets £75, includes drinks reception and three-course dinner. Main sponsors Bugler Coaches, tel: 01225 44422. Ed Gamble: Blizzard 10 February, 4pm and 8pm, Bristol Old Vic

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Following the phenomenal sell-out success of its multi award-winning comedy The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre’s Olivier Awardnominated West End smash hit is on a UK tour and coming straight for the West Country, ready to make you laugh yourself off of your seat! It’s summer 1958: Minneapolis City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond. An escaped convict is dead-set on pocketing the gem with the help of his screwball sidekick, trickster girlfriend and the maintenance man. With mistaken identities, love triangles and hidden agendas, even the most reputable can’t be trusted. In a town where everyone’s a crook, who will end up bagging the jewel? Tickets from £13; atgtickets.com/bristol

After a sell-out national tour in 2017, Ed Gamble is back with another bracing flurry of idiocy. You might recognise him from Mock The Week, The Russell Howard Hour, Comedy Central’s Drunk History, and a short film he can’t remember the name of where he killed a man from The Bill with a spade. £16; bristololdvic.org.uk Tracey Thorn 12 February, 7pm, St George’s Bristol Singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn talks about her new memoir A Teenager in Suburbia, and her formative years that were forged from Continued on page 34

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LOCAL | EVENTS

Tom Mothersdale stars in Richard III at Bristol Old Vic

Tracey Thorn talks about her memoir at St George’s Bristol

what failed to happen: not buying things, not going to the disco, the school coach not arriving… Thorn takes us beyond the bus shelters and pub car parks, the utopian cul-desacs and the weekly discos, to the parents who wanted so much for their children, and the children who wanted none of it. £10; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Flesh/Twelfth Night 13 – 15 February, 7pm, Redgrave Theatre, Percival Road, Clifton boomsatsuma’s professional acting diploma course presents a double-bill performance of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night by the final-year students and Flesh, the new play by Rob Drummond, by the first years, as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival. £8/£12; redgravetheatre.com

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 20 February – 6 April, times vary, Tobacco Factory Theatres Exposing hidden agendas, flawed relationships and wild self-abandonment, the Factory Company presents a fresh, dynamic interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies. Expect laughs a-plenty with this comedy of mad, bad romance, directed by Mike Tweddle. Tickets from £12; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Silje Nergaard 14 February, 8pm, St George’s Bristol After the success of her recent sold out tours, Norwegian songstress Silje Nergaard returns to the UK. Here she performs tracks from her latest album, For You A Thousand Times, as well as songs that span the length of her 25year career. £5-£23; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Rusty Shackle 15 February, 7.30pm, The Exchange This five-piece folk-rock band from South Wales have spent the last two years researching folk music – trawling through libraries, manuscripts and interviews, gathering together stories from throughout the ages. Their new music is a mix of traditional folk lyrics from around the world, with brand new music and melodies written for them. Advance tickets £11.76; exchangebristol.com Submotion Orchestra 16 February, doors 6.30pm, SWX Bristol, Nelson Street Following a sell-out show last year, Submotion Orchestra returns to Bristol with diverse sounds from deep electronica, jazz, soul and ambient downtempo, which have mesmerised audiences from Iceland to India. £14; swxbristol.com

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The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé 20 – 22 February, 7.30pm, The Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly Declared one of the “best shows at the Edinburgh Festival 2018” by the Guardian. Riddlestick Theatre presents tales of woe, science, curses and defiance. And don’t forget the juggling. Reach into Fanny’s cabinet for a musical voyage of hilarity. But beware! Somebody’s out to sink her ship. £10; thewardrobetheatre.com

Fat Blokes 22 February, 7.30pm, Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol Fat Blokes uncovers why fat men are “never sexy but always funny” – always the ‘before’ but never the ‘after’ shot. Made in collaboration with Lea Anderson and four ‘fat blokes’ who’ve never done this sort of thing before. Prepare yourself for a show about pent-up aggression, riot grrrl and the hokey cokey. Prepare yourself for a fat rebellion. 16+. £9£11; 3ca.org.uk Bristol Rebel Film Festival 23 & 24 February, 1532 Performing Arts Centre, Elton Road, Bristol This is the first Rebel Film Festival outside of Plymouth. Expect international short films, feature film screenings with Q&As, networking parties, delicious local street food and craft beer in an impressive cinema and pop-up bar. The programme includes feature films South African Spook Hunter and Book Week, and shorts The Divide and The Underdogs. Early-bird day pass £30, earlybird weekend pass £50; rebelfilmfestival.com

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Up The Antics 23 February, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol The Antics Joke Show presents a night packed with local comedic talent and visiting headliners from further afield. Great British Mysteries have returned from their second sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so expect comedy sketches with a historical twist, as they delve into the annals of history to produce pure comedic gold. House improv team Up The Antics bring their signature style of improv with quick thinking and hilarious scenes. £5; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk BBC National Orchestra of Wales 24 February, 7.30pm, St George’s Bristol Head to St George’s Bristol to witness Wales’ acclaimed national orchestra perform a programme crowned by Beethoven’s mighty Violin Concerto, and adorned further by two exciting young, up-and-coming talents. £5-£35; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Bristol Film Festival: Breakfast at Tiffany’s 28 February, 6.45pm, RWA, Queens Road Taking place in the RWA’s beautiful main gallery, this screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s offers an evening oozing with vintage Hollywood glamour. Enjoy a live music performance and drinks reception before the screening, with the chance to take an out-ofhours look at the RWA’s latest exhibition: ‘Albert Irvin and Abstract Expressionism’. £18-£20; bristolfilmfestival.com Richard III 1 March – 13 April, times vary, Bristol Old Vic After decades of civil war, the nation hangs in the balance. Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to change the course of history. Richard was not born to be a king, but he’s set his sights on the crown. So begins his campaign of deceit, manipulation and violence. Yet behind his ambition lies a murderous desire to be loved. Headlong theatre company returns with Tom Mothersdale (The Glass Menagerie) to play Shakespeare’s iconic villain. Tickets from £7.50; bristololdvic.org.uk n

Photo by Edward Bishop

Bristol Film Festival will be showing Breakfast at Tiffany’s

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Pirouetting to a screen near you Special event cinema distributor CinEvents has teamed up with Northern Ballet to bring children’s ballet productions to the local big screens

orthern Ballet’s Bite Sized Ballets are dancing their way to a cinema near you soon with a season of colourful and engaging productions aimed at pre school and primary children. See much loved fairy tales brought to life by Northern Ballet’s amazing dancers who will be gracefully acting out Tortoise and the Hare, Elves and the Shoe Maker and Three Little Pigs to playful music in these highly entertaining productions. BBC presenter Anita Rani will be narrating each of the ballets to introduce the much-loved stories and show your little ones some of the moves with help from the loveable characters to ensure the whole family are dancing in their seats. These children’s ballets have been updated and adapted for cinema following their TV debuts which previously amassed over one million viewers. This first venture into cinema will enable more families than ever before to access Northern Ballet’s productions and provide an engaging introduction to the arts, ballet and cinema. Bite Sized Ballets will be hosted as a season of big screen events starting with Tortoise and the Hare from 26 January 26, Elves and the Shoemaker from 23 February and Three Little Pigs to follow from 23 March. To find out more and to book tickets, visit: bitesizedballets.com. With a limited run book your tickets now showing at cinemas: Vue Longwell Green, Vue Bristol Cribbs, Cineworld Bristol, Curzon Clevedon, Little Theatre Bath, Odeon Bath, Pound Arts Corsham, Wotton Electric Picture House. Northern Ballet began creating short ballets specifically curated for young children in 2013 and has since added to its repertoire which now includes six ballets based on well-known children’s fairy tales. These ballets provide a first experience of live theatre, dance and music for young families and have been seen live by a combined audience of more than 212,000 people. n Go online for more details: bitesizedballets.com

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Portrait of Winona by Alex Grace. As well as portraiture, the exhibition covers practices including the use of photography to comment on contemporary issues and highlight personal stories

Untitled 02 by Matthew Genitempo

Coney Island by Christopher Bethell

GCSE Hidden Results by Natasha Alipour Faridani

Frances And Nunu by Jonathan Knowles

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Reflections of a Society The new headquarters of a stalwart photography institution, opening this month, will make Paintworks a real local destination for cutting-edge visuals and social commentary

s of 7 February, Bristol will have itself a new arts venue at popular Paintworks, courtesy of an international organisation with a membership of over 11,000. A fully accessible photography hub, The Royal Photographic Society has made like the Martin Parr Foundation (established in Bristol at the end of 2017) in choosing the creative hotspot for its home which makes Bath Road a pretty cool new quarter for contemporary camerawork. Photography will be the focus across an all-new exhibition space, auditorium and education centre housing a library and historical materials, and exhibitions at Society HQ will be accompanied by a dynamic learning programme of lectures, talks, film screenings and workshops to support the education initiative. “Our building brings a public exhibition space back to The Royal Photographic Society for the first time since 2001, so that it can show the best of photography to inspire and excite the public,” says Mike Taylor, chief operating officer. “The building restates the RPS’ commitment to photography and reinforces its own place within the medium it has been integral to for the past 165 years. It’s part of the charity’s wider strategy supporting photography, engaging photographers and educating the public – looking to the future at a time when photography and the moving image have never been more relevant to the human experience.”

...Photography and the moving image have never been more relevant to the human experience... Heightening the society’s public presence, the new cultural attraction – whose close environmental control will allow for the display of everything from fragile photographs from the 19th century to multi-media installations – opens with the 161st annual International Photography Exhibition. Furthering its mission to educate and inspire a passion for photography, the theme for 2019 is discovery and the launch show will share visually arresting work of established and young photographers. The 100 featured images, by 54 international photographers, cover a wide range of practices from portraiture and landscape to the use of photography to comment on contemporary issues and highlight personal stories. We found out more from COO Mike Taylor... So what was the thinking behind the new Paintworks centre? We wanted to create a space that was really special and welcome. We are an organisation rich with expertise and a love for photography, so we’d like to bring more of that to bear. Having a home, not just for the RPS but also for photography, is an important

part of that. Investing our resources in that home is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to share photography with more people. We investigated locations all over the UK but ultimately decided on Bristol as it’s a powerful creative community to be based within. We really feel that the city will help us amplify our voice. We are based beside the Martin Parr Foundation which means Paintworks has become a real destination for lovers of photography. Which photographers’ work is most intriguing you at the moment? Juno Calypso (junocalypso.com) – a UK photographer who explores themes of feminism, identity, isolation and loneliness. She creates fantastical, dream-like self-portraits dressed as alter-ego ‘Joyce’ in unusual locations. For her series ‘What To Do With A Million Years’ she worked in an underground bunker. The photographs are eerily beautiful, stylised and disturbing. She was awarded The Viv Odden Award at the 2018 RPS Awards. Any Bristol photographers being showcased in the first show? There are many Bristol photographers and local connections. We are thrilled to feature work by Fergus Coyle, Samuel W.J. Fordham, Jamie E. Murray and Luke Withers. Aaron Schuman (course leader for UWE’s photography MA) was on the selection panel.

Too Many Blackamoors by Heather Agyepong aims to challenge the ‘strong, independent, black female’ narrative that can often burden black women

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Daniel With Rugs by Luis Alberto Rodriguez

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

...Bristol is a powerful creative community. It means a lot to us to join such a vibrant cluster. The city will help us amplify our voice... What do you think of the scene right now, and how it’s changed? More women are getting involved in the photography scene which, traditionally, has been male-dominated. We really hope this continues and to see more female photographers receive recognition; I think there is a real appetite for more diversity in the industry. We recently ran a campaign called Hundred Heroines where we celebrated women in photography to add our voice to the global discussion and assist in promoting unsung heroines. This campaign marked 100 years since the women’s suffrage movement in the UK. We’re currently working on the legacy of that project and will have an exhibition for the final 100 photographers. These voices are being amplified and, we hope, recognised all over as they should be.

Futuro I by Tom Blachford

What will your new space allow you to do that you couldn’t before? The opportunity to expand our educational activities and encourage the appreciation of photography by yet more people. People talk about the Octagon [the RPS’ former home] in the centre of Bath with a huge amount of affection. It was a place people returned to and liked to be in. The quality of the environment is a reflection of both the quality of staff and the work we want to do. It will set a new standard for how we work. We are a charity and what we do is for the public good, so we must think about the value we have to society and how we can make more of an impact. What are your aims for 2019? To present exciting, enriching activities and contribute to the Bristol art scene through collaboration. We’re incredibly proud of our programme and will be announcing our next exhibition soon. All I’ll Carpet by Thomas Duffield

say for now is our team have come up with some original ways of exploring the theme of discovery with fantastic international photographers. We’re also in the process of redeveloping our website which we are excited to unveil in summer.

...More women are getting involved in the scene, which has been maledominated; there is a real appetite for more diversity in the industry... Which dates should we pop in the diary? The International Print Exhibition 161 opens on 7 February, accompanied by events exploring themes like identity, travel, science and political commentary. We’ll also be presenting our distinction assessments in our state-of-the-art auditorium; photographers present their work to a panel of experts to be accredited. The spring is booked out but we do have availability in summer, so book early. We’re also planning a party for Paintworks residents and hope to host other arts organisations events. It means a lot to us to join such a vibrant creative cluster; we plan to contribute as much as we can. How do you see the future of the art form? It’s such an interesting time for photography; there are so many people interested in analogue and digital. Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive which means the possibilities are endless. Also, to some extent everyone is a photographer these days with the rise of smartphones, which is wonderful – you can get some fantastic results using a phone and it makes it more accessible. We’ve recently added smartphone photography for beginners to our workshops and its proven really popular. Who will receive more recognition in the next few years? I’m incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by a wealth of photographic talent so it’s difficult to choose. In my humble opinion, I predict young, London-based Ellie Ramsden – who specialises in portrait, music and street photography – is going places. ■ • rps.org THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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Imagery from Royal Collection Trust /Â© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018

ART | EXHIBITIONS

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

Decoding DaVinci This month, to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of a genius, 144 of this Renaissance master’s greatest drawings in the Royal Collection are being displayed in 12 simultaneous exhibitions across the UK, including Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

obody likes a triple threat, much less a nonuple one, so we can only imagine the extent to which Leonardo da Vinci must have been the envy of his mates, with toes dipped deep in the pools of painting, sculpture, architecture, music, anatomy, engineering, cartography, geology and botany. Now, a new nationwide event, ‘Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing’ is giving the widest-ever UK audience the opportunity to figure out the multi-talented man through some of his extraordinary art work. Twelve drawings, chosen to reflect the full range of Leonardo’s interests will be shown in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton and Sunderland. Then, this May, the drawings will be brought together for a major exhibition – the largest of Leonardo’s work in over 65 years – at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace. “We’re thrilled to be one of the host venues,” said Laura Pye, head of culture at Bristol City Council. “Partnering with Royal Collection Trust means we can bring globally significant art to Bristol and our visitors get the chance to experience some of the most technically accomplished drawings in the entire history of art.”

laboratory, allowing him to work out his ideas on paper and search for the universal laws that he believed underpinned all of creation. The exhibitions include examples of all the drawing materials he employed including pen and ink, red and black chalks, watercolour and metalpoint. They also present new information about Leonardo’s working practices and creative process, gathered through scientific research using a range of non-invasive techniques, including ultraviolet imaging, infrared reflectography and x-ray fluorescence. The findings will be brought together in a

...Leonardo made discoveries about how the heart functions that were not completely proved until the invention of MRI scanning... Revered in his day as a painter, Leonardo completed only around 20 paintings; he was respected as a sculptor and architect but no sculpture or buildings by him survive; he was a military and civil engineer who plotted with Machiavelli to divert the river Arno but the scheme was never executed. Similarly, he was an anatomist and dissected 30 human corpses but his ground-breaking anatomical work was never published; he planned treatises on painting, water, mechanics, the growth of plants and many other subjects, but none was ever finished. As so much of his life’s work was unrealised or destroyed, Leonardo’s greatest achievements are to be found on sheets of paper. The drawings in the Royal Collection have been together as a group since the artist’s death, and provide an unparalleled insight into Leonardo’s investigations and the workings of his mind. He firmly believed that visual evidence was more persuasive than academic argument; that an image conveyed knowledge more accurately and concisely than any words. Few of his surviving drawings were intended for others to see: drawing served as his

To prevent damage the drawings are kept at regulated temperatures and travel in specially equipped vehicles inside crates. They are also sensitive to light so there is a limit to how long they can be displayed for

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

...He was interested in making sense of the world around him, be it anatomy, engineering or the movements of cats.. groundbreaking new book, Leonardo da Vinci: A Closer Look, published by Royal Collection Trust in this month. “The drawings of Leonardo da Vinci are a national treasure, both incredibly beautiful and the main source of our knowledge of the artist,” said Martin Clayton, head of prints and drawings at Royal Collection Trust. “We hope that as many people as possible across the UK will take this unique opportunity to see these extraordinary works, which allow us to enter one of the greatest minds in history and to understand the man and his achievements.” Ahead of the exhibition opening to the public on 1 February, Dr Jenny Gaschke, curator of fine art at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, shared her thoughts on the show... TBM: What are the most fascinating things about these 12 drawings? Dr Gaschke: These drawings allow us to understand just what an incredible artist Leonardo da Vinci was and how relevant he still is

Drawing served as Leonardo’s laboratory, allowing him to work out his ideas on paper and search for the universal laws that he believed underpinned all of creation

today. They show us how brilliant he was at drawing using lots of different techniques, but what is more, they unlock his mind, which he could turn to anything. He was interested in making sense of the world around him, be it anatomy, engineering or the movements of cats. And at the same time he imagined dragons and deluges and drew sublime landscapes. Drawing was Leonardo’s way of developing ideas beyond the boundaries of subjects we usually associate with art. The young creatives who we invited to curate a display in response to the exhibition called it ‘thinking on paper’. Just by hanging the drawings in chronological order we will all be able to follow A Life in Drawing. Not everyone knows about the other strings Leonardo had to his bow – what do you think are the most interesting of his ideas? Among the drawings we have on loan from the collection I personally find his anatomical drawings particularly interesting. The acute understanding he gained from his studies of the body – his last known anatomical campaign, an analysis of the heart, was perhaps the most brilliant of his many scientific investigations. His dissections were of an ox’s heart, focussing on the action of the valves in a series of densely annotated sheets. In one of the drawings we are showing, Leonardo cut into the right ventricle of the heart to reveal the papillary muscles, with their tendons (the ‘heart strings’) reaching up to the tricuspid valve. At centre right are two views, from either side, of the valve when closed. The diagram at the top of the sheet shows the heart cut through and opened out such that the three cusps of the valve are seen lying flat against the heart wall. It would be many years before any other anatomist approached Leonardo’s understanding of the heart’s operation. Apparently he made discoveries about heart function that were not completely proved until the invention of MRI scanning. What’s your favourite LDV story? His mirror writing appears to simply be a childhood quirk (Leonardo was left-handed) which was never corrected – no intention to hide anything, no conspiracy theory – quite the contrary: Leonardo wanted to publish his scientific observations. He also wasn’t very good at maths – a lot of his inventions would not have worked in practice. And he liked climbing mountains, long before that was a popular thing to do. We’re intrigued as to how an exhibition like this travels around; guessing it’s not a case of whacking it all in the back of a van... Yes, to prevent damage occurring to the drawings they need to be kept in regulated temperature and humidity, so they travel in specially equipped vehicles inside crates. They are also very sensitive to light – there is a limit to how long they can be displayed for, and how many hours each week we can have the gallery open. Will you be hosting any events around the exhibition to draw in different audiences that might not normally visit? Yes! We will be hosting a series of late openings so you can enjoy the exhibition after-hours and there will be several talks, one of which will be given by Martin Clayton, who is head of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection and a leading expert on Leonardo’s work. There will also be a very romantic Renaissance-themed evening on Valentine’s Day with prosecco and music. ■

• See the exhibition until 6 May; bristolmuseums.org.uk

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From Alfa to Zsolnay, we sell the lot

1969 Alfa Romeo GT Junior

Damien Hirst – Acrylic

Heuer Autavia GMT

Zsolnay serpent ewer (Cracked)

£17,950

£8,900

£8,050

£11,750

Every lot sold at Clevedon Salerooms is professionally photographed and is offered on at least three different platforms prior to auction with live-online bidding. All four of our full time valuers are either regulated RICS chartered art & antiques surveyors or Society of Fine Art Auctioneer associate valuers. Two of our valuers have over twenty years experience each, whist two more have double this amount. We are now accepting entries for our busy spring season of auction sales. On Wednesday 6th February 10am – 4pm we will be holding a Free Jewellery, Watches, Silver & Gold valuation day at the Salerooms. Our consultant gemmologist John Kelly FGA will be appraising jewellery and Marc Burridge will be assessing watches, with the 7th March Quarterly Specialist Sale in mind. No appointment is necessary and there is ample free parking.

Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

Free Valuation Days

The Auction Centre Kenn Road, Kenn Clevedon, BS21 6TT

4th & 5th February

Tel: 01934 830111

At the Salerooms 9.30am – 1pm & 2pm – 5pm No appointment necessary – Ample free parking Alternatively for a free no-obligation valuation, email images to info@csrauctions.com

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www.clevedon-salerooms.com

FEBRUARY 2019

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EXHIBITIONS

STATE OF THE ART Space and Time by Aldo Balding

Every Kind of People, Lime Tree Gallery, until 26 February As Robert Palmer sang, ‘it takes every kinda people, to make what life’s about’. This wide-ranging exhibition explores that theme through the eyes of many fine artists; interesting people doing interesting things in interesting places. As always this is ‘painterly’ painting, underpinned by real skill and technique. Artists include Anne Anderson, Jackie Anderson, Aldo Balding, Chris Bennett ROI, Michael Clark PAI RSW, Aine Divine RSW, Armen Gasparian, Mary Griffiths RCA, Rob Hewer, Natasha Kumar, Steven Lindsay, Oliver Lovley, Greg Mason, Olga Oreshnikov, Sylvia Paul, Sophie Ploeg, Malcolm Taylor and Nikolai Reznichenko. • limetreegallery.com

Albert Irvin and Abstract Expressionism, RWA, until 3 March The first major retrospective of this British artist, alongside a 60th anniversary celebration of the seminal exhibition ‘The New American Painting’. This original new show not only considers how Irvin’s work was shaped by his experience of visiting the exhibition, but also how The New American Painting changed the perspectives of many British artists. It brings together works by major abstract expressionist artists from the late 1950s, including important loans which have been secured from Tate – such as works by Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, Sam Francis and Adolph Gottlieb. • rwa.org.uk

Birds, Beasts and Butterflies, Rainmaker Gallery, until 28 February Native American peoples traditionally regard animals as fellow creatures sharing a common destiny and such relationships are reflected in their cultural and spiritual lives. This exhibition offers works by contemporary Native artists who express RWA shares the work of Peter their individual connections to the natural Coker and others this month world. Pacific Northwest Coast artist Preston Singletary immortalises regional fauna in traditional Tlingit ‘formline’ serigraphs. The black and white photography of Eugene Tapahe captures iconic American wildlife in natural habitats, contrasting with the paintings of Chickasaw artist Billy Hensley who celebrates his love of nature in a series of richly coloured and patterned canvases. The exhibition encourages us to be mindful of our fellow creatures, learn from them and understand that their survival is inextricably linked to our own. • rainmakerart.co.uk

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Butterfly Survival by Yatika Starr Fields

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

Every Kind of People: Jan 24 - Feb 26 Lime Tree Gallery, 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB

Tel 0117 929 2527 â&#x20AC;¢ www.limetreegallery.com

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Vanishing Point by Carolyn Eaton

Bristol in Winter, until 6 February, Alchemy 198 Featuring some of Bristol’s well-known photographers, such as Colin Moody, Carolyn Eaton, Jon Morgan and Mark Hayward, ‘Bristol in Winter’ is new artbar Alchemy 198’s latest exciting seasonal offering. Even though we’re all hunkered down and braced for the cold weather, Bristol continues to thrum with life. This exhibition features images of the city’s landscape and also the people and events that keep us from feeling the winter blues. • Twitter: @Alchemy198

Material Wealth, Clifton Contemporary, 1 February – 2 March The expressive qualities of an artist’s raw materials are clear to see in this show, with oil paint used to conjure beauty, drama and individual character. Hannah Woodman’s bold, instinctive landscapes resonate with the restless power of the Cornish winter, while Carl Melegari’s deeply layered portraits use texture, light and dark to invoke living presence and human spirit. Complementing this new collection are still-life works by Lynn Golden with trademark gold and bronze leaf, dramatic monochrome seascapes from Jack Davis, Maggie Matthews’ richly coloured paintings, shaped by nature’s intricate patterns and the cycle of the seasons, and Masako Tobita’s subtle, evocative abstracts. • cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

Sunflowers, Poppies, Lilies by Lynn Golden

A Party in the Yoshiwara by by Isoda Koryusai © Bristol Culture

See work by Utagawa Hiroshige © Bristol Culture

● Pleasures of the Floating World, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, until 12 May The second in a series of three exhibitions showcasing Bristol’s collection of Japanese woodblock prints. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has around 500 ‘floating world pictures’ (ukiyo-e) which celebrate the pleasures of life in Japan. The collection ranks in the top five regional UK collections. Featuring over 50 rare and colourful prints, the exhibition explores the sophisticated urban culture of Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries, from fashion and day trips to geisha and the kabuki theatre. By the 18th century, Japan’s capital, Edo (today’s Tokyo), was the largest city in the world with over a million inhabitants. Many of its merchants and craftspeople were comfortably off and could afford fine fashion and trips to tea houses, restaurants and the kabuki theatre. The wealthiest men were able to visit high-class courtesans or elegant geisha in the city’s pleasure quarters. Theatre fans were eager to buy programmes and likenesses of their favourite actors. These city entertainments fuelled the market for woodblock prints. Inhabitants of the city and visitors might take home souvenirs of these activities or images of scenic spots for the price of a bowl of noodles. Explore how artists and craftspeople responded to this demand by developing fine multi-colour prints with increasingly sophisticated effects while abiding by regulations laid down by the Shogunate, Japan’s military dictatorship. Also on show will be a rare kimono robe for a kabuki actor, lent by Kimono Kimono, Bristol’s Japanese clothing specialist in Perry Road. • bristolmuseums.org.uk

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BRISTOL | COMMUNITY

Bristol’s sustainable heart Jacob Little looks at a few of the city’s social enterprise projects paving the way for a positive 2019

he start of the year is the perfect time to cultivate a fresh desire to contribute to society and put back into the community. Reflect on the previous year, appreciate what you’ve got around you and look for new opportunities to explore and learn more about your immediate surroundings. Bristol is the right place to be for all of this. As a city we know how to appreciate our communities and celebrate the diversity around us, so if you’re looking to get your hands dirty and feel inspired and motivated to kickstart 2019 with some volunteer or community work, here’s a round-up of some outstanding social enterprises around the city to whet your appetite.

The Bristol Bike Project Known the city over for repairing and relocating unwanted bicycles within the community, and helping those who are disadvantaged and wanting to regain control over their lives and transport. It provides an empowering service, believing in the strength of freedom of movement around the city and the agency that it gives those who are struggling for independence. It accepts volunteers from the community who can help out in any capacity – whether that’s managing the workshop or fixing flat tyres.

who they are, should benefit from having the opportunity to grow their own food and spend time connecting to nature. It’s an inclusive and accessible space, where everyone feels valued and can contribute to the overall growth and development of the project. They welcome everyone to get involved, especially volunteers with physical and/or mental ill health or impairments, or learning difficulties, as well as children and young people with appropriate support. A great example of the positivity in developing Bristol’s urban green spaces. • thegoldenhillcommunitygarden.com

Bristol Food Connections A citywide celebration of food, as entrenched in the core fabric of our community here as is possible to get, working closely with the Bristol Food Network. Their heart is in sustainable food, healthy produce, balanced eating and mindful growth and food consumption for the community. Sign up to volunteer at the festival and support the project on their website.

woodland and planting projects, as well as strategic woodland development to ensure green spaces are looked after in the greater Bristol area. They are passionate about maintaining trees and woodland, as well as educating people on the benefits of green spaces in city areas. You can donate and get involved via their website. • forestofavontrust.org

Bristol Refugee Rights Protecting and strengthening human rights in Bristol, the Refugee Rights project provides solidarity, action for change and a safe place for vulnerable members of the community to be. Supporting the wellbeing of asylum seekers in Bristol is the main goal, offering somewhere that feels warm, welcoming and inclusive. They help by providing everything from language services to early years and advocacy support. Volunteer roles are available in their main hall and on helpdesks – there’s also a range of kitchen roles and arts and crafts workshop hosting. More info available on the website.

• bristolfoodconnections.com • bristolrefugeerights.org

The Bristol Wood Project

A reclaimed timber yard, with workshops and wood stores, that aims to transform Bristol’s wood waste into affordable timber for home • thebristolbikeproject.org and trade use. Since 2004 it has been rescuing perfectly good wood from waste – making it available for craftspeople, carpenters, builders, Golden Hill Community Garden artists, DIYers and even those who just need Based in Horfield, the Golden Hill Community logs at home. Their community and Garden is an allotment and edible forest. The environmental ethos is clear and there are many team behind it believe that everyone, no matter volunteering opportunities to be had. Bristol Wood Project rescues perfectly good wood Expect to ride around from waste. Image by Callum Burns Photography collecting wood, stacking piles or pulling nails. Hot drinks and lunch provided!

Avon Organic Group If you have a small garden or allotment in the city, and you’d like to learn more about giving back to the community and learning how to be more sustainable and organic this year, the Avon Organic Group may be the perfect thing for you. They provide regular opportunities for growers, or would-be growers, to get together socially and discuss the benefits and practical community applications of organic life. Events include local food growing activities and talks. They meet on the fourth Thursday of every month at The Station, Silver Street. • groworganicbristol.org

Help Bristol Homeless • brwp.org.uk

Forest of Avon Trust The Forest of Avon’s ethos is to ensure the delivery of as many trees as possible to provide the greatest benefits for the local community. They look after local

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A charity aimed squarely at changing the face of homelessness in Bristol. Weekly outreach on the streets is led by a team of volunteers, but there are plenty of ways to get involved in administrative or media roles, for example. The charity’s goal is to develop its container project which is at the heart of what it does – so if you’re a skilled tradesperson or handy with a hammer, they’d love to hear from you. • helpbristolshomeless.co.uk

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MASTERPIECE BY A HUMBLE MARINER MAKES £20,000 A remarkable picture by the celebrated Cornish artist Alfred Wallis was offered for sale at Lawrences in Crewkerne on January 18th and made £20,000. Wallis (1855-1942) was a simple seaman, uneducated but devout and hard working, who went to sea at nine and, in his thirties, settled down to life as a Cornish fisherman after two decades in the merchant marine. He spent a while in the rag-and-bone trade but lived quietly in St Ives with his wife. She died in 1922 and Wallis took up painting only then, partly to ease his grief but also hoping to recapture the `glory days` of the Cornish fishing industry. He worked almost entirely from memory. The artists Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood came to St Ives on a day visit in 1928 and their ‘discovery’ of Wallis has been described as a watershed in the history of modern art. They were inspired by Wallis’s unaffected naturalism and his art of simple shapes based upon a gritty, lifelong understanding of decades at sea. Rather like the work of L. S. Lowry, the apparent simplicity of Wallis’s style has produced many spurious forgeries but the two pictures at Lawrences have superb provenance and the imprimatur of Robert Jones, Wallis’s current principal authority and his biographer. “Despite the sorrow that motivated Wallis into art, these pictures show a joy for painting,” says Richard Kay, specialist at Lawrences. “It is impossible to see these little gems without connecting across the decades to Wallis’s life as a humble fisherman. He has captured a world that has long since disappeared but he has done so with a keen but simple understanding of so much Cornish life.” ‘French Fishing Boat’ an oil on card, 17.5 x 29cm, was sold on January 18th for £20,000 and ‘Fishing Boat Off a Pier’ will be in Lawrences Spring auction on April 12th (estimate £800012000). Enquiries to Lawrences (01460 73041, enquiries@lawrences.co.uk)

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Doctor who? Move over Jodie Whittaker, you’re not the first pioneering doctor on the scene! Stephen Roberts marks the 170th anniversary of Bristol-born Elizabeth Blackwell becoming the first woman to gain a medical degree in the United States of America

n December 1918 some women voted in a UK general election for the first time, although those women who couldn’t vote would have to wait another decade for equal voting rights to men. Much has been written about the fight by suffragettes and suffragists, but ladies had been pushing glass ceilings long before this. One such was the redoubtable Bristolian Elizabeth Blackwell, who became the first woman to obtain a medical degree in the US 170 years ago, in January 1849. Elizabeth was born on 3 February 1821 to Samuel and Hannah Blackwell. Some sources say she was born in the now-lost Dickson Street in Bristol, others Counterslip, which leads to St Philip’s Bridge and the Floating Harbour, where Elizabeth’s father had his sugar refinery until it burned down. It matters little, for the home where Blackwell spent most of her childhood, and the one she returned to in adult life, was at 1 Wilson Street, which is a trot from the city centre. The house is still there, as well as a plaque adorned on the outer wall, recognising Elizabeth’s residence. The family moved to Nelson Street, closer to the Floating Harbour and centre. Elizabeth’s father had a new refinery there, just across a walled-in courtyard from the house. Around the corner from Broad Street, and its Guildhall, the new family home was near Bridge Street, at the western end of Castle Park. The congregational chapel lay in Bridge Street, where the family attended morning and afternoon services, and they participated in Missionary Week in mid-May, when everyone went to chapel daily. Vitally for Elizabeth’s prospects, she also was well-educated by private tutors. Elizabeth’s Bristol was broader than the roads where she lived and prayed. She was a great walker, going on

...A terminally-ill family friend bemoaned the lack of medical care she’d received and warranted that a lady doctor would have treated her better... daily rambles with her governess to the likes of St Vincent’s Rocks and the Hot Wells, plus Clifton Down and Leigh Woods. There was also Mother Pugsley’s field, with its healing spring, leading out of Kingsdown Parade. The family made use of a summer house, vacating the city for the countryside, for example, in 1831 when the Blackwells stayed at Olveston, around nine miles away, where they enjoyed walks along the Severn and admired the ruins of an old abbey. It was while in Olveston that the family missed the 50 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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worst of the Bristol riots of late-October 1831. After the House of Lords rejected the Parliamentary Reform Bill, which aimed to give greater representation to cities like Bristol, 500-600 people went on the rampage over three days, venting their frustration. As well as private homes being attacked, work on the new Clifton Suspension Bridge was suspended. Troops dispersed rioters, some of whom were killed, with others subsequently hanged. Elizabeth witnessed some of what went on: her father is said to have heroically stood outside St Mary Redcliffe, defying the rioters to torch it, although other sources claim it was Bristol Cathedral that he, and others, bravely defended. The riots played a significant part in Elizabeth’s life, for they were certainly one reason why her father moved the family to America in 1832, when she was 11. He was also an anti-slavery campaigner, a surprise perhaps given that he was a Bristol-based sugar refiner. His support for the underdog influenced Elizabeth, who, in turn, became an advocate of women’s rights. The Great Reform Act had received its royal assent a

CALL THE DOCTOR This page, Elizabeth Blackwell, who achieved something in the US that would be one of the early nails in the coffin of inequality. Process print by Swaine. Wellcome Collection. CC BY Opposite, top right: The anatomy lecture room at the Woman’s Medical College of New York Infirmary, which Elizabeth founded in 1857. Image from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, April 16, 1870, Library of Congress Opposite, inset: Elizabeth Blackwell by Joseph Stanley Kozlowski, 1905. Upstate Medical University, New York, Library

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CITY | HISTORY

couple of months before the Blackwells left these shores. This saw Britain’s electorate increased by some 60% but women still had many decades to wait for their turn. Elizabeth went on to achieve something in the US that would be one of the early nails in the coffin of inequality. There would be a lengthy break, though, in her Bristol story. Elizabeth’s father died six years after emigrating, in 1838, leaving a widow and nine children including Elizabeth, who showed her familial loyalty and determination by supporting her mother through teaching. She knew where her future lay, however, and spent any leisure time she had poring over medical books. The story goes that a terminally-ill family friend bemoaned the lack of medical care she’d received and warranted that a lady doctor would have treated her better. Elizabeth was galvanised. After several failed applications to medical schools, Elizabeth was accepted into the Geneva Medical College in 1847 in New York State. This was an all-male body, but the faculty nevertheless allowed the students a vote on whether this pioneering young woman should be admitted, and to everyone’s surprise – including Elizabeth’s no doubt – she was allowed in. Resentment and prejudice were still evident, but it was from here Elizabeth graduated as an M.D. in 1849, becoming the first female doctor in the US. Blackwell had made the seemingly impossible, possible. The newly-qualified Elizabeth visited Europe, but came up against sexual prejudice and had difficulty obtaining any kind of placement, until she was admitted to the Maternité Hospital in Paris, where she lost the sight of one eye, due to infection, before coming home to St Bart’s in London. Elizabeth’s European tour was brief, for she was back in New York by 1851, where she established herself in a successful medical practice. She opened her own dispensary in 1853, then, in conjunction with her sister Emily (the third woman to gain a medical degree in the US), she opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children in 1857. She added a medical school to it in 1868, having become the first woman entered into the British General

Timeline u 1821 – Elizabeth Blackwell is born in Bristol u 1831 – The Bristol Riots, during which Elizabeth’s father’s sugar refinery was burned down u 1832 – Blackwell family moves to America u 1847 – Elizabeth is accepted into Geneva Medical College in New York u 1849 – She obtains medical degree in the US and enrols at La Maternité, Paris u 1853 – Opens a dispensary in New York u 1857 – Opens New York Infirmary for Women and Children u 1868 – Elizabeth’s medical school opens

Medical Council’s medical register in 1859. When I return to the town where I grew up, I experience a common phenomenon: the place that seemed huge when I was small, now seems tiny. Elizabeth would not have sensed this in 1869, when she returned to Bristol and Wilson Street, to gaze at the house she remembered from childhood. If anything, it would have been the opposite, for Bristol was in the middle of a growthspurt that saw its population soar from 60,000 in 1801 to 330,000 a century later. Elizabeth returned to England for good in 1869, staying here until her death. She quickly founded the National Health Society in 1871, which aimed to educate people about better hygiene and lifestyle. Its motto was ‘prevention is better than cure’, which still rings as true today. In later life Elizabeth kept as active as possible in the medical field, publishing her autobiography Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women in 1895. She died in Hastings, Sussex on 31 May 1910, aged 89.

The University of Bristol’s Health Research Institute, founded in 2012, is named in Elizabeth’s honour. Dr Nina Couzin, the institute manager, explains that “It brings together researchers from diverse fields to tackle the big problems in health today through innovative approaches. Elizabeth is a wonderful role model for the new generation of health researchers and exemplifies the spirit of innovation that’s at the heart of the Institute’s work. “Elizabeth remains a truly inspirational figure over 100 years after her death. From extolling the benefits of healthy lifestyles and preventative medicine, to campaigning for access to medical education, her ideas remain as relevant to improving public health today as they were all those years ago. “Throughout her career, Elizabeth championed women in medicine, and was a leading social and moral reformer on both sides of the Atlantic: the work in these areas continues to this day.” n • bristol.ac.uk/blackwell

u 1869 – Returns to England to live until her death u 1871 – Forms the National Health Society with the motto ‘prevention is better than cure’ u 1881 – 25 female doctors registered in England and Wales u 1874 – Elizabeth helps set up the London School of Medicine for Women u 1875 – She is appointed professor of gynaecology u 1876 – Legislation is passed admitting women to medical degrees in the UK u 1910 – Elizabeth dies in Hastings, Sussex u 1911 – 495 female doctors registered in England and Wales

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

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TRAVEL NEWS THE LATEST FROM THE HOLIDAY AND TOURISM SECTOR

Sip your way through the unique neighbourhoods of Dallas

LONDON TO BALI: NOW DIRECT! Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s national carrier, has begun direct flights from London to Bali. UK travellers previously had to connect in Singapore or Jakarta to get to Denpasar, but from January they were able to fly directly to the beautiful island to enjoy its black sand beaches, striking sunsets, Hindu temples and ace surfing spots. The 7,760-mile flight, which takes 15 hours and 35 minutes, will operate three times a week, making access to the destination more straightforward. Many visitors opt to combine buzzy Seminyak with surfer’s paradise Uluwatu, with The Legian Seminyak a stalwart favourite hotel, just a 25-minute drive after you hop off the plane. Its new spa treatments inspired by rich local healing heritage should prove perfect for unwinding after the flight. New kid on the block Six Senses Uluwatu also comes highly recommended – around 45 minutes around the coast. It launched back in summer, set atop a rugged cliff, sharing ocean views with the Uluwatu Temple and including a pool bar, chef’s table, cooking school and organic garden. The new flight route departs every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from London Heathrow to Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar, Bali. Prices start from £548 per single journey including taxes and fees. • garuda-indonesia.com; lhmhotels.com; sixsenses.com There’s now easier access to scenes like this

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OUR KIND OF CHALLENGE... Did you know Dallas is the home of the frozen Margarita? The frozen Margarita machine was invented there back in 1971 and the city has now launched ‘The Margarita Mile’ – compiling all the best versions of the cocktail. The free app tells visitors where to find them and includes 18 stops from Mariano’s in North Dallas, to Beto & Son in West Dallas. Variations include pineapple and jalapeño at Wild Salsa; prickly pear puree Matt’s Rancho Martinez; and Café Herrera’s sophisticated take with blood orange and black sea salt rim. Sip your way through Dallas’ unique neighbourhoods with ease... Need somewhere to stay? 2019 also sees Virgin Hotels open its $80million ‘lifestyle hotel’ in hip Design District. • margaritamiledallas.com

NEW YEAR INSPO Not sure where to holiday in 2019? You could use the global event calendar for inspiration. The Rugby World Cup is being held in Japan from 20 September, with England playing their first match in Sapporo against Tonga on 22 September; why not go and support? In the USA, the Grand Canyon is marking its 100th anniversary as a national park with celebrations throughout 2019. Hike, bike, helicopter, or white-water raft your way round it; you can even practise yoga at the Rim. Meanwhile, New York City is celebrating the historic Stonewall 50th anniversary by hosting WorldPride for the first time in June; and the 84th edition of the National Football League Draft will take place in Nashville from 25 – 27 April, providing a major platform for Music City to showcase its iconic landmarks and music legacy. One of the biggest sporting events in the States, the 2019 NFL Draft is expected to draw approximately 20,000 – 25,000 out-oftown visitors to Nashville.

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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

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TRAVEL | TRANSATLANTIC

Horeshoe Falls at Niagara: In summer, hop on the Hornblower and cruise beneath the spray. In winter you might prefer to appreciate from afar...

Ten days in...

The Nightowl mural on College Street

TORONTO Amanda Nicholls crosses the Atlantic to find fine food and drink, sporting fun, vibrant nightlife and a bustling metropolis butting up against some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural wonders

We highly recommend a trip to this lively city set within one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most awe-inspiring countries

Pay a visit to one of the many Niagara vineyards

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TRAVEL | TRANSATLANTIC

Seriously tasty baked goods from Blackbird Baking Co were scoﬀed on the subway

Head up the CN Tower (ideally on a less moody day) to make like Drake and enjoy the best views from The Six

ogtown, Hollywood North, T Dot, The Six... Toron’o (the second T is silent and you’ll feel ridiculously English if you pronounce it yet sillier if you imitate, so good luck with that) is a city of many monikers. To a visiting outsider they appear definitive terms of endearment – bestowed by a population stoned in love with its environs. (Speaking of which, did you know Canada was the second country to legalise cannabis last year?) National flags flutter from what seems like every corner of this economic capital and you really do feel the sense of pride and fondness; though, of course, this famously polite people would be loathe to brag. The place loves a party; the bars are jumping with Torontonians even during hibernation in the first days of January. In May, Canadian Music Week puts on workshops with industry pros plus 1,000 bands at 60 downtown venues and Tastemaker proves why it’s a top global food festival, then June takes centre stage with the jazz festival and huge Pride celebrations, while Taste of the Danforth is the talk of the town in August, offering its massively multicultural society a chance to improve its knowledge of Hellenic cuisine in Greektown. Septembers always see the return of the TIFF – the world’s largest public international film festival – which fills the city with cutting edge-cinema and A-list celebs. You never know who you might bump into in a Hotel X elevator. Toronto has real seasons with very individual charms. In summer it’s reliably balmy while in winter it’s jaw-droppingly chill – during those months it’s tempting to spend a little more leisure time in the underground walkway network The Path, spanning more than 30km of restaurants, shopping and entertainment. Yonge Street, which runs right through town, is known as the longest in the world so moving between the different districts is best done by automobile, especially in the cold, or if you’re exploring central areas, simply hop onto the subway.

Day one Jetlagged? Start with some gentle discovery of the Distillery District, an area of converted Victorian warehouses offering arts, culture and quirky shopping, or bohemian Kensington Market – a neighbourhood of indie shops and vintage boutiques. If you don’t mind queuing, visit Blackbird Baking Co for top lunchtime goods, or perhaps peruse the Cocktail Emporium on Kensington Avenue – almost like a mixology museum with all the paraphernalia perfect for jazzing up the booze cabinet. (Cherry bitters, books on urban moonshining, bar stools, absinthe fountains...) Nearby Grossman’s Tavern is Toronto’s longest-running music venue if you’re after evening entertainment, namely blues, rock, folk and roots, and Theatre District isn’t far, with the country’s largest concentration of stage theatres.

Day two

Go Leafs, go! See if you can nab tickets for the ice hockey at Scotiabank

As you might expect from this bilingual city, French influences abound. Kick off with a trip to one of the Gallic bakeries just south of Eglinton on Bayview Avenue – Patisserie La Cigogne specialises in Alsatian delicacies while Rahier does a mean selection of viennoiserie. (Or, try the Balzac cake: caramel mousse, pears sautéed in butter, cognac-soaked sponge and almond jaconde.) Head towards City Hall for a post-prandial stroll and see different architectural styles jostling for attention, as well as Nathan Phillips Square where, in winter, you can ice-skate around the heavily Instagrammed Toronto letters that light up at night. After, new speakeasy The Vatican Gift Shop on Gerrard Street East is ace for pizza and cocktails. Decked out with religious accessories and a confessional, it’s brilliantly gaudy (or tragically hip as fans of the “most Canadian band in the world” might suggest).

Day three See how the Chinese patisserie compares at Lucullus at Highway 7 and Bayview. We tried their take on Canadian classic the butter tart, plus Asian specialities. If it’s a clear blue-sky day, head out of the city limits, passing lakes so gargantuan you can’t see the sides, for a day trip to Niagara. It’s somewhat more surreal an experience than most pictures would have you believe, given that the huge natural wonder on the Canada/US border sits at the bottom of a built-up avenue of shops and casinos. It’s still a must-see, of course, looking like a beautiful, watery abyss at the end of the road. The most luxurious of the casino resorts is probably Fallsview, if you want to splash out on an overnight stay and enjoy the gorgeous vista colourfully illuminated outside. Treat yourself to a trip to Inniskillin for a tour of the icewinery too – grapes freeze and dehydrate on the vine before being nightharvested and producing a single drop of juice each. It seems like a whole lot THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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TRAVEL | TRANSATLANTIC of hassle until you taste the sweet elixir that results. Niagara Ice Wine Festival in January showcases the best of the beverage.

Day four

The icewinery at Inniskillin also produces some fine table wines – take a tour among the toasted barrels before enjoying a tasting

Visiting Toronto in summer? Sample ‘cottage country’ culture if you can – just as Canadian as maple syrup. You’ll want to stay over in one of these charming retreats, usually lakeside in Muskoka, where the locals summer. If that’s not an option but you still want some real rurality, you could make it to Algonquin Park and back in a day if you set off early. You can get a taste of what you’d probably envisage as quintessential Canada – lone moose, craggy ridges, glassy lakes and more among the vast parkland. Canoe, snowshoe, cross-country ski, fish, dog-sled, stargaze, horseride or partake in a public wolf-howling session in nature’s playground...

Day five Back in the city? We decided to get our nails done in the design of the Canadian flag because, well, life’s too short to worry about being a massive tourist cliché... It’s nice at Her Majesty’s Pleasure salon which also has a bar, café and boutique. Looking to show off said talons at a chic watering hole? Try N’Awlins jazz bar just a 10-minute walk away, down King Street West. Be sure, at some point, to chow down on poutine (French fries, cheese curds and gravy plus any number of tasty toppings such as roasted onion and mushrooms or bacon and maple). It’s a dish originating from Quebec but ubiquitous in T.O.

Day six It’s day six in The 6ix, so it’s only right that it’s spent listening to the city’s most famous recent musical export, who coined this latest nickname. If you’re a fan you could take it a step further and head to Drake’s store on Dundas Street West or try and spot him at a Raptors basketball game. No rich rapper on the radar? Head to the Nightowl on College (the street’s a quick Uber ride from the fashion and entertainment districts) to find retro arcade machines and live music from party-tune purveyors Lonely Hearts, as well as potentially the next best thing: Drake’s face butting up against Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Neil Young and Geddy Lee as part of a giant mural depicting notable Canadian musicians.

What a metropolis: Toronto is Canada’s economic capital as well as a top financial centre globally

Day seven If you haven’t ticked off Tim Horton’s by now, it’s high time you did. Dealing in coffee and donuts, it’s bigger than Starbucks around these parts and a visit is a rite of passage for any newcomer. Weather good? Pound the pavements around the pretty Harbourfront, check out Ripley’s Aquarium, or ascend the CN Tower for cracking city views, dinner and/or drinks, or harness up and test your nerves by walking its circumference outside.

Day eight Next, make a beeline for the Art Gallery of Ontario whose collection includes almost 95,000 works spanning from the first century to today. Exhibitions this year include an Impressionism special and a fresh look at Brian Jungen’s sculptures. Lunch at superb Italian Scaddabush and choose from ‘sociables’ such as foccacia with mozzarella, pecorino, cream cheese, baby spinach, artichoke and sun-dried tomato dip; and squash ravioli with hazelnut butter cream and fried sage; washed down with a mandarin vodka cocktail of blood orange purée, strawberries, basil, lemon juice and soda served in a French press for you to steep yourself.

Day nine Have a chilled one in preparation for the Leafs game you’ve got booked in the evening – right? Torontonians love their ice hockey and are fiercely proud of the team, however well they’re doing, so going to a match or at least watching in Real Sports bar next door to the Scotiabank Arena is kind of a must. Expect deathly silence if the other team scores, fisticuffs here and there, t-shirt cannons and rapturous mayhem if the Maple Leafs get one in.

Day ten Find a rooftop pool if it’s warm, and relax prior to the flight home (try Thompson Toronto, or Lavelle restaurant which now does day passes). Follow up with patio drinks, a favoured summer pastime at all good licensed bar terraces. Soak up the vibe and the affection; so contagious we reckon you can’t fail to fall in love with Toronto The Good. ■ • seetorontonow.com 58 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Nathan Phillips Square knows how to put on a great firework display

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FOOD & Drink

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

BRISTOL TO BASE CAMP

Good luck, team!

CHEERS TO THAT Good Sixty, the Bristol online platform delivering great food from local, independent food retailers and artisan producers, has expanded into Bath and has plans to expand into London too. It was created at the end of 2016 by city-dweller Chris Edwards who cares passionately about his local high street Gloucester Road and realised its diversity was increasingly threatened by big national retailers. Since launch, Good Sixty has built a loyal community of retailers and shoppers. Retailers are reaping the rewards of the additional revenue stream, while shoppers enjoy the convenience and the significant decrease in packaging they receive when compared to similar purchases from a supermarket. And with Bristol’s recent commitment to be carbon Local sloe gin neutral by 2030, the zerodelivered to emissions delivery our door? We alternative is timely. won’t say no... Good Sixty launched into Bath following a fundraising campaign on Crowdcube that exceeded expectations, raising 125% of the target thanks to the support of ethical investors and individuals in Bristol and beyond who understood the importance of supporting local retailers.

A team of 12 well-known Bristolians from local businesses are setting out to raise money for local charity PHASE Worldwide with a 19-day round trip to Everest Base Camp next year. On 31 March, the group will be travelling to Nepal on a special mission to raise £60,000, led by Jagged Globe. Widely recognised as one of the most famous treks in the world, it’s not an easy challenge to climb to the height of 5550m. They will be staying in local sherpa family lodges along the way and meeting a team about to summit Everest when they get to Base Camp. PHASE Worldwide has been working in remote areas of Nepal since 2005, supporting isolated Himalayan communities by creating opportunities through health, education and agriculture projects. Team members include Dominic Borel of Pasta Loco, Magda Pietrykowska of Pasta Ripiena, Nathan Lee and Jason Mead of Hyde and Co restaurant and bar group, Jon Lewin of The Local's Kitchen Cookbook and Elisabeth Julienne Guillén at Gambas tapas bar. • Donations can be made at bristoltobasecamp.co.uk. Interested in taking part? Contact jonathan@phaseworldwide.org

GOOD EFFORT, ELSPETH! Bristol-based company Norty Puds, started by Elspeth Humm, has had a bit of exciting news recently; its desserts are being stocked in Selfridges and included on Deliveroo. Elspeth, who also runs Elspeth's Kitchen, began making delicious vegan, sugar-free and gluten-free puddings after adopting a vegan lifestyle to support her own health and finding the vegan puddings on the market to be a little lacking – missing the depth of taste or richness. So she took the most popular desserts created in Elspeth's Kitchen and developed them into single servings. Banoﬀee cheesecake The puddings are served in a number of cafes in Bristol and the business is growing rapidly. Elspeth has now added nut butters to the range, including a salted caramel one, and also made sure her packagings are plastic-free and reuseable. • getnorty.com

• goodsixty.co.uk

SAVE THE DATE ...For a floury fiesta running from 23 February to 3 March. Real Bread Week sees people come together to share and gain baking skills, with the spotlight thrown onto small independents at the hearts of their local communities around the world. The campaign is calling on bakeries, baking schools, nurseries, schools, community groups and mills to start planning for the annual international celebration of baking and buying additive-free loaves. Participants in the 2018 edition ranged from established bakeries Hobbs House and Sugardough through to Busy Bees nurseries, care homes and a college for young adults with learning difficulties. The week encourages bakeries that shun artificial additives to shout about it and asks bakers (professional, semi-pro microbakers, enthusiastic amateurs, novices) to post photos of themselves baking on social media using #IamRealBread or #WeAreRealBread. “Delicious, nutritious and often beautiful real bread is the rightful star of the show, but it doesn’t make itself,” says Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young. “What sets real bread apart is that it’s hand-crafted by people and so we’re giving these often hidden stars a new chance to shine.” • realbreadcampaign.org; #RealBreadWeek

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RESTAURANT | REVIEW

There’s a variety of dishes to cater for all, including this vegan celeriac and walnut dish

Check out Luke Jerram’s glass sculpture, Apollo

Photography by SWNS/Evan Dawson

The new extension creates an inviting and more open space

Culture vultures who lunch Following the completion of its £6.3million extension last year, St George’s Bristol is throwing open its café doors for all-day dining. So step away from your desk; there’s a new lunch menu your taste buds won’t want to miss. Words by Jessica Hope

he arts venues around Bristol are taking things up a notch. As well as providing us with critically acclaimed theatre, sell-out concerts, and belly laughs in abundance from topcircuit comedians, many are now coming to life earlier in the day. Rather than opening the doors to visitors just half an hour before a performance begins, the concept of becoming a more multipurpose venue, where people can grab a drink and socialise, is growing increasingly popular. St George’s Bristol, one of the country’s leading concert halls, has caught on to this trend and is now open from the morning until the evening. The venue recently began offering day-long dining in its beautiful Café Bar, which is part of its multi-million pound pavilionstyle extension which launched last autumn. Open everyday from 10am, St George’s will be providing options for breakfast and lunch, plus cake, coffee and pre-concert drinks and nibbles, making this an ideal spot to meet in before an event, or just catch up with friends over poached eggs and avo on toast. They are rolling out a hot tapas menu, which should be a hit among evening concert-goers – grabbing a quick (but delicious) bite to eat before listening to top quality music in the same place sounds ideal to us. French chef Oakan Brousse – who has worked at Bristol’s two AArosette hotel Berwick Lodge, as well as other rosette holders such as The Lamb Inn in Burford and The Swan in Norfolk – recently joined the St George’s team, bringing with him a creative approach to food and plenty of pastry training (good news for cake-lovers). Settling down in the contemporary Café Bar, overlooking the gardens and the glass sculpture titled Apollo – designed by artist Luke Jerram – which hung above us, we perused the lunch menu, which is available from 12-3pm every day. If you’re in the mood for a hearty, homemade soup, or a chunky sourdough sandwich with fillings such

as local cheddar and red onion balsamic chutney, then you’re well cared for here (dishes from £5.50). In a quandary over what to choose, I tore my attentions away from the appealing crispy potato rosti with poached egg and spinach and ricotta croquette (£7.50) and decided on the cauliflower and cheese dish (£7.50). The large cut of roasted cauliflower was intense, sat on a creamy three cheese sauce. The crunch of the almond gremolata added texture, while delicately cut pickled cauliflower offered a sharp tang which cut through the cheesy sauce. This was garnished with sorrel leaves and an impressive shard of a parmesan crisp. My dining partner, Jake, chose the pork belly which pulled apart with ease, and was topped with crispy crackling. The meat was complemented by a smooth potato purée and pancetta crumb, adding a smokey touch to the dish. He raved about the cider and chicken reduction, which was an ideal companion with the garlic kale and roasted tomato (£11.95). The drinks menu is succinct, offering a selection of local beer, good quality cider, wine and soft drinks (the fiery ginger beer is a must), as well as freshly ground coffee and tea. If you can manage something sweet, then it’s definitely worth it. From glossy millionaire’s shortbread to gooey chocolate fudge brownies, Bakewell tray bakes to red berry puddings, chef Brousse’s pastry training will not be going unnoticed by visitors. As well as helping to create a new favourite lunch haunt, St George’s Bristol’s new dining options might even tempt a few people to try a concert or talk that they might never have considered before. Bringing culture and first-class food together? Bristol’s arts venues are delivering above and beyond, and that gets a thumbs up from us. ■ • stgeorgesbristol.co.uk THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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FOOD & DRINK casserole (oh okay, call it a boeuf bourguignon if you must). Now is not the time to attempt to serve food in towers, or on plates adorned with artistic smears, foams or gels – when it comes to amateur cheffing in a domestic setting, showing off rarely pays off. But ‘cheating’ is allowed, if not downright encouraged: seeing as your local deli is already a master of the art of entertaining, why not invite them (or their nibbles and desserts, at least) to the party?

Set the scene Make time to declutter ‘public’ spaces (i.e. kick loads of junk under the sofa) and stock up on bathroom necessities well in advance of showtime. Remember that low or candle light hides a multitude of housework sins, and take it from a dinner party pro that flashing fairy lights in the dining room windows have a similarly distracting – sorry, I mean pretty – effect. Set the table before you start cooking and make sure you have all the serving dishes you’ll need – remember, nothing has to match; you’re at home, and home is where the mismatched crockery, weird cutlery and random-sized wine glasses live.

Chop, chop! This sounds really obvious, but it’s a biggie: make sure you’ve got all the necessary ingredients you need on hand before you start cooking. And this sounds a bit geeky, but a to-do list, including oven temperatures and cooking times for every course, is really helpful. Allow plenty of time to get dolled up (and sip an aperitif) before the doorbell rings – once the show begins, peace will be at a premium.

The final countdown

Dinner party of dreams One person’s chilled, home-cooked meal with friends is another’s exhausting chore as they tease the lumps from the béchamel sauce and wish they were watching Strictly instead. Melissa Blease has advice for both hosts and guests

hether you prefer to call it a dinner party, a supper or a celebratory feast, eating at home with a bunch of other folk is a lovely way to spend an evening – or at least, it should be... Before planning your performance, consider your audience. As soon as you’ve made the date, double-check if any of your guests have any specific dietary requirements (intolerances, allergies, etc) and, of course, if there are any vegetarians/vegans in the group; these facts are intrinsic to your menu – which, with a bit of careful planning, is going to be a doddle...

Menu, maestro! A few days before The Big Eat-In, plan your whole menu from overture to finale, from which you will make your shopping list. Bear in mind that dishes you’ve cooked many times before and/or that can be prepared well in advance help avoid soaring stress levels at the stove (especially if space is limited) and, like the outfits in your wardrobe, can be adapted to all manner of occasions. Once you’ve made your main course decision, the accessories suggest themselves. Curry? That’ll be bhajis, pakoras, pappadoms and pickles to start, and ice cream for pudding. Most Medi-themed main courses need no more than a simple antipasti selection to kickstart proceedings, and a small but indulgent dolci to bring the curtain down. If you’ve chosen a classic theme, soup or pâté and sticky toffee pudding or apple crumble are the classic bookends that bolster a heartwarming 62 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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White wine/fizz chilling in the fridge? Check. Red wine breathing at room temperature? Tick. Candles lit, music on, nibbles/canapés at the ready? Yes, yes and thrice yes.

Music for all YouTube, Sonos and Spotify; Alexa, Siri and Cortona: digital music services have changed the tempo of dinner party background music forever – and both hosts and guests need to be au fait with the new guidelines. Of course, not every dinner party is destined to be taken over by an impromptu, ad-hoc jukebox of personal greatest hits,

Golden rules for guests • Don’t be late, don’t be early – just be on time. Even if you don’t intend to drink it, taking wine is obligatory: at least one bottle for the table per couple, and one for the host (which, if the dinner really does turn into a party, will of course be drunk) is the acceptable minimum. • Don’t take beer unless you only drink beer, and definitely don’t take a ‘three for £10’ wine selection from the local convenience store and then chug your way through copious amounts of the host’s treasured supply of Châteauneuf-duPape. • Don’t take random contributions, as unbidden ‘extras’ tend to throw the host’s plans off balance and bring chaos to beautifully laid tables – worst offenders include supermarket Tex-Mex dip selections, pre-cooked, fridge-cold cocktail sausages and leftover hummus. An unexpected little gift of flowers and/or chocolates, however, is always welcome. • Don’t offer to help to prep, cook or serve – you’ll either get in the way or discover all manner of short cuts and private territories that the host didn’t want you to discover, while also running the risk of the host translating your offer as a suggestion that they aren’t coping or need to get a wiggle on. • Finally, thanking the host – both before you leave and the following day – is de rigueur.

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FOOD & DRINK

cheesy power ballads and long-since-forgotten novelty one-hit wonders, most of them rudely interrupted before the second chorus by a guest desperate to revisit their own golden days of chart hits-gone-by... But these days, that’s often the way dinner party soundtracks roll. While ultimately the host is the DJ, everybody at the party needs to remember that one man’s Shaddap You Face is another man’s “I’ll get me coat” – and not everybody at the table thinks Adam Ant’s Prince Charming should be heard 17 times. If the host starts crying into their wine while misremembering the words to Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt, it’s probably a cue to say goodnight. And while we’re on the theme of social intercourse... A Trump supporter clashes with a Warren fan; a Brexiteer gets into a heated debate with a staunch Remainer; one of the guests ends up channelling Frankie Boyle while another embarks on the longest, dullest anecdote in the world at 7.30 and is still rambling on with it at 10pm; one of the couples have decided that now would be a great time to revisit that bickering match that started yesterday morning – and please, please will somebody tell the social media addict to put their phone down for at least the duration of half a course... If, for whatever reason, a guest gets garrulous or a host turns horrid, just chill out, calm down, and don’t get angry; we’re all friends, we’re all grown-ups, we’re all entitled to make ourselves look silly from time to time – and we’ll all get together again soon... ■

Top tips for hosts • Don’t invite people for dinner because you feel you should or because it’s ‘your turn’ – do it because you want to do it.

• Don’t panic about pudding if pudding’s not your thing – a wedge of good local cheddar, a stack of oatcakes, a jar of farmers’ market chutney, a handful of grapes and a box of top-notch chocs cover all final-course basics.

• Don’t sprinkle the table with confetti, petals or fake gems unless you want confetti, petals or fake gems sticking to everything you eat off, wear or pick up for the next week (or actually fancy running the risk of choking one of your guests).

• Don’t serve desserts adorned with a sparklers unless you’re auditioning for Come Dine With Me. • Don’t publicly suggest one of your guests has had too much too drink, even if it’s patently obvious to everyone at the table – just subtly stem the wine flow and ask if anybody fancies coffee.

• Don’t serve fizz in those ridiculous glasses that don’t have a base; why do they even exist? Oh, and don’t serve complicated cocktails that take ages to put together and only moments to turn your guests into queasy zombies for the rest of the evening.

• Don’t stress over the washing up while your guests are still sitting at the table/lounging on the sofa. By all means, clear and stack as you go, but leave the big clean up until the next day – unless, that is, you’ve got a very good friend who actually likes doing the dishes...

• Don’t attempt fiddly canapés that take hours to prepare when readymade blinis can simply be topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon, crème fraiche with avocado and balsamic vinegar, or olive tapenade from a jar.

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BRISTOL UPDATES

BITE-SIZED BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CITY Rebecca Burgess has been appointed chief executive of the growing organisation

NEW SEA-EO

CAMERA READY

Banksy Walled Off Hotel box set to be offered at Clevedon Salerooms

MODERN TREASURES Clevedon Salerooms’ 7 March quarterly specialist sale is to include the Banksy Walled Off Hotel box set – as found in the gift shop of Banksy’s Walled off Hotel and art exhibition space in Bethlehem. Banksy described the Walled Off Hotel as having “the worst view of any hotel in the world” – facing, as it does, the huge concrete edifice of the dividing Bethlehem wall. The set includes an image of the Israeli watchtower and a fragment of the concrete 32-foot dividing wall, sprayed in Palestinian colours. The estimate is £8001,200. This lot follows close on the heels of the Banksy Love Rat print (from the unsigned edition of 600) sold just before Christmas at Clevedon Salerooms for £11,750. If you have a Banksy to sell, please contact the salerooms on 01934 830111. • clevedon-salerooms.com

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Canon, leader in imaging solutions, has partnered with DMC Canotec to launch its first Canon Business Centre in the UK, focused on the South West region. The move takes Canon’s long-standing relationship with DMC Canotec to the next level and brings strengthened print and document management services to businesses across the South West. DMC Canotec is one of the largest independent suppliers of Canon technology in Europe. This partnership builds on over 25 years of collaboration between the organisations where DMC Canotec has proven its capability as an expert supplier of document management solutions. This move will see DMC Canotec handle sales of office solutions to commercial customers across the South West from its offices in Bristol. The new CBC will help local businesses discover new levels of productivity and security, decrease operating costs and create a platform for growth. “To succeed in this complex and fast-changing digital world, businesses need technology and business partners they can trust,” says James Pittick, director of B2B indirect sales for Canon UK. “We’re making a major commitment to the region, bringing a renowned portfolio of products, services and support to help business owners find new efficiencies, save money and grow.” Richard Vinall, regional director at DMC Canotec, added: “Businesses from Bristol to Penzance and beyond can now consider print and document management as a launchpad for profitability and growth.” • canon.co.uk/cbc

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Bristol-based plastic pollution campaigning organisation City to Sea has appointed a chief executive, Rebecca Burgess, to build on the organisation’s success. It has seen phenomenal growth over the last 12 months – evolving from a dedicated team of just five in early January 2018, to a team of 18. The rapid growth follows an incredible year of campaign success and both public and corporate interest in the issue of plastic pollution. City to Sea was founded in 2015 by Natalie Fee, an author, campaigner and recently one of Nesta’s 50 New Radicals. Having witnessed the amount of plastic flowing out of the river Avon into the Bristol Channel, during the city’s year as European Green Capital, Natalie – whose background is in media – was inspired to see if she could do something about it. City to Sea is best known for its award-winning campaigns. Switch the Stick resulted in UK retailers replacing plastic stemmed cotton buds with paper – a move which stopped over 320 tonnes of single-use, nonrecyclable plastic being produced each year – and Refill aimed to stop singleuse plastic water bottles at source, by connecting people with free water on the go, through a network of over 15,000 refill stations via a free app. Refill now has the support of high street chains such as Costa, John Lewis, Morrisons, Greggs and Wetherspoons and partnerships with transport hubs including Network Rail and Heathrow Airport. The campaign is now going global, with plans to launch in Europe. Rebecca joined City to Sea in April as head of partnerships, to manage the network of businesses keen to support. Prior to City to Sea, Rebecca worked at Bristol-based independent consultancy Eunomia. “I’m delighted to be taking on the role of chief executive at City to Sea at such a pivotal point,” she said. “The growth we have seen is a testament to the amazing team we have and the increase in public and corporate concern about the issue of plastic pollution.” • citytosea.org.uk

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EDUCATION NEWS UPDATES FROM THE CITY’S SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

REACH: FOR KNOWLEDGE

Miss Fulton took up the role at Bertie’s in January and brings a wealth of experience to the post

NEW YEAR, NEW HEAD Heather Fulton has been appointed head of Bertie’s Nursery School, the nursery and preschool of The Downs Preparatory School, following Kathy Tannion’s announcement that she was leaving the position to travel to Australia at the end of December 2018. Miss Fulton has taken on the headship alongside her role as head of pre-prep at The Downs, which she has held since 2015. She was formerly head of Dulwich College Kindergarten School and the co-educational pre-prep at James Alleyn’s Girls’ School, and is an experienced ISI school inspector, with over 30 years’ experience of the early years and key stage one environments. A passionate New Zealander by birth, Miss Fulton is well-versed in the needs of young children and has considerable knowledge, skill and wisdom to offer. She values experiential learning, outdoor challenges, healthy lifestyle and developing confidence in each individual child to engage in all aspects of learning and life. It’s an exciting time for the school as it celebrates Bertie’s first birthday and Miss Fulton looks forward to developing a special community where young minds flourish in a safe, secure environment.

SQUAD GOALS Badminton School’s assistant director of sport has been selected for the Vitality Netball Superleague team Celtic Dragons, based in Cardiff. “To be picked and play for this team at such a high level is an absolute honour, and I hope I can do the school, myself and girls proud throughout the season,” said Miss Elsley, who has also been selected for the world championships for the England indoor netball team, which will compete in Cape Town. “It is an exciting time for women’s sport and netball in particular, and to be at the forefront of this at such a special time is incredible.” • Follow the teams’ progress via Twitter: @Celtic_Dragons; @EnglandNetball

• thedownsschool.co.uk

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The creators of the world’s first AR gaming robot have announced the launch of a dedicated education app. Operating alongside the MekaMon gaming app, Reach Robotics’ Reach EDU will go live in Q1 2019 and utlise MekaMon’s dynamic locomotion, personality and AR capabilities to engage and inspire students. The app is structured around core educational features, providing learners with three points of entry, according to ability. Explore & Draw is a visual introduction to coding concepts – draw a path and watch your MekaMon follow commands. Animate involves animation authoring studio MekaMotion, providing artistic engagement and beginner coding opportunities, through tactile physical movement rooted in fun and creativity. MekaCode gives users the ability to create more complex movements using block coding; and unbounded potential for experimentation, from tackling challenging terrain to puzzle solving and algorithm development. A guided learning platform will offer a robust learning pathway. For degree and postgraduate students, third-party educational platforms will be available for advanced development. The app will be available for all robot models and a companion website provides guidance and resources for parents and educators. “The World Economic Forum listed problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity as top skills children need for success. We firmly believe we can deliver on all these fronts,” said founder Silas Adekunle. “It is essential the next generation are literate in the STEM skills that will equip them for a post-fourth industrial revolution economy.” • edu.reachrobotics.com

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EDUCATION | TECHNOLOGY

The classroom of the future The Secret Life of 4 and 5 Year Olds featuring the University of Bristol’s Professor Paul Howard-Jones returned to our television screens recently. He talks to us about classroom tech and cultural learning

raised for its insight into what goes on beyond the nursery gates, the Channel 4 show saw tech take over this series as kids got to grips with innovative new equipage. This is an area of particular interest to Professor HowardJones, whose research explores the benefits offered to education by emerging technologies.

What did you feel about this series? I was looking forward to our ‘Britain and the Rest of the World’ episode. One of the amazing things you see when observing children at this age is how they create their own culture – traditions, values, patterns of behaviour. I knew it was going to be interesting to see the fusion of cultures happening on screen. Watching fouryear-olds is a bit like watching adults in time-lapse – with stuff happening incredibly quickly – as they learn about each other’s way of working and negotiate some way of working together. Culture, and our ability to learn culturally, is pretty much responsible for placing our species at the top of the food chain – but cultural differences between and within nations can also divide us. Learning about different cultures is key to avoiding conflict so being able to observe this happening was fascinating. What I wasn’t expecting was the massive impact of Harlo’s US culture, and particularly his emphasis on guns. This created a lot of discussion about what to do about this and how to treat it in the show – ultimately we went for providing Harlo with chances to talk about and explain his interests, and allowing the viewers to make up their own minds.

...I wasn’t expecting the impact of Harlo’s US culture, particularly his emphasis on guns...

So what is tech doing to young digital natives? It’s not the technology, it’s what you do with it. It’s a strong influence on our brains and you can see that. For example, there are parts of our brains whose size is predicted by the number of friends we have on Facebook. That’s not a coincidence – these regions are related to social memory and they grow because our brain is shaped by our environment. Rather than just worrying about screen time we should be looking at what children are using tech for and encouraging what I call ‘digital hygiene’ – making sure tech is being used to support wellbeing and learning not undermining it. Some examples: research shows that teens tend to benefit from using social media to maintain existing face-to-face friendships, but not when they use it to make new friends. Video games can improve a range of cognitive functions but on school nights they can also disrupt slowwave sleep and consolidation of what’s been learnt the previous day. Essentially, my message is that parents, teachers and children need more information in an accessible form. When you try to boil down messages to a simple limit on screen time it’s not that helpful.

Tell us a little about your new book

Most memorable moment? Over all the series, I found Vinnie (from Bristol) hilarious. His shameless love of fun had me in FEBRUARY 2019

We’re trying to understand more about action video games – what it is that makes them so engaging and, potentially, such good teachers. Increasingly, education is competing with the leisure industry for our children’s attention. If we could find the magic ingredient in video games and harness it for educational purposes...

When they think about using technology, they should ask what learning processes they hope will take place and how the tech is supposed to support those. We are now introducing all teachers we train at the university to how the brain learns and supporting them to think scientifically about the underlying processes. I believe this is key to effective teaching, particularly when planning activities that may involve technology.

It was amazing seeing Arthur apparently making friends with a robot. It felt like a glimpse into the future when we’ll have robots as part of every good quality nursery environment – if they can encourage empathy and social skills!

What are you researching this year?

Any advice for teachers implementing tech?

What was the most interesting revelation?

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stitches – the way he tucked into the strawberries and chocolate without a care for the rules. A real lovable rogue...

Observing these children close really impressed on me how sophisticated the human brain is – even at four years old. How did humans get to have this amazing brain? So I’ve written a No 176

very accessible book Evolution of the Learning Brain. It tells the story of how we got a smart brain and has advice on how to get smarter. It starts with how our brain evolved from simple learning mechanisms we see in bacteria and ends with humans creating the internet.

...We should look at what children are using tech for; encouraging ‘digital hygiene’... What do you want people to take away? A few things. Our learning brain took us to the top of the pile; that’s the reason we’re top predator and it’s only our learning brain that will get us out of the environmental crisis that we’ve created along the way. Our understanding of how it learns is blossoming now we have technologies such as neuroimaging. We need to use this knowledge to bring education up to date so we can learn more effectively; only a massive increase in our ability to learn across the global population can save us from the current threat of mass extinction. What else is in store for you in 2019? Working with UNESCO more and introducing an international course about neuroscience and education. I’m also just starting to work with archaeologists, trying to untangle the contribution of informal education at the dawn of civilisation. That’s very embryonic work and I’m on a steep learning curve but it’s a fascinating project. How’s the Bristol Uni research environment? Full of people willing to work across disciplines. That’s almost a definition of creativity in academic terms. None of the world’s problems are going to be solved by single disciplines so it’s great to be somewhere where people feel excited about sharing ideas, time and projects. n

• bristol.ac.uk

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

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

The Singing Mermaid Sunday 24 February, 1.30pm, Bristol Old Vic One day, the singing mermaid is tempted away from all her sea creature friends to join a travelling circus. The audiences love to hear her sing, but the poor mermaid was tricked. Instead of the swimming pool she was promised, she is kept in a small tank by the wicked circus master Sam Sly and soon longs to return to the freedom of the sea. Through beautiful puppetry and performance, Little Angel Theatre brings Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ enormously popular story The Singing Mermaid to life. Other dates are available. £12.50, recommended for ages three to eight.

Top pick...

• bristololdvic.org.uk

DON’T MISS... Toddler Takeover: Super Senses Friday 8 February, 10am – 4pm, We The Curious Sniff, smell, feel, listen, touch and explore, in this super-sensory fun-packed day for ages one to five. Get stuck in and explore a variety of textures in the texture garden; prick up your ears and listen out for some interesting noises in Soundlab. After all that, join Ursa and Leo for The Magical Forest storytime. Early-bird tickets with gift aid: adults £8.50, children (three and above) £6.50. Under twos go free. Children must be accompanied by an adult; wethecurious.org Slapstick Sunday with Andy Day Sunday 10 February, 2pm, Bristol Hippodrome Join Andy for a laugh-out-loud extravaganza film show created especially for your little ones. Enjoy an hour of Andy’s favourite funny film clips including hysterical silent comedies and animations. Marvel at the world’s first animated dinosaur in Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) and delight in Andy’s mad-cap antics and tongue-twisting raps. Suitable for all ages. 18 months and under go free. £13.15; atgtickets.com South West Puddle Jumping Championships Saturday 16 – Sunday 24 February, 2pm, Welly Boot Land, Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucester Don your wellies and waterproofs and see who can make the biggest, craziest splash with Slimbridge’s special ‘splashometer’ and be in with the chance to be crowned the ultimate splasher. Price is included with admission ticket and free to WWT members; wwt.org.uk

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Zoo Detectives Saturday 16 February – Sunday 3 March, Bristol Zoo Gardens Back again with an all-new trail, the zoo detectives are calling on everyone to help this February half term at Bristol Zoo. Join the detective school, crack codes, encounter animals and help the team to solve the ultimate ‘zoodunnit’ mystery. Adults £15, children £9, concessions £13; bristolzoo.org.uk Wild Discoveries Saturday 16 February – Sunday 3 March, Wild Place Project Grab your coats and wellies and prepare to squelch through mud, jump over roots and splash through puddles as you become a wildnerness explorer this half term. Surround yourself with nature as you explore the animal park and surrounding woodland. Use your explorer handbook to navigate your way around the trail, completing challenges along the way; wildplace.org.uk The Star Seekers Sunday 17 February, 11am and 2pm, The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market Have you ever dreamed of flying to the moon, meeting an alien or becoming an astronaut? Join star-seekers Alph, Betty and Gammo on a journey through space where you take the steering wheel. Enjoy this interactive show that explores the limitless majesty of galaxies, the solar system, shooting stars and planets through songs, silliness and anti-gravity antics. Ages two and under go free, £8; thewardrobetheatre.com Heroes and Villains Monday 18 February, 10am – 3.30pm, Zion Community Art Space, BS13 7JW No 176

Whether you dream of being brave and super, or have more devious plans in mind, join in for a day of exploring what makes a hero and a villain. Take part in exciting drama games and activities before creating your own props and costume to help you become the ultimate hero or villain. Recommended for ages eight – 12 but alternative sessions for additional ages are available. £30, £15 for BS13 residents; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Me and My Bee Tuesday 19 February, 11am & 2.30pm, Spielman Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres Our fuzzy little friends need our help and so Tobacco Factory Theatres is launching a political party disguised as a party-party disguised as a show. There’s only one problem. The bees are dying and without them, we will too. Multi award-winning theatre company ThisEgg invites you to save the world – one bee at a time. Plant the seed for change and join the bee party – before it’s too late. £10, recommended for ages five plus; tobaccofactorytheatres.com Wild Words: Sinbad the Sailor Wednesday 20 February, 11am, St George’s Bristol Jump on board an ancient sewn boat from the Middle East, hoist the mainsail and journey across the Arabian Sea to destinations unknown for adventure after adventure with one of the most famous seafarers of all time… Sinbad! Join his reckless crew to escape the spew and spit of a spuming whale, marvel at bejewelled somersaulting sheep, confront the dangers of banana-propelling monkeys and help solve the moral dilemma of the watermelon-headed man. £6; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

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EVENTS | FOR KIDS

Put your puddlejumping skills to the test at Slimbridge

Get up close and personal with nature at Tyntesfield this month

Tom Gates Live on Stage! Friday 22 February, 10am, Bristol Hippodrome Based on the best-selling books by Liz Pichon, this new story of Tom Gates is brought to you by the award-winning team behind Horrible Histories and Gangsta Granny. Tom’s doing everything possible to stay out of trouble but somehow he’s got three sad faces on the school achievement chart; one more and Mr Fullerman won’t let him go on the school trip. Join him as he comes to life on stage and begins a new adventure. Other dates and times are available. £19.50; atgtickets.com

TYNTEtots: Thumbelina Wednesday 27 February, 10 – 11.45am, Tyntesfield Estate Make a fairy potion, be a nature detective, join a frog party and hear the enchanting Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of Thumbelina: a tiny girl and her encounters with moles, toads and other like-minded creatures. Suitable for ages two to five; tiny tots are welcome and free of charge when accompanying an older sibling or companion. Appropriate outdoor clothing is essential. Adults free, children £8; nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield

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MiniBeats: Brilliant Brass Sunday 3 March, 10.15am, St George’s Bristol Join Laura Tanner and brilliant brass players from the Bristol Ensemble for a musical journey through the history of brass instruments. Learn about the instruments of the brass family, including fascinating facts about how they work, listen to exciting sounds, from fanfares to film music, and join in during the show. Stay afterwards for the chance to try out some of the instruments. Recommended for ages three to five. £6; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk n

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FASHION

Getting personal Undivided attention and bespoke fashion advice: Crystal Rose checks out the recently revamped personal styling service available at John Lewis

inding those perfect pieces and understanding what’s hot and what’s not on your body can be tricky, especially with colourways, cuts, shapes, sizing and a whole host of things to consider. Having never received any personal styling before, I head to John Lewis to check out the recently revamped fashion services. Free of charge (I know, I couldn’t believe it either), the sessions available include a wardrobe refresh, workwear options and my personal favourite, sourcing the perfect pair of jeans. There’s no minimum spend attached – although it may be hard not to embark on a spree of spending once you’ve found that outfit. The service begins with a call from one of the personal stylists prior to the session. Here, Rachel and I discuss my style, sizes and what I want to get out of the whole experience. For me, finding pieces that are flexible in my work and weekend wardrobes is essential. Sometimes I want to play down a skirt with a knitted jumper and white trainers in the office but transform it with heels and a cami. Versatility and cost-effectiveness are key for me. It’s the all-important ‘cost per wear ratio’. Stepping into the styling room, I’m met with a flock of gorgeous pieces including pleated skirts, knitted jumpers and a jaw-dropping pair of leopard block-heel ankle boots from Dune. Getting off to a flying start with a green leopard-print skirt from Whistles, Rachel talks me through the skirt lengths that suit my legs and teaches me all about the cool colourings I mightn’t have thought of that match my skin type best. Green being a colour I’m never usually drawn to, I find myself trying on the skirt and loving everything about it – although maybe my neverending obsession with animal print has something to do with that. Trying many outfits on me, mixing and matching pieces and also coming across a few styles that just don’t work for me and my figure, Rachel is superb at tailoring all options and taking her time to explain every outfit. It’s all about proportions and keeping within them. Rachel

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informs me about the styles that work for my body shape (the higher the neckline, the better) and those that aren’t as flattering for me (sleeveless, it seems, is a no-no). With a dash of honesty and a whole lot of expert advice, Rachel doesn’t stop until we find exactly what I’m looking for. This being the first personal styling service that I’ve had, I wonder why I’ve never done it before. Spending my time trying on a variety of clothing in a beautifully decorated room and with a stylist on-hand is my new favourite way to shop. Goodbye crowded fitting rooms and terrible light, I’m all for that personal touch that’s available at John Lewis. Trying on colours that are completely new to you and styles that you’re usually sceptical about: boy, does it pay off! It’s clear how much the team love what they do and the hard work they put in and that resonates. “It’s all about making those pieces work hard for you,” says Rachel, “That way you’ll get the most out of them. I strive to wear bold outfits that clash perfectly but it’s hard to know how to execute this. Ensure they complement each other on the colour wheel and then absolutely go for it.” Sound advice. The outcome? The insanely beautiful ‘jungle cat’ dress from Whistles (£179) teamed with the cream cuff jumper from Mint Velvet (£89). Ideal for the chillier evening events and day-to-day winter wardrobe alike. One of the most pleasurable shopping experiences, that focused solely on me and gave me invaluable tailored advice at no extra cost: I think I’ve found a way to sensibly control my love for fashion. ■

• John Lewis, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol BS34 5QU; johnlewis.com

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HEALTH &WELLBEING NEWS FROM THE SECTOR

model to allow surgeons to personalise and plan each patient’s procedure pre-operatively. This is a huge benefit as it allows a clear plan for how the surgeon will position the implant before even entering the operating room. Throughout the duration of the procedure, the surgeon can make any necessary adjustments and execute the plan to a high level of accuracy and precision. The use of the Mako robotic arm means that knee and hip joint replacement surgeries can be a better process for both surgeons and patients alike.” Simon Milner, hospital director, added: “The Mako robotic-arm means that Spire Bristol is able to offer state-of-the-art care to each patient through the entire process, allowing for an improved experience.”

STRYKER AT SPIRE It would seem huge kudos is in order for Spire Bristol. As the first hospital in the city to introduce pioneering robotic-arm assisted joint replacement, Spire has firmly put itself at the forefront of innovative surgery. Using the Stryker Mako robotic arm, the assisted surgery is a new approach to joint replacement that offers the potential for a high level of patientspecific implant alignment and positioning. The technology allows surgeons to create a 3D plan and perform the operation using a surgeon-controlled robotic-arm that helps them execute the procedure with a high degree of accuracy. The tool aids precision, helping reduce post-operative pain and speed up patient recovery time, making it the latest advancement in joint replacement surgery. “The Mako robotic arm is revolutionising the process of how joint replacement surgeries are performed and we’re excited to be embracing this technology,” said Mr Nick Howells, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital. “Ultimately, Spire Bristol will be practicing some of the most advanced treatments available in medicine. “The Mako system involves using a 3D

• For more info on the Stryker Mako

robotic-arm assisted surgery at Spire Bristol hospital visit: spirehealthcare.com/spire-bristol-hospital

LOOK WHO’S TALKING Global peer support network TalkLife has recently relocated from across the pond in NYC to Bristol. The free social network aimed at helping mental health problems has over 750,000 users and has become one of the largest support networks. After making its mark in Australia, London and New York, the company has chosen to establish itself at Runway East due to Bristol’s burgeoning tech scene alongside its mental health research. TalkLife aims to overcome the stigma and barriers that prevent many people from reaching out. “We launched TalkLife after going through our own mental health battles,” says CEO and founder Jamie Druitt. “We vividly remember wanting to reach out to somewhere where we could be open and honest about life, without the facades we so often keep up on other networks.” The company’s latest funding round raised £390,000, supported by the likes of Bristol-based Pukka Herbs’ founders Sebastian Pole and Timothy Westwell. “Everyone wants to be happy, but life often asks more of us than we can manage on our own,” says TalkLife investor Sebastian. “So, in our time of complex mental-health pressures, we support TalkLife in their pursuit of helping people find a voice in the digital sphere. A confidential, discreet and effective listening ear is essential to help people when the going gets too painful.” • talklife.co

FROM BRISTOL TO SANTORINI your mind off the taxing task at hand. We can honestly say this is the best spin class we have ever done. We spent half the time forgetting we were sat cycling in a studio. Expect jumps, turns, inclines and speedy downhill sprints. It’s refreshing to be in a class that is focused on immersing yourself into a different world and not so heavily dependent on exerting yourself to your absolute limit. While Lola keeps you going and gives you the motivation that is needed to continue, she rides alongside you as you take on the journey together. Give it a try!

Thinking of heading to picturesque Santorini and want to get a feel for it first – all while getting a little fitter? We took a trip to the recently opened Village Gym recently to check out the Les Mills immersive spin – the first of its kind in the city – and felt almost as if transported to the idyllic streets of Greece. We admit it’s been a while since we saddled-up and, while we’ve had our fair share of class experiences (some bad, some not quite so), there’s just something about HIIT spin sessions that we like. This session, led by the enviably fit instructor Lola, begins by taking you to the hills of Santorini. From here you cycle through alternative digital worlds, taking

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• Village Gym, Bullfinch Close, Bristol

BS34 6FG; village-hotels.co.uk

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Founder Jamie Druitt

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Mature maintenance Finding new products that you love can be a difficult process. Crystal Rose sources a few beauty items designed to complement ageing skin

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1. Seal the edges of the lips to stop lipstick bleeding into fine lines around the mouth with this primer. Never Feather Lip Prime, £17.50, Look Fabulous Forever; lookfabulousforever.com 3. Enriched with a blend of shea butter and sweet almond oil, this cleansing balm looks to melt away dirt and impurities while unclogging pores and delivering deep hydration. Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, £48, Elemis; johnlewis.com 2. Combat the effects of modern living on the skin with this sun protection balm enhanced with an anti-ageing complex.

Anti Ageing Balm, £12.50, No7 Men; boots.com

5 4. Revitalise your hair’s thickness and density with this replenishing treatment for follicle health.

Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density, 60ml £15.80, The Ordinary; theordinary.com 5. One of Charlotte’s ‘seven wonders’, this secret mix of patented anti-age ingredients, a hyaluronic acid booster and floral extracts instantly lifts and transforms tired skin. Charlotte’s Magic Cream, £49, Charlotte Tilbury; johnlewis.com

EDITOR’S PICK

6. Restore damaged hair with this strengthening formula designed to recreate, rebuild and reconnect broken bonds in the barnet. Caviar Restructuring Bond Repair Conditioner, £34.50, Alterna Haircare; lookfantastic.com 7. This nifty little brush has flexi-technology to protect, control and style hair. Glides responsively through the hair for both minimum breakage and maximum shine. The Manta, £25, Manta Hair; mantahair.com

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Meet the experts who could improve your health

We all want to be well informed about our health and wellbeing. We trawl the internet for information on hip replacements, varicose vein removal, or cataract surgery. It helps, but sometimes what we really need is to get in a room with an expert and pick their brain. Are you experiencing knee pain, and thinking you may need surgery? Do varicose veins stop you from fully enjoying the summer months? Or are you considering cosmetic surgery, and would simply like to find out more about what’s available? This month, Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital in Clifton Village will be hosting a series of free public open events on a broad range of surgical topics. Each of these events will include a presentation by one of the hospital’s consultant surgeons, with the opportunity to ask them any questions you might have. On 11 February, the first of these events will focus on EYE HEALTH AND CATARACTS. Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon Mr Philip Jaycock will be speaking about the condition, which can be corrected with a simple outpatient procedure. So if you or someone you know is experiencing problems with vision, this event may provide all the answers you need. For anybody suffering from arthritis in their hips or knees, the prospect of joint replacement surgery can be daunting, not least because of the waiting times that can sometimes accompany NHS referrals. On 14 February, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr James Robinson will offer advice to anybody who has been experiencing KNEE PAIN, either through arthritis or injury, and on 26 February, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Sanchit Mehendale will be speaking about HIP PAIN, for anybody who thinks they may need a hip replacement. Also at these events, a member of Nuffield Health’s physiotherapy team will be available to tell you about the aftercare services which are available to our patients. If you’ve been considering a new look in 2018, the event about COSMETIC SURGERY on 25 February could be just for you. Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon Miss Lisa Sacks, whose areas of expertise include breast augmentation, tummy tuck and liposuction, will be available to answer your questions. And on 15 February, the topic will be VARICOSE VEINS .For many people who suffer with varicose veins, baring their legs when the warmer weather returns isn’t something they feel comfortable doing. Consultant Vascular Surgeon Mr William Neary will talk about the options for varicose vein removal, which unfortunately are no longer readily available on the NHS. Places at these events are limited, so if you are interested in attending any of them or would like more information, please call 0300 131 1413 to book your place, or visit: www.nuffieldhealth/hospitals/bristol/events. 78 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Migraine headaches

Migraine is the world’s sixth most debilitating illness. Can Acupuncture offer sufferers help? Amanda Hair answers for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine).

f you have experienced a migraine, you will know that it’s not like just having a bad headache. It’s best described as an incapacitating collection of neurological symptoms, whereby the sufferer can experience visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smells, and tingling or numbness in the extremities or face. Migraines seem to disproportionately affect women. Interestingly, boys are affected more than girls before puberty but, during adolescence, women experience more migraines, more than likely connected to shifting hormones. With increasing research evidence that typical painkillers and migraine pharmaceuticals can actually aggravate the condition, some people choose to explore alternatives, such as Acupuncture. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) include in their headache guideline (updated 2015) that a course of up to 10 sessions of acupuncture may be offered if western pharmacology ‘isn’t suitable’ or ‘doesn’t work well for a particular patient’. An Acupuncturist will diagnose migraine headaches through a series of differentiating signs and symptoms; for example, the nature

and location of the pain, frequency, duration and triggering or aggravating factors. Once a diagnosis is reached, very fine Acupuncture needles are placed in specific Acupuncture points along channels, which relate to the major organs within the body, called meridians. It’s a very common occurrence for the liver organ and associated channel to be activated as these are related to a woman’s menstrual cycle. Acupuncture needles may also be placed locally on the scalp or retained in the ear using ‘seeds’. The needles are retained for up to 25 minutes, during which time many people experience an extreme sense of relaxation. In the UK, the Migraine Trust endorses Acupuncture as a viable alternative to western medication. In one study, patients suffering with chronic headache (80% with migraine) were given 12 sessions of Acupuncture over 3 months. This resulted in 34% fewer headache days, 15% less medication, 15% fewer days off work and 25% fewer GP visits after one year. You can, however, dramatically improve these results by looking at your migraines holistically. If you choose an Acupuncturist who has also been trained in Naturopathy, they will have an additional set of diagnostic lenses through which to see someone’s illness. As well as tongue and pulse diagnosis, they will use Iridology, which identifies illness via the iris of the eye. We know that there are many triggers for migraines, such as certain foods, alcohol, stress, hormones, and weather. A Naturopathic Acupuncturist will help you identify triggers specific to you, so you can get to the root cause of your problem. This is a fundamental principle of Naturopathy, to help ensure problems do not recur. Naturopathic Acupuncturists also understand how toxins overload the body and

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how these can be eliminated using a range of appropriate natural techniques such as Nutrition, Herbal Medicine and Homeopathic remedies. They will tailor-make a naturopathic plan for you that not only includes Acupuncture, but supportive dietary and lifestyle advice, so that you can address all the issues that may be contributing to your migraines. So if you suffer from debilitating migraines, Naturopathic Acupuncture may be an appropriate therapy for you to explore. If you’d like to find out more about training with CNM as a Naturopathic Acupuncturist, a highly rewarding career which gives you the chance to make a difference in people’s lives, come along to an Open Evening at CNM.

Amanda Hair lectures in Acupuncture at CNM Bristol.

Attend a FREE Open Evening to find out about part time training with CNM Bristol for a career as a

Geoff Don

Naturopathic Nutritionist in class and online or Naturopathic Acupuncturist.

6th February Please book online at:

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

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FLORISTRY

Bloomin’ lovely With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, here’s a round-up of some great spots around the city to help you find a special bouquet for the one you love

The Seasonal One, Super Lux by Wilderness Flowers

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FLORISTRY

Why not give Wild About Flowers a whirl?

hether it’s to say ‘happy birthday’ to Mum, ‘congratulations’ when your friend bags that dream job, or ‘get well soon’ when a loved one is ill, flowers are synonymous with putting a smile on someone’s face whatever the occasion. So with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you might be wondering where to get a beaut bunch of flowers to show your beloved you care. Here are some of our favourite places around Bristol and online where you can find a bouquet to convey those three special words...

Sunflower Blooms Based in Bristol and covering the South West area, Sunflower Blooms is an independent florist with a wild and unconventional feel. Specialising in wedding and event flowers, founder Emily doesn’t follow any strict floristry rules when it comes to her arrangements. Instead, she believes you should simply pick flowers based on what you like. Emily is there to listen and will work her magic on any brief you give her but guarantee the flowers will always be as ‘you’ as possible. As well as providing flowers for all occasions, Emily is also super-passionate about spreading the creative love and offers workshops on pretty much any floral design. From mixed group workshops to private bookings held in the comfort of your own home, she offers a relaxed and creative experience offering you the know-how to produce your very own beautiful creations. • sunflowerblooms.co.uk; 07446 167687; Instagram: @sunflowerbloomsbristol

Visit The Mighty Quinns bijou emporium in Wapping Wharf

Georgian town house is also home to a selection of designer cards by brands like Katie Leamon and Chase & Wonder; pre-loved finds; handmade Kew Garden pots and trendy house plants. Enjoy 10% off your order using the code: BLM019 • wild-aboutflowers.co.uk; 0117 986 3328; Instagram: @wildaboutflowers33

The Mighty Quinns Flower Emporium Botanical boutique The Mighty Quinns Flower Emporium is situated in a quirky shipping container in Harbourside’s Wapping Wharf area. Inside the emporium, founder Hayley sells bespoke fresh flower bouquets and on-trend dried flowers that last forever. Plus, there’s a diverse range of large and small house plants to complement handmade ceramics that come from Clifton and Devon. Always wanting to find new and exciting products and collaborate with small, independent brands, Hayley also stocks Japanese gardening tools and gorgeous handmade aprons from Shropshire. • themightyquinnsfloweremporium.co.uk; 07391594522; Instagram: @themightyquinnsfloweremporium ■ A gorgeous rustic arrangement by Sunflower Blooms

Wilderness Flowers Founder and florist Hayley creates bespoke, natural designs. Each bunch has its own unique personality, just like its recipient, as she allows the shape of each stem to dictate where it’s placed in the arrangement. Wilderness Flowers works with the best seasonal florals at this time of year so its Valentine’s and Mothers Day bouquets celebrate all the best spring flowers and not just the classic rose. The same applies to Hayley’s wedding and event work. There’s a choice of designs that can be pre-ordered on the website and Hayley is happy to chat with anyone who wants something extra special. She finds it a treat to create a bit of happiness for someone every day and loves this time of year. • wildernessflowers.com; 07977478354; Instagram: @wilderness_flowers

Wild About Flowers Born in the year 2000 and forever flourishing, Wild About Flowers has been providing fabulous florals for every occasion for many a moon. Family-owned and independently run, its established creatives bring timeless bespoke designs to life with heart, soul and a wild flair; specialising in weddings and events. Located in Keynsham, the Grade-II

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WILD BRISTOL

Tawny owls are birds of countryside woodland, but they’re also our most urban owl

Hooting stars Bristol’s owls are loved-up and loud. Listen out for them this month, says Pete Dommett

n The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter, Nutkin and his bushy-tailed cousins sail across a lake (in rafts made from twigs) to Owl Island. There, they ask Old Brown the owl for permission to forage for nuts in his woods. He’s a curmudgeonly bird, is Mr Brown, so they butter him up with gifts – mice, minnows, wild honey and six fat beetles wrapped in dock leaves – although, at the end of the story [spoiler alert], he bites Nutkin’s tail in half for bothering him. Brown owl is an old country name for the tawny owl. This is by far our most common species of owl – and the largest – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to spot (I can count the number of close encounters I’ve had with tawnies on the fingers of one hand). These birds are strictly nocturnal, hunting during the hours of darkness for small mammals, insects, frogs and occasionally fish (but never honey) and sleeping away the day in a tree-hollow or hidden among an ivy-covered trunk. Consequently, tawny owls are more often heard than seen, especially at this time of year when they’re busy establishing their breeding territories. The familiar ‘tu-whit, tu-whoo’ call – first transcribed by Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost and immortalised by countless film and TV soundtracks since – is not the cry of a single owl, but a duet. It’s usually the male bird that tu-whoos with the female tu-whitting back (although both sexes can allegedly make both sounds) and it is used during courtship in the autumn and, in late winter, to tell other owls in the area that this pair preside over that particular patch. Tawny owls are early nesters – the female may be sitting on eggs by the end of this month with the chicks hatching another month after that. Come April or May, the owlets leave their tree-hole home well before they can fly to explore their surroundings. This so-called ‘branching’ sometimes results in a chick falling to the ground and a 82 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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well-meaning member of the public – on discovering an apparently abandoned bird – putting it back in the tree. But a word of warning: don’t be tempted to do this – the owlet is capable of climbing back up by itself and you may aggravate a watching adult. Tawnies owls are infamously aggressive when defending their brood and have no qualms about attacking a human (a friend of mine twice took a blood-drawing blow to the back of the head when attempting to replace a fallen youngster).

...The familiar ‘tu-whit, tu-whoo’ call – first transcribed by Shakespeare in Love’s Labour’s Lost – is not the cry of a single owl, but a duet... Tawny owls are birds of countryside woodland, but they’re also our most urban owl. You can find or, most likely, hear them all over Bristol in parks, churchyards and leafy gardens – wherever there are trees large enough for them to roost and nest in and sufficient food. The city dweller’s diet differs from that of its country cousin, however. Towny owls (sic) frequently feed on small birds, snatching them from their night-time roosts, while rodents (the preferred prey items on a rural menu) make up a measly 7% of their meals. Why not pay old Mr Brown a visit? Go to Eastville Park and look across the lake to Owl Island. With a bit of luck, he’ll be at home, sitting in his wooden house and still looking a bit bad-tempered. So say hello, but please, be polite and don’t bother him for too long. You never know what might happen. ■

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RETIREMENT

Life that’s worth living Long gone are the days of retreating from everyday society after retirement age, says visiting research fellow at UWE Dr Naomi Woodspring of the generation altering attitudes towards mature living for good

argaret and I sit across from each other in her office conference room. A baby boomer and a vibrant older lady, she explains how she is the first woman in her family to have not worked in the textile mills in many generations. Instead, Margaret is the lead executive in a charitable organisation. After about 18 months of retirement, she found herself restless and realised a life of golf, social engagements and just plain leisure did not suit her. Her daughter had also recently divorced and was struggling financially so Margaret decided retirement was not for her and it was more important to help support her grandchildren. Later in our interview, Margaret described her grandmother’s life. She had come to live with Margaret’s immediate family in her late fifties, a move that essentially meant she had retired from life. Her grandmother spent over two decades removed from the everyday doings of the outside world. These sorts of stories are ones that have been relayed to me again and again as a researcher and writer; the tale of two different generations and how they opposingly view the last phase of their lives. Many of the baby boomers or members of the post-war generation I have

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spoken with used that phrase – the last phase of life. My research interviewees were mostly healthy, active older people and almost all spoke with views of retirement as laden with new ways to engage with life. Living longer and shifting attitudes towards ageing have come to mean retirement is not what it used to be. Moving to a seaside village and spending life in a chair, watching the waves come in was a dream for many in previous generations, but no more. Many boomers are stepping into a new phase of life marked by volunteerism, civic engagement, involvement with their communities, starting new businesses, school runs, grandchild care or extending their current working lives because it is fufilling. In other words, boomers are choosing to spend their time on and with something that has lasting value or is meaningful to them. The possibility of an extended lifetime and the boomers’ general attitudes towards life are changing what it means to be retired. Yes, people did describe to me the desire or physical necessity of slowing down the pace of their lives. Old-age aches and pains are part of the story of ageing and most interviewees accept those physical changes as part of life. Research has shown that a lifetime of experience is of

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real benefit as older people learn new skills or compensate for some of the changes that age brings. Many older people have the opportunity to step into this time of life in new and different ways or continue doing the work they have found fulfilling, although not every case is the same and for some people continued employment is simply a financial necessity. As I look around me, wherever I am, I see grey heads along the way. Older people out and about and walking children home from the school run, jogging, gardening, volunteering in charity shops, speaking out at political events, attending cultural events or rock concerts; the list goes on and on. This is not the old story of retirement. This is, instead, the story of a generation actively participating in the life of their communities – having fun and spending their time completing and achieving things they have always wanted to. n

• Read more of Naomi’s thoughts in her book Baby Boomers, Age and Beauty (out now, £19.99); naomiwoodspring.com

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

Real Care

t Bluebird Care Bristol we are proud to support people with their everyday care needs, enabling them to remain in their own homes and live independently. We have a fabulous care team who strive to put a smile on our customers faces every day. Our staff receive comprehensive training and support from the senior care team in order to provide the best support to our customers. This year’s objective is to work with each individual customer and assist them with realising their dreams. For some this may be a simple request to spend the day at the seaside; it could be to reconnect with long distance friends and family, go to the theatre or simply to go to the local park for some fresh air. We are immensely proud to have been rated as Outstanding following a recent CQC inspection “People benefitted because the service had a strong and visible person-centred culture. The provider was also committed to providing a service which put people at the heart of everything they did”. Bluebird Care. T: 01225 445225, E: bristol@bluebirdcare.co.uk www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/bristol THEBRISTOLMAG.CO.UK

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LATER | LIVING

Meet Abbeyfield’s Chief Executive It’s difficult to really appreciate your retirement options as your get older. Many people dislike the idea of a care home and the fees can be off-putting. Abbeyfield Bristol & Keynsham really does offer an attractive alternative, says Chief Executive, Frances Stretton

“

t’s hugely rewarding to know we’re providing something really special for people in their later years”, says Frances. “It’s understandable that many people want to stay in their own homes as they get older, but sometimes it just becomes too stressful: not just sorting out the admin, insurance, and bills, but also the physical side – struggling to maintain a property, or to keep the garden under control. We really see residents start to enjoy life again when they come to us”.

When was Abbeyfield founded? Abbeyfield was founded in 1956 by Richard Carr-Gomm, who recognised that many retired and older people were living alone and feeling isolated. His vision was to build friendly and supportive communities of people who want to live together in their later years. In Bristol, we’ve been providing self-contained apartments to the over-65’s at our properties since 1966.

What makes Abbeyfield stand out from the crowd? Loneliness for older people is a big issue. It’s also tough when you realise you’re not coping well on your own. I think the options are confusing and many people think a ‘care home’ is their only choice. We offer a wonderful alternative without the commitment to buying your own home. Residents can rent a lovely en-suite apartment, make it their own and generally live their lives as they did before, but with less stress. We cook their meals, pay the bills, and there’s often entertainment in the houses too, and trips away. There’s always someone to chat to and, most importantly, there’s always a team member around 24 hours a day 7 days a week, which residents and families both find reassuring.

Where are the houses? We have gorgeous houses in Redland, Henleaze, Easter Compton, Keynsham and Hanham. They are all lovely and offer something different in terms of style and feel.

What kinds of costs are involved? Rents start at around £350 per week – we aim to be affordable to everyone. Fees vary from house to house and also depend on whether residents choose a studio or one-bedroom apartment. The great thing is that our fees are fully inclusive of council tax all utility bills and meals, making life pretty easy. What’s the secret of a happy community? Companionship with like-minded people is probably a huge part of it. It’s well-documented these days that nobody thrives when they are isolated, whatever their age. Being connected with others on a regular basis helps us feel we belong, and the impact on our happiness and wellbeing is huge. ■ www.abbeyfield-bristol.co.uk

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GARDENING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Harbourside railway in the 1960s

The changing face of Bristol’s harbourside A gritty working hub radically transformed and gradually rebranded into a residential urban idyll: Andrew Swift provides a potted history of one of the city’s favourite areas

alking Bristol’s harbourside today, it seems astonishing that 300 years ago it was Britain’s second busiest port. Back then it looked very different. Not only did many ships tie up in that part of the docks which now lies under the Centre, but at low tide the water drained away to leave them stranded on banks of mud. Not until 1809, when locks and sluices were installed to create the floating harbour, and the tidal river was diverted along the New Cut, did it start to look anything like it does today. But even though this was a massive improvement, there was another, less easily-solved problem. The only approach to the docks was via a winding, tidal river. In medieval and Tudor times, this was an advantage, as it made them safe from attack by pirates or enemy fleets. But, when such threats receded, this advantage became a liability, especially as ships started to get larger. The only solution was to build a new facility at the mouth of the river, and in 1877 the docks at Avonmouth duly opened. Even so, the city docks not only remained in business for almost another century but continued to expand. Railway lines were built on both sides of the harbour, and in the early 20th century Canons Marsh was transformed by the building of bonded warehouses and goods sheds. Growth continued after the Second World War. The M Shed and the cranes in front of it were built in the early 1950s, and as late as 1964 88 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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new railway lines were laid along Wapping Wharf and new cranes were installed. The following year, however, the closure of the goods yard and gas works at Canons Marsh marked the beginning of the end. In 1969, with trade dwindling and the docks running at a loss, the council announced that they would close. Although it would be another six years before the last cargo ship left Bristol, plans – which included ‘reclaiming’ part of the floating harbour and building motorway-style roads – were soon drawn up.

...Not until 1809, when locks and sluices were installed to create the floating harbour, did it start to look anything like it does today... In July 1970, there came a key event in raising awareness of the historic importance and amenity value of the docks, when the SS Great Britain returned to them, having been launched there 127 years earlier. Despite the celebrations, plans to build a massive traffic

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

interchange on land immediately to the south of the dock, with two bridges slung across the harbour, raised doubts about whether she would be allowed to stay. A wave of protests saw the scheme abandoned. Since then, ships have been central to the regeneration of the docks – ships such as the Balmoral, the Thekla and the replica of the Matthew. Ferries, now such a familiar feature of the harbour, have also played an important part in its regeneration, while the Harbour Festival, now in its 48th year, attracts visitors – and ships – from around the world.

Ferries, now such a familiar feature of the harbour, have also played an important part in its regeneration

...In 1975 the Arnolfini took over the Bush warehouse, demonstrating that conversion could be far more desirable than demolition... The Matthew, butting up against a lovely Arnolfini backdrop

The buildings around the harbour have played a no less crucial role. In 1975, the year the docks finally closed, the Arnolfini took over the Bush warehouse, dating from the 1830s, demonstrating that conversion could be far more desirable than demolition. The Create Centre, the M Shed and @Bristol (now We The Curious), along with scores of bars and restaurants, have all been established in old dockside buildings. Many old buildings have gone, though – notably the bonded warehouses at Canons Marsh, demolished in 1988 to make way for the crescent-shaped Lloyds Bank HQ, fronted by a large concourse. This, together with Millennium Square, which adjoins it, is one of the boldest and most successful parts of the harbourside development,

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS

The docks from the west, c1910. Originally, the only approach was via a winding, tidal river – an advantage in medieval and Tudor times but, when threats from pirates and enemy fleets receded and as ships became larger, it became a liability

creating a chain of large public spaces befitting a forward-looking 21st-century city. The most radical change has been the conversion of large swathes of the docks from commercial to residential use. Following their rebranding as the Harbourside in 1992, they were transformed from a place where only dockworkers lived – or wanted to live – to one of the most popular residential areas in the city. Inevitably, most residential developments have been in new rather than converted buildings, but architectural eclecticism has helped evoke something of the scale and variety of the buildings of the past.

...This is not a spot for the fainthearted and provides a bracing contrast to the more human scale of much of the harbourside.... Today, little of the dereliction which once characterised much of the docks survives. One last vestige, the 19th-century malthouse wedged between the SS Great Britain and Aardman Animations, was demolished late last year. The only other significant site still awaiting redevelopment is Redcliffe Wharf. Even so, there are many hidden corners left to discover and, while a visit to the Harbour Festival is a near-obligatory way to celebrate the regeneration, an out-of-season walk along the waterfront is an even better way of experiencing something of its history. A good starting point is the Treasure Island Trail, which weaves around the oldest part of the docks. Heading westward, many visitors get no further than the SS GB and, while this is the harbourside’s

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number one attraction, what lies beyond is no less fascinating. Next to it is the site of Bristol’s last working shipyard, closed in 1976. Although much of it has been converted to a marina, a shipbuilding and repair company still operates from a dry dock. Further along is Baltic Wharf, where timber from the Baltic was unloaded, and where the company’s office is now a pub. At the end of the wharf lies the Underfall Yard, the working heart of the harbour, with hydraulic pumps installed in the 1880s to control the water levels. The visitor centre, in the power house, is also home to one of the more unusual of the many cafés along the waterfront. In the shadow of the yard’s chimney lie terraces of dockworkers’ cottages. Further on, in the shadow of the Plimsoll Bridge, where few visitors venture, lies, disused and abandoned, Brunel’s ‘other bridge’. Designed as a swing bridge in 1849, it remained in use until 1968, and, after years of neglect, is now the focus of a restoration project. Beyond it, lock gates lead into the tidal river, civil engineering on an heroic scale, and the perfect foil to the coloured terraces high on the cliff-like slopes to the north. This is not a spot for the faint-hearted and provides a bracing contrast to the more human scale of much of the harbourside. That said, care needs to be taken while walking along the waterfront. There are hazards aplenty so children and dogs need to be under close control. But it is well worth exploring, not just because of its heritage, but to see how it has been, and continues to be, reinvented. As in most harbours, there is always something happening on the water, and with a range of pubs, eateries and visitor attractions, there is no excuse for not getting to know this fascinating part of the city a little better. ■

• Treasure Island Trail (longjohnsilvertrust.co.uk); Underfall Yard Visitor Centre (open Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm underfallyard.co.uk); Brunel’s Other Bridge (brunelsotherbridge.org.uk)

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INTERIORS

Kitchen think

Kutchenhaus director Rob Cash on a very good year and what’s to come in the world of domestic interiors

t’s been a great year for Kutchenhaus and February sees it celebrate its second anniversary. Since the launch it has been steadily building a reputation for supplying high-quality kitchens at competitive prices, and if the second-year celebration is anything like the first – when customers and friends were treated to amazing cooking from Ston Easton Park chefs – it’s a good time to be dropping in... How has the kitchen scene changed since your arrival in Bristol? The kitchen is no longer somewhere you just cook your dinner, it’s somewhere to entertain friends and family. This has resulted in dealing with a lot of house extensions and removing walls to create open-plan spaces. We have seen more demand for island or peninsular units which include a breakfast-bar space to allow families to spend more time together instead of being in separate rooms.

What’s in store for Kutchenhaus in 2019? We have lots of new additions to the range, which has resulted in updating our showroom. We have exciting developments including a new website and online design software, brand new factories in Germany and the UK which will drive down lead times and improve our customer journey and we have launched a finance package allowing customers to buy now, pay 2020, with just a 10% deposit. What style trends do you predict? What will we be seeing more of? The kitchen is more than just a kitchen; 2019 has seen the introduction of bedroom, office, bathroom and living room furniture to our range. This means we can now tie the kitchen and dining room together with matching or often contrasting units/materials. We are expecting to see more mixing of materials and finishes and being bolder with colour.

Are you doing anything special to celebrate this anniversary? What’s in and what’s out? We are planning another open evening for our previous clients, potential customers, friends and family. We are really proud of achieving two years in business and excited about what 2019 shall bring. What can you say about Bristol’s taste in kitchens? We have seen a big demand for hande-less kitchens in a mixture of different finishes and colours. Matte door finishes have also been very popular this year with white being the most popular door colour chosen. We have found most of our customers like to keep the kitchen fairly neutral and bring out some colour and character in the accessories or wall colours. This gives your kitchen a timeless feel so you can keep it for years and update the wall colours to stay up to date with the trends.

There has been a big move towards concrete and slate colours. We are expecting to see more requests for open shelving to break up the kitchen and give space to display items, plus quartz worktops and glass splashbacks. Installing a modern kitchen in a traditional home can, if done right, also look stunning. Any clever new concealed-storage ideas on the market? We have introduced backlit open shelf units which feature support poles with lights shining against the wall. We can customise what fits between each support pole including glass or wooden shelves and plant boxes. We even have plant lights designed to help plants grow indoors, which will suit those who have little or no outdoor space.

How will the evolution of tech affect domestic kitchen options this year? What are your favourite design flourishes being introduced currently? We’re hearing of wifi-enabled espresso makers to prepare your morning cappuccino before you even get out of bed, and restaurant-quality single pour preservation systems for wine. Our appliance companies now have wifi-enabled options meaning you can control everything from your smart phone. These days people adjust their heating and lighting using their phone and the kitchen can be controlled in a number of ways too. Preheat the oven, check the contents of your fridge, put the washing on! 92 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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Black handles and accessories has been introduced into the range this year, for bold contrasts. Black was the biggest introduction to the 2019 range and our supplier expects it to be the big trend. n • kutchenhaus.co.uk

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GARDENING

Small wonders Like anything that’s worth doing, says Elly West, sowing seeds takes a little skill and patience but the rewards are well worth it

n theory, you can’t go wrong with a packet of seeds. For less than the price of a takeaway cup of coffee, you could potentially have tens, hundreds, even thousands* of plants to fill your garden with colour, fragrance, fresh produce or all of the above. Plus, there’s the priceless satisfaction of knowing that you’ve grown them yourself, rather than picking potted plants from a bench at the garden centre and paying a fortune. (*I’ve bought packets of foxgloves with an average content of 2,500 seeds – in case you were wondering, not all of them germinated.) The best things come in small packages and this is particularly true at this time of year in the gardening calendar, when it’s all about planning ahead and sowing seeds ready for when the weather warms up. There’s something magical about that moment when, after daily inspections to see how your seeds are getting along, a tray full of compost becomes a forest of tiny seedlings and you know that they’ve ‘worked’. Seed sowing is a good way to try rare and unusual varieties that you may not be able to buy easily as larger plants. It’s probably the best way to grow most vegetables and annuals, and is also a nice way to get children involved in gardening. A cheery sunflower grown from seed is engaging to young children and not-so-young adults alike. So, if you’re planning on having a go this year, now is the time to think and plan, place your order, go to the shops and stock up on seed trays and compost if you need to. There’s even a Bristol-based seed swapping event this month where you can pick up some tips and get your hands on some seeds, with a cup of tea and a cake to enjoy in the process (see following page for details). And if you follow these basic tips, you’ll give your efforts a flying start. Like anything that’s worth

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doing, sowing seeds takes a little bit of skill and patience, but the rewards are well worth it. It’s still cold outside, so half-hardy annuals need starting off under cover now to give them a long enough growing time for plenty of summer flowers. Timing is important, so always read the label for the best results. Sow too early and you’ll end up with long, leggy plants filling your windowsills with nowhere to go. But if you wait too long, you’ll only have a few weeks of late-summer flowers before the frosts come and kill the lot. By half-hardy annuals, we’re talking about plants such as morning glory, zinnias, cosmos, verbena, nicotiana, rudbeckia – all those colourful beauties that need some warmth to germinate, will flower all summer then die. Collect their seeds at the end of the season and you can start again next year. Heated propagators may give better germination rates with a constant heat, but a windowsill near a radiator can be just as effective to get seeds going. Check the instructions as to whether to cover your seeds or not and how deeply to sow them. In my experience, it’s worth spending money on a specially formulated seed compost for the sturdiest new plants. Composts vary in quality unfortunately, but should be free draining without too many ‘big bits’. If you buy one that is specifically for seeds, it should have the right balance of nutrients necessary. Water it well before you sow the seeds, otherwise they can get washed together, undoing your best efforts to sprinkle them carefully and evenly across the surface. Don’t be tempted to sow the whole packet if you don’t have room. The most common cause of failure is ‘damping off’, where seeds are grown too closely together and succumb to fungal infections that can cause the

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GARDENING

Lead image, opposite page: Cosmos is great for filling in gaps in the border, with beautiful feathery foliage and large daisy-like flowers that keep going for months in vibrant shades of pink, rich cerise, or pure white

whole crop to flop and die. Imagine every seed will turn into a plant and this will help avoid temptation to add a few more, just in case. Overwatering can also cause damping off, so wait until the edges of the compost have dried out before you water. Moisten the compost from below by standing the seed tray in water for 10 minutes or so, to avoid damaging tiny new plants. When your tray is full of seedlings, the next task is to grow them on into individual modules or pots in a compost that has a few more nutrients. Here they can stay until they are ready to go outside. This should be done when your plants have a pair of leaves that you can handle them by, avoiding touching their delicate stems. A pencil is a good tool for this – use it to nudge them out of their current spot, make a deep enough hole in the new compost, then carefully drop the roots in, firming around them gently with your fingers. One last tip – remember to keep all your trays and pots well labelled if you’re growing different varieties. It’s surprising how easy it is to forget what you’ve sown and it can be hard to differentiate between tiny seedlings that all look similar! ■

• Head along to the Bristol Seed Swap event on Saturday 9 February from 12 – 4pm, The Station, Silver Street, Bristol BS1 2AG, where there will be stalls, speakers, displays and kids’ activities, plus an abundance of seeds. Bring your seeds clearly labelled and swap them for others that you want to grow in your garden or allotment. Or, if you don’t have seeds to swap, donations are equally welcome. There will also be plants for sale and a café. To find out more, visit bristolseedswap.wordpress.com

Great seeds to sow now • Chillies: These need a long season to ripen on the plant, so get them going now and look forward to some homegrown fire. • Cosmos: Great for filling in gaps in the border, with beautiful feathery foliage and large daisy-like flowers that keep going for months in vibrant shades of pink, rich cerise, or pure white. • Sweet peas: Wait a month or so and you can put these gorgeous, easy-to-grow climbers directly in the ground outside, but you’ll get earlier flowers if you start them off indoors now, ready to plant out when the soil warms up. • Morning glory: This climber needs warmth to germinate, plus some short canes or sticks to climb up when you pot them on. They can cover an obelisk or archway in just one season with their unusual blue flowers that open in the morning and close at night. • Cherry tomatoes: Start them early indoors and you’ll get more tresses in summer. Easy to grow and a favourite with children. Variety ‘Tumbling Tom’ is a good one for hanging baskets or tall patio pots. Elly West is a garden designer. For more details about her services, visit ellyswellies.co.uk

Elly’s Wellies

Garden Designs

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

For a free initial consultation, contact Elly West

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

FEBRUARY 2019

THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE 95

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BRISTOL PROPERTY | IN FOCUS

umber 5 West Shrubbery is a substantial period family home in the heart of popular Redland approximately one mile from the hum of Clifton Village. There are three floors of well proportioned living space and the rooms are decorated in tasteful, calming tones which enhance the natural light and period features such as fireplaces, cornicing and alcoves. On the ground floor the generous bay fronted drawing room is the perfect place to entertain and the family can really spread out in the fantastic dining room, complete with wood burner, and the beautiful bespoke kitchen. French doors open onto a sunny, level rear garden. On the first floor there are two very generously sized bedrooms and a shower room. Continuing up to the second floor you’ll find a further three bedrooms and a luxurious family bathroom. The gardens to the front and rear are both well kept and easily maintained with enough space for al fresco dining and for children to play and there is off street parking for one vehicle. This lovely home offers plenty of space for the family to grow and is sure to make an impression on viewing. For full details contact Knight Frank Clifton.

WEST SHRUBBERY, REDLAND, BRISTOL • Beautifully presented family home • 5 Bedrooms • 2 bathrooms • Drawing room, dining room and bespoke kitchen • Gardens to front (with parking) and rear

Guide price £ 1,100,000 Knight Frank, Regent House, 27A Regent Street, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 295 0425

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“Founded in 2011 by Marcus Spanswick, who already had 20 years’ experience in the industry, Mardan Removals and Storage Ltd is a, family run, professional full service removals and storage company based in Bath. Marcus wanted to build a company that he and his team would be proud of. The key to the company’s success is providing a personalised service, treating each customer as an individual to ensure they get an excellent removal service. Mardan have a fleet of vehicles allowing them to offer; commercial moving, local to international moves and storage”.

MAXIMISE THE VALUE OF YOUR LAND AND PROPERTY

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL MOVERS • PACKERS • STORERS • SHIPPERS

IF YOU’RE THINKING OF RETIREMENT, OR YOUR BUSINESS ISNT QUITE GOING TO PLAN

IF YOU OWN A DETACHED CARE HOME, HOTEL OR PUBLIC HOUSE, or a parcel of land with potential We have clients actively seeking new opportunities, with or without planning permission We offer a completely confidential service, with over 20 years experience of delivering residential projects, tailor made to suit your individual circumstances

SELLING YOUR PROPERTY? Choose an estate agency that will promote your best interests If you are currently thinking of selling your property, then consider using one of The Bristol Magazine’s featured estate agencies to give you the best possible promotional coverage. Our estate agents advertise with us as part of a bigger selection of print and online marketing which means your property is presented to the highest standard and will reach the greatest audience.

Please email or call directly: Cameron Gray 07876 197522 cameron@landdevelopmentbrokers.co.uk www.landdevelopmentbrokers.co.uk

98 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE

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PROPERTY NEWS

BITE-SIZED UPDATES FROM ACROSS THE CITY’S BOOMING SECTOR Hamptons has a year of celebratory events planned for the anniversary

HAPPY 150TH!

THE NEXT STAGE

Leading estate agent Hamptons International is celebrating its 150th birthday. To commemorate the milestone, a series of events and campaigns is planned to take place throughout the year. Hamptons International started life in 1869 with an office in Pall Mall, eight members of staff, and George Hampton at its helm as managing director. Fastforward 150 years and it now has a network of over 90 offices employing over 1,000 members of staff. Outside the UK, Hamptons is represented in over 30 countries providing buyers with access to over 100,000 international properties. Hamptons has committed to making 2019 its biggest year of fundraising yet, and in support of the business’s ongoing commitment to charity partner Cancer Research UK, has introduced ‘Challenge 150’. This is an internal initiative whereby staff each take on the challenge of raising £150 with the aim of collectively raising in excess of £150,000 by the year’s end. Hamptons will also be unveiling ‘Project Planet’ to make the business more environmentally conscious, take stock of overall consumption and look at ways to make a positive contribution to the planet. “150 years of vision and purpose along with the efforts of our fantastic people make Hamptons International the commercially successful and brilliant business it is today,” says MD Lesley Cairns. “2019 is set to be a wonderful year and we look forward to celebrating with our many customers past and present. Here’s to Hamptons International, and to the next 150 years!”

Bristol developer Cubex has drawn up plans to transform the former headquarters of Avon Fire and Rescue into new homes and offices, forming the next phase of the Finzels Reach quarter. The £140million mixed-use scheme planned comprises a contemporary office building featuring a unique corkscrew staircase rising up through a glass atrium to a rooftop terrace. The building will be built speculatively and reflect similar design principles to Aurora, the office building recently completed at Finzels Reach and recognised for its environmental and digital connectivity credentials. The office building will be delivered alongside over 300 homes specially designed for the rental market. They will be laid out in a range of apartment buildings of varying heights, and an eyecatching entrance has been designed at the corner of Counterslip and Temple Back, looking towards the Grade-II Generator Building. The apartments include shared entertainment space, cycle storage and maintenance facilities and the apartment buildings will feature co-working space for the increasing number of people working independently or running their own business. Cubex started regeneration at Finzels Reach over five years ago when it stepped in to develop the site after a previous attempt went into receivership. Work on the Avon Fire HQ should start in the summer, subject to approval.

• hamptons.co.uk

• cubex-land.com

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HOME IMPROVEMENT Almost 850 rented properties in the Stapleton Road area have received improvements thanks to a licensing scheme implemented by the council. The discretionary licensing scheme, which aims to improve housing standards and the management of privately rented properties, began in April 2013 and lasted five years. The focus of the scheme was also to tackle associated anti-social behaviour in the licensing area. Licensing is proactive and enables officers to inspect every private rented property to check conditions and take action where housing and management standards are not met. In the area, 1,207 properties were licensed and 1,648 licence inspections were undertaken. A further 837 inspections were carried out to properties in the scheme area where service requests and complaints about poor conditions were received. As a result of these inspections, 845 properties were improved to meet conditions. Over a quarter of licensed properties were found to have serious health and safety hazards and 70% of properties required works to be carried out to meet conditions. In addition, 68% of the licensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) were found to have had management regulation breaches. The majority of landlords worked with the council to bring their properties up to the required standard, however, it was necessary to take enforcement action in a significant number of cases. “The Stapleton Road licensing scheme was the first area-based property licensing scheme in Bristol and has proved to be a great success in proactively targeting a specific area to improve the housing standards and conditions for tenants,” said Councillor Paul Smith, cabinet member for Housing. “We have had some very good feedback from local people who say the scheme has had a positive impact on the area.” A second scheme is currently operating in the Eastville and St George area.

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Bristol Harbourside living: Realising the dream How Help to Buy enabled Tom Mogridge to go from fridge-sharing with flatmates to owning a place of his very own on Bristol’s buzzing harbourside.

om Mogridge had dreamed of living on Bristol’s harbourside for years. His morning run took him around the waterfront and his mind would wander to the prospect of living there one day. But at this time it seemed very much out of reach. He says: “I moved to Bristol seven years ago and had lived in a few different parts of the city, and when I was living in the centre I was not far from the floating harbour. It quickly became my favourite place to spend time, and I used to run there often. The idea of living on the waterfront itself was a bit of a fantasy but I assumed I wouldn’t be able to afford it.” In early 2017 Tom decided he had rented for long enough and it was time to get a foot on the property ladder. He had heard about Help to Buy and saw it as an opportunity. He says: “I was approaching 30 and, while I had enjoyed my years renting in Bristol, I decided my fridge-sharing days were over. I knew Help to Buy was an option for me but hadn’t realised it isn’t available on all new build developments. None of the new builds that I liked at the time offered Help to Buy and it didn’t take long for me to lose momentum as a result.”

...I decided my fridge-sharing days were over. I knew Help to Buy was an option for me but hadn’t realised it isn’t available on all new build developments... After a six month hiatus, Tom revisited his search earlier this year. When an online search revealed that Brandon Yard was on the market with Help to Buy support, he was excited. He explains: “It was like a dream come true. I knew Brandon Yard from when it was still derelict and had kept an eye on its development. It was easy to see what an amazing place it would be to live but I didn’t think I would find anything there in my price bracket. When I realised it was a possibility I moved pretty quickly, arranging an appointment with the sales office, and I reserved my apartment there and then.” Tom bought an apartment in Brandon Yard’s New Retort House. Vicky Dudbridge from Savills comments on the scheme: “Occupying one of the last frontline plots on this stretch of the floating harbour, Brandon Yard is a striking scheme, incorporating the conversion of the late 19th century Grade II listed gasworks warehouse, alongside the creation of a brand new building. Characterised by glazed panels and brickwork, New Retort House is a stylish and complementary addition to the historic harbourside. Together with the beautifully restored Oculus House, the buildings celebrate Bristol’s maritime history. Both have fantastic stand-out factor along the banks of the harbour. “Offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of Bristol’s history, an enviable location on the waterfront and the high quality specification Acorn is known for, it’s no wonder the scheme is proving so popular”.

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Jessie Rowe, Senior Negotiator at Knight Frank says: “Brandon Yard is an exceptional scheme that has attracted a range of purchasers, from first time buyers like Tom, to downsizers looking for their forever home close to the city centre.” Robin Squire, Regional Managing Director of Acorn Property Group’s Bristol region says “Our team has worked exceptionally hard to deliver Brandon Yard, so we’re delighted that over 70% of the homes have already been sold off plan. Help to Buy is a fantastic scheme, not only does it allow first time buyers get on the property ladder but it helps make aspirational homes in desirable locations more accessible. We’re pleased that Tom’s been able to purchase his first home with us using Help to Buy and we hope he’s very happy living there.” Tom adds: “The scheme is fantastic. I wanted to live in a new build home and Brandon Yard goes above and beyond my expectations in terms of design and finish. Its character and history adds something special – old and new come together to great effect. “Location is a huge part of what makes it for me. The atmosphere on the harbourside is always lively and there is so much to do within walking distance.” Tom found the Help to Buy scheme to be easy to navigate and the buying process has been straightforward. He says: “I really can’t wait to make the move. It’s not long now and I’ll be moved in time to take advantage of everything that spring time on Bristol’s harbourside has to offer. Most of all, I’m looking forward to kicking back in the sun on my terrace. I never thought I’d be able to say that and I’m thrilled.”

There is a selection of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments still available at Brandon Yard starting from £299,950. The marketing suite is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm. For further information please contact Jessie Rowe at Knight Frank on 0117 317 1999 or Vicky Dudbridge at Savills on 0117 910 2200

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PROPERTY | FOCUS

ith its clean lines and fresh-looking frontage, number 75 looks every bit the smart urban abode from the outside, and this gorgeous five double-bedroom period townhouse doesn’t disappoint when you step inside. With no onward chain, this semi-detached Victorian dwelling presents a great opportunity for any Bristol househunter, and is an impressive prospect with its 45ft semi open-plan kitchen/dining/living room having sliding doors open onto a charming south-westerly facing city garden with sitting areas and sunken jacuzzi. The roof terrace, with its glass balustrade, is another very attractive feature, as is – particularly for busy Bristolians – the driveway parking for two cars. Through the entrance hallway on the ground floor, you’ll find the reception hall, drawing room, sitting room, rear hall and boot room, then on the lower ground floor the open-plan area ideal for entertaining, plus a utility room, WC and back hall. Upstairs, find the master bedroom suite on the first floor featuring en-suite, bath/shower room and walk-in wardrobe. Step upwards again onto the second-floor landing, off which is a double bedroom and then another with en-suite shower room. Finally, the top floor houses a part-galleried landing, two extra double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The house is close to a good amount of amenities: it’s a level, easy walk to Whiteladies Road, Clifton Down shopping centre and train station as well as the shops and chic restaurants of Cotham Hill. It’s also close to Cotham School, Cotham Gardens primary and SS Peter & Paul RC School for those looking to find a good school for the kids.

Richard Harding, 124 Whiteladies Road, Clifton Bristol BS8 2RP. Tel: 0117 9466690

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75 HAMPTON PARK, REDLAND, BRISTOL • Five double bedrooms • Three bath/shower rooms • Circa 3,500 sq.ft • Roof terrace • Sunken jacuzzi • 65ft rear garden • Driveway parking

Guide price: £1,400,000 – £1,500,000

WESTBURY ROAD, WESTBURY-ON-TRYM A rare opportunity to purchase this fine Victorian seven/ eight bedroom, four reception family home. Boasting many original features, a 20m mature family garden and garage to rear with additional private orchard. Vast potential throughout, with no onward chain. EPC - G 4

GUIDE PRICE ÂŁ995,000

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

Time to get moving in 2019 With Brexit looming, what will happen to the property market in 2019? Here are some home truths amongst many unknowns. Nobody can quite know how this national tumult will affect the property market. What we do know is that large numbers of landlords are bailing out of the buy-to let sector - deterred less by Brexit than by increased taxation and legislation. Fortunately first time buyers are benefitting from motivated sellers and more choice in a time of low interest rates and high employment. We also know that sellers have a choice of which agent to turn to, with a number of online agents tempting sellers with low fees and a method of-upfront payment, promising big results for little cost. At this time of year we are

reminded that all that glistens is not gold. So if you are thinking of moving in 2019, consider your choices wisely, it is an extraordinary time. Nothing is certain. Don’t bank on the killer sale, aim for a great purchase. Be realistic, price is just as important as location. Don’t put your biggest asset in the hands of the inexperienced. Finally, remember the name of the game is moving: selling and/or buying is just a part of that bigger picture. Nobody quite knows where they are in this Brexit year. But at least everyone should know where they want to be - and use an established, professional estate agent to help get them there. Howard Davis MD Clifton

REDLAND

HARBOURSIDE

SSTC £1,200,000

GUIDE PRICE £795,000

An impressive and iconic 4 storey semi-detached house currently set up as a 7 bedroom property. Until recently it has been used as a treatment centre and as such, it currently has a residential in care usage. Planning permission for a change of use to a residential family home would have to be granted. EPC D

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

CLIFTON

REDLAND

SSTC £610,000

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

GUIDE PRICE £650,000

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

SNEYD PARK

GUIDE PRICE £475,000

CLIFTON

GUIDE PRICE £410,000

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

A superior first floor flat, consisting of two double bedrooms, a newly refurbished and modern kitchen, a generous lounge area and a three piece suite bathroom, also benefiting from under stairs storage in the hallway. Offered with no onward chain. EPC D

CLIFTON

SSTC £375,000

GUIDE PRICE £395,000

A beautifully presented bright and airy two double bedroom flat. The property is remarkably spacious, providing a wide staircase leading up to the property itself, an outstanding open plan living room/kitchen and a modern bathroom. EPC D

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

CITY CENTRE

SNEYD PARK

GUIDE PRICE £279,500

A stylish apartment on the 7th floor consisting of: entrance hall, a utility cupboard, open plan lounge, dining area, kitchen, access to your private balcony and a generous size double bedroom. A stunning apartment in a highly desirable location. EPC C

GUIDE PRICE £210,000

A delightful one double bedroom first floor apartment located in lovely development, consists of: entrance hall, open plan living area with an upgraded kitchen, good size double bedroom, a brand new bathroom plus a large under croft garage. EPC C

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Failand, Bristol | Guide Price ÂŁ847,500 A stunning family home recently refurbished and extended to present versatile family accommodation complete with a fully enclosed south facing garden, double garage and drive. Detached four-bedroom family home | Fully enclosed gardens with plenty of off-street parking | Double garage with power and light | Generous entrance hall | Superb open plan family kitchen and dining room | Two further reception rooms and a study | Four double bedrooms and two bath / shower rooms | Utility room and a separate cloakroom (easily converted into a third bathroom) | Tree lined road with no-through traffic | EPC: E In all circa 2670 sq. ft (248 sq. m)

hamptons.co.uk

Christchurch Road Guide Price £475,000

A stunning 2 bedroom garden flat in the desirable Clifton Village. EPC: C

UNDER OFFER

Durdham Park

UNDER OFFER

Guide Price £450,000

An impressive apartment occupying the entirety of the hall floor, this property has style and charm in abundance. EPC: E

Hamptons Bristol

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

Richmond Park Road

Guide Price £280,000

Nestled in the heart of Clifton, this charming one bedroom period apartment exudes elegance and character. EPC:E

Redland ÂŁ385,000

Clifton Office 0117 946 6007

Two bedroom garden flat A beautifully presented and light two double bedroom garden flat, conveniently located for Whiteladies Road and the Durdham Downs. Offering private entrance, private rear garden, and ample storage, this wonderful property is also set within the Redland Green School catchment area. EPC - D

oceanhome.co.uk

Westbury-on-Trym Office 0117 962 1973

Westbury-on-Trym ÂŁ500,000 Three bedroom house

A three bed family home situated in a quiet-cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Westbury on Trym village. The ground floor has two reception rooms and a kitchen which looks over the garden. The first floor compromises of two double bedrooms, one single bedroom, family bathroom. Externally there is a private garden and garage. EPC - C

Kingsdown £725,000 Six bedroom house

Highly sought after and grand Victorian house arranged over 4 floors and situated on a quiet no-through road within walking distance of the university, BRI & the City Centre. Previously let to 5 students with an HMO license, with an annual income of circa £36,000 making this a superb investment opportunity. EPC - D

Westbury-on-Trym £325,000 Two bedroom cottage

This characterful two double bedroom period terraced cottage is situated within walking distance of the shops and amenities of Westbury on-Trym village. The property offers a reception room to front with a fireplace and stairs to first floor, access to a modern fitted kitchen and a door onto rear courtyard garden. EPC - F

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