Bristol Life - Issue 227

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 227 / APRIL 2017 / £3

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

GREEN UP YOUR WEDDING DAY ISSUE 227 / APRIL 2017 / 99 PROBLEMS BUT GETTING HITCHED AIN’T ONE

OLD SCHOOL HEROES: BUSINESSES WITH STAYING POWER

HIGHER PERCHES: HARBOURSIDE’S COOLEST NEW ADDRESS ON THE ROAD: LA STRADA AT BRISTOL OLD VIC

ALEX IN WONDERLAND GETTING HITCHED, STOKES CROFT STYLE

EDITOR’S LETTER / ISSUE 227 / APRIL 2017

All the chocolate

16

ALEX IN WONDERLAND When a Stokes Croft artist gets married, expect the unexpected . . .

“April is the cruellest month,” reckoned TS Eliot. There again, TS was hardly a bundle of laughs. What about the lighter evenings, Tom? The ever-soslightly warmer temperatures? All of the chocolate?

April generally contains Easter and a double bank holiday, which is more than enough for us to give the month a five-star rating. Despite the best efforts of the greetings-card and gifts industry, Easter has somehow managed to hang on to an innocence and simplicity that Christmas lost long ago. One Easter egg per kid; a couple of pussy willow branches in a jug; lamb in the oven; job done.

After Easter, brace yourself; judging by all the press releases we’re receiving at the moment, it’s poised to be a hell of a summer in Bristol, and we don’t intend to miss any of it . . .

Deri Robins, editor Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram:@bristollifemag

REGULARS / ISSUE 227 / APRIL 2017 M EET T H E T EAM

SPOTLIGHT

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk

9 Who’s making the news?

Idris Elba, Luke Jerram, James Dean Bradfield, Craig David and French & Saunders, in no particular order

Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors: Mal Rogers Advertising manager and commercial director Steve Hawkins steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Emma Stroud emma.stroud@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager James Morgan james.morgan@mediaclash.co.uk Production and distribution manager

WEDDINGS 22 Eco Weddings How to get married without destroying the planet

24 The List Bristol’s top businesses are poised to get you to the altar (or to a hotel, or a hayrick in a field – whatever happens to be your thing)

THE ARTS 29 Arts Intro All the people

30 What’s On All the events

34 Theatre Audrey’s going to break our hearts: La Strada comes to Bristol Old Vic

37 Music Isn’t it time you let a little Monteverdi into your life?

Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager Christina West christina.west@mediaclash.co.uk Production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk

34 48 Restaurant The finest Indian dining in the city.

With cocktails

51 Recipe

Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bristol Life, MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash

SNAPPED 64 Party going It’s all about our finalists’ party

A New Moon spin on Easter lamb

BUSINESS

52 Festival

68 Old School Heroes

Sweet like chocolate

Standing the test of time

A fair amount of bottle

GREAT ESCAPES

PROPERT Y

40 Editor’s Choice

57 Try 5

84 Property Showcase

What did you expect for our Easter issue? Gin?

The best hotels to lay your head in the Bristol area

We worship a divine conversion

SHOPPING 39 Shopping Intro

EATING 46 Food & Drink It’s all happening at Cargo – again

58 Glamping Why Crane 29 is destined to be the hottest Bristol address this summer

© All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

THE BACK PAGE 90 Jonathan Dimbleby Broadcaster, author, charity chair – and now, Bristolian

About MediaClash We’re a Bath-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter and Salisbury. We also publish foodie mag Crumbs. (www.crumbsmag.com, @CrumbsMag) and wedding title Vow (@VowMag).

Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help.

Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

On the cover Alex and Paul’s wedding, captured

by Monsterful Photos – see feature page 16

ART

MOONLIGHT AND MUSIC You wait three months for a feature on Bristol artist Luke Jerram, and then . . . actually, scotch that. You never have to wait for a feature on Luke Jerram. He’s up to something new and fascinating every week.

The latest new and fascinating thing Luke did was to install his touring Museum of the Moon in the Wills Building’s Great Hall. Measuring seven metres across, the inflatable moon features NASA-mapped imagery of the lunar surface, at a scale of 1:500,000.

The Museum of the Moon travels from city to city, fusing moonlight and surround-sound composition by award-winning composer Dan Jones.

Sometimes it’s outside; sometimes it’s indoors. Each venue also programmes their own series of events beneath the moon; in Bristol’s case last month, it marked the installation of the Uni’s new chancellor, Sir Paul Nurse.

For more: www.my-moon.org

MUSIC

SMOKIN’

Just look whose going to be hitting the decks at Motion this month

We’re not advocating smoking, really we’re not. Nasty habit; bad for you. It’s just that Idris Elba is so hot right now that apparently he spontaneously combusts – and if you want to warm yourself at the flame, you need to head to Motion on 8 April, when the man that Clive James just crowned “the most kingly British star since Richard Burton” makes his Bristol DJing début, with guest support from Mike ‘Dry Your Eyes Mate’ Skinner and Roska.

No, we wouldn’t care if the guest support was The Krankies, either. And yes, you could argue that there are bigger events happening in the city during April, and

accuse us of merely using the Motion gig as a thinly-veiled excuse to get a big photo of Idris on our news pages.

Also, it’s highly likely that by the time this magazine is printed, the tickets will be sold out, which is what happens if you don’t follow Bristol Life rigorously on Twitter.

By the way, there’s another photo of Idris on page 30. And there’s one of George Clooney on page 47. Coming to our news pages next month, probably: a photo of Tom Hardy in Taboo, with the spurious reason that his hat looked a bit like Brunel’s.

So sue us.

For more: www.motionbristol.com

SPOTLIGHT

MUSIC

SOUND OF THE CITY The newly cool Craig and (above) the always cool Manics

It used to be called the Summer Series, and it was called something else before that, but we can’t remember what it was. The important thing, though, is that for the past three summers we’ve been used to some pretty major gigs taking place at Harbourside during June, from The Pogues to The Kaiser Chiefs to George Ezra (there’s still bitter controversy in the office about who was best last year: The Last Shadow Puppets or Catfish and the Bottlemen; it seems to come down to which side of the year 2000 you were born).

This year, the event’s called Bristol Sounds, and arguably features the best line-up yet; Welsh rockers the Manic Street Preachers are main favourites, on 22 June, with newly-cool (we’re told) Craig David on 23 June, Bonobo on the 21 June and Hacienda Classical on 24 June.

Harbourside has also hosted some standout gigs for the Colston Hall, notably Goldie & The Orchestra of the Enlightenment in 2015.

This year is the venue’s 150th birthday, and as part of the celebrations they’re putting on a ‘celebratory party of orchestral proportions’ on 21 July; the Outlook Orchestra, will perform a 100-minute live mix celebrating some of the biggest tracks heard across dance floors on soundsystems worldwide; they’ll be joined by Roots Manuva, Horace Andy, Dawn Penn and others. Booking now.

For more: www.colstonhall.org www.bristolsounds.co.uk

COMEDY

FUNNY GIRLS June’s turning out to be pretty busy all round; best not book a holiday, then.

News is just in that beloved comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders will reunite on stage for the first time in over eight years in Bristol, as part of a one-off show designed to celebrate their contribution to screen comedy. They’ll also be presented with the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award 2017.

The celebration marks the 30th anniversary of the first French & Saunders BBC sketch series, and acknowledges the friends’ 35-year body of screen comedy work, together as well as separately.

Best of all – and we’re very jealous – Dawn and Jen get to keep a custommade French and Saunders version of Aardman superstar Morph.

Book tickets at www.colstonhall.org.

For more: www.slapstick.org.uk

Timber Windows of Clifton install the award-winning range of hand-made, hand painted and stained timber casement windows, sash windows and doors throughout Somerset, Bristol and Bath.

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SPOTLIGHT WET WET WET Our local igers guys are anything but fair-weather; in fact, they (especially @matthewpriceartist) know the potent photographic potential of puddle power . . .

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www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 13

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WEDDINGS

BLUE SMOKE Alex and Paul may have held their wedding reception in a field, but the style, spirit and inspiration were straight out of The Croft….

16 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Paul and I cut out and

painted some of my characters on large plywood sheets, which were then

dotted

around the site

I

f Stokes Croft ever seceded from the UK (which it would probably quite fancy doing) and wanted to appoint an artist laureate, or perhaps even a princess, Alex Lucas would be the obvious choice.

Not only is Alex responsible for some of the most appealing and colourful street art in the area – all those anthropomorphic hares, bunnies and foxes, that manage to be funny and sweet without being remotely twee – but she’s always involved in some community event or other, organising street fairs or charity fundraisers. She’s lovely!

When we heard that she and fiancé Paul Fearnside were planning a wedding we guessed it would be something special, and we were bang on the button. Turns out you don’t need a huge budget – just a little help from your friends, a sense of fun and a willingness to embrace the unexpected . . . 

WEDDINGS

So, Alex – what was the starting point for your wedding?

For the main celebration, we knew that we wanted a very casual wedding and it grew organically from that. All our friends helped on the day, and it became a celebration for everybody as well as for us. It was surreal, unexpected, emotional, hilarious and totally bemusing to our guests – we loved it!

What were your absolute priorities?

We wanted it to be in the field behind my mum’s house near Bath, and we wanted a ‘tipi’-style tent.

The other main priority was that it should be informal and fun. The ceremony was conducted by good friends, it was extremely unconventional and we knew absolutely nothing about what was going to happen.

We asked all our guests to bring a picnic and some fizz, or whatever they wanted for the lunch.

Everyone sat on hay bales and we had a flamenco guitarist playing wonderful music. Paul and I wandered from group to group while everyone fed us and gave us drinks.

We didn’t have a table plan for the dinner; guests sat wherever they wanted.

How many guests did you have?

It was hard to tell! I’m not completely sure, but we think about 200.

18 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Your dress was beautiful – please tell us about it.

I knew that I didn’t want a traditional wedding dress and that it had to have some colour. It was really important to me that I could put some of my creativity into the design. It was amazing meeting Linda (see page 22) as the dress evolved organically as we worked together. I had a beautiful piece of fabric I bought when I went to a friend’s wedding in India; Linda commented on how many hours of craftsmanship that would have been put into it and it felt so right to be able to incorporate it in my wedding dress.

Where did you have the ceremony, and where was the reception?

We got married in a small church in Worcestershire a few days before our main celebration. Paul wore his dad’s wedding suit and I wore my mum’s wedding dress.

What was the dress code?

On our invite (which was sent out as a Bonnie and Clyde-style ‘wanted’ flyer with a ransom note on the back) we asked people to dress fancy or fancy dress. We didn’t want any grey suits or traditional dress. It was about letting go and having fun.

IT WAS

SURREAL, UNEXPECTED, EMOTIONAL,

HILARIOUS AND TOTALLY BEMUSING TO OUR GUESTS

XXXXXXX XXXXX

ALEX & PAUL’S WEDDING WAS STYLED BY….

The bride www.lucas-antics.com The caterer www.biblos.co.uk The dress www.lindathomasecodesign. co.uk The entertainment www.airtimecircuscreations.com www.mankalaband.com The photos www.monsterfulphoto.com

Tell us a bit about the quirkiest aspects The rickshaw was given to us as a present on the day and it was a complete surprise; we were pushed down the ‘aisle’ by our guests in it.

The décor was put up by friends on the Friday night, and Paul’s brother set up festoon lighting and poles, which everyone decorated. We borrowed loads of bunting, made some out of old Bristol £5 notes with my design on them and Paul and I cut out and painted some of my characters on large plywood sheets, which were then dotted around the site .

We borrowed some giant flowers to decorate the centre pole of the festoons. The flowers were all uncut and provided by a social enterprise called Organic Blooms – who grow their flowers sustainably and work with local people with disabilities and support needs.

After lunch our friend Emily did a trapeze performance, we had a Samba drumming workshop and a dancing workshop. We had a huge, continuous cricket game going on alongside the Velcro fly wall, ping pong, badminton and a small games tent. Another friend has an African band called Mankala who played in the evening followed by some more friends who DJ’ed late into the night.

Did you have a gift list?

We wanted our guests to donate to Alzheimer’s Research UK and The Brain Tumour Charity; we raised over £1000.

Tell us a bit about the food and cake The cake was a joint effort that happened in the evening of the wedding. It was constructed from five different layers and icing was dribbled down

the stack of cakes by various guests – brilliant fun. Meringues and home-made ginger beer were made by friends. We wanted the food to be vegetarian (even though we aren’t veggie ourselves) and it was catered by Biblos – they are not only a brilliant local restaurant but Ariel is a good friend too. We also had various small pots of Marshfield ice-cream and loads of cheese for later on in the evening.

In what was obviously a magical day, what were your absolute highlights?

The karaoke! Our friends had made up special songs about us; they even had a flip chart with the lyrics. Paul and I knew nothing about it.

The drumming workshop was by a good friend, Robbie at Jamma de Samba, which was amazing and everyone got involved. It was a great opportunity for guests to have fun together. It seemed to create a real buzz and that continued for the rest of the day.

OK, finally – about those photos….

We were adamant that we didn’t want ‘posed’ conventional wedding pictures. We asked Monsterful Photography for a Martin Parrinspired theme to reflect the laid-back and fun nature of the day. We also thought these would be much more entertaining to look at when we are old and grey Egle [the photographer] had a couple of smoke bombs – we knew nothing about this – and two of our friends ran around us, waving them frantically in the air whilst she took photos. Suddenly, the whole of the wedding party was staring at us, and the kids were running around after the smoke bombs – it was a brilliant moment. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 19

A BLOSSOMING ROMANCE Flourish in unique splendor, where sophistication romances relaxation to create the ultimate home from home for family and friends on your wedding day. Take comfort in our warm ambiance as we help you to begin your story here at Berwick Lodge.

Call us now to start your story.

Berwick Lodge, Berwick Drive, Bristol BS10 7TD Tel: 0117 958 1590 www.berwicklodge.co.uk Carmela Producciones

Alex Lucas’s beautiful dress incorporated sari fabric brought back from a friend’s wedding in India

a gown like Alex’s Or how to get married without destroying the planet

22 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ECO WEDDINGS

Lily wears a cream cape by Linda Thomas; photography: Luis Cruz; MUA: Rebecca Rose Robinson

Rebecca wears a red dress by Linda; photo and MUA as left

E

co-conscious Bristol brides know that their wedding, like every other aspect of their lives, needs to be as responsible and sustainable as possible. And as we’ve clearly seen in the feature on Alex Lucas’s wedding (page 16), going green can result in an unforgettable, imaginative and unique day – a double whammy!

Alex’s dress, shown left, was created by Linda Thomas, who upcyled an antique corset and sari fabric into the design. Here, Linda gives us a few more pointers on how to green up our wedding day.

THE DRESS

Whatever your budget and taste, you can easily green up your dress. Two key questions for sustainability are ‘who made it?’ and ‘what is it made from?’. In short, establish that people have not been enslaved or the planet damaged during the process of the making of the material or the dress itself.

Certain fabrics are a massive problem for our planet (and the people who make them).

In the UK alone, DEFRA estimates that 1.5 million tonnes of unwanted clothing ends up in landfills each year. Synthetic and mixed fibres are the hardest to recycle, and each time they are washed, tiny particles get into the water system, and eventually the sea, and into the bodies of sea creatures.

Best material choices are upcycled fabrics (I cut up silk garments to make new gowns); new sustainable fabrics, such as organic cotton, hemp, linen, wool, peace silk and bamboo; or recycled fabrics made by breaking down waste from wool or bottles.

If you want a bespoke dress, have it made by someone you can meet in person, not a stranger on the other side of the world.

Genuine vintage gowns can be sourced, from Heartfelt Vintage, or look in one of the

specialist charity shops – St Peter’s Hospice in Westbury-on-Trym or Tenovus on Gloucester Road. You could also adapt a dress you already have. The finished article will be a dress, made ethically, that feels fabulous.

THE RINGS

It’s easy to source jewellery made from upcycled, recycled or Fairtrade metal, or even wood. Couples can commission jewellers to melt down old sentimental jewellery to make new rings; others can made their own rings at a supervised course. Ethical rings can be sourced from Julia Thompson in Somerset, or April Doubleday at Movement Boutique on Alma Vale Road.

COUPLES CAN COMMISSION JEWELLERS TO MELT DOWN OLD SENTIMENTAL JEWELLERY TO MAKE NEW RINGS THE FLOWERS

Local and organic florists and growers are blooming all over the place; try Organic Blooms or Pipley Flowers, both in Bristol.

Grow your own flowers and then arrange them yourself, or ask a florist; if you pick a perennial or a flowering shrub then you will be able to have them as a happy, yearly wedding reminder.

MAKE UP AND HAIR

It’s all about the ingredients; find make-up artists who love to use organic and natural make-up, and shops who stock it, such as biodynamic hair stylist Clair Swinscoe Studio

Couture, Better Food Company and Wild Oats.

THE VENUE

Choose biodegradable decorations, and minimise the use of plastic; think wood, metal, china, fabric and dried flowers. Limit what will enter black bin bags at the end of the day. Local venues such as Folly Farm in Pensford and The Grange at Bulleton or Matara in the Cotswolds are fully on board with this.

FOOD

There are some superb makers of organic wedding cakes in Bristol , such as Chocolate Delores Cakes. The ideal way to source the rest of the food is to ask friends and family to make dishes to share; or find a caterer of sustainable food, such as Tom’s Feast.

Avoid non-organic meat and non-sustainably caught fish. Catering creates a large amount of the waste, which can be limited by having a mixture of reusables (plates, cutlery) and recyclables. Make it easy by having separate containers for recycling from the beginning; it will save lots of time later.

THE GIFT LIST

Do you really need more stuff? How about asking for something for the garden – fruit bushes and trees, for example? Supporting a charity on the day can really feel great. Try asking all your guests to do a random act of kindness in the week before the wedding, and then write it down and put it in a box on the day. On a quiet evening you can snuggle up with your new spouse and read all the tales of the things people did with you both in mind.

Most of all, enjoy finding interesting ways to green up your wedding. Find rebellious and sneaky ways of doing it – and have fun. . .

For more: www.lindathomasecodesign.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23

WEDDINGS

The WEDDING list Whatever your wedding hopes and dreams, Bristol’s experts are poised to help you make your day everything you want it to be…

Jewellery and gifts

Artemis Mother-and-daughter Catherine and Carrie work closely with customers to create truly bespoke pieces of jewellery – including pieces that incorporate stones from older, sentimental family pieces www.artemisbristol.co.uk Bristol Blue Glass The original glass blowers love a challenge, so get in touch for special bespoke pieces! www.bristol-glass.co.uk Clifton Rocks Specialising in contemporary jewellery, bespoke engagement and wedding rings; www.cliftonrocks.co.uk Diana Porter All the gold rings are crafted in either Fairtrade or recycled gold. This spring, they’re launching a new collection, which will premier in the upcoming exhibition, RING, alongside pieces from a selection of contemporary jewellery designers. “We have put our special twist on

timeless styles; the solitaire, the eternity band and the halo ring, combining unique textures and diamonds to give these classics a contemporary feel,” they say www.dianaporter.co.uk Mallory An unrivalled selection of the most beautiful jewellery in Bath www.mallory-jewellers.com Nicholas Wylde Leading jewellery designer and goldsmith based in Bath and Bristol www.nicholaswylde.com

Bridal fashion

Abigail Westrup Nailsea-based bridalwear designer www.abigailwestrupbridal.com Clifton Brides Bridalwear boutique specialising in bespoke wedding gowns by leading designers www.cliftonbrides.co.uk Lace & Grace Bridal Unique, fresh-thinking bridal fashion based in Keynsham; www.laceandgracebridal.co.uk

Chilling at Berwick Lodge

The unmistakable style and beauty of a Diana Porter ring Below: Amulet’s feminine frocks are ideal for wedding guests and mothers-of-the-bride

The Mews Bridal Bridal gowns and wedding accessories by couture stylists www.themewsclifton.co.uk Amulet Boutique Amulet’s stylish, colourful clothing makes the perfect choice for mother-of-the-brides and wedding guests; Hemali’s range of jewellery is also ideal for bridesmaid presents www.amuletboutique.co.uk

Venues and catering Arnos Vale A unique wedding venue located among 45 acres of beautiful woodland www.arnosvale.org.uk/weddings

Backwell House Georgian mansion surrounded by rolling Somerset hills, offering a bespoke wedding service that gives you full creative control www.backwellhouse.co.uk Berwick Lodge An independent, family-run venue where all the staff love weddings, which means that nothing is too much trouble for their brides.

The beautiful grounds have views across to Wales and distinctive features offering a superb 24 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Chauffeur

Certus Cars The Mercs and the service are absolutely top of the range, while friendly owner Tim will look after you as carefully as if you were his own daughter. Highly recommended by us! www.certuscars.co.uk

Photography

Becky Male Bristol wedding photographer who loves to shoot relaxed, happy weddings for couples looking for natural, spontaneous wedding photographs www.beckymalephotography.com

Entertainment

Darren Campbell Magician Magician extraordinaire; the perfect ice-breaker www.darrencampbellmagic.co.uk

Flowers Pie the knot

backdrop for photos. The food is out of this world, too www.berwicklodge.co.uk Bristol Marriott Hotel Historic, Victorian elegance and an unrivalled city centre photo location on the steps facing College Green www.mercure.com Clifton College An uniquely beautiful and prestigious setting in the heart of Clifton www.eventsatclifton.com

venues Somerset has to offer. An 18th-century Palladian mansion house, set in 36 acres of classical landscape with a sweeping driveway, manicured lawns and an ornamental walled garden, this is the perfect luxury country house hotel for an exclusive wedding in Somerset www.stoneaston.co.uk The Clifton Club Traditional private member’s club www.thecliftonclub.co.uk

Food and catering

Pieminister Pieminister have been dishing up pies at weddings for over a decade; there are 13 awardwinning flavours to choose from, including the new gluten-free pie range, served with mash, minted mushy peas and gravy. They can handle everything from drinks to canapés, puddings and late-night snacks, too, sourcing ingredients from top local, ethical producers www.pieminister.co.uk

Lisa Elliott Floral Boutique florist in the heart of Clifton Village www.lisa-elliott.co.uk The Rose Shed Floral designs full of romance and charm www.theroseshed.co.uk

Wedding planner

The Little Wedding Helper Kirsten Butler brings her vast experience, knowledge and style to help you make your wedding day perfect www.littleweddinghelper.co.uk

A Ston-style wedding

Harbour Hotel & Spa Be among the first to tie the knot in this fabulously stylish new addition to the city www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/ bristol-harbour-hotel-spa Homewood Park Beautiful hotel in glorious Freshford, with friendly staff and beautiful grounds www.homewoodpark.co.uk The Royal Crescent Simply the grandest and most elegant hotel in Bath www.royalcrescent.co.uk Ston Easton Steeped in history, this beautiful house is one of the West Country’s most romantic estates as well as one of the most idyllic wedding www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 25

Music/theatre/film/more

CROFTERS, RIGHT?

If you’re a Stokes Crofter, you may spot yourself in the portraits above. They’re the work of illustrator Nicola Colter, who moved to Bristol from Dublin two years ago.

“One thing that struck me was that Bristolians have a really strong individual and unique sense of style. It’s representative of the creative spirit of the city and its diverse cultural influences; people wear what they feel like and express their personality through their clothes,” she says.

“I feel really inspired by the people I see on the street everyday, and I wanted to capture some of

that spirit and colour in a series I call ‘People of Bristol’.” (instagram: @peopleofbristolillo).

Most of the passers-by are from the Stokes Croft area where Nicola has her studio space.

“I sit in the window of a coffee shop and sketch people that catch my eye. I take notes on what they are wearing, and then I do a more detailed drawing later the same day. Working on this project has helped me feel more connected to this wonderful city and the people who make it special.”

For more www.nicolacolton.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 29

7 April - 7 May 2017

J U ST A F EW S U GGES TI ON S FOR YOU R MON TH

Glass Microbiology goes viral at The Box; night of the Hunter at Colston Hall; Bourne meets P&P at the Hippdrome

Exhibitions UNTIL 23 APRIL

WARRIOR TREASURES Dazzling collection of gold, silver and semi-precious gems.

At Bristol Museum & Art Gallery; bristolmuseums.org.uk UNTIL 29 APRIL

SPRING QUARTET From Carl Melegari’s oils to Lynn Golden’s acrylic florals, Sarah Brown’s pastels and Christine Feiler’s ceramics: an exhibition that celebrates diversity. cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk UNTIL 30 MARCH

BEYOND THE FATIGUED EYE An exploration of the Arnolfini as a space of creation as well as for presentation; live and performance art; arnolfini.org.uk

SQUARE EYES Some rather lovely Polaroidstyle captures from this excellent photographer; at Southville Centre; southvillecentre.org.uk UNTIL 4 SEPTEMBER

GLASS MICROBIOLOGY Luke Jerram’s extraordinary glass sculptures of eight deadly viruses; at The Box; at-bristol. org.uk 8 APRIL-18 JUNE

COMMON GROUND Andrea Luka Zimmerman explores the impact of globalisation, militarism and denied histories, mostly through film; spikeisland.org.uk THEY BOW. CURTAIN. NO APPLAUSE Giles Round’s multi-disciplinary show addresses the relationship between art, design and functionality; spikeisland.org.uk

30 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

14 APRIL-18 JUNE

THE STARS WERE ALIGNED FOR A CENTURY OF NEW BEGINNINGS Arnolfini present a major solo exhibition by Egyptian artist Basim Magdy – part of Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year programme; arnolfini.org.uk.

Plays/Shows UNTIL 6 MAY

TARTUFFE Molière’s con man is alive and well, and on the make in modern London . . . the second half of this year’s stf is classic comedy directed by Andrew Hilton; tobaccofactorytheatres. com

MATTHEW BOURNE’S THE RED SHOES Bourne meets The Archers. No, not the Brummy radio thing; this is the master choreographer’s take on the classic Powell and Pressburger movie; it’s a world première, set to a new score by Terry Davies; at The Hippodrome, atgtickets.com 10 APRIL

BLAH BLAH BLAH: ALL THE THINGS I LIED ABOUT Would the world be a better place if we were all honest? Fringe First winner Katie Bonna unpicks all her past mistakes to confront humanity’s obsession with lies; thewardrobetheatre.com 10-15 APRIL

UNTIL 8 APRIL

OFFSIDE Real, untold stories from the world of women’s football from Futures Theatre; thewardrobetheatre.com.

THE ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Satire maestros Tobacco Tea present plot twists, metafiction,

W H AT ’ S O N

twisted logic and unparalleled entertainment at Alma Tavern Theatre; almataverntheatre.co.uk 10-22 APRIL

BLOOD BROTHERS Willy Russell’s tale of twins separated at birth who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks. At the Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

ARTS

The Redgrave (don’t go to the Wardrobe); redgravetheatre.com SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Bristol-based drama school The Big Act take on Hollywood’s favourite musical after just 48 hours rehearsal. At The Hippodrome, atgtickets.com 25-29 APRIL

11-14 APRIL

POSTHUMOUS WORKS A meditation on life, death and the unknown from Danish company Out of Balanz; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

THE WINTER’S TALE Cheek by Jowl bring their trademark distinctive take to Shakespeare’s late, great play; bristololdvic.org.uk 25-27 APRIL

11-22 APRIL

LA STRADA Director Sally Cookson and gamine actress Audrey Brisson take on Fellini with a new score by Benji Bower; see feature page 34. bristololdvic.org.uk 12-15 APRIL

MADE IN DAGENHAM It’s 1968 in Essex and the famous Ford sewing machinists’ strike is in full swing. . . an uplifting musical comedy about strength, friendship and love. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com 18-22 APRIL

JANE EYRE: A MUSICAL DRAMA St Mary’s Players premiere their haunting musical take on the classic Brontë tale; redgravetheatre.com

TORTOISE V HARE Living Spit offer an epic tale of romance, redemption and rural running rivalry; tobaccofactorytheatres.com 25-30 APRIL

LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES Michael Flateley’s Irish danceflavoured extravaganza comes to the Hippodrome; atgtickets.com 26-27 APRIL

THE TENANT You wait for one Brontë musical, and two come along at once (see Jane Eyre, left) Innovative hybrids Concert Theatre’s new performance of music and theatre based on Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall comes to Kings Weston House; concerttheatre.org.uk

23 APRIL

THE GOLDILOCK, STOCK SOCIAL CLUB Harry! Barry! A one-off night of comedy, music, theatre and cabaret to raise funds to take The Wardrobe Theatre’s storming comedy Goldilock, Stock & Three Smoking Bears to Edinburgh Fringe 2017. At

Foozie’s shaken, not stirred, all through April with Bristol on the Rocks

Music UNTIL 9 APRIL

HANDEL’S MESSIAH Bristol Proms are taking a break this year, but they’re bringing back their Handel’s Messiah, which took audiences by storm on the final night of the 2013 Proms At Bristol Old Vic; bristololdvic. org.uk 8 APRIL

5-6 MAY

BEST OF BE FESTIVAL Birmingham’s genre-bending European arts festival takes to the road and shines a light on the best of the continent’s new theatre, dance and performance art. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

IDRIS ELBA Yes, you heard. Not in a thespian capacity, though; this time Idris has his DJ hat on and is coming to Motion. He’s probably sold out by now; should have followed us on Twitter, shouldn’t you? motionbristol.com

10 APRIL

RICK ASTLEY You may have also heard that 80s popmeister Rick Astley has just made his first album in over a decade; if you mistakenly thought he was just a (big soul) voice, you should also know that he played every instrument heard on this album. Check him out live at Colston Hall; colstonhall.org 12 APRIL

IL RITORNO D’ULISSE IN PATRIA English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir conducted

by Sir John Eliot Gardiner; colstonhall.org w

W H AT ’ S O N

ARTS

tour of Bristol Cathedral; a main location for the show. bristolcathedral.co.uk

16 APRIL

BLOOM PRESENTS A magical evening of music; thewardrobetheatre.com

21 APRIL

OTTOLENGHI FUNDRAISER Join Coexist Community Kitchen for a three-course sharing meal from the Ottolenghi and Nopi chefs – a fundraiser for Hamilton House. hamiltonhouse.org

26 APRIL

BILLY OCEAN The veteran multi-platinum hitster comes to Colston Hall; colstonhall.org 28 APRIL

POLICE DOG HOGAN Tim and the lads bring their unruly bluegrass (and tea towels) to The Lantern; colstonhall.org

29 APRIL-1 MAY

BRISTOL HARBOUR CIDER FESTIVAL At Bristol Cider Shop; where else? bristolcidershop.co.uk

30 APRIL

Sport

SHALAMAR Bringing funk and soul to the party people of Bristol; they’re going to make it a night to remember. At SWX Bristol; world-legacy-music.com

8 APRIL

BRISTOL CITY FC V WOLVERHAMPTON At Ashton Gate; kick-off at 3pm; bcfc.co.uk

2 MAY

THE KOOKS The self-described ‘pop’ band bring their catchy-as-hell tunes, spanning rock, Britpop, pop, reggae, ska, funk and hip-hop to Colston Hall; colstonhall.org

Comedy 7 APRIL

JIMMY CARR The face that only a mother wouldn’t want to slap returns to Colston; colstonhall.org 8 APRIL

LEE HURST It’s Lee’s ninth full-length comedy show. With impeccable logic and a faux-lack of imagination, it’s called Comedy Show No. 9. Fair dos. at Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

15 APRIL

4 MAY

KATY BRAND; I WAS A TEENAGE CHRISTIAN For seven years Katy put the ‘fun’ and the ‘mental’ into fundamentalism, but at least she knew she was going to heaven. Now she’s not so sure... colstonhall.org

Other THROUGHOUT APRIL

BRISTOL ON THE ROCKS Foozie host a variety of theme nights at top Bristol bars, from Wall Street Brunch to Nutella Nights and Sex and the Town Centre. foozie.co.uk

17 APRIL

CLOSER EACH DAY The world’s longest improvised soap opera; at The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com 28 APRIL

RORY BREMNER Britain’s best-known satirical impressionist comes to The Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com REGINALD D HUNTER The US-born stand-up still finds the UK quite amusing; at Colston Hall; colstonhall.org

BRISTOL CITY FC V QUEENS PARK RANGERS At Ashton Gate; kick-off at 7.45pm; bcfc.co.uk

Songs from the wood – the Police Dogs are at The Lantern; The Kooks shine on at Colston Hall

UNTIL 8 APRIL

BANFF Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour comes to Victoria Rooms; unleash your wild side with an evening of mindblowing journeys, high-altitude action and ocean-crossing epics. banff-uk.com UNTIL 9 APRIL

BESPOKED The UK Handmade Bicycle Show: a showcase for independent makers and designers of everything

bicycle. At Brunel’s Old Station; bespoked.cc

16 APRIL

9 APRIL

CLIFTON ROCKS RAILWAY Learn about the history of Clifton Rocks from Victorian funicular railway to wartime shelter, barrage balloon workshop and BBC transmitting station; cliftonrocksrailway.org.uk

BRISTOL RUGBY V WASPS At Ashton Gate Stadium; kick-off at 3pm; bristolrugby.co.uk 17 APRIL

BRISTOL ROVERS V OLDHAM ATHLETIC At The Memorial Stadium; kick-off at 3pm; bristolrovers.co.uk

14-17 APRIL

BRISTOL SWING FESTIVAL A weekend of swing, with some blues & party tunes into late at night. bsf.co.uk

22 APRIL

BRISTOL CITY FC V BARNSLEY At Ashton Gate; kick-off at 3pm; bcfc.co.uk

15-16 APRIL

TASTE CHOCOLATE Death by chocolate? There are worse ways to go; see page 52 and tastechocolate.co.uk

30 APRIL

BRISTOL ROVERS V MILLWALL At Memorial Stadium; kick-off at 12pm; bristolrovers.co.uk

16 APRIL

THE GYPSY KINGS No, they’re not Spanish, they’re from Montpelier (no, not ‘our’ Montpelier, the one in France); but no-one does Latin rhythms better. At the Colston hall. colstonhall.org 20 APRIL, 4 MAY

WOLF HALL TOURS The TV show brought to life in a

6 MAY

BRISTOL RUGBY V NEWCASTLE At Ashton Gate Stadium; kick-off at 4pm; bristolrugby.co.uk 7 MAY

BRISTOL CITY FC V BIRMINGHAM CITY At Ashton Gate; kick-off at 12pm; bcfc.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 33

ARTS

T H E AT R E

ON THE ROAD

Renowned director Sally Cookson’s latest show is a new production of the Fellini classic La Strada – with a star who could have been born to play the role of Gelsomina . . .

By DE R I ROBI NS

A

udrey Brisson may be French Canadian, and admittedly, she doesn’t live in Bristol (at least, not yet, we’re working on her) – but given that she’s about to appear in her third play at Bristol Old Vic in two years, it’s probably about time we presented her with the keys to the city.

Audrey owned the stage as Bella Chagall in Kneehigh’s Flying Lovers, and tugged at our heartstrings as Deya in The Grinning Man; from 11 April you can see her in the role of Gelsomina in Sally Cookson’s adaptation of Fellini’s La Strada.

La Strada – which even we know means ‘The Road’ – is a metaphor for life; a tale of love and loss, set against the backdrop of an Italy reeling from the effects of the 34 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Second World War. At the heart of the story is the innocent Gelsomina, sold to the abusive strong-man Zampano, a travelling street performer who needs her for his act.

It’s not a marriage made in heaven . . .

Fellini’s Gelsomina was tiny, waif-like, wide-eyed, almost child-like – it’s not too difficult to see where the casting is coming from here. Sally has previously directed Audrey in Romeo & Juliet; you can’t help feeling that this gamine actress wasn’t merely the first choice, but a major inspiration for the new production.

“I believe I was in Sally’s mind,” says Audrey, modestly. “We discussed the project and talked about Gelsomina, and how Sally saw me in the role. I was very intrigued. Working with Sally is such a joy; it was really exciting to be talking about a new project, especially one that is so interesting.”

La Strada was a picaresque road movie;

T H E AT R E

the new production, obviously, is set on a stage. Audrey agrees that this led to a few challenges.

“Fellini’s landscapes are so beautiful, and that’s quite hard to recreate on stage. In a film, you can spend time simply showing images of the sea and let the viewer feel the emotion that it represents; on stage you need to be a little bit more active and imaginative to express similar emotions.

“Also, Zampano and Gelsomina don’t speak to each other very much in the film, Zampano mostly grunts; so we had to find a way of showing their relationship with a bit more language. The film portrays the journey of the two characters – there is a lot of travelling, beautiful scenic images.

“Obviously, there comes a point where being in a static car on stage gets tiresome.

LA STRADA IS A

ARTS

The challenge was to represent this journey while making it interesting and active for the audience.”

Perhaps surprisingly, for a movie that the American Film Institute once called ‘one of the most influential films ever made’, many people today seem to be unfamiliar with La Strada.

“It’s very interesting how the name Fellini rings a bell in everyone’s mind, to a point where you wonder for a moment if you have indeed seen the film,” says Audrey. “That’s what happened to me when I had that first conversation with Sally.

When I sat down and watched it I realised at once that I hadn’t seen it, yet the story really resonated. Perhaps because it touched certain aspects of my own nomadic life. . . ?

“It was really important for me to stay away from the temptation to simply replicate what Giulietta Masina did in the same role. She was such an icon at the time; I wanted to find my own version of Gelsomina. Sally was extremely helpful, letting me play around in the rehearsal room; even when, in the last week or so, I had this great idea that meant revisiting

METAPHOR FOR LIFE: A TALE OF LOVE AND LOSS, SET AGAINST A COUNTRY REELING FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

the entire journey of the character.

“Sally trusted me, which allowed me the freedom to play until I found who Gelsomina was for me. I wanted to portray her innocence without falling in the traps of childhood and or mental disorder. It was very tricky.

Both Sally and Audrey are fans of a collaborative approach to theatre-making.

“In the early days of rehearsals we didn’t even have a script. We had a series of very long conversations for each scene, followed by improvisation sessions, after which writer Mike Akers would come back with a more organised version.

“I find it to be the best way to work. You feel so alive in the room, knowing that you are part of the creation of the piece, that your voice is heard. It makes you really proud of the show. It also means the show is very much devised based on the particular talents of whoever is in the room; it’s not one-size-fits-all, it’s based on what we can bring to the table.”

Finally, spoiler alert: it’s not the happiest of stories . . .

“It isn’t the lightest show, that’s for sure. How can it be, when it touches such topics as abusive relationships? But there is also humour, and plenty of exciting moments, so it won’t be too sad an evening, I promise.” We’ve seen the movie, Audrey; we’re packing the Kleenex. BL La Strada plays Bristol Old Vic 11-22 April For more www.bristololdvic.org.uk/lastrada.html

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 35

MUSIC

ARTS

IT’S THE SIDE OF MONTEVERDI THAT

GARDINER’S QUESTION TIME

HUMAN INTERESTS ME, HIS FALLIBILITY AS WELL AS HIS

STRENGTHS

This month, Bristol hosts the UK première of Monteverdi 450, a landmark presentation of the composer’s three surviving operas.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner is the distinguished chap with the baton . . .

S

ir John Eliot Gardiner first tackled Monteverdi as a Cambridge undergraduate, conducting Vespro della Beata Vergine; it led to the foundation of the Monteverdi Choir, with which Sir John made his London conducting début, at the Wigmore Hall, no less. He’s currently taking his Monteverdi 450 series on an international tour that includes a visit to the Colston Hall.

“I feel very lucky and privileged that a composer who has been an inspiration for me, for all my life has also been a kind of lodestar, pulling me into other areas of music making,” he told us.

“Monteverdi is the forerunner of modern music; he is the one who dragged Medieval and Renaissance music into the 17th century, and brought music in line with equivalent progress Welcome home, baby: Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria L’incoronazione di Poppea and L’Orfeo

in literature, painting and science. What’s so radical about Monteverdi is the humanising process he gets involved in. He’s fascinated by the whole gamut of human emotions – from pity to tenderness, anger, fury, love, everything.

And he does it in a way that makes the emotion very raw, very central, very poignant – it was the first time that any composer has done that in music, and that’s why I’m enchanted by it.

“He’s also the first composer in the history of music that we really know quite a lot about as a man, because he wrote so many letters. They reveal someone who was very proud, very conscientious and quite temperamental. He doesn’t take kindly to being patronised, being overworked or being paid late! He’s also a very protective husband and father. He becomes a priest later on in life – but it’s the human side of Monteverdi that interests me, his fallibility as well as his strengths.”

Despite the fact that he’s been conducting Monteverdi for over half a century, Sir John

admits to a certain trepidation in tackling Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria.

“I’ve wanted to conduct it since I was 18. It’s all about the Trojan war, and Ulysses returning and trying to win back Penelope, who resists him because she’s not sure it’s really him. He wins in the end but he has to go through so many hoops; it’s very touching.

The tour will visit Venice, Lucerne, Berlin, Paris – so why has Sir John chosen Bristol for the UK première of the piece?

“Because I think Bristol has a fantastic culture, and great potential for musical culture. I really admire very much what [chief executive] Louise Mitchell is doing at the Colston Hall; I think her application for lottery funding was brilliantly done, and I think the plans for a completely revamped Colston Hall are brilliant, and I am just sorry it’s not in time for our celebration this year.

“Also, I have a personal connection with the city, because my family came from Bristol two generations ago. My great-grandfather was Henry John Gardiner, a Bristol draper who moved to London. I live within 40 minutes of Bristol, to the east in North Dorset, and I feel a very strong connection to the city.”

Finally, Sir John – if there’s just one thing that the audience takes from these performances, what would you like it to be?

“A sense of discovery; the sense of having an inspirational new composer in their lives who they may never have previously assimilated, and thinking, ‘My god, this is extraordinarily moving, extraordinarily entertaining, extraordinarily uplifting music’.”

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, L’incoronazione di Poppea and L’Orfeo, part of the Monteverdi 450 series during April and May at Colston Hall; www.colstonhall.org

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 37

Fashion/gifts/stores/more

REAL STEEL

No, this isn’t about bikes. It’s not about flirty little yellow dresses. It’s not even about street art; it’s about that steel Urban Bottle the model is dangling with such insouciance. And yes, you’re right; we have featured one of these bottles before, and no, we’re not going to apologise for this, because we genuinely think that every home should have one, or several.

Here’s for why: every time you refill your Urban Bottle, you avoid dispersing 0.08kg of CO2 into the environment. That’s how much CO2 gas it takes to produce a small 0.5l plastic bottle. We swear it makes the water taste better, too, but that could just be the feelgood factor of knowing you’re saving the planet. And you don’t just have to fill it with boring old water – it’s even good for carbonated drinks. Or indeed, spumante or frizzante – you can see where we’re going with this . . .

The Urban Bottle comes in a wide range of colours and costs £16.50 at Amulet Boutique on Cotham Hill; www.amuletboutique.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 39

1

2

EASTER CHIC

WHADDYA MEAN, YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF THE EASTER DIPLODOCUS?

3

5

4

1. SHELL SHOCK

2. HARE SHIRT

3. THE OWL SERVICE

4. D’YOU THINK HE SAURUS?

5. DESSERT FLOWER

You Crack Me Up egg, £27 A very, very thick chocolate shell houses bunnies, egglets and smiley faces: the most indulgent family Easter egg we’ve seen From Hotel Chocolat Cabot Circus, Bristol www.hotelchocolat.com

Chocolate bunny, £7.95 Adorable little rabbit in a jumper, in either milk, dark or white chocolate – each individual bunny is hand-painted, so no two are alike.

From Carluccio’s Quaker’s Friars, Bristol www.carluccios.com

Ceramic egg cup, £16.99-£20.99 And not just owls either – some sneaky looking cats, colourful fish, puffins, peacocks and flamingos – you’ll want to buy the whole menagerie. By local maker Hannah Turner From www.hannahturner. co.uk

Diplodocus egg cup, £8.95 An equally friendly white Triceratops and orange T Rex complete your Jurassic breakfast park From Graham & Green 92 Walcot Street, Bath www.grahamandgreen. co.uk

Trio of cactus eggs, £10 Each with a tiny golden egg hidden inside.

Look out, too, for Zara’s amazing Javanese, Madagascan and caramel marbled eggs, £13 From Zara’s Chocolates 228 North Street, Bristol www.zaraschocolates. co.uk

40 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ED’S CHOICE

6

SHOPPING

8

7

10

9

6. HEN DO

7. ULTRASOX

8.BEAR NECESSITY

9. I, ROBOT

10. NEST FOR LIFE

Storage jar, £25 Party on your kitchen shelves, with this sunshiney storage jar in Orla Kiely’s unmistakeable retro style. Matching egg cups available, too From Pod Company 24 The Mall, Clifton www.thepodcompany. co.uk

Lambswool socks, £22.99 Bunnies are for life, not just for Easter – we can remember August days when we’d have needed these. By Catherine Tough (school of hard socks?)

From Amulet Boutique 39A Cotham Hill www.amuletboutique.co.uk

Bear egg cup, £5 Very cute, while still being minimal enough for those homes in which ‘cute’ is a four-letter word; supertough plastic, so ideal for kids (and a few clumsy adults we could name) From Mon Pote 177 North Street, Bristol www.monpote.co.uk

Milk chocolate studded egg, £10.95 43% Venezuelan milk chocolate egg, decorated with edible silver shimmer, with two edible golden robots inside. Nothing not to love here, then.

From Papadeli 84 Alma Road, Bristol www.papadeli.co.uk

Donna Wilston ‘Nest’ plate, £24 No-one’s getting near this egg if this mother bird can help it. Charming bone china plate, destined to become a family favourite From Soma Gallery 4 Boyce’s Avenue www.soma.gallery

www.mediaclash.co.uk II CLIFTON BRISTOL LIFE LIFE II 41 www.mediaclash.co.uk 69

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FOOD & DRINK W H AT ’ S M A K I N G T H E G O U R M E T N E W S I N B R I S T O L

TAKE FIVE F

For this issue’s five-minute chat with influential local foodies, we meet up with Flora and Robin Slater of The Pickled Brisket – soon to be selling its salty beefy goodness from Cargo 2

lora and Robin are the husband-andwife team behind The Pickled Brisket – street-food heroes who are about to open permanent premises in the new Cargo 2 at Wapping Wharf. Robin’s the chief carver and salt beef expert while Flora handles the marketing and the dayto-day business.

How did Pickled Brisket begin?

Robin: Salt beef was a major part of my life growing up in North London. My greataunt Gert used to brine the family’s salt beef under the bed in the spare bedroom.

I wanted to give the South West the kind of

sandwiches I grew up with in London; so Pickled Brisket was dreamt up and brought to life around our kitchen table in the spring of 2015.

Flora: Then Robin set about trying to find the right suppliers for the beef and bread to meet his exacting standards. Luckily, Bristol and the South West have some amazing independent producers, and West Country beef is the best you can get.

And clearly it took off . . .

Robin: We decided that the best way to find out if Bristol had an appetite for salt beef was to set up a street-food stall.

The low set-up costs and the flexibility to change menus quickly meant we could adapt to customers’ feedback.

Flora: We have regulars at Temple Quay Market who come back week after week.

One of our busiest events last year was Upfest – two days of fast, furious salt beef slinging next to international graffiti artists in the Tobacco Factory courtyard.

Where’s the beef sourced?

Robin: All our beef comes from 100% native breeds farmed on the Somerset Levels. We use a local family butcher who sources the meat from two farms, so we know the cows have not been stressed by lengthy journeys.

We hear there’s a veggie version…

Flora: It’s made with sauerkraut, pickled

46 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

red cabbage, a generous squirt of our house Russian dressing (also used on our famous Reuben), blow-torched West Country cheddar and gherkins.

When will you open in Cargo 2?

Flora: We’ve planned the fit-out for April as we’re working towards opening in May. We’re particularly excited that the artist Frea Buckler is going to be creating a mural on one of the walls of the container.

What’ll be on the menu?

Robin: We will continue selling our usual sandwiches at street food prices, including the Classic, the Bull Horn and the Reuben.

We will still offer a £5 salt beef sandwich at Cargo 2. We want to be accessible and it’s important to us that our customers keep coming back for their salt beef fix.

We’ll include new sandwiches that went down well at our pub pop-ups at the Hillgrove, The Three Tuns and the Oxford in Totterdown, such as The Southerner, which comes with house slaw and blowtorched Monterey Jack. Our breadless boxes are well received on the stall, so we’ll continue with these and expand the range of breadless dishes on offer. We are also currently in the process of looking at local craft beers to stock to accompany our food. www.wappingwharf.co.uk/coming-soon-pickledbrisket-1

FOOD & DRINK

TASTY BITES Idris in the news section, now this!

CASAMIGOS Yes, that’s George Clooney, and no, it has nothing to do with Casamia.

George and his pal Rande Gerber, above, are big Tequila fans, and the guys decided to distil their own version. It wasn’t originally intended to be a commercial enterprise, just a fun thing to share with friends, but somehow Casamigos Tequila was born, and the magic Clooney touch kicked in; the business has flourished. It’s coming to Bristol soon, following a launch event at The Ivy last month. Casamigos Tequila is created from 100% pure Blue Weber Agave; Oprah Winfrey has described it as the ‘smoothest and best in the world’.

At least, we think she was talking about the drink . . . www.casamigostequila.com

START THE BUS You may remember our review of The Sushi Bus last summer. You probably thought, ‘Dang! Wish we’d known about this earlier’ – so get out your diaries: the next Sushi Bus leaves on 6 May, the 6 O’Clock Gin Bus on 3 June and the BubbleDecker Prosecco Bus on 3 July. www.foozie.co.uk

BUT BEFORE THAT EVEN HAPPENS . . .

April is cocktail month in Foozie land with themed ‘Bristol on the Rocks’ events happening across the city. We’re talking The Wolf of Wall Street brunch, Milk Thistle (8 April); The Nutella Nightcap, The Parlour (12 April) and our fave, the Club Tropicana Boat Party on the Wham! boat; pick-up location yet to be decided. So let strangers take you by the hand and welcome you to wonderland, etc. www.foozie.co.uk

CARGO II The eagle has landed! The containers will soon be open for business, and here’s the latest foodie line-up (we’ve visited whole towns with a less impressive indie offering). Joining the following will be ‘the fancier, younger and sexier cousin of Brace & Browns,’ too, but we don’t actually know the name of that one yet. OK, get ready to get stuck into: • Gopal’s Curry Shack – veggie/vegan Indian street food • Spuntino – Italian-influenced small plates • Gambas – prawns, seafood and authentic Andalucian tapas • Salt & Malt – gluten free fish and chips • The Athenian – traditional Greek souvlaki.

• CUPP – authentic Taiwanese bubble tea and noodles.

• The Pickled Brisket – salt beef bar • Oliver’s Ice Cream – artisan gelato and sorbets • TARE – 20-cover restaurant with a seasonal menu • Big Juice – fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies • The Bristol Cheesemonger – speciality West Country cheeses • Story @Cargo – butchery and take-away www.wappingwharf.co.uk/cargo

ALWAYS WANTED TO DINE AT OTTOLENGHI’S . . . . . . but couldn’t be faffed to get up to that London? Good news: the crew from Ottolenghi’s and Nopi are holding a pop-up at Hamilton House on 21 April. They describe the three-course sharing meal as being “full of harmonious contradictions: vibrant and bold yet familiar and comforting; noisy yet peaceful, lip-smacking yet warm, simple yet daring”.

The aim is to raise funds for CoExist Community Kitchen.“There’s nothing like a table full of food to bring people together,” says Yottam Ottolenghi; “I’m really happy to support the work of Coexist, which celebrates just this.” www.hamiltonhouse.org

TRUE BREW The Old Butcher’s, the new collaboration from The Old Bookshop and Wiper & True, has opened on North Street. The beer bar will serve from six Wiper & True draft lines fresh from the brewery alongside limited-edition releases; a kitchen at The Old Butcher’s will be opening soon, too. www.theoldbookshop.co.uk www.wiperandtrue.com

COURAGE, MES AMIS . . .

A new weekly street food market is due to open in the heart of Bristol next month. Finzels Reach Market will set up its stalls at the new city quarter being created on the site of the former Courage Brewery next to Bristol Bridge with locally produced food from some of the South West’s most exciting streetfood traders.

Lunchtime eats include Cantonese dumplings, gourmet pies, Thai curry, wood-fired pizza, brownies and falafel wraps; to prevent jaundiced palates there will be guest stalls every week, keeping things fresh and seasonal.

The new market will be located in Old Temple Street, a pedestrian-only road which is accessed from Counterslip or Bath Street, and connects to Temple Cross – the square at the heart of Finzels Reach. It’s due to launch on Friday 5 May from 12pm – 2pm, with some live music to make it into a proper paaaaarty...

Twitter @FinzelsReachMkt

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48 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

R E S TA U R A N T

FOOD

The Mint Room Bristol’s well-served for Indian restaurants, but for fine, refined dining there’s really only one place to go, and you’ll find it on the corner of York Place and Clifton Road

By M A L ROGE R S ust in case you need somebody new to look up to, I can point you in the direction of a true hero — scientist Rodrigo Medellin, whose life’s work is to protect an endangered species of bat that pollinates the Tequila-producing agave plant. I only mention this because at The Mint Room they serve a perfect margarita, and myself and the editor of this magazine raised a few glasses to Prof Medellin when we visited last week.

OK, so a Tequila-based cocktail may not be the most conventional accompaniment to fine Indian dining, and the skilled waiters would probably have preferred it if we’d gone for the wine pairing, but we were having such a lovely time that we hope they’ll forgive us. And at least it wasn’t Kingfisher lager, The main thing you need to know about The Mint Room is that it serves the most sophisticated Indian food in Bristol. The menu has been overseen by Michelin-starred chef Hrishikesh Desai, winner of several culinary accolades.

Mr Desai is renowned for riffing magnificently on the flavours of the Indian Subcontinent, from Kerala in the south to Kashmir in the very shadow of the Himalayas.

The Desai design is superbly carried on in-house by The Mint Room’s head chef Saravanan Nambirajan, who previously worked at London’s renowned Tamarind. His cuisine displays a graceful balance of spices, herbs and fresh ingredients; there are no raucously spicy dishes, no curries that require several pints of lager to wash them down.

We opted for the tasting menu, and started off with an amuse bouche in the form of a dahi puri. If you’ve ever tasted a bel puri, this is much the same, but more exciting, as it comes in a little crispy puff that you crack like an egg.

If a bel puri means nothing to you (and you should sort that ASAP) then it’s along the lines of chick peas, tamarind and yoghurt. A great dish, and, funnily enough, one that goes absolutely beautifully with another margarita. We then moved on to a tomato shorba – batata wada. This is

MAYBE IF DEVON BASKED IN TEMPERATURES IN THE HIGH 30s THEY’D HAVE COME UP WITH

SOMETHING A BIT MORE INTERESTING

THAN CREAM TEAS

a tomato soup, a ubiquitous standby throughout the Subcontinent, according to the Mint Room manager, Murthy Ganta; it came with a little dumpling-like potato fritter thing in the middle. The soup was flavoured delicately with cumin, curry leaf, black mustard seeds and turmeric, and laced prettily with coconut foam.

Murthy comes from Hyderabad; like any good journalist, I turned to the web to check the spelling of the city, and in passing noticed that the temperature there is currently 36°C, or almost 100F. You’d wonder about the relation between temperature and what dishes result from such an environmental circumstance. Maybe if, say, Devon regularly basked in temperatures in the high 30s they’d have come up with something a little more interesting than cream teas.

A fish plate up next shared honours between a pile of shredded monkfish and a cured fillet of Cornish lemon sole with malt vinegar dipped in a spicy batter, served with a fresh slaw of carrots, cucumber and sweetcorn, lemon and coriander dressing.

A sharp lemon sorbet now, to cleanse the palate, followed by a double-meat feast: a fan of tender tandoori chicken with a dryish, chunky sauce of fresh ginger, green chilli and cream, and a juicier dish of slow-cooked lamb marinated in mint, coriander and yoghurt, served in a rogan josh. This Kashmiri sauce can sometimes be a bit of a bulldozer of a dish; but here the balance of yoghurt, garlic, ginger and aromatic spices made it irresistible.

Side dishes continued to weigh our table down, including tarka dal, cumin saffron rice and garlic naan bread — all exquisitely prepared and served.

Pudding was a bit of a push, but we were gently persuaded to try the glazed pineapple with delicate roseflavoured ice-cream.

The Mint Room is a waymark on an extraordinary gastronomic journey. Bangladeshis were the first group en-masse to identify an opening in Britain’s bland culinary landscape way back in the 1970s. In India, of course, a thriving street-food culture long existed, in tandem with an ancient family cuisine.

Over the last decade or so these elements have been combined and extemporised on by the likes of chefs Desai and Saravanan, producing a cuisine that is extraordinary, exciting, and wholly welcome. The Mint Room is the perfect place to sample this, one of the world’s great culinary traditions; they’re currently chasing a Michelin star, and we really hope they catch one.

DINING DETAILS The Mint Room,12-16 Clifton Road, BS8 1AF; 0117 329 1300 Opening hours Seven days a week, lunch noon-2pm; evenings 5.30-11pm We visited Wednesday evening Atmosphere understated, tranquil Service friendly, efficient Prices starters £7-10, mains £11-17, desserts £6.50, tasting menu £35 Wines a good range of aromatic whites and full bodied reds that know how to behave with spiced foods, from £20-£100 Disabled access fully accessible Vegetarian choice wide (India, after all, virtually invented the vegetarian diet)

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RECIPE

FOOD

NEW MOON TAPAS The ebullient Chef Takvor Terlemezian puts his own distinctive spin on an Easter lamb recipe

Lamb cutlets with red wine, honey and lavender glaze (Serves 4) Ingredients: The lamb 200 ml dry red wine 50 ml olive oil 1/2 tsp dried lavender 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tsp red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black or green pepper 12 x 1-1.5 cm thick loin lamb chops (about 1.2 kg total), fat well trimmed 2 tbsp honey The spinach 300 g baby spinach and/or asparagus tips 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dry mint 50 g butter 50 ml white wine 1/2 tsp ground white pepper Salt to taste Method: 1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season lamb chops with salt and pepper 2. Add the oil to the skillet. Add chops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Turn chops over and cook 3 minutes.

4. Pour off all but 2 tsp of fat from skillet. Add the garlic and lavender.

Cook until they become transparent and tender.

5. Add the vinegar, wine and honey, stirring up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

6. Simmer over high heat until syrupy for about 3 minutes.

7. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spring onions and garlic and stir until golden, for about 30 seconds.

8. Add wine, mint and greens in batches and toss until just wilted, for 2 to 4 minutes.

9. Assemble as shown and season with salt and pepper.

For more: www.newmoontapas.co.uk

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FOOD

F E S T I VA L

SWEET like CHOCOLATE Hold the diet. Let out the waistband. There’s only one place for chocolate fans to be over the Easter weekend, and that’s the Sansovino Hall at The Harbour Hotel. Here’s for why…

R

emember last year’s Taste Chocolate Fest? Tasted great, didn’t it – but it was a bit, well, wet. That’s what you get for planning an outdoor festival on Harbourside in April (and yes, thanks, we do realise that we’re planning to hold our first Bristol Life Awards under canvas on that very spot in that very month).

Anyway, this year everyone’s going to stay fabulously dry as it’s all under cover – and not any old cover, but in the splendid surroundings of the new Harbour Hotel. We’re starting to wonder how we managed without it.

We’ve nibbled our way through the list of exhibitors and picked out the ones you definitely don’t want to miss; we even sampled one event for you. We’re pretty great like that.

AHH TOOTS Ahh, yes. Forget your five a day, you’ll want five of these a day. Situated in St Nick’s market, Ahh Toots is one of Bristol’s favourite cake shops.

Head to the festival for some super-special cakes or pop into St Nicks for your dose; you’ll want a slice of everything.

ZARA’S CHOCOLATES Since opening her shop in Southville in 2013, Zara’s won numerous Bristol Good Food Awards and been visited by royalty: both in the form of the blue-blood version (Camilla, Mrs Wales) and broadcasting royalty: Sir Terry Wogan called in to seek her help to make a chocolate replica of the ss Great Britain.

THE CHOCOLATIER East meets West: Aneesh Popa, aka The Chocolatier, combines flavours that match on a chemical level, so no matter how ‘out there’ they sound – eg, rose and cinnamon, or chilli and lime truffle – your brain won’t have any option but to tell you that it works. Supplier to royalty and Michelin-starred restaurants, dontcha know.

SOLKIKI Taking their seeds from Peru, Belize and Bolivia, Solkiki are one of the few bean-to-bar makers in the whole of Europe. Gold-dusted, single estate Panamanian bunnies sit alongside new creations that will be exclusively unveiled at the festival.

FIFTH DIMENSION This self-taught multi-award winning duo specialise in luxury handmade chocolates using quality fine-flavour single-origin cacao. Inspired by their travels and culinary experiences, Russell and Albert use a combination of classic and unusual flavours with premium fine flavours to create a sensory adventure.

INCREDIBLE BREWING COMPANY Everyone’s a winner with this one: Incredible Brewing Company are collaborating with another chocolatier, this time Zara’s Chocolates, to create an oh-so-delicious chocolate ale.

HENNY AND JOE’S If you fancy tasting one of the best hot drinks in the South West that is also guilt-free because it’s made from 100% natural ingredients, then Henny and Joe’s Hot Chai is what you’re looking for; try the masala chai.

MCWHIRRS

BRAMLEY AND GAGE.

Bristol-based McWhirrs are all about beanto-bar chocolate with no added sugar and all-natural sweetness. McWhirrs uses sugary alternatives that not only taste heavenly, but also have a minimal impact on blood sugar whether you’re diabetic or just monitoring your sugar.

It’s not just about the chocolate at this festival and you don’t have to wait until 6 o’clock for gin.

More than 20 years since the first bottle of B&G liqueur was made, this small family-run business is still making high-quality, great tasting spirits, gins and liqueurs and experimenting with lots of delicious flavours, much to our delight.

RUBIS WINE Rubis are expert wine makers who skillfully blend fortified tempranillo wine and premium chocolate flavour to make a delicious afterdinner treat or a bottle to be cracked open for any special occasion.

52 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

The Taste Chocolate Festival will be held in the Sansovino Hall, Harbour Hotel 15-16 April, with over 30 exhibitors, chocolate demonstrations, a Prosecco bar and a history of chocolate exhibition www.tastechocolate.co.uk

WE SAMPLED . . .

Origin, by Understory Who are these guys?

James is an artist, poet, maker and cook. Annie is doing a Phd at Bristol Uni on the psychology of eating What do they want?

To help you to engage in chocolate and its origins through a multi-sensory experience that combines fine chocolate, storytelling, psychology and experience design.

Yeah, but what actually happens?

During our session we were taken via headphones on a mindfulness trip to a beach at sunset; explored our future and ambitions through tarot and experimental chocolate, and revisited our childhood through scents. We also watched a Choculamentary film about the rare Peruvian Marañón cacao beans used to make their chocolate.

Where is it?

In the underground vaults of the Bristol Harbour Hotel’s new spa.

Where’s the chocolate made, and what’s it like?

In the guys’ laboratory in Bristol; it has a silky-smooth texture and even the 60% dark version tastes indulgent and non-bitter. We liked the salted version best, but then we’d probably like salt on a blancmange.

How much does it cost? £18, which includes the £4 admission fee to the festival

For more: www.understory.co.uk

F E S T I VA L

FOOD

Clockwise from top left: Ahh Toots; Fifth Dimension; The Little Cocoa Company; The Chocolatier; Adam’s Raw Chocolate

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s Wedd7i5n.g00 from £ RSON E PER P

Are you organising a small intimate wedding or a large family affair?

Homewood Park Hotel & Spa is the ideal venue. Set in ten acres of wonderful gardens and parklands, we have the perfect setting for your special day.

Delicious Five Course Tasting Lunch £26.00 per person (does not include beverages)

Contact our wedding planner on 01225 723731 or email weddings@homewoodpark.co.uk to arrange a personal viewing.

Full Afternoon Tea - £22.50pp

Including a selection of finger sandwiches, scones and clotted cream

To book, please telephone 01761 241631 or email reception@stoneaston.co.uk www.stoneaston.co.uk Ston Easton, Nr Bath, Somerset BA3 4DF. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Tie the knot at Backwell House Just outside Bristol is the city’s little-known gem: Backwell House, a thrillingly luxurious nineteenth century country house complete with nooks, crannies and curiosities galore.

Surrounded by rolling Somerset hills, Backwell House is a truly idyllic location for a wedding. The 9-bedroom house sleeps 18 and can accommodate up to 60 people for wedding celebrations, although with tipis or a marquee, you can have up to 200 guests.

Our bespoke wedding planning service gives you complete creative control over your wedding day with none of the stress. We’ll take care of all the logistics, from catering to tipis, so you can sit back and enjoy all the excitement of the run-up.

For enquiries, please contact weddings@backwellhouse.co.uk Backwell House, Farleigh Road, Backwell, BS48 3QA | 0117 325 1110 | www.backwellhouse.co.uk.

HOTELS

SIX BEST of the

Bristol is currently undergoing something of a hotel renaissance. The elegant Harbour Hotel has recently opened in Old City; the five-star Guildhall is under development; there’s been a major refurb of the Grand; Clifton’s about to get a Malmaison, and we’re promised an Artists’ Residence next year. In the meantime, here are the very best places to lay your head/dine/be pampered in the local area HOMEWOOD PARK

BACKWELL HOUSE

An eclectic mix of the old and the upcycled, with a unique style of its own.

What’s on offer?

Nine bedrooms; The Cider Barrel bar; a cinema room; large grounds and gardens with lots of walks on the doorstep. A new Ski Lodge bar is also planned for the basement.

Tell us about the food offering New head chef Josh Hutson refreshes his menu on a regular basis, in line with whatever delights his suppliers come up with.

This rural country-house hotel offers the perfect historic/contemporary mix, balancing a luxurious offering with a genuinely friendly welcome.

What’s on offer?

21 bedrooms. Rural peace and quiet; a two-rosette restaurant; a luxury spa with a hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and heated outside pool.

Tell us about the food offering Head chef Scott Galloway puts a distinctive twist on modern British dining. www.homewoodpark.co.uk

BRISTOL HARBOUR HOTEL

In the heart of Old City, this new hotel fused a pair of immensely grand former banks – based by the original archiect on Sansovino’s 16th-century Venetian library.

What facilities are on offer?

42 bedrooms. The Jetty restaurant; The Gold Bar; the Spa; conference rooms.

Tell us about the Jetty Restaurant A vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere, with an ace menu overseen by manager Chris Wragg and chef patron Alex Aitken. www.bristol-harbour-hotel.co.uk

www.backwellhouse.co.uk

STON EASTON

BERWICK LODGE

Berwick’s style is sophisticated yet relaxed, with a tranquil setting and a unique Turkish/English décor.

What facilities are there for guests?

14 bedrooms; in-room treatments; beautiful gardens with eclectic, eccentric statues and gazebos.

Tell us about the food offering Head chef and Roux scholar Paul O’Neill heads up the kitchen team at Hattusa, serving modern British cuisine with an occasional Asian twist – Paul’s signature style of menu creation. www.berwicklodge.co.uk

An 18th-century country pile in 36 acres of parkland; if it makes you think of Gosford Park that’s because some of the scenes were filmed here. There’s a lively calendar of events; it’s dog friendly, with a resident pooch; you’ll feel like you’re staying with affluent (but unpretentious) friends in the country.

What facilities are on offer?

20 bedrooms, plus the idyllic Gardener’s Cottage; afternoon teas; leisurely strolls through the private estate; themed events.

Tell us about the food offering The award-winning Sorrel Restaurant is regarded as one of Somerset’s finest, and offers fine dining with seasonal dishes sourced primarily from the kitchen garden. www.stoneaston.co.uk

LUCKNAM PARK

Heritage and luxury combine to create a grand-but-relaxed home-from-home.

What facilities are there for guests?

42 bedrooms; two restaurants; 500 acres of parkland (and horses to ride them in); a beautiful modern spa; cookery school.

Tell us about the food offering Executive chef Hywel Jones has held a Michelin star at the restaurant since 2006 and his team have since won many accolades; choose between fine dining in the main hotel or a more informal menu in the brasserie. www.lucknampark.co.uk

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XXXXXXX XXXXX

HIGHER PERCHES ‘Crane 29’ is going to be the most intriguing address on Harbourside this summer. We’re getting cabin fever just thinking about it . . .

By DE R I ROBI NS

58 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

GLAMPING

WE’RE AIMING FOR A REAL ‘NATURAL HIGH’ – A POCKET OF NATURE IN THE CITY, SOMETHING COMPLETELY

UNEXPECTED

F

rom mid-May a temporary treehouse will be built around one of the M Shed cranes – and you’ll have the chance to stay in it overnight.

It’s brought to you courtesy of Canopy & Stars, the glamping arm of Sawday’s; these guys, as you may be aware, already have around 500 cabins, treehouses, yurts and more on their books, each designed to offer a chance to connect with nature.

We’re well acquainted with the Canopy & Stars shtick; cosy wood-burning stoves, hand-delivered hampers, tree-top bathtubs etc – but a cabin halfway up a crane? How’s that going to work?

And (maybe we’re like Prince’s mother; she’s never satisfied) what can we look forward to next?

We had all the questions; luckily, Canopy & Stars MD Tom Dixon had all the answers.

How long has Crane 29 been planned?

We’ve wanted to do something in Bristol for a while because it’s our home. The idea of using Crane 29 came to me at the end of a long meeting. Our offices look over the harbourside, and I was staring out of the window and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if people could actually stay in one of the cranes . . .’ w

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 59

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is the most effective therapy for achieving change. The brain is by far the most complex system yet known to science - it has trillions more electrochemical configurations possible than there are (estimated) atoms in the known universe (J. Ratey). It’s our INNER SPACE and everyone’s is different - I have learned about navigating inner space and discovered that hypnotherapy / trance is by far the most effective way to access those inner resources which all of us possess to restore balance and change the way we think, react, feel and behave.

SOME OF THE ISSUES DEALT WITH: ADDICTIONS: DRINKING, DRUGS, GAMBLING, FOOD - DEBT, DEPRESSION, INSOMNIA, ANXIETY, EXAM NERVES, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT, IBS, OCD, FEARS, PHOBIAS, PAIN MANAGEMENT BEREAVEMENT, SERIOUS & TERMINAL ILLNESS, PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT (sport, music, public speaking etc) LOW SELF ESTEEM, CONFIDENCE BUILDING, BEREAVEMENT

GLAMPING

inside. Think: tonnes of plants, wood and other natural materials.

We read it’s a low-impact build – what are the main eco features?

As a company that prides itself on providing eco holidays in green spaces, it’s important to us that the treehouse is 100% carbon neutral, sustainably produced FSC timber will be used throughout and recycled at the end of the project. The build will be supported by brilliant solutions from B&Q including sustainable building materials, and ecofriendly insulation.

The future of a city’s green roofs and spaces being used to sustainably grow food is something we’re really interested in. So we’re starting by creating a green roof on Canopy & Stars at Crane 29, with pollinating plants, attracting bees, birds and wildlife.

Be the envy of every single passer by for a whole day and a night

BRISTOL IS A HUB OF

INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY WITH GREEN PRINCIPLES AT ITS HEART

HOW TO STAY AT CRANE 29 Bookings are being taken via a ballot process. You can register at www.canopyandstars.co.uk/ crane29. It’s been really popular so far with 2500 registrations but it’s totally drawn at random so if you’re keen to stay, get your name down now! Ballot draws will take place on 10 April (for May / June and July dates) and on 3 July (for August and September dates)

As you do. So, how difficult was it to get permission to build it?

It’s been three years in the planning; we finally got permission at the end of 2016. We’re really lucky that the culture team at Bristol City Council is so forward-thinking and behind the project.

We’ve also got some amazing support from Andy King, head curator at the M Shed; he’s been instrumental in getting us this far.

Tell us a bit about the design Canopy & Stars at Crane 29 is based on a traditional treehouse design with the crane acting as the ‘tree’ and the cabin supported by struts.

The tricky part has been that the crane is listed.

We must leave it exactly how we found it so the structure has to be completely removable and not affect the crane in any way. Because it’s a complete one-of-a-kind (a world first!) there are no other examples to follow or be inspired by.

You say you’re ‘putting all the goodness of nature into a bubble of calm in the heart of the city’ – so what does this entail?

At Canopy & Stars we truly believe there is nothing better than waking up to the great outdoors, seeing, feeling, touching and smelling nature all around you. For the past six years we’ve been selecting the most special experiences for our guests, finding them in the most unusual of spaces. We wanted to use this knowledge to create something special of our own, here in our hometown of Bristol – a hub of ingenuity and creativity with green principles at its heart.

So with Canopy & Stars at Crane 29, we’re aiming for a real ‘natural high’, a small pocket of nature in the city, something totally unexpected.

So we’re paying a lot of attention to the detail and creating a truly sensory experience, with sounds, smells and elements of nature all around you

So break it down for us – what’s inside?

There will be a bedroom and bathroom to the rear of the treehouse, on the harbourside itself.

We are having to be clever with the use of design because it’s a smallish space. Plenty roomy enough for a night’s stay, but we’re packing a lot in which means we have to be innovative with the layout and interiors. The front of the treehouse is a living area, with table and chairs and a place to relax and get your nature fix while looking out across the harbour. The living area is going to have huge windows and, I think, is probably one of the best views of the city you can find.

There’s a shower! – how have you managed that?

All of our treehouses have bathrooms, many are pretty spectacular, and we wanted this to be just the same. Luckily there is a water supply just below the crane, so we were able to make it work.

There’s a nice looking basket of food in the promo pics. Is this included, and if so what’s provided?

We’re planning to include a breakfast hamper of local produce, working with some of Bristol’s finest food haunts, so you can wake up to delicious pastries, bread, fruit and juices. Step outside, though, and you’re on Wapping Wharf, with so many great places to eat.

So now that you’ve had the go ahead for this, presumably the Bristol skyline’s the limit – can you tell us a bit about a few more plans and dreams?

We would love to create a floating hotel of canal boats or other beautiful floating structures. There are also amazing pockets of nature in the city we’d love to explore. A treehouse in Queen’s Square anyone? Of course, Bristol is really well known for hot air balloons… so onwards and upwards!

To stay at Crane 29 costs £185 on week nights, and £250 at weekends; 100% of profits will go to Friends of the Earth

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Freeze your fat away!

Free Open Evening Invitation We would like to invite you to a free Open evening at our Clinic to launch our new Coolmini applicator which can permanently reduce fat under the chin non-invasively using our FDA cleared, fat freezing machine CoolSculpting. *NO NEEDLES, NO SURGERY, NO DOWNTIME, SAFE, FDA CLEARED, CLINICALLY PROVEN* Our Open evening is your opportunity to watch a live treatment and hear all about the benefits of CoolSculpting. Special introductory offers will also be available on this night.

We will provide refreshments.

Our Open evening is being held on Wednesday 17th May from 18.00-20.00.

Left: Before | Right: 12 Weeks After Second CoolSculpting* Session.

Photo courtesy of Suzanne Kilmer MD

If you can’t make this date please still register your interest- more dates will be available soon.

Register for free at: www.simonleeclinic.co.uk/coolnight

3 Whiteladies Gate, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2PH Tel: 01173 292027 | Email: info@simonleeclinic.co.uk

H E A LT H A N D BEAUTY

ATELIER

Top left, Ella in action; above, we want the spa’s glass bricks in our own home

Stylish and airy on the ground floor, luxuriously low lit beneath; you’ll leave this gorgeous Clifton salon and spa feeling as wonderful as you look

By DE R I ROBI NS

O

nce upon a more affluent time, when I lived in London and juggled a full-time job with a pair of toddlers, I briefly engaged a cleaner, who told me that I was her favourite client – “because the place was always such a mess that you could really see the difference,” after she was done.

I like to think that my hair offered a similarly enticing prospect to the staff of Atelier when I waltzed in for a cut-andcolour last week; similarly, I hope that my clenched shoulder muscles brightened up the day of spa manager Jasmine. Whatever they did, it could only make things better.

It’s a bit of a reviewer’s cliché, I know – how so-and-so tamed my awful frazzled barnet – but in this case it’s no lie; my roots were grey and the rest of my hair was battling it out between the residual colour from my last salon treatment and optimistic streaks of auburn left over from a home-dye kit. Not a pretty story; I couldn’t wait to get myself through the Atelier door.

ATELIER IS A SALON THAT WOULD WIN OVER EVEN THOSE WHO DON’T MUCH LIKE VISITING SALONS

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; there’s something special about Atelier. To start with, the décor’s beautiful; the airy upstairs salon is dominated by gilt mirrors so vast they have to be propped on the floor, while the luxurious subterranean spa is softly tented with glass-brick walls that reflect back the light of gently flickering candles. Leaving your worries and stresses at the door is guaranteed.

Spa manager Jasmine is relatively new, but it was obvious from the start that Atelier’s owner Ella Hawkey has bagged a winner; she’s totally lovely, with a careful, quiet attention to detail and a pair of hands that were having none of those seized-up shoulder muscles, to which she turned her attention while my Elemis face mask was doing its work.

The products smelled deliciously of frangipani, and I swear I could feel the collagen doing its age-defying stuff. I genuinely didn’t want my facial to end; something I can only say for about 10% of the treatments I’ve had over the past decade.

Skin glowing, I was returned to the salon, where artistic director Emelya was booked to rescue my hair colour. “I love working here,” she told me. Jasmine said the same – for that matter, so did Roberto from Malaga, who washed my hair. I didn’t get the impression that they’d been told to say that.

On went a warm, dark colour from the Italian Milkshake range; the products are ammonia-free and made primarily from

PRICES Cut & blow-dry £30-£58 Colour treatments – full-head tint from £60, creative colour from £85 Elemis Pro-Collagen Age Defy facial £72

milk and fruit, would you believe – and the result was a healthy, glossy, natural head of hair, that was then expertly cut by Ella into an easy-to-manage style that I love.

Ella’s a top businesswoman as well as a stylist, and things rarely stand still at Atelier; she’s recently begun a new partnership with Dyson, who have chosen just 20 top UK salons to work with, and is planning a second salon in the near future.

What I most love about Atelier – quite apart from the fact that the highly-skilled team deliver 100% – is the attention to detail. The chairs at the sinks are massage chairs. Hand massages are offered to clients while their hair is being coloured. And if you opt for the Milkshake Cocktail Treatment, it’ll be ‘served’ to you in an actual oversized cocktail glass.

Atelier is a salon that would win over even those who don’t enjoy visiting salons; it’s indulgent and luxurious, and leaves you feeling just as good as you look.

Atelier Clifton, 14 Regent Street; 0117 973 4142; www.atelierclifton.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 63

Adventures in party-going

SNAPPED! AC ROS S B R IS TO L , O N E S H I N D I G AT A T I M E

BEST OF BRISTOL

Rachael Gifford, Julia Loveless and Jess Milford

Congratulations, everybody!

Bristol Life welcomed the finalists of the first Bristol Life Awards to a drinks evening at Racks – a gathering of the very best businesses in the city under one roof. Good luck for the Awards ceremony on 27 April!

Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

Clare Gosling, Amy Sutcliffe and Melanie Raymond

Deri Robins, Gill Simmons and Paul Lawless

Bob Irwin, Andrew Glester, Elin Jones, Richard Osborn, Harriet Page and Maddy Nichols

Andy Boreham, Sarah Robertson, Nicci Allt and Zoe Crick-Tucker Adrian Barclay, Gillian Marles, Sharon Crapanzano and Alice Wilde 64 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SOCIETY

Holly Osborne, Hemali Modha and Rachel Goodchild Zara Narracott, Helen Jones and Val Hennessy

Cariad Silk, Rebecca Walford, Katie Sparkes, Philip Maclean and Julie Creese Luis Moura, Giovanna Scotolatti and Ewen Macgregor Ani Stafford-Townsend, Emily Molyneus and Zoe Hewett

Sarah Wratten, Rachel Goodchild, Marie Harz and Karen Baines Thomas

Philosophy for living Free course starts May 2017 The aim of philosophy is to set people free; free from pressure and free from worry; free to grow, free to be themselves. So it seems fitting that a philosophy course should be free. This ten session short course, called Philosophy for Living, looks at life and its meaning, the world and its causes and applying mindfulness to every moment. Based on the classic philosophies of East and West, it invites us to see life as a place to test the words of the wise.

Feel free to join us.

BATH When? Tuesdays at 7.15pm starting 9th May 2017 Where? 30 Milsom St, Bath, BA1 1DG BRISTOL When? Thursdays at 7.15pm starting 11th May 2017 Where? Charnwood House, 30 Cotham Park, Bristol, BS6 6BU

If you would like to know more or to register please contact: Email: bathandbristolphilosophy@gmail.com Or call: 07873 230651 Bath and Bristol School of Philosophy: branch of The Fellowship of the School of Economic Science.

Registered Educational Charity 313115 Charity number 313115

www.bathandbristolphilosophy.org

Old School Heroes In a world where eight out of 10 businesses crash and burn in the first 18 months, any company that hangs around for a decade is something to celebrate. But two decades? Three?

How about 25? Now that’s incredible‌.

68 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

S TAY I N G POWER

W

ith our big Bristol Life Awards ceremony coming up, we’re in celebratory mood – so we thought we’d share the love by biggingup some of the local institutions that have stood the test of time – while seeing if we can learn from their success.

BRISTOL OLD VIC

There’s old, there’s venerable, and then there’s Bristol Old Vic – the oldest English-speaking theatre in the world, 250 years young last year.

“Legend has it that 50 wealthy Bristolians got together and decided Bristol needed its own theatre. Each of them invested £50 to buy a plot of land just behind King Street, hired the best theatre carpenter of the day to build it and then tried not to get caught operating a technically

illegal playhouse. It turned out to be the worstkept secret in Bristol, and became the theatre we know today as Bristol Old Vic.” What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Always looking forward, adapting and changing with the cultural times, and never forgetting we belong to the people of Bristol.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment “The one most people talk about is seeing a young Peter O’Toole playing Hamlet in 1952.

More recently, the 250th birthday weekend saw the theatre and the whole of King Street full of families, supporters, friends and artists for a weekend of partying. It felt like the whole of Bristol had come out to celebrate a unique survival story, only possible because of the love affair between the theatre and its city. It was pretty humbling, and makes you realise this place is much bigger than the sum of what we put on the stage.” www.bristololdvic.org.uk

w

THE WHOLE OF BRISTOL CAME OUT TO CELEBRATE A UNIQUE SURVIVAL STORY, ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN THE THEATRE AND ITS CITY

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 69

Bristol Rugby

Our favourite rugby club was founded 1888, when local club Carlton invited Redland Park to join in forming a representative Bristol club What’s the secret of your longevity?

“We’ve had countless players of international class down the years as well as fantastic support from the rugby community in Bristol.”

Give us a standout memory “Winning the John Player Cup at Twickenham in 1983.” www.bristolrugby.co.uk

Racks Bar & Kitchen

Racks opened since 1982 as the restaurant for the Clifton Hotel, but very quickly expanded into a business of its own with regular drinkers and a thriving private event business.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Being flexible and adaptable; in our 35 years we’ve had to be responsive to changes in the market, fashions and trends. But above all, it’s all been about exceptional customer service.”

Tell us about one standout moment “The morning England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003. We were watching the game live on our screens, and the bar was packed. At the end of the game, Mark ‘Ronnie’ Regan, England’s hooker that day, was filmed on the pitch shouting ‘Racks, Racks!’ direct to us on camera – he was one of the bar’s regulars, and afterwards donated one of the England shirts to Racks for charity.” www.racks-bristol.co.uk

St George’s Bristol

st george’s bristol

The 194-year-old venue started life as a ‘Waterloo Church’ in 1823, designed by the same architect responsible for the British Museum. It has been a concert venue for the past 40 years.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“A stunning building, world-class acoustics and musicians.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“Our relaunch with the new extension – due to complete in March 2018.” www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Avery’s of Bristol

This distinguished wine merchant is 224 years old, having begun as a pub and wine-storage facility at the bottom of Park Street. The face of the 5th generation is Mimi Avery, whose greatgreat-uncle was employed there as a rectifying distiller; in the 1850s his brother, a Cornish farmer, bought the company and installed him as manager. Mimi’s grandfather joined in the 1920s and transformed the firm from a well-known local wine merchant to a world-renowned company selling fine Bordeaux, Burgundy and German wines, among others; her father joined in the 1960s, and pioneered the New World.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Our friendships with suppliers from around the world. Many French producers, unusually – including Bernie Hine of Hine cognac, and further afield, Wolf Blass of Wolf Blass wines – now considered by many to be the best blender in Australia – said that my grandfather had one of the best palates in the wine trade.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“We were first to import Chateau Petrus, now probably the most famous and one of the most valuable wines from the then ‘unknown in the UK’ Pomerol region.” www.averys.com

70 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Clockwise across spread, from top: Bristol Rugby in celebratory mode; reviving a craft tradition at Bristol Blue Glass; early premises for Avery’s; looking to the future at St George’s; ‘Racks! Racks!’

At the end of the game, Mark

‘Ronnie’ Regan, England’s

hooker,

was filmed on the

pitch shouting ‘Racks, Racks!’

direct to camera

S TAY I N G POWER

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“Designing and making the Harry Potter goblets for The Philosopher’s Stone. Can we have a second one? Designing and making the glass dome for Matt Smith’s Doctor Who Tardis. One more for luck – having a beer made for us/Bristol when we were challenged to design and make glasses for the Meantime Brewery.” www.bristol-glass.co.uk

BRISTOL BLUE GLASS

Our favourite glass-blowers are celebrating their 30th birthday next year. The company was founded back in 1988 by James (Jim) Adlington, with the help of glassmaker Peter St Clair. The aim was to re-establish a craft tradition that had been lost for over 60 years. Although most famous for their traditional Bristol Blue Glass, their work also includes glass in an array of beautiful colours – not just bottles and vases and so forth, but also handmade jewellery.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Passion, awesome team work, our loyal, valued customers and business contacts and locals. We allow the public to watch glass-making free of charge, and they can even have a go themselves; we enable them to blow glass and be creative and artistic. Above all else, we are a massive part of Bristol and its history.”

SAVILLS CLIFTON

The original Savills was established by Alfred Savill in 1855 in London. The Bristol branch opened in October 2000 in Redcliff Street; the residential team subsequently moved to The Mall in Clifton Village in 2004.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Longevity and success stems from the staff and our ability to adapt to changing market conditions, to reinvent and to challenge. We are plausible market leaders in all fields; our team in Clifton has over 80 years combined experience.”

Share a standout memory “The sale of the Tyntesfield Estate, a seamless sale, from our rural team who managed the estate, to the residential team breaking down and selling off the individual properties.” www.savills.co.uk w

w www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 71

Clifton College

Clifton College is 155 years old, and one of the original independent public schools in the UK. It was founded in 1862 by Bristol businessmen and led by John Percival, a visionary intellectual headmaster. He was a Victorian ahead of his time, who aimed to develop “children of varied but definite character”.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Staying true to the core values instilled by John Percival while ensuring the College remains a leader in terms of independent education, balancing its considerable heritage with a thoroughly modern, innovative and relevant education. The core attributes instilled in all Clifton College pupils are at the heart of its success and longevity. Pupils are intellectually agile, socially confident leaders and team players, adventurous and free-spirited with decency of character.”

Tell us about one standout moment “So many in 155 years! 2016 was a great year for our alumni: Lily Owsley became Olympic Gold champion with GB Hockey; Andrew Nethsingha was appointed Cambridge University Organist (three of the past five appointments have been Clifton College alumni); former pupils went on to achieve a wide range of ambitions, including performing Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre, and many more highlights.” www.cliftoncollege.com

Colston Hall

The first Colston Hall opened in 1867, meaning that it’s celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The Colston Hall company was set up for the benefit of the people of Bristol, to solve the lack of a concert venue in the city. The chairman was a wealthy banker and Quaker from Brislington named George Thomas, a social reformer and a great benefactor. The Colston Hall Company acquired the site in 1861, and the first Colston Hall was opened on 20th September 1867.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Firstly, a commitment to diverse programming, and through this, meaning something to everyone in the city with our wide range of events. We put on everything from Peter Andre to the London Symphony Orchestra, and everything in between.

More individual members of the public have probably walked through our doors than any other arts venue in the city.

“Secondly, resilience – Colston Hall has been rebuilt three times, twice after being destroyed by fire. It’s about to get a new lease of life with the new development. Regeneration and evolution is a big part of our history​​​​.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“Too many to mention, when our stage has been graced by the likes of Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald and The Beatles – but in the recent past, bringing Goldie & Heritage Orchestra to Bristol Harbourside in 2014 was a standout. Our followup Harbourside gig with The Outlook Orchestra is kicking off the Harbour Festival weekend on 21 July and is going to be just as memorable, if not more so.” www.colstonhall.org

72 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Regeneration and

evolution is a big part of our history

S TAY I N G POWER WATERSHED

Our favourite indie movie house opened in 1982 – the year that also saw the launch of Channel 4, the Commodore 64 and Sony’s first CD player.

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“From the very beginning, Watershed has been an outward-facing organisation looking to the future.

We were a really groundbreaking concept when we opened, bringing new life to two recently listed Grade-II dockside sheds on Bristol’s then semi-derelict historic harbourside. Hard to imagine now . . .

“Over the years, the original focus on film and photography has developed hugely, to embrace the exciting cultural and technical change enabled by digital technologies. We place our audiences at the heart of everything we do; we have held to our founding principles of open access, inclusivity and innovation, and have built an international reputation for developing audiences and talent.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“We have many, but a more recent one happened last year when we co-designed a pendant with iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes and raised thousands of pounds for charity.”

Tell us about one stellar, standout moment.

“2012 was a vintage year. We celebrated our 30th birthday with an Open Day, where hundreds of people poured into the building for a big party, with free films, birthday cake and behind-thescenes tours.

“Later that summer we produced a giant offsite free event called Mail Maps and Motion at Temple Meads station – 2500 people gathered to celebrate Bristol’s industrial history in a breathtaking journey through Bristol’s industrial past. It opened with films from the extraordinary archive of the General Post Office Film Unit, followed by a performance by BEAM, joined on stage by Inkie who created live art projected onto an enormous screen.

“The finale was combined Anti VJ’s breathtaking immersive visuals with a score composed by Adrian Utley and conducted by Charles Hazlewood, accompanied by huge mapped projections, bringing a ghostlike vision of Bristol’s industrial past into the electric future. It was truly magical.”

www.nicholaswylde.com

www.watershed.co.uk

NICHOLAS WYLDE

This independent jeweller is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. It all began in Bath, where their flagship store still stands in Northumberland Place. “We started with just 12 rings in our window. Our Clifton store has been open now for six years and we were proud to be recently nominated as a finalist for the inaugural Bristol Life Awards,” says Nicholas.

Top: a pioneer in the dockside regeneration, Watershed opened in 1982 – the same year that saw the launch of C4 Bottom pic: Nicholas Wylde’s collaboration with Zandra Rhodes raised thousands for charity

What’s the secret of your longevity?

“Keeping ahead of trends, offering something genuinely unique, like our own patented diamond cut – the achingly beautiful Wylde Flower Diamond® – and our exceptional customer services.”

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Shake-ups/launches/intel/promotions

B R IS TO L G E T S S ER I O US

AWARDS

HAVE WE GOT NEWS FOR YOU Big news about the Bristol Life Awards!

We’re completely sold out, with a massive 600 people having bought tickets for the night, And (fanfare, please) our host for the uberglam night will be comedian MARK WATSON, back in his home town

QUOTE OF THE ISSUE

F

ollowing a massive surge in tickets, hard on the heels of remarkable commitment from sponsors, sales have closed for tickets to the Bristol Life Awards, a full six weeks before the big night on 27 April. We explored the possibility of increasing the capacity yet again, but we’d already ordered a bigger tent; an even larger one wasn’t possible. At the time of going to press, there were already nearly 50 people on the waiting list.

And that was even before we announced that comedian Mark Watson would be hosting the Awards. That’s right, finalists; if you win, Mark will be handing over the gong.

In the meantime, the location of the official aftershow party has been announced as Bordeaux Quay, where the celebrations will continue until the tiny hours of 28 April. Best book Friday off work. . .

“Bristol has backed these Awards big time,” says MediaClash events manager Steph Dodd (herself never knowingly under-uberglam). “From the coolest of the indies to the largest of corporates, the support has gone way, way beyond our expectations. Over 400 nominations, dozens of sponsors and associates, nearly 50 (and rising) on the waiting list – and 600 people on the night: it will be immense.”

The Awards are headline-sponsored by Bristol Airport and have also had the backing a stellar panel of independent judges.

The roll call of sponsors reads: Bristol Airport, Guy Salmon Jaguar/Land Rover, Veale Wasbrough Vizards, The Alternative Board, Dribuild, SDS, Clear River, Triangle, Burston Cook, Fleurets, Juice Recruitment, Clifton Marquee Company, Park Furnishers, Amarelle, Enlightened Lighting and

“IT MAKES YOU REALISE THAT THIS PLACE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE SUM OF WHAT WE PUT ON THE STAGE” Whose fortunes are inextricably linked to those of the city as a whole? See page 69.

Bordeaux Quay. Associate sponsors are Barcan+Kirby, HGEM, RBS, Quarter, Plaster, Urban Creation, Clifton College, Hidden, Nicholas Wylde, Irwin Mitchell, The Whitely Clinic, Canada Life, Savills and Everyone Active. Partners are Fine Wines Direct, Bonomini and CityFibre.

The Bristol Life Awards will be held in Bristol’s biggest-ever marquee, outside Lloyds Amphitheatre.

The winners will then be invited with a plus-one as guests of Bristol Life to a special Winners’ Dinner on 22 May at The Square.

Like Steph says – it’s going to be immense.

600

Follow the Awards on Twitter @BristolLifeAwds, on the site www.bristollifeawards.co.uk – and look out for extensive coverage in Bristol Life. We just can’t wait!

The number of tickets sold for the first Bristol Life Awards, six weeks before the event

THE BIG NUMBER

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 77

BUSINESS INSIDER

FINANCE

THE EYS HAVE IT Formerly known as Ernst & Young, EY – a multinational professional services firm – has offices in Bristol, at which ANDREW PERKINS is a senior partner

A

global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, EY serves a wide range of clients in the South West, from fast-growing entrepreneurial start-ups through to large privately-owned, FTSE 350 companies and some of the world’s leading multi-national companies. It employs over 350 people in the region, and has particular strengths in aerospace and defence, power and utilities and financial services.

As a senior partner, Andrew has been with the firm for 17 years; he’s responsible for leading the firm’s regional practice across the South West and South Wales, and is also part of the Power and Utilities team.

What are the main advantages of being part of a large international company?

EY is globally connected, operating in four integrated regions — the Americas, EMEIA, Asia-Pacific and Japan. Locally, this means our South West clients benefit from broad, experienced teams with deep industry knowledge and a consistent approach.

What outcomes from Brexit do you predict? Are there any silver linings?

M&A in the UK has seen a flurry of activity in the first few months of 2017, despite some concerns that uncertainty over Brexit could stall activity in the market. These developments should not come as a surprise, however, as companies reposition themselves

for a post-EU world. Sterling’s exchange rate against other currencies has been a silver lining for some firms. A number of UK businesses are now more financially efficient, while others that were previously seen as untouchable, could become attractive targets for takeovers.

What impact do you feel Article 50 will have on the South West’s economy?

The region has seen strong growth in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) over the last decade – both in terms of attracting new

STERLING’S EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST OTHER CURRENCIES HAS BEEN A SILVER LINING FOR SOME FIRMS investment projects and creating more jobs.

The South West recorded 37 FDI projects in 2015 – an increase of 32% on 2014 and the strongest FDI performance seen in the region in over a decade. Global investors continue to see Bristol and the South West region as an attractive destination for foreign investment, although clearly there are uncertainties around domestic and global macroeconomic developments such

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as Brexit. We’ll be updating our research on foreign investment in May with the release of EY’s 2016 UK Attractiveness Survey.

Our recent regional economic forecasts also revealed that none of the UK’s regions or cities will be immune to slower economic growth over the next three years. The South West is expected to slow down from 1.8% GVA (2013-16) to 1.3% in the period 2017-19.

However, Bristol is set to outperform the region’s economic performance, growing from 0.3% GVA in 2016 to 1.6% annually over the next three years – ahead of the UK average of 1.5%.

Is EY committed to gender equality?

EY has been recognised for its work in strengthening both race and gender equality. This year we were proud to support International Women’s Day’s (IWD) #BeBoldforChange campaign. We hold IWD events across our UK offices, celebrating our top talent and marking a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

The firm’s commitment to its people has led to EY being recognised in the Sunday Times’s ‘25 Best Big Companies To Work For’ list, ranking number one in professional services in 2016 and 2017. This is a real achievement for us, and is testament to the steps we have taken to help create a more diverse and inclusive culture.

For more www.ey.com

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a c c o u n ta n c y A d v ertisin g feature

Tax rules for non-doms set to change The experts at Milsted Langdon help explain the tax rule changes for those living in the United Kingdom who claim to be non-UK domiciled

F

rom 6 April 2017, an individual who has been UK resident for 15 of the previous 20 tax years will be treated as UK domiciled for tax purposes, regardless of their actual domicile.

Being non-UK domiciled carries potential UK tax advantages for those who are resident in the UK. The new rules have introduced a time limit for being able to use these advantages.

One of the advantages is the ability to use the remittance basis, where UK tax is paid on UK income and gains, but overseas income and gains are only subject to UK tax to the extent that proceeds are brought into the UK, allowing them to defer UK tax on these sources.

There are annual charges for using the remittance basis after an individual has been UK resident for seven of the last nine tax years, increasing once they have been resident for 12 of the last 14 tax years, but the opportunity will now cease altogether once an individual has been resident for 15 of the last 20 tax years.

Once the time limit is reached they will instead be subject to UK tax on their worldwide income and gains on an arising basis. The remittance basis continues to apply to 'old' income and gains, if segregated properly.

Use of the remittance basis is practically difficult as to benefit from it fully multiple bank accounts need to be operated, sometimes with new accounts being needed for every tax year.

If sources of income and gains are mixed, an individual is treated as bringing in the source that gives the highest UK tax first, when there could be part of the fund which wouldn’t attract any UK tax. This is a worst first basis. If the funds are properly segregated the non-dom can choose which source to remit and plan their tax accordingly.

From 6 April 2017 to 5 April 2019 it will be possible for non-doms to retrospectively

“There are also changes that could impact individuals who have left the UK�

80 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Rachael Verinder, tax partner

Antonia Stokes, tax manager

rearrange mixed fund accounts if the original source of funds can be clearly identified.

Even though they may not be able to operate the remittance basis in future they may be able to make better use of the funds previously under the remittance basis, creating tax planning opportunities.

Provided certain conditions are met, individuals who become deemed domiciled as a result of the new rules will also have the opportunity to uplift personally owned foreign assets to their 5 April 2017 market value, with only gains after this date being subject to UK capital gains tax on an arising basis. Those affected may wish to obtain asset valuations as at 5 April 2017.

An individual currently becomes deemed UK-domiciled for inheritance tax purposes once they have been resident for 17 of the last 20 tax years, but this period is shortening to 15 of 20 tax years too.

Non-doms are subject to UK inheritance tax on UK assets, but this extends to worldwide assets once they become deemed UK domiciled. There may be planning opportunities before they become deemed domiciled, including the creation of certain trusts.

Trusts created by non-domiciled settlors will be given protected trust status, providing certain beneficial tax treatments even after the settlor has become deemed domiciled.

However, residential property owned indirectly through offshore entities will no longer be

Vanessa Clark, tax manager

excluded property for inheritance tax purposes and may be subject to UK inheritance tax.

There are also changes that could impact individuals who have left the UK, who may have acquired a new domicile of choice. If they return to live in the UK they will be treated as deemed UK domiciled for income and capital gains tax purposes for any year in which they are resident. They will also be treated as deemed UK domiciled for inheritance tax purposes if they have been resident for one of the previous two tax years.

At Milsted Langdon we advise a large number of non-resident and non-domiciled individuals.

If you think any of the changes apply to you, we would recommend that you get in touch with our award-winning tax team for more detailed personal advice.

www.milsted-langdon.co.uk One Redcliff Street, Bristol, BS1 6NP Tel: 0117 945 2500 Rachael: rverinder@milsted-langdon.co.uk Antonia: astokes@milsted-langdon.co.uk Vanessa: vclark@milsted-langdon.co.uk

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PROPERTY

SHOWCASE

DIVINE CONVERSION The Chew area isn’t short of barn conversions, but this family home near Norton Malreward is a little special; it’s won awards for its design quality, for reasons that become abundantly clear as soon as you step inside

By L I SA WA R R E N 84 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SHOWCASE

I

t’s been a while since we featured a country home in this section; there are just so many new developments to explore on Harbourside, so many Georgian gems to sigh over in Clifton, that we rarely feel the need to venture out of town.

But while leafing through the property pages in search of a showcase for this issue, The Tythe Barn in Norton Malreward caught our eye and reminded us how alluring a really top-of-the-range barn conversion can be.

We also like the dour yet atmospheric address. The barn is found on Gibbet Lane – and while the Chew Valley is a bit too far north of Dorset for anyone to call it ‘Hardeyesque’, it’s hard to stop the imagination straying in a d’Urbeville direction. It’s diverting, too, to wonder what Hardy’s yeomans would have made of the fact that a rural building designed to house animals and crops would one day be transformed into a gleaming palace of domesticity with a £1.5 million price tag – and yet could anything be more suited to family life than a converted barn, with its doubleheight rooms and opportunity for vast windows?

Barn conversions tend to take one of two routes: historic and traditional, with an over-reliance on country-kitchen pine; or clean and contemporary. The Tythe Barn has gone down the second route, and has won a LABC award in the process, for the ‘best changed use of a building’.

Huge windows on several sides let in a huge amount of light, and open up the home to the surrounding countryside.

The ground floor is dominated by a 40ft T-shaped living and entertaining area centred on a distinctive, horseshoe-shaped kitchen; the black granite of the worktops makes an ideal foil for the exposed stone of the walls, the open oak staircase and the glass balustrade.

The most attractive barn exterior we’ve ever seen – it looks positively baronial – gives way to the most sleek of interiors

HOUSE NUMBERS

GRADE-II listed

3

bedrooms

3

living rooms

5.5

acres of grounds

£1.5M guide price

PROPERTY

There’s a large larder and utility/boot room, a cloakroom, and a further 21ft living room with a vaulted ceiling, exposed roof trusses and a fireplace with a wood-burning stove; floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides have sliding doors to outdoor terraces and frame the countryside beyond.

Finally, on this floor is a cosy 12ft snug or cinema room that’s poised to become a veritable shrine to all your favourite box sets.

Upstairs, the glass balustrading of the galleried landing gives the effect of a ‘floating’ hallway; it leads to a master bedroom with a large luxury en-suite bathroom, and two more two bedrooms served by a beautiful wet room.

The auspicious entrance to this home takes in a driveway running alongside a paddock to an electric gate, with an impressive circular gravelled driveway at the end; landscaped borders and paving surround the barn and edge the gardens.

A wide terrace at the back is ideally geared up for outdoor entertaining, and there’s a further Mediterranean-style terrace. Beyond this there’s a level lawn, and a natural pond; the grounds cover a spacious 5.5 acres in all, but it’s arguably the utterly unspoiled, seemingly endless views across the Chew landscape that stretch away in all directions that will seal the deal.

Yes, you might be able to get a few more rooms for your £1.5 million in a less salubrious area; but if quality of life is a priority then the sheer beauty of the surroundings, and an interior and exterior that practically take your breath away, may well seal the deal.

For more, contact Davies & Way, 489 Bath Road, Saltford, Bristol BS31 3BA; 01225 400400; www.daviesandway.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 85

BRISTOL LIVES

Q&A

T

his issue’s interviewee needs no introduction; but here’s one anyway. Jonathan Dimbleby began his career at the BBC in Bristol in 1969; since then he’s covered the Ethiopian famine, anchored general election reports, and created documentaries on everything from the Cold War to Hong Kong. He’s up there with David Attenborough and Jeremy Paxman as one of our most respected public commentators; it’s a measure of the trust he inspires that he once managed to get Prince Charles to open up about his relationships with Diana and with Camilla.

He’s an active campaigner for cancer care and organic food, he’s vice-president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and he’s recently moved to Bristol – so he’s ‘our’ Jonathan Dimbleby now. . .

Which bit of the city do you live in?

Hotwells – it’s so central that you can walk almost everywhere. Bristol is so rich in cultural and social life; for me urban living is truly stimulating.

You’ve covered so many countries and stories in your writing and broadcasts. Are there any other topics you’d love to write about?

Endless. I would like to write about the big issues facing this country and the world beyond, and to express my views freely, but my role as a broadcaster means that I have to demonstrate impartiality… and that is probably more useful to others if sometimes galling for me.

What was the biggest scoop of your career?

One was a tragedy – the revelation of a terrible famine in Ethiopia in 1973, which led to the overthrow of the government of Emperor Haile Selassie. The other was the only European TV interview with Mikhail Gorbachev whilst he was leader of the USSR. If you were asked to check the pulse of the BBC today, what would you say? David Attenborough was in town recently, and warned us about the repercussions of cuts After the Charter Review it is no longer on life support but David Attenborough is quite right.

Without proper resources the BBC cannot do great programmes. If it can’t do great programmes there is no point in the BBC. However, public service broadcasting is of huge importance especially as we enter an era of deep uncertainty.

An older male broadcaster is considered ‘distinguished’ – but is TV still guilty of gender inequality with female presenters?

Things are slowly improving for women, but while everyone still has to look to the great Joan Bakewell and Mary Berry as examples it is clear that not enough has yet been achieved. We need more ‘semi-senior’ women to the fore.

90 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

JONATHAN DIMBLEBY Broadcaster, author, historian, charity campaigner – and now Jonathan can add ‘Bristolian’ to his Wikipedia entry How much has being the son of Richard Dimbleby influenced you?

I rejoice in the fact that my father was probably the greatest broadcaster Britain has ever produced.

He lived through a period of huge change from war to peace and had a role akin to that of the nation’s most trusted public figure.

Tell us a bit about Dimbleby Cancer Care It provides support for people living with cancer, their families and carers. It was set up in 1966, after we started receiving donations in memory of my father. It’s based at Guy’s new Cancer Centre in London and does wonderful work. I’m very proud to be its chair.

Bristol has been voted one of the best places to bring up kids in the UK – do you agree?

Yes. The state schools are outstanding, the amenities of the city are remarkable. It is a friendly environment, big enough but not too big. We have lovely neighbours and there is a strong sense of city pride. I could never live in London again, but it looks as though we’ll be in Bristol for a long time.

Do you mind being recognised when you’re out and about?

I love it when people say nice things, who doesn’t?

How much I’m recognised depends on how recently I’ve been on TV. I’m cool about that.

My father could not walk down a street without

being mobbed by fans. As a child I used to cringe with embarrassment.

Tell us about some favourite Bristol places that you’ve discovered I am in training for Dimbleby Cancer Care’s Walk50 event this June, so The Downs and the Floating Harbour are firm favourites; no dilly-dallying on the way. The Wallfish Bistro in Clifton – delicious food, charming staff. The last time I made a recommendation like this I couldn’t get into the restaurant afterwards, so please don’t go!

What is your most regrettable habit?

There are so many. My wife, Jessica, could give you a long list, but I will settle for gorging on chocolate.

Finally, please tell us something surprising I was once the South of England show jumping champion, and was even tipped as a future Olympic rider – I would have been a disaster.

Will you ever retire?

I doubt it. I work partly to earn a living and partly because I can’t imagine a world without work.

Jonathan Dimbleby is taking part in Dimbleby Cancer Care’s Walk50 event in June – a 50km walk though London at night. For more information or to sign up please visit www.dimblebycancercare.org

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