Bristol Life - Issue 231 by MediaClash

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 231 / JULY 2017 / £3

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

SCHOOL’S OUT

WHAT’S ON OFFER ON WHITELADIES?

ENTERTAIN THE KIDS THIS SUMMER

ISSUE 231 / JULY 2017 / HOUSE PARTIES

DOMESTIC BLISS WE UP OUR PROPERTY GAME

NEW

30-PAGE SECTION

HOMES

EXPERT ADVICE ON BUILDING, RENOVATING, INVESTING AND DECORATING

BACKWELL HOUSE

MUCH MORE THAN A BOUTIQUE BOLTHOLE

EDITOR’S LETTER / ISSUE 231 / JULY 2017

What a blast!

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER! Bristol has a wealth of ways to entertain the kids this holiday. Put them in front of the telly, while you sit down, relax and read our guide (only kidding!)

The highlights of the last few weeks have been many and various. Firstly, the opportunity to see the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s production of Julius Caesar, and secondly the incredible luck I had of grabbing two seats to see French and Saunders, my absolute heroes, pick up their Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award at the Colston Hall. The latter was an evening in conversation with the pair, complete with clips, tributes and laugh upon laugh. The award was presented to them by surprise guest June Whitfield, and Dawn and Jennifer were true to form when they scrapped over who hogged the mic during the acceptance speech and ended up rolling around on the stage for a while with bespoke Morph figurine trophies. We’ve launched a new homes section this issue. We poke around a renovated terrace house in Bristol and ask local property experts for their tips on building, renovating, investing in and decorating homes in the city. We loved researching it and hope you enjoy reading it!

Rachel Ifans, editor Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram:@bristollifemag

REGULARS / ISSUE 231 / JULY 2017 M EET T H E T EAM

SPOTLIGHT

Editor Rachel Ifans deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk

7 Who’s making the news? Morph is still naughty at 40 (and he’s got NO wrinkles)

Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors: Lily Brendon, Biba Fry

KIDS

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

10 School’s out Inside and outside: holiday fun whatever the weather

THE ARTS 19 Arts intro Vibrancy from Yatika Starr Fields

Production and distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager and production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk

20 What’s On A busy month ahead

24 Something’s brewing

Ferment Fortnight: see Old Vic productions at an early stage

26 The American Dream River Town is the best in blues, gospel, country and bluegrass

29 Verdict Medea and Gangsta Granny collide on the page

SHOPPING 31 Shopping Intro Sunflower ceramics

32 Editor’s Choice Get the festival look

38 Open all hours Whiteladies Road goes from high street to high life

FOOD 44 Food & drink Pieminister does its bit for charity

50 Hotel and restaurant Backwell House

54 The shipping news We take on the small-but-perfectlyformed Cargo 2, unit by unit

56 Awesome sauce A sauce that symbolises Bristol’s circular economy

PROPERT Y 75 Homes intro This month: terraced houses

76 Real home We poke around a wonderfully renovated family terrace

SNAPPED

84 Property pundits

60 Party going

Advice from local homes experts

Alec French’s double win at architect awards

88 Property showcase

BUSINESS 65 Business Insider Bungee your Boss - the ups and downs of fundraising

A voyage of discovery

THE BACK PAGE 98 Bristol Lives Jaya Chakrabarti

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

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 Many thanks to Alison Bracey from Bracey Interiors (www.braceyinteriors. co.uk) for supplying one of her wonderful wallpaper designs for our cover. The gilt-mirror print shown is from Elitis

EXHIBITION

MORPH: STILL NAUGHTY AT 40

Aardman’s Peter Lord created Morph

A new exhibition to celebrate Morph’s 40th birthday, sponsored by The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, will run from 14 July – 5 September at The Gromit Unleashed Shop in The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. To flag its arrival, you might have noticed MegaMorph, who’s been moving to different locations around the city for the past couple of weeks. The exhibition will feature a range of exciting exhibits, including a showcase of 20 original Morph sculptures designed by Morph’s creator Peter Lord, and all profits will go towards Bristol children’s hospital charity The Grand Appeal. www.grandappeal.org.uk

The Kaskelot - pictured here in Plymouth - will screen The Life Aquatic in Bristol

OUTDOOR CINEMA

WELCOME THE CELLULOID SAIL! A stunning tall ship will be transformed into an outdoor cinema for a special two-day film event during her visit to Bristol this summer. The Bristol born ship – the Kaskelot – will be returning to her hometown on the 14 and 15 July for this special cinema event, which will show, on the Saturday night, the wonderful Wes Anderson cult hit The Life Aquatic. Before the film starts, audiences sitting on the quayside at Quay Square will be treated to an archive film infused live circus performance on the ship’s rigging. www.compasspresents.com

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SPOTLIGHT TEDx makes a welcome return to the city in November. Tickets on sale now

TED TALKS

POSITIVE DISRUPTORS AT TEDX Following a sell-out 2015 event, TEDxBristol is back this autumn on 2 and 3 November. #DareToDisrupt is the 2017 theme and it focuses on people doing things differently, in order to make a difference. Early-bird tickets are available now.

Speakers signed up at the time of going to press are: • Nura Aabe, who raises awareness of autism in the Somali community (there is no word in Somali for autism), using a powerful mix of theatre, education and research.

• Martyn Aston, mountain bike fanatic and award-winning biker who, in a live show in 2013 had an accident which left him paralysed from the waist down. If you’re thinking this ended his biking career, you can think again. His story is extraordinary!

• Joshua Luke Smith, whose mission is to write music that does not simply provide a good tune or playful lyrics but releases words of power, substance and meaning and speak, into the chaos of culture. www.tedxbristol.com

AWARDS

ICE COOL The Institution of Civil Engineers South West (ICE SW) have a total of 17 projects vying for the sought-after People’s Choice Award this year. Communities around the region have been voting for their favourite shortlisted project and the results will be announced, along with the results of other categories, on 9 July at @Bristol. The prestigious awards celebrate outstanding civil engineering achievement, innovation and ingenuity around the South West. It is a chance for projects and organisations from across the region to showcase the fantastic work that is taking place. Listed in the box on the right are the 17 contenders in the People’s Choice category. The ones in bold are Bristol-based. www.ice.org.uk 8 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

• A39 Causeway • A338 Bournemouth Spur Road • Ashton Avenue Swing Bridge Refurbishment and Strengthening, Bristol • Cockington Lakes Restoration, Devon • Creation of a physical model of an AGR nuclear reactor graphite core for shaking table explorations of seismic behaviour, University of Bristol • Hayward Main Bridge, Dorset • Jubilee Pool Restoration Project, Penzance

• Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter • Maltsters Rising Main • Plymouth Coach Station • Project Wareham, Dorset • Rock Park Bridge Major Refurbishment • Sandstone Rock Cutting • Severnside Energy Recovery Centre • Shaldon Bridge Refurbishment, Devon • South Bristol Link Road • Wessex Water’s Supply Grid

School’s out! One more day of school, one more day of sorrow… It’s July and we’re in countdown mode. Bring it on, Bristol’s boys and girls. We’re ready for you! By r ac h e l i fa ns 10 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SUMMER H O L I D AY S

he unbridled joy of finishing school for SIX LONG WEEKS is an unforgettable feeling. But, as the saying goes, behind every jubilant child there’s a mildly terrified parent, pen and paper in hand, wondering what to do. Well, fear not, because this article covers indoor activities for when the weather isn’t playing ball, outside fun for when the ball’s gone over in to the neighbour’s garden and you’re looking for something new to do, and it also lists holiday clubs inside and outside for when mums and dads have to pack up the picnic hamper and get back to work (boo hiss).

RAIN STOPS PLAY (OH NO, IT DOESN’T)

Bristol has a lot going on for kids. If history is on your mind (cue M Shed and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery) but hysteria is the more likely outcome (welcome Freedog, AirHop and FlipOut), you won’t be short of ideas this summer. Let’s kick off by aiming high in a wholesome way. @Bristol Science Centre is running a sixweek Festival of What If, billed ‘a celebration of curiosity and discovery’ which takes place both inside the centre and outside in Millennium Square. The festival is split in to three fortnightlong events, each exploring a different theme: What if we had to live on another planet?; What if nature took over?; and What if I could see inside myself? All these themes seem very well judged to me and excellent for my son as these are the kind of questions he throws at me nightly at lights-out time. @Bristol also has the 2D and 3D Planetarium sessions for three different age-groups: Space

The 3D Planetarium at @Bristol is a must for all kids

FOR EVERY JUBILANT

CHILD THERE’S A MILDLY

TERRIFIED PARENT, PEN AND PAPER IN HAND, WONDERING

WHAT TO DO

Explorers for under-6s, Exploring the Solar System for 6+, and Planetarium Nights for over-16s. From space travel to time travel, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery can take you back in time this summer with its Pliosaurus! exhibition. Travel back 150 million years to meet a Jurassic marine reptile called Doris. There is a full-size (eight metres long) model of her that kids can touch and smell, and they can also listen to her heartbeat. Alongside the model, you’ll be able to see the world’s only example of a Pliosaurus carpenteri fossil. (Make a day of it and visit Dinomania at Bristol Zoo as well?) If you want to bone up on human history, M Shed is the place for you. Six skeletons discovered in Bristol are on display there alongside some borrowed ones from the Museum of London’s 20,000-strong collection. Excavations in Bristol have uncovered numerous burial sites over the years, including medieval monasteries, a hospital burial ground and a convent. The six ‘new’ Bristol skeletons were found in Clifton, Filton, Mangotsfield, Tormarton and the city centre. They include a Bronze Age man with a spear-head lodged in his spine (eeeew), a decapitated Roman woman (ooofa), and children with conditions linked to poor nutrition. The exhibition runs right through the holidays and, as with Pliosaurus!, entry cost is on a pay-what-you-think basis. M Shed is holding a few specials as part of the run – a Skeleton Spectacular workshop on 15 July, and a familyfriendly exhibition tour on 9 August. Now let’s aim high in a more physical way. Climbing is a big part of Bristol’s heritage and the indoor facilities offered are really top notch. Redpoint in south Bristol on Winterstoke Road offers climbing and bouldering for all ages and has a great vibe, and Undercover Rock in St Werburgh’s Church, which was bought by The Climbing Academy in 2016, has normal sessions and clubs in holidays too. A new wave of indoor pursuit has bounced into Bristol recently. Longwell Green’s FlipOut, Patchway’s AirHop and Totterdown’s Freedog offer a mix of standard trampoline park, mixed with extras like laser mazes, power tower, trampeze and dodgeball facilities. Brickid Creators is an indoor option new to me and great for Lego loons. At these groups, you can create, learn, build, play, share, and have fun with thousands of Lego bricks and pieces. At the time of writing, three events were confirmed in Yate and Emersons Green for the school holidays – check the website for details. And don’t forget Bristol Old Vic. Due to renovations there is no summer school this year but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the kidfriendly performances they have on this holiday, top priority for me being a street-dancey, circustricksy, modern version of Jungle Book. Three days only from 27 – 29 July. Check our directory on page 16 for full indoor ideas listing.  www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 11

SUMMER H O L I D AY S BETTER OUT THAN IN

The thing with good weather is that it makes entertaining kids cheaper. People say that, anyway, and I happen to think it’s true. For a start you can go to the park. If, like me, your local park is still firmly in the 70s with peelingpaint roundabouts and death-trap climbing frames, you’ll be amazed how the other half live. Hengrove Park, for instance, has the biggest free play park in the south of England and boasts activities for all ages including a wheels park for older kids. Here are a couple of other outdoor ideas that particularly appeal to me, based, as these things often are, on the potent pull of nostalgia. Firstly, rockpooling at pebbley Clevedon is a lovely option on a sunny day. Once the tide is out on Ladye Bay there are plenty of pools, carpeted with seaweed, for kids to explore. The only money you’re likely to spend is on entry to the long pier (prices and nostalgia both from the 70s) and an ice cream on the front. Secondly, how about PYO fruit? Obviously I know they do pick fruit in other countries but it just seems one of the most quintessentially British things you can do. Up there with going to Wimbledon and erecting a windbreak on the beach. (My brother – who lives in Hong Kong – has taken his kids fruit picking numerous times on trips back, whereas I, a West Country dweller, have never done it with mine. Go figure – expats are the most patriotic of us all.) There are numerous places around Bristol to pick your own – try St Aldans Nursery in Pucklechurch and Chosen Hill in Chew Magna for starters. A sunny day at the docks is also a must this summer. Activities abound, with walks and boats aplenty. Pirate Pete’s Maritime History tours last one hour and are a perfect glimpse into the swashbuckling lives of the 17th and 18th centuries. They start at 2pm on Saturdays

Clockwise: the Victorian Circus Spectacular on the SS Great Britain; skeletons at M Shed; looking for mini beats with The Outdoor Project; Brickid Creators lego fun; Mojo Active offers waterslides and high ropes among its many activities

and Sundays near (sshh, blindfold the kids and whisper it) Za Za Bazaar. The Curious About… series has two self-guided walks in Bristol (purchasable online - £5.99 for both). Doing a self-guided walk means that you can enjoy the very special whingeing of your offspring alone, without having to share it with strangers. You can also stop off for as many coffee and icecream stops as you want. Throughout the school holidays the Bristol Packet runs various trips, from tours of the docks to return trips to Beese’s riverside tea and beer garden. The Matthew may not be off to America any time soon but in July and August choose between fish-and-chip trips, cream-tea trips, Avon Gorge trips and the shorter, hour-long harbour trip on this wonderfully historic replica. On 5 August there’s a pirate panto (static) aboard the Matthew too. The SS Great Britain completes my trio of boat treats and this one ain’t going anywhere. Aboard the Bristol beauty, which is just fantastically kidfriendly (and unfriendly – my kids still squawk with shock about the gruff man’s voice when you try to open the loo door below deck. “Go away! This lavatory is occupied!” he booms). In addition to the usual features, this summer there is a daily Victorian Circus Spectacular by Cirque Bijou. Inspired by the ship’s history and voyages, performances take place every day and there are free circus workshops in Brunel Square from 12pm – 4pm. See you there – my daughter has been waiting years to be old enough to climb the rigging. Now she’s 10 she can! Three Thursdays over the holidays look really special up on the Downs. The first, called Fabulous Falcons, on 27 July is all about Avon Gorge’s fastest and most beautiful predators. Then Wild Works of Art on 3 August gives children the chance to create unique sculptures and 3D pictures using wild materials and finally Ladybird Spotters sees Rhian Rowson from Bristol Museum lead the hunt on 10 August. Contact Bristol Zoo to book. 

[SKELETONS] INCLUDE A BRONZE-AGE MAN WITH A SPEARHEAD LODGED IN HIS HEAD (EEEEW) AND A DECAPITATED ROMAN WOMAN (OOOFA)

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SUMMER H O L I D AY S JOIN THE CLUB

Only a handful of parents are lucky enough to be able to take off the whole summer holiday so for the rest of us there is inevitably a time when we will need to ship the kids off to a holiday club. Good then that Bristol has loads of options from which to choose. Here’s our brief tour of a few that caught our eye. The Outdoors Project is a great individually run club which takes place five days a week from 24 July to 11 August at St Andrew’s Park or Oldbury Court. Run by Rowan Hibbert, it’s all about getting kids outdoors having fun, especially those who live in a city. Rowan really is passionate about it and his love of real play, messy play, free play… ANY play, really shines through. EcoWild is a similar thing. Its Woodland Adventure Days for 4 - 12 year olds takes place in Greyfield Wood in High Littleton. They encourage children to enjoy the freedom of the woods, to engage with nature and learn and understand more about the natural environment and wildlife. Sessions start with a walk to a camp area and the construction of a fi re. After cooking lunch over the fi re, they play games, make dens, learn how to use simple hand tools, and create natural art. Mojo Active runs holiday clubs on site at

Rowan Hibbert of The Outdoors Project really believes in the power of play 14 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ROWAN’S LOVE OF REAL PLAY, MESSY PLAY, FREE PLAY… ANY PLAY, REALLY

SHINES

THROUGH

Mojo (5 mins from Cribbs Causeway), including their high ropes course, and they also organise Away Days with a great range of activities like surfi ng, mountain biking, water sports, swimming and rafting. New this summer are some extra days at Bristol Grammar School for those interested in dance, cookery and drama. Hotshots is another club that comes highly recommended. Designed for children aged 8 to 13 years old, it provides a range of activities from trampolining and climbing to rounders, football and netball. A huge point in its favour is the amazing location and available facilities at UWE Bristol’s Centre for Sport. If your kids are less keen on the sporty holiday clubs, you could consider a drama one instead. Tobacco Factory Theatres runs a summer school which, working with professional directors, musicians and choreographers, will see them make a play in a week, and then perform it to friends and family. It’s all gone a bit epic this year with the challenge for eight to 12 year olds called Scorched Wings and the one for the older children (13-18 year olds) called Orpheus. Orpheus is a musical so Tobacco Factory Theatres are looking for both actors and musicians this year. Both run in the week from 23 - 28 July. 

Full sum mer holiday program me www.redpointbristol.co.uk

www.crazyclimbbristol.co.uk

Tel 0117 3322222

SUMMER H O L I D AY S

DIRECTORY Fun for kids of all ages

Outdoor

Avon Valley Country Park www.avonvalley.co.uk Avon Valley Railway www.avonvalleyrailway.org

PHOTO BY BRISTOL CULTURE

Bristol Zoo www.bristolzoo.org.uk Curious About Bristol walks www.curiousabout.co.uk Hengrove Playpark www.bristol.gov.uk/museumsparks-sports-culture/hengrovepark Mendip Activity Centre www.mendipoutdoorpursuits. co.uk Mojo Active www.mojoactive.co.uk Noah’s Ark Farm www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk Old Down Country Park www.olddownestate.co.uk Pirate Pete’s Walking Tours www.piratewalks.co.uk SS Great Britain www.ssgreatbritain.org

The pliosaurus was one of the biggest and fiercest dinosaurs

St Werburgh’s www.swcityfarm.co.uk

At Bristol www.at-bristol.org.uk

M Shed (Skeletons) www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

The Bristol Packet www.bristolpacket.co.uk

Brave Bold Drama www.brave-bold-drama.co.uk

Redpoint www.redpointbristol.co.uk

The Matthew www.matthew.co.uk

Brickid Creators www.brickidcreators.co.uk

Windmill City Farm www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

Bristol Museums (Pliosauraus!) www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

The Georgian House Museum www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

The Wild Place www.wildplace.org.uk

Indoor activities Airhop www.airhop-bristol.com

Not a jot of literacy and numeracy on the horizon

Bristol Old Vic www.bristololdvic.org.uk Clip n Climb www.clipnclimbbristol.co.uk FlipOut www.flipout.co.uk/locations/ bristol Flying Saucers Painting and Pottery www.flyingsaucers.co.uk Freedog www.freedog.com/bristol Jungle Rumble Adventure Golf www.junglerumble.co.uk/ venues/bristol Laser Fusion www.laserfusion.info

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Holiday clubs

Clifton College Holiday Club www.ccsl-cliftoncollege.com/ holiday-club-and-activities/ holiday-clubs EcoWorld www.ecowild.org.uk Firetech coding camp www.firetechcamp.com Go Foraging www.goforaging.co.uk Hotshots Holiday Club www.uwe.ac.uk Mojo Active Outdoors Project www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk Street Envy Dance www.streetdanceenvy.co.uk Tobacco Factory www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Music/theatre/film/more

AMONG THE HEAVENLY BODIES

Upfest has welcomed 300 artists from across the globe but it hasn’t hosted a Native American. That is about to change as Yatika Starr Fields makes his debut at the street art and graffiti festival at the end of July, as well as showing an exhibition of his work at the Rainmaker Gallery in Bristol throughout the summer. Yatika Starr Fields’ paintings pack a visual punch through intensity of colour and swirling movement, taking much inspiration from his roots in the Cherokee, Creek and Osage tribes. His Creek name, Yvtekv, means Interpreter and

he was given his Osage name – Ho-moie, which means ‘Among the heavenly bodies’ – on his first birthday. He says of his art, “I create a synthesis of symbolic forms and objects floating and bending on the canvas at all angles, negating the horizon and the rule of linear experience. The objects and forms represent the past and present from my perspective as a member of the Osage, Cherokee and Creek Nations of Oklahoma surrounded by beautiful colors and patterns joined by rhythm and dance from tradition.”

Rainmaker Gallery; 12 June - 30 Sept, Tue-Fri, 10am - 6pm (Sat 10am - 5pm); www.rainmakerart.co.uk Artist talk with Yatika Starr Fields; 25 July, 3 - 4pm at Friends Meeting House, Bristol, BS6 6JE. Artist reception with Yatika Starr Fields; 25 July, 6 - 8pm at Rainmaker Gallery. UPFEST 2017; 29-31 July; www.upfest.co.uk

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30 June - 31 July

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

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom at Colston Hall; the legendary Mavis Staples at Rivertown; and Tristan & Yseult at Bristol Old Vic

Exhibitions U N TI L 6 AUG US T

THE STARS WERE ALIGNED FOR A CENTURY OF NEW BEGINNINGS Major solo exhibition by Egypt’s Basim Magdy – part of Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year programme. Note: this exhibition was due to finish in June but has been extended to August. Arnolfini; www.arnolfini.org.uk U N TI L 3 S E PT

SKELETONS: OUR BURIED BONES See how Bristolians lived thousands of years ago. Skeletons discovered in Bristol are on display alongside some

from the Museum of London. Uncover 2,000 years of history and fascinating stories of fairly gruesome injuries! M Shed; www. bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed U N TI L 4 SE PTEMBER

GLASS MICROBIOLOGY Luke Jerram’s extraordinary, jewel-like glass sculptures of eight deadly viruses; at The Box; www.at-bristol.org.uk

Theatre UNTIL 1 J ULY

JULIUS CAESAR Theatre legends Julian Glover and Lynn Farleigh perform with the hottest new talent from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in this contemporary production of Shakespeare’s most famous and powerful political drama; www.bristololdvic.org.uk

U N TI L 1 0 SE PT

MURDERED WITH STRAIGHT LINES: GARTH ENGLAND’S DRAWINGS OF BRISTOL First ever exhibition of Garth England’s drawings. Offers a rare glimpse into the mind of England, the milkman (1935-2014); www.architecturecentre.org.uk

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UNTIL 1 J ULY

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S COPPÉLIA A timeless classic from the golden age of classical ballet, Coppélia, with its lyrical, romantic music, stands alongside such classics as Swan Lake and The Sleeping

Beauty as one of the great works of the 19th century; Bristol Hippodrome; www. atgtickets.com/venues/bristolhippodrome 3 - 8 J ULY

DIRTY DANCING Heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing. Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. Featuring 35 (35?!) hit songs; Bristol Hippodrome; www.atgtickets.com/venues/ bristol-hippodrome

W H AT ’ S O N

ARTS

4 - 8 JULY

SHAKESPEARE’S WORST World premiere, written by four-time Emmy Awardwinning Simpsons writer Mike Reiss, Shakespeare scholar Nick Newlin and directed by Bristol’s fave director, Ed Viney. Stackpool Playhouse; www. bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk 4 - 1 5 J ULY

TRISTAN & YSEULT Cornish King Mark is at war: he rules with his head not his heart. But he hasn’t counted on falling head over heels for his enemy’s sister, or expected the arrival of the enigmatic Tristan. Seen through the eyes of the ‘Unloved’, Tristan & Yseult, the most successful and beloved of all Kneehigh’s shows, blends comedy, live music, grand passions and tender truths in an irresistible night of love. www.bristololdvic.org.uk 1 2 - 1 3 JULY

BEN AND HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM From the makers of Peppa Pig (oink oink) comes this BAFTA award-winning TV animation. Holly is a fairy, Ben is an elf and Gaston (great name!) is a ladybird. Find a kid and go along – you’ll love it! Bristol Hippodrome; www. atgtickets.com/venues/bristolhippodrome/ 1 3 - 1 4 JULY

WAVING GOODBYE An emotionally charged black comedy which asks fundamental questions about existence and our relationships with each other.. At the Alma Theatre; www.eventbrite.co.uk 1 5 J ULY

THE CARPENTERS STORY Claire Furley as Karen Carpenter, it includes the classics (They Long To Be) Close To You, We’ve Only Just Begun, Yesterday Once More, Top of the World, and many more! Bristol Hippodrome; www.atgtickets.com/venues/ bristol-hippodrome/ 1 9 - 2 2 JULY

LEGO BEACH BOV’s Made in Bristol project, now in its seventh year, is a 12-strong group of young people aged 18-25 from across the South West. This year’s group, INKBLOC ensemble, will

perform a brand-new piece of theatre at 1532 Performing Arts Centre this July. . www.bristololdvic.org.uk

Music 4 JU LY

STEVE WINWOOD The rock icon and two-time Grammy-winning multiinstrumentalist Steve Winwood plays Colston Hall in one of only two UK tour dates this July. www.colstonhall.org 1 3 JU LY

MERCURY REV & THE ROYAL NORTHERN SINFONIA Mercury Rev will be joined on stage by Simon Raymonde and the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a magical and intimate orchestral performance of music from across their catalogue. www.colstonhall.org 1 4 - 1 7 JU LY

RIVER TOWN Back for a third year, and under the brand-new name of River Town, this three-day event takes you to the heart of American music: blues, gospel, country and bluegrass from across the pond and closer to home. Three UK greats – Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe and Andy Fairweather Low – join forces in a rare trio performance while Martha Wainwright, Mavis Staples and The Shires

Top: The Outlook Orchestra; Above: The Spooky Men’s Chorale

also appear. The programme is presented by Colston Hall & St George’s Bristol. Check out our full piece on p26. www.colstonhall.org 21 J ULY

THE OUTLOOK ORCHESTRA + ROOTS MANUVA (LIVE SET) To celebrate its 150th anniversary,

Colston Hall presents a very special outdoor performance from The Outlook Orchestra, featuring some of the UK’s best musicians and a string of special guests live at the Lloyds Amphitheatre on Bristol Harbourside. This performance launches the Harbour Festival for 2017. www.colstonhall.org w

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ARTS

W H AT ’ S O N

Take a walk with Rob Wheeler to find out more about Bristol’s street art scene 26 JULY

SPOOKY MEN’S CHORALE Famed around the world for their raw vocal power, a dab touch of deadpan, improbable facial hair and an ill-matched set of hats, they have been wooing audiences throughout Australia, New Zealand and the UK for 15 years. “Highly theatrical, they veer from weird to touching and back again. Grown up entertainment in the best, most infantile way. Don’t miss an opportunity to see them,” says the Daily Telegraph; www.colstonhall.org

Other U N TI L 1 6 JULY

THE BRISTOL REFUGEE FESTIVAL A programme of arts, cultural and educational events across the city to celebrate the contribution of refugee, with highlights including the Paint a Star Children’s Project at Felix

Road Adventure Playground. For more information, visit www.bristolrefugeefestival.org U N TI L 7 JA N UAR Y 2018

THE JURASSIC GIANTS It’s 150 million years ago... and Bristol is a Jurassic ocean teeming with huge and terrifying creatures. The biggest and fiercest of them all was the pliosaur – and now you can see one of the world’s most complete pliosaur fossils. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery; www.bristolmuseums.org.uk 4 JU LY

BRISTOL STREET ART WALK Join local graffiti artist Rob Wheeler on a walking tour of some of the key sites in Bristol’s world-famous street art scene, past and present. Gain an insight into the development of the scene, some of the key players and events, and the politics and controversies surrounding the art form.

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

Rob will share his extensive knowledge and contagious passion, as well as getting you thinking, asking questions and looking to the future. The walk is at a gentle pace and suitable for participants of all levels of fitness. www.bristolmuseums.org. uk/m-shed 5 J ULY

ARCHITECTURE CENTRE TALK: NILS NORMAN Nils Norman will be discussing his Future Perfect public art commission for Hengrove in south Bristol. The project builds on his wider research into playgrounds, adventure play and city design, and how playgrounds from Tokyo to Copenhagen are being integrated as important elements in urban planning. www.arnolfini.org.uk UNTIL 3 SEP T

DINOMANIA The dinosaurs, which roamed the earth 85 million years ago, will be on show at Bristol Zoo.

Yes, 11 life-size animatronic dinosaurs have come to Briz from Texas to entertain y’all. www.dinomania.org.uk 12 J ULY

ARCHITECTURE CENTRE TALK: WHEN WE LIVED IN MODERN TIMES In this Architecture Centre event, Bristol City Council’s historic environment officer, Pete Insole, and author of Concretopia & Outskirts, John Grindrod, will give their take on the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between of twentieth century housing. www.arnolfini.org.uk

Sport UNTIL 18 J U LY

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP International cricket returns to The Brightside Ground in Bristol with the final stages of the ICC Women’s World Cup. www.gloscricket.co.uk

Somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brewing

Ferment Fortnight is about to kick off so we caught up with producer Emma Betteridge to talk about artist development at Bristol Old Vic By r ac h e l i fa ns

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

T H E AT R E

ARTS

It’s only after this stage that projects might be shown at Ferment Fortnight, at a very early stage of production, almost like an open rehearsal.

Above: Emma Betteridge, BOV Ferment producer; Left: previous Ferment Fortnight productions

erment is the name given to all artistic development that happens at Bristol Old Vic. Ferment Producer Emma Betteridge is at the helm, working in conjunction with artistic director Tom Morris who, along with chief executive Emma Stenning, first set up the idea of opening up the theatre production process and letting people come in and have a look at an early stage. For me Ferment is about enabling the artists we’re excited by to make the projects they’re excited by. It’s about finding ways to help them develop their work with the end result that the productions are put on in our spaces here.

WE’RE

INVESTING IN THE PROCESS

BEHIND MAKING A SHOW.

WE’RE ALLOWING THERE TO BE TIME AND SPACE AND

BREATH AROUND AN IDEA

Ferment is important because often projects are given funding for a year and then the funding goes again and there is no continuity. What we’re doing with Ferment is investing in the process behind making a show. We’re allowing there to be time and space and breath around an idea. When I started out I worked at the Edinburgh Fringe, at the Pleasance Theatre. The model there was to give people three weeks to put a play together, from start to production, and that is just insane! With Ferment I chat to a company or an artist about an idea and then spend a week in a rehearsal room thinking about it. It may be that the artist has a story but doesn’t know how to tell it. It may be that they have the music but no plot. At the end of the week we share the idea with the amazing people we have in Bristol, from promoters and producers in the city, to other theatres like Make, Theatre Bristol and Tobacco Factory Theatres. Depending on the outcome at that stage the process carries on or stops. I firmly believe that the development space is the space to fail. We also run artists’ retreats. We get together in the middle of nowhere – Tom Morris jokes about me having the keys to lots of big houses in the country! Maybe 10 artists each with their own projects… and we all come together at mealtimes to chat. There’s a range of genre and experience on the retreats and a real generosity of spirit.

Ferment Fortnight happens in January and July. It’s great because people turn up – it only costs a fiver – and I introduce the work explaining what feedback we’re after and then the audience writes down their thoughts and reactions at the end. Sometimes we chat about it in the bar too. Importantly it’s not a showcase where people are put up to be interrogated. It’s not a thing to be reviewed. Audiences don’t usually get access at this stage but all the big shows go through these processes – we just don’t know about it. War Horse, Curious Incident… sometimes it takes years to get a show on. If the idea then gets put into production it will likely be a year between the idea being born and it being shown in Bristol and possibly going on tour. I think artists have hundreds of ideas going round their heads at any one time, so when a project stops, if it doesn’t follow through, at any stage, that’s okay. Obviously I think Ferment is unique to Bristol. Framework at The Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter has a similar idea which allows artists to put one show on while working on development of another. The Rep Foundry in Birmingham is a year-long development and then there are places like Furnace at West Yorkshire Playhouse and the National Theatre’s New Work Department. Bristol has a really good artistic community and a bunch of artists who work together: there are actors, writers, video projectors, filmmakers, musicians, comedians, storytellers, spoken word artists, and choreographers and more. Last July the building started to change and we put things on the main theatre stage for the first time. Ordinarily it isn’t a safe environment to put artists at this stage on a big stage like this but the results were memorable. For instance, I remember Eurohouse by Bertand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas. It gave them space to play with and they really did use the space. At one point Nasi was in his pants at the top of the upper circle. Ridiculous! One of my first Ferment Fortnights was very memorable. It was Sue the Second Coming, a Christmas show. It was all about Sue thinking she was giving birth to the new Messiah (think Tim Minchin) and it went down an absolute storm. Emma Stenning, chief executive, stood up spontaneously at the end and shouted: “Betsy – [that’s what her and Tom call me] – I thought I’d hate that but I really enjoyed it!”. Come along to Ferment Fortnight this July we’ve got some great stuff on. We’re not inviting the theatre industry in to tear stuff apart – we are asking you, the audience to come, have a look and see what you think. www.bristololdvic.org.uk/ferment-fortnight-july-2017

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 25

MUSIC

ARTS

THE AMERICAN DREAM For a weekend in mid July, Bristol takes on a hot, dusty feel. Deep voices, consummate musicians, political passions and soulful love combine to form River Town

By C A R A D OG JON E S

eturning for the third year and with a brand new name – River Town – Bristol’s Americana weekend is still attracting the best in blues, gospel, country and bluegrass from across the pond and closer to home. This celebration is a dip-in-and-out type of festival with individual ticketed events rather than uber entry for the whole three-day extravaganza. A good idea, especially given the wide range of voices in the line-up. UK greats – Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe and Andy Fairweather Low – team up for a bit of American R&B, soul and country. They join the effervescent Martha Wainwright on the weekend’s roll call, and rub shoulders with R&B powerhouse, gospel legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples. Opening night sees The Shires in the main hall, joined by Ward Thomas, the first-ever UK country act to top the national album chart. In The Lantern, New Orleans’ Jon Cleary plays his funky pop tunes and is supported by alt-country blues singer-songwriter, Amythyst Kiah.

Jon Cleary, The Lantern Born in Kent but he’s lived in New Orleans for 30 years so Jon Cleary is expertly versed in the distinctive piano-led funk and R’n’B styles from that region. SATURDAY 15 JULY Martha Wainwright, Colston Hall. Known for her confessional writing style and distinctive voice – and certainly in her own right rather than sibling to a famous brother – Martha Wainwright’s fiery folk rock songs make for a compelling performance. Jim Lauderdale, and My Darling Clementine Dubbed the ‘songwriter’s songwriter’, having written for the likes of Elvis Costello and The Dixie Chicks, he is joined for the evening by a top act from this side of the Atlantic, My Darling Clementine.

THE BEST IN BLUES, GOSPEL, COUNTRY AND

STARS AND STRIPES: THE LINE-UP FOR THE WEEKEND

FRIDAY 14 JULY Carleen Anderson, St George’s Bristol For the launch concert of River Town Bristol’s Americana festival, she is performing Cage Street Memorial, a moving testament to Anderson’s gospel roots, and a personal journey from the Deep South, to the UK and thence to Bristol, where her musician son Bobby lives.

BLUEGRASS FROM ACROSS THE POND AND CLOSER TO HOME

The Shires & Ward Thomas, Colston Hall Britain’s answer to the classic Nashville style, these guys were a sellout last year and we welcome them back to the main stage this year with open arms. 26 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

SUNDAY 16 JULY Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack and Andy Fairweather Low, Colston Hall River Town features this revered trio for an eclectic evening of songs. Yola Carter, The Lantern After 15 years as a writer, producer and singer with artists such as Massive Attack, Chase & Status and Phantom Limb, Yola Carter has returned to her first love – country gospel and soul.

MONDAY 17 JULY Mavis Staples, Colston Hall Delivering powerful songs for the last 67 years, Mavis’s background is fascinating, having grown up in family band The Staples and then becoming deeply involved in American civil rights movements thanks to a close friendship between her father and Martin Luther King Jnr. www.colstonhall.org www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Clockwise: Ward Thomas; The Shires; Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack and Andy Fairweather Low; Jon Cleary; and Martha Wainwright

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 27

l o t S i r B t r a T s e M o h A Be ! r E e t n U l o V Start Bristol, you’ll be a When you volunteer for Home m get back on their feet lifeline for a family: helping the d to cope in the future. and develop the skills they nee ndent registered charity Home Start Bristol is an indepe h at least one child under supporting struggling families wit s and carefully match five. We recruit and train volunteer them with local families.

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REVIEWS

The VERDICT From the sublime to the ridiculous, a pioneering all-female Medea meets on the page with a bells-and-whistles Gangsta Granny. Eclectic Bristol on steroids… CHINO ODIMBA’S MEDEA (SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR WOMEN ONLY)

More cabbage soup, anyone?

Bristol Old Vic, 26 May

As a feminist, it was a joy for me to be in a women-only audience at an all-female production of Medea at the Bristol Old Vic. Playwright, Chino Odimba’s fresh take on Euripides’ story weaves a modern day Maddy with her 2,000 year old ancestor, Medea. Both stories tell of women whose purpose has been to further their husbands’ careers. Once the husbands are elevated (thanks in part to their dedicated wives) they leave for younger women. Both modern day Maddy and ancient Medea are destroyed by the betrayal and utterly consumed by fury and taking the ultimate revenge. The young cast of six were superb; I particularly enjoyed the chorus who sang beautifully, accompanied only by their own clicking fingers, stamping feet and slapping chests. Moving as one, they brought Medea to life, expressed the women’s shock and outrage at their betrayal and sang a powerful ode to the power of women making history. An Old Vic first: an all-female theatre for one night only

The sets, lighting and sound design were striking, effective and eloquently employed. White painted sheets evoked Greek archways, columns and doorways while a bold, white staircase lead into the recess of Medea’s house and ultimately, to heaven. The play was followed by a panel of amazing women: particularly poignant was Naomi Paxton who is studying suffragette propaganda plays: she pointed out that 100 years ago, a theatre full of women would have been an act of defiance, terrifying many men. She reminded us that we, the women in the room are powerful: unlike Medea and Maddy, we have agency and, if we want it, independence, authority and influence. By Holly Tarquini, Bath Film fest director, F-Rating Founder

DAVID WALLIAMS’ GANGSTA GRANNY

Bristol Hippodrome, 29 May – 3 June

Ben hates spending every Friday night at his Granny’s house. For one thing, she’s boring. And there’s the cabbage soup and cabbage cake to contend with. The opening scene of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny will be familiar to anyone who’s read the original children’s book or watched the

BBC Christmas special, which brought the characters to our screens back in 2013. The latest step in Walliams’ seemingly unstoppable march towards world domination takes place on stage - and brings with it his distinctive larger-than-life style and panache. Half-play, half-pantomime, the show started a little slowly (mirroring Ben’s tedious Friday evenings) but soon ramped up the action, helped by clever set design that kept the gap between scenes down to seconds. One scene that really stood out, where Granny revealed her secret life as an international jewel thief, had exotic animals and lords chasing through her kitchen and round the nearby streets. Throughout, the story built up into an exciting final heist and culminated in a dance-along led by Queen Elizabeth. The loudest laughs came from younger primary school aged children, thanks to copious fart gags and a slow-motion mobility scooter chase scene that had them LOLing in the aisles. That’s not to say older children (and adults) didn’t enjoy it as well. Our reviewing panel (ages 10 and 12) were captivated throughout the two-hour show and gave it a final score of ‘a very funny nine out of ten’. By Adam Ifans www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 29

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Fashion/gifts/stores/more

HERE COMES THE SUNFLOWER

We’ll come clean. We absolutely L.O.V.E. this new range from Bristol-based Hannah Turner. It’s retro, it’s cheerful and it’s stylish. Although the bright yellow florals are summery, we think this range of fabric and tableware will work all year round. And, lined up on the shelf, we can imagine the big round heads swivelling on their long stems to follow your sunny self around the room while you’re cooking. Designer Hannah Turner started her business in 1991 after a sell-out degree show at Bristol University. She is passionate about 1950s and 1960s patterns and many of her bright and bold designs are reminiscent of mid-century pottery. The apron costs £20.99, the oven gloves £23.99 and the tableware ranges from £12.99 to £34.99. www.hannahturner.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 31

SHOPPING

ED’S CHOICE 2

FESTIVAL CHIC 3

HOW TO PACK FOR A PARTY. BE PREPARED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM* (*LITERALLY)

1. GLOW ON THE GO

2. KIT BAG, CUTE BAG

3. BOG STANDARD

4. PINCH YOURSELF, YOU’RE

5. TAKE THE DAY OFF

Glow tee, £15 Use the UV keyring included with this top to draw onto the glow canvas and watch the doodle fade slowly. It’s for kids but goes up to a boy’s size 14. From www. fiveboysclothing.com

Weekend bag, £45 It’s navy blue and features JUNK embroidery. Grab one and stuff it full of everything on this page. From www. houseofjunkclothing.com

Who gives a crap toilet roll, £1 per roll You may want to take your own plush toilet roll to the party. It will slip in your bag and save you strife when you need it. Makers of these cutesy rolls give 50% of profits to build toilets for those in need. From www. uk.whogivesacrap.org

NOT DREAMING

Wipes, £3.30 Green Tea & Aloe Vera wipes to get rid of make-up and clean up before you bed down for the night. From Amphora Aromatics, 36 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6LA; www.aaskincare.co.uk

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

Weekender kit, £16.50 This Pinch Provisions minimergency bag is for girls but there is a boy’s one too. Neat, cute and practical with 17 beauty, personal care and style essentials. From Harvey Nichols; www.harveynichols.com

8 7

6. IN YOUR FACE, INFACE

7. HERE COMES THE

8.WHAT A TONIC!

9. MY NO. 1 FAN

10. THESE BOOTS WERE

Shades, £95 These Inface sunglasses from Denmark are a great neutral that match any outfit. They really suit the festival vibe we think. From Lunar Optical, 291 Gloucester Road; www.lunaroptical.com

RAIN AGAIN

Gin water bottle, £24.95 Rehydrate undercover with this water-bottle-in-a-ginslip by Tatty Devine. Your mates will be confused and amused. From The Pod Company, 24 The Mall, Clifton; www.podcompany.co.uk

Ice cream fan, £12 Ace portable face fan for cooling down when shade is scarce. Accessories are everything, darling. From Mon Pote, 177-179 North Street; www.monpote.co.uk

MADE FOR…

Waterproof, £75 Made by Danish brand, Rains, these are 100% waterproof and welded on the seams. If you pack this it definitely won’t rain! From Movement, Alma Road; www. movementboutique.co.uk

Wellies, £34.99 These wellies are comfy and don’t cost the earth. Wading through mud in flipflops is NOT cool so don’t risk it. From Marcruss, 177-181 Hotwells Road; www.marcrussoutdoors. com

www.mediaclash.co.uk II CLIFTON BRISTOL LIFE LIFE II 33 www.mediaclash.co.uk 69

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Open all hours Whiteladies Road is one of those long roads that easily turns from high street to high life with its eclectic mix of indie shops, cafĂŠs, bars and restaurants By Bi ba f ry

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

STREET LIFE

Clockwise: The Boys Who Sew own Whittaker Wells; a gifty paradise at Movement; Tradewind - many people say it’s the best coffee in town

I HAVE VIVID MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD AS MY MUM WOULD BRIBE US TO BEHAVE WHILE SHE POKED AROUND THE FURNITURE

SHOPS

tart at the top at dawn, the Elysium fields of the Downs stretching out behind you and work your way down the hill through a serene world that seems to consist of beautifully turned-out interior design shops, through the hustle and bustle of Clifton Down where you can spend an afternoon searching the shops, and then into the strip of bars that lead to the Triangle. As you stride down the hill, a crowd gathers behind you and if you time it right you’ll all hit the bars in time for a cocktail.

Victorian elegance. It’s a real blast from the past for me as I have vivid memories of my childhood as my mum would bribe us to behave while she poked around the furniture shops on Whiteladies in return for a visit to a toy shop that used to be up there called Dawsons (and a go on Slidey Rock if we were really good). Now what draws my eye are places like Sofa Library (no. 56-60), a great local firm that specialises in made-to-measure sofas although it also stocks lots in store too. And The Boys Who Sew, course! Whittaker Wells (no. 157) is such an inspirational place to be when choosing fabrics, paints and wallcoverings, especially the room with liberal paint splashes on the walls. Raft Furniture (no. 68) is another good store, the Whiteladies branch being its newest addition. It goes beyond sofas to general furniture for all rooms in the house and the garden, and its ‘thing’ is really its use of reclaimed teak (wood which has originally been used for something else – perhaps part of a building, a bridge or even ship decking – which is no longer needed and so can be recycled to be made into a beautiful piece of furniture). Kitchens are covered by KutchenHaus in Clifton Down Shopping Centre – German-made and with a summer sale when I strolled by this week. If you’re looking to buy, the area is unsurprisingly well-catered-for by estate agents. Fine and Country (no. 147), Clifton Estate Agents (no. 195-197) and Haart (no. 104) always draw my eye as I amble past, the former ticking my aspirational box, the second often having unusual and individual houses in its window and the last covering lettings. If you decide to take the plunge, AMD Solicitors (no. 137) is long established in Bristol and works with both businesses and individuals, covering all areas of the law. 

A COFFEE TO START THE DAY

If you need a coffee to kick start you, or a bacon and egg bap, go BTP. The Boston Tea Party (no. 97) started off the American War of Independence so it’s only right that the indie vibe should be alive and kicking in this thriving local café. It is as familiar to Bristolians as the masts of the SS Great Britain or the coloured houses of Totterdown. Its friendliness welcomes everyone – adults, kids, dogs and even students! – and the food is super tasty. There are five branches in Bristol but this one, with its open front, is particularly nice. Right, time to crack on. Shall we start with the groceries, present buying, house stuff or a bit of admin?

HOME TO ROOST

Whiteladies is great place to spend money on your house. The road itself is surrounded by fantastic period villas and still gives off a feel of www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 39

STREET LIFE

I think that’s enough paperwork. Is it time for coffee again? If so, famed far and wide in Bristol as having the best coffee in the city (*ducks and runs for cover from irate caffeinistas*), you must go to Tradewind (no. 118). The food is as awesome as the coffee and it really brings out the evangelist in local regulars. So, let’s have a look at your shopping list. I think I can help you with most items on there. Chandos Deli (no. 121) has some wonderful cakes, salads, breads and counter items, as well as special preserves, booze and bits and bobs on the shelves. Papadeli is a long-time favourite of mine. Its packed shelves are full of mouthwatering morsels as are the ones in Divino Deli stocking a wide range of quality cured meats, cheeses, olives and antipasti, oils and vinegars,

wines, liquors and dry foods imported direct from Italy. You’ll have to turn off the main drag in to Worral Rd for Divino and Alma Rd for Papadeli. For choice cuts of meat, I go to Ruby and White (no. 48). It’s a BEAUTIFUL shop (always say it in caps, because it really is) and its meat is a cut above. The names of the shop derives from two rare cattle breeds, the Ruby Red Devon and the British White. Gifts now. There are many shops the road – and for a while there quite a few were unoccupied but I’ve noticed that’s not the case now – and plenty to choose from if you’re in the market for gifts and treats. I’m including Movement Boutique which is admittedly in Alma Road but it’s such a great place. It’s run by sisters Marcelle and Leah and, as proud indie traders, they stock an eclectic and well-picked range of womenswear, menswear, accessories, jewellery, apothecary and homeware. So, it should tick your boxes. Unless you’re after books, that is, in which case Clifton Bookshop (no. 84) could be for you.

Clockwise: Ruby and White butchers; Papadeli’s treats; POLPO’s Venetian plates; The Ox Clifton and some of the local businesses in Clifton Down Shopping Centre

INTO NIGHT…

CHILLED.

Okay, the sun has dropped. Cue aperitifs: I advise the hidden-away cocktail joint called On Her Majesty’s Service on Whiteladies Gate – great drinks, great menu and a lot of fun. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the barman’s poem: “I see Bristol sippin’ drinks I make, Gettin’ all loose on what I shake. I got drinks in owls, wellies and bells. Anything fun, that’s what sells.” He’s right, you know. Get down there. Brace and Browns (no. 43) is another option. It’s a bar and kitchen known for its tapas deals but it’s the sun terrace that should attract 40 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

[HAUSBAR IS] A SPEAKEASY-

TYPE JOINT. IT’S CLASSY AND COOL BUT

I’D BOOK A TABLE TO BE

SURE

STREET LIFE

you as dusk approaches. (By the way, if you’re not up for a big one, succumb to the Everyman Cinema after a glass or two.) Whiteladies has so much to offer the evening crowd but I’m going to plump for my favourite five summer eateries or else I would never stop. Firstly, POLPO Bristol (no. 50) is a bacaro, a Venetian restaurant serving small plates of simple (TASTY!) food and good young Italian wines. Bosco Pizzeria (no. 96) is as different to the bulky cheese-stuffed-crust pizzas of the 1980s as you can get. It serves up Neapolitan bases with the tastiest toppings. The Bosco itself is one of my favourites – a sumptuous version of a plain cheese-and-tomato. Simple but effective and everyone I know in Bristol is a fan of this place. River Cottage Canteen in St John’s Court is in a place of architectural splendour and enjoys a great atmosphere too. It’s a 19th century church complete with stained-glass windows and high ceilings, and it serves up all the seasonal and fresh food you’d expect from River Cottage. My last choice is The Ox Clifton (no. 96A) which gets rave reviews for its meaty menus. Steak is at the heart of everything this local company does but that doesn’t mean there aren’t fish and veggie options there too. It’s got a lovely feel too whether it’s brunch, lunch or dinner time. Just before we end this exploration of Whiteladies Road and how it caters for all, from beauty clinics at the bottom to interiors at the top, I’d like to point you in the direction of Hausbar for a nightcap. Hidden away under the Rajpoot (yes, it’s right at the top if you’re wending your way in that direction – 52 Upper Belgrave Rd), it’s a speakeasy-type joint. It’s classy and cool but chilled. I’d book a table to be sure. One for the road? Whiteladies Road, that is. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 41

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

Renowned through Bristol for its coffee – and for good reason

TAKE FIVE

Get Patrick Grant-Sturgis from Tradewind on Whiteladies Road talking about coffee and food and his passion shines through How and why did your business begin? My wife Tahimoana and myself started Tradewind Espresso because we both come from a food and hospitality background: cafés and restaurants, and for the previous decade, crewing on yachts. It seemed reasonable to play to our strengths in a project closer to home, particularly with the prospect of starting a family. Having travelled many coffee-growing regions we were keen specialise in quality coffee alongside a modern café brunch menu typical of NZ and Australia, where I am originally from. Where is the business now? Our café is going strong as a specialist independent, much loved by local residents, as well as attracting interest from further afield. What are you especially proud of? I like the fact that we are considered to be one of the best coffee joints in Bristol, with an equally strong menu. We are known for certain specialities such as our homemade almond milk which we press every morning. I think we’re the only café doing that! 44 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

What makes Tradewind special? We try to do everything in-house, so very little is made off site. This means our produce is fresh and we can be creative with our menu, changing ingredients and our baked offerings to suit a seasonal ingredient or for pure indulgence. We roast our own coffee, so can develop profiles which appeal to our customer base, and importantly offer our customers really highquality coffee, which other establishments possibly couldn’t afford, or would want to. We manage to absorb some of those costs in order to serve consistently great coffee. Do you see the trend for speciality coffee waning? Not at all. I think people are becoming more discerning if anything in their appreciation of good coffee. Tell us a bit about your food offering? Our menu is a fresh, vibrant take on modern café food, which draws inspiration from wholefoods and healthy living as well as different world regions. We love some of the classic café dishes and will usually

reinvent them with different herbs and spices or garnishing, which give the dishes a new lease of life, and the added bonus of appealing to a broad customer group - the dishes are familiar but new and interesting.

www.tradewindespresso.com

FOOD & DRINK

A PIE FOR A PIE

A Pie for a Pie is Pieminister’s 2017 charity campaign

Pie-hard lovelies, Pieminister, have joined forces with UKHarvest to create a summer-long campaign called A Pie for a Pie. UKHarvest is on a mission to eliminate hunger and food waste through the redistribution of surplus food and Pieminister has pledged to donate 10,000 pies to help them. Every time anyone eats one of the three new summer pies, Pieminister will donate another pie to UKHarvest. Pieminister is a family business that strives to be as responsible and ethical as possible. Every summer Pieminister launches a campaign in support of a chosen charity. In recent years, Pieminister has funded 30 farms in Western Kenya for Send a Cow, planted a Pieminister forest of over 57,000 trees in Northern Malawi and raised over £5,000 for Shelter, the Housing & Homelessness Charity. Pieminister also supports hundreds of local and national initiatives, donating over 20,000 pies to good causes in 2016 as part of their on-going ‘Little Acts of Pie-ness’. www.pieminister.co.uk/restaurants www.ukharvest.org.uk

FLAVOURS OF THE SOUTH Asado opened mid June on Colston Street. Cooked over an oak-fired grill called an asado, which is the South American word for BBQ, burgers are made from a blend of cuts of beef from organic Devon farm Higher Hacknell, paired with flavours such as chimichurri, pancetta BBQ onion, and chunky guacamole and chipotle mayo. As well as the meat, there will be seasonal specials, sides and vegetarian options such as the Señor Veggie – a buttermilk fried roasted red pepper and mozzarella patty served in a brioche bun with pesto mayo and salad. Aslo rosemary chips and courgette fritters with spicy lime mayo, Responsible for these mouth-watering descriptions is chef Lucien Gordon who has recently moved back to Bristol from London where he was a chef at the renowned burger restaurant Patty & Bun.

Asado burgers are not just beefy ones

www.asadobristol.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Look at the size of those platters on the left!

GET YOUR CLAWS OUT Photos by LOR A ENGLISH

The kitchen at The Old Butcher’s on North Street is now Carol’s Crab Kitchen. Flavours of the Deep South, Vietnam and beyond grace the bold menu in Bristol’s first ever crab kitchen, including dishes like soft shell crab burgers, gumbo, Carol’s crab cakes, wings and sharing trays, sides of triple cooked corn on the cob, sweetcorn chowder fries, pickled popcorn shrimp, and deepfried pickled shitake mushrooms. The new place comes from the awesome combo of Carol Whitworth and Des Rogers from Doreen Doreen, The Old Bookshop owner Ben Gatt and the new head chef Nick Delgado.

MUNCH BUNCH

Casamia’s food takes some beating

Carol says: “Crab is in my DNA. I was brought up in the North East of England and every Saturday in the summer my father used to cycle 3 miles to NewbigginBy-The-Sea to buy a stone of live crabs from the local fishermen. He’d bring the sack home and tip out the contents into the bath and together we used to clean and prepare the crabs. “So when Ben contacted me to be part of his vision for North Street, I jumped at the chance. I love that we’ve worked together to create a menu of recipes from my travels with crab taking centre stage.” www.facebook.com/theoldbutchersbristol

ON THE UP

CityMunch is an Old Street-based startup which operates in London, Bath and now Bristol. Its app allows customers to get discounts on indie restaurants. The company, which is backed by JustEat, has launched a Mid Week Munch Club, giving foodies in Bristol huge discounts of up to 50% off between 6 and 8pm on Wednesday evenings. Local favourites such as Thali Cafe and Pizzarova are among the first partners.

Casamia came in sixth place in the prestigious 2017 National Restaurant Awards. The Redcliffe gem is the first Bristol restaurant to make it into the top 10. Other local eateries to feature on the list were Cotham restaurant Bulrush (29th), the Pony & Trap in Chew Magna (74th) and Box-E in Cargo 1 at Wapping Wharf (85th). In addition, local chef Jamie Randall from Adelina Yard was flagged up in the ‘chef to watch’ category. All these accolades combined send out a clear message about Bristol’s food pedigree - the quality of food on offer in and around the city is at an all-time high.

www.citymunchapp.com

www.nationalrestaurantawards.co.uk

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Nutmeg Event: Wine & food pairing event to be held on 6th July with a menu based on the Tamil Nadu region of India. Tickets available from foozie.co.uk

10 The Mall | Clifton | BS8 4DR | 0117 360 0288 info@nutmegbristol.com | www.nutmegbristol.com

P UB • R ES TAUR A N T

The Ashville, 15 Leigh Street, Bristol BS3 1SN • Tel: 0117 939 6897 • Email: info@theashville.co.uk www.theashville.co.uk

“Clifton bistro serving moderately priced rustic cuisine” Wed – Sat: A la carte from 6pm Tues Night Special: 2 course set menu £18.50. Sun: Roasts served from 12pm Fri – Sat Lunch: A la carte & 2 course set menu from 12pm Closed Mondays.

Your intimate neighbourhood Bistro for every Celebration

3 Private Dining areas seating 8 – 22 guests. Perfect for family, friends or somewhere special for this year's Christmas party. www.shop3bistro.co.uk 3a Regent Street. 0117 382 2235

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

R E S TA U R A N T & H O T E L

FOOD

Backwell House

A wonderful place to hide away, wine and dine, romance, party, chat, bathe and snooze. The restorative powers of this new hotel and restaurant are not to be sniffed at By R AC H E L I FA NS

have a dysfunctional relationship with hotels. I yearn to get away from it all so I search the internet for an undiscovered gem. I agonise about the cost of one night away just to escape the rigours of life. I want so much to find perfection. Eventually I book and turn up full of hope and unrealistic expectations. I plonk down on the bed, satisfied for maybe five minutes before the voices in my head start. What a lot of money. Is it really worth it? I could have flown to Malaga for a week for the same money. Hang on a minute, are they ripping me off? So. At least I acknowledge I have a problem and it at least gives you some insight into how I felt when, on General Election night, myself and my husband decided to hide away from it all for 24 hours. (The telly wasn’t supposed to go on AT ALL but I’ll not dwell on that small detail, it’s water under the bridge.) Backwell House is just 15 minutes drive from Bristol. It’s a 19th century house which has recently been renovated and offers nine comfy bedrooms and a restaurant in which customers can take a restorative break. So far so overdone bolthole? Well, actually this place is different. As I lie in my copper rolltop bath I mull over why and I can only really describe it thus. It’s the real deal. It doesn’t have the cheapskate corner-cut feel of a chain (even small chains fall prey to this, imho), it doesn’t have the faux-filmstar feel of some uber-cool hidey-holes. And it does have bags of character and, dare I say it, passion behind it, making it so different to the soulless places that leave you with an inexplicable blankness. From my bath I can see massive trees blowing in the wind outside, edging the walled garden. (I could be watching Netflix on the discreet wall-mounted screen, but I’ve already said about the telly pact.) I can hear moo-ing cows just outside. I look around the room and it’s so perfectly appointed I find myself looking for flaws. The décor is not over the top in any way and it’s a great balance of country, modern and quirky. It seems to have a lot of integrity somehow and it’s when we meet Guy Williams, the manager, that it becomes clear why. Guy is a surveyor-turned-property-developer, although the corporate sounding nature of that sentence does him a disservice. He renovated a couple of flats in Clifton while living in his van and now, thanks to an improbable meeting with the owner of Backwell House, he has renovated this

AS I LIE IN MY

COPPER ROLLTOP BATH I MULL OVER WHY THIS PLACE

IS DIFFERENT AND I CAN ONLY

REALLY

DESCRIBE IT THUS. IT’S THE REAL DEAL

beauty from top to bottom beautifully. Each bedroom is individually styled, Guy has been hands on every step of the way, down to making much of it himself, like the painstaking parquetry running the length of the bar or the chunky tables in the restaurants made from old parquet flooring and shelves from old floorboards. The structure of the house has been changed, the incredible plasterwork renovated, the cottage garden created. He’s now moving on to the pool out back and developments like cinema and ski-lodge-style bar in the basement, and the plan is to convert a neighbouring house into another 13 rooms, a move I hope won’t change the intimate nature of this, dare-I-say-it, gem. The man with the midas touch seems to have hired well with his head chef too. Guy hopes that Ross Hunter’s food will get them a name locally because dining trade is as important to the place as the hotel crowd. “Well, see what you think anyway,” he says in his charming and modest way, as he makes himself scarce. The menu is well priced. First we are treated to an amuse-bouche plate, the star of which is the reconstructed BLT. A half heart of lettuce topped with the tastiest fired breadcrumbs and smoky bacon cubes with dabs of tomato sauce. I skip a starter but share my husband’s Pressed Backwell Pork with peas and broad beans and the most wonderful curl of scratching on top. I opt for the 60-day sirloin with ox cheeks, oyster mushrooms and alliums for my main course. The beef is melty in the mouth and mercifully sensibly-proportioned and the whole plate is faultless. My husband chooses Cornish cod, Brixham crab bourbon, with crab bisque, kohirabi and pak choi on the side. The cod is perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The bisque is not too overpowering, and the choice of veg delivers a good green kick to balance the strength of the bisque. And to finish we share a wonderful pudding. Taking inspiration from Eton Mess, the mix of Cheddar Valley strawberries and two types of meringues sets off the strawberry cannelloni. I kid you not, it was strips of strawberry jelly wrapped around ovals of Chantilly cream and it was delicious. The flair and ambition of the chef showing through with touches of excellence like this, I remember thinking I don’t think the food will be this reasonable for long. We sit at a table by the window and periodically stare out at the expanse of green in front as the early summer sun goes down. A manicured lawn in the near distance gives way to a wilder meadow and then, thanks to a bit of a ha-ha effect, the sunken main road at the end of road doesn’t interrupt the long view to the green hills in the distance. Talk about therapeutic. My dysfunctional relationship with hotels might be cured, thanks to my escape to Backwell House. I urge you to do the same, and don’t wait until the next Election to do so!

DINING DETAILS Farleigh Road, Bristol. BS48 3QA; Tel: 0117 325 1110; www.backwellhouse.co.uk Prices: Rooms from £95 to £245 per night, all including breakfast. Food: 2 courses £24.50; 3 courses £30 Menu: Really imaginative menu with three choices per course. One veggie option for starter and main course. Food is as locally sourced as possible Atmosphere: Relaxed, country, no pomp. Friendly, eager and fun!

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now open in clifton village 29 Regent Street, Bristol BS8 4HR 01179 092 770 â&#x20AC;˘ info@boscoclifton.co.uk www.boscopizzeria.co.uk

FOOD

HARBOURSIDE

It’s not just food at Cargo 2: we’ve got the full lowdown here 54 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

THE SHIPPING NEWS HARBOURSIDE

FOOD

A quick tour around the new development of container cubes in Bristol is a breath of fresh air

SALT & MALT

CUPP BUBBLE TEA

SPUNTINO

It almost needs no introduction. Tales of wonder have been wafting up from Chew Valley for years but now Josh Eggleston has brought his salt-and-vinegary heaven to harbourside.

The drink you chew – no really, it is! Tea, milk or fruit and chewy tapioca pearls which are shaken together to form a bubbly foam on top of the drink.

Small plates of Italian-influenced New York comfort food.

GOPAL’S CURRY SHACK

Artisan ices, waffles, crepes and more. Simples.

OLIVER’S ICE CREAM

Vibrant Indian street food, both veggie and vegan. Feel-good food getting top marks for colour and taste.

THE BRISTOL CHEESEMONGER

THE PICKLED BRISKET

A wide selection of yum and a dollop of scrumptious, this place has loads of cheese, wine and preserves.

If you’ve been to a festival or foodie market, you’ll have seen these guys. But now, the salt beef bar has a container to call home.

HARBOUR & BROWNS Brace & Browns on Whiteladies takes to the docks. A lovely café.

TARE A tasty collaboration between Bristol chefs Jes Rowly and Matt Hampshire. The pedigree promises much.

CARGO CANTINA

BIG JUICE

Fun and foodie taco bar inspired by the cantinas of Mexico City.

JOHN KELLY 1880

Nutritional, freshly-prepared fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies.

THE ATHENIAN

Design-led jewellery, silverware, metalware and miscellanea. What a cool descriptor, hey? Attracting magpies by the dozen.

LOOP MASSAGE

This place is new to Bristol and serves souvlaki, a pitta wrap filled with grilled meat or cheese or mushrooms.

MABBOO Bamboo for the bold! Cool products from soft socks and pants to fab shades and other accessories.

“An oasis of calm away from our sometimes hectic city”.

PURE YOGA A larger container unit to allow for reaaaalllly long stretches.

SHOLAY From the team at award-winning Mint Room, pan-Indian sharing platters are the order of the day. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 55

AWESOME

SAUCE Internet slang defines ‘awesome sauce’ as something really exceptional. Not only is Gingerbread’s Loco Hot Sauce really good, it’s also a great example of how Bristol’s circular economy is booming By L AU R I E K I NG

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

LOCAL HEROES

I Top: Harry and Ben and the allimportant sauce; above: Steph is a director at the Real Ecomony, a food network in Bristol that is an alternative to supremarkets

n today’s globalised world, localising our food systems and economy are important steps towards being a stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant city – and what better way to bring about change than through eating delicious local food and by sharing meals together. I met up with Harry Calvert, Mary Conway, Ben Harvey and Steph Wetherell, local people who are doing their part to protect and strengthen Bristol’s local food networks to find out more. I met Harry outside the Canteen in Stokes Croft for a drink of local ale on a sunny day in spring. Harry is the owner and the face of GingerBeard’s Preserves, an innovative and progressive small local business who were shortlisted for the Bristol Life Awards 2017. We talked about the local economy, Bristol Pounds and the food scene in Bristol – then rather animatedly he told me about his new Jalapeño Loco Hot Sauce. This hot sauce was not just a hot sauce, I decided, it seemed to represent the importance of the collaborations and relationships made between local businesses. I imagined Harry and Ben, who runs Pasta Loco in Cotham Hill with his cousin Dominic, laughing together over a steaming pot in Harry’s kitchen, experimenting with flavours for the new Jalapeño Hot Sauce. This hot sauce, Ben explained, was going to go smack bang in the middle of the tables at his restaurant, stamping a firm mark of Bristol solidarity. “Pasta Loco pays tribute to our Italian heritage, but at the same time celebrates that we were Bristol born and bred” Ben explains, showing me around the interior of the smart but edgy restaurant that his father renovated.

FOOD

The story of this Jalapeño Loco Hot Sauce, is exactly what the Bristol Pound is all about too: forming connections between businesses in the city and keeping the money and products circulating locally. Harry gets the fresh herbs from Mary at the Purple Patch Farm in Boiling Wells, St Werburghs, processes them in his Bristol kitchen, then supplies Ben who serves it at his restaurant. This seems like an obvious way to do business, but it’s surprising how many chain restaurants import their fresh herbs from other countries. Meanwhile, the Real Economy, a Bristol-wide food network which provides an alternative to supermarkets, is another outlet for local producers and growers. Steph, a director of the not-for-profit organisation, explains that most of their suppliers that they use come within a 50-mile radius of Bristol. Members of the Real Economy purchase their weekly shopping online which gets delivered to a Food Club in their neighbourhood every Thursday. A third of the members of the Real Economy pay for their shopping in Bristol Pounds and all the producers are paid in the local currency. “Paying our suppliers in Bristol Pounds ensures the money goes to the right people and doesn’t leave the city through supermarket chains and multinationals”, Steph tells us. So, whether you use your Bristol Pounds for a meal at Pasta Loco, to order food from the Real Economy, or when you find one of Harry’s products in your local organic shop, Bristol has lots of choice for people to eat food that they can trust has been grown and produced locally.

THIS HOT SAUCE SEEMED TO REPRESENT THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN LOCAL BUSINESSES

Laurie King is from Bristol Pound; bristolpound.org

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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

WE ARE FOOD! Chefs, food growers, retailers, farmers, and representatives from community groups and businesses gathered on 9 June at City Hall to plan Bristol’s food future. Speakers included Aine Morris, creative director for Bristol Food Connections who talked about the essential role that food can play in bringing communities together. She was followed by Carolyn Steel, author of Hungry City who spoke about the historical challenges of feeding ourselves, of the connections between cities and the countryside. She said, “We are an urban species. We think like an urban species but we operate in the natural world.” Food for thought all round!

Bristol food community gathers for We Are Food conference

Lynne Davis founder of Street Goat

Jo Ingleby, head chef at Redcliffe Children’s Centre

Joe Wheatcroft, owner of Source Food Hall

Ari Cantwell, Adrian Kirikmaa and Josh Eggleton 60 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Negat Hussein from the organisation Refugee Women of Bristol

A rapt audience

SOCIETY The two award sponsors (left) join Nick Vaughan from Alec French and Bernard Conroy from Arup

AWARDS FOR BRISTOL BUILDINGS

Host of the night, Marcus Brigstocke

Bristol architects firm Alec French Architects picked up two awards at the recent 2017 Michelmores Property Awards, on 15 June, which celebrates outstanding property and construction projects in Bristol, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall. Wapping Wharf - Phase 1, on Bristol’s harbourside, was the winner of Residential Project of the Year 41 Units and Over and the refurbishment of Bristol’s Grade II listed City Hall was named Public Project of the Year. Photos by Matt Austin www.mattaustinimages.co

Awrad sponsor (left) joins (L-R) Sam Clarke from Arup, Nigel Dyke from Alec French Architects and Richard Cuttell from Gardiner Theobald

GOING ‘ABOVE AND BEYOND’

Who will take home the trophies?

Penny Parsons, Cedric Nash, Richard Esler and Lesley Nash

Above and Beyond, the charity which fundraises for Bristol city centre hospitals, has hit its £6m Golden Gift Appeal fundraising target. The money raised by donors, fundraisers, corporate partners and charitable trusts has helped to transform the Bristol Haemotology and Oncology Centre and Bristol Royal Infirmary and has improved the facilities and environment for patients for generations to come. A night to thank donors took place on 20 June at BRI.

Neil Evans and Lesley Alexander

Cloe Yallop, Emma Brokenbrow and Larissa Willimott

Drummond Forbes, Sarah Talbot-Williams and Anne Nisbet

Charles Lucas and Chris Monk

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a d v ertisi n g feat u re L E G A L

Ilott V Mitson – The final verdict! Sarah Burgess of AMD Solicitors discusses the recent Supreme Court Appeal of Ilott v Mitson

he case of Ilott v Mitson is about a daughter’s claim against her late mother’s estate despite being estranged for 26 years. Melita Jackson (the deceased) and her daughter (Heather Ilott) fell out when Heather, aged 17, left home in the middle of the night to elope with a boy that her mother strongly disapproved of. Melita never really forgave her daughter even though Heather later married and had five children with her childhood sweetheart. Melita Jackson made her last Will and Testament in April 2002 leaving the majority of her £486,000 to several animal charities, expressly excluding her daughter. Melita felt so strongly about excluding her only daughter that she left instructions that her executors must defend any claims against her estate.

Court Judgments

• In the first instance, Mrs Ilott was successful and awarded £50,000. Mrs Ilott appealed the amount and the charities appealed the decision. • The Court of Appeal awarded Mrs Ilott the sum of £143,000 plus an option to draw down a further £20,000 at will. The award was calculated so that Mrs Ilott could purchase her home from the housing association and so as not to disrupt her right to state benefits. The charities appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. • On 15 March 2017, the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal decision and re-instated the original judgment from 12 years earlier which awarded Mrs Ilott £50,000.

Before bringing an inheritance claim, any potential claimants should obtain professional legal advice regarding the merits of their claim and be willing to engage in alternative dispute resolution to avoid costly (and lengthy!) litigation proceedings. BL

Supreme Court Judgment Sarah Burgess of AMD Solicitors

The terminology used in the legislation is flexible, for example ‘maintenance’ usually means what is sufficient to meet everyday expenses but this varies depending on personal circumstances. The court confirmed that maintenance cannot extend to ‘any or every thing which it would be desirable for the claimant to have’. Some of the main points we can take from the judgement are: • testamentary freedom has been preserved • it has restored charities’ status as proper beneficiaries • estrangement is a relevant factor (conduct).

The charities’ appeal was successful but what does this mean for potential inheritance act claimants?

For more information relating to contesting or resisting a claim against an estate, contact Sarah Burgess on 0117 962 1205 or by email on Sarahburgess@amdsolicitors.com, pop into one of our offices in Clifton, Henleaze, Shirehampton or Whiteladies Road, or visit our website www.amdsolicitors.com

Some of the factors courts consider when hearing inheritance act claims include: • any financial resources or needs (present or future) of the claimant • any financial resources or needs (present or future) of any other potential claimants • any financial resources or needs (present or future) of the beneficiaries • the size and nature of the estate. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 63

Shake-ups/launches/intel/promotions

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

CHARITY

BUNGEE THE BOSS IN BRISTOL

Bristol’s bosses fundraising for Penny Brohn UK

Brave bosses and staff were at the business end of a 160ft bungee jump to raise over £15,000 for Penny Brohn UK

More than 30 managers and employees braved the second Bungee the Boss over water at Lloyds Amphitheatre – double the number of daredevils who did it last year. People nominated and raised £500 each to see their colleagues take to the skies on 16 June. The charity chose bungee-jumping because the first modern jump ever was off Brunel’s Clifton Suspension Bridge on 1 April, 1979, the same year charity co-founder Penny Brohn was diagnosed with breast cancer. Those very first jumpers, David Kirke and Simon Keeling, were arrested shortly after, but continued to bungee off the Golden Gate and Royal Gorge bridges, spreading the concept worldwide.

QUOTE OF THE ISSUE

“MY HEROES ARE THOSE WOMEN WHO MANAGE TO JUGGLE THEIR HECTIC LIVES SO THEY CAN STRIKE OUT ON THEIR OWN”

All participants in 2017’s jump: Abbeywood Tots Bristol Grammar School Channel Partnership Chartwell Funding David Lloyd Leisure Eastbourne Cocktail Club Eurotaxis Flourish (marketing agency)

Grosvenor Consultancy Made in Bristol TV Network Healthcare Nisbets Osborne Clarke Pieminister ReThink Recruitment Sam FM Uropa Distribution

A BOOKWORM’S PARADISE

The new Darwin Room is full of rare books

Ros Ingleby, Nordic Walking

A new initiative at Bookbarn International based in Paulton near Bristol sees chairman William Pryor launching a unique collection of rare, first edition and antiquarian books. The new Darwin Room is named after his great great grandfather, Charles Darwin, author of On the Origin of Species. The Darwin Room opens on Thursday 29 June when visitors can also enjoy a performance from the Wardrobe Theatre, who will perform a book-themed improvisation. www.bookbarninternational.com

£15,000 THE BIG NUMBER

Raised for Penny Brohn UK by Bristol’s bungee-ing bosses

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BUSINESS INSIDER

RETIREMENT

OLDER AND WISER Pauline Warbutton is manager of Abbeyfield House, Easter Compton, having previously been team leader for a care organisation, looking specifically at complex needs.

t was when Pauline worked with a blind man called Thomas McGuire who lived at Abbeyfield House in Easter Compton that she got to know the organisation which now has 500 homes and houses across the UK. What sets Abbeyfield Bristol & Keynsham apart from other retirement housing? I think that many people just aren’t aware of their options for accommodation as they get older and it can be confusing. There’s often an assumption that you’ve got to hang on until you just can’t cope, and then book into a ‘care home’. We’ve got a real alternative here and we believe it’s pretty special. It’s truly the next best thing to living in your own home. Our residents are encouraged to keep their independence and many are still very active in the communities, attending church, gardening groups, meeting their friends and enjoying the local amenities. We aim to take the stress away from retirement. Our affordable fees are inclusive of utility bills, including council tax, and residents enjoy delicious home-cooked food twice a day, so they don’t have to worry about shopping or cooking. There’s a 24-hour team member on hand seven days a week, which residents and their families find very reassuring. A handyman pops over if you need a picture hanging on a wall or any adaptations in your flat. There’s a

calendar of social events, daily coffee mornings, and trips to attractions or restaurants.

and the great thing is, fees are fully inclusive, making life pretty stress-free.

What do residents like about it? As you get older, you start to struggle physically, not just with the stairs, or gardening, but also with household admin, which can be very overwhelming. We often hear how residents felt lonely and isolated before they came to us. Loneliness just eats away at you and it’s easy to lose confidence, too. Abbeyfield gives you and your family peace of mind. We take the stress away and offer residents a new way of life, I guess. Residents tell us how they really start to live again when they came to Abbeyfield. Not only do they enjoy themselves without the worries of running a house, but they make new friends and get to know a whole new community, and you really see them benefit from all the support we offer. One resident wrote on a recent questionnaire, “I enjoy having the company of others, the meals prepared for me, and the excellent accommodation. The staff are great – always caring, cheerful and supportive – I can’t thank them enough. They organise trips and events for us and work very hard on our behalf.”

What do you think of the general standard of elderly care? It’s obviously mixed. There are some wonderful organisations out there, like Abbeyfield, offering great standards of accommodation and care; but similarly, there are too many older people who are isolated and manage to fall off the radar. There needs to be a big shake up, especially with an increasing older generation.

What kind of accommodation is there? We have five houses around the Bristol area. All offer studio and one-bedroom apartments to rent. Rents start at around £330 per week

How will we cope with our growing elderly population? There just have to be more affordable options. A lot of the new developments that are cropping up are unaffordable to many people, or demand a commitment to buying, which many people don’t want to do at this stage in their life. Several of the more affordable housing schemes don’t provide a great service, leaving older people still feeling lonely, with no communal space, or support systems. We should be cherishing our elderly, and showing the younger generations how we do this. The government doesn’t seem to be really addressing this yet, but more spending is planned for this sector, so let’s wait and see.

www.abbeyfield.com

SPECIALISTS IN

20 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4DR 0117 403 4144 | www.cliftonpf.co.uk | helpdesk@cliftonpf.co.uk Clifton Private Finance is an appointed representative of Fair Investment Company Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

BUSINESS INSIDER

KITCHEN DESIGN

SECOND TO NONE Phil Harflett is manager of Bristol’s ALNO kitchen showroom on The Triangle. It won’t surprise you to hear that design and build quality are essential in a good kitchen

LNO is a German kitchen firm which has roots in highquality carpentry going back nearly 100 years. Despite exporting to 64 countries worldwide, it still makes every piece to exacting standards in Germany. Now that is pretty remarkable…

What makes ALNO special? For 90 years ALNO has been at the forefront of innovative kitchen design and manufacturing. During that time technologies and trends have changed and evolved, and ALNO has evolved with them, but one thing that has never changed is our philosophy – we set out a clear vision to create the best kitchens, exquisitely designed and custom built around the unique needs of our customers. Our insistence on delivering supreme quality, skilful craftsmanship and innovative excellence has never wavered. We have won many awards including two different categories in the German Design Awards 2016, and ‘Most innovative brand of the year 2016’ in the prestigious Plus X 2016 awards. We’ve also enjoyed accolades from Grand Designs Live for many years, one of which we’re particularly proud of is being called ‘Brand of the century’. Do kitchen makeovers add to the value of a property? Yes, it is widely recognised that kitchens can add value to property, especially as more people extend and renovate their homes instead of moving. The increase in extending the kitchen, which is often the main living area too, not only adds value but makes the kitchen the heart of the home and a place where family and friends gather and socialise daily. A well-designed kitchen can make or break such a space and here at ALNO we pride ourselves on intelligent quality design. What part of a kitchen is it important to pay the big bucks on? Well-designed quality cabinets are definitely the place to start.

Are you eco friendly? Yes, environmental consciousness at ALNO runs from the initial idea through to completion of the finished product. ALNO suppliers have to certify that their materials and products do not present any health dangers and adhere to the German and international quality standards concerning healthy living. These standards guarantee that ALNO kitchens and their components do not generate any harmful emissions. Coating, lacquering and galvanizing processes only use non-toxic substances without compromising on quality standards particularly in respect of non-fading and scratch/wear resistant finishes. ALNO‘s environmental management system also ensures that only environmentally conscious processes are used within the factory and continuous training is given to all production employees to ensure responsible use of energy and other resources and in order to protect them from harmful conditions (e.g. how to reduce noise levels). Most of the wood used by the company is sourced from managed forests and wood waste is used as fuel to heat the main factory, and we work hard on packaging and distribution standards. Who are your main competitors in Bristol and what do you have over them in your opinion? Although there are other kitchen companies in the area, we have a stunning contemporary kitchen showroom that sets us apart, in our opinion. Overall though, it’s the quality and design of the ALNO product sets it apart from many other companies. What’s your own kitchen like? We are about to embark on an extension at home, which involves relocating the kitchen into another part of the house and so a new ALNO kitchen will be part of that. www.alnokitchens.co.uk

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BUSINESS INSIDER

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2017

HEALTH WINNER Sponsored by

NORDIC WALKING L-R: Vicky Welsh and Ros Ingleby picking up their award

So, how does it feel to win a Bristol Life award? Vicky – Brilliant! We’re still grinning from ear to ear and our walkers are too. For Ros and myself it’s recognition for the hard work we’ve put in to building Bristol Nordic Walking, which is now the largest Nordic walking club in the country. For our walkers, it’s validation that they’re part of the best health business in Bristol. What do you think made you stand out from competitors on the night? Ros – Nordic walking allows people of varying fitness levels, from no exercise to very fit, to take control of their health and wellbeing, so it’s really the health model of the future. And because our walkers love it so much they gave us the most amazing testimonials. We have built up a safe and fun community where people start to enjoy exercise and we are very proud of that indeed.

Ros and Vicky walk us through their award-winning business and reasons for its success What have been the most challenging times in setting up and running Nordic Walking? Ros – The initial two years of the business were very challenging. When something is so new and different, people can be very reticent to give it a try. The poles made some people feel self-conscious too so our class sizes were slow to build. But we kept the faith as we truly believed in this life-changing new exercise and now we are a force to be reckoned with. No one is feeling self-conscious now – we are a Nordic walking army!

WE KEPT THE FAITH AS WE TRULY BELIEVED IN THIS LIFE-CHANGING NEW EXERCISE

Tell me a bit about the Nordic Walking story and how it came to be? Vicky – I discovered Nordic walking after postviral arthritis left me unable to continue running. I thought I’d never be able to fill the fitness void but Nordic walking was amazing and through it I ended up healthier and fitter than before. I wanted to show others how through the simple act of walking it’s possible to take charge of your own health, get trim and enjoy exercise. Setting up Bristol Nordic Walking seemed obvious and once Ros joined me there was no stopping us. How do you feel about where the company is right now? Ros – We’re at a great stage in the business where things are ticking along nicely, but the coming year will be interesting as although we want to get bigger, we don’t want to lose the friendly and welcoming feel the club currently has. We’ve also just started in Bath which is exciting and we’re looking forward to the challenge of starting up in a totally new area.

How important is the local community to you as a business? Vicky – Community is everything. It’s what our business is built around. Feeling part of the wider community is equally important and we make a big effort to link with other local businesses and support each other as much as possible.

What are your current business aims? Vicky – Our aim has always been to enhance people’s lives through Nordic walking. We’ve slowly been adding to the variety of things we offer our walkers. The exciting new development for us is linking up with European Nordic walking clubs, taking our walkers to visit them and inviting them to Bristol. Our first trip is to Girona, Catalonia in the autumn.

Who are your business heroes? Vicky – Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts. Proof that you can switch career and make a success of it. Also Liz Earle who worked massively hard to get her brand of beauty products recognised. She didn’t compromise on the quality and she’s a great supporter of local businesses in the Isle of Wight where she lives. She also loves Nordic walking! Ros – Although we’ve moved on, when it comes to equality I feel it can be that bit harder for women to forge their way in business, especially if they have a family. My heroes are those women who manage to juggle their hectic lives so they can strike out on their own. That takes an immense amount of guts, hard work and compromise. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Vicky – Never undervalue yourself and make sure you enjoy what you do. What advice would you give to startups? Vicky – Find a good business partner. It’s much more fun with two. Ros – Make sure you can fund yourself until the business starts making money. Take advice from successful people. Listen to feedback from customers and act on it. For more: www.bristolnordicwalking.co.uk

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

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Building/renovating/investing/decorating

HOMES ALL LINED UP IN A ROW

A far cry from how it was when they bought it, Hannah and Domâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terraced house is transformed from top to bottom

TERRACES

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 75

Two stools and three kids? It’s a recipe for daily musical chairs, says Hannah

GO with the FLOW Having gone through two renovations over the past 10 years, Hannah and Dom’s house is now the family home they need. Rather than move, they decided to improve, and what a transformation it is... By R AC H E L I FA NS 76 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

hen Hannah and Dom Walkiewicz bought their house at the far end of Gloucester Road 10 years ago (for £158,000) it was just the two of them. “It was a 1930s mid terrace,” says Hannah, “and it was a pit!” The last decade has seen their family unit double and then triple – if you count the dog – and the house which they love has evolved through two renovations to stay with them through their changing needs. Hannah and Dom, who run Build Bristol, an independent builders firm that takes on renovations, extensions, loft conversions, kitchens and bathrooms and new builds, see the unstoppable influx of people coming to the city from London with huge cash deposits, snapping up houses for what they perceive to be a snip. Hannah says of their house and the desire to improve, not move, “We had the foundations of what could be a brilliant family home for our brood. We had the vision and knew what we wanted to achieve. The list seemed to be endless so we decided to start at the top and work our way down… “We wanted somewhere where the grown-ups could have some space tucked away and possibly a child-free bath, we wanted each child to have their own bedroom, we dreamed of a home where

REAL HOME

PROPERTY

Gorgeous cushions courtesy of local upholsterer, Lily Wynne Jones

everything had a place (is this ever possible?), and we knew we needed an easy, hassle-free garden for two adults who have an aversion to anything green.”

LET’S TAKE IT FROM THE TOP

Scaffolding floorboards stand up to the wear and tear of family life

A haven on high for Hannah and Dom. The loft has a balcony and views over the city

Every floor of the house has been remodeled in the transformation that has taken three years on and off. The loft has been converted into an adult-only haven of dark paints and upcycled grey furniture and has huge French doors that open on to a Juliette balcony. The muchyearned-for bath is open plan in the loft room and feels really special for it. The structure of the middle floor has completely changed, now housing all three children and animals! The two larger bedrooms have trundle and bunk beds, and the smaller one a mid-sleeper. They have also managed to squeeze in a wetroom on the middle floor with a slip-free textured floor and rainfall shower. The main living space, which we loved for its freshness and light when we visited, is yet to be finished. Hannah says, “We have stopped and started over the last couple of years – you know what they say, a builder’s home is never built! I’ve had to bite my tongue thousands of times when Dom has to move our amazing team of guys on to a client project.” Having paid money for the large-scale structural changes, and working with clients every day who have much larger budgets, it was important to Hannah and Dom to dress the house as beautifully as possible while keeping an eye on costs.  www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 77

PROPERTY

REAL HOME

LOCAL CRAFTSPEOPLE

The downstairs is open plan and really shows off Hannah’s interior design skills. She has sourced everything in there herself, much of the furniture coming from internet stockists and eBay and being upcycled for her by trusted local craftspeople. She bought unusual furniture from Peppermill Antiques online and then got it painted, with Farrow and Ball paints bought in the Clifton branch, by Emma Catherine (07889 881923) who is Henleaze-based but works on-site in clients’ houses. Hannah’s favourite pieces are the white armoire and the old church pew in the kitchen, and she knows the Moroccan rug she picked up secondhand for the lounge was a steal. I comment on the low dark-blue velvet chair next to the staircase. “Oh yes, it was covered by a lovely lady called Lily! She also did our cushions.” Lily Wynne Jones (www.lwjupholstery.com) is a local upholsterer based in St Werburghs. And pictures, which play a large part in Hannah’s home, from big canvas photos up the stairs, to shelves choc-a-block with small, jumbled frames. Hannah gets her big show pictures, like the John Wayne and the James Bond prints, framed by Niche in Stokes Croft (www.nicheframes.co.uk).

WHERE TO SPEND AND SAVE

The kitchen units came from big-chain Howdens, although I have to say Hannah sort of swoons when she talks about the kitchens Build Bristol put in for clients. They often use Ian Capper in Easton (www.iancapperfurniture.com) for beautfully crafted bespoke kitchens and amazing alcoves, she says. She added Apollo worktops to her units, a cheaper version of the solid resin tops, and bought a Smeg oven from the seconds stock because it had a small dent in the side. “You don’t see the dent at all,” she says, “and I saved £500 on the normal price.” On the day we talked, there was a kerfuffle in the background as a home office was being built in the back garden. “We overcame the anythingbut-green fingered issue by laying a Namgrass lawn – an absolute godsend,” she laughs. The couple have also added a driveway and an electric gate, so the kids and puppy can’t escape. “And we’ve added a bootroom porch at the front which now houses everyone’s shoes, bags and coats!” “To think just 12 months ago our kitchen didn’t exist! Fast forward and I love the space we’ve created – the kitchen is open, bright and has pops of colour. It’s brilliant for our family of five and there is plenty of room for additional guests. We have a huge piece of MDF we place on top of our small table to be able to accommodate up to 12! I couldn’t find any extending tables I liked so for £40 I have the perfect solution!” As we talk about the quandary over space, storage and whether to move or stay put, Hannah is unequivocal. “We figured that to move to a house with four bedrooms we’d be searching forever. I can’t see us moving anytime soon!” www.buildbristol.com 78 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

The beautifully upcycled furniture stands out in every room

Mid loft conversion, you started to see what a wonderful view it would have form the balcony

Euo E R q

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PROPERTY

EXPERT ADVICE Kitchen extensions are very popular in terraced houses

Some of the ranges at Wren Kitchens come in 50 colours so you can create something utterly bespoke

PROPERTY PUNDITS In our new Property Section, we talk to local experts about particular areas of property investment, purchase and development. This issue our focus is on terraced houses THE MORTGAGE BROKER

Ian Stuart at Ian Stuart Mortgages There’s hardly any stock in Bristol. By which I mean Victorian terraced houses in areas like Southville and Gloucester Road, that are close to amenities. I’ve had a client just this week who is selling a Victorian terrace just off Gloucester Road. They lost their buyer on Friday and three days later it had sold again. Both buyers were Londoners who’d sold up and were moving west. It’s a common story at the moment in Bristol. One thing to think about when buying a terrace: many of the terraces in, say, Southville, were bought by their present owners when they were built for very little money. Some of them are still in a very basic conditions and don’t have kitchens or central heating. Bear this in mind when purchasing. Be wary of bidding wars. I have seen buyers get so carried away that they end up buying a house for much more than the bank will value it for. 84 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

You can still pick up a bargain if you’re happy to buy non-period. A client of mine recently bought a terrace for £150,000 less because it was 1930s and didn’t have a bay window. Use this saving to renovate or reduce your mortgage.

THE BUILDER

Dom Walkiewicz at Build Bristol When we undertake projects on terraced homes, the biggest issues we encounter are: party walls, and agreeing with neighbours on what the client is wanting to achieve; planning legalities at Bristol City Council; and access for skips and vehicles. Having said all that, we feel terrace homes have so much potential, with lofts to convert, kitchens to extend, ground floor reconfiguration to undertake. The rooms are of a good size and often have Victorian or 1920s/30s features! Converting a loft adds value. Costs start from around £32,000. Kitchen extensions completely depend on the work that needs to be undertaken!

Let there be light! Many thanks to our property experts this issue: ian@ianstuartmortgages.co.uk www.buildbristol.com www.braceyinteriors.co.uk www.wrenkitchens.com www.arlberry.com

EXPERT

THE INTERIOR DESIGNER

BE WARY OF BIDDING WARS. I’VE SEEN

CLIENTS GET CARRIED AWAY AND END UP BUYING A HOUSE FOR MUCH MORE THAN THE BANK WILL VALUE IT FOR

Alison Bracey at Bracey Interiors There are many types of terraces. Immediately what comes to mind are the Corrie-style terraced brick houses. Most of these smaller terraces tend not to have hallways and you walk straight into the lounge which doubles as a walkway through to the back of the house. For a house like this it is important to create a clear walkway through while ensuring the lounge remains an intimate and defined space. You also have to think of the practicality of the flooring as this is a high traffic area – wood flooring is ideal. If you prefer the luxury and warmth of a carpet, you need to be investing in a quality carpet that will be robust and take the dirt. Sisal floors are probably not the best option here. Colour is the most obvious trend at the moment. With more colourful fabric prints being used for curtains, blinds and upholstery, paint colours are not being outdone and the more bland neutral/grey/tonal palette is being replaced with more distinctive colours in blues/ greens and yellows. Yes, yellow is making a comeback but in more golden hues. People are being more adventurous in terms of decorating and are wanting to have some accent fabrics/wallpapers to add impact and humour to their interiors.

PROPERTY

Front doors are good for drawing attention to your home, especially in a terrace. By adding colour you’ll stand out and personalise your pad.

THE KITCHEN DESIGNER

Rob Lawrence at Wren Kitchens Getting the most out of the space is key in a terraced house kitchen. But smaller doesn’t mean less style or functionality. For a galley kitchen, you could go for one of our new Vogue Flat Pack kitchens (pictured far left) and mix and match colours and worktops to add interest. Create a feeling of space and luxury with wall hung base units, open shelves, dresser tops and midway units to display your treasures – you can even tidy away the dog with a pet bed!

THE FURNITURE DESIGNER

Jessica Davies at Arlberry I’d recommend beautiful stair runners, running up the several flights of stairs as there are more stairs in terraced houses. Go for cabinetry and shelving into recesses either side of fireplaces. Also, with period houses with high ceilings, using LED coving is a great way to add dynamic and mood elements. A glass extension in the back garden adds beautiful spaces with skylights.

A wonderful example of a kitchen extension by Build Bristol. It’s now the full width of the house

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

PROPERTY

SHOWCASE

NEW WORLD The man who organised Cabot’s voyage of exploration in The Matthew lived in this house at the end of the 15th Century. Now that’s a good anecdote to share with house guests… By BI BA F RY

88 112I I BRISTOL CLIFTONLIFE LIFEI Iwww.mediaclash.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk

love a bit of history, especially the history of houses and historical architecture. As we came to the end of our holidays last year, we passed through a small northern French town called Le Touquet. It has the most fantastic collection of villas which were built in the early 1900s according to very strict building regulations which encouraged the most talented architects of the day to let their imaginations run wild. My children thought we were there for a swansong of sandy crepes and dunes (or should that be crepes and sand dunes) and really nearly lost their minds when I mentioned the words ‘history’ and ‘architecture’, it coming hot off the heels of a medieval hospital tour the day before. I can still see my son, literally begging me to “Put the guide book down, Mummy” and so I now indulge my passion alone. I think even my son would be impressed by the history of Lower Court, though. A 13th century medieval manor house in Long Ashton, just outside Bristol which was built by Baron John de Aeston, a knight of Henry III who gave his name to Long Ashton. Later named Ashton Phillips, the property was the original manor house of Long Ashton and from 1490 to circa 1503 Ashton Phillips was the home of Richard Amerycke, the King’s Customs Officer for Bristol. Amerycke was the one who organised and partly funded the voyage of exploration made by John Cabot in the The Matthew in 1497. Yes, that’s right. The groundbreaking transatlantic voyage to the New World during which North America was discovered was organised by the man who lived in this house! You don’t have to travel far to find Lower Court. The Grade-II-listed house sits just three miles south west of Bristol in around five acres of land including two paddocks and formal gardens with a lake. It has a 150metre sweeping driveway, double stable block and 13th

Take your place in the remarkable history of this house - but you’ll have to be quick!

HOUSE NUMBERS

acres of land

reception rooms

bedrooms

150 metres of sweeping driveway

£1,895,000 guide price

6,000

sq ft accommodation

Century chapel. So close to the city, it feels a world apart in Long Ashton. It’s under a mile to stroll to Ashton Court Estate with its deer park and open spaces for walking, cycling or horse riding. The 6,000 sq ft of accommodation can be translated into layman’s terms by saying ‘oodles of space’, shared out – on the ground floor first – between a parquet-floored snooker room; drawing room with medieval features; playroom with wood-burning stove; kitchen/dining room; breakfast room; and utility room, office and workshop (all with vaulted ceiling and exposed beams). As the brochure details, “The flexible accommodation with two staircases offers ample room for those with a live-in au-pair, those needing dual occupancy or those wishing to run a business from home.” Four bedrooms sit on the first floor and two more on the second. The master bedroom overlooks the back gardens and has a very well-appointed ensuite including walk-in wet room with large rain shower which has flexihose and body jets too. Venturing back outside, it must be said how special the place and the plot is. The house sits centrally on the land and the curling driveway creates the warmest of welcomes, bordered as it is by green grass and leafy trees. The notable ‘arboretum’ includes copper beech, two persian ironwood, horse chestnut, poplar, tulip, sycamore, holly, silver birch, weeping willow, cherry blossom, elderflower, plus fruit trees including apple, plum, damson and sloe. The formal gardens are bordered by a shallow brook and provide a very relaxing environment with level lawns and two patios. Take a voyage of discovery of your own down the A370 to find this new world for you and your family. Alexander May, 50 Weston Road, Long Ashton, BS41 9HH; 01275 393956; www.alexandermay.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

P R O P E R T Y a d v ertisi n g fe at u re

Home in bRISTOL Bristol Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection of property experts in Bristol and the surrounding area

Architects

Barton Willmore 0117 929 9677 www.bartonwillmore.co.uk Graham Rivers 0117 942 8373 www.riversarchitect.co.uk Jonathon Lees 0117 379 0079 www.jonathanleesarchitects.co.uk Nash Partnership 01225 442424 www.nashpartnership.com Quentin Alder 0117 968 3111 www.quentinalder.co.uk Stride Treglowan 0117 974 3271 www.stridetreglown.com Winsor Leaman 0117 923 8617 www.winsorleaman.com 94 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Bathrooms

Ripples Bathrooms 0117 973 1144 www.ripplesbathrooms.com Core and Ore 0117 904 2408 www.coreandore.co.uk

Conveyancing & Lawyers AMD 0117 962 1205 www.amdsolicitors.com Barcan + Kirby 0117 325 2929 www.barcankirby.co.uk Burroughs Day 0117 929 0333 www.burroughsday.com Metcalfes 0117 929 0451 www.metcalfes.co.uk Veale Wasborough Vizards 0117 314 5261 www.vwv.co.uk

Decorators

Clifton Bristol Decorators 0117 244 0093 www.cliftonbristoldecorators.co.uk

ď ˇ

P R O P E R T Y a d v ertisi n g fe at u re

Oskar Furniture 0117 973 4777 www.oskarfurniture.co.uk Park Furnishers 0117 966 9253 www.parkfurnishers.co.uk Raft Furniture 0117 992 7800 www.raftfurniture.co.uk The Pod Company 0117 973 9040 www.thepodcompany.co.uk The Sofa Library 0117 329 2746 www.thesofalibrary.co.uk

Gardens

Artisan Garden Design 07752 998962 www.artisan-gardens.co.uk Greener Designs 07909 988399 www.greenerdesigns.co.uk Jaks Painting and Decorating 07721 491028 www.jaksdecorationanddesign.co.uk

Mayfair Town and Country 0117 906 4050 www.mayfairproperties.net

Developers/Builders

Roderick Thomas 0117 973 4464 www.roderickthomas.co.uk

Berkeley Place 07770 942190 www.berkeleyplace.co.uk

Build Bristol 07545 339908 / 0117 909 1969 www.buildbristol.com Jon Pritchard 0117 982 6596 www.jonpritchard.co.uk Moon Design & Build 0117 973 3284 www.moonarchitectandbuilder.co.uk Nest Design and Build 01275 832528 www.createyournest.co.uk

Estate Agents

Savills 0117 933 5803 www.savills.co.uk

Fireplaces

Clifton Fireplaces 0117 973 6474 www.cliftonfireplaces.co.uk Kindle Stoves 0117 924 3898 www.kindlestoves.co.uk

Furniture, interiors and homeware shops Clarks Village 01458 840 064 www.clarksvillage.co.uk

Alexander May 0117 974 4766 www.alexandermay.co.uk

Gardiner Haskins 0117 929 2288 www.gardinerhaskins.co.uk

Fine and Country 0117 973 3081 www.fineandcountry.com/uk/bristol

Greenfinch 01934 830029 www.greenfinchkandi.co.uk

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

Interior Design Arlberry Bespoke 0117 205 0600 www.arlberry.com

Bracey Interiors 0117 973 4664 www.braceyinteriors.co.uk Designs for Living 07989 854295 www.clairebeckhaus.com Fawn Interiors 0117 205 0203 www.fawninteriors.com SJP Interior Design 0117 973 0880 www.sjpinteriordesign.co.uk

Kitchens

Alno 0117 941 4179 www.alnokitchens.co.uk Ben Argent Design www.benargentdesign.com KutchenHaus 0117 213 0680 www.kutchenhaus.co.uk

Neptune 0117 246 4200 www.neptune.com

Handelsbanken 0117 973 0026 www.handelsbanken.co.uk

Stephen Graver 01380 871746 www.stephengraver.com

Ian Stuart Mortgages Ltd 07888 838843

The Kitchen Man 0117 973 1062 www.thekitchenman.co.uk

Steve Mears Mortgage Services 0117 973 4300 www.stevemears.com

Wren Kitchens 0117 244 3168 www.wrenkitchens.com

Tiles and Flooring

Lighting

Ceramic Tiles 0117 966 5801 www.ctdtiles.co.uk

Ablectrics 0117 942 5355 www.electricsandlighting.co.uk Parkway Lighting 0117 965 7991 www.lightingwarehouse-bristol.co.uk

Mortgage Brokers & IFAs

Avondale Tiles 0117 967 4673 www.avondaletiles.co.uk

Design Flooring 0117 973 2266 www.designflooringltd.co.uk Marble Supreme 0117 956 3030 www.marblesupreme.com

Anderson Financial 0117 900 1639 www.andersonfinancial.co.uk

Oriental Rugs Bath 01761 451764 www.orientalrugsofbath.com

Clifton Private Finance 0117 403 4144 www.cliftonpf.co.uk

Simply Carpets 0117 986 4650 www.simplycarpets.co.uk Tailored Flooring 0117 973 3393 www.tailoredflooring.co.uk

Upholstery

Bristol Upholstery Collective 07769 355535 www.bristolupholsterycollective.com Southwest Upholstery 0117 370 2745 www.swupholstery.co.uk Whittacker Wells 0117 983 8485 www.whittakerwells.com

Windows, blinds and shutters Shutter Craft Bristol 01749 649171 www.shuttercraft-bristol.co.uk

Timber Windows of Clifton 0845 652 7300 www.timberwindowsclifton.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 97

BRISTOL LIVES

Q&A

aya is a digital evangelist looking to solve world problems by connecting people and organisations to the communities who need them, usually using technology. And more recently she has transformed into a norms entrepreneur, on a mission to change corporate and human behaviours for good social outcomes. She is, if you hadn’t guessed already, seriously inspirational. How would you describe yourself in five words? Marmite (a bit); Scatty (most days); Technophilic (every day); Catalytic (on a good day) Passionate (always); Righteously-outraged (it’s a social justice thing); Non-conformist (I don’t think you really meant FIVE words did you?) Give us an idea of your average working day Our sons are early risers so our day starts at 6am if we’re lucky. If not, it starts at 2am when our youngest decides he’s too scared to sleep alone and comes in between us while we cling to the edges of the bed. My husband and I alternate the school runs and so on school-run days we either walk or drive in our guilt-free (electric!) car to school. And then onto work. If I’m not on the school run then I walk in, and this doubles up as my 40 minutes of mindfulness, which fuels my sanity through the rest of the day. I used to listen to music but realised there were many voices in my head that needed airtime too. It’s now my favourite part of the day. At work I continue the inboxing I had started the night before while waiting for my youngest to fall asleep. My team, run by my husband Stuart, are full on with coding and handling enquiries, and in the meantime I spend my time joining forces with other organisations (charities through to socially responsible businesses) to tackle modern slavery, leveraging our open data and relationships with government and law enforcement. With Bristol-based meetings, I try to convince my guests to come out for a walk with me, so you will often see me by the harbourside or the various parks along the way, gesticulating wildly to my coconspirators. I called them “feetings” (meetings on your feet), blogged about it, and then found out that the urban dictionary had it as a rude word. Ah well. The rest? I’m data-mining and planning next features for TISCreport.org. For what did you get your MBE? For my services to the digital creative sector AND to the city of Bristol. They never really tell you exactly what it’s for and it’s massively boosted my imposter syndrome since!

JAYA CHAKRABARTI Jaya is CEO of both a digital agency (Nameless) and a tech social enterprise (TISCreport.org) and in her own words, has ‘a world liberation plan, tackling modern slavery with open data’ How can technology empower people and make life better and fairer? Access to communications technologies in particular gives voices to those who would ordinarily be silent. We can argue about alt-facts and alt-truth and echo chambers, but these are teething issues that society and technologists are now learning to deal with. We are more connected than ever to other human beings and that’s a REALLY good thing. We need to use those connections to have conversations that matter. Technology used well can heal the democratic deficit, empower people to take action,fight against swimming pool closures, campaign for justice… And beyond just technologies, the power of open data in creating marketplaces and changing behaviours is only just being realised. Whenever I start to feel down about global politics, I look at science, technology and open data and start to feel really positive again. Elon Musk, Bill and Melinda Gates, advances in materials and biotech, universal basic income/assets... all of these developments when stitched together with organisations who can give access to the many who need them, will rise up and tackle inequality. And I’m determined we will play our part. What has been your proudest moment? When Bristol chose to try something different and opt to have a democratically elected mayor. Where’s your manor? Bristol. All of it. I’m a Bristalien (a wannabe Bristolian).

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

What are your favourite places to eat, drink and shop in Bristol? St Nick’s market is AWESOME for food and terrible at the same time because it’s so close and I can’t help myself going there. Maximillions on Broad Street too, is one of Bristol’s best kept secrets. For Indian, I always go to Tiffins on St Michael’s Hill. And the best fried chicken in town has got to be at Hi Brasil Music Club. Drinking? The Watershed is great. What is your most regrettable habit? I don’t regret it personally but others do: I am a compulsive pun-meister (meistress?). The cheesier the better. It’s lost me several hundred face-friends, but I just can’t stop myself. If you had a magic wand where would you wave it? What gets me most enraged is child abuse (physical and mental). More so because much of it is preventable with enough resource. We looked into fostering once and then were heartbroken when we realised that our own two children were too young for us to do that. So now we give careleavers work experience, in partnership with the Mayor’s City Office here in Bristol. Children who fall through the system often end up homeless as adults. They NEED a safety net and in many cases they have no-one to turn to. Just thinking about this stuff makes my blood boil!

www.nameless.co.uk

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