Bristol Life - Issue 237

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property

A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

LET IT SHOW

THE BEST FESTIVE PLAYS AND CONCERTS TO BOOK RIGHT NOW

ISSUE 237 / NOVEMBER 2017 / £3

WE’RE BEGINNING TO GET FESTIVE (AND WE’RE NOT EVEN SORRY)

ISSUE 237 / NOVEMBER 2017 / WE HAVE LIFT OFF

CREATURE COMFORTS?

THE WILDLIFE PHOTOS MAKING A PLEA FOR THE PLANET

DOORS TO MANUAL AEROSPACE BRISTOL TAKES OFF

THE WILD BUNCH FROM SEASONAL FLOWERS TO EDIBLE BAUBLES, IT’S THE FIRST OF OUR MEGA BRISTMAS GIFT GUIDES!

LE SA !

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Manchester . York . Sutton Coldfield . Bristol . Farnborough . Brentwood . Aberdeen Tunbridge Wells . Beverley . Exeter . Chichester . High Wycombe . Liverpool . London - West End . London - North

EDITOR’S LETTER / ISSUE 237 / NOVEMBER 2017

51

CIDER AND ROSIES In which we ease you, ever so gently, into the first flush of the festive season with the first of our Christmas gift guides

We’re psychic Because we know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “too soon, Bristol Life; too soon”.

You haven’t even unpacked the Bonfire Night sparklers yet. You’re vaguely contemplating cosplaying Kit Harington in Gunpowder at the fireworks party; and here we are, virtually insisting that you dig out the Santa suit.

But this magazine has a threeweek run, and in our book, late November is the ideal time for getting gently Christmassy. Those optimists among us can still hope for snow. The organised shopper will want to make inroads into their gift list, while anyone wanting to guarantee their favourite seat for their favourite show at their favourite theatre on the day of their choice absolutely needs to book their tickets now.

So we’ve gone in.

But there’s plenty of nonfestive stuff too, from a shufti at Aerospace Bristol to a preview of the new Kneehigh show, and an exhibition highlighting the plight of wild animals on this dodgy planet we call Earth.

Lots more ho ho hos next issue.

Deri Robins, editor Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram:@bristollifemag

REGULARS / ISSUE 237 / NOVEMBER 2017 M EET T H E T EAM

DAY TRIPPER

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

14 Museum We visit the new Aerospace Bristol museum and ask the most important question of all: so, what’s the gift shop like?

Senior art editor Andrew Richmond Graphic design Megan Allison Cover design Trevor Gilham Contributors: Mal Rogers, Stan Cullimore, Olly Robinson, Sophie Woolf 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

NEWS 6 Spotlight Banners and photos

11 Brizzogram Beasts and beauties

THE ARTS 19 Arts Intro Peace on earth

22 What’s On We’re terribly sorry, but it’s beginning to look remarkably like Christmas

30 Showtime From a Tarantino/Lloyd Webber mash-up to Emma Rice magic, these are the Christmas shows to book right now

36 Photography Not just a set of pretty pictures

42 Theatre

14 BUSINESS

60 Restaurant

75 Business Insider

They’re bringing vol-au-vents back

The face of Upfest

62 Food & drink

HOME

In a slightly surreal twist to the usual section, a former Housemartin talks porridge

SPORT

46 The Verdict

Singing the Blues

SHOPPING 51 Christmas gift guide You know the rule: one for them, two for you

Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk

FOOD

Kneehigh are back to blow our tiny little minds We manage to shoehorn in another tenuous mention of Kit Harington

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

67 Olly Robinson

LIFEST YLE 70 Gardening We don’t run these things very often, make the most of it

SOCIET Y 72 Snapped!

Party people

92 Property focus Kitchen sync

98 Property showcase A weekend bolthole, or a change of lifestyle?

INTERVIEW

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

106 Bristol Lives Photographer Tim Woolf, and the city that inspires him On the cover This beautiful shot of a bouquet made

by Sherbert Bloom (p51) was taken by Cassandra Nichols of Dig Haushizzle – who, it turns out, also happens to be an ace photographer...

COMMUNITY ART

ALL HAIL THE TRAIL

3rd prize: Turned Out Nice Again by Stuart Lees

PHOTOGRAPHY

ONE SMART DAY

2nd prize Py-Ray-Naut (the guy’s called Ray!) by Duncan Nagle

One of the many things we like about the annual 24 Hours in Bristol competition – other than the fact that it gives us a cast-iron excuse to fill our pages with beautiful Bristol images – is that it likes to ring the changes.

A couple of years ago, for example, they gave us the Golden Hour, with all photos taken during the ‘extra’ hour when the clocks go back. This year, the angle was One Smart Day, with photographers having to walk away from the £2k DSLRs, and take their photos on smartphones only.

At time of going to press the winners were just about to be announced – more in our next issue, obviously.

For more: www.northbristolartists.org.uk/

Love the creative, vibrant Gloucester Road? You’ll love it even more when the giant art banners are hoisted up along the whole high street, from Colston Girls’ School to Horfield Common. Organised by Room 212’s Sarah Thorp (who else?), the big lamppost banners will display artwork

by Bristol artists, school kids and community groups, making a giant outdoor art gallery.

Perfect timing, then, for the North Bristol Art Trail, which takes place over the weekend of 25-26 November.

Over 100 artists will welcome you into their homes and studios to see their art and have a chat about their work, from paintings to prints, ceramics, mixed media, textiles and jewellery. There’ll musical entertainment in some of the venues; there’s also a rumour of free cake.

Sarah will be opening up her Eco House during the Trail; featuring straw walls, a living roof and murals by Bristol artists, this lovely little house is tucked round the back of Room 212. Sarah will be showing her upcycled découpage artwork, along with jewellery by Katie Johnston and mosaics by Toni Burrows.

For more: www.glosrdcentral.co.uk www.northbristolartists.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

WILD THINGS – WE THINK WE LOVE YOU The images at Wildlife Photographer of the Year at M Shed are amazing, but you don’t need to travel to Africa or the Arctic. All it takes is one good tern . . .

@neiljamesb The Ashton antler set

@paddyo.11 Slimbridge silhouette

@chris.lawton St Stephen’s Green

@chris.lawton St Stephen’s Green

@chill1983 ss Great Britain

@jimcosseyphotography Let it snow

@phoebe_flint Evening tweet

@matthewpriceartist Clifton Wood

@chill1983 ss Great Britain

@matthewpriceartist Harbour standoff

@colinraynerphotography River Avon

@phoebe_ Bristol rooftop

@richimal_bristol Harbourside

@_tim__brown__ Harbourside

@_tim__brown__ Morning crew

@richmccluskey Ashton Court

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 11

WWW.PETEHELME.CO.UK TEL: +(44) 07789 211 424 HELLO@PETEHELME.CO.UK

ARCHITECTS INTERIOR DESIGNERS HOTELS BARS RESTAURANTS

PETE HELME PHOTOGRAPHY INTERIOR & ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER

BATH BRISTOL LONDON

PROPERTY DEVELOPERS KITCHEN DESIGNERS SHOWROOMS OFFICE SPACES PROPERTY AGENTS

MUSEUM

TA K E-OF F At the newly opened Aerospace Bristol, visitors can fly through the decades and immerse themselves in interactive exhibits of aeroplanes, helicopters, missiles, satellites and engines. But there is, of course, one undisputed star attraction. . .

By M A L ROGE R S 14 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

MUSEUM

The pride of the fleet — Concorde G-BOAF, the last one to fly

CONCORDE ENTERED POPULAR IMAGINATION IN THE WAY THAT FEW VEHICLES HAVE DONE BEFORE OR SINCE

I

t was never ‘The Concorde’; always just Concorde.

As if we knew it personally.

The aircraft entered popular imagination in the way that few vehicles have done before or since.

Nearly everybody looked up if they saw this sylph flying overhead, “Look, there’s Concorde,” they’d say.

Those same people would never glance up and say, “Look there’s Boeing 747 Mk II”. This was because, quite simply, you didn’t need to be an aero-geek to understand that Concorde was technological, streamlined design at its most advanced.

Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation manufactured Concorde in, respectively, Toulouse and Bristol – 20 aircraft in all, including prototypes.

Today, in the newly-opened Aerospace Bristol you can visit the last one ever to fly, Concorde G-BOAF (aka Alpha Foxtrot).

At Aerospace, Alpha Foxtrot enjoys its retirement in its own hangar. You can stare up at the elegantly sweeping lines of the aircraft and marvel at the fact that it was completed in 1969, the same year that the Ford Capri rolled off the assembly lines.

And whereas classic car fans will appreciate the finer points of the Capri, even the most ardent fan would scarcely praise it as a symbol of technological brilliance. But Concorde still looks like the very leading edge of modern engineering.

Having admired Alpha Foxtrot from every angle, you then proceed inside the fuselage. It’s surprisingly cramped, although there is abundant legroom, and the seats are upholstered in soft w www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 15

MUSEUM

leather. The speedometer and altimeter are frozen in time on the overhead display: Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound) and 55,000ft.

You can’t get into the cockpit, although elsewhere there is a mock-up for those wishing to sit at the controls.

Displays at the museum feature Concorde tickets, menus, bottles of champagne, cabin crew uniforms and pictures of stars who regularly made the Concorde crossing – Sir Roger Moore, David Frost, Joan Collins (she always booked two seats so she’d have nobody sitting beside her).

Concorde was a landmark, but Filton has been involved in every aspect of the aerospace industry almost since the very beginnings of aviation. The first powered flight took place in North Carolina in 1903, with the Wright brothers at the controls; six years later the Bristol Boxkite biplane was being built by British aviation innovators. Aerospace Bristol pays tribute to this long history in its adjoining gallery. This is a former World War II aircraft hangar, now Grade II-listed, and comes complete with original wooden beams and stone arches.

A little incongruously, the first exhibit you see is a somewhat rundown tram. But fear not. This isn’t a Steptoe’s yard type museum, where anything that has been salvaged is stuck up on show. There’s a very good reason for the presence of the tram. The Bristolian entrepreneur Sir George White, son of a painter-decorator and a 16 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

lady’s maid, set up shop here early in the 20th century.

He’d seen the Wrights flying in Paris, and in 1910 he announced that his Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company would diversify into aircraft. Within a few months, the factory was manufacturing the Boxkite. Four years later World War I had broken out, and the British Colonial Aeroplane Company (BCAC) was providing the government with reconnaissance and fighter planes.

Since then warplanes, helicopters, missiles, satellites and rockets have been built in Filton by myriad companies.

In the hangar you’ll see a huge cross-section of the aeronautical output of this area — including a 1916 Bristol Fighter, a Sea Harrier jet fighter famous for its vertical take off, the Bristol Britannia bomber and the Bloodhound Missile. You will not be the first to muse that nothing speeds up technology quite as much as war.

But let’s get to the really important bit: what’s the gift shop like? For the techno-geek in your life there are aeroplane-themed jigsaws, books, Airfix kits, model planes of every size and, of course, depictions of Concorde on mugs, plates, place-mats and cards.

That’s Christmas sorted for at least half the family, then.

Aerospace Bristol, Hayes Way, Patchway, Bristol BS34 5BZ; www.aerospacebristol.org; 01179 315 315 Opening hours: November 2017 - February 2018: 10am – 4pm

FILTON HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY ALMOST SINCE THE VERY BEGINNINGS OF

AVIATION

There’s more to Aerospace Bristol than its supersonic superstar.

Left, a section of fuselage from a Bristol-built BAe 146 airliner This page, clockwise from top, a Sea Harrier jump jet; a Bristol Bloodhound missile, with a Bristol 403 car in the foreground; the tales they could tell – at the museum’s launch, Colin Moody captured this photo of pilot Colin Morris (right), who flew the first Concorde, and Les Brodie, who brought her down to land for the last time at Filton

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 17

Music/theatre/film/more

PEACE ON EARTH Carol Peace is a bit of a favourite with us; we’ve even featured one of her sculptures on our cover. Her slim figures always seem to be on the brink of doing something fascinating, whether it’s flying, diving, or dancing – certainly, the piece shown here, entitled Plain Girl, has something of the ballerina about her – an edgy, Akram Khan ballerina, perhaps.

This month, Carol is celebrating her 25th year as an artist in Bristol with an 11-day extravaganza of sculpture, drawing, painting, words, food and music, centred around a large show at Paintworks.

“When I had the idea of a 25-year show, I knew it had to be a celebration of Bristol, a realisation of the connections that has made this such an inspiring and amazing city to live and work in,” she says.

“The main exhibition event will showcase my work, from the life-sized to the minuscule, referencing the last 25 years and with the drawings, writing and paintings that are integral to it.”

The exhibition runs 9-19 November, it’s free, and everyone’s very welcome.

For more www.carolpeace.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 19

a d v ertisi n g fe at u re A R T

Meet the Gallery Owner Bristol has an astonishing rich art scene, headed up by a welcoming, unpretentious bunch of gallery owners. Here are four of the best.

Tom White

Clifton Fine Art Tel 07815 810302 www.cliftonfineart.com Where did you study & train?

I am a painter and gallerist and studied Fine Art at UWE. The gallery originally started in order to show my own work, but now represents over 50 artists, from Cornish favourites such as John Piper and Mike Praed, Bristol street art legend Rowdy and modern masters including Terry Frost and Mary Fedden.

What are the most rewarding aspects of the role?

Putting someone in touch with an artwork, or artist for the first time and seeing the resulting joy when the piece arrives in its new home.

What advice would you give to somebody who’s looking to buy art?

We encourage our clients to be adventurous and try the work on approval before committing to buying a piece. We also offer the ability to trade in a small work against a larger work by that artist later on.

What exhibitions do you have coming up over the next few months?

The 2017 Christmas exhibition starts on November 8th and includes our Wonder Wall where everything is priced between £100 and £1000.

Susie Michelson

Hidden Art Gallery Tel 0117 279 6402 www.myhiddenworld.co.uk What area of the arts do you specialise in?

Hidden sells original artwork and prints by the best contemporary local and visiting artists alongside design-led homeware and other interesting artefacts.

What are the misconceptions about an art gallery?

That they are formal and only for those with money! We certainly are not. We want everyone to feel comfortable in the gallery and have the opportunity to own art.

What has been your proudest professional moment?

Being a finalist at the 2017 Bristol Life Awards in two categories.

What advice would you give to somebody who’s looking to buy art?

Art is a very personal thing; ­ buy what you love and what you can afford!

What sets you apart from other galleries?

Around 90% of the art we have is by local artists displayed alongside interesting pieces of furniture and homeware.

Chris kendall

Sue Dean

Lime Tree Gallery Tel 0117 929 2527 www.limetreegallery.com

Hidden Rare Tel 0117 279 6402 www.myhiddenworld.co.uk/ hidden-rare-home

How long have you been a gallery owner?

Hidden Rare opened earlier this year but has been working with our sister business, Hidden, for a couple of years. We’re a small business based in the Arcade in Clifton Village, but we ship artwork around the world.

What area of the arts do you specialise in?

Our stock is unique and frequently stops people in their tracks as they browse the arcade, not expecting to find an original Andy Warhol drawing hanging in the window alongside a signed Tracey Emin poster or a Picasso linocut.

What advice would you give for buying art?

I always advise people to buy what they like; it may sound like an obvious statement but people are often unsure, particularly when it comes to buying rarer pieces. I have personally always bought art that moves me and that draws me back time after time. If it grows in value then that¹s a wonderful bonus but with works by the greats getting scarcer and scarcer, the value of their work is proving to be a positive investment.

What’s the most important quality required to be a successful gallery owner?

You need an appreciation of art, and you need a good eye, but the main job of a gallery owner is to help people to feel comfortable enough to purchase something they obviously love. The most important quality is probably empathy and the ability to make people feel confident about their own taste and their own eye for a piece of art.

What area of the arts do you specialise in?

We specialise in contemporary fine art, mostly painting, but also covering glass, ceramics and a little sculpture. Our painters can draw, and we describe them as ‘painterly’.

What has been your proudest professional moment?

Probably spotting two paintings at an open exhibition, by an artist called Steven Lindsay. They were two of the first paintings he had ever shown to the public.

Over the last few years, he has become hugely successful, and is now a much soughtafter painter, whose works are now on the walls of many well-known collectors!

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 21

3 November – 3 December 2017

EXPECT THE WORDS ‘WINTER’, MARKET’ AND ‘WONDERLAND’ TO FEATURE QUITE A LOT

The Melagari eagle has landed at CCA; a planet with problems at WPotY, M Shed; Goldie really doesn’t want to catch your cold at The Hall

Exhibitions UNTIL 18 NOVEMBER

CARL MELEGARI AND HANNAH WOODMAN From Cornwall’s Atlantic coast to the innate character of a living subject: both artists make the painted surface a dynamic, breathing space. At CCA; cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk

UNTIL 24 DECEMBER

GRAYSON PERRY ‘The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!’ tackles how contemporary art can best address a diverse crosssection of society post-Brexit via pottery, tapestries, bikes, prints and shizzle; at Arnolfini; arnolfini.org.uk

165 ANNUAL OPEN The RWA’s renowned annual exhibition – now, impressively, in its 165th year; rwa.org.uk UNTIL 17 DECEMBER

UNTIL 31 DECEMBER

KIM YONG-IK The first exhibition in the UK by the South Korean artist; spikeisland.org.uk

UNTIL 8 APRIL 2018

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR The renowned photography comp’s back, with 100 spectacular images; see feature page 36. At MShed; bristolmuseums.org.uk

UNTIL 28 DECEMBER

YATIKA STARR FIELDS Solo exhibition showcasing the recent work of this contemporary Native American painter and muralist; at Rainmaker; rainmakerart.co.uk

UNTIL 3 DECEMBER

West Midlands. Paintworks; martinparrfoundation.org

MARTIN PARR’S BLACK COUNTRY STORIES The new Parr Foundation presents photos taken between 2010 and 2014 in the industrial

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

UNTIL 31 AUGUST 2018

EMPIRE THROUGH THE LENS Bristol Archives’ collection of photos and film of life in the British Empire and Commonwealth, mostly taken 1880s-1960s. At Bristol Museum; bristolmuseums.org.uk 13-19 NOVEMBER

PLEASE LIKE ME Can you ever truly see yourself?

Bristol artist Hannah BlightAnderson’s interactive portrayal of 10 single strangers living and working in Bristol explores our culture’s addiction to judging the book by the cover, and our fascination with social media.

At Space; theislandbristol.com

Theatre & shows UNTIL 4 NOVEMBER

WAITING FOR GODOT TFT takes on Beckett’s 65-yearsyoung four-hander about the struggle for purpose, the power of friendship and the hunt for a pair of decent boots.

As funny, thought-provoking and quotable as they come. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

W H AT ’ S O N

ARTS

The best horse in the world trots back to The Hippodrome; Kneehigh’s drummer boy at BOV

UNTIL 11 NOVEMBER

WAR HORSE The perennial favourite that showed the world what puppets could do for drama canters back into the newly refurbed Hippodrome. Gooboy, Joey! atgtickets.com HOW TO WIN AGAINST HISTORY Henry Cyril Paget was one of the world’s wealthiest men, until he lost it all by being too damn fabulous, blowing his family’s colossal fortune on diamond frocks, lilac-dyed poodles and simply amazing plays to which nobody came.

Seiriol Davies’s new musical for TFT and The Wardrobe is a true story of being too wacky for this world; at The Wardrobe; tobaccofactorytheatres.com.

UNTIL 19 NOVEMBER

ICE ROAD Leningrad, 1942. The siege has begun. Harnessing Russian folklore and historical witness accounts, Ice Road fuses performance, creative technology, original music, film and (intriguing!) aroma to tell the story of the children that war leaves behind. At Jacob’s Well Baths; raucous.org.uk

7-18 NOVEMBER

THE TIN DRUM Günter Grass’ surreal post-war masterpiece gets the Kneehigh treatment. It’s the same creative team that brought you Dead Dog in a Suitcase; expect puppets, politics and a damn good time; see page 42.

At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk 8-18 NOVEMBER

UP DOWN MAN The charismatic Nathan Bessell plays Matty Butler, as Myrtle Theatre asks the question that faces every parent of an adult with a learning disability. At TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com 9-10 NOVEMBER

IMBALANCE Fusing dance and circus, acrobatic skills with athletic dance, in an energetic and thought-provoking performance that explores our obsessive dependence with technology, asking whether our lives are ‘in’ or ‘out’ of balance. At Circomedia; circomedia.rit.org.uk 14-25 NOVEMBER

THE PROVOKED WIFE How very site-specific!

Vanbrugh’s rollicking Restoration comedy gets an updated, immersive version set in Kings Weston House, the

great Baroque mansion that Vanbrugh himself designed. From steppingouttheatre.co.uk

greatest love story to Bristol Hippodrome. atgtickets.com 23 NOVEMBER-21 JANUARY

15 NOVEMBER

EUGENE ONEGIN The mighty WNO bring Tchaikovsky’s best loved opera, based on Pushkin’s novel, to the Hippodrome; sung in Russian with English/ Welsh surtitles; atgtickets.com

RESERVOIR CATS Now we’re cooking! The Wardrobe’s annual alternative festive offering – this year, a mash-up of Tarantino and Lloyd Webber; see page 30. thewardrobetheatre.com 28 NOVEMBER-2 DECEMBER

16 NOVEMBER

FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD Set in a claustrophobic Siberian prison, Janácek’s opera is based on the semi-autobiographical recollections of Dostoyevsky, who himself only survived the firing squad as a result of a last minute reprieve from the Tsar.

Hippodrome, atgtickets.com 17-18 NOVEMBER

DIE FLEDERMAUS WNO polish off their current trio with this rich, romantic score by Johann Strauss II, featuring some of the most irresistible melodies ever written for the stage.

Hippodrome, atgtickets.com 19 NOVEMBER

ROMEO AND JULIET The outstanding English National Ballet brings the world’s

SLAVA’S SNOW SHOW Enter Slava’s snowy world in this joyous, fun packed event; the Hippodrome’s festive offering before the panto kicks in; atgtickets.com 30 NOVEMBER-14 JANUARY

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Forget Emma and Dan; this retelling goes back to the French classic fairy tale, in another class festive offering from Tobacco Factory Theatres (page 30). tobaccofactorytheatres.com THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL (AND OTHER TALES) Emma Rice brings her magical show to Bristol from a critically acclaimed run at The Globe. No way this isn’t going to be special (see page 30). w bristololdvic.org.uk

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W H AT ’ S O N

ARTS

soap comedy keeps on rolling along at The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com 23 NOVEMBER

JASON MANFORD: WORK IN PROGRESS The laidback, likeable stand-up previews his national tour next year; at Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com 24 NOVEMBER

STEPHEN K AMOS The comic maestro might not be able to provide bread to the hungry masses, but no one else is going to put on a better circus. At The Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com 30 NOVEMBER-1 DECEMBER

GREG DAVIES: YOU MAGNIFICENT BEAST The likeable Greg regales us with anecdotes from his days as a teacher; at Colston Hall; colstonhall.org

Other

Shambolic pop and bags of attitude – Bananarama’s back; Van the Man briefly considers cracking a smile at the Hall

Music 5 NOVEMBER

JOHN MAYALL The legendary blues singer, pianist, harmonica player, guitarist, and songwriter comes to the Hall; colstonhall.org BRISTOL CLASSICAL PLAYERS Beethoven’s Eroica shares a programme with Haydn’s witty 88th Symphony (party like it’s 1790!) and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk 8 NOVEMBER

THE STYLISTICS The smoothest soulsters of all time return to Colston Hall.

They can’t give you anything but their love – that, and a classy tour through their greatest hits. colstonhall.org 17 NOVEMBER

ROBERT PLANT The legend performs at Colston Hall – almost 50 years since his first appearance here with Led Zeppelin in 1968. Supported by that handsome folkie Seth Lakeman. colstonhall.org

22 NOVEMBER

BANANARAMA Looking great girls; THE 80s girlband are back, and not averse to doling out all of the hits. colstonhall.org OYSTERBAND The multi-award-winning outfit that brought passion, power and not a little poetry to folk and roots take their 40th anniversary tour to St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk 23 NOVEMBER

STEELEYE SPAN The folk rock pioneers with Maddy Prior on vocals come to St George’s. There’d better be Gaudete, or there’ll be a riot. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk 24 NOVEMBER

GOLDIE In his first live UK headline tour, the hiphop and jungle legend teams up with the Heritage Orchestra to perform hits and new material at Colston Hall; colstonhall.org

surfing, just the tightest band in the biz. colstonhall.org 14 DECEMBER

THE DARKNESS Justin and the lads bring their relentless rifferama, haute couture, loud noises and bright things that flash on and off to Colston Hall; colstonhall.org

Comedy

VAN MORRISON The absolute Man. Don’t expect chummy chat or crowd-

MADE IN BRISTOL: HOME The popular group of makers returns to the Architecture Centre with a new seasonal shop celebrating the places we live; architecturecentre.org.uk

ROB BRYDON: I AM STANDING UP The genial Welsh charmer’s been booked for a second date at The Hall; it’s his first stand-up tour since 2009.

Expect some phenomenal impressions and thinkingon-yer-feet observational wit. colstonhall.org

2-3 NOVEMBER

SIMON AMSTELL: WHAT IS THIS? The Never Mind the Buzzcocks host explores beauty, intimacy, freedom, sex and love at the Hall; colstonhall.org

25 NOVEMBER

13, 27 NOVEMBER

CLOSER EACH DAY The world’s longest improv

AFRIKA EYE FESTIVAL The South West’s biggest celebration of African cinema and culture returns; expect African dance, circus skills, cookery, mask-making and music taster sessions at venues across Bristol in the run-up to (and during) its main festival weekend of African cinema and culture; afrikaeye.org.uk.

UNTIL 22 DECEMBER

4 NOVEMBER

10 NOVEMBER

UNTIL 12 NOVEMBER

TEDX BRISTOL 2017 Meet the positive disruptors, challenging the status quo, reimagining what is possible and redefining the future. At Colston Hall; colstonhall.org 4 NOVEMBER

FIREWORKS & BONFIRES Choose between Puxton Park for Fire Magic (puxton.co.uk); the big charity display at Canford Park (fireworksfiesta. co.uk); and Elm Tree Farm for w a family friendly Bonfire

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

W H AT ’ S O N

ARTS

Clockwise: It’s beginning to look a tiny bit like Christmas at Harbourside; Afrika Eye lights up the city, and Martin Parr gets out the spam at Paintworks

Night with low noise fireworks (elmtreefarm.org) CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR Charity Penny Brohn holds its festive fair at its national centre in Pill Lane; pennybrohn.org.uk RECORD FAIR Mostly vinyl, a few CD traders; £1 bargains and expensive rarities; most genres of music from the ’50s to the present day – all at the Colston Hall foyer. colstonhallrecordfair.co.uk 5 NOVEMBER

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT Trinity’s free annual fireworks party with a twist: a festival of light party with food, live music, bonfire and the amazing Invisible Circus outside; tunes from the likes of Evil Usses plus DJs inside.

3ca.org.uk 6 NOVEMBER

PLANET EARTH II Mike Gunton reveals the trials, tribulations and the innovative approach involved in the creation of this landmark series; at St

George’s. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk 9 NOVEMBER

HUMANS AT WE THE CURIOUS Explore We The Curious without the pesky kids: a night out with a difference as you play with hundreds of hands-on exhibits and activities, all with a grown-up drink in your hand. wethecurious.org 10 NOVEMBER – 24 DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS MARKET Launched by the switch-on at Cabot’s, Broadmead does its annual chalet-and-Glühwein thang; new for this year is a Jägerbarn bar and beer garden.

It’s part of a chain, and last year’s wasn’t without its critics, but at least it has the moxy to run up until Christmas Eve unlike a certain market in a neighbouring town which packs up on the 10th – practically midsummer. xmas-markets.com 11 NOVEMBER

INTERIOR DESIGN WORKSHOP

Zoë, Stylemonger of Bristol, hosts a full day of interior design. At Hamilton House; zoehewettinteriors.co.uk

One of our all-time favourite venues returns with its heady mix of gigs, events and completely over-the-top parties; christmasspiegeltent.co.uk

16 NOVEMBER-7 JANUARY

WINTER WONDERLAND The South West’s largest outdoor ice rink, Santa’s Enchanted Ice Castle, a Christmas train ride inside The Mall and a selection of festive foodie treats. Oh, and shopping.

At Cribbs; mallcribbs.com

25 NOV-24 DEC 9 (WEEKENDS ONLY)

18 NOVEMBER-7 JANUARY 2018

1-23 DECEMBER

WINTER WONDERLAND Christmas comes to Wookey Hole, with its Santa’s Grotto and over 20 festive attractions; wookey.co.uk 19 NOVEMBER-24 DECEMBER

ST NICK’S CHRISTMAS MARKET Over 60 independent retailers sell a mixture of unique gifts, original fashion, hand-crafted accessories and delicious food; bristol.gov.uk 24 NOVEMBER-23 DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS AT THE SPIEGELENT

HARBOURSIDE CHRISTMAS MARKET Street food, makers, music and mulled things, for five whole weekends; www. theharboursidemarket.co.uk BRISTOL LOCAL CHRISTMAS MARKET Some of the city’s best indie traders open their stalls in Broadmead for the festive period; bristollocalchristmas market.com 2 DECEMBER

LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT Some loathe it; the rest genuinely don’t care what you think about Richard Curtis’ festive, star-studded schmalzfest; here accompanied by a live orchestra; colstonhall.org

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

s h o p p i n g advertising feat u re

christmas is coming…

A visit to Bristol Shopping Quarter should be on your list this Christmas

B

ristol Shopping Quarter, including Broadmead, The Arcade, Cabot Circus, and The Galleries, is home to the biggest and best selection of shops in the South West including designer brands, high street fashion and over 100 fabulous independent stores.

This year Bristol’s Christmas Light Switch On will take place on Friday 10 November.

The festivities will begin in The Galleries before a procession passes through Broadmead to Cabot Circus, where the evening will culminate with spectacular entertainment and the big switch on itself. To find out more: www.cabotcircus.com.

The event coincides with the opening of Bristol’s Christmas Market. Visitors can expect a magical festive atmosphere as they explore over 40 wooden chalet-style stalls full of unique gift ideas, such as original homemade crafts and food and drink from around the world. Returning this year is the Jägerbarn bar and beer garden.

It will be open every day right up to Christmas Eve. Additionally, the popular Local Christmas Market, offering handmade gifts with a Bristol twist plus Fairtrade products, will run from Friday 1 December until 23 December.

From mid-November through to 23 December, The Galleries has a host of free Christmas activities planned for young shoppers and their families. You’ll be able to take part in Reindeer Rocks events, Mrs Claus’s Cookie School, and a series of exciting Secret Agent Elf Toy Testing Days, plus a fantastic competition via their social media channels. And let’s not forget Santa, he’ll be there at weekends from 2 December and every day from 16 December to Christmas Eve. For further information go to www.galleriesbristol.co.uk.

The Arcade also has a busy calendar of events in the lead-up to Christmas, starting with the Bzzaar Makers Market from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 December. This pop-up gift shop

“visitors can expect a magical festive atmosphere”

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

Visitors enjoy the magical atmosphere

will be stocked with handmade items from local creatives including illustrations, jewellery, ceramics and more.

Small Business Saturday on 2 December will be marked with a special raffle; every purchase from one of The Arcade’s many independent traders will be rewarded with an entry for the chance to win some fantastic prizes. On Saturday, 16 December, Bristol Show Choir will be entertaining shoppers and, from 18-23 December, there will be a host of Christmas activities including free craft making workshops, a stable and a chance to meet Santa! You can find out more at www.thearcadebristol.com.

Getting to Bristol Shopping Quarter couldn’t be easier. Affordable parking is located at The Galleries and Cabot Circus, and Bristol city centre is easily accessible by car, bus, and park and ride. Bristol Shopmobility, on the ground floor of Cabot Circus car park, offers scooters and wheelchairs for hire, making shopping

Photo: Paul Grundy, Hammerson

in Bristol Shopping Quarter accessible for all (users of this service may take advantage of up to five hours free parking in the Cabot Circus car park when they hire equipment).

Many stores will be offering late night shopping over the Christmas period but please check with your favourites before you visit.

For further information visit www.bristolshoppingquarter.co.uk or find @bristolshopping on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ARTS

FESTIVE SHOWS

Look, if we had our way, December in Bristol would be as snowy as Fargo’s Sioux Falls. But though we can’t guarantee a Christmas whiteout, we CAN promise you a huge choice of world-class theatre and concerts, to make your festive season sparkle and swing like a disco ball do

By DE R I ROBI NS

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

W

hat do the words ‘Christmas show’ conjure up for you?

A traditional panto with someone famous off the telly? A toe-tapping selection of festive choral favourites? A fresh and imaginative retelling of beloved fairytales, to bewitch the kids and engage the adults? Something edgy for the grown-ups? The Darkness singing Christmas Time? Or (quiet at the back!): a screening of Love Actually with a live orchestral accompaniment?

It won’t surprise you to learn that Bristol has all of the above, and more, comprehensively covered.

Here’s the lowdown of what’s on where, straight from the pantomime horse’s mouth, as it were . . .

Bristol Old Vic: The modern fairytale

Traditionally, this theatre generates its own superb Christmas shows. Sally Cookson’s Peter Pan was so outstanding that the National ran it as their seasonal offering last year, offering proof, if proof were necessary, that regional theatre is where it’s at.

Bucking the trend this year, the big show is a transfer from the Globe – but that’s absolutely A-OK with us, because it’s directed by Bristolbased director Emma Rice, formerly of Kneehigh and The Globe, who (a) we claim as one of our own and (b) is one of the UK’s greatest directors.

honed on imrov, the wardrobe ensemble think on their feet

Here’s BOV’s comms officer Charlie Coombes: “Bristol Old Vic always delivers a Christmas that dreams are made of. We’ve teamed up with Shakespeare’s Globe to bring Emma Rice’s The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales to Bristol; a real treat, suitable for everyone from eight upwards, it’s festive theatre at its most exquisite; music, magic, laughter and puppets. Proper cosy, Christmas-spirit stuff.

“Our littlest theatre fans will be able to hang out in the Snow Globe, playing at The Lantern at Colston Hall. A fabulously fun, very original, super-duper Christmassy treat from local legend Kid Carpet, with tunes galore.

“Finally, as is now traditional, Blahblahblah present Blah Humbug, their anti-Christmas special at The Wardrobe Theatre as part of our Studio Walkabout season. Thick Richard explores our love affair with swearing – perfect for all Bristol Grinches . . .” 

Click your sparkly heels together three times and whisper ‘take me to The Redgrave’ Left: guns, gore and self-grooming: who will survive to tell the tail in Reservoir Cats?

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ARTS

FESTIVE SHOWS

THE WARDROBE: The anti-panto

We’ve been hooked on the Wardrobe’s alternative Christmas shows ever since we saw Muppits Die Hard, and we only have to think of the Scottish sisters in Goldilock, Stock and Three Smoking Bears to start grinning like loons. Honed on improv, the Wardrobe Ensemble think on their feet, delivering hilarious offerings in their laidback, in-the-round theatre. It’s impossible not to have a good time, especially if you saunter in with a large glass of house red from the bar. Here’s Matthew Whittle.

“Guns, gore and self-grooming! Reservoir Cats is another wickedly funny anti-panto from the team behind Rocky and Goldilock. We have just as much fun creating these hysterical shows as people seem to have watching them – and what could be more fun than a mash-up of Tarantino’s crime thriller and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical? Who will survive to tell the tail this Christmas – Mr Pink, Mr Blonde or The Magical Mr Mistoffelees?”

And they haven’t forgotten smaller theatregoers. “Soap Soup Theatre have previously wowed children with their magical Pixies’ Scarf and The Owl & The Pussycat’s Treasury of Nonsense. This Christmas they reinvent one of their favourite shows, The Snow Baby, and in their original style create a spellbinding and beautiful story of newborns and blizzards to get you in the festive mood.”

As a final Christmas bonus, there’s Kristmas With The Kringles. “The brilliantly funny and quick-witted team behind Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera (‘the world’s longest improvised narrative’) returns for a late night Christmas romp with much punch-swilling, mince pie-gorging and laughter, with superbly silly improvised games, sketches and songs and a healthy dollop of audience interaction.”

Proper cosy, Christmas stuff: The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales at BOV; Below, magic, mischief, music and mandatory spunky heroine: Beauty & The Beast at TFT

TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES: Beasts and beauties

Banish all thoughts of Emma Watson and Dan Stevens: for their big Christmas show this year, TFT is going back to the French origins for their Beauty and the Beast. The new co-production with New International Encounter and Cambridge Junction promises a mischievous, magical and music-filled bonanza for age five and up, based around a story that reminds us that beauty and beastliness are only skin deep.

Director Alex Byrne explains what makes it such an enduringly enticing tale. “The show is all about magic, about transformation, about a terrible curse and how it unwinds. It’s about a terrible beast in the middle of the forest who hides a dark secret that only love can unlock. It’s also about families, about siblings and what happens when they fall on hard times. After seeing the show, I hope audiences feel exhilarated and overjoyed, and ready for Christmas.”

For even younger theatre fans – we’re talking tots as young as two – there’s The Ugly Duckling. This was the first show that Tobacco Factory Theatres ever co-produced with Travelling Light, the multi awardwinning team behind Cinderella: A Fairytale; it’s back this Christmas with the company’s trademark magic and mastery combining in a warming wintry tale of family, feathers and fitting in.

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

St George’s Bristol: The tunes

“Music and Christmas go hand-in-hand at St George’s Bristol,” says head of marketing Dagmar Smeed. “This year our big-hitters are the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, acclaimed pianist Paul Lewis, G4’s Christmas By Candlelight, and BBC Radio 2 presenter Claire Martin and BBC Big Band with The Ella Fitzgerald Centenary Concert.

“There are also rich offerings from the city’s own ensembles and choirs, including Handel’s Messiah, Christmas Spectaculars, a Festive Fiesta, A Baroque Christmas, and Children’s Christmas Carnival. The Renewal Choir return with their upbeat Joyful, Joyful — Gospel Goes Festive, and for those wanting something a little different for their festive treats and get-togethers we have indie music royalty in the form of Green Gartside and Alexis Taylor (of Scritti Politti and Hot Chip fame), plus ‘King of Bhangra’ Malkiit Singh.”

Top left: Since when have ducklings ever been ugly? Just saying.

Above, we’re not letting The Darkness leave until they’ve made bellends of all of us

Colston Hall: Showtime

We don’t have room to include all the many festive offerings from these guys, but here are some of the highlights chosen for us by the team.

The countdown begins with two screenings of Richard Curtis’s love-it-or-hate-it movie Love Actually, with a full orchestra providing the live accompaniment. Yes, it’s manipulative, and yes, it’s schmaltzy, but then so was It’s a Wonderful Life. To all the haters, we say, yeah, well, that’s just like, your opinion, man.

What’s better than a concert based around Paddington and a concert based on The Snowman?

A double-bill of both, obviously. CBeebies’ Pui Fan Lee narrates the story of the bear’s first concert, followed by a screening of the now-mandatory The Snowman; both are accompanied live by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra.

Larger-than-life rockers The Darkness bring their trademark mix of energy and chaotic rock to the Hall; we’re locking the doors and not letting them leave until they give us Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End).

Bristol Choral Society ditch Handel’s Messiah this year in favour of a crowd-pleasing Christmas choral selection including Finzi, Holst, Vaughan Williams and Britten; in more of a pop vein, The Overtones have a stockingful of Christmas crackers from White Christmas to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

Book ’em, santa Full prices and dates can be found at the websites below Bristol Old Vic www.bristololdvic.org.uk The Wardrobe www.thewardrobe.co.uk Tobacco Factory Theatres www.tobaccofactorytheatres. com St George’s Bristol www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk Colston Hall www.colstonhall.org The Redgrave www.redgravetheatre.com Bristol Hippodrome www.atgtickets.com/venues/ bristol-hippodrome

The Hippodrome: the trad panto

“Is there anything better than cheering and booing your way through a traditional panto with the family?” says Steve Jones. “Surely Joe Pasquale, Marti Pellow and Hayley Tamaddon starring in a magical production of Aladdin has to be up there.

With tickets starting at £12 there are seats to suit most family budgets. And if you’ve never seen Slava’s Snow Show you have to put this in your diary.

On their last visit, no one would leave the theatre – they were having so much fun . . .”

The Redgrave: Over the rainbow

Meanwhile at The Redgrave, those talented Bristol Old Vic Theatre School kids are putting on the RSC’s acclaimed production of The Wizard of Oz. “It’s the perfect alternative to the Christmas panto,’ reckons Jenny Stephens, artistic director of BOVTS. “It’s a beloved tale that has been entertaining audiences for generations, and a show for anyone, of any age, from any background, who wants a little bit of magic this Christmas.”

And those who argue that the real meaning of Christmas has been lost in all of the above can stop moaning right now: also showing at Redgrave is Starry Night: A Nativity Tale.

“This is going to be a beautiful, playful and fresh adaptation of the oldest and greatest story ever told,” says director Chris Donnelly. “We’ve taken the traditional mystery cycle and introduced a rich web of stars, puppets, magicians, slapstick, poetry and singing which I hope will leave the audience with a special festive glow.” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 33

Reach the best in the west Auent, active and inuential and just a call away

Bristol Life team 01225 475800

arctic treasure by Sergey Gorshkov, finalist, wildlife photographer of the year 2017

wild at heart Not just a pretty picture: this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is a call to action – a plea to protect the planet’s fragile habitats, from frozen wastelands to tropical paradises By de r i robi ns 36 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ARTS

WHO KNEW THAT NEMO PICKED UP HITCHHIKERS?

BOLD EAGLE BY KLAUS NIGGE, FINALIST, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017

W Opposite: Snow goose omelette for dinner tonight, lads! It took luck and cunning for the fox to win this prize – ditto the photographer Top: Admittedly, ‘Finding Nemo and the parasitic isopods’ doesn’t have quite the same ring Bottom: When you’ve told the girl in the hair salon that you love it, but secretly you’re not sure

THE INSIDERS BY QUIN LING, FINALIST, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017

PHOTOGRAPHY

e share this planet we call Earth with an extraordinary range of animals, and we’re letting them down spectacularly.

Most of us don’t spend nearly enough time contemplating the plight of wild creatures, and our responsibility for them – and no, one hour a week watching Planet Earth really doesn’t cut it. All of which makes the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition not merely a feast for the eyes, but a wake-up call. Each image is so powerful that it’s easy to overlook the backstory, but the tales behind the shots are just as fascinating, with many sounding a warning klaxon for the environment.

Camera geeks can also, of course, get their tech on by learning the exact lens spec, ISO, f-stop and tripod that helped to create the image, while those of us who can barely get a garden robin in focus can only fight back tears sprung from a deep, baffled jealousy.

Luck is obviously a part of every great shot – but then luck tends to happen when opportunity meets preparation. Many of the photos were the w www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 37

PHOTOGRAPHY

Clockwise from top left: amiability and intelligence gleam from an elephant’s eye; beauty and a slightly unimpressed beast; male quetzel in Deliveroo mode

result of days standing thigh-deep in icy water, or peering out from a perilous hide on the side of a cliff; preternatural patience and a cheerful indifference to bodily comfort are as crucial as owning a 600m L lens.

ARCTIC TREASURE

Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov spent two months at the world’s largest Snow Goose breeding colony on Wrangel Island. Opportunistic Arctic foxes are quick to take advantage by stealing the eggs, but the geese and foxes are well matched – it would have taken luck and cunning for our fox to win this prize.

THE POWER OF THE MATRIARCH BY DAVID LLOYD, FINALIST, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017

ARTS

THE POWER OF THE MATRIARCH

Kiwi photographer David Lloyd spends up to three months a year leading photo safaris in Africa. One dusk, he saw that the mellow light was emphasising every wrinkle and hair of a herd of approaching elephants. The female leading the herd looked straight at him, her amber eye shining bright through the heavy folds of skin.

Her gaze was full of respect and intelligence – “the essence of sentience,” he says.

CHILDREN OF THE RAINFOREST

UK photographer Charlie Hamilton was working in the remote Machiguenga community of Yomibato when he came across Yoina and her pet tamarin. Every day, she would go for a swim, taking her tamarin with her. “I have no idea why,” says Charlie. “The tamarin hated it, and spent the whole time clambering onto her head to escape the water.”

Who knew that Nemo picked up parasitic isopod hitchhikers? It took six dives, immense patience and a pinch of luck to capture them, but finally all three fish revealed their guests and Chinese photographer Qing Lin managed to shoot all three clownfish with their eyes front and mouths obligingly open.

There are many more photos and stories where these four came from. The exhibition runs at MShed until late February; go along, marvel, laugh – and then renew that subscription to the World Wildlife Fund, why don’t you?

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, developed and produced by The Natural History Museum, London runs at M Shed until 8 April. £6 adult, £5 concession, under 16s free. www.bristolmuseums.org.uk; www.nhm.ac.uk 38 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

RESPLENDENT DELIVERY BY TYOHAR KASTIEL, FINALIST, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2017

THE INSIDERS

children of the rainforest by charlie hamilton james, finalist, wildlife photographer of the year 2017

The tamarin spent the whole time

clambering onto yoina’s head to escape the water

Kneehigh Theatre returns to Bristol Old Vic with a fable of love and war, set in a country at breaking point. Sound familar?

By l i sa wa r r e n

I made a

promise that whatever this show is, there’s no way it’ll be boring

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

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I

f you’ve never read Günter Grass’s sprawling, surreal novel of the same name, or seen the 1979 film, here’s the premise of The Tin Drum.

With fascism on the rise around World War II, precocious threeyear-old Oskar decides to reject the adult world and throws himself down the stairs. He stops growing, and appears to be trapped as a three-year-old forever. Armed with a heart full of rage, a voice that shatters glass and a seemingly indestructible tin drum, Oskar sets out to reveal the world for what it truly is.

Coming to Bristol Old Vic this month is the current stage version by Kneehigh, the Cornish troupe who rose from low-or-no-budget beginnings to become one of the most exciting theatrical companies in the UK today. They’ve co-produced with the National and the RSC, they tour internationally, and even have their own marquee theatre, though they still fiercely adhere to their Cornish roots and their unique method of play-making.

Even when they’re busily being the toast of Broadway, there’s still the sense that at the end of a run they might mysteriously disappear into the night like a bunch of gypsies. Whenever they pitch up at Bristol Old Vic (which is very often, luckily – this magazine has been banging on about them about as loudly as Oskar pounds his drum), it feels like the circus has come to town.

We have no problem at all in seeing why The Tin Drum might have appealed to Kneehigh’s Mike Shepherd, a director with a penchant for updating classic tales with political parallels to modern times. Think his previous hit, Dead Dog in a Suitcase, which updated John Gay’s 18th-century underworld drama, filtered via Weill and Brecht, and scored it with pop and ska to make a timeless urban myth.

So, obvious first question, Mike. With its warnings of the rise of the far right, countries in chaos and social destruction, is The Tin Drum a play for today? w www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 43

T H E AT R E

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IF YOU GO TO THE

THEATRE FOR A GENTLE SNOOZE, THE TIN DRUM IS PROBABLY

NOT FOR YOU

“A tale about the rise of fascism – too right it’s relevant to our times!” says Mike. “We’ve removed any things that might bind it to WWII, and I think it’s totally relevant to where we find ourselves now.”

But, as anyone who has ever seen a Kneehigh show will tell you, it’s safe to expect party poppers to sweeten the polemic.

“This is the biggest show that Kneehigh has ever made, and it has stunning music, incredible passion and force and a wonderful cast. If you go to theatre for a gentle snooze it’s probably not for you, but otherwise I think you’ll have a great time. I made a promise that whatever this show is, there’s no way it’ll be boring.

“Kneehigh is popular, and we’ll never be defensive about that. Some theatre wants to appeal only to a narrow élite, and we’re happy to stand outside that particular stream. We usually describe ourselves as making creative, vigorous, popular and challenging theatre, and performing with joyful anarchy. We’ve been aiming to live up to that description for over 30 years and it’s still a good standard to hold ourselves to.”

And yes, since you ask, the company still evolve their plays in their cliffside barns at Gorran Haven, holing up as a self-contained community with scant connection to the outside world.

“It’s really special to start shows in such a wild, elemental place and spending time there with the company is an essential part of the process.”

As diehard fans know, former joint artistic director Emma Rice, who along with Mike gave the company some of their greatest successes, left over a year ago to become AD at The Globe.

Banging the drum in an upsidedown-world: The Tin Drum reunites Dead Dog writer and Kneehigh stalwart Carl Grose with composer Charles Hazlewood and director Mike Shepherd

Those who felt that Emma was responsible for putting the heart into such swooningly romantic plays as Tristan & Yseult and Brief Encounter, and have been fretting at her departure, may perk up to learn that new associate director Keziah Serreau, a long-time collaborator of Emma’s, is soon to join Kneehigh.

As ever, we just can’t wait to see what this thrilling, omni-talented, gleefully inventive bunch of mavericks comes up with next.

The Tin Drum plays Bristol Old Vic 7-18 November For more: www.bristololdvic.org.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 45

THE VERDICT

HORSE POWER Two big-hitters from The National Theatre stopped off in Bristol this autumn – but have they retained the power of their original productions?

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e’ve all been there.

Lured into our local playhouse by poster bills shouting rave reviews of productions that premièred in London yonks ago; but the show now has a new cast, and a different director. The original effect feels a bit diluted, and you find yourself wondering what all the fuss was about.

Neither of the National Theatre’s productions in Bristol this month showed signs of lagging. True, the tour of People, Places and Things has a fairly weighty cross to bear; when Duncan Macmillan’s powerful new play about addiction, rehab and the lies people tell premièred in 2015, it had seasoned critics rushing to the thesaurus for fresh hyperboles – most of which were lavished on actor Denise Gough’s titanic performance.

On the night we rolled up to see the play at Bristol Old Vic, one audience member could be heard explaining helpfully to her neighbour that “the original Emma was so much better”. Maybe so – maybe nobody will ever top La Gough’s barnstorming, awardwinning performance – but given that such comparisons are not especially profitable, let’s see what the show has to offer today.

PP&T is not a one-woman show, but it feels like one. It briefly begins with a play-withina-play, as we first meet our chronically unreliable anti-heroine Emma (Lisa Dwyer Hogg) as she falters her way through her role as Nina in The Seagull. Next, we see her off her tits in a nightclub, then finally checking in to the rehab centre, where we spend most of the play.

There’s a very clever joke involving Emma’s mum and a phone call, which sets the tone for an evening of bleak gallows humour. It’s an unremittingly desolate tale, but it’s never less than engaging, thanks to the blackly comic script and some clever bits of theatrical invention. Cold-turkey Emma’s out-of-body experience, for example, is conveyed by multiple Emmas erupting out of the walls, floor and bed.

Emma’s infuriating. She has the addict’s (and actor’s?) sly default of deceiving everyone, including herself. The first time 46 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

she shares her life story with her rehab group, she appropriates the plot of Hedda Gabler.

She’s never ‘off’ – something underlined by the rows of onstage seats for some of the audience within the rehab centre. One of her best speeches offers an insight into what it’s like to act in a play: to burn brightly and passionately, experience intense friendships, and then have to ‘come down’ – a bit like Emma’s trying to do from drugs.

THERE’S NO REASON WHY WAR HORSE SHOULDN’T GALLOP ON FOREVER At the centre, she’s disruptive, superior, cynical and smart-alecky, but she wants to be better. She really does. Despite the fact that we don’t like her any more than she likes herself, we find ourselves willing her to kick the habit. That said, even though, like South Park’s Mr Mackey, we do know that ‘drugs are baayd, mkay’, there’s an intriguing ambiguity about the escapism they represent, and how seductive they can be in today’s crazy, mixed- up world. People, Places and Things isn’t Trainspotting.

We’re so caught up in Emma’s world view that the final scene, in which her longsuffering parents react to the announcement of her recovery, is as much a slap in the face for us as it is for Emma – or Nina, or Lucy, or whatever she’s calling herself that day.

Rehab, it seems, is one thing; redemption quite another.

People, Places & Things played Bristol Old Vic 24-28 October; www.bristololdvic.org.uk

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nlike almost every other transfer you could name, the immortal War Horse is immune to casting comparisons. No-one is ever going to say, “Oh, you should have seen the puppet playing Joey back in 2007! The new one’s not a patch on the original…”

Because while War Horse obviously demands a decent cast of humans, the puppets are most definitely the thing – not just Joey, but the magnificent black stallion Topthorn, a cheeky goose and some birds.

The adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s novel about a horse’s experience of World War I into a stage sensation has now passed into theatrical legend. The author certainly never pictured his tale on the stage; indeed, he originally thought, “they must be mad”.

Then along came Tom Morris and Handspring Puppet Company, who showed us just what could be achieved with puppets.

Handspring’s life-size horses are mindblowingly nuanced; their ears flick, tails twitch, powerful front hooves paw the air; you fall in love with them instantly, and wholly believe in their reality. No wonder that practically every new piece of family theatre ever since has contained a substantial puppet element.

The show gives us the kind of breathtaking moments only live drama can create. Joey morphing from a foal into a great, bucking racing horse is pure theatre, while the impressionistic silhouettes that parade across a torn-paper backdrop, like charcoal figures in a sketchbook, convey the claustrophobic horror of war more effectively than any movie could ever do.

Even the familiar image of blood merging into poppies feels fresh here.

Beloved by audiences worldwide, War Horse netted an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t gallop on forever. It’s a deeply moving, three-hankie weepie that never tips into the saccharine; it’s thrilling, spectacular, epic and uplifting . When Joey takes his curtain call, rearing up on his back legs, there’s a tangible ripple of goosebumps from the stalls all the way up to the gods.

Oh, and you know we said you didn’t miss anything by not catching the original production? We lied. The first actor to play Albert, who trains Joey from a foal, and later enlists to rescue him from the battlefields of France? That would be Kit Harington.

War Horse is at Bristol Hippodrome until 11 November; www.atgtickets.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 47

The Perfect Gift, this Christmas...

Struggling to buy for the person who has everything?

Give them the gift of capturing their precious memories for them to enjoy for a lifetime.

I provide a truly bespoke service that tailors every session to each clients personal needs, guiding you through the process of selecting which images will work best using fantastic imaging software that will show you exactly how your art will look.

Kent Road, Congresbury, Bristol, BS49 5BD 0117 287 2767 info@littlepicklesphotography.co.uk www.littlepicklesphotography.co.uk/ promotions-seasonal-events/

Our beautifully presented folio boxes make a great gift for mums that have everything, each image from their session is printed on fine art paper and nestled in a luxurious leather box to keep their treasures safe.

Open Tues - Fri 11am - 5pm and Closed Sunday & Monday

Village Green is a boutique where ladies can buy beautiful pre-loved designer labels at affordable prices.

From Prada, Gucci and Joseph to Reiss, Hobbs and LK Bennett.

5 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DP Tel:0117 970 6776

www.villagegreenboutique.co.uk t Villagegreen5 f villagegreenboutique

XMAS SHOPPING GUIDE

WRAP STARS You know, there’s really nothing cool or clever about leaving your Christmas shopping until 24 December. Like a good girl scout, we’re prepared. We have sherry.

We have Shane and Kirsty. Ready or not, we’re going in . . .

Presents and correct We know a couple of design mavens who will only tolerate Xmas gifts under the tree if they’re wrapped in mono paper. Even they might love this retro wrap from Ustudio – a snip at £1.50 a sheet From www.ustudio.design

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 51

Bean an awful good girl/boy?

If so, you may just qualify for this Dualit coffee machine, £179; your espressos will be so good you may have to start charging From www.steamer.co.uk

Show me a home . . .

We love this little wooden AnaMalz buffalo (£4); the fact that he’s eco-friendly, the fact that he’s so multi-jointed and poseable, the fact that he costs less than a fiver – but mostly because he has a little coat From www.betweendogandwolf.com

Pinkosaurus If you don’t know anyone who would be thrilled to receive a pink origami Stegosaurus light, we politely suggest you change your family and friends. £31.50 (plug-in); £10 (mini, LED) From www.monpote.co.uk/

Amazing Grace (& Mabel) The nemesis of the Boring Black Bag. Malene Birger’s Crossby (£200) is compact, cute and inspired by the saddle bag; as such, it somehow to manages to be both urban-chic and country-set From www.graceandmabel.co.uk

Charm offensive Eyecatching yet pleasingly simple, Catherine Amersbury’s silver triple bangle with silver letter charms starts at £55 From www.artemisbristol.co.uk 52 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Two words, first syllable . . .

Surely the logical next step in hipsterdom is the rediscovery of parlour games? Chance and Counters are there already; £7.95 From www.fig1.co.uk

Glittering prizes Whoever wears these earrings will out-dazzle the Christmas tree and dominate attention at the New Year bash. By Israeli jewellery designer Ayala Bar, the range costs £40-£130 From www.amuletboutique.co.uk

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho The Cider Shop’s new tasting kit (£39.50) contains 10 award-winning ciders, a miniature Somerset cider brandy, a tasting glass and a tasting guide with buckets of information about each of the ciders From www.bristolcidershop.co.uk

XMAS SHOPPING GUIDE Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx From Xxxxx

Fantastic Mr Fox (and Mr Badger, and Ms Sheep) Flat Stanley would adore these rugs.

Billie the Badger, Finlay the Fox (100% felt, £65) and Shirley the Sheep (100% wool, £79) are designed in England and handmade in Kathmandu where they provide sustainable work for women in rural Nepal From www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 53

Petal power When you’re stumped for a gift, you can’t go wrong with beautiful flowers. New florist-onthe-block Sherbert Bloom will put together a seasonal bouquet from around £45, or will make you an exquisite wreath from £70 upwards Contact via Instagram or email Roberta at enquires@sherbertbloom.co.uk

XMAS SHOPPING GUIDE

In your face Ingela P Arrhenius’s plates (£12.50) carry demure names (this is Mr and Mrs Peterson and Mrs Edelmann) – but there’s nothing shy about her kitsch-inthe-nicest-sense-of-the-word designs From www.the-pippa-and-ike-show.com

Trunk in charge At 37cm, Mega Maxiumus Mammoth is a tawny, trunky and terrific Jellycat addition to the nursery (£47.99) From www.soukous.co.uk

Northern exposure A plate for life, not just for Christmas – though the icy Greenland pattern admittedly lends itself beautifully to the festive table. Hand-decorated, £20 From www.strangebristol.com

Pahnl show Pahnl were the festival artists at Upfest this year; witty little original canvases such as this Heisting Warhol are just £150 From www.upfest.co.uk

Board meetings A subtler palette than her well-loved balloon pictures, but just as bold and striking, Jenny Urquart’s print (£35) will delight the surfer dude or beach bum in your life From www.room212.co.uk

The Woodentops No, they won’t cut the mustard with the Barbie or Baby Annabell set, but grown-up fans of mid-century Americana will adore Alexander Girard’s folk-inspired wooden dolls (£85 each) From www.oskarfurniture.co.uk

Ice, nice, baby Guaranteed to please the tricky tween in your life, these Ice Pop Socks (£10.50) are what Christmas stockings were designed for From www.thepodcompany.co.uk

Red or dead Every self-respecting Bristol stocking should contain at least one Stokes Croft China mug. This red Bristol Rose design, £15, also comes in a Jezzer Corbyn version From www.prscshop.co.uk

Super trooper KeepCup new Star Wars range is ideal for sustainability-conscious Jedi’s; collect BB8, R2D2, Stormtrooper, Rey, Darth Vader and Chewbacca, £14 From www.twodaycoffee.co.uk

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XMAS SHOPPING GUIDE

Two turtle doves We’re not entirely sure they’re turtle doves, to be honest; this is a gift guide, not an ornithological journal. Lovely make-up bag, though (£48) From www.movementboutique.co.uk

Yes, chefs!

A pair of instant cookbook classics have been released in time for Christmas

by Ebury Press. Sweet (£27) is Yottam Ottolenghi’s much anticipated book of baking and desserts, while River Cafe 30 (£28) combines updated classics with new creations from the legendary Michelin-starred kitchen From www.foyles.co.uk

Cosy club We see you stealing this natty scarf back from him by Boxing Day. By Oliver Spencer (60% wool, 30% alpaca, 10% polymide, £89) From www.mazeclothing.co.uk

Hi ho (ho ho) silver We’re not sure it would be possible to be disappointed by anything bought from Diana Porter. This beautiful silver link necklace starts at £461 From www.dianaporter.co.uk

Baublicious Call us cynical, but we really don’t see this Chococo milk chocolate bauble (£8.95) lasting until Christmas Day From www.papadeli.co.uks

Good mixer A mixing bowl is something many people use every day of their lives – why not make it an aesthetic pleasure too? Jacob Bodilly’s glazed earthenware bowls are beautifully simple and simply beautiful; £36-£49 From www.midgleygreen.com

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

Wild at heart Inside Jo Malone’s unmistakable classy cream and black box nestles this mesmerising cologne, with all the delicate sweetness of a English woodland (£90, 100ml) From www.jomalone.co.uk

Beautiful Gifts, Jewellery, Candles, Scarves, Home Accessories, Hand Finished Cards & Baby Clothes

Open Mon-Sat, 10-6pm & Sun 10-4pm.

44a-46 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LA. Visit us online www.soukous.co.uk

a taste of Bristol!

Cider tasting Christmas parties Cider tasting hampers & gifts

Bristol Cider Shop Cargo 1, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WE www.bristolcidershop.co.uk (0117) 929 3203

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

R E S TA U R A N T

FOOD

Wellbourne Clifton’s latest foodie destination combines a nostalgic throwback to 1980s wine bars with a thoroughly contemporary attitude in the kitchen. Except when to comes to vol-au-vents

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By DE R I ROBI NS

dmittedly, as mission statements go, “We’re bringing vol-au-vents back” isn’t quite up there with “we’re bringing sexy back”.

We thought we’d seen the back of those puff-pastry buffetbotherers; a throwback to the culinary wasteland that was the 1980s. But hold on just a cottonpickin’ minute! There they were, on a plate presented to us at Wellbourne: half a dozen little ‘flights-in-the-wind’, their golden pastry stuffed to the gills with glorious fillings – creamed girolles, Cardigan Bay shrimps, stuffed veal. Oh vol-au-vents – how could we have so cruelly forgotten you?

Given that most amuses bouches amount to a mouthful of foam, we panicked momentarily, and wondered if we should have wolfed down quite so much of the complimentary sourdough bread.

But it had been so fresh-fromthe-oven-warm, and so soft, and as springy as Zebedee. And as for that fig-leaf infused butter…

As we said, we were at Wellbourne, the intriguing new all-day restaurant that occupies the old Prosecco site on Clifton’s The Mall. We hardly recognised the place. There are now picture windows in place of the solid side wall, through which you can people-watch, and wonder why anyone would choose Côte across the street when they could be here. Eating vol-au-vents.

Wellbourne is the joint enterprise of three very experienced operators: Ross Gibbens, Michael Kennedy and Martin Irwin, who met at London’s Michelin-starred Dabbous. They weren’t on the premises on the night we visited – overseeing their new branch in the Spanish Pyrenees, we expect. Our FOH was charming Ben Porter, who knows everything about wine worth knowing, and probably a bit more too.

It’s not just the vol-au-vents that evoke a bygone era at Wellbourne (do the ’80s count as ‘bygone’ yet?).

These days, the word ‘bar’ is more usually preceded by ‘tapas’, ‘sushi’ or ‘craft beer’, the concept of the wine bar

CREAMED GIROLLES, CARDIGAN BAY SHRIMPS, STUFFED VEAL: OH VOLAU-VENTS, HOW COULD WE HAVE CRUELLY FORGOTTEN YOU?

having been all but forgotten. Wellbourne is bringing that back, too. The dining space is a sea of polished wood, the bottles importantly taking up most of the wall behind the bar; there are 25 choices by the glass, from £4; New World classics to cool, funky Basque numbers.

For us, the highlights were an Australian Berton Vineyard Vermentino, a top alternative to Sauv Blanc, and a Greek Gaia Wines Notios Agioritiko, which did excellent service with my lamb course.

Even in Bristol, where we really don’t suffer from a dearth of imagination when it comes to restaurant menus, Wellbourne’s offering is guaranteed to pique your interest, and we could happily have ordered anything off the menu.

A starter of South Coast crab was piled on a bed of charred lettuce, with peanuts for crunch and a sprinkling of peppery tagete leaves. No, don’t pretend you know what they are. They’re a kind of marigold. Wellbourne likes a floral flourish.

Your Man’s candy beetroot with mushroom, hazelnut and kinome was an effulgently pretty, popishly purple dish, and tasted seasonal, light and delicate – maybe too light and delicate for those who prefer their flavours to carry a heavyweight punch.

A shoulder and breast of salt marsh lamb had just landed on the menu, and came with sea beet and salsify; the meat was meltingly tender and full of robust flavour.

Your Man stuck doggedly to the veggie route, with a dish of aubergine with herby pistou, sesame and garden chard; another subtle dish, but with unmistakeably fresh ingredients, and unexpected spicy hits.

The desserts are as intriguing as the mains, so instead of skipping this course as per, we found ourselves cracking open a cute meringue ball encasing a creamy buckthorn and marjoram curd, while simultaneously making short work of a lemon leaf, bilberry and smoked mignonette pepper ice-cream within a delicate, demerera-rolled pastry bracelet. An ’80s style wine bar in some ways this may be, but the Wellbourne menu is several evolutions away from your Black Forest gateau.

We’re still not sure that vol-au-vents are the new rock’n’roll, but Wellbourne must surely be in the running for the title of one of the most interesting openings in Bristol this year. It’s the perfect first-date restaurant – there’s just so much to talk about on the menu; it’s a jolly venue for groups, yet ideal for the solo after-worker who can perch at the bar for a couple of courses and glasses.

Oh, and they’re doing a range of Christmas vol-au-vents soon. Just saying.

DINING DETAILS Wellbourne, 25 The Mall, Clifton; 0117 2390683 Opening hours open seven days a week, see website for hours Prices starters £7.50-£9, mains £14-£20, puds £7.50 Vegetarian choice a few dishes on a short menu Wine list excellent selection, with the most expensive at £300 (a Chateau Figeac, 1er Grand Cru Classe, St Emilion, since you ask). But plenty of crowd-pleasers around the £20 mark too, and 25 wines available by the glass at £4 Should we bring the kids? it’s not especially geared to rugrats Atmosphere buzzy, Brizzley, brill Service knowledgeable, friendly

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

TAKE FIVE

Chef Stephen Gilchrist can afford to smile. The Shop 3 Bistro he runs with his partner Kathryn Curtis just won the Crumbs Award for Best Newcomer – and they’re about to open a new gaff . . .

Congratulations on winning Best Newcomer at the Crumbs Awards!

Thank you, we were very surprised. There are so many great new businesses in Bristol; we were so lucky to be chosen.

Tell us a bit about your chef background and cooking style I’ve been cooking for 26 years, in London, New Zealand and now Bristol. My experience ranges from top London city restaurants to five-star hotels, boutique vineyard restaurants, and small, independent family-run businesses. I love honest, rustic, tasty cooking inspired by great produce.

Please sum up the philosophy and aims of Shop 3 Bistro Our aim is to be a friendly neighbourhood bistro serving exciting, moderately priced cuisine. Our philosophy is to serve food and drinks influenced by as many foraged and locally grown ingredients as possible.

What are you foraging at the moment?

This is our favourite time of year for foraging. Last week in the kitchen we’ve been working with crab apples, sea cabbage, rowanberries, hawthorn and wild chervil.

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

Why did you feel that Bristol was the right place to open a restaurant?

We were excited to come back to the UK, we wanted to live somewhere in touch with the countryside and with the vibrancy of a city.

Bristol is the perfect mix and full of energy and ideas.

Have you found the local food scene to be supportive? Where do you go for a meal on a rare night off?

The restaurant community in Bristol is amazing, the calibre of restaurants in Bristol

is extremely high. Our favourite place to go for a date is Paco Tapas at Casamia.

What kind of food do you cook for family and friends, and what’s your go-to simple dinner for two?

On the rare occasion we cook for family, we cook whatever is great in their garden.

Simple dinner for two: gyoza, chicken karaage, rice and miso.

When we visited we were intrigued by the chocolate and mushroom dessert.

Do you have any more unusual combos to tempt us on the current or up-andcoming menus?

Right now we are serving duck egg with bottarga and seabuckthorn. We’ve got a delicious pork gel with bacon ice cream and oyster mayo, coming up on our preChristmas menu. . . www.shop3bistro.co.uk www.otira.co.uk STOP PRESS: look out for Stephen and Kathryn’s second opening, Otira – a restaurant and tapas bar inspired by Stephen’s life and travels – which will be joining the burgeoning foodie scene on Chandos Road

FOOD & DRINK

FOOD OF LOVE FRYING TONIGHT We know! We think B Block sounds like a prison drama, too. In fact, it’s a new all-day restaurant specialising in authentic wood-fired pizzas, quality coffee and local produce, and it’s due to open this month in Keynsham.

Yes, Keynsham. B Block is part of the much-vaunted new Chocolate Quarter currently being developed on the site of the former Frys, then subsequently Cadbury’s, chocolate factory. The restaurant will open for breakfast and lunch on 6 and 7 November, and for dinner service from 8 November. The name and style of the restaurant highlights the building’s heritage; housed within one of the original factory buildings, the 60-cover diner is styled with bespoke furniture, salvaged light fittings, ironwork and reclaimed decorative items to create a stripped-back industrial feel.

A new co-production for Bristol Old Vic! The historic theatre has announced a partnership with top local catering company Fosters, that will come into effect on the completion of the theatre’s multimillion pound redevelopment in 2018. The two organisations will create a new catering and events space in King Street, with the centrepiece being the historic Coopers’ Hall, which has done time as everything from a Quaker’s Meeting House to a fruit warehouse. For the past 45 years it’s been the mezzanine of Bristol Old Vic’s FOH, and will be returned to its Georgian splendour as a public space for hire. Bookings are already open for those who want to be one of the first through the doors.

For more: www.bristololdvic.org.uk/events-and-catering

For more: www.b-blockpizza.co.uk

MILES BETTER No-one really likes a Little Chef, so why not go the Extra Mile to find a better alternative? A book of the same name is just about to be published by Alastair Sawday under their new imprint Printslinger; its aim is to point motorists in the direction of delicious, quirky, organic and sustainable local alternatives to overpriced motorway fare. The book costs £12.99 and is available on pre-order with a 10% discount; one for the Santa wishlist, perhaps?

For more: www.centralbooks.com

THE NEVER-ENDING STORY

INDEPENDENTS DAY

. . . and that’s totally fine by us, as we’re massive fans of Luke Hasell and his award-winning Story Farm. Luke is due to open his new butchers, Meat Box, in the final two units at Cargo 2 on 4 November.

“Meat Box is all about ethically sourced meat, that’s traceable and damn tasty to boot,” he says.

“We’ll be able to provide that last-minute outdoor reared pork chop for your dinner, or a hand-cut and rolled organic joint for Sunday lunch, or a Christmas ham like you’ve never tasted. We’ll be sourcing the best pasture-fed, outdoor reared and organic meat alongside charcuterie and hams from Bristol and Somerset’s finest.” You can order by email or text the team – website orders are coming soon. If you call before 2pm you can collect your order on your way home from work.

To celebrate the launch of the latest collection of independent businesses at Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf is hosting a Patio Party on 10 November between 6-9 pm. You can bop about to sounds from funk and soul DJs Gold Diggers, while you pick up a pint, discuss the filthiness levels of a burger, tuck in to a pizza or purchase a steak. There are artisan bread and cakes from The Assembly Bakery, craft beers from The Beer Necessities, burgers and lemonade from Squeezed, local produce from Meat Box, pizzas from Pizzarova and plenty of stuff from the retail guys, too.

For more: www.meatboxbristol.co.uk

For more: www.wappingwharf.co.uk

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

Christmas Party Menu available throughout November and December

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

FOOD & DRINK

CAFÉ SOCIETY Sta n Cullimore

CEREAL KILLER The former guitarist of ’80s indie rock band The Housemartins has since turned journalist and travel writer, and has somehow ended up writing a food column for us. Starting, appropriately enough, with breakfast . . .

W

ho in their right mind would open a cafe that sells porridge and pretty much nothing else? It has to be the act of a genius.

Or someone who has misunderstood the basic principles of capitalism. That’s what I initially thought about The Porridge Project, which does exactly what it says on the front door.

Sells cooked oats.

There again, why not? Bristol is hipster central these days. You can’t walk into a café without seeing complicated facial hair in the kitchen or stepping on sourdough crumbs.

It was only a matter of time before this happened. Every niche is being filled; we’ve had cereal cafés, and waffle wagons. This is just a logical progression.

But here’s the thing. When I made my way down Lodge Street, the steep cobbled road that takes you to Colston Hall’s back door, I was ready to sneer. To shake my head at such foolishness, maybe even make a snippy comment or two.

First impressions were mixed. The place ticks all the postmodernist décor boxes.

Industrial kitsch shelving and coarse chipboard flooring. No surprises there. The menu is short, sweet and simple, which is always a good sign.

It covers the bases. Any reasonable person will

It’s rumoured that they’ll still serve you even if you don’t have a Macbook and glasses

find something that tickles their oaty tastebuds; if not, they do requests.

Being a reasonable person, I ordered coffee and a bowl of Goldilock, Stock and Two Smoking Bananas, or similar. Taking my tasty coffee to a table by the door, I noticed the bags of oats on standby, the countertop machine that mills oats to order and the lazy sunshine dappling the walls. All of which felt good.

Very good.

Then I noticed the neighbours, and things got even better. They were musicians and the like, scurrying around as they prepared for an evening’s show at Colston’s. An unexpected pleasure. Weird clothes, exotic hair and petulant strops; and that was just the roadies.

It was like being backstage at a reality show. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from them.

Until the café owner brought my Goldilocks bowl to the table. It looked mighty fine.

Picture perfect. But full disclosure time: I am married to a Scot. One of the benefits of this is that she makes very tasty porridge – which is surprisingly rare. For such a simple dish, it is strangely difficult to make correctly. I can’t tell you how many times I have endured professionally made bowls of lumpy oat slop that I wouldn’t feed to my dog – and my dog eats socks.

Obviously, the proof of the porridge is in the eating. So I ate it. Every last bit. I can report that it was exquisite. Perfect. The very best I have ever had in a commercial setting. Topnotch product.

So, in conclusion, I think this place may just be an act of genius. It delivers perfect porridge, classy coffee and a floor show that is worth the price of admission alone. More power to their porridge-pumping elbows.

www.stancullimore.com www.facebook.com/bristolporridgeproject

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BRISTOL COLLEGE of MASSAGE and BODYWORK

CACI facials available now at Simon Lee’s Aesthetic Medical Clinic.

Professional Massage Training and Low Cost Massage Clinics OPEN DAY Thursday 23 November 6.30-8.30pm Holisitc Massage Level 4 Diploma Intakes every February and September • Remedial & Sports Massage Level 5 Diploma Taking applications for September 2018 - entry programme available

• Indian Head Massage Certificate Course MTI Level 3 Certificate • Two day Holistic and Thai Massage Introductory Workshops • Exciting CPD programme for therapists.

Low cost massage available - Student Massage £12/£18 or Graduate Massage £25 for 1 hour appointment; Remedial/Sports Massage £15 for 1hr 15mins.

Lower Ground Floor, 109 Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3EU - 0117 946 6371 enquiries@bristolmassage.co.uk - www.bristolmassage.co.uk

T PERFEC cial e p s before ! events

Enjoy our Hydratone Facial for £20 per session Simon Lee, Aesthetic Medical Clinic 3 Whiteladies Gate, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2PH Telephone 01173 292027

BCMB has been providing high quality training since 1987. We are accredited by the Massage Training Institute (MTI). Our courses exceed the training standards of the General Council for Massage Therapy.

D N A R IN A W BO O D EN IL M W GA

For great Christmas value

• Woolley Park (Bath) free range turkeys, geese and ducks • Copas organic and free range turkeys • Usk Vale boneless turkey crowns stuffed to order Gift vouchers • Set boxes Molesworths of Henleaze 101 Henleaze Road, Bristol, BS9 4JP

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

0117 962 1095

01454 777337

www.henleazebutchers.co.uk

SPORT

OLLY ROBINSON Back Row

A DIFFERENT LEAGUE

EASY TASKS RARELY HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SATISFACTION AS THOSE THAT ARE DIFFICULT

Olly’s been pushed out of his comfort zone – and he’s loving it . . .

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PIC BY JMPUK

f you had told me this time last year that I would be making the 130-mile round trip from Bristol to Cardiff each day in order to train and play for Cardiff Blues in the PRO14, I probably would have given you a funny look. However, life, and particularly a rugby life, can change very quickly, and since the middle of September this is exactly the position I have found myself in.

Cardiff Blues had three injuries to quality players in my position (openside flanker) in very short succession, and an opportunity arose for me to go and test myself in a different league playing with and against some really high-quality players. With the amount of injuries occurring in modernday rugby, loan deals are becoming very common. The opportunity for me to link up with Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt, who were both at Bristol a few years ago, was very appealing to me and because of the amount

of quality players in the back row at Bristol, Pat Lam was happy to let me get some game time against some of the top clubs in Europe.

Having been a Bristol player for nearly five years, my first day at the Blues felt very much like being 11 years old again and just starting senior school. However, I can’t speak highly enough of how welcoming the Cardiff lads have been to me, and despite the odd Welsh phrase going way over my head, I have felt very much at home.

The move has been incredibly beneficial for me personally. I have loved being able to play in some of the top stadiums in Europe, and to visit some fantastic cities. Just last week, I was involved in a famous Cardiff win away against Toulouse; anyone who has ever watched French rugby will realise what an amazing achievement it is to win in France, and how great the love of rugby is, particularly in the south of the country.

Toulouse is one of the best-supported clubs in the world, and to play in front of a packed

house there was a dream come true. Just stepping off the bus, you sense a different atmosphere to that in any English stadium.

The bus was lined with cheering French fans, and we were welcomed by a brass band, with the smell of red wine and cigarettes in the air.

Despite the great welcome, once you get on the pitch to play against their side it can become an incredibly hostile environment; every decision given against the home side is jeered and booed, and the wall of noise as Toulouse ran out made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Having beaten them, we were treated to some fantastic French hospitality after the game. A huge number of fans waited to congratulate us, congregating in a big marquee, despite it being almost midnight.

There were bottles of red wine and stacks of cheese lined up on tables, and although we couldn’t finish them all, we gave it a good go long into the night.

It’s not the easiest decision to move from a place in which you are comfortable and happy; the easiest thing can be to stay where you are, and never put yourself in the firing line. However, I believe that in order to grow as a person, you need to be constantly facing new challenging situations.

Tasks that are easy very rarely have the same level of satisfaction or enjoyment in the end as those that are difficult. I would always advise all young people, and particularly young rugby players, to experience as many different situations as possible, and never stop trying to grow as a person or a player.

So far, I have played in six games for the Blues, and have loved every single one, and hopefully gained some valuable experience that I will be able to contribute when I return to Bristol – and also for the rest of my life as a whole, not just my rugby career.

Follow Olly on Twitter at @ollyrobbo

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A RETIREMENT TO LOOK FORWARD TO

NOVEMBER OPEN AFTERNOON

Open Afternoon on Saturday 25th November 2-4 pm Live Music – Refreshments – Show Apartments – Tours

The next time that Bristol in Bloom drops by unexpectedly, your garden is going to OWN it – thanks to these tips from Wyevale Garden Centre

Y

by pat r ic k wa l l

es, we know what you’re thinking. It’s rare for us to run a gardening column in this magazine; we figure that most of our readers are dyed-in-the-wool urbanites, too busy tracking down the perfect flat white or artisan burger to get their hands dirty in their dinky town house gardens. But we love to be inclusive, and when Wyevale Garden Centre told us they were happy to share their top bulb-planting tips we got a bit excited about the prospect of all that spring colour. Here’s what their bulb expert, Patrick Wall, has to say.

1Choose wisely

Ask yourself the following questions: what sort of colours do I want in my garden? Am I looking to just grow flowers or do I want to start a vegetable patch? Am I planting in a pot or in a bed? Once you have your answers, it’s time to start choosing! Depending on the month, 70 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

there should be a great selection at your local centre, from pansies to Sweet Williams. Bulbs are a low-cost way to add splashes of colour to your garden, so make sure you pick up a vast selection – you will most likely be planting them quite close together so the more the merrier.

Plump, firm bulbs work better so avoid any with signs of mould and softness.

Expert tip: Choose a variety of bulbs that flower at different times between January and May so you have a succession of colour.

2Scout the spot

Popular bulb varieties such as daffodils and tulips need sunny, dry spots in order to grow, so choose areas with a good amount of sun. Avoid areas that get very wet during the colder months and choose sheltered areas that will be able to absorb the small amount of winter sunshine.

Picking the perfect patch means you will be less worried about bad weather spells between now and spring.

GARDENING

EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE LARGE OUTDOOR SPACE, YOU CAN STILL BECOME A BULB EXPERT

3PREP YOUR SOIL

Whether you are planting directly or into a pot, the first step is always to prepare the soil for maximum growth. When planting in beds, mix compost into the soil to provide rich nutrients for the bulbs to start flourishing. As pots require good drainage, it’s best to avoid soggy soil.

Remember to clear any weeds or damaging plants out of your bed before getting started.

Expert tip: To ensure your bulbs are strong and healthy, use special bulb fibre compost – the best way to ensure long-lasting bulbs.

4DIG DEEP

Digging deep is the key to getting the best out of your bulbs. Ensure the hole depth is always double or even triple the size of the actual bulb and at least a bulb’s width away from each other – bulbs need their space to flourish!

Aim to plant the bulbs with the shoot facing up; if you are unsure about which side the shoot is, plant on its side and the shoot will eventually find its way to the surface.

5ARRANGE FORMATION

Depending on your chosen bulbs, flowers such as tulips always create a better formation when they are planted in a large group. You don’t have to stick to one colour; experiment with different hues and types in your bed or pot to create an interesting display – your reward for all your hard work when they eventually blossom!

Expert tips: If creating a strict formation isn’t for you, try putting a mixture of your favourite bulbs in a bag, spin around and throw them in the air, then plant them where they land! It is less regimented and a fun way to add colour to your garden.

Try ‘lasagne’ planting if you’re planning to plant in pots – layering bulbs with different flowering times results in months of wonderful colour without having to re-plant new bulbs each season.

6SHOWER WITH LOVE

The autumn weather can get quite dry so ensure you don’t forget about your poor bulbs.

Although do grow better in dryer soil, if they get too dry they won’t survive – plan a regular water cycle alongside the usual British downpours, instead of relying purely on nature. The more you take care of your bulbs the more they will benefit from it, and the more colourful flowers you will have for your display.

Expert tip: If you’re worried about having to take care of your blooms throughout the colder months, choose snowdrops – they are the ultimate winter flower and can even survive frosts and snow so you don’t have to worry about protecting them.

Plant under Hellebores for an early winter display that will see you through to spring.

7POT LUCK

Even if you don’t have large outdoor space, you can still become a bulb expert – planting in pots is a growing trend. Most bulbs can be grown in containers and larger flowers such as daffodils particularly thrive in a smaller environment.

Choose pots that have drainage holes and are deep enough for the bulbs and a few inches of soil. Always ensure that you stick to a similar hole depth as beds and plant at least one bulb width apart. Pot bulbs do not need to be watered as frequently as bed bulbs due to slower drainage but will still need to be watered regularly during the key active growth season.

Expert tip: Pots are perfect for mixing things up – you can plant a certain bulb for a month or so, and then re-plant with a new bulb easily. This gives you flexibility to experiment with colour trends or new varieties of bulbs.

Thanks to Wyevale Garden Centre for the tips!

Visit them at Hicks Gate, Keynsham, Bristol 0844 288 5036 www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk

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

Downsie of SAM FM

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

Kate Fisher and Emily Mitchard

GLITTER BAND The Glitter Ball – shining a light on CHSW Over 450 people turned up at Ashton Gate Stadium on 7 October to celebrate the 10th birthday of children’s hospice, Charlton Farm. Guests included corporate supporters of Children’s Hospice South West, trustees, families supported by the hospice and community groups.

“It was a wonderfully celebratory evening, and we are overwhelmed to have raised £36,000,” said organiser Olly Slym. Olly thanked Osborne Clarke Bristol for sponsoring The Ball and Bristol covers band Doreen Doreen for getting everyone on their feet.

Bridie Colenso, Phill Edwards, Shawnika Sergeant, David Runciman, Paul Dennett, Helen and Phil Kendall

Mary Bailey CHSW Star Mums

Hollie Thorogood, Kate Fisher, Emily Mitchard, Tamara Downes, Steve Benson, Kylie Gallagher, Olly Slym, Emma McKeown, Emma Parker, Kate Green

Simon Ryder, Allison Ryder, Erika Farwell, Eddie Farwell, Nicki Mason

SOCIETY

Laura Peters and Glyn Everitt from Trinity Community Arts

PATRONS OF THE ARTS Open for business Local accountancy and investment firm Smith & Williamson hosted its annual reception at the Royal West of England Academy’s Annual Open Exhibition in Bristol on 2 October.

The event commemorated the firm’s third year of sponsoring this major exhibition, and offered over 400 guests the chance to view a dynamic and varied collection of paintings, drawings, photography, sculptures, illustrations and mixed media.

Emma Latham and Ei May Htaik

Lord Mayor Councillor Lesley Alexander, Mike Lea, Jon Erskine and Peaches Golding

Keith Quinn, Sara Appleyard and Steve Ashworth

Michael and Angela Jennings with James Shrives

Chris Balme, Chris MacKenzie, Ian Richley and Spencer Back Michelle and David Popple with Peaches Golding

Deborah and James Shrives, Dr Roger Roper and Christine Roper

Nick James, Sue and Bob Taylor

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 73

Shake-ups/launches/intel/promotions

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

QUOTE OF THE ISSUE

LEARN HOW TO WIN A BRISTOL LIFE AWARD! A free seminar on how to win a Bristol Life Award is being held later this month. And the ramp-up for the Awards continues, with plans for an even bigger marquee to house 600+ attendees in April The presentation will offer tips and advice to local businesses on crafting the ideal nomination, and anyone hoping to win an Award at the glittering ceremony on 26 April is encouraged to attend.

Hosted by category sponsor VWV, the ‘How to Win a Bristol Life Award’ seminar is on 29 November, from 4pm-5pm. There are limited places, so businesses should register via the site early.

“Whether you’ve entered for a Bristol Life Award before or this is your first time, our free seminar aims to let each and every hopeful finalist know what our judges will be looking for in a perfect nomination,” says MediaClash events manager Steph Dodd.

“It’s also a great chance to find out more about the Awards and meet other local businesses hoping to put themselves forward.”

Nominations open on 27 November, and the winners are decided by a panel of independent judges, newly selected each year. Companies self-nominate via the website, and it’s free to enter.

The categories are: Arts, Business Services, Café/ Coffee Shop, Charity, Cocktail/Bar, Creative, Education,

Event, Food/Drink Producer, Financial, Gastropub, Hair & Beauty, Health, Interiors, Legal, Leisure & Tourism, New Business, Property, Restaurant, Retailer, Technology & Innovation and the overall winner-ofwinners, the Platinum Award.

Businesses can also get involved in the Awards through sponsorship. For details, contact Steve Hawkins: steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk The current list of sponsors, led by headliners Bristol Airport, includes CityFibre, The Alternative Board, Burston Cook, Juice Recruitment, Clear River, Triangle Networks, Dribuild, Clifton College, Kersfield, VWV, Amarelle, SAM FM, Clifton Marquee Company and Arthur J Gallagher.

Oh, and the Awards now has its own LinkedIn page, to keep you even more, well, linked in. www.bristollifeawards.co.uk Twitter: @BristolLifeAwd

PROPERTY | COMMERCIAL PROBATE | FAMILY VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.AMDSOLICITORS.COM

“WE NEVER SET OUT TO BE THIS SIZE; WE JUST WANTED SOMEWHERE TO PAINT” No guesses who this month’s Bristol Life Award winner might be – find out more on page 77

600+ THE BIG NUMBER

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BUSINESS INSIDER

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2017

WINNER BEST EVENT Sponsored by

GUY SALMON BRISTOL

COOL AND THE GANG

UPFEST 2017 – THE STATS N UM B E R O F ART I S T S RE G I S T E RE D

700+

N UM B E R O F ART I S T S O F F E R ED S PAC E S

400

N UM B E R O F C O UN T RI E S RE P RE S E N T E D

43

AM O UN T O F S URFAC E S PACE PAI N T E D

50,000+ sq ft N UM B E R O F V I S I T O RS

50,000

N UM B E R O F V ENUES

37 across BS3

N UM B E R O F V O LUN T E E RS

85 - and many local businesses supported the festival AM O UN T RAI S ED F O R N AC AO

Over £12,500

BRINGING ALL GENRES OF ART TO THE STREET HAS ALMOST FORCED PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH IT

S

Steve Hayles may be the face of Upfest – the gallery, the events and the festival – but, as he’s quick to tell us, it’s always been a team effort

teve Hayles may be the recognisable, occasionally bearded, face of Upfest (it’s on, it’s off, we can’t keep up, Steve!) but he’s not a chap to hog the glory. “The work of putting on the festival lies with a core team of volunteers,” he immediately points out – and the Bristol Life Award was the recognition of almost 10 years’ of this team work.

“We never set out for the festival to become the size it has, we just wanted somewhere to paint – but everyone loves a pat on the back every now and again.”

people, whether that’s the relationships built between artists, or the friendships which have grown between our volunteers. Also up there is the aim of making art truly accessible to all, and not just as part of a tick-box exercise for some politician.

So why has a street culture that was once synonymous with police raids become such a universally loved mainstream festival?

I believe it’s the accessibility of the festival and the artform, both from an artist and visitor perspective, that has gone a long way to creating its popularity. Our ethos has always been based around inclusion, and while museums and galleries have their place, there are many people who find walking through their doors daunting (or boring). Bringing all genres of art to the street has almost forced people to engage with it, and thus cement it in the future of our cities.

We know that you work with schools and community groups – tell us a bit about that As a voluntary board member of the Bedminster BID for the past five years, we’ve been involved in numerous projects from the Bedminster Bugs to the annual festive activities. I’m a firm believer that the retail streets of Bedminster play a key role in our community, from keeping convenience shops open for the elderly to attracting new retail to the area.

Most people know about the art and the festival – tell us a bit about Upfest as a business.

As a business, it’s a passion. I tell people it’s a lifestyle choice, not dissimilar to that of an artist. I guess the highs have outweighed the lows, and that’s why we’re still here 10 years on. As a structure, we have three arms to the business: the festival, our gallery and the commercial mural facilitation/artist agency. Our aim is to make the festival cost-neutral. With no real support from Bristol City Council, and general art funding on the decline, we’ve had to focus on sponsorship, traders, crowdfunding and local businesses to help raise the £90,000+ it costs to host the festival.

Tell us a bit about the charity it supports.

Upfest has supported the National Association for Children of Alcoholics since its inception, and to date has raised over £60,000. NACOA is Bristol-based, and offers a national free phoneline for anyone affected by excessive drinking in the family unit, with a special emphasis on the damage it can do to children.

What’s the most satisfying part of the job?

From a festival perspective it’s the coming together of

And its biggest challenges?

Balancing our enthusiasm with the practical side of things, which is mainly finance. As a free festival which grows year on year, we’re very conscious of the hurdles other large free events have faced, and we’re doing our absolute best to secure its future.

What does the production and event management arm of the business do?

In 2016, we made the decision to capitalise on our unique skillset of mural production and bespoke commercial arts. Notable projects have included the production of See No Evil (Nelson Street), Croome Court (National Trust), Mercure Hotels (The Grand) and, more recently, the new Bristol City FC internal stadium mural and Colston Hall 150 celebrations.

If a Bristol Life Award wasn’t legit enough, you were also presented with a Points of Light Award by the PM. Was there any conflict of emotions in accepting an award from a government with such right wing policies?

Absolutely, I actually found it quite embarrassing; however, the award wasn’t really for me, it was for our team, and all of the volunteers who’ve put thousands of hours into the festival, many even taking holiday from their days jobs just to help out. On that basis, it was amazing to get the recognition.

FInally, the Hayles beard. On or off?...

It’s on for now, but did get a trim last week!

For more www.upfest.co.uk

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

4 Whiteladies Road Clifton, BS8 1PD Tel: 01179 292281

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BUSINESS INSIDER

LEGAL EAGLES

THE INNOVATORS

N

ick Jones is an associate director at Gregg Latchams, heading up the firm’s employment team.

The company specialises in providing legal services for small and medium enterprises, private individuals and business owners. “We provide a high-quality, high-value service, but with a real innovative streak. We represent real value for money, and stand by our results,” he says.

Please sum up the company philosophy As a team we focus on encouraging and building productive relationships with our clients, and are committed to excellence while ensuring that we all enjoy the work we do.

You have a growing international presence and two sister companies – what’s the secret of your success?

Hard work, and focusing on productive relationships. Our work in China creates investment opportunities for our clients, and our sister companies, GL Integrity Financial Planning and GL Business Consultancy, provide cradling services that enable and assist our clients to succeed in their own personal and business journeys.

You recently sponsored the Crumbs Awards – what benefits does sponsorship bring to a company such as yours?

The head of employment at Gregg Latchams considers innovative business practice, sponsorship and Brexit – and suggests we walk away from the smartphone now and again Sponsorship opportunities enable us to project into the core sectors that our clients operate in. In this case, we were supporting our clients in the food, drink and hospitality sector, a very active sector within Gregg Latchams.

Given the imminence of Brexit, what challenges have you seen?

The challenge at the moment is the need to obtain clarity. Businesses need to understand and plan for the impact of Brexit, and individuals need to be able to see how it could affect them.

What, if anything, are you looking forward to about the post-Brexit era?

At the moment I think everyone is looking to getting some certainty around what Brexit will look like, so that businesses can properly plan and invest for the future. I think certainty and clarity are what UK Plc really needs right now.

Do you have any plans to move to continental Europe? Been tempted?

While we welcome clients from European economies, expanding our own business into Europe is not a part of our plan at this time.

What cyber security measures should all companies be putting in place right now?

Hacking has increasingly become a case of ‘not if, but when’, and companies of all sizes should consider cyber security a clear priority.

Smaller companies face the same threats as their larger counterparts, yet many lack the security posture necessary to defend and react to attacks. Gregg Latchams puts cyber security front and centre, investing in marketing leading technologies in areas including network security, email security, anti-virus and malware protection, and multi-factor authentication, while working to achieve the government’s cyber security certification.

If you could change/add/remove just one law, what would it be?

I would change the regulations governing food packaging. There is simply too much of it at present and it creates a huge amount of unnecessary waste.

If we gave you a megaphone and invited you to stand up on a soapbox outside your office in Queen Square, what would you shout about?

For everyone to use their smartphones less.

Finally, what do you wish you’d known when you started in this career?

Ask the right questions. It’s so important, and will save so much time, if you carefully think about and plan the questions you are going to ask.

For more www.gregglatchams.com

f i n a n c e a d v e r tisi n g feat u r e

The Family home allowance PHILIP BARRY, partner at Hollingdale Pooley Chartered Accountants looks at the new family home IHT allowance and its implications.

R

ising property prices have left more families being elevated to millionaire status and dealing with the inheritance tax (IHT) implications that come with it.

The Treasury collected £4.6 billion from IHT in 2015/16, compared to £2.69 billion in 2010/11, to reflect a rising year-on-year trend. And that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

In attempt to ease the growing burden on families by making it easier to pass on the family home to direct descendants without incurring a tax charge, former chancellor George Osborne revealed plans to introduce the residence nil-rate band in his Summer Budget 2015. The family home allowance, as it’s also known, came into force in April 2017 – but the rules are far from straightforward.

How it works

The family home allowance enables people to pass on one property to family members and save on death duties, in theory at least.

It permits the further reduction of IHT due on passing their interest on death in the family home and works on top of the £325,000 basic nil-rate band.

As of 6 April 2017, when an individual dies their estate will qualify for the family home allowance if the deceased owned a home, or a share of one, that is included in their estate and left to their ‘direct descendants’. These exclusively include children, grandchildren, stepchildren, foster children, adopted children and their lineal descendants.

Much like the basic nil-rate band, the family home allowance is transferable between spouses and civil partners. The following thresholds for individuals and couples are being phased in over the next four financial years.

From 2021/22 onwards, the residence nil-rate band will increase in line with the consumer prices index.

Exclusions

Childless couples – Controversially, the family home allowance is not available to couples without children.

Siblings – Siblings are not classed as direct descendants and, as such, are excluded from the residence nil-rate band.

Wealthy estates – Estates worth more than £2 million will be penalised in the form of tapered relief by losing £1 for every £2 above the threshold.

Buy-to-let properties – A property owned by the deceased but never lived in by them is not eligible for the additional threshold, ruling out owners of buy-to-let properties,

TAX YEAR

FAMILY HOME ALLOWANCE

INDIVIDUALS MAX IHT EXEMPTION

COUPLES MAX IHT EXEMPTION

2017/18

£100,000

£425,000

£850,000

2018/19

£125,000

£450,000

£900,000

2019/20

£150,000

£475,000

£950,000

2020/21

£175,000

£500,000

£1 million

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

handing out a potential blow to the direct descendants of landlords.

Tax reliefs – Certain tax breaks, such as the business property relief and agricultural property relief, are also ignored when calculating the value of the deceased’s estate.

Trusts and wills – Until recently, discretionary trusts have been commonly used to pass on property to children or grandchildren. Now, families who used these as a way of limiting tax liabilities on their estates risk missing out on the family home allowance. BL

If you would like to discuss how we could help you and your company, please contact us at our office.

If you would like further advice or assistance, please call us on 0117 973 3377 or visit www.hollingdalepooley.co.uk.

a d v e r t i s i n g f e at u r e l e g a l

the perils of diy ANDREW JACK of AMD SOLICITORS considers the dangers of homemade wills

M

aking a will is the only way of ensuring that your estate and assets are distributed according to your wishes. If you die without a will, your estate will pass in accordance with the rules of intestacy. This could mean that your estate will pass to someone who you may not want to benefit.

Reasons clients have mentioned for not making a will include not having enough time, not wanting to talk about death and the cost involved. Concerns over fees may lead someone to prepare a homemade will.

Although a will does not need to be prepared by a solicitor, there are inherent dangers in preparing one yourself.

Invalidity

A recent example of this involves a husband and wife who had each prepared identical homemade wills. As far as they were concerned, from the time they had signed their wills to the date they instructed us to make new ones, they had valid wills. It was quickly spotted, however, that the wills had only been witnessed by one person at the time of signing. Due to this small but vital mistake, these wills were invalid from the day they were signed.

Dates

Another situation we have come across is an undated will. Although a date is not required for a will to be valid, it is your last will that must be proved on your death. If the will does not have a date then it is difficult to prove that it is the last will and often sworn statements are required from witnesses to provide evidence as to when they were signed.

Inappropriate Clauses

If you try and take clauses from a previous will or use clauses from someone else’s will without fully understanding what those clauses mean and what their effect will be, you can end up with a will that does not achieve what you wanted, with the result that some or all of your estate may go to someone you had not intended to benefit. BL

Changes in circumstance

If you decide to get married and already have an existing will, that will will automatically be revoked on your marriage, unless it was drafted in expectation of the marriage. A professional would advise you of this but a lay person might not be aware of the affect of marriage if they are making a homemade will. Equally, divorce effects inheritance under a will.

For advice on wills, inheritance tax, lasting powers of attorney administration of estates and all other private client issues please contact Andrew Jack or another member of our team on 0117 962 1205, email probate@amdsolicitors. com or call into one of our four Bristol offices.

100 Henleaze Road, Henleaze BS9 4JZ 15 The Mall, Clifton BS8 4DS 139 Whiteladies Road, Clifton BS8 2PL 2 Station Road, Shirehampton BS11 9TT

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Building/renovating/investing/decorating

HOMES P R O P E R T Y I N S P I R AT I O N

A view to trade your Harbourside apartment for?

Turn to page 98

PROPERTY

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KITCHEN SYNC Thinking of taking the plunge when it comes to that long-postponed kitchen makeover? Hannah and Dom of Build Bristol make it sound SO easy . . .

By L I SA WA R R E N

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

H

annah and Dominik Walkiewicz are Build Bristol, an independent building company just celebrating its fourth year in the biz.

“With our brilliant team of 20, we undertake renovations, extensions and loft conversions,” Hannah tells us. “We have undertaken work in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, London, Wales, Somerset – even as far as France.”

For the kitchen project on these pages, however, the team didn’t have to leave the Bristol area, as Hannah explains.

What was the house like when you took on the refurbishment?

Our clients had bought their wonderful Redland home in 2016. The house had been a rabbit warren of small rooms, rented out to students, with a self-contained flat in the basement. The kitchen was tiny and had the bathroom tucked in there too.

The client instructed Build Bristol earlier this year to knock through the walls to open the space into the room you see here today, add steps down to the dining area and some bifold doors. The original fireplace has been blocked, and a feature has been created from it.

REAL HOME

PROPERTY

Left: Who doesn’t love a ‘before’ pic?

Rest of photos: Little Greene’s heritage colours are ideal for period properties; Hannah was particularly pleased with the glass screen dividing the two areas

What was the main brief for the kitchen?

Our clients required a workable kitchen that could be used for entertaining, as well as being the hub of the family.

Was there anything about the existing house that assisted the work?

The huge windows and high ceilings lend themselves perfectly to this design.

What are the main challenges of renovating a period home such as this one?

There are plenty, in old Bristol houses, such as having to work around load-bearing walls. The sloping floors often also need work, and we try to keep as many original features as possible.

We see you chose Little Greene paint for the kitchen . . .

Little Greene is an independent, British paint manufacturer; the firm dates back to 1773 and is based in Manchester. They have a large palette of colours, there’s something to suit everyone.

They are also the producers of all the National Heritage paints. Build Bristol has seen an increase in clients requiring Little Greene. In fact, I’m just about to use one in our new Build Bristol studio home office – watch this space . . .

What parts of the finished design pleased you the most?

The flow of natural light that now pours into the room. The glass screen dividing the two areas looks wonderful, too. The bespoke kitchen can be easily updated by changing paint and handles, so it’s a real investment.

What did the client say about the work?

Here’s their testimonial: “We employed the Build Bristol team to renovate our kitchen and dining area. The team were very easy to work with and were able to bring our vision to life, solving a few unforeseen problems along the way and dealing with the quirks of our wonky old house.

“As someone who is pretty hands on with building projects, I appreciated being able to choose which elements I wanted them to handle and which I was prepared to take on myself. This also gave me greater control over my budget and allowed me to make changes to the spec as we progressed.”

Build Bristol 7 Charles Road, Filton, Bristol 07545 339908 www.buildbristol.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 93

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OFFICE/RETAIL 51 PARK STREET BS1

(0117) 934 9977 NUMBER ONE BRISTOL, BS1

• Large retail unit with A3 use

• Forming part of the prestigious No.1 Bristol development of 150 flats

• 1,300 sq ft + basement • Busy pitch

• Retail sales 3,284 sq ft • City centre pitch • New lease

43 BROAD STREET

THE DISTILLERY OFFICES

• Busy city centre location

• Between Clifton and Junction 19 M5

• A3 restaurant, shop or office use…

• Stunning offices full of style

• From 428 sq ft (ground only) to c 2,300 sq ft (whole)

• 6,426 sq ft • On site parking

• Terms on application

UNION STREET BROADMEAD PRIME RETAIL UNIT

21/23 CLARE STREET, BS1

• 705 sq ft sales + 624 sq ft lower ground

• Fully fitted for immediate use

• Prime A3 / café • 1,458 sq ft

• High footfall – great pitch

• Terms on application

• New lease • Only £25,000 pax

ST PETERS COURT

CITY CENTRE A3 CAFÉ

• Large retail unit with excellent corner frontage in a busy and prominent location in Bedminster

• Full extraction fitted • Busy city centre location • New lease - £15,000 pax

• Sales area circa 2,622 sq ft (243.92 sq m) • POA

ECONOMICAL OFFICES

UNITY STREET – BS1

• 1,720 sq ft + 420 sq ft stores + 6 car spaces

•A new refurbishment of a penthouse studio office

• Avon Valley Park, St Annes, BS4

• 2,600 sq ft • Great space

• New lease

• Rent on application

• Only £8.90 per sq ft

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

Tom Coyte BA Hons

• • • • •

Sales/Lettings Acquisitions advice Valuations Landlord & tenant Rent reviews

• • • • •

Development advice Investment Dilapidations Property Marketing Auction Services

PROPERTY

SHOWCASE

PRETTY FOLLY Weekend bolthole, or a permanent change of pace outside the city? We doubt if you’ll find a more tempting prospect than The Summer House near Alderley

By L I SA WA R R E N

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

T

he marketing agent suggests that the adorable, bijou Summer House would make the perfect ‘bolthole’ or ‘romantic weekend getaway’ for the Bristol urbanite; but to be honest, we’re quite prepared to move in full-time, lock, stock and Annie Sloan-painted barrel. Sure, we’d have to jettison about 30 years of carefully collected furniture to downsize, but we think it might just be worth it.

It’s admittedly a little too far for us to stroll into work, being situated, idyllically enough, on the edge of an escarpment looking out over the picturesque village of Alderley. Needless to say, this means that it benefits from the finest of views as well as enjoying complete privacy and seclusion – something that you can frankly whistle for in the centre of the city. And if you happen to work from home, and feel that fresh air, peace and quiet balance out the attractions of city-centre living, this might just be for you.

Converted from a well-known local folly, the house is just as pretty inside as it is out. There’s a rather spectacular triple-aspect sitting room, each of the many arched windows acting as a picture frame for far-reaching western views across the

As sweetly pretty on the inside as it is on the outside, with views that may just cause you to reconsider inner-city living

HOUSE NUMBERS

2

bedrooms

1

living room

valley. The room has a beautiful elm floor, panelling below the dado, hand-painted walls, a carved stone fireplace and window seating; just add Kindle.

The cute, compact kitchen has bespoke wall and floor units fitted with integrated appliances, beech worktops and an oval seating area, with yet more lovely views.

A Cotswold stone circular staircase leads down to the lower floor and the master bedroom (yet more exceptional views, through an arched double window).

1

bathroom

2.1 acres

£895K guide price

The second bedroom is also double-sized, and there’s a charming stone-floored bathroom with a free-standing roll-top bath.

Traditional it may appear, but looks can be deceiving; there’s underfloor heating, controlled by an app on your mobile phone.

Heading outside, a long drive leads through fields and woodland before reaching the boundary of The Summer House, where it continues through woodland to a gravelled parking area and a path to the front door.

The gardens and grounds surrounding the house add up to a little over two acres, with lawns that yield to woodland walks; the woodland is made up of native hardwood trees, with plenty of paths offering glimpses of the surrounding valleys. The surrounding land is mostly agricultural, with the land dropping away in a semicircle around the folly to the village of Alderley below.

This lovely home is ready for immediate occupation – if you like the look of the contents, many of these can be included too, if required.

It may be named The Summer House, but surely this is a home for all seasons; we’ve already mentally placed the Christmas tree in the corner between the pretty arched windows in the living room, and are imagining frost lightly dusting the beautiful countryside beyond.

Savills, 01285 627500; www.savills.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 99

a d vertisin g feat u re P R O P E R T Y

the time is ‘right’ Bath Riverside could be the investment opportunity you’ve been looking for

D

ownsizers who are not quite ready to leave the family home, but who want to secure the ideal property for their future, or those looking to invest on the back of poor returns from traditional channels, can do so at Bath’s leading new property development.

Offering a host of benefits, buying now at Crest Nicholson’s Bath Riverside will not only secure one of the exclusive properties, but potentially provide capital growth and the opportunity to enjoy a rental income.

For those looking to downsize, the idea to secure now a property that better fits their needs, while giving them time to sort through what to keep or give away, is an ideal solution for those getting ready to ‘rightsize’.

Marcus Evans, sales and marketing director at Crest Nicholson, agrees and says it could fit a lot of people’s plans if they weren’t quite sure how or when they would get the ball rolling.

He said: “The idea to downsize, or rightsize as we prefer to call it, is often triggered by the fact that children have grown up and left the family home. This then leaves mum and dad with more room than they may need.

“And although the idea of trading down is not a new one, the benefits it brings do outweigh

any preconceived disadvantages.

“Whatever the reasons, ‘rightsizing’, is seen as a great way to change the way people live, often leading them to appreciate more the possessions that they do have rather than worrying about what they don’t.

“Securing the right property now offers a real peace of mind, as they know where they will go when the time is right. To be able to generate rental income in between the time they buy and eventually move is a real bonus.

“The low-maintenance properties currently for sale are also perfect as a lock-up-and-leave.”

With Bath being listed by Rightmove as one of the five highest growth areas outside London, Bath Riverside will also appeal to those looking to invest in property.

Marcus added: “Bath Riverside has benefitted from considerable high-flying gains since the first properties were sold over five years ago where comparable properties to those currently for sale have increased in value by up to a whopping 39 per cent over an 18 month period*.

“There are also many reasons why someone who is interested in investing in property might choose to look at a new building. The most obvious is that they can expect there to be virtually no maintenance costs - always a

tremendous benefit for a landlord.

“Also, the first impression made on potential tenants of an immaculate new building is likely to be very favourable.”

Current availability includes a unique collection of luxurious apartments on the new phase, named Royal View. Located next to the historic Victoria Bridge, it comprises 45 apartments including eight one-bedroom, 34 two-bedroom and three stunning penthouse apartments.

With 60 per cent of properties now sold, those considering buying in this particular phase will need to act quickly. BL * Figure quoted from January 2016 to June 2017.

For further information on penthouse apartments at Bath Riverside please call 01225 463517 or visit www.crestnicholson. com/bathriverside

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 101

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

Home in bRISTOL Bristol Life’s selection of property experts in Bristol and the surrounding area

Architects

Barton Willmore 0117 929 9677 www.bartonwillmore.co.uk DHV Architects 0117 914 8317 www.dhva.co.uk Graham Rivers 0117 942 8373 www.riversarchitect.co.uk Jonathon Lees 0117 379 0079 www.jonathanleesarchitects.co.uk 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

Bathrooms

Ripples Bathrooms 0117 973 1144 www.ripplesbathrooms.com

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 VWV 0117 314 5261 www.vwv.co.uk

Decorators

Berkeley Place 07770 942190 www.berkeleyplace.co.uk Build Bristol 07545 339908 / 0117 909 1969 www.buildbristol.com

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

Jon Pritchard 0117 982 6596 www.jonpritchard.co.uk

Developers/ Builders

Nest Design and Build 01275 832528 www.createyournest.co.uk

Ashford Design And Build 07967 967625 www.ashforddesignandbuild.co.uk

Prime Properties 0117 369 0060 www.primepropertiesbristol.co.uk

Estate Agents

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

Fireplaces

Bristol Woodstoves 01934 611385 www.bristolwoodstoves.com Kindle Stoves 0117 924 3898 www.kindlestoves.co.uk

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

Gardiner Haskins 0117 929 2288 www.gardinerhaskins.co.uk Greenfinch 01934 830029 www.greenfinchkandi.co.uk

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

Oskar Furniture 0117 973 4777 www.oskarfurniture.co.uk

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

Park Furnishers 0117 966 9253 www.parkfurnishers.co.uk

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

Raft Furniture 0117 992 7800 www.raftfurniture.co.uk

Rupert Oliver 0117 428 6464 www.rupertoliver.co.uk

The Pod Company 0117 973 9040 www.thepodcompany.co.uk

Savills 0117 933 5803 www.savills.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

Interior Design Arlberry Bespoke 0117 298 0609 www.arlberry.com

Bracey Interiors 0117 973 4664 www.braceyinteriors.co.uk

Core and Ore 0117 904 2408 www.coreandore.co.uk

Designs for Living 07989 854295 www.clairebeckhaus.com

Design Flooring 0117 973 2266 www.designflooringltd.co.uk

Fawn Interiors 0117 205 0203 www.fawninteriors.com

Marble Supreme 0117 956 3030 www.marblesupreme.com

Goodchild Interiors 0117 239 3486 gill@goodchildinteriors.net

Miety Stone 01275 333589 www.mietystone.co.uk

Park Interiors 0117 239 3872 contact@parkinteriorsdesign.co.uk

Oriental Rugs Bath 01761 451764 www.orientalrugsofbath.com

SJP Interior Design 0117 973 0880 www.sjpinteriordesign.co.uk

Simply Carpets 0117 986 4650 www.simplycarpets.co.uk

Whittaker Wells 0117 983 8485 www.whittakerwells.com

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

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

Tailored Flooring 0117 973 3393 www.tailoredflooring.co.uk

Kitchens

Wren Kitchens 0117 244 3168 www.wrenkitchens.com

Handelsbanken 0117 973 0026 www.handelsbanken.co.uk

Upholstery

Lighting

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

Ben Argent Design www.benargentdesign.com KutchenHaus 0117 213 0680 www.kutchenhaus.co.uk Neptune 0117 246 4200 www.neptune.com Schmidt Kitchens 0117 301 8888 www.schmidt-kitchens.com Stephen Graver 01380 871746 www.stephengraver.com

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

Mortgage Brokers & IFAs

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

Bristol Upholstery Collective 07769 355535 www.bristolupholsterycollective.com Southwest Upholstery 0117 370 2745 www.swupholstery.co.uk

Tiles and Flooring

Windows, blinds and shutters

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

Timber Windows of Clifton 0845 652 7300 www.timberwindowsclifton.com

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

Shutter Craft Bristol 0117 322 4900 www.shuttercraft-bristol.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 105

BRISTOL LIVES

Q&A

T

he observant Bristol Life reader will have spotted Tim Woolf’s byline in many issues of the magazine.

Tim is one of our favourite photographers, whose work has graced many an editorial feature as well as our society pages. In this issue, we thought we’d turn the lens onto Tim, and find out a bit more about his Bristol life. To put him on the spot even more, we asked his journalist daughter Sophie to ask the questions . . .

Hi Tim – can you tell us a bit about your photography business?

I run a modest photography business with my partner, Becky Rogers. We shoot weddings, portraits, corporate stuff and occasionally food photography, based in Bristol and Bath.

When you’re not doing this, what other work do you do?

I’ve been doing street photography for about 10 years, and am in the process of starting a street photography workshop and walkabout in Bristol.

What inspires you to pick up the camera?

I am always looking for new topics and themes for my photography, and as both my parents died fairly recently, I am in the process of recording many of their possessions, clothes, significant objects etc. Photography can evoke very profound emotions if you get it right, and it’s my way of keeping their memory alive.

What have been your favourite shoots in Bristol?

I enjoy shooting the Naked Bike Ride each year. For me, it’s a challenge to get photos that show what it’s about, while at the same time maintaining people’s dignity. They are a great crowd, and it’s an important message: highlighting cyclists’ vulnerability on the roads.

But my favourite shoot is always the Pride rally.

People just put so much effort into it, and there are some amazing characters and costumes.

The people are always so shiny and happy. It’s a very happy event.

You’re not originally from Bristol – has being a photographer helped you to gain a better understanding of the city?

Definitely! As a street photographer I do a LOT of walking around, and have quickly become familiar with the streets of Bristol, and all its interesting nooks and crannies, of which there are many. My legs don’t like it much, but I have a pair of comfortable shoes, which is a pre-requisite for any serious street photographer.

TIM WOOLF

Smile, Tim! In this issue, we turn the camera back on one of our favourite Bristol photographers

By SOPH I E WOOL F How does being a photographer in Bristol compare with working in London?

I hugely prefer Bristol. London is just too big. I find Bristol very manageable, apart from the hills; the people are very friendly and there is always something going on. I do miss the larger art exhibits you get in London, but you can’t have everything.

Bristol is a very political and motivated city as well as being very creative, which is great. There are always lots of rallies, demonstrations and events to photograph, whether it’s a Zombie Walk or an anti-Trump rally. I have shot them all.

used to have a delicious smashed avocado and egg on sourdough there, but they’ve changed their menu. I still go though. I eat lunch nearly everyday across the road from where I live, at Café Amore. They do a good bean salad and fantastic coffee, and don’t charge silly prices.

The owner Goodarz is very friendly and works his socks off. There has been some controversy about the café in the past, but I find him a very genuine character. I would love to do a photo shoot on him some time. There’s also Café Society, just up the road from the Arnolfini. They provide photo books which I like browsing.

What’s your favourite spot to photograph?

I go wherever there are people, so I like wandering around Broadmead, Harbourside and Stokes Croft. I have a long-term project that’s roughly about loneliness and the struggle that life can be, especially for older people. You can always find a lot of lonely people in a crowd.

Have you got any tips for great street photography?

Wear comfortable shoes, always have your camera ready, and go for emotion. Try and tell a story. Get in close.

What are your favourite spots in Bristol for eating, exploring and generally hanging out?

I love the Arnolfini, and I like their café as well. I 106 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

Finally, surprise us I was once a Punch & Judy man, with my own booth. Also, I used to be an optimist . . .

For more: www.woolfandrogersphotography.com

DESIGN & BUILD

info@ashforddesignandbuild.co.uk

www.ashforddesignandbuild.co.uk