Bristol Life - Issue 255

Food/Arts/Entertainment/Shopping/Property ISSUE 255 / EARLY WINTER 2018 / £3

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ISSUE 255 / EARLY WINTER 2018 / IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK DISTURBINGLY LIKE CHRISTMAS

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A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CITY

FROM HORFIELD TO HOLLYWOOD – THE TRUE STORY OF BRISTOL’S MOST FAMOUS SON

+ LOOK BUSY! WE’RE STARTING TO GET FESTIVE, INCLUDING:

THE BEST CHRISTMAS SHOWS TO BOOK RIGHT NOW / CHRISTMAS PRESENTS YOU’LL WANT TO HANG ON TO / MISTLETOE AND WINE: TREAT YOURSELF TO A YULETIDE FEAST

Editor’s letter Cary Grant on the Bristol street where he was born

Photo by Alan Grifee ©Bristol Post

N

ot going to lie: whenever I remember that Cary Grant actually came from Bristol, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Seriously, what were the odds?

A troubled kid from Horfield, with a backstory that Hitchcock would have had a field day with – lies, abandonment, the incarceration of an innocent woman – sails to the USA, slings the Bristol accent overboard halfway across the Atlanic, effortlessly charms his way into Hollywood and becomes one of the greatest stars ever to grace the silver screen.

We never understood why there wasn’t a regular event devoted to Bristol’s most famous son – we even considered starting one ourselves – but in 2014 Cary Comes Home for the Weekend was duly launched

by UWE’s Charlotte Crofts; and while it’s currently an every-otheryear-event, it’s always an affair to remember (see what we did there?)

– find out why on page 26.

There’s lots more in this issue, of course. There are Christmas shows, (including one at a venue where Cary Grant worked). There’s a special gift guide (inspired by Cary).

And all the other regular sections too. But yeah; for us, this month, Cary, it’s really all about you, baby.

deri robins Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag

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Issue 255/Early winter 2018

the arts

9 art page Well-known names; a brand new gallery 12 WHAT’S ON It’s beginning to look distressingly

like Christmas

18 christmas shows Who’s got the widest range of

shows of any city outside London, then? Give up?

columnist – Emily from Storysmith

26 festival The one and only Archibald Alec Leach 34 bristol heroes MetroBus alternatives FTW 39 books Meet our OTHER new indie bookshop

shopping

30 editor’s choice #BeMoreCary 57 christmas shopping As predictable as Kirsty

and Shane on the radio and Dot Cotton on the sherry, it’s the first of our festive gift guides

food & DRINK

42 RESTAURANT Posh spice? No, just beautifully

cooked Indian cuisine in a friendly setting

45 Food and drink New stuff you probably need to

know about

51 café society Stan is now, apparently, our foreign

9

correspondent

54 try five Festive comfort food for when you don’t

42

even need comforting

a man’s world

63 kam kelly Pray you don’t draw Kammy in the

Secret Santa

Lifestyle

67 Health & beauty Colour therapy at Bloggs

Business

84 business insider That C4 announcement,

advice for short-term letting and a chat with Bristol Life Awards 2018 Platinum winner Conal Dodds

Property

98 showcase Back to The General

Regulars

7 spotlight 9 instas 75 society 106 bristol lives Saikat Ahamed; get him to tell you

a joke . . .

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior Art Editor Andrew Richmond Graphic Design Megan Allison Cover Design Trevor Gilham Contributors Colin Moody, Stan Cullimore, Kam Kelly, Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager James Morgan james.morgan@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Jake Newland jake.newland@mediaclash.co.uk Sales Executive Gabriella Cronchey gabriella.cronchey@mediaclash.co.uk Production/distribution manager Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager/production designer Kirstie Howe kirstie.howe@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Jane Ingham jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Bristol Life MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

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. 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

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SPOTLIGHT Heritage

OPEN HOUSE

On 9 November, Bristol Old Vic finally signed off its 10-year, multi-million refurbishment with the opening of a new interactive heritage experience. In a collaboration with Bristol Archives and the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, the centre aims to bring the theatre’s history to life with sundry tours, experiences and attractions that tell its long and impressive story over the last 252 years.

Oh, and this is fun: Aardman and Limbic Cinema have created a short film highlighting the architectural transformations of the building, which will be projection-mapped onto the original 1766 wall of the theatre before the start of every evening show to let the audience know that ‘the house is open!’

Grant and Rob conclude that in the absence of an Arena, a shed in Filton will just have to do

Music

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

When penning this magazine, we generally follow the word ‘mezzanine’ with a fulsome description of some tasty new apartment – the one on page 98, for example. Nice, then, to ring the changes, as we celebrate the news that Bristol-born, bred-and-buttered, bona-fide legends Massive Attack are to play a home gig next March, as part of a tour to mark the 20th anniversary of Mezzanine – their first album to reach the top of the UK charts.

Mezzanine XX1 will be a totally new audio and visual production, featuring the vocals of Elizabeth Fraser and a set designed by Rob Del Naja – who describes the tour as “A one off piece of work; our own personalised nostalgia nightmare head trip.”

The show will be housed in a ‘special custom-built indoor venue’ called Steel Yard Bristol in Filton on 1 March.

For more www.massiveattack.ie

Last choir standing Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas choir competition is also back this year, and they’d love to get the word out to school choirs, nurseries and youth choirs in the Bristol area, all of whom are cordially invited to send in a recording of a song, which will be judged by the musical directors of both Christmas shows.

To win tickets for your choir to attend A Christmas Carol (ages 7+), send us a recording or video of your group singing any Chrimbo song or carol – The First Noel, Last Christmas or anything in between; to win tickets to Chloe and the Colour Catcher (ages 4+) send a recording or video of your group singing any song with a colour in the title.

The closing date for entries is 21 November; email video or audio recordings to aadams@bristololdvic.org.uk or post to Bristol Old Vic Choir Competition, Bristol Old Vic, King Street, BS1 4ED. www.bristololdvic.org.uk

Wine

MESSAGE AND A BOTTLE

Consider our socks well and truly knocked off when, as an indirect result of researching our big feature on Cary Grant (page 26), we received a copy of a letter sent to Averys wine merchants by Alfred Hitchcock in 1962.

It would appear that oenophile Hitch was not a fan of the local Californian hooch, and turned to Bristol’s noted wine merchants to get his fix.

Many thanks to Mimi Avery for letting us print this letter. www.averys.com

Come along to see giant projections and fascinating archive photos (yep, that’s Daniel Day Lewis on the left)

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SPOTLIGHT WET WET WET

We have a question. Why are more puddlegrams taken outside M Shed than anywhere else in Bristol?

Is it because the cranes look so epic in a reflection?

Or does Wapping Wharf just get more rain?

@bristolpictures

@timmah666

@bankseysmodernishlife

@matthewpriceartist

@chill1983

@mrfrankstreet

@makeitkimtoday

@gertie.photography

@brynherbert

@marksowden

@chill1983

@leilaa81

@carolyn.eaton

@sambinding

@eliza_moreland

@brynwebley www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 9

the arts s n a p s h o t s o f B R I STO L’ S c u lt u r a l li f e

Limited edition print by Cheba x Inkie, £99.

New café/bar/event space/gallery Alchemy 198 opens on Gloucester Road on 17 November, between 11am - 11pm, and a bit later at the weekends. Their first exhibition runs 7 December - 3 January; see also page 12.

For more www. alchemy198.co.uk

prints charming There’s only one thing we like more than a piece by a great Bristol street artist, and that’s a collab between two great Bristol street artists. You don’t need to have been on a Where the Wall walking tour to know that the print shown here is by Cheba x Inkie, with the former’s Nebula Funk teaming a treat with the latter’s Ink Nouveau.

Prints are available at new gallery Alchemy 198 from 7 December – rather appropriate, for a bewitching piece named Wizard, don’t you think? And do we really need to utter the words ‘ideal Christmas present?’

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What’s on 16 November16 December 2018

What’s rocking your earlywinter boat?

Ready to get festive yet? (No, please don’t shout at us). Fancy a night of back-to-back Toto Africa? Or maybe catch some very cool musical acts at SWX? Shall we just shut up and get on with compiling these listings then...?

Nadine Shah; catch her while you can, before she gets any bigger

exhibitions Until 21 November

mats Rydstern Lime Tree welcomes back the noted Swedish still-lifer and landscape artist; limetreegallery.com

24-25 November

north bristol arts trail An opportunity to buy original artwork directly from the makers; northbristolartists.org.uk.

Until 2 December

Tephra Olivia Jones explores entropy and order in ash clouds. Spike Island; spikeislandorg.uk

Until 9 December

Until 25 December

166TH Annual Open The annual autumn biggie for RWA, with work from emerging and established artists; rwa.org.uk

Until 6 January

Japanese prints Original woodblock prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige; Bristol Museum; bristolmuseums.org.uk Clowns A surreal and interactive realm of light, colour, mirrors and clown cars, and the most amazing painted eggs; part of Circus 250 at Bristol Museum; bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 24 February

Benoît Maire: Thebes A recurring theme for Benoît is the origin of humankind and the objects we produce; at Spike Island, spikeislandorg.uk

Wildlife Photographer of the Year The Natural History Museum brings 100 beautiful, thought-provoking images to M Shed; bristolmuseums.org.uk.

Until 22 December

7 December-3 January

in your face Paul Trevor’s spontaneous closeups taken on the streets of London 1977-1992; martinparrfoundation.org

212 productions Alchemy 198, a new café/gallery on Gloucester Road, kicks off its first show, with a strong street-art element

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from Jody, Inkie and Cheba; printmakers Jim Starr and Rosie McLay; photographers Martin Thompson and Mark Hayward and painters Zoe Thomas and Julian Quaye; alchemy198.co.uk

8 December - 3 March

19-24 November

benidorm Not a fan of winter? Nil desperandum; the new stage version of ITV comedy Benidorm is set to bring all the sunshine and all the smiles; Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

Albert Irvin and Abstract Expressionism A major retrospective of Irvin at RWA, and a celebration of the seminal exhibition, The New American Painting. They’ve got a Pollock, and everything; rwa.org.uk

21-23 November

shows

the mountaintop The Olivier Award-winner about Martin Luther King’s last night chips away at the myth of the great man and exposes his deepest fears. Bristol Old Vic; bristololdvic.org.uk

Until 17 November

rocky shock horror The Wardrobe’s former Christmas show gets a pre-Chrimbo revival at Factory Theatre; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Until 19 November

Celebration, Florida Two unrehearsed performers who have never met present a quietly surreal show for anyone who has ever missed anyone, or anything.

TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

The Last five Years The intimate musical story of Jamie and Cathy, two New Yorkers in their twenties who fall in and out of love; at The Station, ticketsource.co.uk

21-24 November

22-27 November

Little gem Elaine Murphy’s award-winning play about love, sex, birth, death and salsa; Alma Tavern, almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

22 November-20 January Oedipuss In Boots

what’s on The Wardrobe’s big show for Christmas; see page 18. thewardrobetheatre.com

26 November-1 December Living spit’s nativity Gold, frankincense and myrrh, a lamb and a baby donkey – but enough about what Stu’s bought Howard for Christmas... It’s a local institution, and this year it’s at Theatre Shop in Clevedon; theatreorchard.org.uk/clevedon

27 November-1 December swan lake English National Ballet breathes fresh life into the timeless ballet; Bristol Hippodrome, atgtickets.com

29 November-3 January above:

It’s really not hard to believe that Cary inspired Bond left: Multi-talented Bristol boy Raleigh brings it all home below: What’s better than a classic Wardrobe Christmas show in November? That’s right! Two classic Wardrobe Christmas shows in November!

the borrowers Just thinking about TFT’s Christmas show is giving us a festive glow; see page 18. tobaccofactorytheatres.com

29 November-13 January

a christmas carol If Bristol Old Vic doesn’t work in a generous helping of contemporary resonance into Dickens’ classic tale, we’ll eat our nightcap (see page 18); bristololdvic.org.uk the railway children OK, we are now DROWNING in nostalgia, as Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis ride again; see also page 18; redgravetheatre.com

6-13 December

mrs beeton says The story behind the Victorian Delia Smith prototype tells the tales of the many women she advised, supported and befriended.

Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

9 December-6 January

Cinderella If it just ain’t Christmas in your book without a nice bit of He’s Behind You, hie ye to the Hippodrome (page 18); atgtickets.com

9-11 December

steamed Aboard ss Great Britain, you’ll find something festive, Dickensian and entirely improvised, by none other than the Closer Each Day crew; closereachday.co.uk

Music

23 November

Kraftwerk re:werk Charles Hazlewood conducts

Most bonkers (yet strangely compelling) event of the month totally toto africa On 30 November at Exchange, Bristol’s favourite toon, will be played back to back on vinyl in the main room for 12 hours straight, with cover versions and remixes in the bar, too. You’ll be stamped in and out to prove how long you lasted.

Be sponsored by the minute/ hour or by the amount of plays you last for. An epic, ridiculously brilliant fundraiser for Temwa, at Exchange, exchangebristol.com the British Paraorchestra in an mix of symphonic and electronic instruments, with ear-bending sounds sitting directly next to ’70s beats; Marble Factory. colstonhall.org

27 November

midland The Texan trio bring their traditional Americana to Trinity; 3ca.org.uk

28 November

glenn tilbrook The distinctive voice of Squeeze is on a solo tour, taking in St George’s. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

30 November

raleigh ritchie Multi-talented Bristol boy Raleigh, aka Jacob Basil Anderson, aka Grey Worm in Game of Thrones, brings his highly rated soulful, thoughtful tunes back home; swxbristol.com

3 December

nadine shah The Mercury Prize nominated rising star brings her darkly powerful postpunk to SWX; swxbristol.com

4 December

maddie prior & the carnival band Maddie brings her now familiar festive carols and capers to St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

8 December

razorlight Indie-rock A-listers head to SWX; swxbristol.com Ian Shaw One of the UK’s most distinctive, original and creative jazz singers brings his Shine Sister Shine album – a celebration of the actions and art of

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what’s on

Do we post a still from Love Actually every single Christmas because we love it, or just to wind you up? Guess you’ll never know...

extraordinary women – to Clifton Cathedral; bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

16 December

rick wakeman: christmas piano odyssey A night of beautiful piano arrangements interspersed with Rick’s renowned comedy interludes, at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Comedy 19-21 November

russell brand: My Life by William Shakespeare Russell takes some life lessons from Shakespeare in a new theatre show at Bristol Old Vic; bristololdvic.org.uk

21 November

sarah pascoe : ladsladslads Sara opens her heart and mouth again to share the adventures of the last year, in her ‘thinking person’s stag do’. Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

26 November, 10 December closer each day The world’s longest-running improvised comedy soap; at The Wardrobe, every other Monday; thewardrobetheatre.com

Other 18 November

Dr. Phil Hammond: Happy Birthday, NHS?

Everyone’s favourite witty, woke medic’s at Redgrave, and has plenty to say about modern Britain; redgravetheatre.com

hour or by the amount of plays you last for. An epic, brilliant, relentless fundraiser for Temwa; at Exchange, exchangebristol.com

naked gun marathon As part of the BFI Comedy Genius Season and to celebrate 30 years since the first Naked Gun, Slapstick Festival will be showing all three films in one day at Cube; introduced by comedian Lloyd Langford; ticketsignite.com

2 December

cary comes home A weekend celebrating the life and work of Archie Leach. See p 26; carycomeshome.co.uk

The bristol palestine film festival A new event aiming to provide a platform for Palestinian cinema, art and culture in the South West; bristolpff.org.uk

24 November

6 December

fair saturday Bristol is the first city in England to join Fair Saturday, a global movement which aims to boost arts, culture and social causes on the last Saturday of November. Taking place on the day after Black Friday, it’s an opportunity to celebrate things that matter rather more than material stuff. Various locations; fairsaturday.org

30 November

totally toto africa Bristol’s favourite toon will be played back to back on vinyl in the main room for 12 hours straight, with cover versions and remixes in the bar. Be sponsored by the minute/

is back for four festive-fuelled weekends from 24 November to 16 December.

Ice Castle and a Christmas train ride inside The Mall run until 6 January.

To misquote Ezra Pound, Christmas is icummen in, Lhude sing Goddamm’ . . .

On 7 December the Night Market returns to St Nick’s with festive street food, mulled cider, a light show, carols, live music, DJ’s, late night shopping and dancing.

On 18 November, there’s a Meet your Maker (lol!) fair at Arnos Vale Cemy – a new event featuring work by local craftspeople, followed by a Chritmas market on 2 December.

On the nautical front, there’s a Victorian Christmas weekend on the ss Great Britain 8-9 December, while you can Sail with Santa from Cascade Steps on a Bristol Ferry from 8-9 December.

The Made in Bristol fair’s back with more than 200 makers and the widest selection of local handmade gifts yet, for four days at Colston Hall on 24-25 November, 1 and 8 December. And head to The Island for a festive pop-up Bristol Bazaar, featuring 70 Bristol-based artists and makers, between 1-24 December.

Runing until 6 January is the Winter Fair and Ice Rink in Millennium Square, with the big wheel, film screening and Christmas market; just round the corner, the Harbourside Christmas Market

The Spiegeltent opens for festive business on 23 November (see also main listings); see its website for all the parties.

Up at Cribbs, the South West’s largest outdoor ice rink, Santa’s

3-9 December

23-25 November

the best of the fest(ive)

By the time this magazine hits the streets, the big Bristol Christmas market will be well underway in Broadmead, and doing its usual chalet-andGlühwein thang. Those who prefer to keep the spirit of Christmas indie should note that a host of local traders will be joining the market from 30 November.

annie nightingale The doyenne of DJdom is at Spiegeltent, talking to DJ Queen Bee about her illustrious career in music; christmasspiegeltent.co.uk

The Gloucester Road traders are throwing an all-day Christmas Festive Bonanza on 1 December, with

love actually The Marmite of festive filmery gets a big screening in Millennium Square. Be prepared to shed a tear for the much-missed Alan Rickman; bigscreenbristol.com

8 December

St Nick’s 275 Celebration Bristol’s favourite market is 275 years old, and is marking the occasion with images and stories from the market’s rich history, some of which will be projected onto the outside of the building by Limbic Cinema. The festive market will also be open until 6.30pm for shopping. facebook.com/ stnicholasmarket

a Cosy Christmas Market, carols from choirs, Elf on a Shelf etc.

And speaking of the pointy-eared ones, Bedminster will see the return of the Elf Village during December on North Street Green; look out for an elf post office too, in late December, and there’s a festive fayre on nearby East Street on 1 December.

Temwa are holding a Christmas party at Circomedia on 20 December; fill your boots with festive food while helping to feed some of the poorest communities in the world.

And naturally there’ll be grottos and Santas and wreath making a-go-go all over the shop – check www. visitbristol.co.uk for the full Christmas caboodle. We’ll see you back here next month – with comedy felt antlers on, please.

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christmas shows

Let it sNow There’s a cockle-warming, nostalgic feel to the haul of Bristmas shows this year. The Borrowers; The Railway Children; A Christmas Carol – the very titles have us misting over with fuzzy childhood memories.

Meanwhile, over in Old Market, pussycats are killing their fathers and marrying their mothers. What were you expecting from The Wardrobe? Narnia?

Words by Deri Robins

D

id you know – and do bear with us here, this is hopefully going somewhere – that Scotland has over 400 expressions for snow? ‘Feefle’, for example, meaning to swirl – that’s a good one. ‘Flindrikin’ – that’s a slight snow shower. ‘Snaw-pouther’ refers to fine, driving snow. And so on.

Bristol doesn’t have the same call for such a nuanced vocabulary when it comes to snow; either the stuff pitches, or it doesn’t. When it comes to show, now; that’s a different kettle.

Because we’ll wager you this: outside London, no other English city has such a wide choice of Christmas plays, pantos and concerts to bedazzle its denizens.

You probably know what to expect, by now. Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory Theatres will take a tale as old as time, or at least one written a century or so ago, and inject just the right amount of artiness and contemporary resonance to please the grown-ups while entrancing the kids, often instilling a lifelong love of theatre in the latter in the process. There’ll be something hilarious, edgy and a bit rude at The Wardrobe. Meanwhile at the Hippodrome, it’s sequins, innuendos and famous faces all the way, in a panto tradition that’s barely changed for hundreds of years.

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© Joe Roberts

We want to stick Joe Roberts’ utterly brilliant poster for TFT’s The Borrowers on our WALL.....

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christmas shows Bristol Old Vic

No-one did Christmas better than Dickens, and A Christmas Carol is the most evocatively festive of all his tales. It’s directed here by Lee Lyford; Lee’s no stranger to Bristol Old Vic, having directed The Snow Queen for their 2016 Christmas show. The book’s been written by Tom Morris, who’s even less of a stranger, being the theatre’s AD and the creator of some of its most celebrated and enjoyable hits, from Swallows & Amazons to The Grinning Man. And if that hasn’t had you rushing to the BOV box office already, here’s what Lee has to say.

“A BOV Christmas show celebrates the magic of Christmas, while also keeping the small stories and the vulnerable individual at centre stage. It is also a time when the theatre is filled with people of all ages and backgrounds, who come together to share a theatrical experience. It’s essentially a celebration of community.

“I’ve loved so many of the Christmas shows here; I adored the gorgeous storytelling of Swallows and Amazons, the darkness of

Counting down to the opening night of The Christmas Carol? It’s the only time that you’re permitted to use the phrase “Only [insert number] sleeps ’til...”

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The Little Match Girl and the exuberance of Peter Pan. “The reason A Christmas Carol has stood the test of time is Dickens’ ability to bring the fantastical and essentially human together, while also celebrating the true spirit of Christmas.

It takes a firm step away from a consumerist and commercial holiday, and reminds us that Christmas is a time for kindness, generosity and charity.

“Also, there are many similarities between our society today and Dickens’ time. So, a story about the redemption of a person governed by money and greed sends a hopeful message in these times of government cuts, tax havens and austerity.

“A Christmas Carol at Bristol Old Vic will take you on a theatrical journey that combines a variety of expressions, including music, puppetry and magic. It’s an ensemble piece with a playful approach to the classic story, combining the traditional with the contemporary, in both setting and style.”

29 November-3 January: www.bristololdvic.org.uk

“Oedipuss is a comedy retelling of the classic Greek story without holding back on any of the incestuous, bloody tragedy. Very Christmassy, trust us” Matthew Whittle, The Wardrobe

Faster pussycat!

Kill! Kill!

The Wardrobe

“Christmas at The Wardrobe is always a unique experience,” says gaffer Matthew Whittle, persuasively. “Unlike classic panto or the family-friendly shows on offer everywhere else this time of year, shows such as Oedipuss In Boots are unashamedly big, bold, rude and very silly. They’re designed to appeal to big groups of adults, friends looking for something brilliant, funny and a bit different to do together at Christmas.

“Oedipuss In Boots was the second show we ever made at The Wardrobe, back in 2012 when the venue was based above The White Bear pub. It’s one of our absolutely favourite shows, but as we were just starting out then, very few people ever saw it. We thought this Christmas would be the perfect time to revisit it, pump it with steroids and new energy and transform it into our biggest and craziest show yet, with amazing puppets and loads of live music.

“The show is a comedy retelling of the classic Greek story without holding back on any of the incestuous, bloody tragedy.

Very Christmassy, trust us.”

We do, Matthew. Before you go, choose us an all-time favourite Wardrobe Christmas show highlight…

“I’ll always, always remember the audience torture scene from Reservoir Mogs last year – utterly hilarious and unpredictable every night. And back in 2015 I utterly loved it when we fused Rocky, the boxing movie, with The Rocky Horror Picture Show

into a bonkers and fabulous comedy-drag-boxing-musical extravaganza. I’m delighted that this winter we’ve got the opportunity to remount this show too, so for this Christmas, the show will be revived as Rocky Shock Horror at Tobacco Factory Theatres during November.”

22 November - 20 January: www.thewardrobetheatre.com

Tobacco Factory Theatres

So ideally suited to Christmassy whimsy is Mary Norton’s tale of Pod, Homily and Arrietty, the minuscule family who make their home under the floorboards and live in dread of being seen by Human Beans, that we can’t imagine why it’s not staged more often. The good news is that this is precisely what Nik Partridge is doing this year for TFT. “We create a magical atmosphere at Tobacco Factory Theatres, that makes for a very special visit for both new and regular visitors,” says Nik. “This Christmas is no different – The Borrowers is such a great story, packed full of action and adventure, warmth and fun, all of which has been brilliantly recreated in the adaptation by Bea Roberts especially for this production.

“As this particular story has been adapted countless times, we were particularly interested in finding a fresh way to tell it, that really suited the unique space of the Factory Theatre and the communities of Bristol. We’ve relocated the story from Mary Norton’s original setting to something more contemporary,

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CHRISTMAS SHOWS because we didn’t want the idea of the Borrowers to be stuck in the past. We think they are still roaming around today, under your floorboards and in your gardens . . .” Oh, us too, Nik . . .

“So: Pod, Homily and Arrietty live in an abandoned house in Southville, until a family move in and renovate. Borrowers, like humans, can live anywhere, so of course they can be found in Bristol. And the live music will also be really fun – expect electric organs, funky bossa novas and groovy tunes from the band who sit right at the heart of the show.”

And the problem of conveying scale?

“Challenges in theatre are great, because they force you to find a creative approach. We’re turning the Factory Theatre into a giant adventure playground: there’ll be hanging, climbing, rolling and tumbling. We’ll be using the Theatre in a way that hasn’t been seen before. Plus, there will be lots of big things, of course…

“We want people to leave thinking about the small things in life.

How important they are and how, when you’re a big person, it can sometimes be too easy to overlook them. But more than that, we hope people are uplifted, inspired and ready for a boogie. Oh and looking just that little bit harder at the floorboards . . .”

29 November-20 January: wwwtobaccofactorytheatres.com

Bristol Hippodrome

© TRISTR AM KENTON

“For many people in Bristol, the Hippodrome pantomime is the Christmas tradition,” says marketing manager Chloe Hughes.

“It’s a great excuse to get the family together, from the smallest children to the grandparents; there’s something for everyone to enjoy in panto. It’s a great introduction to theatre for many people, and this year’s is set to be extra special. We met Brian Conley and Gok Wan a couple of weeks ago at our press launch; they’re a lot of fun and the best of friends. Their on-stage chemistry will be great. Expect music, dancing and lots of laughs.”

Stop! In the name of Christmas . . . if panto doesn’t float your festive boat, how does Motown the Musical sound as an antidote to the January blues?

If we’re not panto fans, what else can we come and see at the Hippodrome this winter?

“We have English National Ballet’s Swan Lake from 27 November-1 December. It looks fantastic – even though it’s not a Christmas show, it definitely feels magical. In January we have Motown the Musical, the perfect way to beat those post-Christmas blues with some of the most well-known and well-loved music, some of which you probably danced to at your Christmas parties.

Cinderella runs 9 December-6 January; www.atgtickets.com

St George’s Bristol

“St George’s is famed for its acoustics, and the intimacy of the space, which help make concerts so very moving, uplifting and memorable,” says head of marketing Dagmar Smeed.

“We attract the world’s leading classical, jazz, folk and world musicians as well as providing a stage for Bristol’s own talented orchestras and choirs. At Christmas especially, it’s the people who make it special – the artists, the audience members, and our warm and welcoming team of staff and volunteers. And this year our Christmas present to Bristol’s concertgoers is our beautiful new extension, with Luke Jerram’s glorious glass Apollo sculpture.

“We’re really getting into the Christmas spirit. There’s the orchestra and choir of the Age of Enlightenment, with Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, on 18 December. One of the world’s leading orchestras is joined by soprano Anna Dennis, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, tenor Gwilym Bowen and bass Laurence Williams under the direction of Steven Devine. Expect vigorous uplifting Christmas choruses, hugely expressive solos and duets, and orchestral colours ranging from blazing trumpets and drums to the mellow pastoral depiction of shepherds at the cradle.

“If your tastes are more contemporary, we have the Darius Brubeck Quartet on 13 December, Rick Wakeman’s Christmas

“We want people to leave thinking about the small things in life, and how it can be too easy to overlook them” NIK PARTRIDGE, TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

Colston Hall

The main hall may be closed for extensive renovations, but is that holding them back? Humbug to that!

“We’ve collaborated with Pieminister to bring you a Christmas party like no other in the foyer, on the best date of the Christmas party calendar, 14 December,” say the team.

“Legendary outfit The Cuban Brothers will be bringing the house down with their unique brand of funky soul; Vibe Roulette will spin their way round the music genres; DJ Cheeba is set to stun on the wheels of steel with a special Christmas A/V set, while The Allergies take you into the silly season with their irresistible vintage sounds. Expect a tasty selection of Christmas flavours with a two-course festive pie buffet laid on by Pieminister included in the ticket price.”

We asked the team to spin their own roulette wheel of great Colston Hall gigs past, and they came up with “The Tamla Motown Show in 1965, when a 14-year-old kid named Stevie Wonder led an assembly of Motown Stars including The Supremes, The Miracles,

and Martha and the Vandellas, in what was described as a ‘pop invasion from the US’. We reckon that one could have been pretty sensational . . .”

14 December; www.colstonhall.org

More….

At Redgrave, it’s the usual festive outing for the crème de la crème of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School talent, when the students take on E Nesbit’s heartbreaker of an Edwardian family drama, The Railway Children. Good luck with keeping your eyes dry when Bobbie’s reunited with her Daddy (or indeed, suspending disbelief when the train runs on time).

29 November- 13th December; www.oldvic.ac.uk The team behind The Wardrobe’s long-running comedy show Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera are performing something very Victorian and brandy-buttered on board the ss Great Britain in Steamed: A Dickensian Improvised Christmas Tale. Comedy, drama, orphans, steam trains, figgy puddings and catchy music hall numbers, on selected dates during December. www.ssgreatbritain.org As far as we’re concerned, Christmas begins when The Spiegeltent opens its doors and admits us into its magical timetravel machine of a tent. You know the drill by now – parties, balls, gigs and what-not; highlights this year include the Drag Ball, a swing social and Annie Nightingale chatting about four decades in broadcasting. Legend! www.christmasspiegeltent.co.uk

Rocky Patch and Nick Terrific can’t wait to make your Christmas swing at the Colston Hall Festiv-al (we’re still trying to work out what the dash in Festiv-al’s for)

© Tilly May

Piano Odyssey Tour on 16 December, and Cara Dillon’s Upon A Winter’s Night on 19 December.”

And Dagmar’s personal favourites from Christmas past?

“The OAE’s classical performance of Haydn, Bach and Mozart, with violinist Rachel Podger was a December 2017 highlight – sublime music performed by musicians at the top of their game – and personally I love the energy and joy of the Renewal Choir who performed Gospel Goes Festive. Both are due to return to St George’s Bristol this December.”

Full programme at www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Beasty Baby

Doing it for the (very little) kids Bristol theatre excels in shows for tinies. With superb dramatic timing, both BOV and TFT have opened their new studio spaces in time for Christmas; Chloe and the Colour Catcher transforms BOV’s Weston Studio into a vibrant world of colour and rhyme for the over-fours, while Travelling Light’s Igloo offers a sensory experience filled with sights, sounds and play for babies and toddlers in Cooper’s Loft.

Across the river at the TFT’s new Spielman Theatre, Beasty Baby uses an inspired mix of puppetry and live music to create a magical experience for tots and their grown-ups; and while Social Services would probably pay a call if you smuggled a small, impressionable child into an adult Wardrobe show, you’d definitely book them into Christmas Tales with Grandad, with Pickled Image’s puppets and captivating storytelling.

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PHOTO BY AL AN GRIFEE ©BRISTOL POST

FESTIVAL

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SMOOTH OPERATOR Since 2014, Cary Comes Home for the Weekend has celebrated the life and work of Bristol’s most glamorous son. This year, however, the festival delves a little deeper, beneath the polished and urbane veneer of the Horfield boy who conquered Hollywood

PHOTO ©BFI

Words by Deri Robins

Prototype Bond? Cary plays debonair but disturbingly callous agent Devlin in Notorious

“Is it a coincidence that Cary excelled in screen plots involving intrigue and deception? Or that his signature comedy ‘look’ was the double-take?”

F

ew Hollywood stars were born and bred in LA. Ray Milland, for example, hailed from Neath. Bob Hope spent part of his childhood right here in St George.

Cary Grant, however, wasn’t just from Bristol; he never wholly left. Even after he’d ascended to the top rung of the celestial ladder, taking his place among the starriest of Hollywood stars, he frequently came ‘home’; even though his early years had been far from happy.

This was not Bristol’s fault.

For its 2018 outing, the Cary Comes Home festival explores the impact that a childhood shrouded in mystery and misery had on Archie Leach, the Horfield kid who against the most unlikely odds, morphed almost effortlessly into the movie legend and style icon Cary Grant.

Stories about the influential ups and downs of Archie’s life will emerge throughout the festival weekend, through walks, talks, celebrity salutes and screenings, often at or near places of special significance, both for the boy and the man he became.

The programme opens with a screening and discussion of Bristol-based Mark Kidel’s award-winning documentary Becoming Cary Grant at UWE’s Glenside campus – the site of the former ‘lunatic’ asylum to which Archie’s mum was committed, on the say-so of her womanising husband, when Archie was just 11 years old. Elsie Leach remained here, while her son believed her dead and himself abandoned, until he discovered the truth and promptly sprang her around 20 years later.

Is it a coincidence that Cary later excelled in plots involving intrigue, deception and hidden identity? Certainly, Hollywood’s most

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perceptive directors discerned a dark and tormented side to Captain Handsome, and exploited it to the max. Oh, and think about the screwball comedies Cary excelled at, too.

What was he famous for? The double-take.

Other festival events take in the dockside, where Archie dreamed of travel and adventure; the cinemas in which he saw his first screen heroes (and first encountered the pastry fork); the Avon Gorge Hotel where he entertained his rescued mum; the spots and shops he revisited on his frequent trips home, and the theatres in which he discovered magic, and the troupe of knockabout comedians who taught him his hallmark timing, agility and poise, and took him to the USA, global fame and fortune.

The main focus, though, is on his films. Two classic comedies, His Girl Friday and Talk of the Town, and all four of the thrillers he made with Alfred Hitchcock: North by Northwest, Notorious, Suspicion and To Catch A Thief, along with lectures exploring why Hitchcock described Grant as “the only actor I ever loved”. Each film is introduced by an expert fan, including Col Needham, founder of IMDb; film journalist Pamela Hutchinson; broadcaster Matthew Sweet, and actor Paul McGann.

Paul’s top pick is Notorious. It’s ours, too. It’s startling how fresh this 70-year-old movie still feels today; not for the first time, Hitch skilfully slipped all manner of things past the eye of the censor: that far-longer-than-officiallypermitted onscreen kiss (yes, such things were timed); some highly confidential hints about secret experiments with uranium (the film was released within months of the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan); and the dubious morality of his heroine.

Meanwhile, Cary – always at his best doing complex and unreadable – delivers a less than entirely likeable role which inspired his pal Ian Fleming to create James Bond – a film role that Cary is later said to have turned down.

Like Bond, Cary’s character Devlin may be our hero – he’s suave and fearless, and eventually gets around to rescuing Ingrid Bergman – but he’s a little too cool for comfort, and seemingly A-OK with pimping out his love interest to an evil Nazi. He’s manipulative, he’s cynical, he’s cold hearted, and he’s chillingly good at it; no wonder that his first Hollywood landlord, Noel Coward, is rumoured to have been thinking of Cary when he wrote his song Mad About The Boy: On the silver screen He melts my foolish heart in every single scene Although I’m quite aware that here and there Are traces of the cad about the boy, No wonder, too, that he was Hitch’s first choice, over and over again. “There is a frightening side to Cary that no one can quite put their finger on,” said Hitch. He may forever be the debonair leading man, but scratch the surface, and this Bristol boy was

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Photo ©Bristol Post

festival

top: If four short-lived marriages were anything to go by, Cary’s happiest relationship was with his daughter Jennifer; here being shown the Bristol sights by her dad left: Hitch loved working

with Cary above all other actors. This most controlling of directors left Cary in charge of his own wardrobe and hair – unheard of!

below: Cary effortlessly

spanned both suspensers and fast-talking comedies, and was at his best playing opposite assured and witty dames – such as Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday

Photos this page ©Bristol Post

festival

“Isn’t there something very Bristolian about reinventing oneself?”

as far removed from the all-American hero as it was possible to find. It was a dichotomy that beset Archie/Cary all his life – until controversial, medically-administered LSD helped him to come to terms with his distressing childhood.

For some, Cary Grant’s screen acting seems so effortless as not actually to be acting at all.

“I’ve often been accused by critics of being myself on-screen,” he said; but “Being oneself is more difficult than you’d suppose”.

Cary/Archie certainly had more contradictions to tackle than most – the working class Bristol boy who is best known as a sophisticated man about town; the slapstick comedian hiding a tragic past and turbulent love life; the handsome charmer with a darker and shrewder streak.

“I’m always curious about whether Archie Leach’s Bristol roots can be detected in his performances as Cary Grant,” says festival director Charlotte Crofts. “First off, there’s his strange transatlantic accent, which some might recognise as being a bit Bristolian.

Also, he’s really good at snogging, and as we know all Bristolians are very good kissers. But ultimately, isn’t there something very Bristolian about reinventing oneself ?”

Whatever its origins, the Grant persona worked with a wide range of audiences, with one critic saying “Men want to be like him and women imagine landing him”. It even worked with Grant. Told once by an interviewer: “Everybody wants to be Cary Grant”, Cary is said to have replied: “So do I!” And the appeal still holds. Paul McGann recalls: “I was in a meeting with some American theatrical agents and happened to ask what single thing might realise their ambition. ‘That’s easy,’ said one. ‘Finding another Cary Grant’ – and they all agreed.”

He was not surprised. “If you mixed together the natural gifts of ten present-day star actors you’d end up with some super leading man. He still wouldn’t be Cary Grant, though. They don’t make those any more.”

The next time you pass the bronze statue of Cary in Millennium Square, be sure to inwardly salute.

Cary Grant Comes Home for the Weekend runs from Friday 23 to Sunday 24 November; www.carycomeshome.co.uk

Cary’s Bristol Surreal though it is to imagine, Cary once walked among us . . .

Cary loved cake! His mum used to take him to the cinema on Clare Street, where tea and dainties were served on silver trays,

and where, he said, “I was first introduced to the pastry fork”.

Later, he’d often take Elsie for tea at Avon Gorge Hotel.

He also liked classic cars, and had his Rolls Royce Silver Shadow serviced at Cathedral Garage near College Green. He also owned an MG and a Sunbeam.

In her kiss-and-tell book about their four-year fling, journalist Maureen Donaldson describes being brought to Bristol by Cary and being taken out to eat a fishand-chip supper with pints of beer in St Nick’s Market.

and as a lime-lighter at the Empire Theatre in Old Market.

Cary worked as a backstage gofer at the Bristol Hippodrome,

He is known to have gone to City matches at Ashton Gate.

He bought his glasses from Husband’s Opticians near the Hippodrome, and had his hair cut by a barber in Westbury on Trym.

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RAY-BAN WAYFARERS, £127 As close as damn it to the tortoiseshell shades through which Cary peered at Eva Marie Saint in North By Northwest From Harvey Nichols, 27 Philadelphia Street www.harveynichols.com

BRISTOL CITY SCARF, £15 Cary went to City matches at Ashton Gate; admittedly he wasn’t a big fan of scarves (neckties yes, scarves no) but we reckon he’d make an exception for a home game. You can even order a personalised one; your name or his name, your call From www.bcfc.co.uk

#BEMORECARY Inspired by the Cary Comes Home festival, we set out to see how we could be more like Bristol’s most famous son. Obviously, a bespoke grey or navy suit, highly shined shoes and a light overcoat buttoned up to the neck come as standard…

SHOE SHINE KIT, £18 The most immaculately groomed of stars, Cary loved shiny shoes, and spent hours buffing his own. He’d have liked this kit, then From Pod Company, 24 The Mall, Clifton www.thepodcompany.co.uk

18CT DIAMOND MULTI-STONE BRACELET, £13,975 Cary presented fourth wife Dyann Carroll with a diamond bracelet on the birth of their daughter. Quite right too From Nicholas Wylde, 6 The Mall, Clifton www.nicholaswylde.com 30 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

CARY, ORIGINAL ART

BY RICHARD LESLIE LEWIS, £500 “When I’m not painting I’m writing, when I’m not writing I’m broadcasting and when I’m not broadcasting I’m painting,” says Richard.

We think Cary would have appreciated a Renaissance man, and liked this acrylic painting From www.amberleyart.com

CARTIER TANK WATCH, £2,160 Typically, our man favoured one of the most polished, clean, and unassuming timepieces ever created – a Cartier Tank From Mallory; www. mallory-jewellers.com

ED’S CHOICE CARY CHINA, £15-£68 Yep, it’s an actual Cary Grant cake stand, made by PRSC. There are teapots, mugs and plates if this is sold out, which we suspect it is From www.carycomeshome.co.uk

ARMAGNAC ‘68, £114.99, BUAL MADEIRA, £425, MARGAUX 1920, POA In 2016, Cary Comes Home screened Notorious at Averys wine cellars – and if you don’t know why, you really need to see the movie From Averys, 9 Culver Street www.averys.com MAKIA SWEATER, £100 Not dissimilar to the sweater rocked by Cary in To Catch a Thief; he’d have appreciated the quality 100% Merino wool, too From Fox & Feather, 43 Gloucester Road www.foxandfeather.co.uk

PIN BADGE, £1.49 Cary on a budget! Choose from a range of pin badges (and lots of other merchandise) from the Cary Comes Home shop From www.carycomeshome.co.uk

CARY PRINT, £30 PLUS £10 P&P Much as we love the witty ‘Cary pursued by hot air balloon’ badge (left), it’s this Bristoland print by Sam Besant that adorns our walls Email cultfilmposters@ gmail.com CLASSIC CAR, HIRE PRICES VARY Whether driving a Sunbeam Alpine Roadster in To Catch a Thief (and IRL) or booking his own Roller in for a service near College Green, Cary was rarely seen in anything but a classic car. If owning one isn’t an option, how about hiring one for the weekend?

Try www.classiccarhire.co.uk for a range of models

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BRISTOL HEROES Not crazy on the MetroBus? It’s not the only option when it comes to getting from A to B Words and pictures by Colin Moody

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photography

B

ristol has MetroBus, and may get an underground system soon (dig deep my tunnelling machines when you pass under the harbour, dig deep) but as a city that you can walk in a day it has plenty of other modes of transport that often go unsung.

I’ve decided to share some of the more diverse modes of getting from A to B that I could find.

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Harley Davidson Easy rider. Get noticed as you cruise through the Croft, turn heads in the Village. And use the cycle box, so those red sections on the body work go well with that salmon pink tarmac.

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Delivery driver How do you make sure no one jumps into your cab when you pop out for that quick kerbside delivery? Your two mates Anonymous and Mr Scream will look after it for you.

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Pavement rage No, they are actually parked and having lunch. But for a second there I thought it was a Mexican standoff.

Weston-Super-Mud has some incredible views when the weather is right, and it’s great fun sharing the promenade with people from all over who come here for their slice of beach time, all year round.

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photography

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Cameron Balloons Total transport hero. And if the wind doesn’t blow you where you need to go, how about a blimp shaped balloon that can circle the fields and find just the right place to let you off? That’s Don himself at the controls there at last years Balloon Fiesta.

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Why is this roAd closed?

Why have they put the cones there? Well there is an army of high-vis people who are unsung heroes, diverting the traffic for the inevitable endless summer festivals, road races and so forth. I salute you. Others in their big cars may honk you as you close the A-road, but I love the festivals and your work is appreciated.

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All aboard the Matthew Here setting sail once more for the high seas. Of Pill. And then back again. But it captures a little, I hope, of the moment that Mr Cabot (as we called him) set sail for distant lands. Try to imagine the background all gone, and nothing but sea as far as the eye can see.

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“Many places like Spike Island now have showers on site, and if more workplaces had these I reckon we could have the primo cycling city of all time”

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Cyclists Heroes. Cutting down on air pollution and getting guaranteed travel times so that they are not late for work. Many places like Spike Island now have showers on site, and if more workplaces had these I reckon we could have the primo cycling city of all time.

This was taken through a steamy café window in Clifton Village – maybe in the very coffee shop you are reading this!

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Three lads need to get Into town So they grab the canoes from the flat and head to the water. Boom! Heroes. No congestion problems once they get past the traffic lights and get to the slipway.

Follow Colin on Twitter @moodycolin Instagram @moodycolin319

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EMILY ROSS BOOKS

Our friend in the North (Street) In which we welcome our second new indie bookshop columnist in two months! That’s right, folks – Storysmith has just opened on North Street, and Emily will be taking turns with Jessica of Max Minerva’s to bring us her choice of the season – which this time just happens to be Christmas . . .

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“Bringing in dogs and staying for a coffee are heavily encouraged at Storysmith”

t’s our first month of bookselling here at Storysmith, and we were so delighted to finally open the doors to our new shop and meet so many local and discerning book-lovers from Bedminster and beyond.

Discussing our favourite books and new discoveries with our customers has been a total joy. Browsing, lingering, bringing in dogs (especially bringing in dogs) and staying for a coffee are all heavily encouraged at Storysmith: you can relax with a book, pick our brains for recommendations or just have a natter about your latest read.

Lots of customers are already making us feel inadequate by getting their Christmas presents organised early, so I thought it might be a good time to round up some of my favourite books from this year and give you a few Christmas present ideas for the booklovers in your life.

First on the list is Calypso, the latest memoir from David Sedaris, which is packed with hilarious life observations in his typically caustic and sardonic style. In this collection of essays, David buys a beach house for his family to use throughout the year (affectionately named ‘The Sea Section’) which becomes the backdrop for family tiffs, soul-searching and David’s characteristically witty social observations. Highlights include his obsessive Fitbit habit, compulsive rubbishcollecting, and feeding his own benign tumour to some local snapping turtles. A tenderness for his family weaves through the whole collection, and the laugh-out-loud moments come from the delight in his own family’s stories.

Sharlene Teo’s Ponti tells the story of Szu, a teenager who lives in the shadow of her beautiful mother Amisa, a sham medium

who had a short-lived career starring in cult horror films in her youth. Lost and neglected, Szu develops an intense friendship with the assured and hardened Circe, and the novel explores the connections and disconnections between the three women. The sticky, stifling heat of Singapore adds a heaviness to the claustrophobic relationship dynamics, and reflects the themes of angst, guilt and regret that run through the narrative. In this vivid and compelling book, Teo gently weaves in elements of mythology, ghosts and memory, and explores the value of the friendships that shape and impress on us.

If you know a younger reader deserving of a festive treat, Carles Porta’s Hello, Mister Cold is a perfect winter book with stunning illustrations. Packed with icicles, snowy mountains and frosty forests, it’s easy to get distracted by the visuals alone, but the story itself follows trumpeter Maximillian Cold as he “TUT-FANNBOO”s through the mountains to find people who might appreciate his music.

What follows is a mad farce of mistaken identity and misunderstanding, culminating in a heartwarming message of acceptance and friendship. The beautiful artwork and bonkers narrative make this a treat for both children and adults.

We’re already getting ready for Christmas in the shop (to be completely honest, we’re counting down the days until we can break out the James Brown Christmas album), and can’t wait to chat festive books with all our customers. If you’re in the area, do pop in for a hot chocolate and a good old browse - we’ll be there with bells on.

Storysmith is now open at 49 North Street; www.storysmithbooks.com

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urban kohinoor At this new branch of a Bristol favourite, the staff wear aprons reading ‘Keep Calm and Curry On’ – because while the kitchen is serious about the food, they still want to leave you with a smile Words by Deri Robins

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ujith D’almeida has a cabinet bristling with awards, proving that Urban Tandoor – his first Bristol restaurant, on Small Street – isn’t merely many locals’ favourite Indian but also one of the best in Britain. And despite some hot and tasty new openings in the city over the last few years, the Tandoor has more than held its own; it’s still the spicy go-to for foodies and casual takeout-fanciers alike.

Earlier this year, though, along came a serious contender for the crown; Sujith’s second restaurant, the Urban Kohinoor on Whiteladies Road.

It’s an acknowledged business model: to consolidate your marketshare, set up in competition with yourself.

Does it work? If success can be measured by gaining a Best Newcomer nomination at the Asian Restaurant Awards one month after opening, along with a packed dining room that means they often have to turn away diners, then yes, we can safely say that it’s a sound plan.

What’s more, it’s one that’s due to be replicated; Sujith is soon to open a third gaff, Urban Masala – right next door to Tandoor and double the size. If that’s not confident restaurateuring, we don’t know what is.

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To succeed in the restaurant trade, you need a mixture of the right location, mad kitchen skills, and charm.

Poised at the top of Whiteladies, with affluent Redland and Clifton neighbours, Kohinoor is obviously wellsorted for the former.

Charm? You can be producing the best food in Bristol, but if you don’t woo your customers with friendly, intuitive service, forget it. We have to namecheck young Carlos, our waiter for the night; a top man, even if he did foist at least two extra plates on me. He probably deduced from my sylphlike appearance that I needed feeding up.

Kitchen skills? Sujith ensures that the menu continues (curries on?) the ethos of Tandoor – fresh ingredients, authentic regional dishes, and plenty of influences from his home state, Goa. The resulting cooking is fresh and light. “You won’t feel stuffed after a meal here,” Sujith says. “We go easy on the oil, hold the artificial flavourings, and our chefs have been schooled at the very best Indian restaurants, both here and in India.”

There’s a further culinary clue in Sujith’s Portuguese surname. Portugal, at the time well into its own form of globalisation, was a big influence in his region for over four centuries. During that time they introduced

restaurant

“Carlos must have deduced from my sylphlike appearance that I needed feeding up” potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, guavas, cashews and chillis. When you taste the cornucopia of spices, fruits and nuts so amply in evidence in Kohinoor’s Eral Kempu Bezule, for example, among the crispy fried tiger prawns you can pick out the individual flavours of chilli, ginger, curry leaves, coconut. It’s delicate, subtle, aromatic.

A chilli paneer was world-class, the soft cheese cubes politely insisting on holding their shape in a sauce of peppers and spring onion, with just enough chilli in the tomato sauce to perk things up.

That would probably have seen us sorted on the starter front, but young Carlos wasn’t having any of it. Nothing would do but we must try the calamari. Lightly and nongreasily fried with bell peppers, onion and chilli flakes, the genius of this dish lay in the finishing touch of honey.

Kohinoor is the opposite of pretentious, and the staff won’t sneer if you order a korma. It’s probably a really good korma. But it would be positively wrong-headed not to choose from the specials.

As a plate of Safroni Nihari Gosht wafted towards us, the air grew thick with the scent of coriander and cumin. The lamb shank is cooked very slowly and very lovingly on the bone, in a heady cocktail of spices, and finished with saffron and kewra. Light on the sauce, heavy on fresh ingredients, it was a world away from the indistinguishable chunks of meat in gravy served by most corner takeaways.

There were more dishes, but I’ve run out of room, and don’t feel inclined to rein in the superlatives above, so just assume ‘more of the same, all excellent’.

The Urban Kohinoor is already a hit. It’s laidback, yet culinarily innovative; its wide veggie choice and use of local produce is in tune with contemporary sensibilities.

More than that, it offers a peek into how cuisine can evolve from an exquisite culture and a long history.

The big national chains are dropping like flies in Bristol; meanwhile the home-grown ones like the Urbans are spreading their wings and flourishing. Which is exactly as we like it. n

Dining details 211 Whiteladies Road; 0117 973 1313; www.urban-kohinoor.com Opening hours 5.30-10.45pm (closed Mondays) We visited Wednesday evening Prices Starters £5.50-£6.75; mains £11.50-£16.95 desserts £5.25 Drinks Good comprehensive wine list with many Old World favourites, and the odd Indian gem such as a Shiraz from Soul Tree (£18.95) Vegetarian choice Wide Décor No buddhas; instead, covetable canvases of Indian street life on simple blue walls Service Charming, friendly, invested

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 43

NEW VEGAN SUNDAY ROASTS FROM BUN FICTION Launching 18th November 2018 Seitan roast served with maple and mustard carrots and parsnips, cider braised Savoy cabbage with facon & toasted pine nuts, crispy roast potatoes, garlic roasted broccoli and of course the corner stone of any roast cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire pudding.

All vegan!

KONGS OF KING STREET, 13-15 KING ST, BRISTOL BS1 4EF Tue/Wed/Thu: 17:00 - 22:00 Fri/Sat: 12:00 - 22:00 Sun: 12:00 - 20:00

food & drink

Kitchen confidential

Bowl of Plenty

There’s no Q&A in this issue; Bristol’s chefs are far too busy fine-tuning their Christmas menus. Instead, here’s a whistlestop tour around some of Bristol’s kitchens, taking in some of the most exciting foodie events and openings coming your way this month • It isn’t looking great for social enterprise Coexist at Hamilton House; the building’s new owners have already served them an eviction notice. See them off in style, at their final Wild Winter Feast on 5 December – a festive soirée welcoming in the magic of the winter solstice, with enticing aromas, flickering candlelight and enchanting storytelling. Let’s hope we see them in a new home soon. www.eventbrite.co.uk • Two of Clifton’s top indie restaurants are opening a new bistro on 14 November. Wellbourne, headed up by Michelintrained Ross Gibbens, and Wallfish, under chef Seldon Curry will now become – with impeccable logic, alliteration and parity – Wallfish & Wellbourne, operating from Wellbourne’s current site on The Mall.

The seasonal menu will feature Wallfish’s signature seafood and larder dishes, delivered with the culinary finesse we’ve come to expect from Wellbourne. www.wellbourne.restaurant • Props to those Bristol’s chefs who are once again working with Street Smart to help those in need over the harshest season. Street Smart works to raise vital cash to support the homeless and vulnerable over some of the coldest

Other tasty bites…

Dhamaka is set to become Bristol’s newest Indian restaurant, opening on Clare Street in late November; chef ’s aim is to plug the gap between standard neighbourhood curry houses and Indian fine dining. www.facebook.com/dhamakadining New café Bowl of Plenty has been created in

Colston Hall by the team behind the Folk House and Spike Island Cafés. The venue is currently serving hot drinks and hearty food, with a fuller menu coming soon. www.colstonhall.org

Seldon (left) and Liberty (third from left) of Wallfish, with Wellbourne’s Ross (second from left) and Michael . . . highly inconveniently placed for captioning purposes, frankly

months of the year; during November and December, a voluntary £1 donation is added to food bills at participating restaurants, with the organisation distributing the money raised among local charities. Last year Bristol raised £15,000 – if you want to help beat this record, head for participating restaurants throughout November and December – Flour and Ash, Bomboloni, Wilsons and Root are some of those taking part. Nice one chefs; you rock. www.streetsmart.org.uk

Finzels Reach’s Friday lunchtime food market will move to a bigger site for Christmas – the deserted Old Temple Back Fire Station opposite the usual site, to be precise – with a two-day street-food extravaganza on 13-14 December. All the deets and all the meats and all the beats on Facebook. www.facebook.com/FeastatFinzels Alp Mac at Finzel’s, people . . .

Brought to you from the team behind The

Gallimaufry, Suncraft – a new plant-based restaurant helmed by Kane Danaher – has just opened on Gloucester Road. Think vegan with a strong Asian influence among the flavours, and a big gluten-free offering; review in our late December issue. www.facebook.com/SuncraftBristol

Wilsons

Flour & Ash

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

Tasting Menu and Festive Christmas Menu available throughout Nov and Dec

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

cafÉ society Stan Cullimore

Out of Africa Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not on the Glo Road any more . . .

R

egular readers of this column will have realised that, as a dedicated follower of caffeine, I am prepared to go to almost any lengths in pursuit of coffee and cake.

But there are limits, even for this fanboy. For instance, I wouldn’t normally travel thousands of miles just to visit one superb café.

Why would you, when there are so many gorgeous ones right here in Bristol?

However, recently I have been in Malawi, the warm heart of Africa, flying around in a small but perfectly formed airplane. So

“If Wagner did rain, this is how he would do it”

the chances of me going down the Gloucester Road for coffee were slim. Very slim. Luckily, help was at hand. Wherever you find civilisation, sure as Easter eggs are chocolatey, you will find someone selling sugary snacks and delicious drinks. So it was in Malawi.

In this case, it was on the bottom floor of the oldest house in Blantyre, the capital city.

And if you are thinking that ‘Blantyre,’ sounds more Scottish than African, you would be right.

It was named by a Scot and was also, allegedly, the home of Dr Livingstone, the famous African explorer. But I digress.

Point is, a delightful old couple have turned the verandah and grounds of this old house into a veritable oasis of peace and contentment called Café Mandala. Along with friendly hosts and oodles of well shaded serenity, there are also parasols, tables, chairs and sunshine on offer. Lots of sunshine. There is also a menu that features cakes, ice cream and a host of other worldly delights, including breakfast. English Breakfast, of all things.

Since I was on a sort of flying culinary tour out there, enjoying curried goat and grilled crocodile along the way, I decided to go for the full English. Why not? When it eventually arrived, I was not

disappointed. Surprised, yes.

Disappointed, no. It had all the ingredients one might expect, but all delivered in unexpected ways.

Which is a pretty good way of summing up the whole African experience, come to think of it.

Delicious though the food and drink were, they were not the stars of the show. Oh, no. That would be the wildlife and the weather.

When the sun isn’t shining fit to burst, thunderstorms are doing their dramatic best to rock your world. If Wagner did rain, this is how he would do it. Over the top, and under the soggy bottom.

Of course, no sooner is the world awash with rain, than the sun has dried it all back up again and suncream is the order of the day once more. No wonder so many people fall in love with this bewildering continent.

When the weather has done its worst, the wildlife come out to play. The gardens are home to a range of bizarre beasts, including cheeky monkeys, secret squirrels and crazy chameleons. As for watching the sunset, it is sublime.

If you ever get the chance to visit Malawi, take my advice.

Pay them a visit. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer www.stancullimore.com

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

Best Italian 2012/13/14/15 Best breakfast 2012/13/14 Best front of house 2013 Best breakfast 2018 Highly Commended - Best Italian 2018

EARLYBIRD OFFER 3/5 SMALL PLATES FOR £16/£25* EVERY NIGHT UNTIL 7PM BRUNCH SERVED SAT & SUN 10 - 1 BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH AVAILABLE (BOOZY AND BOOZE FREE) *Some supplements apply

0117 9077112 32 COTHAM HILL, BS6 6LA WWW.MUINOBRISTOL.COM @MUINOBRISTOL

talking turkey

...and indeed, veggie alternatives: here are five top suggestions for a festive foodie treat in the run-up to Christmas

C

ast your mind back a few issues, if you will. Remember how we advised you to book there and then for your Christmas party?

Remember, too, how you tossed your head gaily, laughed a belllike laugh, and went right ahead and ignored us?

Well, good luck getting a booking now, fella; and extra good luck appeasing a big group of friends and colleagues baying for festive food, boozy cocktails and silly crackers.

The good news is that if you’re dining à deux, or even à quatre or (pushing it) à six, you’re still in with a chance of bagging a table somewhere decent.

Obviously many venues are doing the traditional Christmas menu thang, but if you fancy something a bit different, who you gonna call? Here are five suggestions; they had us at ‘spiced plum Bellini’…

Wellbourne It was Christmas Eve, babe…

Sum up your festive offering in five words

Rosemarino Have yourself a romantic little Christmas at this Italian favourite. PS They have mistletoe Sum up your festive offering in five words

“Generous, heartwarming, regionalItalian, comfort food.”

Give us a taster of the Christmas menu

Even non-veggies may be tempted away from the dark side by the butternut squash and chestnut lasagne with goat’s cheese béchamel; that said, the pork belly rolled with apricot and fennel seed will make carnivorous mouths water like that of the wolf in the Three Little Pigs.

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

What will the atmosphere be like?

“Cosy and candlelit, with subtle festive decorations – our handmade origami stars always go down well – and there’ll be some carefully positioned sprigs of mistletoe...”

How will you get us in festive mood?

“With wine, of course! In collaboration with our local wine supplier RS Wines, each week throughout the festive period we will be offering a different pair of special wines, at special prices, which we feel showcase some of the lesser known Italians. We also have some festive aperitivo cocktails in mind – how does a spiced plum Bellini sound?”

1 York Place; www.rosemarino.co.uk

“Classical, with our Wellbourne touch.”

Give us a taster of the Christmas menu

“Starters: chicken liver parfait with homemade sourdough, or a beautiful seasonal parsnip soup with a hint of vanilla.

Main course is turkey and trimmings, done the Wellbourne way, while our very popular mushroom Wellington is the perfect vegetarian option. Stollen with almond ice-cream, Christmas pudding with brandy cream and a refreshing mango sorbet finish proceedings delightfully.”

What will the atmosphere be like?

“Modern, with a perfect buzz.”

What else will you be doing to get us in the festive mood?

“Naturally there will be decorations around the restaurant, and The Pogues blasting out!”

25 The Mall, Clifton; www.wellbourne.restaurant

try five

Burger Theory Before all the Christmas Day cooking kicks off, how about something a bit more informal – something like an amazing burger, for example?

Kindly sum up your festive offering in five words

“Christmas burger feasts for all.”

Give us a taster of the Christmas menu

Pata Negra Christmas is all about sharing, and goodwill – and what kind of menu does sharing best of all? Damn right! Tapas!

Kindly sum up your festive offering in five words

“Casual Spanish-style sharing menu.”

Give us a taster of the Christmas menu

“Expect Spanish classics, such as melt-inyour-mouth croquetas alongside seasonal specials, making the most of local, seasonal produce.” (Haven’t quite finalised the menu yet then, guys...? )

Nutmeg Fancy a deliciously spicy alternative to Christmas dinner?

Sum up your festive offering in five words

Modern, flavoursome, ideal for groups.

Give us a taster of the Christmas menu

A tasting menu will feature rich meat dishes from the Punjab, while the à la carte provides meat, fish and veggie options from across the 29 states of India. Meat dishes include lamb chops, pork cheek vindaloo and beef madras.

What will the atmosphere be like?

“We’ll be channelling Pata Negra’s usual buzz, inspired by the tapas bars of Southern Spain with a party twist – great tunes and laidback service, ideal for whiling away a cosy couple of hours with a great bottle of wine. Those wanting to carry on the party can hit the dance floor at Noche Negra afterwards.”

What else will you be doing to get us in the festive mood?

“Plenty of festive cocktails, Menorcan G&T and, of course, buckets of sherry…”

30 Clare Street; www.patanegrabristol.com

“Both are burgers: The Christmas Party Monster – sausage patty wrapped in bacon, Southern fried chicken thigh, cheddar cheese, gravy, cranberry sauce and a pig in blanket on top; Berry Christmas – beetroot and walnut patty, brie, cranberry sauce, halloumi.”

What will the atmosphere be like?

“Classical Christmassy feels in a cosy warm ambience.”

What else will you be doing to get us in the festive mood?

“Christmas cocktails, mulled cider and festive hats.” n 37-38 St Stephen’s Street; www.burgertheory.co.uk

Veggie options range from vegetable biryani to chana masala and udupi sweet potato curry.

What will the atmosphere be like?

Bustling, vibrant and friendly with bright décor and warm lighting.

What else will you be doing to get us in the festive mood?

Homemade decorations and fairy lights, with Christmas crackers for all guests.

10 The Mall, Clifton; www.nutmegbristol.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 55

christmas gift guide MATTY & MAISIE MOUSE TEA LIGHT HOLDERS, £30 pair Each holding a bowl just large enough for a tealight, these two adorable resin mice will bring a touch of Nutcracker magic to any Christmas table.

From Graham and Green www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

not a creature was stirring. . . . . . not even a mouse (at least, not until you turn your back on them, then just see how they run). Anyway, our two-part festive gift guide is BACK – and in this issue we’re all about gifts for the home and the Christmas larder.

Turn the page, then – the mice have their hands full, they won’t do it for you . . .

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 57

FOR THE HOME

KAMATURA CANDLE, 7OZ, £20 Described as ‘lovelorn and sophisticatedly, naively romantic’; like all Sue Kaur’s candles, Kamatura has been inspired by emotion and travel.

From Ahloki, Emersons Green www.ahloki.co.uk

JAYSON LILLEY: BRIDGE ROAD, £250 The gold leaf makes this Jayson Lilley screenprint shimmer with urban glamour.

Obviously a print is for life, not just for Christmas, but this strikes us as an especially festive gift.

From www. smithsongallery.co.uk

PURPLE SWIRL BAUBLE, £19.50 If there isn’t at least one hand-blown bauble from Bristol Blue Glass on the tree, is it even a Bristmas Tree?

From Bristol Blue Glass, 357-359 Bath Road www.bristol-glass.co.uk

FRIDA BAMBOO CURTAIN, £73 A shoo-in for lovers of kitsch, Mexicana or anyone who likes intense looking women in cool headgear.

From www.the-pippa-and-ike-show.com

CREDIT CARD TOOLKIT, £9.95 Remarkable little all-in-one kit for every home-owner’s wallet, with 11 functions for life’s peskiest problems.

From Pod Company, 24 The Mall, Clifton www.thepodcompany.co.uk

PRSC BONE CHINA MUG, £15 The perfect gift for the Grinch in your life. Oh Bollocks it’s Brexit mugs are also available, for year-round appeal.

From Stokes Croft China, 35 Jamaica Street www.prscshop.co.uk

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

NEON CACTUS LIGHTS, £22-£50 Adds a little touch of Vegas glamour to any home; flamingos, pineapples, toucans etc also available.

From Mon Pote, 177-179 North Street www. monpote.co.uk

CERAMIC TRAVEL MUG, £26.50 Yes, we’ve moved on from disposable coffee cups to reusables; but why not take it up a notch with these beautiful handmade ceramic ones, with a little crochet band to protect your hands from the heat?

From www.libbyballard.co.uk

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

KITCHENAID MIXER, £439 OBVIOUSLY every cook wants a KitchenAid; but which colour? This Crystal Blue’s a knockout . . .

From Kitchens Cookshop, 167 Whiteladies Road; www.steamer.co.uk

LOOP MASSAGE GIFTBOX, £20 It’s like giving someone a soothing, resting haven in a box; lip balm, candles, soaps and oils.

From Loop Massage, Cargo 2 www.loopmassage.com

RECYCLED BLANKETS, £45 These cosy blankets are made from recycled plastic bottles but look and feel like wool; idea for the eco warrier in your life.

From Nola Interiors, 168 Gloucester Road www.nolainteriors-bristol.co.uk

SALT & PEPPER SET, £19.99 Those familiar with the Bristol craft scene will instantly recognise Hannah Turner’s hand in these cute lovebird shakers.

From www.hannahturner.co.uk

& KLEVERING CACTUS JAR, £26 The perfect size for a stash of sweets, jewellery or other stuff. Perhaps you could pop another little gift inside?

From Grace & Mabel, 32 The Mall, Clifton; www.graceandmabel.co.uk

SO CLIFTON LIGHTBOX, £42 These are so clever! A beautiful sunrise over Sion Hill, captured in a lightbox.

See website for other designs.

From Bristol in a Box www.bristolinabox.co.uk

ANTHONY BURRILL PRINT, £100 Wonderland PR and revered designer and fontmeister Burrill have collaborated to create this limited edition print – all funds from which go to the Kindly Collective.

From Arnolfini Bookshop; www.arnolfini.org.uk or www.wonderlandcomms.com/shop

HUBERT AND GEORGE PLATE SET, £12 FOR TWO PLATES Playful beardy ceramic duo for any cove still unwilling to get past the face fur phase.

From Ustudio, 3 York Court, www.ustudio.design

CERAMIC BOTTLE VASES, £23 You won’t go far wrong ordering anything from Midgley Green, but these Lucy Rutter bottle vases are just gorgeous – and given how special they are, very affordable.

From Midgley Green, 26 Alexandra Rd, Clevedon www.midgleygreen.com

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

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

FOOD & DRINK BOOZY BAUBLES GIFT SET, £19 5cl bottles of blueberry gin, pink grapefruit & raspberry vodka, raspberry Gin and rhubarb & custard vodka – with little tree hangers!

From Espensen Spirit, 86 Whitehall Road, www.espensenspirit.com

APOTHECARY CHILLI BOTTLE SET, £65.93 Can’t choose between Chilli Alchemist’s toothsome range? How about a gift set of all seven?

From The Chilli Alchemist, Station Road www.chillialchemist.co.uk

BEER ADVENT PACK, £49.95 24 craft beers from 24 brewers; and yes, if you’re wondering, self-gifting is absolutely A-OK. From www.beerwulf.com

12 CIDERS OF CHRISTMAS, £35 Bristol Cider Shop’s annual Chrimbo offering: 12 bottles made within 50 miles of Briz. Cheers.

From Bristol Cider Shop, Cargo 1; www.bristolcidershop.co.uk

JOE & SEPH’S GOURMET POPCORN ADVENT CALENDAR, £20 If you haven’t yet discovered the wonderful world of Joe & Seph, this is the ideal place to start; and while each mini bag of popcorn may not quite count as one of your five-a-day, it’s probably better for you than chocolate. Probably.

From Harvey Nichols, 27 Philadelphia Street www.harveynichols.com

SALTED CARAMEL ADVENT CALENDAR, £55.25 Hang up the string, peg on the bags and you’re good to go. Sorry, your giftee is good to go...

From Zara’s Chocolate, 200 North Street, www.zaraschocolates.com

GINGER BEARD FIG AND SOUR CHERRY CHUTNEY, £4.50 Made by Harry, a man with a ginger beard, whose seasonal chutneys are busily winning awards around the UK. From Better Food, 1-5 Gaol Ferry Steps www.betterfood.co.uk

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

MONTGOMERY CHEDDAR, £26 PER KILO, £2.60 PER 100G Made on Manor Farm in North Cadbury by the Montgomery family, and one of the UK’s oldest traditional cheddars.

From The Bristol Cheesemonger, Unit 8 Cargo www.bristol-cheese.co.uk

LA HIGUERA CHOCOLATE COATED FIGS, £11.75 A terrific balance of fruit and dark chocolate with just the right amount of sweetness.

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

a man’s world kam kelly

Christmas wrapping It’s nearly Christmas, and over in the offices of SAM FM, colleagues are praying that they don’t draw Kammy in the Secret Santa

C

hristmas shopping?

Hate it – never know what to get anyone.

Love it – I always find stuff I like, so buy myself things instead and get everyone else vouchers.

How am I supposed to know what book they want? Is it not enough that I know they like books?

Problem with seeing the stuff that I like. . . and buy . . . is that, from September onwards, everyone starts asking me what I want for Christmas, and I always say “nothing” or “I don’t know”.

And it’s true. ’Cos unless it’s there staring me in the face, I genuinely haven’t got a clue.

That said, I tell you what I am quite partial to for Christmas: a good a pair of socks. Obviously, when you’re a kid, that would be considered the worst gift in the world. It’s such an anti-gift that

“I love Christmas shopping. I always find stuff I like, so I buy things for myself and get everyone else vouchers”

if you opened that as a present before anything else, you would go from zero gifts to minus one. Socks as a present for a kid actually puts their prize tally in to negative equity.

But as a lazy adult who can’t be bothered putting on yet another load of washing, another pair of socks would give me another washing-free day. So essentially, by giving socks to an adult, you’re giving the gift of time.

You’re thinking about my pants now aren’t you? It’s all right, fear not, I have quite a healthy pant-to-sock ratio in my underwear drawer, with the underkegs outweighing the feet gloves.

I’m not a fan of shopping in general. Traipsing from shop to shop, looking aimlessly at novelty stationery, while racking your brain in an effort to make a connection between said stationery and your 28-year-old sister.

So when 23 December comes around and I think, “Well I guess I’d better get started, really,” I always find myself with so many decisions to make. Which shirt I prefer? Do I really need more pants? If I use my Boots card, that aftershave’s practically free . . . when I buy the footspa.

And so 25 December comes around, and all the women in my family, from my two mums (my mum and her best mate), to my step-mum to my two sisters, have all been hard at the squirelling- away-Chrimbopresents game since March or earlier. And I have multiple

presents from all of them and they get one present each from me. Probably a picture frame. Ooh, or maybe some costume jewellery from Claire’s Accessories. They really are lucky to have me!

My two mums usually get quite good gifts from me, because I always ask one of my sisters to get them. She does it every year for me. Never pay her back, either.

She says I’m the best big brother there ever was . . . well, the socks she usually gets me say something along those lines.

Suffice to say, I always head into Christmas looking great in my new shirt while smelling delightful and with a spring in my step from my wonderful footspaing! And my shoulders are never strained, because vouchers and costume jewellery and gift cards really aren’t that heavy.

You would think my Christmas cheer would stop there, wouldn’t you? No; I really am the gift that keeps on giving. I drag the spirit of Christmas into the the middle of January, when I go back to each one of these wonderful women in my life for a loan, as it transpires I spent too much on myself on 23 December.

No bah humbug about this boy, but I do have the Bah and then H&M Bug about me.

Merry November, everybody!

Kam Kelly’s breakfast show airs every weekday from 6am, Sam FM Bristol, 106.5fm

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

Georg Jensen, Denmark, silver kneeling doe brooch, designed by Arno Malinowski, 1996 London import mark

ÂŁ350

Environmentally friendly paint | Wallpaper | Soft Furnishings | Homeware

168 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8NT. 07909 308668 f NolaInteriors-bristol x @168nolainteriors

Specialising In Pre-owned, Design Led Scandinavian And British, Jewellery, Silver And Metalwork, From the second half of the 20th century.

Beautiful Christmas Gifts, Stocking Fillers, Jewellery, Candles, Scarves, Hand Finished Cards & Baby Clothes

Georg Jensen, Denmark, silver bangle, designed by Ibe Dahlquist, 1974 London import mark

ÂŁ625

Unit 4, Cargo 2, Wapping Wharf, Museum St, Bristol, BS1 6ZA. 07914 764 936 johnkelly1880@yahoo.co.uk | www.johnkelly1880.co.uk a @johnkelly1880

x John Kelly 1880+

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

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

SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY OFFER AT SIMON LEE’S CLINIC Buy one get one free Facial treatments this includes our New Endocare Growth Factor Facial - the intensive collagen boosting facial and our Caci facialsrejuvenating and toning.

Terms and conditions apply- please call 0117 3292027 for more information.

www.simonleeclinic.co.uk/blackfridayoffer Simon Lee, Aesthetic Medical Clinic 3 Whiteladies Gate, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2PH Telephone 01173 292027

health & Beauty

Before

Bloggs

After

They’ve been making waves in the city for some time, but is Bloggs the salon for you?

Nell Robins went under the dryers . . .

Y

ou’ve probably walked past Bloggs, on Millennium Promenade. The plate glass windows frame all the action: a friendly-looking bunch of stylists, expertly teasing Bristol's barnets within pleasingly sleek looking premises – and if the deliberately chummy, accessible name sounds familiar, it may be because Bloggs have been doing their thing since 2010 at their first branch on the Gloucester Road.

In creating his salons, Joe Hemmings has put 23 years of hairdressing expertise to use, gathering together a team of stylists who see themselves as a family. Each has been selected for their individual skill and ability to translate their experience into a hairstyle or colour tailored uniquely to you; they guarantee flawless results, whether classic or cutting-edge.

“What sets Bloggs apart is the way that they invest so much time into the initial consultation”

I was immediately struck by how open, light and attractive the salon was, with soothing neutral colours. Despite being very busy, everyone was chatting away attentively to their customers – a cross-section of all ages, with guys as well as gals.

Colourist Esther tells me that she’s been with Bloggs for six years, starting at the Glo Road then moving to Harbourside when they opened last year. Esther has completed a colour degree with L’Oreal (she also has a uni degree in literature – funny where life takes you!). She loves using the L’Oreal brand, she says, because it’s quick to keep up with styles and trends, and have the widest choice of colours.

As well as losing my bleached and dessicated ends, I wanted a fresh new colour with warm autumnal tones. I’ve always played very safe with my hair, and only ever coloured it a little; a touch of balayage here, a bit of ombre there.

Today I was ready to take things up a notch.

Esther was incredibly helpful, as we looked online and through magazines to find ideas; she also explained how the various colours would appear on me, and how they might affect my hair condition. Another nice touch was having Esther hands-on throughout – rather than spending a slightly awkward ten minutes with a ‘where have you been for your holidays?’ junior, I was able to continue our chat as she washed my hair, applying no less than four conditioning treatments.

Happy!

As a result, I left Bloggs not just with precisely the look I’d been hoping for, along with preternaturally silky locks, but with the feeling that I’d been given the star treatment.

What sets Bloggs apart is the way that they invest so much time into the initial consultation, making sure they know exactly what you want and expect – and then deliver it.

Nell’s colour treatment cost £94; cut £48 Bloggs Harbourside, The Plaza Unit, Millennium Promenade; 0117 929 1902; www.bloggssalons.com/salons/harbourside

www.mediaclash.co.uk I Bristol LIFE I 67

Formerly The Lighting Warehouse

Lighting the way it should be...

Lighting, the perfect Gift or festive purchase!

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

www.thelightingstudiobristol.co.uk

FABULOUS CHRISTMAS SHOP NOW OPEN

Christmas trees - freshly cut and home grown on our 12 acre site - from end of November.

Choose from Norway spruce, Nordmann fir, Blue spruce, Fraser fir. Also pot grown trees. And all under cover.

Wreath decorating workshops 3 & 6 December (booking essential) Plus The Garden Tea Room serving festive treats through December - 01275 374988 Just 2 miles from the suspension bridge - open 7 days a week Brackenwood Garden Centre, Leigh Court Estate, A369 Pill Road, Abbots Leigh, BS8 3RA Telephone: 01275 375292 | Online: www.brackenwood-plantandgardencentre.com

Celebrating 40 years in Clifton Village.

Selling top quality jewellery and GIA Diamonds, 40% more aordable than average market price!

We supply 14 London jewellers including 5 Hatton Garden sites.

Personal design service available & all products guaranteed for 12 months!

Unit 2, The Clifton Arcade, Boyces Avenue, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AA

Telephone: 0117 909 4906 | Mobile: 07877 633030 | Email: terrycvantiques@icloud.com

advertising feature

Meet the gallery owner

The friendly faces behind three top galleries explain why you should pay them a visit Sarah Thorp

Chris Kendall

What area of art do you specialise in?

A wide range of painting, prints, illustrations, jewellery and more, all by Bristol Artists How long have you been a gallery owner?

Room 212 opened over five years ago.

Where are the most rewarding aspects of the role?

Bringing art and creativity to Gloucester Road and helping local artists to make a living. I love creating vibrant, interesting window displays every month.

What has been your proudest moment?

Every day I’m proud to hear customers say how much they love Room 212 and that they could spend hours here.

What sets you apart from other galleries?

Our crazy colourful window displays, especially the ones with Toni Burrows’ amazing mosaics. We have a huge eclectic range, from small prints to large original paintings. Excitingly, our new bar Alchemy 198 is opening just a few doors down from us on Gloucester Road. We’ll have original artwork by well-known artists on the walls, and there’s a dedicated exhibition space downstairs so we can feature different artists every month. We are also a venue for the North Bristol Art Trail with a preview from 7pm on Friday 23 Nov.

What area of art do you specialise in?

20th- and 21st-century rare and collectable signed editions, alongside original contemporary art.

How long have you been a gallery owner?

For three years in the Clifton Arcade.

Where did you study and train?

I’ve been a collector for more than 30 years.

What are the misconceptions of an art gallery?

That they are stuffy and eletist. Hidden couldn’t be further from that stereotype.

What has been your proudest moment?

Just seeing the gallery grow into an established and thriving business.

What advice would you give for buying art?

Whether our clients are buying a rare work for investment or a piece by a contemporary artist; the advice is always the same: ­only buy what you love!

What sets you apart from other galleries?

Aside from our unique and eclectic stock, which runs from original Banksys to signed Picasso lithographs, there’s the enthusiastic welcome and atmosphere. We hang this rare work alongside the best artists from the region and love the look on customers faces as they move from a cheeky sculpture by Lucianne Lassalle to a Matisse etching.

Room 212 07702598090; www.room212.co.uk

Anna Smithson Smithson Gallery 07779 656083; www.smithsongallery.co.uk @smithsongallery

What area of art do you specialise in?

We sell high quality, accessible contemporary art. Ranging from unique drawings, limited edition screen prints & etchings through to collage and mixed media. Our website is our

Hidden 07891 848 437; www.myhiddenworld.co.uk

Sarah Thorp

Chris Kendall

gallery window and we participate in various exhibitions throughout the year.

How long have you been a gallery owner?

Ten years.

Where did you study and train?

London; I completed a printed textiles degree and then pursued a career as an art editor in fine art publishing before setting up the gallery.

What are the most rewarding aspects of the role?

At Smithson, growth for the artist and the gallery are equally important and a journey that we take together which I thoroughly enjoy.

Also seeing a client fall in love with a piece of art is very special and knowing it has found its rightful owner.

What are the misconceptions of an art gallery?

That we might be unapproachable, whereas we believe art is for everyone and make life very easy when choosing art online. We always have extra photos to hand, can visit clients with artwork and offer a consideration period.

We understand how important it is to make the right decision.

What has been your proudest moment?

I feel very proud of the artists and work we represent, and to be honest I have felt very

proud this year, realising that I have sustained my business for 10 years.

What advice would you give for buying art?

Enjoy following the progress of an artist – being a part of that journey is a special part of collecting.

Art is also part of your personal journey, so if a piece has a hold on you, don’t worry if you don’t immediately have the space. Art is a personal investment, something you’ll live alongside and enjoy for years to come, so don’t be afraid to acknowledging that connection.

What do you feel are your strongest attributes as a gallery?

Our ability to support and mentor artists with passion and professionalism is one of the key components to establishing and nurturing a fruitful relationship with our artists. I hope this is reflected in the strong collections of work we release. I also like to think we offer a high and flexible level of service to our clients; buying art should be an enjoyable experience!

What exhibitions do you have coming up?

We will be participating in the very vivacious oneday event on the 9 December 2018 ‘Art Car Boot Fair’ in London. Then it’s onto a solo exhibition of Frea Buckler’s work in May 2019 in collaboration with Jealous Gallery, also in London.

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

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SNAPPED

SOCIETY

AC ROSS B R IS TO L , O N E SH I N D I G AT A T I M E

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Bristol Reggae Orchestra

George Ferguson and Chris Chalkley

Nell Robins, Meg Pope, Alan Bec, Frankie Wallington, Deri Robins and Beryl Dzambo Sarah Thorpe and Neil Roberts

CROFTERS – RIGHT?

HFW with Nancy Jones, Marie Derome and Colin Moody

The launch of Colin Moody’s new book Stoke’s Croft and Montpelier at PRSC may have been a very Jamaica Street affair, but friends from all over Bristol – and a certain well-known celebrity chef – were out in force to celebrate. Get this book on your Christmas list pronto; it’s wonderful.

Photos by @JonCraig_Photos

Colin being interviewed by Ivan Jackson from BCfm

Ellie Kitcatt, Kellie Hasbury, guest, George Ferguson, Emma Hayles and Izzy Salva www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 75

SOCIETY SOCIETY

Chance & Counters

James Legrys and Angus Lugsdin

Team Pam Lloyd PR The 45s

‘Live Tinder’, anyone?

WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNERS The second Crumbs Awards was held in the beautiful new events space at Bristol Old Vic, where guests made full use of the theatre, bar and foyer. Mark Olver compèred, and the post-ceremony tunes came courtesy of The 45s; after which the hardcore then repaired to Mr Wolf ’s until the small hours.

Photos on page 76 by Matt Lincoln www.mattlincoln.co.uk Photos on page 77 by Tom Burrows

Aftershow shapes were thrown Nell Robins, Annie Miekus, Claudia Butler, Liam Jones and Stephanie Dodd

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

Frankie Wallington and host Mark Olver

Federica Civale and Jo Saward

‘Clashers scrub up OK Mark Olver with team Lost & Grounded

Teams Forest Produce and Thornbury Castle Hotel

Mark Olver with team The Inn at Freshford

Mark with team Greenbank Team Bristol Loaf

Phoebe Ruxton

Joshua Hibbs

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

SOCIETY

George Ferguson, David Sproxton and Louise Thornhill

Nick James , Elizabeth Stilwell, Louise Somerset and Helen Thornhill

John Erskine and Colin Williams

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Hundreds of guests attended a reception at the RWA Annual Open Exhibition, courtesy of accountancy, tax and investment management group Smith & Williamson. It’s the fourth year the firm has sponsored the Annual Open.

“As a firm we strive to play an active role in the cultural life of the city and this will continue with our co-sponsorship of February’s Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing exhibition,” said managing partner Carl Deane.

Mike Lea, Lady Mary Prior and Lord John Prior

www.smithandwilliamson.com

John Erskine and Louise Thornhill with members of the Breeden family

HE’S BEHIND YOU . . .

Movement Boutique was invited by TV stylist Gok Wan – shortly to be seen starring in this year’s Bristol Hippodrome panto – to take part in his latest countrywide roadshow One Size Fits All. “We sent ten outfits down the catwalk at the Mercure Grand Hotel,” said Movement’s owner, Marcelle Fletcher.

“Gok was funny, kind and generous and everyone had an amazing time. We didn’t stop smiling and laughing...”

Gok casts a practised eye

Leah and Marcelle with Gok Wan

Anna Rutherford, Jose Garrido and Claire McKenna

BUILDING THE FUTURE

For the first time in the 166 years of its Open Exhibition, the RWA and the Architecture Centre jointly awarded an Architecture Prize. The winner was Puerto Rican architect Jose Garrido, and the runner-up was architecture student Matthew Lewis.

Photos by Chris Wilkins Photography

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

www.movementboutique.co.uk

Matthew and Jose with congratulatory bouquets

SOCIETY

Hazel Gower, Diana Porter and Claire Herford

Beverley Weaver and Nicky Smailes Hannah Dymond, Catherine Sforza and Laura Sims

Lara Mackay-Morris

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND

Diana Porter, Louis Thomas and Lily-Rae Smailes

Renowned Bristol jeweller Diana Porter celebrated her 25th year as a designer/maker with a private view at her gallery on Park Street, in the company of customers, friends, family and colleagues in the industry who have worked with her over the years.

Photos by Matt Gutteridge

Helen Lederer

Peaches Golding, Gregg Wallace, Martin Roberts and Dilys Price

BEST OF BRITISH

Bristol was a hive of ‘health, wealth, happiness’ when Martin Roberts launched his second Achieve weekend, with some of the UK’s best-loved celebrity achievers and an official ribbon cutting with Lord-Lieutenant of the County and City of Bristol, Peaches Golding OBE. Photos by Black Tie Portraits

ENOUGH ABOUT YOU; LET’S TALK ABOUT US . . .

Peter in conversation with Greg Ingham

Bristol Life relocated to new venue, the Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin, for its latest Business Club lunch, which centred on a talk with Bristol Energy’s MD, Peter Haigh.

Photos by Sam Norman www.whitevillaweddings.co.uk

Our glamorous new venue

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SOCIETY

Bradley Carr, Graham Givens, Jess Ware and George Matthews

Gwendoline Herrera and Laura Tomlinson

David Wild

HOME TRUTHS

Savills Home Truths, an exclusive event to launch the firm’s latest residential property market research on the Bristol market, was held at Rybrook, where guests were treated to an exclusive first-look at Rolls-Royce’s latest luxury car – the Cullinan, Rolls-Royce’s first luxury SUV. Photos by www.savills.co.uk

Rachel Saint and Lady Jane Bailey

DJ Mister Morgan in the new Spielman Theatre

Beth Martin and Mike Tweddle

Richard Brooks, Lucian Cook, Hannah Downs and David Wild

THE FINAL STAGE

Tobacco Factory Theatres opened their new Spielman studio theatre with a performance courtesy of No Show, an award-winning all-female contemporary circus show.

“It’s thrilling to be leading the artistic vision of Tobacco Factory Theatres as this bold new chapter takes shape, and with a state-of-the-art theatre with the capability to produce and present the very highest quality theatre,” said AD Mike Tweddle.

Photos by Chelsey Cliff

Ailie de Bonnaire and the Community Choir

Alison and Andrew Giles

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 81

businessinsider B R IS T O L g e t s s e r i o u s

Quote of the issue

“On the day of my very first show, one of the band members got mugged outside the venue at about 5pm”

Oh no! Luckily, things have looked up ever since – but for who?

Turn to page 87

The Big Number

£250m

Hub a hubba

The extra cash that C4 is planning to splash on programming – and that includes work generated in Bristol. See main story, left

Have they got good news for us . . .

D

warfing all other local news this month was the announcement by Channel 4’s chief executive Alex Mahon and the Channel 4 board that while its new national HQ will be based in Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow will become the home of its two new creative hubs.

“In Bristol, there is the opportunity to build on a thriving TV production sector in a city which has world-renowned factual producers and strengths in areas such as animation and digital

production,” said a C4 spokeperson.

“Locating in Bristol will also enable Channel 4 to work closely in partnership with Cardiff and its production sector – with the opportunity to further accelerate the growth of the creative cluster around South West England and South Wales – and also connect with indies across the West of England, Birmingham and the Midlands.

“Bristol put forward exciting proposals to establish new social mobility initiatives to work with diverse communities across the city

and bring through new talent into the industry.”

The local reaction naturally verged on the euphoric – not least from mayor Marvin Rees who’s been vigorously brokering the bid.

“Bristol pushes boundaries, questions the norm and actively nurtures a strong culture of creative and digital innovation – we know Channel 4 will feel at home here,” said Marvin. “This move will help to build on our existing thriving media industry and wealth of local talent.”

No less thrilled was Fiona

Francombe of The Bottle Yard Studios. “It’s really exciting to see that C4 shared our collective vision to build on our creative talent base, improve skills development and widen access into the industry for people from all backgrounds,” said Fiona. “Bristol is a place where people celebrate a strong sense of independence whilst also working together to produce genuinely exciting collaborations. Having C4 here will endorse and enhance our media community.”

For more www.channel4.com

mediaclash.co.uk 115

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

“A name you can trust for specialist legal services” • Accident Claims • Attorneyships & Court of Protection • Business Sales & Purchases • Commercial Property • Conveyancing • Debt Recovery

• Dispute Resolution • D ivorce, Family & Children • Employment Advice • Probate & Estate Services • W ills, Trusts & Tax Planning

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0800 097 8611 www.johnhodge.co.uk | email: mailbox@johnhodge.co.uk

BRISTOL | CLEVEDON | WEDMORE | WESTON-SUPER-MARE | YATTON

BUSINESS INSIDER

ONE TO WATCH

Considering renting out your property for short-lets? Michael Allen, director of specialist property management company BnBbuddy, has some useful tips and insights

BnBbuddy is a premium property management company specialising in short lets and holiday lets. “We provide a complete service,” says Michael, “gaining five-star reviews for our clients by marketing their properties, 24/7 guest communication and a professional high-standard cleaning service. All this allows landlords to take a hands-off approach, safe in the knowledge that BnBbuddy is taking care of their properties and guests.”

How did the idea for BnBbuddy come about?

My fellow co-founder Andrew Paterson and I are lifetime friends, both with a background in property.

Due to unforeseen life events, we both ended up moving to Edinburgh, where we started BnBbuddy in 2015.

In the beginning, we did everything – taking on new properties and cleaning the apartments, walking the streets of Edinburgh with IKEA bags on our shoulders. Now as Scotland’s only professional co-hosts, handpicked by Airbnb, we have continued to grow and strengthen our business.

We have never taken out loans or investment – our growth has been entirely organic.

What attracted you back to the West Country?

Having succeeded in Scotland,

we decided to expand our services nationwide. I’m Bristol born and bred and my family has roots in and around Bath, so naturally those two cities were our first choice. We also have a presence in London.

What are the main benefits to landlords of letting their properties short-term?

Short lets open up a potentially lucrative market as they can command at least 30 per cent higher rates than long-term rentals. They also offer greater flexibility to extend tenancy contracts weekly or monthly at the landlord’s discretion and you can still use your property for family and friends when required. If you are an owner/occupier you can monetise your home and unlock extra cash while you’re away travelling or for business. And if your property is professionally managed, it will be well looked after – all properties in our portfolio are in the same or better state than when we first took them on.

they stay, while saving money by not using a corporate four-star hotel.

Can anyone list their property on a short-let basis?

With leasehold properties, the building’s freeholder may seek to restrict short lets, either through covenants in the lease, or by demanding additional admin fees and a fee per sublet. Check your agreement before listing a property.

Is there anything else a landlord should consider before going short-let?

Landlords need to cover costs in a short-let that would otherwise be paid by a long-term tenant – this includes utility bills, internet, TV licence and council tax. Properties also need to be fully furnished and well-equipped (crockery, cutlery, bed linen etc), which means additional expense.

What makes a short-let investment a success?

If you are a professional landlord, you are probably more motivated by the financial return that short-term letting offers. Assuming occupancy and rental yield are your main goals, then marketing your listing across multiple channels and platforms is always better. More eyeballs on your property leads to more enquiries, which leads to more bookings and higher occupancy.

So why should a landlord come to you?

Renting out a holiday home successfully is a fine art. Getting bookings, maintaining guest relationships, organising turnover and dealing with crisis is something you will need to do on a day-to-day basis.

Short-let tenants view a property as an alternative to a hotel and will expect problems to be fixed immediately.

Landlords can get twice the income from short-term rental, but most don’t have the time or the resources. We enable them to do so.

What are the main channels for winning occupancy?

Airbnb has historically attracted younger guests – though this is now changing as confidence in the app builds and the user base expands.

Demand is perennially high if you have a good quality property in a sought-after location. Two years ago, Airbnb also launched their business travel offering. Now they are capturing a growing number of business travellers who want the flexibility of being able to choose exactly where

Finally, what advice would you give to potential short-let property investors?

Location is everything and local knowledge is key, so do your research on where and what to buy. Invest in good quality, durable furniture, as the longer it lasts, the less you’ll have to spend on replacements. Try to inject some personality into your property and make it stand out – quirky sells well. And when you’re ready, give us a call for a free appraisal.

For more: www.bnbbuddy.co.uk

MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 117

BUSINESS INSIDER

How did you get involved with The Downs?

Tom Paine and Dave Harvey of Team Love (our co-promoters in the event) had persuaded the council and, more spectacularly, Massive Attack to play The Downs Bristol.

They asked for my assistance as I have years of experience in promoting big outdoor events.

What makes The Downs different from other festivals?

It has something for everyone, whether you are eight or 80, and it has a strong independent core, staffed and run almost entirely by Bristolians. It has a social and political conscience, no sponsor logos dominating the site and a diverse line up.

Oi! You! Albarn!

How’s about a gig on the Downs?

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2018

Meet impresario Conal Dodds, who walked off with TWO ‘golden bridges’ for The Downs Bristol, at the 2018 Bristol Life Awards EVENT WINNER SPONSORED

BY CURO

PLATINUM AWARD WINNER SPONSORED

BY JELF

Over the past few years, Conal’s company Crosstown Concerts has attracted numerous big-name acts to festivals such as Bristol Sounds and The Downs; you could say that he’s brought more joy to Bristol’s music-lovers in recent years than practically any other individual. Our Bristol Life Awards judges agreed; not only did Conal pick up Best Event for The Downs, but also the overall Platinum Award.

What got you into this business we call show?

A slightly strange route – having watched the film The Killing Fields, I went to a talk at Hereford town hall by the chief field researcher of Oxfam

in Cambodia/Kampuchea. The organisers asked me and my friend to get involved in fundraising.

What was the first gig or show you ever put on?

Robert Plant lived in Monmouth, so despite having never organised a gig before, we tracked him down and persuaded him to play Monmouth Leisure Centre – we raised enough money to build a well in Cambodia.

Did you have any alternative early ambitions?

Yes – I wanted to be a journalist, a war correspondent. I wanted to be like John Pilger.

Tell us how you first began working in Bristol I started out doing a weekly night at The Tropic Club in Stokes Croft.

Unfortunately, on the day of my very first show, with some obscure American indie band, one of the members got mugged outside the venue at about 5pm . . .

The most notable gig I did there was The Cranberries. I soon moved onto The Fleece and did a regular Wednesday night indie gig from 1992 to 1994. I had acts such as Oasis,

Radiohead, Pulp, Elastica – all the Britpop bands. It was a lucky time to start promoting as there were so many great British bands around.

What are the main challenges and advantages of putting on a show at Harbourside?

Securing the line up – it’s an incredibly competitive market place and most acts go where they can earn the most money. The main advantage is a great location and a fabulous backdrop, and it will never get muddy!

Which of the Sounds gigs did you most enjoy?

Probably Bonobo in 2017 – it was on my 50th birthday, and it felt good to be celebrating with 5,000 other people having a great time.

Will Bristol Sounds be back for 2019?

Yes. We’re currently putting the line-up together; it will be from 26 June, for a run of four or five shows.

How’s the Bristol music scene these days?

There are more live venues in Bristol than there ever have been; the music scene here is huge, very vibrant, and shows no sign of slowing down. My favourite venues to scout new acts are The Louisiana, The Croft and The Exchange.

OK, let’s get on to the Bristol Life Awards – was winning Best Event and the Platinum award a total surprise? Are you using them as bookends?

It was a total surprise – we didn’t expect to win anything, let alone two!

Both awards are currently on top of a bookshelf in our Bristol office.

Which Downs gig have you enjoyed the most?

For me, 2018 was the best festival so far – we try to improve and tweak the site each year to make it run better, and this year I thought we did it really well – better layout/line-up/bar and food offering, I was really pleased with it; and the Noel and Weller collaboration at the end of the night just topped it all.

Who’s on your all-time wishlist?

At some point we would love to see Portishead, The Prodigy, Gorillaz, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Jay Z – but then so would every festival in the UK… Will you be introducing earlybird sales for 2019?

Yes; details will be released very soon.

Share a tricky career moment...

On the opening night of Oasis’s biggest ever open-air tour in 2009 at Manchester’s Heaton Park, the main stage generator failed and then so did the back-up. The band refused to go back on unless we offered everyone a refund, as we couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t happen again. That was a very costly night.

And an all-time high?

Promoting Oasis at Knebworth in 1996. Until March 1994 I was a one-man band promoting shows in Bristol, Newport and Hereford. I joined a big company called MCP and got lucky in that Britpop suddenly exploded – Oasis went from playing The Fleece in 1994 to selling 250,000 tickets in August 1996 – that really doesn’t happen very often.

For more www.thedownsbristol.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk MEDIACLASH.CO.UK I BRISTOL LIFE I 117 87

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Bringing ideas to life Looking for a residential builder or construction company you can trust? Call Mobius Works . . .

W

e recently had the pleasure of working with Jen and Dave Faulkner to create a familyfriendly kitchen for their beautiful village home in Saltford. Following completion, we caught up with Mrs Faulkner to find out how she found her experience of working with Mobius and what she thought of her new kitchen. Here’s what she had to say: What type of property do you live in?

We live in a detached property, which had been extended by the previous owners. We moved in three years ago and while the house and décor looked good we are now discovering that some of the previous work completed was not done to a high standard.

What was your brief?

The kitchen needed a complete redesign. It had a very large island in the middle, which meant it was impossible to have a table that would comfortably seat more than four people, and we are a family of five. We all love pub-style seating and I asked if something similar could be designed for us, with benches around a large table, so we could all eat together and entertain.

my concerns were listened to and taken very seriously. Everyone went above and beyond the expectations to help, and everything was done to ensure the least amount of disruption possible to our home life.

Why did you choose Mobius?

I’d heard good things about Mobius and had seen fantastic pictures of their previous work.

When I first reached out to them for a quote they were prompt with their reply and things got moving very quickly.

Would you like to add any other information or make comments about this project?

Just a massive big thank you to everyone involved.

Were you happy with the outcome? And if so, why?

Extremely happy! All of the Mobius team were amazing to work with. My ideas and wishes were listened to and suggestions were made to help finalise the design. The outcome is better than we’d anticipated, especially the table and seating area. The work was completed on time and to a high standard, and I was made aware from the very start what would be happening and when. The project managers visited every day and were always on the end of the phone or email, responding quickly when contacted. There were no hidden costs, and everything ran very smoothly.

What has been the best thing about working with Mobius?

The attention to detail and the personal touch.

We have children with medical needs and

What would you say to other people thinking of engaging Mobius?

Do it! Don’t hesitate.

If you’re thinking about a new project for your home or business, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today for a no obligation consultation. ■

Mobius Works Ltd Tel: 0117 403 8560 Email: hello@mobiusworks.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 89

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Does your business need a shareholders’ agreement?

Anna Sivula, solicitor in AMD SOLICITORS commercial team, explains how Shareholders’ Agreements (SAs) should be a key consideration for any private limited company with two or more shareholders

I

n the absence of a SA, a company’s internal affairs will be regulated by the Companies Act 2006 and the Articles of Association. For a lot of SMEs, the Articles are taken from an incorporation agent or based on the ‘model’ articles which contain standard provisions. Standard Articles may be suitable for a one-person company or a small business that is just starting up but they may not be appropriate for a growth business or one with a more complex share structure.

Unlike the Articles which are a public document, a SA is a private contract between the shareholders of a company which does not require registration at Companies House.

A SA is therefore a flexible way of regulating a company’s affairs and allows for bespoke drafting, tailored to the specific objectives of the shareholders.

Some of the key considerations in a SA include: • Decision-making – directors have control of most of the company’s decisions but a shareholders’ agreement can reserve certain key decisions for the shareholders or a majority percentage.

• Share transfers – shareholders may want the freedom to sell their shares but the remaining shareholders may want to ensure they have some control over who becomes a shareholder in their company. A SA can balance these objectives by providing a clear procedure for share transfers during life and on death.

• Shareholder dilution – a shareholder will not want to find out that their share percentage has been diluted without their consent. A SA should contain anti-dilution protections, particularly to protect a minority shareholder.

• Bad leavers – a SA can set out clear guidance on what should happen to a shareholder who commits a serious breach whilst they are a shareholder. While employment law regulates the actions of employees, the SA can regulate how shares are dealt with in the event a shareholder/employee leaves the business as a bad leaver. For example, this could include returning shares to the company at a discounted rate.

There is no legal requirement to have a SA

but companies with two or more shareholders should consider having one in place. In our experience, trying to resolve shareholder disputes without a SA will always prove more problematic. It stands to reason that there is less potential for conflict between shareholders when their roles and responsibilities are discussed and clearly recorded from the outset.

If you would like to discuss how a shareholders’ agreement can benefit your business, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced commercial solicitors by telephone 0117 9733 989 or email annasivula@ amdsolicitors.com. ■

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

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 91

advertising feature

Pre-nuptial agreements Just how binding are they?

I

Nicola Walker is a partner in the Bristol team at Irwin Mitchell Private Wealth. She is passionate about pre and post-nups advising the region’s families on how to approach these sorts of agreements. Here she discusses the common question: are pre- or post-nups worth the paper they are written on?

t’s now eight years since the case of Radmacher was heard by the Supreme Court. This was the case that changed the landscape in relation to pre-nuptial agreements – and yet I’m still often asked, “is a pre-nup worth the paper it’s written on?”

And I answer, “Yes; a pre-nup can often carry a lot of weight. But it depends what it says and how it was entered into.”

As with many aspects of family law, there are misconceptions and myths. For example, the myth of the ‘common-law spouse’.

Living together for a certain period does not automatically give people the same rights as a married couple. Also, the ‘quickie divorce’ – there’s no such thing as that either, whatever the media may tell us.

In a world of misinformation and fake news, it’s understandable that people don’t know much about the realities of pre-nups. Not so very long ago they were considered unromantic, and reserved for Hollywood A-listers.

This is no longer the case. If done ‘right’, prenups can be incredibly useful and can avoid the acrimony and uncertainty that come from the end of a marriage.

If a couple divorces without a pre-nup (or a post-nup – which is an agreement reached after the date of the marriage), the court has a very broad discretion to make financial orders. It can, for example, transfer properties from one person to the other, order the sale of a business or home and/or split pensions between the couple.

It can order lifelong maintenance payments to be made from one person to the other.

In coming to what it considers to be the right outcome, the court takes into account all the resources available. This can include inheritances, whether these came in before the marriage, during it, or after separation. What the court believes to be the right outcome might not be not what either party would have chosen.

A pre- or post-nup allows a couple to exercise autonomy and to set the boundaries. As long as each party comes out with enough to meet their needs, they can agree to protect things like

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

family businesses or inheritances. A couple can also agree a clean break, ie that the financial ties between them come to an end.

For a pre-nup to carry weight, both people have to enter into it freely; they each have to take their own legal advice and the agreement has to fall within the parameters of overall fairness. It can’t therefore provide that one person gets everything and the other receives nothing.

The court will not uphold a pre-nup which is so clearly unfair that it leaves one party in financial dire straits. A judge might instead alter the pre-nup to ensure there is a fair outcome, but this award might still be less generous than if there had been no pre-nup at all. The

court is generally prepared to respect the fact that the parties have chosen to have their own agreement, and it tries not to trespass on this any more than is strictly necessary. n

If you need legal advice, contact Nicola on 0370 1500 100 Extension: 1584, or by email nicola.walker@irwinmitchell.com

Y on the waterfront Anyone requiring a textbook example of how to create a perfect new home within a listed building should get over to The General in Redcliffe without delay

By Lisa Warren 98 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

es. We know. This isn’t the first time that we’ve featured The General in these pages – but this most attractive of Bristol new builds constantly releases a fresh batch of homes created within the former Bristol General Hospital in Redcliffe.

So may we just point you gently in the direction of this latest one, just released for sale?

A two-bedroom mezzanine, it’s one of 205 new and converted homes in this characterful development within the Grade-II building, which also includes a converted chapel, octagonal tower, and two – count ’em – of Bristol’s Michelin-starred restaurants This temptation of a home was once the hospital’s operating theatre; today, it’s an incredibly spacious, bright space that overlooks the fountain and courtyard gardens.

At its heart is the huge open-plan living/dining/ cooking/everything else space, with oversized doubleheight windows with remote controlled blinds offering south facing views.

The kitchen units are impossibly sleek. Two bedrooms are on the upper floor, with the master (quirkily enough) overlooking the galleried living space below; it comes with its own dressing room and bathroom (with proper bath, not some box-in-the-corner shower). There’s even room in this clever, compact home for a utility room. n

property

House numbers Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 Reception rooms 15ft living room open-plan to a 17ft kitchen diner Guide price ÂŁ450k For more: Savills Clifton, 20 The Mall, Bristol BS8 4DR; 0117 933 5800 www. savills.com

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

HARBOURSIDE

GUIDE PRICE: £875,000 - £899,950

A unique and spacious three bedroom waterfront townhouse with superb views over the harbour and boasting two roof terraces and underground parking for 2 cars. EPC: C For more information please call: 0117 422 0376 Email: office@louiselightproperty.co.uk

louiselightproperty.co.uk

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

(0117) 934 9977

13 COTHAM HILL • Shop (Or office)

3, THE MALL, CLIFTON (Due to expansion)

• Only £9,750 pax

• Fully fitted shop

• Rates exempt!

• 550 sq ft sales

• Popular busy pitch

• £17,000 pax • Busy retail pitch

INVESTMENT FOR SALE DEAN STREET (off Portland Square)

ZETLAND ROAD, BS6 • Retail showroom • 1,830 sq ft

• Currently fully let with development potential

• Suit offices (stp) • Only £30,000 pax

• 7,731 sq ft GIA • Current income £30,000 pax • Price £495,000 +

FOR SALE MINA ROAD, ST Werburghs

FOR SALE HAMPTON ROAD, REDLAND • Meeting hall • 2,550 sq ft

• Office / consulting rooms with pp for conversion to 3 bed house

• Modern space

• Only £275,000 pax

• Suit various uses

• New lease

FOR SALE – OFFICES

CHURCH HOUSE, FILTON

• Eclipse Park BS16

• Good quality modern office suite

• 2,422 sq ft + 7 cars

• 1,620 sq ft + 6 cars

• Only £150 per sq ft • Modern office building

• 5 mins from Bristol Parkway

MARINER HOUSE, BS1

CHELTENHAM ROAD A3 / A5

• New lease – Rent on application

• Loft style offices

• E xcellent A3 / A5 opportunity

• 1,242 sq ft • Superb modern refurb

• Fully fitted

• New lease – Rent on application

Julian Cook FRICS

Jayne Rixon MRICS

Charlie Kershaw MRICS

Finola Ingham MRICS

• 822 sq ft • £17,000 pax + premium

Tom Coyte MRICS

Holly Boulton BSc(Hons)

• Sales/Lettings

• Development advice

• Acquisitions advice

• Investment

• Valuations

• Dilapidations

• Landlord & tenant

• Property Marketing

• Rent reviews

• Auction Services

bristol LIVES

“Actors don’t keep their skills a secret.

If anything, they make more up . . . ” makes you want to make work that familes can enjoy together. I try to aim for a balance.

Who are you playing in A Christmas Carol?

I will be playing, like most of the actors, quite a few parts. My main roles will be Freddie, Scrooge’s kind-hearted nephew, and also Mrs Cratchit.

Saikat Ahamed We last saw Saikat in Peter Pan; this month he’s back at Bristol Old Vic, in a new take on one of the most Christmassy tales of all time If you’ve ever been to a Bristol Old Vic Christmas show, you won’t be remotely surprised to learn that in their storming 2012 production of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell was played by a bloke in a tutu.

Said bloke was Saikat Ahamed – a Bristol-based actor, storyteller and writer, who spreads the love fairly equally across all disciplines.

“The storytelling is something I dip into now and then,” he says; “the writing is something that’s becoming more and more part of my life, while the acting is probably the lion’s share of my work. I see it all as part of the same thing – connecting with people, trying to make them think and hopefully entertaining them.”

When did you first get bitten by the performing bug?

Even though both my parents were

doctors, when I was growing up they used to put on lots of plays in Bengali. My father would write them, and my mum and their friends would put them on.

Occasionally I would be roped in. At the time I wasn’t so keen, but maybe I got the bug without realising it.

What’s the first show you ever remember seeing in a theatre?

I saw Mark Rylance as Romeo at Stratford. I lived in Birmingham then, and my secondary school took us to see the show. It blew my mind; it was as if the words were reaching right inside me.

Was it a conscious decision to work extensively in family shows, or was that just the way the cookie crumbled?

I’ve done a real mix of work, but in Bristol I guess I’ve mainly done family shows. I never planned it, but I suppose having children

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Can you give us some idea of what to expect from Lee Lyford’s new production?

Lee’s production is going to be truly magical, with a real sense of fun running through it.

What makes a Christmas show at BOV so magical?

Cinderella, a Fairy Tale, originally directed by Sally Cookson.

Although I was in the original production, the show was remounted a number of times and I saw it five years after having been in it. It was a magical and at times nostalgic experience for me. Craig Edwards and Lucy Tuck were both in that show and I think they’re both amazing actors. Also, Katie Sykes’ design was stunning. It’s a beautiful and deeply moving show.

What’s your Bristol manor, and what’s the best thing about it?

I live in Bishopston near Gloucester Road and love all the shops and cafés; there’s a real sense of community.

Because the show is made in such a collaborative way, with everyone putting ideas forward – something Lee has really encouraged – there is a beautiful feeling of family within the company. I’m sure this will come across to the audience.

After all, Christmas is all about family and friends.

Tell us in five words what you love most about this city.

Tell us a bit about your film work and your new role in the live Disney Aladdin

Do you have any secret skills?

Aladdin was an amazing experience – it’s a small part, but it was great fun to do. I really love film work, it’s totally different to theatre and it’s lovely to have a balance of both, when I can.

Are there any roles or shows that you have a special affection or pride for?

I guess the solo shows I’ve written, The Tiger and the Moustache and Strictly Balti are the works I’m most proud of. I loved playing my father, especially in Strictly Balti. For obvious reasons, those shows have more of me in than any other.

What’s the hands-down best family show you’ve ever seen?

Balloons, Gromits, friends and family.

Favourite place for a meal or a drink?

Thali Café, it’s so good; and for a drink, The Cornubia.

Actors don’t keep their skills a secret! If anything, they make more up . . .

And what is your most regrettable habit?

I’m always, always cracking jokes, I can’t help myself. Sometimes I imagine it can be quite tiresome for people around me.

We’d better let you get on – what are you doing immediately after answering these questions?

I’m going to go and watch Bohemian Rhapsody at the cinema. I love Queen!

A Christmas Carol plays Bristol Old Vic 29 November-13 January; www.bristololdvic.org.uk