Bristol Life - Issue 294

ISSUE 294 / WINTER 2021 / £3

BIG BRISTOL LOVE ISSUE 294 / WINTER 2021 / CONFINED TO BARRACKS, BUT LOOKING GOOD…

IT’S OUR VALENTINE’S ISSUE (WELL, SORT OF)

T H AT ’ S SICK!

PREPARE TO ENTER THE DREAM MACHINE

OOH. FASHION

YES, IT’S STILL A THING

BEACON BE HEROES THE POWERHOUSE BEHIND BRISTOL MUSIC TRUST

STEAK HOLDER

SAY ¡HOLA! TO BAR 44’S EXPERIENCE BOX

U P HEADS THE TOPICAL ART OF JOHN LEVERS

EDITOR’S LETTER

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Head space

Born out of lockdown: the extraordinary art of John Levers

don’t want to dress up the current situation, or come across as some kind of latterday Pollyanna, but for a city in the throes of lockdown Bristol seems remarkably busy.

Oh, I know the streets are quiet, and it’s a desperately worrying time for many people and businesses. But there’s plenty going on behind the scenes, with people using this third pause to think and plan – we’re not just talking short-term survival tactics, such as taking shows and exhibitions online or delivering meal boxes, but long-term ones, too: it’s about coming back better and stronger.

For some, the enforced time out has led to a change of career focus. John Levers, who created the showstopping image on our front cover, worked as a commercial artist for years, but didn’t have time to develop his own work until he was furloughed. Unsurprisingly, his new digital paintings have enormous immediacy and resonance.

And then there’s Sickboy, the Bristolborn street artist, who’s spent lockdown creating virtual art galleries for group exhibitions; step into his ever so slightly trippy Dream Machine on page14.

As this issue takes us into mid-February, it’s also kind of a Valentine’s issue (don’t scoff). We’ve dutifully picked out a few love tokens – any excuse to do something nice for someone at the moment, right? – but as ever, we’re all about a bigger love; the love for a city, its incredible people and its indefatigable spirit. It’s what got us through 2020, and what will see us through early 2021.

Big love, as ever, Bristol,

DERI ROBINS Follow us on Twitter @BristolLifeMag Instagram @BristolLifeMag

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Issue 294 / Winter 2021 COVER Moody Blue by John Levers

THE ARTS

13 14 18 22 25

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ART PAGE There’s light at the end of the tunnel ART The virtual delights of Fluorescent Smog BRISTOL HEROES Lookin’ out for love BOOKS Top reads from North Street’s finest THE VERDICT The small obstacle of a closed

theatre’s not going to stop Jamie

FOOD & DRINK 26 29 30 36

FOOD AND DRINK Eyes on the pies SPECIAL DELIVERY Viva España RECIPES Secret source STAN Bird food

SHOPPING

38 EDITOR’S CHOICE It’s almost February; there’s a

V in the month

40 FASHION Yes, it’s still a thing

SPORT

45 RUGBY You didn’t think we’d let the Bears victory

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go without comment, did you?

BUSINESS

50 OFFICES Whither the post-pandemic working space?

59 BRISTOLWORKS Awards, events, awards, events

PROPERTY

73 PROPERTY NEWS Trailblazing eco pods 77 SHOWCASE Taking the Vale

REGULARS

7 SPOTLIGHT 9 BRIZZOGRAM 82 BRISTOL LIVES Louise Mitchell

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 Advertising manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk New business manager Craig Wallberg craig.wallberg@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Jake Horwood jake.horwood@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.

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SPOTLIGHT

Street art

A PIECE OF BANKSY

The guys behind popular street art tours Where The Wall have devised a new smartphone app for a Covid-secure self-guided experience. The tours are narrated by John Nation, Bristol’s ‘Godfather of graffiti’, who famously mentored the young Banksy among many other at Barton Hill youth club The Dugout.

Namechecked in The Telegraph as a top lockdown activity for locals, A Piece of Banksy follows the story of street art’s most mysterious son, along with over 30 years of graffiti art history.

There are 13 audio commentaries, covering 13 different locations around the city. The tour is downloadable on any smartphone, and can be used by two devices at once, for 24 hours, so users can take the tour at their own pace.

For more: wherethewall.com/self-guided-tours

Festivals

GLOW, NOW

Following its massively popular inaugural event last year, Bristol Light Festival hopes to return this March. Last year’s festival saw a trail that transformed a variety of the city’s streets and parks with light, including Queen Square, Harbourside, Castle Park, Finzels Reach and Park Street, encouraging visitors and locals to explore the city during the long winter nights. The 2020 interactive art installations included illuminated musical seesaws, a multicoloured mist shrouding Castle Bridge and an animated projection of Banksy’s Well Hung Lover, so expectations are pretty high for the 2021, No pressure, chaps.

For more: bristollightfestival

Comment

A BETTER BRISTOL

Science

WHAT IF?

When allowed to reopen, We The Curious will launch a bold new exhibition named Project What If ? Inspired by 10,000 questions collected from people from every postcode of Bristol, the project will be the first major science centre exhibition in the UK inspired entirely by the curiosity of a city’s residents.

Tickets for Project What If ? need to be booked in advance, but are included within general admission.

For more wethecurious.org/projectwhatif

Currently the patron of Bristol’s Festival of Ideas, historian and broadcaster David Olusoga has taken part in numerous discussions in the city. The topics have been wide-ranging, from poetry to Utopia, failed revolutions and the lessons of history, the revolutions of art in television, and how cities address contested history. He’s also the creator and host of the BBC series A House Through Time.

Appearing on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4, David said he believed that Bristol has become a better place since the toppling of the Colston statue in June last year. He described the statue as an “appalling thing to have on display,” adding that “This was a man who transported more people into slavery than any in British history. His statue pretended the only story about him was his philanthropy, which was undoubted – he gave lots of money to Bristol. But that money came from slavery. That statue told one side of his story and denied the existence of his victims.”

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SPOTLIGHT

NIGHT MOVES

Light trails, twinkling harbour reflections, neon pops of colour and the welcoming promise of a late-night food stall – Bristol glows like a box of jewels after dark

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HEAD SPACE

Furloughed after many years of working as a commercial artist, John Levers realised that it was time to start creating work for himself, rather than just for other people and businesses. The result is an exhibition of extraordinary digital portraits, simply entitled Head.

“We all live in our heads,” says John. “It’s the source of our identity, and the universe we create for ourselves.

Since the onset of Covid and the inevitable isolation, it’s become evident that this is perhaps all some of us have.”

Andy Phipps of That Art Gallery first noticed John’s work on Instagram in early 2020. “A lot of people are working digitally, but we think John has given his work a soul, focus and character which is often lacking,” he says.

“Are they actual portraits, or amalgamations drawn from various people? Not sure! But we really like them, and hope you do, too.”

Like them? We put one on the front cover. Check out the mini-gallery on page 3, too.

To view the exhibition online and buy prints, go to thatartgallery.com/john-levers-prints www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 13

“This is art to engage you, inspire you, reanimate you. And to instil optimism for whatever lies ahead” 14 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

THE BIG INTERVIEW

UTOPIAN DREAMS Step inside Sickboy’s virtual world . . .

Words by Deri Robins

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treet artists seem to fall into two camps. There are the high-profile ones, such as the Inkies and Jodys, who make no secret of their real identities. Then there are the Banskys and Sickboys, who prefer to remain anonymous.

We know what their mums call them – we’ve heard their first names dropped by mutual friends in unguarded conversations – but an unwritten law prevents us from pressing for further details. When it comes to Bristol street art, discretion is the better part of valour.

Admittedly, there are a lot more facts in the public domain about Sickboy than for the world’s most famous stencil-botherer. It’s widely known, for example, that he studied fine art before starting street painting. That he’s reputed to be the first graffiti artist to sign with a logo instead of a name tag. That he’s famous for his signature temple design (more on that later), and surreal installations such as the caged heart dropped outside the Tate Modern. His work, which is frequently humorous and surreal, has considerably evolved over the years, but

always leans towards the graphic and iconic. It’s also become highly collectible; make sure you check out his new piece when it appears at M Shed’s Vanguard street art exhibition later this year.

We know, too, that he’s been very busy during lockdown, having responded to the pandemic by curating online Fluorescent Smogg group exhibitions such as Dream Machine, which he describes as “a virtual utopia brought from dystopia. Working across multi-dimensional forms, Dream Machine reflects the complexities of this year’s metaphysical landscape, and re-examines the fundamental nature of reality and expression in a changing world. This is art to engage you, inspire you, reanimate you. And to instil optimism for whatever lies ahead.”

But before we get in too deep, we throw it back a bit and ask him how he first chose his name.

Is the name Sickboy a homage to Trainspotting?

Actually, it’s more the case that I used to have the tag Phet, and I wanted to play a joke by starting a war with myself. So I came up with Sickboy, and used to paint over myself just to stir some ground-level controversy within the then-small graffiti scene. After a while, I got bored.

Sickboy won. And here we are today.

Tell us about your online exhibitions

I guess for this part you need to track back to my early career as an artist, when I created some large-scale solo shows alone without gallery support. I was flying a flag for the independence of artists working outside of gallery spaces at the time. My first show, Stay Free, outlined this philosophy to my best ability. The show headlined on the BBC evening news, and 2000 people attended.

At the time, I felt that galleries oppressed creative

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THE BIG INTERVIEW freedom, and in parts let you down with a flooded calendar, and maybe less focus than I may have brought when it came to propelling my vision.

Then 2014 came along, and the offer of a show at Lazarides, along with propositions from other top-notch galleries, made me question the sustainability of being independent forever. This obviously felt like I was doubling back on my ethos, so I opened Fluorescent Smogg – a gallery run differently. We made editions and shows for some of the world’s leading urban contemporary figures, and it kind of allowed me to continue the independent narrative.

As we’ve progressed through the years, we’ve become leaders in the realm of digital fabrication, which means specifically that the model-making of sculptures is done digitally. This meant that we were already building a fun aspect to our physical exhibitions with virtual reality, which allowed us to quickly mobilise to the online space when social distancing restrictions came into play.

Was there anything you learned from the lockdowns that will stick with you?

On the first week of lockdown the weather was bonkers, crazy hot, so I went for a walk and happened across an old entrance to an air raid shelter. It got me thinking about this being a new invisible war.

That evening I had an epiphany. What if the door to this shelter was a ‘dividing line’ – the line that separates real and virtual? What if I found the floor plans, and built a virtual gallery in this space?

For the next two months I didn’t sleep. I pulled together as many of the hugely talented people I had around me as I could to develop the space, and assembled an incredible line-up of artists from around the world. We opened the doors of our virtual exhibition, Dividing Line, in June, to exceptional response; we were listed as one of the top 10 things to do online during lockdown. It was a cutting-edge, immersive group show, that straddled the dividing line between the bricks and mortar of the real gallery world and the pixels and algorithms of virtual reality.

This became the blueprint for all the work we have continued to make since the beginning of the pandemic. This year we’ll have a killer roster of shows over on Fluorescent Smogg.

You’re now as well known for your canvas work as your street work. Why do you continue with graffiti?

Graffiti was never a means to an end. It is the start and end of everything for me. As one of my contemporaries said, “We are free artists outside”. Being a practising artist is kind of lonely at times, and insular; you work long days into the early hours of the morning. I don’t cry about this, it’s amazing. However, every now and again you need to exercise your freedom, your body, your nerves, and graffiti has never let me down. I can do it alone or with others, at any place on the planet. It’s instinctive, and for the most part, free.

Street art ranges from a quickly sprayed tag to lovingly-created murals even your nan would hang in her house. Where do you put yourself between the two extremes?

One extreme and the other. If it’s outside, it’s fast and impulsive. If it’s inside, it’s considered and focused.

You were originally known for letter-based works and symbols such as the temple – how did this come about?

In 1999 I made a trip to Barcelona, which was then the mecca of what became street art. Artists such as Xupet Negre and La Mano had Barcelona locked down with their separate logos. It stood out massively to me. I’d always written letter forms up until that point. Couple this with my mind exploding after seeing Gaudi, and you end up with me returning home with two cans, one of red and one of yellow, going out into the centre and spraying the temple icon. I’ve not stopped painting that and it’s become my signature. You can see painted across the world, from Africa to Japan, from Russia to America.

What makes the Bristol street art scene special?

Bristol’s liberal attitude stands for a lot. I wouldn’t say its street art is

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the best in the world, but it’s super broad-ranging, and that makes it really interesting. The public’s appetite is big, and the work rarely gets cleaned so there’s a lot to see when you look around. Compare this to a neighbouring city such as Bath or Cheltenham and the difference is notable. I’d even say we have more graffiti than London, in some respects, and that’s a shift that’s happened in the last 10 years.

Are you still in touch with any of the Bristol street art crew?

Who do you particularly rate?

I rate them all, but I’m a hermit.

Is there any place in Bristol that you’d love to paint?

If there was, I probably would have already done it.

What’s your opinion of street art festivals such as Upfest?

I think they’ve got their place. They obviously bring people a lot of happiness. I’m less keen on mural art as opposed to the carnal action of illegal graffiti, as it doesn’t seem to resonate the same. It’s kind of wild to see how many people turn out to these events though, and there’s the community aspect, so my niche attitude shouldn’t sneer at it.

You’re known for art stunts, including a bunch of balaclavawearing Oompa Loompas in a factory. Any future installations you’d love to do?

I will be doing my favourite installation to date in the upcoming exhibition Vanguard planned at M Shed. I’ll keep that a surprise.

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

Painting a life-size Smurf. n For more fluorescentsmogg.com

Ephemeral Still Life

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THE BIG BRISTOL LOVE-IN Now, more than ever, we all need just a little love. There’s no shortage of it in this city; it’s what got us through last year, and will continues to see us through Lockdown 3.0, or however long it takes Words and pictures by Colin Moody 18 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

BRISTOL HEROES 2

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hen I was asked to contribute eight images to represent Bristol love, I looked back at the shots I’d taken over the past ten months or so. I have been very lucky to have had any work at all, at a time when so many creatives are struggling. More on that later. But I wanted to start with a clear demonstration that Bristol has a huge heart.

Quite literally, in some cases. More on that later, too.

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Our big Bristol love-in begins here, with this couple.

Are they posing for the shot? Pretending to be in love in one of the many spray hearts that appeared all over our city during the summer? No! Real!

This is exactly as I found them, happily holding hands in the heart. And when I spoke to them, and asked if they minded if we used the images to show people how they could, if they were careful, and when they were allowed, go out and use open spaces, they said that was ok.

Because Bristol has a big heart. And in a world of lockdown and Covid restrictions, we chalked our love of life onto the grass, and hoped that people would love it.

They did. And it gives me hope, that love trumps all that other crud that’s been circling.

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Love.

It’s all around us.

Sure, in a pop song that sells records. And rom-coms.

But on some rare occasions, you can also see it in a group of people. And it’s not poptastic, fans-at-a-concert kind of love. It’s a collective love. It’s bigger than that.

Here are the very wet, rained-on figures of some young Greta supporters when she came to Bristol just before lockdown 1.0, to meet and march with striking students.

I took a lot of portraits that day, but this was a short video clip from which I had to extract a still.

Because I was using video, my camera was pointed at them for some time, so they stopped noticing me and just focused on Greta. I love these young women for their passion and determination to march that day. And I look forward to the day when we can all march together again, with Greta, with each other, and feel the power of Bristol love in a big way. Again.

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“Bristol has a big heart. And in a world of lockdown and Covid restrictions, we chalked our love of life onto the grass, and hoped that people would love it. They did, and it gives me hope”

Love.

There are so many ways we get to show our love for each other. Maybe, if it’s big enough, we might say a few words, order some rings, make a cake and put one of these figurine things on top.

I’m told this Gloucester Road shop has many more couple combinations. And it’s good to know that this is a city that gets that there are so many different types of love. Between so many different types of people. That’s the Bristolian way.

We live in a port city that has been at the centre of trade and industry for centuries, and that trade brings in ideas and experiences that other cities, which merely put up a castle and pulled up the drawbridge, might never truly get. We had a castle once, but we were so Bristolian and unruly that they had to take it down.

And while much of the country is still quite conservative with its ideas, we seem to have a full deck of love tokens to share. And if this is the top of your cake on your big day, then it’s love to you from me. And may I take a slice? Home-baked love. Best kind.

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Love. And hopefully from the same house share, right? Taken in that golden window of time between lockdowns 2.0 and 3.0.

Students came dancing and singing round the corner past the Arnolfini, and for a second there I thought we were in Paris, in one of those moments of euphoria after a battle, after wine, after both.

And then, like the air they blew in on, they were gone.

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Love For the arts. Music. Culture.

We talked about this earlier.

Remember? When you went to the theatre? A club?

Both in one night? Kids locked in the candy store, we were, when it came to art and music and culture. We could have it all. Dozens of festivals, all strung along your year planner like diamonds in a necklace. Poetry against that cool distressed wall at Bristol Old Vic? Boom! You had it. LGBTQ+-friendly rave night at that club where the beer ain’t so expensive? Ta dah! On a plate for you!

Anything. All of it. And then pop! Gone!

So when I was asked to shoot the #wemakeevents protest, I was looking for people to show us their passion, and the one that really struck me was this guy. Club promoter. With no club.

Hundreds of people who make your events possible, from the lighting engineers (hence that amazing light he’s holding) to sound mixers. From directors to actors. Club promoters to comedians. And so on, and so on. They all came together, to stand safely distanced to be heard.

I’m one of the people who works in the arts. I’m very lucky to have any work at all. And I feel it’s only right to point out that these people are heroes, keeping our art alive for us.

It’s only a thin red light, but it lights his whole face. It lights up the whole scene. We only need a small amount of love and light to keep all this. And some hard cash from the government, too, please. We can light the beacons if they can support the arts and music and culture. Then we all might just get that lift.

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Love.

I took this of a crew member of the ferries, some weeks before Covid.

Given how long the ferries have been silent, it felt right to show her love for her job. She is inside the boat housing as we pootled towards the centre, and I am outside. The light was good and the rain was good. And it was a lovely moment.

What do you miss? I’m putting this photo in here for all the services, and for those who run them who can’t.

She loves her job. I hope she can board again soon.

Colin is available as a ‘mini-mobile PR/marketing/social media unit’, to shoot striking street-style photographs at live events: parties, launches, promos and performances, for impactful immediate social media. Fees start at £100 for a two-hour package. email: mrcolinmoody@gmail.com Twitter: @moodycolin; Instagram @moodycolin319

“Remember when you went to the theatre? A club?

Both in one night?

Kids locked in the candy store, we were, when it came to art and music and culture”

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Balloon love: take I. Dozens of balloons line up on a huge Upfest-drawn heart outline at Ashton Court, to spread a little love.

Big gesture. Huge response.

If you know any of the teams involved in ballooning in Bristol, you will know they have a lot of love for each other. This was just what was required. A huge lift when we all needed it – and I’m not just talking about the wicker baskets here.

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Balloon love: take 2.

Simple gestures.

During Lockdown 1.0 I saw it during my daily walk.

It was the only thing I’d seen left outside, apart from the hordes of belongings no one wanted, while all the charity shops were shut tight.

So I love this shot. Because it got me out on my walkabouts with more hope.

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EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

The art of wintering Christmas is long gone. We’re way past Twixtmas, and spring is still a distant glimmer.

There’s really only one thing for it: stay home, tuck up warm, read books

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e’re deep into that murky time of year: slushy underfoot, signs of spring still a way off. Even the odd snowdrop poking through has to work hard to lift the spirits; this time last year, at least we could still nip to the pub. At a time when indulgences are seemingly hard to come by, maybe even guilt-inducing in the current circumstances, reading a book while the storms rage outside remains our favourite way to pass a long evening in the post-Christmas hinterland.

As always, we have the raw materials to help you through it. This issue’s selection of new reading material is, we hope, seasonally appropriate: rich and dark, luxurious and affronting in equal measure.

Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden We couldn’t believe the much-decorated performance poet Salena Godden hadn’t already

“It’s stuffed with insults you’ll be saving up for next time you need to take someone down, so read it with a pen handy” 22 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

published a novel – but then again, debut novels aren’t often this assured and accomplished.

Perhaps it takes a poet to pull off a book like this: in Godden’s hyper-atmospheric story, Death is a shambling, anonymous bag lady who communes with an earthly counterpart (the splendidly named Wolf Willesford) through a magic writing desk he purchases while hungover. How this esoteric premise manifests is actually surprisingly readable: verse, dialogue, freeform poetry sketches and wickedly dark passages of historical fiction intermingle, rattling between these two brilliant central characters like a strange and intimate ballet. Totally unique and intoxicating.

Wintering by Katherine May Fresh out in paperback and covering the darker half of the year in satisfyingly sequential fashion, this is Katherine May’s gorgeous and evocative account of a season spent accepting and inviting the gloom of winter into her life and, crucially, weathering it in a positive fashion. Icelandic bathing methods, batch cooking, braving the icy Kentish sea at the season’s heights – these are all described in homely and invigorating detail, making this the perfect armchair escape for this time of year.

Indelicacy by Amina Cain Although we give it a good go, we can’t read absolutely everything. This delightfully efficient little novel was something we’d been meaning to read for months and, now that we’ve gotten round to it, we’re obsessed. Indelicacy is the story of one

woman’s desire to fulfil her own potential. She’s a cleaner in an art gallery, but all she wants to do is write about the art she spends her working hours with, and in gloriously chilly and precise prose she shows us exactly how determined she is to make that happen. A hymn to female ambition, it’s also stuffed with insults you’ll be saving up for next time you need to take someone down, so we recommend reading it with a pen handy.

The Death Of Francis Bacon by Max Porter Finally, we’d like to draw your attention to a little curio from one of our very favourite authors, Max Porter, who in recent years gave us the Booker-longlisted masterpiece Lanny. In his new mini-marvel, he presents us with a cantankerous, chaotic and completely imagined account of Francis Bacon’s final days in Madrid, written as snatches of dialogue and clipped lines of poetry, best consumed in one sitting.

It’s a tiny bauble of a book, but Porter’s uncanny ability to turn the seemingly difficult and obtuse into something perfectly accessible and emotionally engaging makes it so much more substantial than its slender hardback heft.

We hope there’s something in these books for everyone’s winter, at least some fodder for comfort or distraction. As we patiently wait for the spring, we’re going to do what we always do and retreat into books. In the meantime, we hope you can keep on wintering as well as possible.

Storysmith, 49 North Street For orders during lockdown see website: storysmithbooks.com

t: 0117 279 0980 | m: 07956 846307 e: simon@bristolcityroofing.co.uk

www. bristolcityroofing.co.uk

Reach the best in the west Affluent, active and influential and just a call away

Bristol Life team 01225 475800

THE VERDICT JAMIE REES

Puppetry: not as easy as it looks (The Grinning Man); below, Messiah

Thinking inside the box set

Of course we’re all missing live theatre; but while they’re still dark, the next best thing is a season pass to Bristol Old Vic’s on-demand online season

N

aturally, I’d far rather be sitting in the stalls of the beautiful Bristol Old Vic, but like so many other events, theatre has had to move to a digital existence to survive lockdown.

The theatre industry has transferred to the screen with mixed results, but Bristol Old Vic offers a shining example of how to do it well. With 335,000 viewers for their fi rst season, it;’s easy to see why they returned for an encore this winter. There are five shows to choose from in the current season, including Lee Lyford’s brilliant version of A Christmas Carol, but one

production really stood out for me, and by itself was worth every penny of the £12.99 for this box set of productions.

I missed The Grinning Man when it was on stage, so I was thrilled to see it included in the second season of Bristol Old Vic At Home. Musicals are known for having heart – but my goodness The Grinning Man has guts and a brain, and despite the somewhat macabre story, a retelling of Victor Hugo’s The Man Who Laughs, it leaves you with an enormous smile of your own.

Like Les Mis before, it’s an unlikely story for the jazz-hands world of musical theatre; but also like its better-known relative it is sublime in its storytelling and

“Like Les Mis, it’s an unlikely story for the jazz-hands world of musical theatre”

packed with songs that do more than simply entertain.

The story centres on a boy called Grinpayne, hideously disfigured as a child and left to die in a cruel world. Grinpayne fi nds his way to a happier future through the love of a blind girl named Dea and their father figure, Ursus; we follow their journey through puppetry and live action in a vivid, visual and often very funny Gothic melodrama.

The tunes, by Tim Phillips and Marc Teitler, with lyrics by Carl Grose and Tom Morris, are exceptional. Numbers such as Laughter is the Best Medicine, Born Broken and Show Us Your Face sit comfortably alongside the great numbers of the genre and the production values are second to none. Special mention must go to Richard Howell’s stunning lighting design, which almost becomes a feature itself.

From the moment the sublime

Julian Bleach opens this piece as the clown Barkilphedro, interrupting his own song with a thrilling fourth-wall breaking quip (cf also his later “Puppetry; not as easy as it looks”), you know you’re being invited in, albeit as a stranger, to something quite special.

You can rent The Grinning Man for 48 hours for just £4.99 but I would suggest you treat yourself and buy all five shows in this season for £12.99; also included are the acclaimed Swallows and Amazons and The Night That Autumn Turned to Winter for small children, and a stunning interpretation of Handel’s Messiah. Switch off Netfl ix and switch on Bristol Old Vic for a while; throw yourself in to this world of exceptional, world-class digital theatre, made right here in Bristol.

The season runs until 28 February and is available at bristololdvic.org.uk Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamRees www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 25

EYES ON THE PIES

For our favourite pastry-botherers, 2020 was many things – not least a chance to step back and take a fresh look at the business. So what does 2021 hold for Pieminister, and for those of us for whom their pies are not so much a lifestyle choice as a basic necessity?

Words by Deri Robins

“2020 gave us time to lay plans to turbo-boost our actions, for the sake of the planet and the people with whom we share it”

FOOD & DRINK

2

020 showed us how amazing the team at Pieminister really are,” says Jon Simon, who founded the business with brother-in-law Tristan Hogg back in 2003. “They’re all incredible individuals. Everyone has pulled together and been unquestionably flexible and adaptable.

“Last summer was also the first time in 17 years that we’ve been able to take a step back and look at the business we’d built from scratch. We had time to think, reflect and plan, to ensure that Pieminister would not only be relevant but a positive force for good for future generations. We used the time to rework and ramp up our sustainability goals, and review our internal policies with regard to inclusivity and diversity within the company.

“2020 definitely gave us time to understand where we have been falling short, and lay plans to turboboost our actions for the sake of the planet and the people with whom we share it.

“Working remotely has been a challenge, checking that no one fell through the cracks.

This has been especially true for the restaurant teams, with so much disruption and isolation to contend with. But everyone’s stepped up and looked out for each other.”

We know that you’re starting the year with a new range of plant-based patties and pies…

Yes, we now have six plant-based pastries available, with more to look forward to later this year. One of our newest arrivals, the Mooless Moo, is a recipe we’re particularly proud of. Made with deforestation-free jackfruit slow-cooked in a rich dark stout gravy, we think it’s good enough to rival our beef Moo. Meat-eaters should take our Moo vs.

Mooless Challenge to see if they agree...

Why should we all consider going at least partly vegan?

Back to beef again: even considering the

The Mother Earth: give it a whirl during lockdown

biodiversity and soil health benefits associated with local, pasture-grazing beef, the global demand far outstrips the supply of grass-fed beef, so simply put, beef consumption needs to be reduced. This is why we’ve begun trialling a ‘planet payback’ supplement on our beef pies, to see if it helps raise awareness of this issue, and encourages pie-lovers to switch to a plant-based alternative. The money raised from the supplement will be used to plant trees as part of a campaign with Forestry England this spring: Eat Pies: Plant Trees Is lockdown easier to face now that you’ve come through it twice?

We wish! No, it’s definitely not easier, as the pressures of running a hospitality-based business through lockdown increase every day.

The government’s financial support has been hugely helpful, but it’s really only a sticking plaster for the short/medium term challenges

we face. Like all hospitality businesses, we can only hope that once lockdown lifts, people will want to eat out again. We’ll be doing everything we can to ensure that our customers feel safe; we want to create a fun, enjoyable experience again. Along with the rest of the world, we can’t wait to see all restaurants full of people once again.

Tell us about your current takeaway and delivery options

All the favourites are available for delivery – perfect comfort food for lockdown. A good feast to try this month is the Mother Earth; a vegan pie with vegan mash and garden peas topped off with a parsnip and kale fritter.

On the online shop you’ll find our DIY Mothership kits and some other special edition bundles. The shop’s also where to get your hands on our Evergreen pie, which took the Great Taste and British Pie Awards by storm before its launch was delayed by the pandemic.

What are your big goals for 2021?

We’ve got loads to do this year as we head towards hitting the series of sustainability goals we’ve set ourselves by 2025. The goals cover everything from animal, human and ecological welfare to climate change and waste.

They’re pretty ambitious; one is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025, which actually exceeds the Science Based Target Initiative for a business of our size, but we think anything less just isn’t an option.

Another is to increase the amount of pies we donate to good causes year on year. Last year it was 90,000 pies, many of which went to FareShare South West. We want to make sure that no pie ever goes to waste, giving them to those who need them the most.

For more www.pieminister.co.uk Tristan (left) and Jon strolling into an even more sustainable 2021

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

SPECIAL DELIVERY

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? 1kg chuletón of 10-year-old, 50-day dry-aged Galician beef 345g jar of Gordal olives 120g jamón Ibérico butter 180g of Asador coal-roasted peppers 120g romesco sauce 250g patatas a lo pobre 2 x Estrella Galicia 1906 Reserva Especial 330ml 2 x Estrella Galicia World Lager 330ml

BAR 44

Missing your regular tapas fix? ¡No se desesperen!

Bar 44 has launched a Galician-inspired dinner box, offering some of the restaurant’s most spectacular dishes to finish at home. Stick on the Gypsy Kings, and pop open the Estrella...

Words by Deri Robins

W

e’re eating Spanish tonight. We’ve dialled up the Gypsy Kings on Spotify – and yes, we know they’re actually from France, don’t write in. We may be confined to barracks, but that’s not going to stop us pretending we’re in España tonight. Specifically, in Galicia.

This north-westerly region is, to reach for that invaluable cliché, ‘hidden Spain’. It’s also rainy Spain, and indeed verdant Spain. Which brings us very neatly to the beef that’s reared hereabouts.

Your Galician cattle has enjoyed a long and hopefully happy life grazing in the uplands, before providing what many consider to be the most flavoursome beef available on the planet.

Your Man and I, along with the ever-ravenous

student son, were about to tuck into a chuléton (T-bone) steak from one such specimen.

This was the star ingredient in our Asado 44 experience box, which came with clear instructions: cooking is both simple and highly dramatic. Your Man managed it easily enough, even though when I glanced over his shoulder he was Googling up ‘frying pan’.

All you have to do is season the steak liberally with salt, then hurl it into a smokinghot frying pan; five minutes on either side is all it takes for a perfectly seared piece of meat with a lusciously rare centre. No fat required; there’s plenty on the steak.

It looked enormous. Probably do us for lunch the following day, we thought; maybe even steak sandwiches the day after that.

Reader: it was gone within the hour. Son and Your Man need have no fear of anaemia for a few months. It was juicy, tasty, delicious.

The rest of the meal was even more of a doddle; patatas a lo pobre, or spuds with onions garlic, parsley and a squeeze of vinegar to you, roast away in the oven while you’re tackling the steak. These potatoes are the Spanish riposte to chips. They win.

The only other chore is to heat through a dish of green peppers. One of the distinctive flavours of Spain, the peppers are roasted in oak coals then peeled to make a sweet, smoky roast pepper salad.

There’s also jamón Ibérico butter to melt on top of the beef, and romesco sauce made from roast tomatoes, garlic, almonds, ñora peppers, sherry vinegar and olive oil; lovely with a bit of crusty bread while you;’re cooking, along with the Gordal olives from Carmona, also supplied. Naturally, these all go a treat with one of the four beers in the box, supplied by Estrella Galicia; the wine you see in the photo is an alternative.

The Asador 44 Experience Box is available for delivery anywhere in Bristol, priced at £110 for two people. Recommended.

For more: bar44.co.uk

“Cooking the steak is both simple and highly dramatic”

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

B LE SS ED AR E TH E CH EE S E M AK ER S

*

Every great meal begins with great ingredients. With this in mind, George Maguire asks four local chefs to share their favourite wintry recipes and reveal their favourite producers *. . . and the veg growers, the butchers, the bee-keepers. . .

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C

RECIPES

all yourself a foodie? You’d better have a lively curiosity about the ingredients on your plate, then.

As every chef worth his or her hand-harvested sea salt will tell you, you simply cannot cook a great meal without great produce.

However, it’s not just a matter of flavour. Increasingly, it’s a question of conscience; more than ever before, we’re asking questions about where our food comes from, and rightly so.

We’re taking sustainability. Field to fork. Nose to tail, or, if you prefer, root to shoot. Food miles. Local. Seasonal. There’s a reason you’ll find terms like these plastered over every self-respecting menu. If the menu is the stylishly short kind that prohibits lavish descriptions, you can bet your bottom Bristol pound that you’ll find the info on the restaurant’s website.

Whether you’re cooking at home or dining out, your meal is merely the endgame in a long (though hopefully not too long) journey that begins with the very best ingredients, sourced from the farmers, distillers, bakers and brewers who made it all possible.

As a wintry treat, I’ve squeezed a recipe and a favourite supplier from four Bristol restaurants. They will be delicious and they will be local.

As food writer Michael Pollan might say, I think it’s time to shake the hand that feeds you. Figuratively speaking, of course. IRL we’re still idiotically bumping elbows.

“We’re increasingly asking ourselves where our food comes from, and righly so”

Barley Wood bounty, from (main pic) the Walled Garden

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EAT YOUR GREENS

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ocated halfway up Wells Road at number 156, Eat Your Greens is both a casual daytime café and a vegan dining mecca by night, with five stars across the board on Trip Advisor. Details of takeaway dishes are sent out on Wednesdays, so sign up to the email list to get ahead of the pack. Thanks to owner/chef Babs Greaves for this recipe.

OYSTER MUSHROOM, BRUSSEL SPROUT AND CRANBERRY TACOS Makes 10 tacos

Ingredients 1-2 heads of crunchy lettuce, eg Little Gem 120g oyster mushrooms, torn into thin strip 150g brussel sprouts 5 radishes 2 avocados 40g dried cranberries 1-3 tablespoons good quality vegetable oil 40g pomegranate seeds Sprouted alfalfa seeds or broccoli Salt and pepper Ground sumac 10 small corn tortillas Limes Method 1 First, prepare the salad items. Finely shred the lettuce, then slice the radishes into very thin discs. Slice the avocados into thin strips also, and remove the skin. Set to one side.

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2 Take a dry frying pan and pop on a medium heat. Heat each taco for 15 seconds on each side. Do this for all 10, and arrange in a circle on a platter. Top each taco with two slices of avocado, then a good pinch of finely shredded lettuce.

3 Shred the sprouts into thin slices.

4 Pop a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat, wait a few moments and then add 1.5 tablespoons of oil and the shredded oyster mushrooms, with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Resisting the urge to stir, brown on one side for between one to two minutes. Flip them over and brown for another one to two minutes.

5 Add the finely sliced sprouts and stir fry for one minute. Add a jot more oil at this point if the sprouts start sticking to the pan. Add

the cranberries and stir gently for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat. Using a dessert spoon, scoop a little of the sprout/ mushroom mix on top of the lettuce on each taco, until it is all equally distributed.

6 Top with your radish discs, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds. Pop a pinch of alfalfa on top and shake over some ground sumac for a little tangy extra. Serve immediately with wedges of lime.

Supplier spotlight: Barley Wood Kitchen “I am absolutely in love with Barley Wood Kitchen Garden; the head gardener is Mark Cox. They supply a lot of my veg and it’s all organic; he’s also vegan and takes such great care with bees, and insects while producing the most stunning veg and fruit,” says Babs.

For more: eatyourgreensbristol.com

RECIPES

THE ETHICUREAN

E

veryone should pay at least one visit to this gorgeous, ethically conscious modern-British restaurant, set in an old greenhouse within the Barley Wood walled garden in Wrington.

At the vanguard of the food-conscious pack, brothers Matthew and Iain Pennington have been serving seasonal produce for the past ten years.

ECCLES CAKES WITH DORSET BLUE VINNY SAUCE Makes 14 cakes

Ingredients 50g butter 90g dark soft brown sugar 2 tsp ground mixed spice 270g currants 50g candied peel 500g puff pastry 1 egg Demerara sugar for sprinkling For the Dorset Blue Vinny sauce 250ml double cream 100g caster sugar 40g Dorset Bue Vinny cheese (or Stichelton) crumbled 50ml sweet sherry, such as PX or Bristol Cream Method 1 To make the sauce, put the cream, sugar, cheese and sherry in a pan (include half the currants, if you want to enrich the flavour of the Eccles cakes) and heat gently until the sauce is smooth. Strain through a sieve and set aside; reserve currants for the Eccles cakes).

2 To make the Eccles cakes, place the butter, sugar and mixed spice in a saucepan and heat through gently, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted into the butter.

Remove from the heat and stir in the currants, including the ones used for the sauce, and the candied peel. Set aside to cool.

3 Heat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Set the pastry on a lightly floured surface with one of the short ends nearest you. Roll out to about 3mm thick. Using an 11cm pastry cutter, cut as many rounds as you can. Divide the filling into 40g portions and place one portion in the centre of each circle of pastry.

This may seem like a lot, but it makes sense when you are eating the cakes.

4 Next, you need to enclose the currant mixture in the pastry. This can be quite tricky; we do it by pinching the four ‘corners’ of the circle together over the currant mixture, and then gently folding in the excess pastry. Where you are pinching the pastry together will be the underside, so as long as the filling is completely enclosed it doesn’t need to look perfect. The pastry should seal

itself, but if necessary brush it very lightly with water.

5 Place the Eccles cakes the right way up on the work surface and shape each into a neat round with a flat top. Using a sharp knife, slash three horizontal lines across the top. Lightly brush the top of the Eccles cakes with a beaten egg and dust with sugar. Bake for 18 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked all the way through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then serve with the sauce.

Supplier spotlight: Homewood Cheeses “Our favourite supplier is Homewood Cheeses, based in Ubley, who make some of our favourite cheeses. We’ve had them on our menu since day one at the restaurant. They work in a small and sustainable capacity, supporting local farmers. They’re based a stone’s throw from us, and we’ve developed a very close relationship with them over the last 12 years. Even before we had a restaurant, we knew them from the farmer’s markets where it all began. They also happen to be the loveliest people!” – Iain.

For more: theethicurean.com

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RECIPES

WOKY KO

F

ormer Masterchef finalist Larkin Ken is stealthily taking over the city with his pan-Asian baos, katsu and chow miens; he currently has two restaurants at Cargo, one on Queens Road and a stall at St Nick’s Market, each with a slightly different food offering.

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK WITH ASIAN SAUSAGE MEAT STUFFING Makes 10 bao

For the Asian stuffing meat Rapeseed oil 2 banana shallots, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ inch ginger, minced 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground cumin A pinch ground mace ½ tsp white pepper 20g dried Chinese black beans, soaked in cold water overnight then pulsed in a food processor 500g sausage meat 30g fresh white breadcrumbs (take the crusts off sliced white bread and pulse in a food processor) Salt to taste 1 Put a good glug of good-quality rapeseed oil in a saucepan on a medium to high heat.

Fry the shallots, with a pinch of salt, until they break down. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another two minutes, turn the heat up and get a little bit of colour on the veg.

2 Add all the spices and cook until they release their aroma (about 30 seconds). Transfer to a plate and put in the fridge until cool.

3 Put all the other ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix really well with clean hands.

Take a teaspoon-sized amount and cook in a

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frying pan on a medium high heat, until the meat is cooked through. Test for seasoning and adjust to your tastes.

4 Split the mix into 10 even-sized balls. Squash the balls into burger shapes, and fry or bake until cooked.

To assemble You will need 10 bao (find at your local Asian supermarket) A pack of extra-thick smoked streaky bacon 1 Set up a steamer. If you don’t have a steamer use microwaveable tupperware with a lid.

To make the prune & armagnac ketchup 500g pitted Agen prunes (check for rogue stones!)

120ml rice wine vinegar 80g caster sugar 80ml port 80ml armagnac 1 strip orange zest 2g Lapsang tea leaves, wrapped in muslin (if you want to add a real smokiness)

2 Cut the bacon into strips, the same length as your bao, and fry until crisp.

1 Mix the sugar into the vinegar until dissolved (you do not need to heat).

5 Open the bao and put in the Asian sausagemeat stuffing, followed by the bacon and the ketchup. Close and serve hot.

2 Put all the ingredients in a bowl and cover tightly with clingfilm or foil overnight.

3 Discard orange zest and tea leaves and blend everything else until smooth (add a touch of water if the mix is too thick for your blender).

3 Place the bao in the steamer on full steam for around 3-4 minutes, or until really light and bouncy. Alternatively place in the tupperware with the lid on, and microwave for 20-25 seconds at full power.

4 Remove the bao – be careful, they will be hot.

Supplier spotlight: Wah Yan Hong “It’ll come as no surprise that one of our main local suppliers is the oriental food market, Wah Yan Hong on Denmark Street. It’s a treasure trove. We get all kinds of things from these guys; rice, fortune cookies and a lot of our dried produce – even our bao steamers” – Larkin.

For more: wokyko.com

CAPER & CURE

2

020 was far from easy for Craig Summers and Giles Coram, who rebranded their Stokes Croft restaurant The Arts House as Caper and Cure last autumn. “But thanks to our wonderful customers, we were really well supported between lockdowns, and when we’re allowed to reopen, we’ll come back even stronger,” says Giles.

PAN-FRIED CREEDY CARVER DUCK BREAST, WITH PICKLED CHERRIES AND FENNEL Serves 2

For the pickled cherries: 175ml water 175ml cider vinegar 100g sugar 2 bay leaves 500g cherries Tsp black peppercorns You’ll also need a 1-litre kilner jar with a new rubber seal.

Method 1 Wash the jar and seal in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Place the jar (not seal) in the oven on a moderate temperature for 10 mins.

2 Pour the vinegar and water into a pan, and add the sugar, black peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for five minutes, then remove from the heat.

3 With the rubber seal back on the lid, pack the cherries into the jar and pour over the spiced liquid while still hot. Seal the jar straight away and leave for two weeks before eating.

Method 1 Remove the duck breast from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Score the skin with a sharp knife and season with salt.

fennel. Add the resting juices from the duck and whisk in the cold butter, a little at a time, to thicken the sauce. Add a few pickled cherries to warm through.

2 Place the breast skin-side down in a cold nonstick frying pan (with no oil) over a medium heat. As the fat is released, tilt the pan towards you and use a spoon to remove the liquid.

When the skin turns golden and crisp, turn the breast on its sides to evenly sear the meat on all surfaces, then remove the pan from the heat.

To tell if the breast is cooked or not, simply press it with your finger – it should be firm but still springy to the touch. Larger breasts might require a little more cooking in the oven (eight minutes or so, in a preheated 220-degree/gas mark 7 oven). Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

4 Slice the duck breast. It should be pink with a golden, crispy skin. Arrange nicely onto the plate and spoon the sauce over.

3 Thinly slice the fennel. Heat some of the pickling liquor in a pan and use it to wilt the

Supplier spotlight: Creedy Carver “Creedy Carver is a highly regarded familyrun farm, situated just outside Crediton in Devon. They’ve specialised in producing the finest free-range chicken and duck since 1985.

Their poultry is full of flavour, and they have a huge emphasis on bird welfare and sustainable farming. With all restaurant and pub kitchens closing over the lockdown, they lost 75% of their customer base overnight. The good news is, they’ve started home delivery!” – Giles.

For more: caperandcure.co.uk George is connecting the dots from farm to fork as a writer and marketer; @georgethomasmaguire on Instagram

Cooking the duck breast 1 Creedy Carver duck breast 1 fennel 50g unsalted butter

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CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

Dream on

When the times get tough, the tough open cafés

N “It was the perfect way to steal pleasure from the sticky wicket that’s been 2021 thus far”

ow the dust has settled, and the new year has got its feet firmly under the table, what’s next on the menu for you and yours? Got any hopes, dreams or unfulfilled ambitions lying about the place, waiting to be dusted off and brought to life? Or has the craziness of the last year sucked all hope and joy from your soul?

Luckily for us, some folk out there have already made up their minds. Come up with answers all of their very own. Very nice answers they are, too. Times may be tough; very tough. But it hasn’t stopped dreamers from dreaming or hopers from hoping.

Some wonderful souls have decided to ignore the craziness, to keep the home fires burning, keep the coffee pots steaming and keep the caramelised croissant bits curling beautifully. Oh, yeah.

Onwards and upwards. Set controls for the heart of the bright shining future that awaits us all. Hallelujah.

But. But. Before I get too carried

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away, too rhapsodical and foolish, I think it’s time to get to the point. I’m a bit over-excited, for a good reason.

And it’s this. Despite the difficulties and setbacks of constantly changing conditions out there in the world of business, there’s a new café in town.

Hurrah. At the end of last year, as days got short and happiness got harder and harder to find, someone – and by ‘someone’ I mean Freddy and Nessa Bird, of Little French fame – threw their hearts and souls into a brand new business. The result is The Littleshop & Pantry on Northumbria Drive in Henleaze.

As those who pay close attention to the food and drink pages in this magazine will know, Freddy and Nessa launched a temporary shop at Little French during Lockdown 1.0, mostly with the aim of supporting local producers. Both they and their customers enjoyed the experience so much that they were persuaded to make it a permanent thing.

As you can probably tell from its name, to call it a mere café does it a disservice. It’s a lot more than that.

It’s also a bakery, deli, wine and homeware little shop of wonders, selling chef-quality produce; it even has ambitions to become a wine bar sometime in 2021.

When lockdown ends and the weather perks up, there will be outdoor decking for al fresco refreshments; they’ll also be reviving their click-and-collect food

box scheme, including fruit and veg boxes, meat boxes, fish boxes, and so on.

Incidentally, it also sells the biggest bottles of enormous olives that I have ever seen. A sight to stun the senses of any sensible olive admirer.

Oh, and they also do very good Extract coffee, as well as a great line in freshly baked breads, along with Middle Eastern salads, quiches and sweet treats. It churns the famed Bird ice-cream, and sells the awardwining Buxton & Bird pies. Mmm. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the drift. It’s full of loveliness.

Sadly, as I type, we’re not allowed to sit inside and admire the stock on show, but at time of going to press you could still get takeaways.

Which is exactly what my coffee companion and I did the other day.

Got ourselves a pair of mighty fine drinks, hot and full of flavour, drove the short distance up to the Downs and sat in the car while sun lit up the sky and happiness shone all around.

All in all, it was the perfect way to steal pleasure from the sticky wicket that’s been 2021 thus far.

So if you are looking for green shoots of recovery, a place to find your mojo, or just the largest jar of olives in human history, you know where to go. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer For more: stancullimore.com

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CANDY BAA FIGURINE, £35 A sweet little Shaun the Sheep with love hearts, candy floss and sprinkles.

All proceeds, as ever, to the amazing Grand Appeal and their work in Bristol’s children’s hospital.

Now that’s truly heartwarming From the Gromit Unleashed Shop gromitunleashedshop.org.uk STINE GOYA ‘MARTHA’ EARRINGS, £25 IN SALE A pair of asymmetric earrings, prettily crafted from rosecoloured glass beads mixed with light red, white and pink From Grace & Mabel graceandmabel.co.uk

IT’S A LOVE THING

Yes, you could mark Valentine’s Day with flowers and sweet treats. Millions do. But why not think outside the chocolate box?

TOURMALINE AND WHITE GOLD RING, £946 From Diana’s ‘strata’ collection; the oval pink tourmaline has a raised bezel setting on a etched Fairtrade white gold band From Diana Porter dianaporter.co.uk MAXWELL SCOTT BAGS, £72 In luxury leather; blush rose for demure Valentines, hot pink for feisty ones From Harvey Nichols harveynichols.com

BRISTOL MUG, £15 The classic Bristol scroll combined with randomly applied vintage Rose of Tralee prints on fine china; each mug is unique.

Every Bristol tea-lover needs at least one From Stokes Croft China prscshop.co.uk 38 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

KOKOMO ACRYLIC EARRINGS, £18 Bristol based brand Kokomo is all about having a good time, with designs evoking the heady days of disco. These oversized hoops are as cheeky (and therefore as Bristol) af.

From That Thing thatthing.co

ED’S CHOICE

HEARTS IN HANDS PRINT, A3: £85; A2: £110 Signed giclée print by Bristol’s master of street art luxe; the one and only Jody From jodyart.co.uk

ROBY RYAN PRINT, £250 Master papercutter Rob has collaborated with Paul Smith, Liberty of London, Fortnum and Mason and Vogue in his time. He’s also keen to collaborate with your wall From Soma Gallery somagallery.co.uk MINI GEO PLANTER, £12.50 Cute miniature planters, which also double as pinch pots, desk tidies and herb containers. Add a succulent or cactus for £1.50 to keep the love growing From Prior Shop priorshop.uk

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN EARRINGS, £295 Enchant the goth in your life with these pale pink Swarovski encrusted skulls hanging from golden chains. Really delicate and pretty From Garment Quarter garmentquarter.com

HANO VASE, £24 IN SALE A bunch of blooms lasts a week, if you’re lucky. This lovely vase with its retro ribbed shape and soft pink hue will keep forever, if you don’t drop it From Mon Pote monpote.co.uk

SELETTI LAPTOP BAG, £45 Shades of Mad Men about this hotpink lippy-emblazoned laptop case, no? – though we reckon it’s more one for a Joan or a Betty rather than a Peggy From Harvey Nichols harveynichols.com

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

NEW SEASON It’s fresh; exciting! Sarah Moolla takes a look at the hottest trends for early 2021

Checks are big – literally.

Junie wrap blouse, £85, from chaosandcolour.com

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

“From full-on tartan to dogtooth ginghams, checks are back ”

FASHION

Y

ou could be forgiven for thinking that fashion has, well, fallen out of fashion in this strangest of times. Given the circumstances, are trends for colours and cardigans, boots and suits, somewhat moot? Aren’t we all just Zooming in hoodies and lounging in loungers?

Well, apparently not. There’s been an undercurrent of sartorial energy buzzing about of late that tells us otherwise, from luxe lockdown looks seen on Instagram to coordinated dress and mask combos making a designer appearance. It would seem that wearing good clothes still has the power to lift the spirits. And with the real possibility of social interaction around the corner, we’re already planning our IRL celebratory, “I’ve missed you, you look amazing!” outfits.

VEJA V-10 leather trainers, £115, from graceandmabel.co.uk

Wool overshirt, £195; oversized cable jumper, £85 in sale; from peregrineclothing.co.uk

Jackson crew, £95, from peregrineclothing.co.uk.

Sara Lund would definitely wear

KNITWEAR AND CASUAL CARDIGANS 1NERDY

They’re cosy, they’re safe, and they’re easy to wear. Knitwear represents certainty in an uncertain world. Wear with jeans, t-shirts and trainers for the solid, dependable look, or juxtapose your woollies with a silk dress and big boots for a Millennial twist on the rock-chick vibe. Pair any half-buttoned, oversized cardi with any skirt in your wardrobe, lazily let one side slip off one shoulder and voilà – nonchalant sexiness is instantly yours.

Elena suede biker boots £159, mintvelvet.co.uk

School scarf, £25 in sale, peregrineclothing.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 41

FASHION

2BLACK IS BACK

Usually the preserve of the fashionista front row, the WFH brigade has commandeered black as its unofficial uniform. Effortless, elegant, and always efficient.

The dark hue has found its way back into our hearts in a top-to-toe kinda way, and we’re not letting go any time soon. From hoedown black dungarees (note: leave one side undone, unless you are actually going to a hoedown) to big clompy black boots, to Matrix-style faux-leather long coats and flouncy ruffled Victorian florals (think more Gothic novel than Beatrix Potter).

If all-black is a tad too funereal, lift the look with a pair of scrunchy clean white leather trainers.

Cleopatra dress, £150; bag one for summer or wear layered over woolies; chaosandcolour.com

Weekend MaxMara Velo sweater, £107.50 in sale; graceandmabel.co.uk

3CHECK MATE Baum Und Pferdgarten Ahannah dress, £109.50 in sale; graceandmabel.co.uk

Moncler gilet, £950; harveynichols.com Great Plains Agnes check tie neck shirt, £30; mazeclothing.co.uk

© NETFLIX

Beth Harmon rocking the check coat in The Queen’s Gambit

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

From full-on tartan to dogtooth ginghams, checks are back, as the revival of Burberry and Mulberry testifies, and as seen by the shameless chessboard motifing of Beth Harmon’s winning outfits in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

As long as you avoid the preppy schoolgirl look in tooshort kilts, you’ll be glad of the plaid. You can Highlandfling it as a large woollen scarf over a one-colour trench coat, or reverse that and think big – a long belted, doublebreasted bold check coat over a plain ensemble makes a striking statement.

Proceed with caution, though, with plaid shirts – too boxy and square can translate as a bit too lumberjack; as for tartan trousers, when worn over a certain age, they can ending up looking less punky Viv Westwood and more Ronnie Corbett teeing off on the green.

Bellerose Volders wool jacket in green, £285, mazeclothing.co.uk

Helen Milo blazer, £19 in sale; foxandfeather.co.uk

4DO IT LIKE A DUDE

As all golden-age Hollywood goddesses knew, masculine clothing makes a powerful, classic, scenestealing addition to any woman’s wardrobe – think Marlene Dietrich in her heyday. Today, in our genderfluid, Harry-Styles-in-a-skirt-and-pearls times, the ante has been upped; rules are there to be flouted, and the possibilities are endless.

Don’t just don a tailored jacket; add a pocket silk square. Combine high-waisted wide-legged trousers with an Argyle tank top, and round off with lace-up brown brogues. If you’re Victoria Beckham, ditch the brogues for stiletto pumps.

Headed back to the office? Make like supermodel Bella Hadid in Givenchy and wear a black leather tie and crisp white shirt. Remember to tie your hair at the back and quiff it at the front.

Black velvet leggings, £29, worn with Brooke biker boots, £159; mintvelvet.co.uk

Balmain wide-leg trousers, £625 in sale; harveynichols.com

Burberry vintage check merino tank, £470; harveynichols.com

5VELVET UNDERGROUND Velvet and sequin headband, £35; Collect Me velvet top, £48; thatthing.co

Stine Goya velvet jacquard dress, £380; graceandmabel.co.uk

It’s the luxe fabric of winter party dresses and accessories, ideally in the colour of precious jewels. When we can start going out-out again, we’re doing it in lush, plush clothes.

It’s also tactile, offering textural comfort – that’s why so many sofas are covered in the stuff – but to avoid looking like a settee, try to show a little skin with your velvet. Think soft wrap dresses, deep-V jumpsuits, a structured jacket over a satin bra, which so happens to be another 2021 trend on the horizon – a glimpse of undergarments. Just a peep, mind; not the full 1990s Madonna.

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

PHOTO BY JMPUK

SPORT WILL CARPENTER

Top of the league

It’s been an excellent start to the year for Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears . . .

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ive wins on the bounce and sitting top of the Gallagher Premiership: it’s been a bright start to 2021 for Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears, who laid down a huge marker of their title credentials with a bruising win over reigning domestic and European champions, Exeter Chiefs, at Sandy Park earlier this month.

Tries from man of the match Harry Randall and Fijian flyer, Semi Radradra fired the Bears to victory at Sandy Park for the second successive season, and saw them leapfrog the Chiefs into the top sport after six rounds.

Callum Sheedy added ten points from the boot, kicking two penalties and two conversions, but it was a result built on defensive grit and determination and one that left the Bears Director of Rugby gleaming with pride.

“I’m proud. You can’t come to this place and win against these guys unless you bring the right mindset, the right physicality levels, and do it as a team, and today was phenomenal,” said Pat Lam. “I know a lot of people think that the Bears way is just throwing the ball around, but this pitch is pretty heavy, and we ground it out.

We needed to be physical and we certainly dominated them right through the game.

“It’s a big win for the club. There is a long way to go. It’s more the way we are playing rugby at the moment. People admire all the fancy stuff, but statistically, we have the best maul. No one has scored a maul try against us. They came hard, but we hit them hard and that’s what we planned to do.”

One player making waves this season is pocket-rocket scrum-half Harry Randall, already being

“People admire all the fancy stuff, but statistically we have the best maul”

heavily touted for an international call-up in the not too distant future.

The 23-year-old was named man of the match by BT Sport after yet another eye-catching display for the Bears – and Lam believes that Randall is ready to take the next step.

“I can’t control Eddie’s (Jones, England head coach) decisions, but all I know is that Harry has gone from strength to strength because he has put the work in,” said Lam. “Pound for pound, he’s the toughest player around. He has no fear. He understands the way I want him to play, and he does it brilliantly. He pops up in the right places, and he brings tempo to a game. All he can do is keep working and keep improving.

“It’s not about how big you are – Harry’s only 70kg – it’s about what you bring to the team and game. Harry loves quick-taps and is a great student of the game, particularly our game. To play at the next level you just have to play well week in, week out, and work on your skills.

“During lockdown, Harry really worked on his kicking, which I thought he needed to develop. His fitness as well, he can go longer in the game now.”

Randall himself was full of praise for his team mates after their Sandy Park triumph, particularly his forward pack, insisting control and defensive intensity were key to a memorable result.

“It shows the character of our

team and how we’re building this season,” he said.

“Massive credit to the forwards out there today, I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of them, it was a physical battle. I felt it at nine so I can’t imagine what it felt like for them.

“I think, in terms of our defence, we really fronted up out there today. We knew what Exeter were about and what they were bringing and fair play to the lads, we kept them out.

“It all started on Monday or Tuesday. We prepped really well during the week, we trained in the areas that we needed to train, we got better, we learned from our mistakes from the previous week, and I think we really took that into this game.

“For the past few seasons our games with Exeter have been onescore games every time, so I think the importance of coming out here and starting well and scoring first was massive for us.

“There are still a few learnings we can take from this game, but we’ll celebrate the victory and move on.”

The temporary postponement of the Heineken Champions Cup means Randall and the Bears will have to wait until 29 January for their next encounter – a West Country derby versus local rivals Bath at Ashton Gate. ■ Will Carpenter is the Bristol Bears club journalist; bristolbearsrugby.com

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING AND HAPPINESS HUM, brought to you by ON:SONG, offers weekly singing sessions with a massive 20 per cent discount for Bristol Life readers

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aunched this year, HUM is weekly, online singing and wellbeing sessions that enhance your physical, mental and emotional health, leaving you feeling happier, less stressed and more

energised.

HUM brings people together from the UK and beyond for isolation-defying singing experiences that combat loneliness, explore the voice, enhance wellbeing and provide a sense of connection for everyone.

“It’s like a gym membership” says George Bell, co-founder of On:Song. “But instead of conditioning for the body, it is conditioning for the mind, and instead of lifting weights, it’s singing!”

HUM is for both seasoned singers and complete beginners who would like to enjoy the benefits of singing in their life, and learn from experienced and engaging singers, vocal coaches and wellbeing professionals. Using

20% OFF All 3 memberships have 20% off for Bristol Life readers. Use Promo code: BSLIFE20

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

Zoom to create a truly immersive experience, each week you can dive into a Wellbeing Lunchtime Session and inspirational Evening Session that unlocks songs and music from different eras, cultures and traditions.

WELLBEING LUNCHTIME SESSION (40 MINUTES) The lunchtime singing sessions promote wellbeing, mindfulness and unity. You will explore areas such as stress, sleep, connection and energy, and will use breath, vocal, and movement techniques to improve your wellbeing and boost your confidence.

EVENING SINGING SESSION (50 MINS) These culturally enriching sessions focus on inspiring you, designed to broaden musical horizons and introduce new musical themes and ideas. Each session draws from a different cultural realm, offering insight into different traditions, genres, artists, regions or eras.

Standard membership at £18 per month This gives you access to two online sessions each week, plus you can get them on demand so you can catch up if you miss one. Plus there is a host of additional singing material online for you to

enjoy, and discounts to additional singing events in between the sessions.

Complete membership at £25 per month.

The same as standard, but there is more online singing material, and the extra events between sessions are included in the membership.

Basic membership at £10 per month.

Access to the online singing sessions and an online community of other HUM singers.

HUM is a product of On:Song, a small national company with a big impact, committed to promoting the benefits of group singing to support global wellbeing. Started in 2016 by two musicians, Greg Staw and George Bell, On:Song works with talented singers to provide sessions in a huge range of styles. Having recently received Cultural Recovery funding from Arts Council England, HUM has launched to improved the wellbeing of the country through the use of song.

Subscribe now: onsong.co.uk/hum

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Transform your workflow

EXACTA TECHNOLOGIES GROUP has gained a global reputation for innovative design, elegant aesthetics and unbeatable build quality

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magine a system built exclusively to run your chosen creative software seamlessly. But what does a system built for creative media professionals require?

Let’s delve into a system that could transform your workflow.

When designing the PL-Media Workstation, our goal was to create a system with the highest clock-speeds, a powerful GPU, and ultra-fast SSDs, wrapped in a sleek and quiet workstation.

We began by researching the software used by media professionals. We analysed the following software: Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, 3ds Max, Maya, Premiere Pro & After Effects, and many more. Then we leveraged our years of technology experience and got to work on maximising performance with the best components available for these workloads.

GRAPHICS Stunning graphics for the PL-Media were essential, so we knew we needed a quality graphics card, such as the Nvidia RTX 3080.

Nvidia are the leading performance GPU manufacturer; their cards boast blistering media performance, 8K asset-handling, and the ability to create photorealistic scenes with ease.

Managing large files and detailed high-resolution images becomes a breeze.

SSDS High-performance, high-capacity NVMe SSDs have been a major breakthrough for media professionals and many other industries.

Working on and manipulating data in real time with zero slowdown takes away the frustration of managing your projects. Encoding, moving files around and saving/opening projects is now seamless.

we have chosen it for our flagship PL-Media workstations. We have taken all the aspects above into consideration and chosen the best parts for you, then integrated them into a bespoke workstation that is quiet, stylish, and fast. We have utilised a lot of technology from BeQuiet, the leader in low-noise PC chassis, fans and PSUs to help us deliver a system that meets designers’ high-system requirements without disrupting their workspace ambience.

Ready to transform your workflow?

Focus on creating beautiful and intricate content without disrupting your workflow. Head over to our website to learn more and follow us on social media for new and upcoming product announcements. Seen enough? Get in touch with our experts today. ■

CPU In the media and design industry, single threaded performance is key. With most applications utilising only a small number of cores for their tasks, core frequency is paramount. The latest Intel ® Core ® i9 CPU, boasting 10 cores with a blazing fast speed of 5.1GHz, is a powerhouse CPU that hits that content creation sweet spot, which is why 48 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

For more information tel: +44 (0)1173510000 email: sales@prolinebyexacta.com website: prolinebyexacta.com

OFFICES

IN AND OUT OF OFFICE The pandemic has affected every single corner of our lives – not least, the way we work right now

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or now, at least, the traditional model for the working environment has been suspended. Will it ever return? Will the working-at-home revolution have long-term effects?

Time will tell; in the meantime, we asked five Bristol companies involved in the provision or design of office space to share their pandemic panaceas…

FLAGSHIP

Found on the Avenue still currently referred to as ‘Colston’, Flagship is an office facility with custom-designed furniture, private meetings rooms and innovative environmental spaces Has the pandemic had an effect on your office environment?

It has unquestionably caused a seismic shift to how we all work. We’ve been encouraged by a growing trend of smaller companies wanting to let private offices on a more flexible basis than has been the case until now. We have taken all necessary precautions and created more selfcontained units. But overall, we’re bullish about the future for flexible office businesses.

How has your community adapted to the new circumstances?

Initially workers were encouraged to, if not required to, work from home. As this changes, and our community increasingly wants to work from an office environment (even if only for a few days a week) we are seeing a pickup in demand for meeting room rentals, desks rented by the day and self-contained offices.

What can you offer clients and customers?

As a relatively new workspace that opened during the pandemic, we’ve had the opportunity to tailor our space to the current and ever-changing work landscape. We realise the importance of flexible options, and are offering tailored packages to suit our members’ needs.

For more: flagship-spaces.com

KERR OFFICE GROUP

Experts in design, fit-out and premium commercial furniture How has the pandemic affected the traditional office space?

The office isn’t about having enough desk spaces for each member of staff, but is about creating a ‘destination’ for collaboration, for attracting and retaining top talent, as well as enhancing productivity. The fundamentals haven’t changed, but the potential of workspaces to generate a return on investment has been accelerated by Covid.

How has your company adapted to the new circumstances?

Having already made the transition to cloud-based technologies and remote working, the whole team effortlessly adjusted to the new circumstances.

Before the pandemic, we had already successfully implemented morning ‘huddle’ meetings, discussing priorities for the day and addressing potential challenges.

This practice has not only been vital to ensure business continuity across departments, but is a chance for the team to interact socially; something many have missed the most about being in the office.

What can you offer clients and customers in these unusual times?

We’ve been working on a number of projects with partners in the tech and pharmaceutical sectors across Europe, ensuring that the modern workplace is one that responds to the needs of those who occupy it and enhances productivity, health and wellbeing.

For more: koguk.com Kerr: “The office is about creating a destination for collaboration

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

Flagship

“Overall, we’re bullish about the future for flexible office businesses” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 51

OFFICES

Distil: “Calm spaces, small enough to make your own”

DISTIL CO-WORKING

How has your company adapted to the new circumstances?

Has the pandemic had a significant effect on your ideas, innovations and forward planning?

What can you offer in these changed times?

A new co-working hub in St Nick’s Market, with hot desks, dedicated desks and affordable co-working tariffs

We’ve seen competing forces influencing the demand for co-working; on one hand, there has been a fall in demand driven by caution around Covid; on the other a rise in demand driven by the closure of offices, the increase in remote working, and the pressures of working at home.

How has your company adapted to the new circumstances?

We’re currently running at 50% capacity to facilitate social distancing.

We supply hand sanitiser on every desk and at all access points and our member T&Cs include a commitment to Covid-secure practices.

Whether full or part-time, members currently have exclusive use of their desk space. We’ve pushed back plans for our events until it is safe to hold events again, but look forward to hosting events later in the year.

As a business, Clockwise is set up to cater for this new working model, and we’ve adapted by providing a productive yet safe environment for those who want to work in a physical space (restrictions permitting).

We always value the importance of physical and mental health, but particularly in the current circumstances, and so wellness and employee safety are high on the agenda for our clients and customers. In terms of the pandemic, Clockwise has provided preventative safety measures that go above and beyond government guidance, from implementing deep-cleaning, anti-microbial surface treatments to Zonotise on hightouch surfaces to neutralise bacteria and viruses.

For more: workclockwise.co.uk

INTERACTION

Award-winning office fit-out and design service How has the pandemic affected the traditional office space?

Distil Co-working specialises in calm spaces, small enough to make your own. Our space has been built with an eye for detail, meaning Distil feels light but relaxing, designed but not cluttered, giving you the chance to clear your head and to think. We’re tucked away from the city, amongst the pedestrianised streets and food stalls of St Nick’s.

For more: distilcoworking.space

It has rapidly accelerated change that was happening anyway. We’ve had the technology to work anywhere for years; now we have the confidence in our ability to do so. But the home is often not the best place to work. Yes, the traditional office is dead. Instead, destination offices are the future. Ones that people love going to. That create community and culture, and stimulate collaboration, learning, creativity and wellbeing.

CLOCKWISE

How has your company adapted to the new circumstances?

What can you offer clients and customers?

Well-designed, contemporary offices, workspaces and meeting spaces in convenient, city centre locations.

Has the pandemic had a seismic effect on the traditional office space?

There’s no doubt the pandemic has affected the notion of the traditional office, as the mass transition to home working has left these spaces largely empty with no real indication of when they’ll be at full capacity again. Even when businesses encourage a return, the nature of work has changed, leaving conventional 9-5 offices in the lurch. Businesses will likely be implementing hybrid working models and while working from home has its benefits, being able to provide a dedicated workspace with a flexible lease to bring employees together is crucial, and central to Clockwise’s offering.

Pre-pandemic we were already using Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Sharepoint, so our office-based work simply continued from home.

We are a very sociable, interactive team, so it has been difficult. Our construction sites are a different matter. One of the few industries to stay active through the lockdowns, our delivery teams have continued to create amazing workspaces UK-wide.

What can you offer clients and customers?

As well as designing and building fantastic destination workplaces, we’re also helping many clients with their workplace strategy. Helping them make short-term changes in preparation for return postlockdown, but also longer term to review space utilisation and consult on new types of workplace technology for hybrid working. n For more interaction.uk.com

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

COMING SOON

HELLO BRISTOL, SPACES IS MOVING IN. Offices, Coworking, Meeting Rooms spaceworks.com | 0800 756 2509

ADVERTISING FEATURE

ADMINISTERING AN ESTATE Brenda Smyth of AMD SOLICITORS considers the tax implications when dealing with the administration of an estate

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hen applying for a grant of probate, the personal representatives of an estate must complete and submit an inheritance tax form giving details of all assets and liabilities of an estate. This may need to include details of lifetime gifts made by the deceased or any interests in trusts which the deceased may have had. Personal representatives have a duty to make full enquiries to obtain the necessary information to complete the form correctly and failure to do so may result in interest having to be paid on tax paid late or even in tax penalties.

Due to current circumstances and long delays with both HMRC and the probate registry, it is even more important to get things right the first time to avoid unnecessary interest or penalties relating to lack of disclosure.

Even when the personal representatives correctly ascertain and disclose assets and liabilities in the estate, mistakes can still be made, such as not claiming all allowances and reliefs available to reduce the value of the estate for inheritance tax purposes.

Consideration of the inheritance tax liability does not end once the grant of probate has been issued. If further assets or liabilities come to light or there is any other change in the value of the estate for inheritance tax purposes, these may need to be disclosed to HM Revenue and Customs. There may also be additional reliefs to consider.

Inheritance tax is not the only tax to consider when administering an estate. If an asset is sold during the course of the administration of an estate, there may be a capital gains tax liability on the personal representatives. It may be that, with careful planning and depending on the circumstances, it is possible to mitigate or even eliminate this liability.

Any income received by the personal representatives in the course of the administration is subject to income tax and must be disclosed to HM Revenue and Customs by the personal representatives.

Sometimes beneficiaries may decide to vary the terms of the distribution of the estate and the tax implications of this need to be considered. In some circumstances, this may result in a tax saving or may avoid adverse tax consequences for the person giving up his or her right to benefit from the estate. â–

For further advice on the administration of estates, wills, lasting powers of attorney and other private client matters, contact Brenda Smyth or one of her colleagues at AMD Solicitors 100 Henleaze Road, Bristol BS9 4JZ. Phone 0117 962 1205, email info@amdsolicitors. com or visit www.amdsolicitors.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 55

divorce”?

Seven divorce”? Seven things things to to avoid avoid a a look look out out for for ADVERTISING FEATURE

We know that a “good divorce” is one that fac We knowworking that a “good divorce” is one that facs lawyers; together to help things run lawyers; working together to help things run s relationship breakdown. relationship breakdown.

The Ince Metcalfes’ Family team outline what The Ince Metcalfes’ Family team outline what out for during your divorce proceedings: out for during your divorce proceedings:

BAD DIVORCE

Kerry Graham Kerry Graham Head of Family Law

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e know that a “good divorce” is one that facilitates constructive communication between the couple and their lawyers; working together to help things run smoothly and minimising the disruption that inevitably follows a relationship breakdown. The Ince Metcalfes’ Family team outline what makes a “bad divorce”, and some of the things to avoid and look out for during your divorce proceedings:

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6. Attempting to hide matrimonial assets. favour. spouse’s Not disclosing assets such as property, 4. Poor communication with capital, a bonus or an inheritance Julianshares, McCarthy 4. Poor with This iscommunication not constructive and could potentially render any agreement Julian McCarthy Senior Associate This is not constructive and reached, null and void.

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3. Involving the children in the divorce.

It is important to try and keep them away from any acrimony as this can have a longterm negative impact on them as well as your relationship with them.

4. Poor communication with the other party or their lawyers.

This is not constructive and can often exacerbate the situation leading to delay, stress and expense.

Rebecca Aston-Jones Rebecca Aston-Jones Senior Associate Senior Associate RebeccaAston-Jones RebeccaAston-Jones @incemetcalfes.com @incemetcalfes.com

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Your lawyer should be encouraging a good divorce; mini Your lawyer should be encouraging a good divorce; mini Our lawyers are all members of Resolution and pride ou Our are all members of Resolution andfurther pride ouin goinglawyers through a separation and/or divorce. For going through a separation and/or divorce. For further in

1. Dwelling on the bad things that your ex has done and wanting to punish them.

There are no winners when it comes to a divorce, it’s about finding a way forward that both of you can live with so that you can move on.

2. Taking an unreasonable stance.

Arguing “they left me and they are not getting a penny” or “I am the one who has worked hard during the marriage while they have remained at home and it’s not fair they should get anything” is unhelpful and unfair.

The starting point for division of matrimonial assets in every divorce is 50:50.

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5. Not having key information at hand.

For example, insufficient disclosure of assets and liabilities, and therefore not being able to have an informed view about any agreement that might be reached.

Visit www.incemetcalfes.com for more information. Call 0117 405 4990 to have an initial conversation.

Gordano January 2021 edition.indd 1 Gordano January 2021 edition.indd 1

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

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It’s the city’s business

BRISTOLWORKS 2020 – the year that should have been

I

n the dimly-remembered, uncontagious times of yore, Bristol was blessed with a lively diary of events throughout the year – and Richmond Event Management were responsible for delivering some of the city’s best and brightest.

Over the last 24 years they’ve staged events on land, sea and air, from the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and Bristol Harbour Festival through to production for Bristol 2015 Green Capital year, the Clifton Suspension Bridge fireworks displays, Park and Slide and the prestigious Concorde flight over the city.

So what did they get up to in a year when events were altogether off the agenda?

“Looking back on 2020 is easier than being in it, I think we would all agree,” says REM managing director Ben Hardy. “Faced with a summer of no events, we knew we had to get to work finding ways to put our skills to use, and to

make sure we brought some events to the city when the opportunity was there.

“When the pandemic hit, we were invited to help create elements of the Nightingale Hospital and UWE, which kept us occupied and meant we could bring in some of the city’s event suppliers for the project. When that was complete, though, we wanted to do something for the city.”

One of those ‘somethings’ was the Fiesta Flypast, which the Fiesta committee concocted in relative secrecy alongside REM. It lifted spirits citywide, on what would have been the opening day of the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Ditto the virtual Nightglow, in collaboration with BBC Bristol, which was watched by an audience of over 50,000 households.

“We worked alongside 320 people, in Covidsecure conditions. The city’s media were fantastic in helping us to keep a few things quiet and spreading the joy when the balloons were in the

air. We worked with Bristol City Centre BID to get the balloons to take off in a heart shape, painted overnight on Ashton Court, helping to reinforce the message of #BristolTogether during a difficult time for most people.

“The challenge for the events industry isn’t over yet. While there is light at the end of the tunnel, it’s impossible to predict with certainty how we will be operating by summer.

“One thing’s for certain. REM, the musicians and artists, the techs and suppliers, stage-builders and costume creators are all ready to make 2021 happen in any shape it can. Expect innovation, creativity and determination from our sector this year, and in return all we ask is for you to buy those tickets, turn out and say thanks to the people behind the scenes who continue to bring entertainment and joy to the city.”

For more: rem-events.com

BRISTOLWORKS Regenerative medicine assists in the regrowth and repair of damaged tissues. Used in conjunction with a rehabilitation programme, MBST can get patients back to an active lifestyle when surgery or medication has little to offer. Repairing or even just slowing the degeneration can make a hugely positive impact on people’s lives by allowing them to continue exercising or working.

Starting the process early, gives the cellular process the best chance to work.

Who is MBST for?

It’s for everyone – young and old, sporty or not. We help people with ‘worn out’ knees, hips, back and hands and feet… and we’re pretty good at sports injuries too. Every day for the past 20 years as a football manager, it has been my job to explore the best ways to help my players return from injury. MBST is by far the best treatment I have ever used.

BIZ Q&A

Who are your main clients?

Core values

You’ll know him as the manager of Bristol Rovers; now, Paul Tisdale is pioneering a new physiotherapy treatment at innovative healthcare facility At The Core

A

fter a 12-month break from the beautiful game, Paul returned to football management on 19 November 2020, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with Rovers.

However, that’s just one of the strings in his current bow . . .

What inspired you to go into health care?

As a sportsman, health and fitness has always been of high importance to me. In particular, I have always had an interest in the link between physical fitness and mental health. Sportsperson or not, young or old, having the opportunity to lead an active lifestyle is a fundamental part of maintaining mental wellbeing.

Tell us about At The Core

It’s a physiotherapy and wellbeing clinic, specialising in arthritis, rehabilitation and exercise, launched along with Adey Saunderson, a lead physiotherapist, and our partner in the business, my wife Julia.

What treatments are available?

Our services have been developed to complement the use of MBST magnetic resonance testing, a pioneering technology from Germany that successfully tackles the effects of osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, soft tissue and sports injuries, as well as post-op recovery. In addition to MBST, we have an ‘Alter G’ anti-gravity treadmill to assist with a patient’s progressive return to activity, along with weight training facilities to build strength where needed.

We also provide shockwave therapy when an additional modality is required to enhance the treatment.

What is MBST?

MBST uses the same technology as MRI scanning, but for therapy purposes rather than imaging.

The MBST machines emit an electromagnetic frequency, targeted to the affected part of the body. This reduces pain and inflammation and activates healing by exciting the cellular process. It is non-invasive and completely pain-free – there have been no side effects reported.

MBST is classed as ‘regenerative medicine’. What does that mean, exactly?

We offer a solution to all types of patients. Sadly, the truth is nearly all of us will suffer from pain or arthritis at some point in our lives. Though for many of us, it won’t impact until we get older.

It’s not a well-known treatment; how do you persuade people to give it a go?

The responsibility to apply medical treatment appropriately is significant, and building customer confidence in a product is a must. In the physiotherapy world, this is often done by word of mouth. Fortunately for us, our product is really good!

Is there a psychological aspect to all of this?

Yes. Suffering from physical pain and decreased mobility brings unwanted limitations. Not being able to work or play like you used to can have a detrimental effect on mental health. The negative impact can be considerable.

Investing in one’s physical capability is an often over-looked aspect of searching for a healthier, happier life – even though it is well researched and advocated for by most healthcare professionals.

For more: atthecore.health

BRISTOLWORKS

“THE BRISTOL PROPERTY AWARDS WILL BE WHOLLY VIRTUAL THIS YEAR” AT-A-GLANCE

Bristol Property Awards, 12 February.

Online conference, all details at: bristolpropertyawards.co.uk

FORMAT The event is run on the free-to-use Hopin (similar to Zoom but much better for networking).

TIMETABLE From 1pm: open networking for all.

Introductory remarks: Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol 2pm: Thought leadership: exclusive new insights.

3pm: Networking: delegates are there specifically and straightforwardly to network – to build the relationships that are not currently possible in real life.

4pm: Bristol Property Awards 5pm: informal networking TICKETS Free for finalists and sponsors. For other delegates, from £35 – details here: bristolpropertyawards.co.uk/ tickets CONTACT events@mediaclash.co.uk

JUDGES All decisions are made by a panel of independent judges, chosen from a variety of property-related companies in Bristol.

This year’s roster: Alan Pearce, Pearce Planning; Bernard Conroy, Hoare Lea; David Westgate, Andrews Group; Elena Marco, UWE Bristol; Frank ArkoTharkor, EDF Energy; Gabrielle Blackman, Gabrielle Blackman Interiors and DIY SOS; Cllr Nicola Beach, Bristol City Council; Pippa Goldfinger, Architecture Centre; Ros Trotman, Thrings and Women in Property SW; and Stuart Hatton, Umberslade.

© JON CRAIG

THREE STAGE: Thought leadership, networking, Awards.

Architects Stride Treglown feeling the joy at last year’s Awards, live at Ashton Gate

Bristol keeps building…

The Bristol Property Awards, featuring a special Property Symposium, takes place on 12 February 2021 as a unique, virtual event

T

he Bristol Property Awards will be wholly virtual this year – an innovative, high value, three-stage event covering all aspects of the burgeoning Bristol scene.

There have been a record number of entrants to the largest and most prestigious celebration of property in the city – remarkable, given the pandemic.

It provides a much-needed, unique opportunity to meet senior property professionals.

The Awards, sponsored by Smith & Williamson, are now part of the new online Bristol Property Symposium. This begins with Thought Leadership – keynote speeches on residential property trends, from Savills’ head of research, Lucian Cook, and on and commercial from BNP Paribas’ senior economist Sukhdeep Dhillion.

Then there are over 20 networking hubs hosted by leading property businesses. Delegates choose some to go to and others are assigned randomly, mirroring OUR SPONSORS Headline sponsor: Smith & Williamson Winner of Winners sponsor: Close Brothers Property Finance Category sponsors: AWW, Blaise Commercial Finance, Bristol

the planned and happenstance nature of real-life networking.

The Symposium culminates in the Bristol Property Awards, a celebration of the very best in the city. Full details of the finalists are on pages 68-69 – congratulations to them all.

Additionally, all delegates to the Symposium are invited to an exclusive and real-life networking event (when possible).

“We’re delighted with the levels of support from nominating companies and our sponsors,” says event manager Claudia Butler of MediaClash, Bristol Life’s publisher.

“We know that all of us have been so restricted in building our business contacts. Our Bristol Property Symposium provides a superb opportunity to bring together everyone in the value chain, for the benefit of all.

“We look forward to welcoming you on Friday 12 February from 1pm.”

Life, Cotswold Homes, Halsall Construction, Marsh Commercial, MDA Consulting, Optima Systems, Origin Workspace, Planning Portal, Redland Court

by Juniper Homes, Royds Withy King, Shawbrook Bank, Spaces,

Vickery Holman, Willmott Dixon and YTL Developments Feature Sponsors: Clarkebond, Thorn Baker Construction and Triangle Networks Partners: OakNorth Bank and Soapworks

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 65

CONFIDENCE THROUGH QUALITY

Pride IMS bridges the divide between acting for funders and working with developers better than any other monitoring surveyor I’ve worked with. They have vast experience and are technically very astute but have the commercial awareness needed to balance the requirements of the lender with the needs and timeframes of the developer. The end result is a seamless and time efficient service that adds value to both parties. They are our monitoring surveyor of choice and we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them.

Pride IMS is a multi award-winning national chartered surveying practice, 100% dedicated to Independent Monitoring Surveying (IMS) / Project Monitoring Surveying.

Pride is not just the name of the business; pride is at the heart of the business. This is a business that prides itself on service, is proud of the clients we partner with and takes great pride in the team around us.

Pride IMS is proud to be a finalist in two categories in the Bristol Property Awards – Consultancy of the Year & Rising Star.

monitoring@prideims.com www.prideims.com ▪ l prideims

ADVERTISING FEATURE

GROWING YOUR PORTFOLIO Let DUNKLEY’S CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS help you maximise the return on your property investments

C

ovid has had a significant effect on the property market with varying impacts on house prices and cheaper borrowing as a result of lower interest rates. As an investor, the potential returns from residential property remains an attractive opportunity.

Whether you are looking for your first investment property or to expand your existing property portfolio, many investors are considering acquiring property during the lockdown due to the number of initiatives available from the government.

Last year, the government announced a whole host of schemes which have made purchasing a property even more desirable. In July 2020, the Chancellor announced a temporary stamp duty tax holiday that cut the rate of stamp duty to 0% for all properties under £500,000 until 31 March 2021. For any investor, this is a substantial benefit as it can save up to £15,000 in tax.

Interest rates are at an all-time low, making the cost of borrowing cheap. As it is not expected to increase anytime soon, this could be the leverage investors need to grow their

portfolios and fully maximise the return on their investments.

As a property investor or landlord, it is also important to note that no mortgage interest expense can be deducted from rental income after 6 April 2020. Instead, landlords will be given 20% tax credit on the whole interest amount which will significantly impact the tax bill for higher rate taxpayers who earn more than £50,000 a year.

In this scenario, it might be more tax-efficient and safer financially to operate the property portfolio as a limited company. Should an investor wish to grow their property portfolio and benefit from the lower corporation tax rate, it might be worthwhile reinvesting the profits within the company for further development.

The company can then also be used as a vehicle for inheritance tax planning.

On top of the reliefs mentioned above, considerations need to be made for the current climate. A tax simplification review has been carried out and it is expected Rishi Sunak will announce tax changes in the budget on the 3rd March 2021. It is widely thought that capital gains tax rates will increase in line with income

tax making it advantageous to act now while we have certainty of the more substantial rates available. After the budget, the tax landscape could look very different!

How Dunkley’s can help With our help, you can fully maximise the return on your property investments through effective planning. Our specialist tax team have years of experience behind them and can provide the expert guidance you need to successfully structure your property portfolio, take advantage of the initiatives available and plan for the future. ■

To see how Dunkley’s can help you, please contact Lisa White or Mike Dunkley on 01454 619900 or email lisa.white@dunkleys.accountants / mike.dunkley@dunkleys.accountants.

Woodlands Grange, Woodlands Lane, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4JY www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 71

© IMPACT CAPITAL GROUP

PROPERTY NEWS

BUILDING A COMMUNITY Hope Rise in St George has been created as a unique social housing development, consisting of 11 net-zero-carbon modular starter homes built by Impact Modular for Bristol City Council. It’s the first development of its kind in the UK, and Bristol hopes to set a blueprint for building socially inclusive and inspiring communities.

Hope Rise will provide affordable transitional accommodation for youngsters who are on low incomes, or making their first steps into independent living. The development will accommodate a total of eleven tenants, two of whom will be selected as ‘community builders' or ‘super tenants’, whose role will be to encourage participation in the wider community life.

Created by Impact Modular, the homes

were built using modular construction in less than five months, and completed on site within two weeks. The affordable development meets the highest environmental standards by utilising modern methods of construction.

The apartments were designed to be carbonneutral, by generating more energy than they consume, with features such as integrated airsource heat pumps, solar roofs, super-insulated walls, triple glazing and airtight construction all contributing to their energy efficiency.

“The Hope Rise project’s environmental consciousness, coupled with the opportunity to promote and foster social cohesion, meant that we were determined to deliver these homes in a time efficient and cost-effective manner,” said Robert Whitton, founder of Impact Capital Group.

Bristol. It's hot.

“Bristol City Council has set an example to the rest of the UK. This development demonstrates how affordable housing can be highly sustainable, good-quality and designed to promote social inclusivity.

“The pandemic has intensified the UK’s housing and homelessness crisis, creating an even more pressing need for more social housing across the country,” said COO Jack Randall.

“This project is proof of what can be achieved with innovation at the forefront of design and build. Our team worked tirelessly to complete this development by Christmas, knowing that a timely delivery would mean that 11 otherwise vulnerable individuals could enjoy the season in a warm and safe home.”

For more: impact-capital.co.uk

THE HEAT IS ON

The latest research by estate agent comparison site GetAgent. co.uk has revealed that Bristol was the hottest home-selling spot in the UK, with buyer demand at 71.4%, in the final quarter of 2020.

“Buyer demand remained extremely high in many parts of the UK during the final quarter of 2020, continuing to benefit from a stamp duty holiday boost despite entering a traditionally quieter period for the property market,” said GetAgent.co.uk COE Colby Short.

Bristol's success is in marked contrast to London, where central boroughs continue to suffer from a decline in popularity, largely due to the changing trends in how and where we choose work. In Bristol, for example.

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

ADVERTISING FEATURE

A HOME FOR OUR TIMES REDLAND COURT BRISTOL – a new home for 2021 and beyond

W

ith the impact of the past year, our homes have become even more important to our wellbeing. Indications are that working from home is here to stay, so space and flexibility along with outdoor space is a priority for many buyers.

Set in three acres of private residents’ gardens, Redland Court is Bristol’s most prestigious landmark development. Juniper Homes has now opened a long-awaited show apartment in the contemporary Science Building.

The youngest of the conversion buildings and dating back to the 1930s, the Science Building is now home to 17 beautiful apartments. As well as the residents’ gardens, many apartments enjoy private outdoor terraces and far-reaching views. A choice of one-, two- and three-bedroom options solves the working-from-home dilemma.

The show home, a 1194 sq ft two-bedroom ground floor apartment, is so beautifully dressed that sales agents’ feedback includes accolades such as “just like a five-star hotel” and “genuinely the best show apartment in Bristol”.

Combined with a marketing suite in a groundfloor 904 sq ft two-bedroom apartment, buyers can see the time, thought and love that has been lavished on the exceptional specification and finish in these units.

Each building on the scheme has a specification designed to match its character and period, so the Science Building has a more contemporary specification than the Old School Hall or the Manor House. Features include skirtings and architraves matched to wall colours

to create visually dramatic seamless effects in the spacious rooms. The master suite bathroom in the show apartment is a joy; huge mirrors reflect the marbled porcelain tiles, making the bathroom feel like a spa.

The open-plan living spaces, a feature in so many of these apartments, provides space to socialise and areas of peaceful contemplation.

As you move up through the building, the views from these desirable apartments just add to their appeal; let in the spring sunshine with the gliding bi-fold or French doors and large windows, most opening onto private outdoor terraces or courtyards.

Communal areas reflect this exemplary finish and a smooth lift provides access to all four levels in the Science Building. Parking is available for all two+ bedroom apartments, with landscaped grounds providing a green haven for residents. n

• 1-bed apartments from £345,000 • 2-bed apartments from £525,000 • 3-bed apartments from £895,000.

For further information please call Savills on 0117 910 0360 or Ocean on 0117 946 9838 www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 75

PROPERTY A PL ACE TO C ALL HOME

THE WHITE HOUSE Could you be the latest incumbent of this delightful Grade-II home on Buckingham Vale?

By Ursula Cole

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A PROPERTY PLACE TO CALL HOME

W

hat’s the best property location in Bristol? The top spot is hotly contested. Could it be regal, timelessly elegant Clifton Village, with its glorious Georgian terraces ranged along the Gorge? Very possibly. Or cool, urban Harbourside, with limitless dining-out opportunities right on the doorstep? Redland – yet another foodie mecca – with its grand villas and leafy residential streets?

Wonderful choices, all. We’d happily live in any of them. But you could also make a strong case for the maze of quiet streets that link Pembroke Road to Whiteladies Road; strike out to the west and you’ll be in the Village in no time; head north and you’ll be romping on the Downs before you know it. East and south, the myriad delights of Whiteladies Road and the city centre are yours for the taking; no car required.

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

It’s also an area replete with beautiful and historic homes, such as our showcase property this issue, on Buckingham Vale; just off Pembroke Road, and handy for ‘the Almas’. Just think; when the Uncontagious Times return, a takeaway coffee from Brew to kickstart the working day could become your new lifestyle reality.

Although Buckingham Vale has the good looks of a classic Georgian terrace, the Grade-II house basks in a corner position that bestows obvious semi-detached perks.

The front facade makes a charming first impression, with its immaculate white stucco, panelled windows, and castiron porch, over a door with leaded lights. Having the street sign mounted above makes it look extra important.

The house is set back at the end of a delightful front garden, separated from the road by an iron fence and pillared gate. This small space has been lovingly landscaped, with a parterre of clipped box hedging, a stone wall topped with wrought iron railings adorned with flowering climbers and a separate sitting-out area and balustrade steps to a store area. Is it too fanciful to imagine bonneted and beribboned ladies from the Bridgerton era trotting up that path to make social calls?

Probably. But to be fair, this is the kind of house that licenses fanciful speculation.

Today, as with all the best period properties, all that historic ambience has been preserved while creating a thoroughly modern home offering generous space and flexibility. On the top three storeys, the space is

PROPERTY

neatly divided into two main rooms per floor – a pair of adjacent drawing rooms on the first, bedrooms and bathrooms on the second and third.

The lower ground floor forms the hub of daily family life, with a kitchen open to a dining room that could easily do duty as a family room. There’s a garden room too, which could make the most enviable home office.

This opens to an integrated garage – a superb luxury, as anyone who has ever tried to park in Clifton will know.

The room also opens to a fully enclosed courtyard garden – an ideal alfresco dining space, with flagstones, a planter trough, espaliers, outdoor lighting and heater.

Keen to take a closer look during lockdown? There’s a video tour on the Savills website. Remember how astonished we all were when Decker’s futuristic monitor in Blade Runner allowed him to click on the screen and see around corners? The future has arrived, and it looks almost exactly like that. n

HOUSE NUMBERS

Guide price

Square footage 2240

Where

Bedrooms 4

What else?

Integrated garage; wine store

Bathrooms 2 Reception rooms

3

Garden Enclosed courtyard and pretty front garden

£1.295m Clifton

For more: Savills, 20 The Mall, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4DR 0117 933 5800; savills.co.uk

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 79

BRISTOL LIVES

“It would be wonderful to see Bristolian choirs singing all over the building” have kept working right through. I expect there will be Covid-related challenges for quite a while to come, but I know we’ll get through.

What events have you put on while the hall’s been closed?

LOUISE MITCHELL The CEO of Bristol Music Trust sums up the charity’s role as “bringing brilliant music to everyone who wants to be inspired or entertained” – not an easy task in the midst of a pandemic, mind…

D

uring her ten years as CEO of Bristol Music Trust – the charity that runs both Bristol Beacon and music education hub Bristol Plays Music – Louise has had an eventful time of it. Not only has she led the venue through a multimillion transformation that will make it fit for 21st-century purpose, but she’s overseen another seismic change: last year, the original name of Colston Hall was ditched for good, pioneering a citywide trend to remove all associations with the notorious slave trader. That’s quite the legacy.

France, so I learnt quite a lot about that, too. We also had competitions to see if we could inspire people to buy catchy but obscure music just by putting it on the turntable.

Has music always played a big part in your life?

Where are you up to with the renovation of the hall?

My father ran a record shop, so we always had music around. It was a brilliant opportunity to keep up with the pops, but also to listen to different performances of the same piece and get an idea of how the music fitted together. We joked that you were allowed to play anything you liked in the shop, provided it was classical piano music from

Tell us how you settled on the new name for Colston Hall

It was a long, delicate and sometimes frightening process. We took advice from experts as well as listening to the views of over 4,000 Bristolians. We needed to find a name that could be truly inclusive, wouldn’t cause offence and yet still had a wider meaning. For me, Beacon stood out from early on.

We’re dealing with a fragile old building, and the work has proved to be even more complex than expected. The good news is that after such a long period of demolition and excavation, we’re beginning to see the new structures rising from the rubble.

The pandemic has slowed things down a bit, but the contractors

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We’ve hosted a number of really successful online events, including two festival-style takeovers and an incredible event in December, celebrating the centenary of the première of The Lark Ascending. We are still scheduling new events and rescheduling existing events, and are really looking forward to the summer when, if the stars align, we will be able to welcome Nile Rodgers and Chic into the city at our Harbourside events.

What would be your dream act to reopen the hall?

Anything that brings the community together; I think it would be wonderful to see some mass participation choir projects, with Bristolians singing all over the building to welcome the opening of the new spaces.

Do concert halls serve a slightly different role these days?

Every concert hall is different.

Bristol has always presented a really wide range of events, but I think the changes that are happening at Bristol Beacon are putting our community and education work at the centre of our programme. Our teams are working really hard to make sure our music programme has relevance to everyone across our city – we are very clear that we have a civic role as well as making sure we are entertaining people.

Please share your favourite fun fact from the hall’s long history.

There are so many. When we still had the old stage I used to marvel that I could stand where Ella Fitzgerald had once sung.

If you were describing Bristol to someone who’d never been, how would you sum it up in five words?

Independent, vibrant, musical, delicious, supportive.

Where’s your manor, and why do you live there?

I live on the border of Cotham and Redland. I love being able to walk downhill into town and uphill to the freedom of the Downs within a few minutes.

Favourite café, restaurant and shop?

I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to go to a café; I’ll need to find a new favourite, as my old haunt hasn’t survived the lockdown. Greens is my treasured local restaurant, ideal for a relaxed, fair-priced, quietly enjoyable meal. My favourite shop would need to be a combination of Averys and Max Minerva’s – proper wine and proper books, sold by experts.

What is your most regrettable habit?

Needing a lot of sleep and not usually getting it.

What piece of music would you put on at the end of a trying day?

There is nothing like unaccompanied Bach to clear the head and restore a wonderment in human achievement.

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

I’m just about to join friends and colleagues from across the world for our International Society for the Performing Arts annual conference.

It won’t be the same online as live in our usual venue in New York, but much, much better than sitting alone in a draughty home office.

For more bristolbeacon.org

BATH & BRISTOL

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Monday - Saturday: 9.30am - 5.30pm Sunday by appointment

Email: Showroom@bristol.kutchenhaus.co.uk Tel: 0117 213 0497

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