Bristol Life – Issue 316

WHERE’S IT TO?

CELEBRATING THE HIGH STREET

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2022

THE PREVIEW….

BLURRING BOUNDARIES

THE RETURN OF MAYFEST

THE WHOLE HOG

SWINE AND DINE AT THE PIG

ISSUE 316 / MAY 2022 / £3

ISSUE 316 / MAY 2022 / GET ON THEIR LAND

THE FEST IS YET TO COME

YEO, BRISTOL: YOU READY TO PARTY?

EDITOR’S LETTER

10 S

o, what’s your festival style? The full-on, in-tents, flowers-in-your-hair Glastonbury extravaganza? A weekend of retro genre cinema on a gurt big IMAX screen?

Something devoted to food, comedy, boats or balloons? Bristol has it covered, and so do we, in our fabulous, summery May issue.

To experience it at its best, I’d warmly recommend you get into the zone. Ditch those working-from-home comfies in favour of cut-off jeans, a kimono, kaftan or something made from lamé.

Pull on wellies. Stick glitter and sequins to the brow and cheekbone areas. Dip hair ends (unwashed) into a luridly-hued dye of your choice. Light up a joss stick – no, we said a joss stick, Easton. Crack open a tinnie containing something locally brewed. Spotify up your favourite bands, and nod your head knowingly to the music. If you’re reading this after dark, kindly limit yourself to the beam from a phone torch, ideally while sitting in a tent; a sheet draped over a few upturned chairs will do.

OK; now feel free to flick to page 10, and fill your mud-spattered boots.

Obviously, the Bristol festival season isn’t just about kicking back in a field; there are plenty of cerebral indoor delights, too. This packed summer calendar is a hugely positive sign of a city hurtling towards recovery; it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and we’re feeling pretty positive about it all.

Ready? Diaries out, lumo pens poised. Love will save the day, if we’re all very good . . .

Heading your way . . .

And we’re not just talking about Guy and the gang; we also mean Jamie XX, Paolo Nutini, IDLES, Portishead, The Chemical Brothers, Little Simz, Noel Gallagher, Nile Rogers, Belle & Sebastian, and many, many more – it’s an incredible all-star line-up for the Bristol summer

DERI ROBINS Bristol Life editor Follow us on

@BristolLifeMag;

@BristolLifeMag

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 3

Issue 316 / May 2022

10

COVER Valleyfest photo by Louis Smith studiowhisk.co.uk; @studiowhisk

FESTIVALS

10 SIMPLY THE FEST May right through to September,

sorted; you’re welcome

ARTS

23 ARTS INTRO Welcome back, RWA 24 WHAT’S ON Upcoming delights at Bristol’s myriad 32 36 40 49

pleasure palaces

THEATRE Mayfest is among us COMEDY Nish is on a roll BRISTOL HEROES Indies all the way BOOKS Fresh new reads

FOOD & DRINK

50 RESTAURANT Swining and dining at The Pig 54 PARTIES Top venues fer the ultimate gatherings 61 CAFÉ SOCIETY It’s the Little Victories that count

SHOPPING

62 EDITOR’S CHOICE Colour therapy 64 FASHION Are you Bristol Life Awards-ready?

LIFESTYLE

24

67 HEALTH & BEAUTY The eyebrows have it

BUSINESS

73 BRISTOLWORKS From Copenhagen to Bristol; and

our BIG Bristol Life Awards preview

PROPERTY

107 SHOWCASE An eco-retreat across the Bridge

REGULARS

6 SPOTLIGHT 9 BRIZZOGRAM 114 BRISTOL LIVES Zeena Moolla

TOP:

Louis Masai, being nonchalent at Upfest: photo by Neil James Russell Brand, wryly contemplating our fate at Ashton Gate BOTTOM: El Colmado, with all the cheese: photo by Colin Moody MIDDLE:

40

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, Storysmith Books Commercial manager Neil Snow neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk Business development manager Craig Wallberg craig.wallberg@mediaclash. co.uk Business development 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, Carriage Court, 22 Circus Mews, Bath, BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk @The MediaClash © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

We’re a West Country-based publisher, creative agency and event organiser Magazines Our portfolio of regional magazines celebrates the best of local living: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. Agency From the design and build of websites to digital marketing and creating company magazines, we can help. Events We create, market, promote and operate a wide variety of events both for MediaClash and our clients Contact: info@mediaclash.co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT Charity gig

#BRISTOLSUPPORTSUKRAINE IDLES, Portishead, Billy Nomates, Katy J Pearson, Heavy Lungs and Wilderman will all play at a one-off gig in aid of War Child UK – a uniquely Bristol gesture towards fundraising for the Ukraine.

At the HELP! concert, both big names and up-and-coming artists will come together to celebrate the music of the city while raising much-needed funds. While headliners IDLES are always a massive draw for a hometown crowd, perhaps the most intriguing act to appear is Portishead – one of the city’s most revered and inspirational groups, who haven’t performed live since 2015. This will also be their only show of 2022.

The 1200 exclusive tickets were only available through a £10 prize draw, that closed on 25 April; at time of going to press they’d already raised £75k. Proceeds raised will help War Child UK to continue their work supporting children affected by war and conflict around the world.

If you entered the draw but missed out on tickets, you’ll be able to watch the gig online; there will be further opportunities to donate further to the charity, while exclusive merchandise and artwork created by Robert Del Naja (3D) is also available.

HELP! Takes place at O2 on 2 May. For more warchild.org.uk

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Art by Rob del Naja; IDLES; Portishead

Leisure

WAKE THE TIGER In 2015, Weston-super-Mare hosted the world’s first (and to be fair, only) Bemusement Park, in the form of Dismaland. Now stand by for the world’s first Amazement Park, due to open in St Philip’s this summer.

Brought by the creative team behind immersive festival Boomtown, new ‘fantastical experience’ Wake the Tiger includes the work of 100 artists, including storytellers, poets, scenic artists, robotics experts, fabricators, costume makers, architects, videographers and prop makers.

Interactive environments will mix with ‘daring new experiences’, blurring the lines between an art gallery, theme park and film set, with a playful psychedelic twist throughout.

Visitors will step through the secret portal into the amazing world of Meridia; a multilayered maze of immersive environments, secret passageways, hidden forests, temples, 6 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

ice caves and other wonders, which take them ever deeper into the story.

Wake The Tiger is set to welcome up to 300,000 visitors each year, inviting them to explore an unique world of creativity, discovery and play that never finishes evolving. The experience will also communicate spiritual and scientific teachings to help ignite the imagination of people of all ages, to inspire the emergence of a better world.

“This project has been two years in the making, and the result of decades of creative input from some of the best technologists, storytellers and creative minds working across festivals and attractions in the UK,” says founder and MD Graham MacVoy. “We are starting this new movement in our spiritual home of Bristol, and can’t wait to be open this summer.”

For more wakethetiger.com

OK, so Meridia’s a little bit Narnia, and a little bit Oliver Twist, then...?

SPOTLIGHT

ON THE WATERFRONT

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THE FEST IS YET TO COME

FESTIVALS

Does anything say ‘back to normal’ more confidently than a packed Bristol festival season?

By Deri Robins 10 I BRISTOL LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk

I

t’s all good, man. We’ve been studying the Bristol summer season’s form, and we’re liking what we’re seeing. Everything is looking reassuringly familiar. Bristol Sounds is back, Upfest’s back, Pride Day’s back, the Balloon Fiesta and Harbourfest are back, the Craft Beer Fest’s back – actually, that one never went away, you can’t keep a good brewer down.

There’s even a brand-new festival happening on the Downs. The local calendar is brimming with optimism and positivity, and in the process it’s delivering one of the best, biggest and glitteriest summer line-ups that Bristol Life can ever remember...

“Forwards isn’t just about the music; Team Love want to challenge what an urban festival can be”

Little Simz – and she’s not even a headliner at Forwards . . .

OBVIOUSLY, the Bristol festival season isn’t just about kicking back in a field; there are plenty of cerebral indoor delights, too. The season starts as early as January with Slapstick, Jazz & Blues normally runs in March, while the Festival of Ideas and the Bristol Film Festival run pretty much all year round.

But when it comes to outdoor event, it’s only now that the city starts to wake up and show us what it can do.

So whether it’s a flowers-in-your-hair weekend of lurrve at LSTD, stuff involving boats and balloons or cultural bonanzas, you’re comprehensively covered.

“Waddya mean, you’ve never seen Bladerunner?”

It’s the biggest food fest in Bristol; admittedly it’s not the most Bristol-y, though you can expect to see top local chefs such as Josh Eggleton, Elliott Lidstone and Larkin Cen among familiar faces off the telly. And as you simply can’t have a food fest without music these days, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Lee and Simon from Blue, Five, Liberty X and Rozalla are all booked for your aural delectation. foodiesfestival.com

FORBIDDEN WORLDS: 13-15 May

Waddya mean, you’ve never seen Bladerunner?

Bristol’s video-hire heroes 20th-Century Flicks are celebrating 40 years in the biz with a film fest dedicated to genre cinema, with a particular focus on classics and curios from 1982. They’re literally having it large, at the former Bristol IMAX at Bristol Aquarium; we’re talking a 19x15m screen, with tiered seating. Speaking of Blade Runner, it’s the final-cut version that’s preferred by director Ridley Scott; would it be deeply uncool to admit we preferred the original version, with Deckard’s sardonic voiceover?

OK, we’ll shut up. forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk

MAY

BRISTOL FOLK FESTIVAL: 29 April-1 May Celebrating the best in UK folk and roots, at various venues, from Clifton Cathedral to St George’s Bristol, Bristol Folk House and The Architect. Big names Kate Rusby and Jon Boden headline; bristolfolkfestival.org

BRISTOL WALK FEST: 1-31 May

Hundreds of walks to prise you off the couch, whatever your age, interests or fitness level. It’s Covid-secure, offering digital walks via the Go Jauntly app, with a variety of routes and themes ranging from street art to nature and local history. Are you ready, boots? Start walking… bristolwalkfest.com

BRISTOL TRANSFORMED: 13-15 May

BRISTOL NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL: 5-8 May

The fourth edition of the eclectic sonic exploration of the city, with newly commissioned work, responses to rarely used spaces, landmark concert hall gigs, club nights, galley exhibitions and films. bristolnewmusic.org

FOODIES FESTIVAL: 11-13 May

Love will save the day, if you ask it nicely, at Ashton Court

With a weekend of debate, art, games and parties, this grassroots, volunteer-run festival of socialist politics, arts and culture brings together activists, trade unionists and leading figures on the left, creating the space to discuss the most important issues facing us, equipping us with the skills and knowledge to transform Bristol and the world.

At various venues. bristoltransformed.co.uk

FESTIVALS

Hill, Al Murray, Sinil Patel, Reginald D Hunter, Shappi Khorsandi, Mark Thomas, Mark Watson and loads of other names you’ll know. wellscomfest.com

MAYFEST: 13-29 May

It’s the return of Bristol’s trailblazing festival of international contemporary theatre; more on the subject on page 32. mayfestbristol.co.uk

DOT TO DOT: 28 May

One day of innovative, groundbreaking musical acts (63 are currently listed), including Squid, Getts and Baby Queen, performing in intimate city spaces; catch ‘em while they’re fresh. dottodotfestival.co.uk

BRISTOL COMEDY FESTIVAL: 15 May

Not to be confused with Bristol Comedy Garden, this new one-day event packs in comedy previews from TV names, circuit legends and fast-rising new acts, at To the Moon, Ill Repute, Exchange and the Stag and Hounds. Much postponed due to the Big C, so go along and support it. facebook.com/BristolComedyFestival

UPFEST: 28-29 May

Is anything more closely entwined with Bristol’s creativity and vibe than the Urban Art Festival? The art form has risen from the streets, claimed just enough gentrification to become legit without losing its edge.

It’s celebrating its 15th year with festival artist Squirl, and a new spring slot for the main weekend at hubs the Tobacco Factory, Ashton Gate and Greville Smyth Park, where over 300 international and UK artists will be painting live; more casually, you’ll spot many painting walls in the ‘hood from 5 May onwards. In the spirit of its origins, Upfest is totally free, with profits going to NACOA. upfest.co.uk

SHINDIG: 26-29 May

At the Dillington Estate near Yeovil, with a terrific line-up headlined by the mighty Roy Ayres and DeLaSoul, the funkiest festival in the West Country offers a soulful dose of relaxation and revelry for funky warriors and their families. Think of it as a glorious mash up of a gig, house party, circus show, comedy night, wellbeing retreat and a kid’s party; no main stages, just a bunch of stretch marquees.

New for this year is The Gritchie Bar, a vintage mobile bar from filmmaker-turned-brewery-owner Guy Ritchie. This year’s dress-up theme is Mardi Gras, which shouldn’t be too much of a stretch, given what you were planning to wear anyway, and if you’re looking for love the festival has its own hook-up service called (oh yes) Shinder. shindigfestival.co.uk

JUNE

BRISTOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL June-August

WELLS COMEDY FESTIVAL: 27-29 May

Wells is a tiny town that likes to punch above its weight, and never more so than when it comes to its annual comedy fest: headlining this year are Harry

Will this awesome piece

by Insane51 be painted over this Upfest?

The full programme has yet to be announced, but we’re promised a “light-hearted summer season – the perfect antidote to all the bad news over the last couple of years”, welcoming back some old favourites and introducing some new ones at a mixture of outdoor and indoor venues across the city. bristolshakespearefestival.org.uk

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FESTIVALS

LOVE SAVES THE DAY: 2-3 June

neglecting wine, cider and spirits) and beyond, catering from the city’s finest independent kitchens, two firepits manned by guest chefs, and a party with a curated line-up of DJ acts. bristolcraftbeerfestival.co.uk

It’s a big year for Bristol’s homegrown dance fest; not only does it have a new site at Ashton Court, but it coincides with the special Jubilee long bank holiday. Dozens of acts; as a rule of thumb, the more you’ve heard of, the younger your age. lovesavestheday.org

VOLKFEST: 10-12 June

Good tunes, good rides, good times. If it has even the most tenuous link to a Volkswagen, expect it to be celebrated here, along with films, demos and a fun music line-up. bristolvolksfest.co.uk

FESTIVAL OF VOICE: 2-26 June

“Singing is like a celebration of oxygen”, said Bjork, and St George’s are celebrating with a new, month-long tribute to the power, beauty and universality of the human voice, with a mix of internationally renowned artists, grass-roots choirs anchored in their local communities, and everything in between. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

FESTIVAL OF NATURE: 10-18 June

The UK’s biggest free celebration of the natural world, with around 50 events across Bristol and Bath. It kicks off with Action Day on Friday 10 June, encouraging us all to take positive action to help local wildlife. bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-nature

FOREST LIVE: 9-12 June

Open-air gigs at Westonbirt, featuring an eclectic line-up against a spectacular beautiful forestry setting. This year it’s crowd-pleasers Rag ‘n’Bone Man, Keane, Madness and Texas. Profits from ticket sales helps look after the nation’s forests sustainably. forestryengland.uk/music

RIVERTOWN: 11 June-1 August

CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL: 10-11 June

The mighty CBF wasn’t going to let a little thing like a pandemic get in its way; it’s the only major local event which managed to take place in 2020. It returned in 2021 and now it’s all hands to the pumps for 2022, with banging beers (not

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Mmm, craft beer . . .

Saddle up, y’all! Rivertown’s good ol’ boys and gals ride back into town with their whiskey-soaked, barnstorming roots and country music, born from deep in the American soul, from bluegrass to the blues; headliners include Graham Nash, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earl & The Dukes and The Barr Brothers. At various venues, including Redgrave, Fiddlers, Louisiana, St George’s and Thekla. bristolbeacon.org

BRISTOL COMEDY GARDEN: 15-19 June

After moving the whole shebang up to the Downs last year, the BCG is back with the same open-air, fully ticketed offering. Big names include Nish Kumar, who in an amazing coincidence is featured on page 36, James Acaster, Alan Davies, Sindhu Vee, Milton Jones, Aisling Bea, Rose Matafeo, Ardal O’Hanlon, Phil Wang, David O’Doherty, etc. bristolcomedygarden.com

GLASTONBURY: 22-26 June

The festival of festivals; anyone who’s anyone will be playing Worthy Farm, with Billie Eilish, Macca, Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross headlining. Didn’t bag tickets?

Many of the same acts can be seen in Bristol this year, at Forwards, the HELP! fundraiser ( page 6), and Bristol Sounds. glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

PUB IN THE PARK: 17-18 June

Tom Kerridge, Simon Rimmer and Andi Oliver head up this Bath-based summertime celebration of food and music, ft. award-winning restaurants and banging live tunes – this year courtesy of Supergrass, Faithless, Natalie Imbruglia, Melanie C, The Sugar Hill Gang, Norman Jay, Aswad et al. pubintheparkuk.com

BRISTOL SOUNDS: 22-26 June

Our favourite outdoor fest, as bands en route to or from Glastonbury stop off for small gigs at Lloyd’s Amphitheatre; big name acts without the mud, and, at the end of the night, far comfier beds (ie your own) and a proper loo. Crosstown Concerts has excelled itself this year, with a line-up featuring Paolo Nutini, Elbow, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, First Aid Kit, The War on Drugs and Jungle. facebook.com/ BristolSoundsOfficial

“Big name acts without the mud, and at the end of the night, far comfier beds (your own)”

BRISTOL PRIDE: 25 June-10 July

The year’s most fabulous fest is back in all its rainbowcoloured, sparkly, feather-festooned glory, with a fortnight packed with eclectic delights. Pride Day on 9 July features multiple stages with some of the biggest names in live music (ie we don’t know yet), along with new, emerging and local talent. The Pride Parade March returns louder and prouder than ever, to mark the 50th anniversary of the first one of its kind in the UK; other events during the two weeks include the Pride Night official after-party, the Dog Show, Comedy Night, Circus Night, Theatre Night and Queer Vision Film Festival. pridebristol.co.uk

JULY

ST PAUL’S CARNIVAL: 2-10 July

There’s no full Carnival this year, but summer activities and community events will take place, such as school’s performances and Elders’ Brunch, in a celebration of culture and diversity.

The organisers are also planning a Carnival takeover event at Lost Horizon, a family picnic in St Pauls and a community-focused event held at the Malcolm X Centre. This year is also the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence, and some events will run in recognition of this milestone. stpaulscarnival.net

BRISTOL BEACON PRESENTS: 13 & 15 July

Beacon brings two massive acts to Lloyd’s. On the 13th the mighty Nile Rogers and Chic will knock your little D.I.S.C.O. socks off, followed by indie-popsters Belle and Sebastian on the 15th, playing their biggest Bristol show to date. bristolbeacon.org

Don’t shoot the messenger, but it’s now resale tickets only for Paolo

FESTIVALS BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL: 15-17 July

Much more than a treat for flotilla-fanciers, this is a celebration of the heart and soul of a city. It covers the waterfront, from Underfall Yard to Millennium Square, over to Queen Square and Castle Park and beyond. It generally attracts 200-250k people, effectively turning the city centre into a three-day festival of music, dance, circus and, oh yeah, boats. bristolharbourfestival.co.uk

CINEMA REDISCOVERED: 20-24 July

Unmissable treats for film buffs, with classics, rare movies and new restorations up on the big screens at Watershed, Cube and Curzon. More details in our next issue. watershed.co.uk

SIREN: 29-30 July

A new music event from the creators of Sequences Festival comes to Harbourside, headlined by Groove Armada, one of the most successful dance acts of all time, as part of its last full live UK tour.

We see you, baby… sirenbristol.com

FIELDS OF FANTASY: 29-31 July

Set in a secret location on the outskirts of Bristol, and taking inspiration from Secret Garden Party and Wilderness, this new dance festival promises three days of hedonism surrounded by natural beauty near open water (we wonder whether the latter might not be the best combination with mind-altering substances;

They see you, baby: Groove Armada headline at Siren

All year round – various venues

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF IDEAS

Big names, big ideas.

An ongoing, brilliantly stimulating brantub of talks on politics, philosophy and culture; you name it, they cover it. ideasfestival.com

BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL

Crowd-pleasing movies in quirky venues. New for 2022 is the Screening Room Series ft. lesser-known cult classics, from Big Night to Diva, Private War and the snappily titled Bad Lieutenant – Port of Call New Orleans.

Oh, and there’s a mini-Wes Anderson fest on 1 May, too. bristolfilmfestival.com

just saying). Over 100 DJs and artists are booked to play across five stages hidden among the trees and open fields of the site, covering all things house and techno, including sets from futurist innovator Jeff Mills and dance-music queen Sherelle. fieldsoffantasyfestival.com

AUGUST

VALLEY FEST: 4-7 August

The best-tasting fest in the West. Fun tunes combined with seriously excellent, sustainable food; there’s a laidback, family-friendly vibe, as farmer Luke Hasell (our cover star!) invites you to get on his beautiful Chew Magna land. Travis, Clean Bandit and Roni Size headline, while performance art collective Arcadia dominate a new playground in the second field. The always-great food focus is upped an even further notch for 2022, with Josh Eggleton curating a line-up featuring guest chefs, including local heroes Pete Sanchez, Rob Howell, Ben Harvey, Louise McCrimmon and George Livesey. valleyfest.co.uk

BRISTOL BALLOON FIESTA: 11-14 August Back, at last, in its traditional home of Ashton Court: mass dawn and evening ascents and night glows, with ‘family fun’ in case the unthinkable happens and the wind doesn’t play ball. Eyes up on the skies; and down on Instagram. bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

Do we honestly need to caption this pic?

SEPTEMBER

FORWARDS: 3-4 September

Created by Team Love, who previously brought you The Downs Bristol on the same site, is a brand new festival headlined by The Chemical Brothers and Jamie XX, with a hugely impressive supporting line-up including Little Simz, Self-Esteem, Khruangbin, Caribou, Róisín Murphy, Sleaford Mods, Stanlæy and many more.

And it’s not just about the tunes. Team Love want to challenge what an urban festival can be, and how it can spark positive change; at a space called The Information, some of the world’s most inspirational artists, speakers, disruptors and thinkers will focus on today’s current affairs and cultural issues. forwardsbristol.com

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

“Eyes up on the skies, and down on instagram”

WINGFEST: 10-11 September

The poultry answer to Grillstock returns to Lloyd’s, with chicken wings (an estimated 100,000), 25 different food vendors, beer, bourbon and music. wingfest.co.uk

TOKYO WORLD: 17-18 September

The Eastville Park bash returns with a new theme: ‘Chapter 2 - The Final Gathering’. Does this mean it’s the last one? What’s the line-up? We continue to pursue clarity on these matters. tokyoworld.org

ENCOUNTERS: 27 September- 2 October

We’re moving back indoors now, as Bristol’s celebrated festival of film, animation and virtual reality celebrates its quarter century, would you believe. Screenings, talks and generally the very best of cinegeekery. encounters-festival.org.uk

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THE ARTS S N A P S H O T S O F B R I S T O L’ S C U LT U R A L L I F E

LET ME TAKE A SELFIE

Big (huge!) news for art lovers: the RWA reopens this month, after the completion of its immense The Light and Inspiration Capital Project.

First out of the traps is megaexhibition Me, Myself, I: Artists’ Self-Portraits, Self-Portraits which sets out to provide a historical context for today’s selfie culture through an exploration of self-portraiture over the last 300 years.

There’s a particular focus on the last 50 years, and the ways that artists have imagined and presented themselves, from the personal and psychological to the controversial and political.

Expect to see over 80 works by the likes of Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Sonia Boyce, Antony Gormley, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lucian Freud, Patrick Heron et al, alongside emerging talent.

You’ll learn which artists challenged social norms and defied conventions, questioning identity, gender and representation ahead of their time, and constantly thinking afresh in an everchanging world.

While you’re there, take time to check out the spanking new café, shop and other areas – and obviously, don’t forget to take a selfie.

Me, Myself, I: Artists’ SelfPortraits runs 2 May-19 June at RWA rwa.org.uk

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WHAT’S ON 29 April-20 May 2022

EXHIBITIONS Until 8 May

CANDICE LIN: PIGS AND POISON Solo exhibition at Spike Island by the LA artist, comprising virtual reality animation, fleshlike sculptures and a large-scale mediaeval trebuchet. While you’re there, check out Nosferasta

by Brooklyn-based filmmakers Adam Khalil and Bayley Sweitzer – a rasta vampire flick, no less; spikeisland.org.uk

Until 29 May

PAULA REGO: SUBVERSIVE STORIES The world-famous BritishPortuguese figurative artist shows at Arnolfini with her gallery of disturbing, provoking images; arnolfini.org.uk DONNA HUANCA: CUEVA DE COPAL Site-specific interdisciplinary installation by a rising star of the art world, focusing on the human body. Arnolfini, arnolfini.org.uk

Until 5 June

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Still at M Shed, with this year’s set of winning images of the natural world; bristolmuseums.org.uk

by 60 photographers will be on display at RPS Gallery; rps.org/ipe163

Until 12 June

GRAYSON’S ART CLUB Artworks chosen by Grayson and guest celebs during his TV series of the same name; at Bristol Museum, bristolmuseums.org.uk

HOLDING THE BABY Photographic work by Polly Braden, creating a portrait of the strength and resilience of single-parent families facing austerity.

At Arnolfini; arnolfini.org.uk CAFÉ ROYAL BOOKS DOCUMENTARY, ZINES AND SUBVERSION With 500 zines and 167 photos, this new exhibition celebrates the work of publishing house, Café Royal Books, which has produced weekly publications focusing on postwar documentary photography linked to Britain and Ireland, in an accessible and affordable format. It’s the largest published print archive of postwar British documentary photography, and a champion for the unseen, under-represented and overlooked in photography. At Martin Parr; martinparrfoundation.org

Until 21 August

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 163 The world’s longest running photography exhibition;105 works

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Until 4 September

VAN GOGH IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Step into over 300 of Vincent’s drawings, and paintings, via floorto-ceiling digital projections, VR headsets, roomsets and more; at Propyard, vangoghexpo.com

Until 31 December

LEBOHANG KGANYE: LEAVE THE LIGHT WHEN YOU LEAVE FOR GOOD The Georgian House was once home to a sugar trader and his enslaved staff; now Lebohang invites us to reflect on the legacy of colonialism as a shared history, via a black-andwhite three-channel video installation at the same site; bristolmuseums.org.uk

30 April-2 May

OPEN STUDIOS After a two-year hiatus, Spike Island once again throws open its doors to the public; spikeisland.org.uk

2 May-19 June

ME, MYSELF, I Welcome back, RWA! Our most venerable gallery reopens with a new show about artists’ selfportraits; more deets on page 23. rwa.org.uk

SHOWS Until 30 April

CHICAGO “Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery… all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.”

Fosse’s sexy, sassy masterpiece is doing the rounds again, and coming to Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

Until 2 May

CIRCUS VEGAS Within a huge Stars & Stripes big top, merging the elements of circus with all the glitz you’d expect when you think of Vegas. But at Elm Park. circusvegasuk.com

Until 7 May

THE MEANING OF ZONG In the late 18th century, Olaudah Equiano read harrowing reports of a massacre aboard the slave ship Zong. Joining forces with anti-

WHAT’S ON

slavery campaigner Granville Sharp, he helped set in motion events which led to the abolition movement in the UK. Major new play from Giles Terera, at BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

3-7 May

EDUCATING RITA Willy Russell’s perennially delightful play about further education comes to Alma Tavern; tickettailor.com RENT With Tick Tick Boom being all Oscarnominated and all, we’ve been waiting for a revival of Jonathan Larson’s generation-defining, HIVshadowed musical. It won four Tonys along with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and ran on Broadway for 12 years. Now Bristol Musical Comedy Club give it a whirl at Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

5-6 May

NIKKI RUMMER: UNBROKEN Told through the eyes of a daughter, weaving fragments of memories into the body of one performer as a dark, previously buried secret finds its way to the surface. Circomedia; circomedia.com

5-8 May

EVERYMAN Everyman works hard, and plays harder. He has success, good looks and is living the dream; until Death comes calling. Forced to take a chaotic pilgrimage, Everyman becomes a man on the run, frantically attempting to justify his life choices before his time runs out. Miracle Theatre brings Carol Ann Duffy’s radical adaptation of the 15th-century morality play up to date at Unit 15 in The Fleapit, a performance space containing peepstyle booths and 3D multi-media design. miracletheatre.co.uk

10-12 May

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER Combining Charlotte PerkinsGilman’s terrifying novella with reallife accounts of postpartum mental illness, Dumb Blonde Theatres creates a claustrophobic insight into marriage, motherhood and madness.

Alma Tavern; tickettailor.com

10-14 May

Be Part Of Mayfest from top: Glastonbury 1971 by Ron Reid, Café Royal Books; Tony Bevan paints a selfie at RWA; rave reviews are in for Zong at BOV

opposite page

SCHOOL OF ROCK Get ready to stick it to the man, Bristol, because Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End and Broadway hit musical is coming to the Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

13 May

TIFO/VOLCANO In Tifo, footie fan Kerry tries to decide what do while Premier League footballers kneel for a moment of silence; in Volcano, Max receives a piece of news that will force him to confront everything he knows about himself as he embarks on a 12-hour odyssey across London. Alma Tav; tickettailor.com

13-29 May

MAYFEST Bristol’s biennial international festival of contemporary theatre returns; see page 32. mayk.org.uk

14-15 April

A PLACE TO FALL TO PIECES Folk/spoken word duo Isobel and Anna take you on a lyrical journey, through memory, magic and earth, to seek the indelible mark our country leaves on us and where the permanence of home truly lies.

Alma Tavern; tickettailor.com

16-21 May

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Jonathan Church’s acclaimed stage production of the old MGM charmer is here to make a splash (literally; there are over 14,000 litres of water on stage every night).

Don’t wait until a rainy day to book; Hippodrome, atgtickets.com

18-20 May

WHAT IF ALL THIS WAS REAL? As humankind lurches towards its demise, a new political party’s manifesto to accelerate towards oblivion begins to gain traction.

This twisted dark comedy explores the outcome at Alma Tavern; tickettailor.com

20-21 May

DREAMWORLD Amelia Gann’s debut comedy: a fever dream of pop nostalgia, childhood dance shows, queer identity and suburban village life.

At Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

MUSIC 29 April

THE ALABAMA THREE There’s at least five of them, they’re definitely not from Alabama, but they are bringing their rootsfuturist sound to O2, and yes, they probably will play Woke up this Morning, if they know what’s good for them. academymusicgroup.com

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WHAT’S ON BRODSKY QUARTET The St George’s favourites are back for their 50th anniversary concert with a nice bit of Britten, Haydn and Ravel. stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

29 April-1 May

BRISTOL FOLK FESTIVAL Kate Rusby, Jon Boden, O’Hooley & Tidow and Kitty Macfarlane headline, at various venues; bristolfolkfestival.org

30 April

GARY NUMAN Not just acceptable in the ’80s; Gary’s impact on electronic and alternative music was hailed by the likes of Prince and Bowie, and remains impactful today, with Kanye West and Lady Gaga both crediting him as an influence. academymusicgroup.com LOW Minimalist soundscapes, slow tempos and divine harmonies from the Minnesota indie duo; Trinity, trinitybristol.org.uk

1 May

RONAN KEATING: ALL THE HITS An unambiguously titled show from Ronan at Hippodrome; guess you just got to roide it... atgtickets.com THE SHIRES The country-pop act return to O2 with a set full of feet-stomping, hearttugging gems; academymusicgroup.com

2 May

HELP! A WAR CHILD BENEFIT IDLES, Portishead, Billy Nomates, Katy J Pearson, Heavy Lungs etc play a one-off benefit gig for War Child at O2; see page 6. academymusicgroup.com

5-8 May

BRISTOL NEW MUSIC Returning for its fourth edition, with its usual adventurous exploration of the city through sound. Many venues (that’s the point); bristolnewmusic.org

3 May

LADY BLACKBIRD LA musician Marley Munroe brings her powerful jazz-infused vocals to Trinity; shades of Nina, Billie, Gladys and Tina, but in a style very much her own. trinitybristol.org.uk

9 May TOP:

Why so glum, Alt-J? MIDDLE: Lady Bird sings the blues, and then some, at Trinity BOTTOM: Is Yard Act the new Pulp? Does it matter?

EWOOD: I DON’T KNOW British-French singer, dancer and actor Ewood brings his velvety vocals, visuals and choreography to Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

10 May

WHYTE HORSES A glorious mystery. The band – is it a band, or a shifting musical collective? – fuses music and visuals recalling everything from Warhol to Tropicalia, via soul, fuzzed-up indie-psych, cosmic folk and (primarily), airy ’60s French-style pop. The sound is simultaneously like everything and nothing you’ve ever heard. Still unclear? Head to Trinity; trinitybristol.org.uk ALT-J The synth-lovin’ Leeds alt-rockers won the Mercury for 2012 An Awesome Wave and continue to surf upwards; catch them at O2; academymusicgroup.com

11 May

YARD ACT The Leeds alt-rockers combine a retro sound, all post-punk and indie dance energy, with a waspish look at post-Brexit Britain. Are they the new Pulp? Does it matter? We don’t know, but we really like James Smith’s Harry Palmer-esque brown mac. Trinity, trinitybristol.org.uk

12 May

GRACIE ABRAMS The precociously talented LA singer-songwriter brings her delicate melodies and minimal sounds to Trinity. Fun fact: she’s JJ Abrams’ daughter. trinitybristol.org.uk

15 May

JOESEF From Motown to hip hop and jazz, the soulful Glaswegian singer-songwriter musician draws influence from the likes of Al Green and the dance culture of east end Glasgow; Trinity, trinitybristol.org.uk

17 May

STEELEYE SPAN The folk-rock pioneers, still led

by Maddy Prior, are celebrating 50 years in the biz; at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

COMEDY

Ongoing

CLOSER EACH DAY The improv comedy soap continues to bubble away twice a month at Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

30 April

INSTANT WIT The improv stalwarts return to Alma Tav; almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

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

WHAT’S ON 8 May

LOST VOICE GUY: CEREBRAL LOLSY The Britain’s Got Talent winner pokes fun at his life as a disabled person in a post-apocalyptic world, as he tries to cope with fame and fortune since his victory; at Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com NISH KUMAR: YOUR POWER, YOUR CONTROL At BOV; see p. 36; bristololdvic.org.uk

11 May

SIMON BRODKIN: TROUBLEMAKER The stand-up unacquainted with the concept ‘too soon?’ explores why trouble has followed him from primary school onwards.

At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

12 May

DOM JOLY’S HOLIDAY SNAPS Thought your life was exciting?

Dom’s at Redgrave, talking about his exploits as a serial globe-trotter and seeker of dangerous travel spots; from North Korea to and Syria to Chernobyl, he’s visited some of the lairiest places on the planet. And went to school with Osama Bin Laden. redgravetheatre.com

16 May

RUSSELL BRAND: 33 Russell’s new show is a celebration of the last couple of years, and what’s been revealed politically and spiritually. “I’ll be talking about the madness we’ve been through and how we can process it together,” he says. And 33 is his lucky number, apparently. Ashton Gate; tickets.bristol-sport.co.uk

OTHER Ongoing

BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL The almost-year-round fest, with a something-for-everyone remit.

Screenings at a wide variety of Bristol locations; basically, anywhere other than a multiplex. bristolfilmfestival.com

Until 29 September, selected dates

SHOW OF STRENGTH The highly infotaining theatre walks; choose from Blood & Butchery in Bedminster, Blood, Blackbeard and Buccaneers, Crime & Crinolines in Clifton, Saints & Sinners in St George’s and more; showofstrength.org.uk

TOP:

Simon Brodkin, looking for trouble; Russell Brand; we’re a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat

BELOW:

30 April-1 May

EAST BRISTOL BREWERY TRAIL Seven of Bristol’s best breweries open their taproom bars to welcome you all to their ’hood. eastbristolbrewerytrail.com

1-31 May

BRISTOL WALK FEST The month-long walking festival, offering a variety of ways to explore the city; see p 10 bristolwalkfest.com

5 May

MAN DOWN Every year, thousands of men in the UK end their lives by suicide.

Those in the creative arts face an even more pronounced risk to their mental health. This new film tells the stories of men throughout the music industry, who bare their souls in intimate conversations. With a Q&A and live DJ. At The Cube; mandownprogramme.com

12-15 May

CRIMEFEST Geared both to those who like to dip into the occasional Agatha Christie as much as die-hard fanatics, with guest authors, over 40 panels and a gala awards dinner. At Mercure Grand, crimefest.com

13-15 May

FORBIDDEN WORLDS Waddya mean, you’ve never seen Bladerunner? Three-day film festival curated by 20th-Century Flicks at IMAX, dedicated to genre cinema with a particular focus on classics and curios from1982. forbiddenworldsfilmfestival.co.uk

18 May

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS The biggest and glammiest business award ceremony of the year returns to Ashton Gate; see page 79. bristollifeawards.co.uk

20-22 May

FOODIES FESTIVAL The biggest food fest of the year, ft. celebrity chefs and toppermost of the poppermost musical acts; on the Downs as per. foodiesfestival.com

24 May

BRISTOL LIFE BUSINESS CLUB A fine lunch at Harbour Hotel, with guest speaker Nick Hounsfield of The Wave: eventbrite.co.uk ■

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“I’ve struggled with sleep for years.

This product genuinely solved that and I never go anywhere without it.” – Taurri Now available in Bristol stores!

Come find us at: Wild Oats (Redland) Matter Wholefoods (Easton) Harvest (Gloucester Road) The Social (Cheltenham Road)

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COME WHAT A naked dance party at The Galleries.

A symphonic love letter to Planet Earth.

A concept gig about growing up as a gay Jehovah’s Witness: it can only be the return of Mayfest…

“Who could resist the invitation to visit The Galleries and watch a group of naked bodies perform fleshy, overflowing choreography in that vast capitalist cathedral-like space?”

THEATRE

V

ibrant, playful, rule-breaking, boundaryblurring, shape-shifting: Bristol’s festival of international contemporary theatre returns this May, with 15 live shows performed by artists from all over the globe.

Though biennial, for reasons too tediously obvious to mention it’s the first time the festival has been able to take place since 2018.

While this is a fest that’s never shied away from quirky, experimental venues (they’ve been partial to multi-storey car park roofs in the past, and if memory serves us correctly, one show took place in a moving taxi cab), most of this year’s programme plays in theatres and other indoor spaces.

Always fancied giving it a whirl, but not sure where to start?

Overwhelmed by the choice, or the sheer unfamiliarity? You could probably stick a pin in the A Crash Course in Cloudspotting programme and hit something well worth an hour or so of your time; “Polyphony, which makes its première at it’s all as far removed from Felicity Kendall Mayfest, was created in response to the starring in yet another stuffy revival of Lady arresting effect the pandemic has had on Windemere’s Fan as theatre can possibly get. these explorations. It’s an immersive audio To give you a steer, we asked co-directors installation, a kind of auditory tapestry Matthew Austin and Kate Yedigaroff to choose comprised of splicings of conversations with eight of the best from this year’s line-up. people across the country.

Expect the unexpected, and prepare to have “It’s a wonderfully sensuous experience, and your socks knocked off… a celebration of the deeply human noises we only hear when we are close to one another, and it feels fitting to present it in the swirling POLYPHONY hubbub of The Galleries.”

6-29 May; Unit 21, Ground Floor, The Galleries “Verity Standen is a supremely talented BIRTHMARKED composer, director, performer and choir leader.

13-21 May; Bristol Old Vic Her work is focused primarily on the human “Brook Tate moved to Bristol to be a nurse, voice, often playing with the intimacy of and fell into making theatre. This a show full to experiencing live music and vocals; attendees the brim with passion, joy and sadness. of Mayfest 2018 may remember Undersong, “Brook and his band tell the story of how he when her choir weaved among the audience. grew up as Jehovah’s Witness before realising he was gay. It’s like a concept gig, with a giant whale and a tap-dancing zebra.

“We saw an early version of this show at the WHO ARE MAYFEST? Wardrobe Ensemble’s Theatre on the Downs Mayfest is curated by MAYK, one of tent last summer, and Brook has now been the country’s leading live performance joined by director Sally Cookson, who you’ll organisations. Based in Bristol but know from many Bristol Old Vic shows (A working internationally, it creates Monster Calls, Jane Eyre, Wonder Boy) to realise the dynamic meeting points for participation full version for the first time at Mayfest.” in world-class live performance, both in

“Is lying down in public a subversive act?”

and out of traditional art spaces.

Led by Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin, MAYK was established in 2011 and continues to make a space for a holistic, long-term approach to creating memorable experiences that are accessible to lots of people.

EXPOSURE

14-15 May; Arnolfini “It felt important that this festival included something that helped us all reflect on the devastating impact of the past two years.

But how to do that in a way that doesn’t feel heavy-handed? James Leadbitter’s beautiful

film and performance EXPOSURE, in which he interviews NHS healthcare workers from Newham Hospital in the summer of 2020 about their experience of the first wave of Covid, manages to hold incredibly challenging and deeply moving stories in a way that helps us acknowledge, understand and reflect.”

THE LAND’S HEART IS GREATER THAN ITS MAP

14-22 May, walking tour; Bristol City Centre “We have a history of presenting shows that involve walking. There’s something about being out on the streets, being asked to see the city around you in a different light, that feels like part of the DNA of Mayfest.

“Olivia Furber and Palestinian film- and theatre-maker Ramzi Maqdisi’s walking tour of Old City invites you to wander the streets of a distant city inhabited by your tour guide. It’s about memory and history and imagination, and how we can hold onto things that seem to be changing in front of our very eyes.”

A CRASH COURSE IN CLOUDSPOTTING

18-28 May; Bristol Old Vic “Is lying down in public a subversive act?

Raquel Meseguer Zafe was inspired to make A Crash Course in Cloudspotting when she accidentally set off a security alert by lying down on the floor of the Southbank Centre.

“Raquel lives with chronic pain, meaning that she often has to take time to rest in public.

For years she’s been collecting stories of resting in places considered atypical from people who

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

THEATRE

“It’s like a concept gig, with a giant whale and a tap-dancing zebra”

navigate the world differently – those with visible and invisible disabilities, or who are neurodiverse, resulting in an archive of over 250 stories from all over the world. This gentlyled installation and live performance invites attendees to take a minute, to rest, and to hear some of these stories.”

BE PART OF

19-21 May; Trinity Centre “Zurich-based theatre-maker Monika Truong did a digital residency with us during lockdown, working on the early stages of Be Part Of. We connected over Zoom, and we were able to introduce Monika to some Bristol-based artists, and a technologist from Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio. It’s exciting to be able to present the finished show at Mayfest.

“At a time when the fabric of democracy seems on the brink of tearing, Be Part Of asks you to consider what it is to reach a decision collectively. This show is like nothing else in the festival. It appears to be one thing, and then reveals itself to be something completely different, and you’ll emerge blinking into the sunlight questioning how you got there.”

TERRA CODA

24-26 May; The Mount Without “An ambitious new symphonic work by Terra Collective, a radical new Bristol-based orchestra led by Benji Bower, combining classical and electronic elements. The piece itself is a sublime, melancholic reflection on humanity’s relationship with the Earth that plays out across five movements, exploring hope and connection through the lens of the climate crisis and grief.

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clockwise from top left: Be Part Of; Birthmarked; The Land’s Heart

“We hosted some early development sessions for Terra Coda in our rehearsal space and it really is a special, searingly beautiful experience. Seeing and hearing it realised in the gorgeous interior of The Mount Without will be unforgettable.”

HABITAT

28-29 May; The Galleries “Who could possibly resist the invitation to visit The Galleries after dark and watch a group of naked bodies perform a beautiful, fleshy, overflowing choreography in that

vast capitalist cathedral-like space? Austrian artist Doris Uhlich’s HABITAT invites local participants to celebrate the body in all its glorious difference.

“It’s the perfect way to close the festival – a thrilling spectacle that feels subversive and unexpected, but does the very thing we want Mayfest to do: bring people together.”

Mayfest plays at 10 venues across the city between 13-29 May; all tickets are priced on a pay-whatyou-can basis.

For full details see mayk.org.uk/mayfest-programme

Nish Kumar has a genius for making us laugh about the bleakest current affairs. Sometimes this gets him into trouble on stage…

By Deri Robins

I

t’s not the first time a comedy show has been inspired by baked goods. Rhod Gilbert took that honour, with his The Award-Winning Mince Pie. Now, Nish Kumar – star of the British stand-up scene, with one Edinburgh Fringe hit after another, not to mention media appearances ranging from Newsjack to The Mash Report, Question Time and Sunday Brunch – is coming to Bristol with a show that revolves around the throwing of a bread roll.

THIS PAGE PHOTOS ALL © MAT T STRONGE

ON A ROLL

COMEDY Once merely up-and-coming, Nish can now fairly be said to have risen; not unlike the roll that was chucked in his general direction during an anti-Brexit riff at the Lord’s Taverners’ Christmas lunch in 2019. During his new touring show, Nish places this incident into the context of his worst five gigs ever.

The list includes a night during his Edinburgh Fringe debut run in 2012, when a seat was taken in the 50-seater room by Victoria Wood. Not only was the national treasure not especially rolling in the aisles, but she looked extremely displeased throughout.

“It’s like your nightmare gig,” says Nish. “I saw her when I walked on stage, and in that venue she was too famous for all the attention in the room not to be fixed on her. I’m not by any means in the pantheon of British culture, while she was one of the most beloved comedians of all time. But if I go to a show and know I’m very visible, I definitely do my best to make sure that it looks like I’m having a good time.” Victoria was a comedian whose work Nish had long respected, “So obviously her having a bad time at my gig was a low career point for me.”

The new show’s not merely an amble down memory lane, though, and fans of Nish’s sharp political commentary will find plenty to amuse as he tackles the questions of the day.

“It has been a period of upheaval and uncertainty, with Covid and the political situation,” he says. “You will be amazed by my capacity to somehow take all these things personally.”

There’s a routine, for example, in which he pokes a pointy, if metaphorical, stick straight down the gullet of the national anthem. It would be unfair to reveal exactly how this unfolds, except to say it’s the closest Nish has come to the confrontational tactics of Stewart Lee, who likes to make a repeated phrase or gesture carry on for quite a long time.

“It’s got longer every night, because it’s as much fun as I’ve ever had on stage. But I don’t have the stones or iron will of Stewart. That man has balls of steel, and he would just keep going with it.”

If Nish is chary of long-winded routines, he’s never had any reservations about lengthy show names. In fact, the title of his new show, Your Power, Your Control, is a masterpiece of brevity compared to those he’s given us previously: Actions Speak Louder than Words, Unless You Shout the Words Real Loud, and Long Word… Long Word… Blah Blah Blah… I’m So Clever.

“The long title is my metier; that’s my brand,” he says. “I did have other titles in mind for this show, but there was a lightbulb moment where I thought yes, that’s it. My therapist used the phrase when he said to me ‘you’ve got to focus on what’s in your power and in your control’, and I thought ‘that’s a good title for something’. The phrase occurs in the show in its entirety, and I thought it would be nice to have a title that does pop up in the show at some point. I think Power, Corruption and Lies would have been good, but New Order had already taken that.”

Your Power, Your Control may not be pinned down to a single meaning but it’s a title that will be accompanied by more than meaningful comedy. Smart, sharp, and not afraid to be a little bit silly: now that could be the ultimate Nish Kumar brand.

Nish Kumar brings his Your Power Your Control to Bristol Old Vic on 8 May; he also appears at Comedy Garden on 15 June. bristololdvic.org.uk; bristolcomedygarden.co.uk

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS Do you have any skills other than comedy?

I’ve mastered Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright on the guitar. By mastered, I mean I can play it adequately.

When did you realise you could make a career out of comedy?

Every day I worry that I won’t be able to continue making a living. There is very little job security. I’m hoping to fall back on my guitar playing.

What else would you have done if the funny biz hadn’t worked out?

Rock star.

What’s your proudest achievement?

I won Clubman of the Year at Addiscombe Cricket Club in 1996. It was an award for the player who had ‘shown the most enthusiasm in the face of an overwhelming lack of ability’.

Sum up your comic style in three words Very Clever Boy. What has stand-up taught you about yourself?

That I’m great fun. Also that I have a massive ego.

Do your friends find you upbeat and hilarious, or are you one of those really morose comics when off stage?

You really would have to ask them. I think I’m great fun.

You’ve said that you get lots of idiotic questions from the press. Can you share a few favourites?

Just check out my Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala set from 2016 on YouTube. That is my final comment on the subject.

Some famous comedians have commented that left-wing comedy is ruining comedy . . . . . . the only thing ruining comedy is articles about how things are ruining comedy.

You’re one of the most erudite comics on the circuit – did you ever feel the temptation to dumb down?

No; audiences are much smarter than they’re often given credit for.

If you could star in any movie remake, what would it be?

Star Wars, but I play all the parts.

Does being a successful stand-up attract the chicks?

Not in my experience.

What’s your most regrettable habit?

Talking about how great I am. I’m a great guy.

We can’t decide if we should headline this feature with a pun on Nish/niche. What do you reckon?

I was going to call my show “And if you tolerate Nish, then your children will be next”, but was advised against it.

What are you lusting after at the moment?

I’m always lusting after Batmobiles. I honestly don’t know why anyone would buy any other car.

What should you really be putting your back into right now?

Exercise.

What makes you angry?

People who like exercise.

Who are you jealous of?

Anyone who owns a Batmobile and loves exercise. So, Batman, basically – what I’m trying to say is that I’m jealous of Batman.

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

INDIES ROCK & ROLL Keeping it real, keeping it local, with the Where’s it To? campaign Words and pictures by Colin Moody

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HEROES SPECIAL

f only we were prepared to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, right? Maybe just half a mile. Well at least to the corner shop.

In this Heroes special, I’m making it easy for you to think about the lives of some of the local traders, guides, creators and makers who keep the life blood flowing around local hubs.

I’ve been blown away by the level of independent trading taking place across this city, and it’s been an honour to meet and share stories from these community-focused lovelies. What they bring to our city is incalculable, especially when we were dealing with all those lockdowns.

The traders on these pages are just a few from the hundreds I met while working on Bristol Council’s Where’s it To? campaign; there are thousands more like them across the city. On the website, traders from Clifton sit alongside traders from Arnside and Two Mile Hill. Bakers from Mina Road nestle in among bakers from Shirehampton. You begin to see these enterprises as more than the sum of their parts, as they form a web of support. Support we need now. Shopping local is a social act. It drives the social economy, and increases wellbeing.

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Hero number 1 is Ade Williams. Dude! He moved to the UK from Nigeria 23 years ago. He was awestruck by our NHS, and jumped at the chance to become a pharmacist.

A very kind, patient man, he takes the time to talk to each person and fi nd out what they need. He guided our fi lm crew around the fi rst street to come under the title of a Where’s It To? location: East Street in Bedminster. Starting the project with kindness set the benchmark for what was to come.

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El Colmado. Gloucester Road.

You know when you watch those food programmes featuring some well-connected actor, who told their agent they wanted to travel, and who end up on your screen eating the best Spanish tapas on the corner of some sunkissed street in Barcelona? You reach for your pen, and note down this establishment, and pledge to go there. Then, as the credits roll, you think “ah what’s the chance; like that’s gonna happen. If only there was a place like that here…”

Boom! Try this place, created by David Pavon, which has just been named one of the best 50 food stores in the world by the Financial Times. You might have to look a little harder to fi nd a sunny corner, given our climate, but you’ll feel you are in Spain here. Watch out for the biggest paella in el mondo (well, the deffo biggest in el Bristol, I’ll wager).

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Silver Pan Film Lab. I was surprised and excited to hear that fi lm is being locked back into great cameras all over the city. This place offers bespoke fi lm processing and support for the aficionados and wannabe real-fi lm locals. Have to admit, I spent a bit longer than the allotted time in this place, looking at the cameras in all shapes, sizes and eras.

So if we have a local revolution taking place, with all these amazing local shops and stores popping up all over, it won’t just be me documenting it. Grab that old Roloflex and go shoot the local scene. And when it’s real fi lm, you have to really want to capture the moment when you go ‘click’. No insta doggy ears or soft-skin blemish-free fi lters here. Just the real deal.

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

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What’s your favourite thing fresh out of a box?

Used to be a CD. Yeah, grandad, I hear some of you muttering; it’s all streaming now. But that’s given me time to take a harder look at my number two fave, now promoted to my number one, for an out- of-a-box delight. Pizza.

There are so many places which can cook your proper-job pizza the authentic way. One of the best is Ciccios Kitchen.

I walked in and found the warmth of the pizza oven was matched by the team. Looking at the delivery tally of the pandemic, it seems pizza, in no small way, got us through slice by slice.

This shot celebrates the solid skill of our pizzeria teams. You ever tried cooking one? I did once, and it’s still stuck down behind the oven somewhere. Sometimes you have to leave it to the pros.

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You keeping up? We are now off to Stokes Croft, and one of the coolest places in town. Run by four musicians, Elevator Sounds is surely one of the reasons we have so many good bands and albums produced here. With their contacts and knowledge, you might just be able to get your dream concept album idea off the ground floor.

Judging by the types of people in there at any time, it’s gonna be keeping the oscilloscope of our musical heartbeat monitored for a long while. The pulse is good and strong.

You grab your Moog, and go chat. Right, I’ve done enough pretending to know about how music is made. Over to you.

Show me.

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German here will be glad to get that old watch you always wanted to hear tick-tock going again. His passion for your valuable timepiece extends to much more. Custom-made watches or hand-carved time prices! I mean, how cool is that?

You take one serious passion for what is a very specific profession, and I guarantee you there’s a trader here in Bristol for just that.

They may have suggested that society was busted after the financial crash, after conflict, after pandemic; well, we can fix it. German certainly can. Precision society-help points like this exist all over, and when that grandfather’s heirloom starts ticking for the first time in decades, what else can you start again? What else can you grow, make and do?

Our indie traders are the central cog in that mechanism.

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HEROES SPECIAL

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Life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last. And didn’t they call it a day for movie hire, in physical form, years ago? But here at 20th Century Flicks, I found over 20,000 movies waiting to go in my DVD player. Then it dawned on me; maybe lean in and have a chat, and tell them what I like, and get all sorts of recommendations.

Like a mate who says “OK, you liked In a Quiet Place, but have you seen this film by Tarkovsky…?” I imagine it goes something like that.

Can’t remember.

Seems all my viewing ideas come courtesy of one streaming service after another, holding up teasers of new box sets. This is the place where you can get it right. One film rental here could lead to a new obsession, for French New Wave, or who knows what.

Is it me, or does Cary also think this is the right place?

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Next stop. Eksar is a talented tailor who runs Bristol Alteration in Fishponds.

More and more of us are turning away from fast fashion, for many reasons. Have you seen the quality of clothes from the past? And with a tailor on your high street, you’re just a jumble sale away from getting something a movie star could be seen wearing. You might need it adjusting; cue Eskar and his wife.

The local fashion boom starts here. If you have more time to chat, why not order a three-piece suit?

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Whoop, there she is! Jean. From Jean’s Bistro. There are some great Thai nation taste stations all over the city, but this one has me bowled over.

They call Thailand the nation that smiles with you. Don’t care how hard the weather has been, grey day after grey day drizzling into your aura. One bite here, and you’ll smile back like this. Kind of like the Ready Brek kids in the adverts. And you will carry that glow long after the sweet, sweet joy of the crispy fried sea bream in spicy sweet ’n sour sauce has been washed away by your bring-your-own choice of beverage.

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HEROES SPECIAL 10

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Say hello to Wayne. He’s worked in the Clifton neighbourhood for 45 years; as someone once said, “people will always need shoes”.

Wayne and the lads were a pleasure to shoot for the campaign, and I would put the overall smell of the place in my top three places in the Where’s It To? project, for sure. Here, the smell of this place is woody; a tiny spin of hot leather in the air, boot polish and hard graft. If you close your eyes and imagine panelled rooms off the Strand from Hogarth’s day, and I dare say it’s like time travel.

Oh, you wanna know my other top smells? OK. In at number two, and I’ve already mentioned this place, is Jean’s Bistro. Hats off to Inkie for sharing this place in his film of Gloucester Road. The aroma on a hot day will transport your mind to far-off shores somewhere between Phuket and paradise At number one, it’s Real Habesha restaurant. Google away.

The Temesgen family showed us how, with the ambience of African music, and the food fusion of Ethiopian and Eritrean, you can show your nostrils the difference when they roast the beans right there in front of you.

How high our eyebrows went.

And that’s how it is, with these traders. One leads by word, wisdom or intuition to the next, and the next.

But thanks to Wayne here, for making sure my shoes are up to the task of the exploration.

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Bristol Design has a tool for everything. They come in all the time – potters, woodworkers, professionals, lockdown startups – and as tiny pieces of wood are expertly tooled and trimmed all over the city, we might just have built up a craftwork network of historic proportions.

They have people coming from all over the world for just the right hammer. To think, in my lifetime, we have once again become a nation that makes things. The means of production in your hands. Feels good doesn’t it? Here comes the future. I can see it large and clear through this here magnifier.

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

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How do you find a scene like this? Easy. In the old days, you’d be down the pub or the park, and talk about fancying a bit of fish for your tea, and they’d say “you gotta go see so and so”. It was that easy. Word of mouth.

That still applies, but I know how you loves your phones, so here’s the 21st-century’s equivalent. Ask Google – you can be in the pub, or the park, if you fancy – ask it for “fish Bedminster” Boom! There he is, Bristol Fish. Now take your phone for a walk and go have a chat, see what’s good. When I popped by and enquired, I was able to find out what’s the right way to cook this, that. I’m not an open-the-recipe-books-and-go-for-it fella, I just like a quick “do this, add a slice of this, a squeeze of that”, and voila. Which is what you get. Now my fish pie is maxing the flavour, and I’m supporting local.

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Mubarak Jewellers is an indie business founded by Mubarak Ali Tahir in the 80s. He went door to door to start his business, and I am trying to imagine just how hard that must have been. But looking at this shop now, it’s a sparkling example of what hard work can lead to.

Mariam here was beaming as she showed us the full glory of the wedding jewellery collection. She was so happy showing us how it would be worn, and there, as we chatted up high above all the bling, was the portrait of Ali looking down.

We had been in there making a film and taking these photos for just a few minutes, but already we had been made to feel as welcome as any visitor can be. Did we want any food?

Would we like some tea? Juice? There had not been a shop like

“Shopping local is a social act.

It drives the social economy and increases wellbeing”

14 this here until Ali made it happen. And that’s the spirit that Bristol’s indie businesses bring. If we build it, they will come, and they will be well met, and offered food and drink like a family friend. Win win win, for us all.

All these heroes are asking just one favour from you. Shop local, and that imagined paradise of good neighbourhoods, with diverse taste and far-reaching ambitions, will come true.

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Shamil Ahmed rocked up with that enthusiasm you see here on the day we came to film him taking us down the Stapleton Road.

Not everyone makes it over to this street, which has more indie businesses than some of the big-name streets in the series.

In a few hours, Shamil showed us why we should make the effort. The flavours, the cultures – some are new to the city, some have been here since Windrush, and some even longer.

Go watch the films on the website to see how enthusiastic these locals are about their streets; Sham here was, I believe the term is, psyched to show us round.

I have a position of extreme privilege, I have been assigned to go and shoot portraits of all these workers, traders, locals, neighbours… maybe all these things at the same time in each person. All I ask is that you take time to try something new; maybe breaking bread in a different postcode is the culinary exploration we all need right now.

See the full gallery and videos at wheresittobristol.com 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

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SPONSORED CONTENT

MAKING VISION A REALITY EPISODE TWO is championing creativity in the South West

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ristol is a city that inspires creativity everywhere you turn.

Whether it’s striking street art, the design engineering masterpieces of Brunel, the world of arthouse cinema or simply taking in the city views from the water.

It’s this spirit of championing creativity that has inspired our design studio for almost 30 years.

Creating and evolving brands of all sizes, helping them take brave steps to realise their potential and making their visions become a reality.

And we’re excited to share our most recent project… ourselves! Say hello to Episode Two. “Nothing in this world stands still. Brands need to constantly evolve to keep up with their consumers and their competition” says Rikki Payne, our creative strategist and co-owner.

“This is what we do with our clients all the time, and we knew it was time to turn the tables on ourselves and embark on that journey too.”

From conducting market audits to brainstorming new names, developing brand values and creating a brand identity through to curating an intriguing and engaging launch

campaign, we have truly practised what we preach.

This is our brand, our baby; repositioned and redesigned from the ground up. We’ve experienced all the challenges, all the excitement and showcased the impact of a full rebrand.

There is no better way to fully experience what our clients go through. This is our Episode Two, and we’d love to help other brands discover the next chapter in their brand story.

You’ll find us just down the road in Wick, nestled within a quaint rural setting of converted barns. But don’t judge the book by its cover. When you open our doors you’ll need your sunglasses on!

Come on in and be transported into a vibrant hive of passion, energy and creativity, where you can’t help but be inspired – and of course you’ll be treated to our signature doughnuts!

Find out more about how we make vision a reality for brands with big aspirations.

Delivering incredible design solutions that will ensure your consumers say ‘WOW’ when they see your brand on-pack, in-store and online. ■

Visit episodetwo.co.uk, call us on 0117 933 9400 or email kate@episodetwo.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 47

EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

primarily around the passing of Vuong’s mother, grief, time and language, and with each reading the collection just gets better. In short, readers will certainly not be disappointed, will be delighted in fact, but be warned: for all the warmth and heart in the collection, you may also shed a tear.

Books can affect the emotions in more ways than one, as these four new releases beautifully demonstrate . . .

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. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that the definition of intelligence is the ability to hold simultaneously in the mind two opposing ideas about one issue without completely ceasing mental operations.

We were put in mind of this recently by a customer telling us that a book had made them angry. It might not sound all that unusual: anger is something of a currency these days, as you may have noticed. But what was especially interesting about this assessment was that, despite riling this customer up, the book was still eminently enjoyable. Two opposite

impulses held at once, over one single book.

Well, this got us thinking: which books have we read recently that pull off this trick? So here are four brand-new books that are, somehow, two things at once.

Time is a Mother – Ocean Vuong In his second masterful collection, Ocean Vuong yet again proves himself to be one of the greatest poets of our generation. We know many people will be shouting from the rooftops about this masterpiece, but we couldn’t resist adding our voices to the choir – it’s just that good.

Wonderfully tender and loving, this collection centres

In Defence of Witches – Mona Chollet Chollet guides us elegantly through the trials of women through the ages who have been singled out and persecuted for not following societal norms. She looks at single women, women who choose not to be mothers, women who dress or behave differently, and other small rebellions that allow women to assert their power. It also contains a great intro from Carmen Maria Machado who hooked us in with the line: “you are surrounded by witches; you might even be one yourself.” A history of outcasts on one level, but also a profound recasting and empowerment of those outcasts.

Chilean Poet – Alejandro Zambra (translated

by Megan McDowell) Alejandro Zambra is a literary maestro, truly at the top of his game. Philosophical, poignant and

“We were hooked with the line ‘you are surrounded by witches; you might even be one yourself’”

affecting, Chilean Poet tells the family story of Gonzalo, a poet who discovers later in life that he has a son. Forming a sort-of stepfamily is a beautifully rendered process in this warm and ambitious novel, which follows a cast of characters (mostly ironic, though sympathetic, portraits of poets and aspiring poets) over many decades.

The scale of the story puts one in mind of a door-stopping family saga, but this is intimately told, a small story at its heart.

They – Kay Dick Originally written in 1977, and essentially forgotten, this slim but exceptionally effective novel has just been given a gorgeous reissue, and with very good reason. It’s the stunningly apposite story of an alternative England in which culture and social richness in all its forms – books, paintings, sculpture, handwriting, conversation, discourse – is in the process of being wiped out by a shadowy force known simply as ‘They’.

It’s somewhere close to the pot-boiling sci-fi classics of John Wyndham, but with a deep melancholy; a truly terrifying read that forces us to consider a cloistered, inert future as the culture wars continue to intensify.

Simultaneously troubling and deeply entertaining.

Don’t worry: we’re not going to finish this column by trying to prove that we’re two things at once.

Booksellers are simple creatures: we’ll always be here primarily to provide you with essential reading material. Frankly, we’re not clever enough to do anything else simultaneously…

Storysmith, 236 North Street storysmithbooks.com

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THE PIG

Take it easy for a little while: the perfect rural staycation awaits you, just half an hour from the city Words by Deri Robins

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xcuse me just a moment, while I descend from my cloud. Cloud Nine, to be specific, where I was gently deposited by The Pig during a memorable overnight stay this month.

You’ll find The Pig in Hunstrete, halfway between Bristol and Bath, in countryside that can only be described as ‘rolling’. It’s one of a whole litter of Piglets in various UK locations, each following the same blueprint: countryhouse luxe without a trace of fussiness or stuffiness. They brim with zeitgeisty urban savvy, and take a very serious attitude to sustainability and seasonal cooking.

Here’s a brief history. Having established impressive form at his Hotel du Vins, hotelier Robin Hutson opened his first porker in the New Forest in 2011.

Country house hotels were quite a formal affair at that time, and Robin wanted his new venture to be more approachable: “The name The Pig sounds like a pub, and people aren’t scared of pubs”, he said. There are now eight in all, from The Pig on the Beach at Studland to the Pig in the Wall in Hampshire.

There’ll probably be a Pig on the Moon one day.

The Pig bills itself less of a hotel than a restaurant with rooms.

We’d done the restaurant thing a few times; now, we felt ready to discover what those rooms were like. We also wanted time to cruise the kitchen gardens and admire the smokehouse, wildflower orchard, buzzy beehives and deer park. We fancied lounging about in the elegant drawing rooms, and the thrillingly well-stocked bar. Maybe take in one of the spa treatments in those cute little potting sheds.

This time, this little piggy would not be going all the way home.

Although we’re hardly starved of gorgeous Georgian piles in Somerset, the honeyed grandeur of the Pig, as you approach it down a long driveway flanked by deer parks, takes the breath away. However,

GREAT ESCAPES you don’t have time to feel awed, because the reception staff are wonderfully relaxed and can-do.

I am given a room key – a proper Yale one, not one of those plastic cards that lose their power if they so much as graze the phone in your handbag – and led up a softly carpeted staircase. Dozens of eyes gaze down from countless oil portraits on the walls; the faces all look rather similar, and I wonder if they’d been bought in bulk.

A Roberts Radio tuned to Classic FM is playing The Sugar Plum Fairy as I pirouette and ballonné into my Comfy Luxe room. The bed’s huge, the bathroom huger, the phone old-school bakelite, and there are vintage Babycham glasses in the drinks cabinet. Windows frame an ancient magnolia and the kitchen gardens; lace curtains flutter gently in the spring breeze.

Oh, how I have missed lounging about in truly great hotel rooms, doing nothing for hours on end!

However, I have a treatment booked for 5.15, so with a backwards glance of extreme regret, I let myself out of my room and head over to one of the little huts tucked among cherry trees in full blossom at the end of the garden.

There’s no spa as such; the fact that The Pig has filled in the swimming pool to create a vegetable patch says everything you need to know about its priorities. However, it’s very proud of its new Voya treatment range, made from organic, sustainable, seaweed-based products from the west coast of Ireland.

They make the hut smell gorgeous. It’s all done out in rustic Little House on the Prairie chic, with gardening thingummies and homely patchwork quilts, and in this deeply cocooning space, with bergamot scenting the air and heavy rain (oh Somerset, never change) pounding the wooden ceiling, just being allowed to lie quietly on the heated bed for an hour would have been heaven enough.

However, therapist Karen has other ideas. I am booked in for the upper body unwind; knotted muscles are expertly unknotted, skin is exfoliated to a velvety texture, and – a bonus I hadn’t foreseen – a

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“The Pig does ‘country-house luxe’ without a trace of stuffiness or fussiness, while brimming with zeitgeisty urban savvy” face massage does more to ease my persistent sinus affliction than two flavoured, with a bosky punch of truffle mayo undercut with citrussy months of rinsing with the dreaded NeilMed. wood sorrel. On the principle that you can’t go far wrong with a dish I float fragrantly back to the main building past beautifully tended named after the head chef, Your Man chose James Golding’s Loch veg beds, where a scarecrow reminds me oddly of Your Man. I hastily Duart oak-smoked salmon; admittedly, said Loch is a good 380 or so send a text to remind him to scrub up for our supper date. miles from Hunstrete, not 25, but the fish is smoked right here at The It was delightful to be back in the conservatory dining room, peeping Pig. The thickly sliced salmon is firm, almost meaty, set off with cider at each other across the potted herbs and perusing the A3 menu. The dressing and sweet, addictive, pickled cucumbers.

Pig really wants you to know where your food comes from, and there’s We also manage to put away a Castlemead Farm chicken pie – the a map to show exactly where all the suppliers chook blamelessly tender, the chive-flecked are based. The ‘25-mile’ promise means that all mash flawlessly smooth – and a plate of THE DETAILS meat, fruit and veg is sourced no further than 25 The Pig, Hunstrete House, Pensford; pappardelle that heroically refuses to be miles away; in fact, a huge amount comes from overwhelmed by its wild garlic sauce. We share 01761 490490; thepighotel.com just 25 metres away, from The Pig’s gardens, a side of fried tobacco onions, because when Opening hours It’s a hotel, so an all-day offering piggeries, deer park and coops. If the sea was I spot these on a menu I am quite helpless to Prices ‘Bits’ £4.50; starters £8-£12; mains £19-£30; any closer, you know that Team Piggy would resist, athough two forkfuls are always enough. puds £8.50 be out hand-trawling for fish every morning at And yes, there’s pud, and yes, there’s an Drinks ‘Kitchen Garden tipples’, classic cocktails dawn, too. after-dinner cocktail that tastes just like lemon and English wines, local beers and ciders Dishes are classic and unpretentious, divvied cheesecake, and yes, I sleep like an absolute top Atmosphere Chic yet chilled; staff very friendly up democratically between veg, meat and fish. in my beautiful bed, while the luckless Your Rooms Around 30 in all, both in the main building We pig out with pre-starters referred to as ‘bits’ Man has to head home to look after the dogs. and in a pair of garden rooms. From £225 – a dollop of earthy, hot-pink beetroot hummus The Pig is perfect just to swine and dine, and Spa Voya treatments, all £115 in the Potting Sheds and a very smoky taramasalata – before getting day visitors can even use the spa. But stay over, stuck into a chopped beef tartare from a herd if you possibly can; to get the full experience, Special event The Smoked and Uncut festival, with of named provenance. It’s succulent and subtly you really need to go the whole hog. n Jools Holland and Sister Sledge is on 9 July

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

SEARCH PARTY PARTIES

Parties are back – and we’re here to help you find the perfect venue

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Words by Deri Robins n the noughties, teenies and inbetweenies, we carried on partying like it was 1999. We probably expected the ’20s to be our own version of the jazz age. Well, you know what they say; if you want to make the great party planner in the sky laugh, tell them your plans.

But now here we are again, in the cautiously optimistic spring of 2022, busily filling up our diaries with gatherings, anniversaries, work events and largescale bashes. Whatever your party style, Bristol’s myriad venues are poised to deliver a party that’s right for you; you can boogie on down in a deconsecrated church, have it large in an arts venue, or keep it classy in a cocktail bar. You can let it all hang out on covered terraces, converted factories or in a crypt.

Here are just a few suggestions:

THE MOUNT WITHOUT

A gathering place for over 900 years, this unique, ethereal space within an old Grade-II church lends itself to endless possibilities, from performance to weddings and parties of all sizes. There are two possible ‘rooms’ to hire; beneath the cloud-painted ceiling with its gold infinity sculpture, surrounded by the beauty of distressed church walls, the grand and lofty Main Space (left) is ideal for drinks receptions and dinner. The Crypt (page 57) houses a large bar stocked with local favourites, and is perfect for a more informal vibe.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

“If you want to make the great party planner in the sky laugh, tell them your plans . . .”

Partnered catering with local independents, including street-food options; or you can dry-hire the space.

Either way, the award winning in-house team is on hand to help curate your party.

WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU?

“We’re a central, flexible, dedicated events company based in a breathtaking venue, for a once-in-a-lifetime party with your family and friends,” they say.

St Michael’s Hill; themountwithout.co.uk

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PARTIES

ALUNA

Aluna tell us that they’re a concept unlike any other: “We thrive on the adventurous, and relish the abnormal, providing a truly unique experience for all our customers and giving each one a snippet of molecular paradise.

“Our brand is all about magic, the unknown and mystical fantasy. Our venue’s design is just an example of this, with heaven versus hell elements, such as our angel wings and ‘Welcome Sinners’ sign, along with the mythical creatures, extravagant jewellery, and spells along our walls.

“Our style is chilled, so sit back and relax into the booths as you watch day turn into night while sampling the theatrical cocktails.”

THE FOOD AND DRINK

With an ever-entertaining team of mixologists on hand, Aluna offers dinner with a show. Sit at the bar, or head through to the restaurant serving a fusion menu of Pan-Asian dishes with a western twist.

WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU?

“We offer private hire of our entire venue, allowing hosts to create their own style within the space. A dedicated event organiser and service team make organisation seamless, and delivering within budget simple.

Our flavourful cuisine, our intricately detailed venue and theatrical drinks mean that this event can stand out from the crowd.”

4 Broad Quay; aluna.uk.com

PROPYARD

It’s inevitable that one day, in the not-too-distant future, St Philip’s will be gentrified, with new apartments created within those postindustrial factories and warehouses. We kind of like it as it is now – and it certainly lends new places like Propyard a pioneering, ahead-of-thepack edge and cool.

This former torpedo-testing factory comprises a 30,000 sq ft warehouse, and a further 30,000 sq ft shared across two open-air courtyards. Inside are two versatile spaces. Currently hosting the Van Gogh Immersive Experience, the Main Studio is a digital art gallery and exhibition space, while The Crane Room, named after the 20-tonne Morris crane still inside the room, is a 1,200 capacity

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

top and bottom: Propyard, putting St Philip’s on the leisure and culture map middle: What they said: Aluna

PARTIES music and events space with a full bar and restaurant. The guys have fully embraced the factory vibe, while adding plants, murals and festival tents, making the venue spacious but still welcoming. We love it.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

A huge selection of craft beers from Bristol’s local breweries, mixed with some international brands, including alcohol-free Brooklyn lager on tap, and an extensive wine and cocktail list. There’s an ever-changing food menu, from the Palestinian flavours of Jafra to former Bristol Life Awards winner, Pizzarova.

WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU?

“We have the space and the versatility to create any experience; we offer a really unique opportunity in the city, with huge scale and impact. From fully catered corporate events that might tie in with the exhibition space, to big outdoor festival style parties under canvas in the courtyard, our offering is flexible and can be tailored to suit all requirements. We’ve also installed cutting-edge audio technology, featuring an immersive sound system.”

39-46 Feeder Road; propyard.co.uk

HARBOUR HOTEL

One of Bristol’s most elegant and instagrammable venues, consisting of the Harbour Kitchen restaurant, the Deco-esque Gold Bar, a vast Georgian event room for up to 400 and more intimate rooms for groups of 10 or so. There’s also a luxury underground spa.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

Seasonal British classics and seafood favourites in the restaurant.

In the ultra-luxe Gold Bar, with its jewel-coloured velvet chairs, mixology magicians serve classic and eclectic cocktails every day, while live DJs make it shimmer and shake at the weekend.

WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU?

“All of our spaces can be adapted for any type of event, offering total flexibility, and allowing experiences to be designed around you and your guests; bespoke events are the signature of our standout hotel.” 53-55 Corn Street; harbourhotels.co.uk

BRISTOL BEACON

The Beacon is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation, but the huge foyer is open daily for events, gigs, parties and weddings, or just for coffee and cake in the Bristol Loaf café. From small gatherings on the terrace overlooking the city to whole-building takeovers utilising all four floors, it’s a space to create and make your own.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

Bristol Loaf is open daily on the lower-ground floor, serving freshly baked pastries, bread and café fare. The Brew Bar serves coffee from the finest roasteries, while Native Vine serves a range of unique, organic and natural wines from small scale producers, including many from lesser-known regions and grape varieties. For events, they partner with a range of local caterers to find the perfect match for you.

WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU?

“Big or small, Beacon can do it all. As the city’s renowned music venue, we have all the in-house technical and event-management expertise to ensure any party or event goes off without a hitch.”

Trenchard Street; bristolbeacon.org/hire-us

top: The Crypt at The Mount Without; bottom: Harbour Hotel lines ’em up

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WEDDINGS PARTIES FILMING DANCE EXHIBITIONS •

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PARTIES BOCABAR PAINTWORKS

The original Bocabar at Paintworks is filled with Chesterfield sofas, fairy lights and vintage shades, and the smell of pizzas fresh out of the oven; there’s also the deli with its abundance of savouries, salads and cheesecakes. Local artwork adorns the walls, the vibe is superfriendly and casual, with core customers being onsite Paintworkers having business, creative meetings or lunch, family groups and the BS4 pushchair set meeting for coffee mornings.

Sister site Bocabar Finzels is another busy social, drinking and dining hub, with an eclectic interior combining luxe and rustic: think velvet drapes in the doorways, vintage lamps and reclaimed wood and copper.

The Boca-style Chesterfield lounging area with its wooden high tables and stools is perfect for small plates and drinks, while the large terrace is decked out with jumbrellas, heaters and festoon lights; a fairylit stretch tent exudes festival chic.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

Paintworks offers a huge choice of 13” pizzas, with monthly seasonal specials, along with burgers, wraps, salads and the pick of the deli counter. The long bar offers four Bristol breweries on tap, alongside eight other beers and ciders, with Boca signature and classic cocktails. Expect similar at Finzels; in the evening there are also small plates, while the new weekend brunch menu ranges from full breakfasts to bagels, pancakes, pickme-ups and wicked brunch cocktails WHY CHOOSE YOU?

“Paintworks has two different spaces for group events. The main lounge bar has multiple Chesterfields that jigsaw together to make group areas for up to 50 people. Groups can choose and preorder from over 30 different pizzas, along with cocktails. The back dining room can be hired for a party of up to 65, with other buffet/sharing menus available.

“We also cater for the Paintworks event space under Bocabar; perfect for weddings, corporate events and private parties, with various event buffet menus.

“At Finzels, we have a cosy private dining room, and our very lush stretch tent for up to 50 people with heaters and festoon lights, giving it the boho festi-vibe. “ Paintworks Central Trading Estate; Finzels Reach; bristol.bocabar.co.uk

AZTEC HOTEL AND SPA

A purpose-built hotel that’s ideal for a variety of events; spaces range from a private dinner in the glass-panelled Garden Room overlooking the lake, to dinner for 130 in the Cotswold Suite. Alfresco events are popular on the Lakeside Terrace, and the Green Egg barbecue is a firm favourite for catering for outdoor events.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

At the Curious Kitchen, which has two rosette awards, ingredients are locally sourced and can be made bespoke, including vegan menus.

WHY CHOOSE YOU?

top: The ‘very lush’ stretch tent at Bocabar Finzels; middle: mixology magic at Aluna; bottom: Few places do ‘chill’ quite like Bocabar Paintworks

“We’re an award-winning venue where you can hold an event, stay overnight and relax in our spa. We’re an independent, family-run business, which enables us to customise our events and bring our guests’ ideas to life. If an event is for a registered charity, we will donate 10% of the bar or donate a prize for the auction.” n Almondsbury; aztechotelbristol.co.uk

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

CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

Swan song Has Stan checked out the cafés of the Wharf? Bean there, done that . . .

T

his week’s coffee establishment of choice is Little Victories. A tasty place down on Gaol Ferry Steps, that lovely little street of shops, bars and drinking dens that links Wapping Wharf at the bottom to Gaol Ferry Bridge at the top. It’s a part of the world I have got to know well recently.

Like a lot of folk, I have spent a fair wodge of time down on the docks over the last couple of years. While all the various

“This time, there was no swan in the froth. It turns out that swan-shaped lightning doesn’t strike twice”

lockdowns were coming and going like ghosts at a banquet, one of the things that remained was walking. You could always get out for a stroll.

Which meant that I, like so many of us, went looking for interesting places to wander.

Apart from anything else, it made me realise the docks are an absolute jewel in the crown of this old town we call home. A great place for strolling, watching the passers go by and generally enjoying a bit of Bristol life.

And where there’s a walk, as all sensible folk know, there’s a need for coffee. And cake. All of which means I have got to know quite a fair few cafés down this neck of the woods, too.

Reason I called in to this particular one was simple. Word of mouth. My main coffee companion, who also happens to be my wife, went there recently.

I was away on a trip, and she was on her own with the horrible hounds. Our two fluffy, foolish and completely adorable pooches.

One sunny morning, she sent me a picture of her coffee cup. Telling me that it was, and I quote, “the perfect coffee. Even has a picture of a swan on top”.

Hmm. Naturally, as a bit of a coffee connoisseur, this piqued

my interest. So I asked questions.

Turned out, the coffee had excellent flavour, perfect ratio of milk to espresso and, most importantly, my wife’s request to have the milk extra-hot had been listened to. For some reason, this seemingly simple plea often gets ignored, which then leads to a tepid flat white. Which is a bit bugging. In truth, my wife and I spend far too much time talking about this shortcoming in the barista’s art. So I shall stop now.

Point is, we went back to the place, and it happened all over again. In a good way. Although there was no swan in the froth this time. Turns out, swan-shaped lightning doesn’t strike twice.

Sigh. Anyhow, the coffee was so tasty, we bought a bag of their own-blend beans to take home.

After which we headed off to Meatbox in Cargo in search of Stornaway black pudding. With great success.

Honestly. If life gets any better than this, I’m going to need a bigger bucket list.

So, keep smiling, friends, and always remember to celebrate the little victories. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer stancullimore.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 61

MACH & MACH CORSET TOP, £600 Splashed in a pink and orange tiedye; guaranteed to add zing to your evening or festival lewk From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street harveynichols.com

MAHARISHI MONK SLING BAG, £55 In a ‘pacifist miliatry design’, in ripstop nylon with presssnap accessory pockets. Even if you’re dressed head-to-toe in black, this will make your look pop From Cooshti 57 Park Street cooshti.com

WATERHAUL SUNGLASSES, £60 Made from recycled Cornish fishing nets; here in a rather lovely ‘Harlyn Aqua’ hue From Frankly, Unit 5, Cargo frankly.store

THAT’S DOPE

Everyone knows that bright, colourful clothing can make you feel happier, and now this phenomenon has a name. It’s called ‘dopamine dressing’, and it’s set to be huge for 2022 . . .

RAINKISS PONCHO, £65 Energise the rainiest days with this bright and beautiful throw-over-everything poncho in refreshing, springlike colours Grace and Mabel, 32 The Mall graceandmabel.co.uk

LA CERISE SUR LE GATEAU WEEKEND BAG, £82 A tangerine dream of a bag, in 100% organic cotton.

Book that staycation right now...

From Maze Clothing, 26-28 The Mall; mazeclothing.co.uk

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

NOVESTA STAR MASTER TRAINERS, £25 (WAS £49) Handmade, vegan, canary yellow and a steal at the price (hurry) From Cooshti 57 Park Street cooshti.com

ED’S CHOICE Y.A.S. HOLI DRESS, £70 An ultra-feminine little frock in 100% organic cotton, with cute puffy sleeves, in the most delicious shade of raspberry rose From Fox + Feather 41 Gloucester Road foxandfeather.co.uk

NALI SHOP KIM SHOULDER BAG, £73 Not only in a brilliant blue, but metallic too; dopamine hit incoming...

From Fox + Feather 41 Gloucester Road foxandfeather.co.uk

GIMAGUAS PUKAS NECKLACE, £45 Choker-length necklace in the prettiest cream, red and pink stripes From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street harveynichols.com

BETTINA VERMILLON PVC MULES, £350 In futuristic PVC; like something Lieutenant Uhura might have worn on her day off From Harvey Nichols, 27 Philadelphia Street harveynichols.com

JASMINE BLOUSE, £69 100% organic cotton. Ethical, sustainable and vibrant, like everything in Pariss Cozier’s small, carefully curated shop From Chaos and Colour chaosandcolour.com

DARCY ORANGE SLIDERS, £89 Butter-soft suede straps criss-cross over a moulded chunky sole; you’ll be living in these this summer From Mint Velvet 44 Regent Street mintvelvet.co.uk

MADS NORGAARD BRISSA BIKINI, £45 (WAS £85) Sure to get you noticed on the beach, or, you know, just hanging about in Castle Park. We approve of the high bottoms From Movement Boutique 5 The Mall; movementboutique.co.uk ILSE JACOBSEN FLIP-FLOPS, £29 Azalea pink! Glittery! If summer were a shoe...

Grace and Mabel, 32 The Mall graceandmabel.co.uk

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

BLING IT ON The Bristol Life Awards loometh.

Time to get scrubbed up

By Milly Vaughan

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hen was the last time you splashed the cash on an ‘occasion’ dress? Chances are not recently, unless you’ve been a Covid bride, been to the BAFTAs or… are going to the Bristol Life Awards.

Other than being indicative that we are attending fewer fancy formal occasions − who other than Elton John do you know who owns a ‘white tie’ outfit in their closet these days? − the ‘occasion’ dress still holds its own sub-category in the dress section, however slimmed down it may have become.

At the end of the day, week or year, who doesn’t love an excuse to get properly scrubbed up to the degree that even your loved ones barely recognise you? The last time I walked down the stairs dressed up, my daughter asked why I looked like a witch.

But if a ‘stiffy’ were to thud through my letterbox, inviting me to an event that required said scrubbing brush and freshly painted nails, these would probably be my wardrobe options.

wearing something you might have worn before.

Budget really is open-ended here. At the top end of the scale are dream pieces from the likes of Mallory; however, House of Leopards, stocked at That Thing, offers crazy, colourful, cheap-andcheerful statement jewellery that’s bound to turn heads in an alternative, agreeably Bristol way.

Oh, and if you’ve been keeping a weather eye on the Oscars/Grammy’s red carpets, you may have noticed a big trend for 2022: 1950s style opera gloves are having a decided moment. We’re going to be rummaging through Bristol’s vintage clothes shops for the real deal, and rocking the look like Kim Novak or Grace Kelly.

THE RHIANNA

If you do purchase a fancy, expensive frock, please promise you won’t tuck it safely back up in its suit bag afterwards to grow old and miserable.

Dress it down with Converse boots to get your pint of milk at the weekend. It’s a little bit Carrie Bradshaw, and you’ll smile at the shopkeeper, he will smile back, and soon everyone will be smiling with you, wearing old wedding dresses to work and overalls to weddings. The whole world is upside down anyway at the moment, so we might as well have a little fun with fashion while it’s crazy out there.

Get myself pregnant again – or perhaps easier to hire a prosthetic bump – and dress in black scanty lace Dior. Huge wow factor, but maybe a bit drastic in the long run, and a hard one to justify the morning after. I’d also have to pretend not drink the whole night, which might dampen the overall mood of the evening.

THE RENTAL

Hop on the rental wagon. Men hire suits from Moss Bross, so why don’t we do the equivalent? These days there are much better companies providing this frock service. Makes a lot more sustainable sense, and saves you shelling out a wad of money on a dress, which chances are won’t be de rigueur the next decade you get the opportunity to use it.

THE CURTAINS

Wide-legged trousers are huge in both senses of the word this season. The wider, the bigger, the better, so it’s ambiguous whether you’re wearing a skirt or trousers. Choose solid colours, or huge printed silks so it looks like you’re wearing a pair of your granny’s old curtains on both legs. I’d pair this with a simple halter neck or bow top, block high-heel sandals, and that’s your lewk.

THE DRESS

THE ACCESSORIES Selected Femme sequin dress, £112.50 (was £225); mazeclothing.co.uk

Rework an old dress or something simple, but go BIG on bling to distract and dazzle onlookers from realizing you are actually

@millyvaughan on instagram camillapettman@mac.com

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SHOPPING LIST

1. In The Mood For Love sequinembellished midi-dress, £470; harveynichols.com 2. Kokomo glitter ‘Sweet Heart’ large stud earrings, £14; thatthing.co 3. Self Portrait Azaelea guipure lace midi-dress, £280; harveynichols.com 4. La Double J printed satin maxidress, £910; harveynichols.com 5. Diamond necklace, 18ct white gold £2,220; mallory-jewellers.com 6. Bronze sequin V-neck vest, £59; mintvelvet.co.uk 7. La Double J printed wide-leg silk trousers, £550; harveynichols.com 8. Lavish Alice silver strapless sequin mini-dress, £85; harveynichols.com 9. Vivienne Westwood Viv Jodie earrings; £140; garmentquarter.com 10. Gucci Marmont black leather platform sandals, £865; harveynichols.com 11. Stine Goya silver Ilona dress, £105 (was £210); gracdeandmabel.co.uk 12. Manolo Blahnik green embellished satin sandals, £845; harveynichols.com 13. Adrianna Papell knit crepe tuxedo wrap dress, £135; harveynichols.com

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

Want to be happier and healthier but hate taking tablets?

WANTED We buy for cash

SCRAP GOLD & PLATINUM Simply bring your old jewellery to our showroom in Bristol or send it in to us by special delivery.

(Please give us a call for more details) On your behalf, we can also sell re-saleable, unwanted jewellery items in our windows on a sale or return basis.

Photo ID required in all circumstances.

KEMPS OF BROADMEAD 33 Union St, Broadmead, Bristol BS1 2DJ T: 0117 926 4888 | www.kempsltd.co.uk Email: kempsbroadmead@gmail.com

You’re not alone. Millions of adults are not meeting their nutritional needs and many more struggle with taking tablets.

Having witnessed this first hand on the hospital wards, the Well Squared mission was clear. The answer? Planet-friendly and delicious chewable vitamins. Which means no more scoffing a handful of vitamin tablets in the mornings or making a mess with powders and sachets.

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

Bristol Life team 01225 475800

HEALTH & BEAUTY

ALLURE LASH LOUNGE Perfect, natural-looking eyebrows are possible at any age; the secret is microblading, says Deri Robins

T

here are many things I took for granted when I was in my twenties.

Being able to rock a crop top. Collagenplumped skin. Thick, dark, shiny hair. And great eyebrows.

Eyebrows, as anyone who has ever skimmed through a beauty magazine will know, are the most important feature of the face.

Practically so, because they act like little furry filters, stopping dust, dirt and sweat from getting into the eyes. And aesthetically so, because they’re a defining feature which frame and balance the face.

Fashions in brows come and go. Thin and arched in the 1930s, like Garbo; bold in the ’50s, like Taylor. Slim and spiky in the ’60s, full and natural in the ’80s, barely there in the noughties. And then,

in around 2010, brows became huge – literally – with fashion leaders such as Cara Delevigne stopping just short of a unibrow.

Fuller brows are great. They require less makeup. They make you look more youthful; even if the skin starts to sag, thick brows can act almost like a facelift.

There’s a bewildering range of treatments out there – threading, trimming, bleaching, backbrushing – but what I wanted was microblading, a semi-permanent tattoo in which pigment is implanted directly under the skin with a super-fine microblade, to create naturallooking hair strokes.The effect can last between 12-18 months.

Allure Lash Lounge on the Cheltenham Roads had been on my radar since it opened, shortly

after lockdown. I loved the look of its pretty-in-pink girly décor, and was impressed to hear that it had already won several awards.

There’s a lovely, relaxed feel about the place, and while I was waiting for my treatment in the fabulously OTT floral egg chair, it felt natural to fall into conversation with fellow customers at the coffee bar.

My brow technician Jessica, led me off to a small private room at the back of the salon, where I conveyed my brow hopes and dreams – basically, no bushy boyfriend brows, just something that would reintroduce structure to my face but still look natural.

First, Jessica drew her suggested outline for my new brows on my face; it looked kind of scary, but she assured me that the final effect would look far softer.

Then came a few minutes of plucking, at which point I considered making my excuses and leaving. “Everyone says that this is the worst part,” said Jessica, so I womanned up and kept the faith. She was right; the microblading itself just felt like gentle scratching. I’m not sure if this is a universal experience, or a mark of Jessica’s skill, or whether I’m just a really tough cookie. It’s almost definitely not the last one.

My reaction to the final effect was ‘wow’. But could I pass my new, full brows off as natural?

I took them out to a party two

nights later, and waited patiently for snarky comments from my highly observant, caustic friend Matt. None came. My brows had passed the test; better still was a wholly unexpected compliment that arrived the next day in WhatsApp, about how nice I’d looked. Result.

I had to tend my new brows carefully, keeping them moisturised (but not wet!) for a fortnight. Though not famed for my fastidiousness, I always obey aftercare instructions to the letter.

I anointed those brows twice-daily, as lovingly as a Midwest farmer oils his AR-15.

A few years ago, The Daily Mash ran a satirical piece headed “Women, please stop f**king around with your brows!”, to which the obvious response was “We will do whatever we like with our brows”. I have decided that what I like very much is microblading. I can’t do much about my sagging skin or roots, but until I reach the age where I have totally stopped caring, I fully intend to have brows for days, and I’ll be having them at Allure. ■

“I fully intend to have brows for days, and I’ll be having them done at Allure”

Allure Lash Lounge, 241 Cheltenham Road; 07880 341446 Microblading takes 2-2.5 hours and costs £345, including touch-up visit.

Other brow treatments include lamination and HD brows; lash, facial and lip treatments also available allurelashlounge.co.uk

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

MEET THE HAIR GURU Just needing a trim, or thinking about a whole new look?

These guys at the sharp end of cutting and styling will sort you out...

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

FRANCO LOMBARDI

FRANCO’S BARBERING LOUNGE 0117 944 6265; bristolbarber.com What sets you apart from your competition?

We take time to understand our clients’ likes and dislikes about their hair or beard, focusing on finding the right style for each face shape, so that the result looks natural, is effortless to maintain and looks great. We’re not about speed; instead our team is known for delivering a consistently high quality of work and service. Finally, you can have the best hair or beard, but without the correct products or know-how you’ll never look your best; something our clients understand.

NEIL WHITCOMBE BANGSHANKY 0117 929 7881 bangshanky.co.uk

What sets you apart from your competition?

Creating a space that has energy and vibrancy while encouraging creativity has always been the ethos at Bangshanky. The thing that most sets us apart is our talented team of colourists and stylists, who have worked together for 10 years and more.

Why should Bristol Llfe readers come to you?

Our team have endured the pandemic together and supported one another through what was undeniably the most difficult two years of the business. I can honestly say that the shop has never been a better place to be, the experience has made us stronger as a team. I know our clients are aware of how special a space this is for all of us, it contributes to the feeling you get when you walk through the doors.

What is your greatest professional accomplishment?

The thing I will always look back on, and feel most proud of, is the opportunity to train young people coming in to the profession.

I am honoured to say that lots of the people I still work alongside at Bangshanky are people I’ve played a part in training.

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

What are your top tips for hair care?

Firstly, if you have short hair, visit your barber every four weeks to maintain a more natural look, rather than flip-flopping between extremely short and overgrown. Secondly, using the right hair or beard products makes a huge difference to how your hair looks each day, and how easy it is for you to maintain; we teach all our clients how to use their products to maintain their look.

What is the one piece of kit you could never work without?

Scissors. While we do all types of haircuts, skin fades, beard work or shaves, we specialise in scissor work. Scissors produce a much softer natural bespoke look and shape than clippers for both hair and beard.

What investments has your barber shop recently made?

The Franco’s app is available from all app stores, and allows clients to book appointments easily, change or cancel them, and with live availability for last-minute appointments, waiting is a thing of the past.

SEBASTIAN THOMPSON CUT LAB BARBER STUDIO 07857 608810 labcutsltd@gmail.com; cutlab.co.uk

How long have you been established?

We opened in December 2021, at the back of the pandemic. We decided that it was time for a change of scene, and wanted to create a shop where everyone would be welcome.

Why should Bristol Life readers come to you?

They should come to us because we’re an appointment-run shop where we take extra time to give the best service to all hair types.

We aim to work around our clients’ busy lives, and specialise in all ethnicities. We also sell some wicked hair products and cool trainers!

Why are your clients loyal?

I think our clients are loyal because we always aim for high quality and consistency in our cuts. The studio has a good atmosphere and we’re always up for a good chat!

SPONSORED CONTENT

ANDREW SCAMMELL

SCAMMELLS BARBER SHOP 0117 957 1900; scammellsbarbershop.co.uk What sets you apart from the competition?

All our barbers are highly experienced with a minimum of 10 years behind the chair, offering a wealth of knowledge through consultation leading to the best service for each customer.

We have the highest number of five-star ratings around, and year-on-year are voted one of the best barber shops in Bristol.

JAK ROOME

DANIEL FRANCIS HAIR & BEAUTY 01275 408737; daniel-francis.co.uk What sets you apart from your competition?

We are an award winning 5* hair and beauty salon, placed in the heart of Backwell. Hair is our passion and a vital part of our salon - our expertly educated team are here to deliver superior services with excellent customer service and a personal touch.

Why should Bristol Llfe readers come to you?

Whether you would like a complete transformation, subtly maintain, or gradually change and evolve, we will listen carefully to you, using our expertise to diagnose specific issues and recommend a tailored solution to create a look that is characteristically yours. You will receive an initial full personal consultation, with honest advice, resulting in the highest standard of treatment. Our beautifully designed, warm and friendly salon offers you a space to relax, unwind and indulge.

What products do you use?

We use La Biosthetique products for both our hair and beauty treatments and retail. La Biosthetique use a combination of natural ingredients, state-of-the-art research and hold a passion for beauty - this defines the philosophy of the La Biosthetique brand.

Premium quality is not simply a possibility, it is the prerequisite.

What are your top tips for hair care?

Don’t wash your hair and beard too much!

Over shampooing will strip the hair and skin of the natural oils needed to keep hair and skin hydrated. Twice a week with a gentle formula is more than enough.

How long has your barber shop been established?

We opened in 1992, and this year we are celebrating 30 years in business.

What part of your work do you particularly enjoy?

Generally meeting new people from every walk of life. I also love offering our beardgrooming service with hot ‘n cold towels lined out with a cutthroat razor, then balms and oils.

Do you sell the products you use?

For many years we have used and sold Layrite from California & Reuzel from Rotterdam hair products, which are made and designed by barbers. They work perfectly on all hair types with excellent results. Alongside those we use a wide range of handmade beard-care products from Cornwall by Mariner Jack.

ROBIN MAKSIMCZYK

SOUTH CENTRAL BARBERS 0117 929 2309; wearesouthcentral.com What sets you apart from your competition?

We pride ourselves on being a fun place to hang out and take a break from the stresses of everyday life, turning the haircut back into a treat rather than a chore.

How long has your barber shop been established?

We originally opened our first shop on Nelson Street back in August 2017, but due to the fire at SWX we were forced to close.

We reopened our brand-new flagship store on Marsh Street in March of this year.

What investments have your barber shop recently made?

Well, due to the closure of our last shop, we have had a total refit from top to bottom! Not only have we brought in the very best barber chairs available, but I have invested in new kit for our staff as well as some brand-new Marshall speakers which sound incredible!

What trends do you see happening in 2022?

Lockdown birthed the ‘home haircut’, and from that rejuvenated the military style buzzcut trend, which I find myself doing more than ever. Aside from that, mullets are back, and look excellent, though I’m still waiting to do a full ’80s-style one . . .

Why are your customers loyal to you?

After being closed for the last seven months, I was fearing the worst, that all my clients would find new barbers, but since reopening, they’ve returned in droves.

They say it’s down to the simple fact that we’re the best at what we do. They love the cuts, the aesthetic and the ethos we embody here. Its incredibly humbling and im incredibly grateful for their ongoing support.

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

THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN

CALLING ENTREPRENEURS Inspirational tales Practical advice Unrivalled connections

Scan for first peek of EntreConf22

Backed by

CONTENT: claudia.butler@mediaclash.co.uk

EntreConf.com

COMMERCIAL: annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk

@Entre_Conf June 30

It’s the city’s business

BRISTOLWORKS VITAL INSIGHTS

© @JONCR AIG_ PHOTOS

The region’s leading conference for entrepreneurs and partners returns as a virtual event on 30 June.

EntreConf is the region’s newest and most dynamic business event, designed to engage and inspire entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey.

Following the EntreConf dinner and discussion with speaker Tim Edwards of NetworkN on 21 March, the event is due to return as an online conference on 30 June, with the next dinner on 19 September.

A limited number of leading companies are able to have high-profile exclusive association with the entrepreneurs of EntreConf by becoming a content partner or an associate. Please talk with annie.kelly@mediaclash.co.uk to get involved.

You can still watch the talk with Tim Edwards; search for EntreConf - Network N on YouTube.

For more entreconf.com

Tim Edwards with Greg Ingham

Big up the West National tourism agency VisitEngland has selected Visit West to receive further funding, to help promote Bristol and Bath as they recover from the effects of the pandemic

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he successful joint bid application for VisitEngland’s ‘Escape the Everyday’: Destination Management Organisations’ Recovery Marketing Fund will enable campaigns to run across the popular VisitBristol and VisitBath digital channels. The funds are being used to help the local tourism industry recover from the shattering effects of the pandemic, by encouraging 25-44-year-olds based in the UK with no children in the household to take a short city break in England this spring and early summer, showcasing the breadth of experiences available.

Digital Visitor, the UK’s leading strategic digital marketing agency for travel, tourism and hospitality, has been commissioned to deliver a dynamic campaign, which will drive potential visitors to new landing pages on the consumer websites, with bookable experiences available direct from the landing pages.

The ‘Escape the Everyday’ content, with videos and images sourced from local photographers, is being promoted primarily through social media

from early April until the end of June 2022, and is directed at domestic tourists.

With the West of England visitor economy valued at £2.33 billion, supporting 45,500 jobs, the recovery of the local tourism industry is of high interest to many business leaders, hospitality owners and employees in the region.

“We are thrilled to have once again been successful in securing funding from Visit England to support spring marketing through the ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign,” said director of tourism for the region’s destination management organisation, Kathryn Davis.

“As businesses within the visitor economy in our cities and surrounding towns continue to recover from the devastation of the impact of Covid, this support is critical to ensuring that we rebuild an industry worth £2.3bn to the West of England economy in 2019.

“We look forward to working with VisitEngland and local partners, Digital Visitor, to deliver successful campaigns through the VisitBristol & VisitBath consumer brands.”

For more visitbristol.co.uk

Offices in: Henleaze, Whiteladies Road Clifton Village, Shirehampton 0117 962 1205 www.amdsolicitors.com

PRIVATE CLIENT - FAMILY - PROPERTY - COMMERCIAL

BRISTOLWORKS

PROFILE ON…

CLOVER STUDIO

Meet Harry Clover – architect and installation artist. Until recently, he’s been living and working in one of the design capitals of the world – Copenhagen – but now he’s moved to Bristol…

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

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Henrik Vibskov Boutique in Copenhagen

lived and worked in London, and then Copenhagen, where I met my Danish fiancée, Nina,” says Harry. “ We enjoyed the traits of both cities, but felt neither was the right balance of work and lifestyle.

“We felt Bristol offered us the scale and more relaxed lifestyle of a Scandinavian city combined with the creative vibe and entrepreneurship of London – but with better scenery . . .”

How and why did you first get into architecture?

Initially, I started through a love of drawing and making things, from boats to clay sculptures. But when having to decide between studying art or architecture, I felt the latter could keep all doors open for me. And it has. I am now a registered architect, and can use my skills to build residential or commercial buildings and art installations at a scale and complexity I would have never considered with just a fine-art degree.

Has your time in Denmark had an influence on your work?

Yes; I actually started Clover Studio out there. It was a great experience and has impacted me greatly. I would now say my style is ‘Scandinavian eccentric’, entwining the Danish love for beautifully finished natural materials with more mischievous design themes and colours.

You founded Clover Studio in Copenhagen – why the name, and what’s the main philosophy behind the company?

Ha, yes; well, my name is Harry Clover, and unlike some, I felt I was sufficiently blessed with my plant-based surname to use it for the

company. Our philosophy is about squeezing the joy and intrigue out of conventional briefs to create multifunctional spaces, with a playful aesthetic, and from sustainable materials. When it comes to art installations, the more it performs and intrigues the better, the same as with our interiors.

What inspired your design for Henrik Vibskov Boutique in Copenhagen?

I had already had the privilege of working for the fashion designer Henrik Vibskov for his Paris Fashion Week installation, and I wanted to respond to his playful aesthetic for his store, too.

The aim was to make the furniture the expressive party piece. The concept was founded around how we can reinvent the ubiquitous coatrack and display table in a cost-effective way that avoided expensive Danish carpenters. So we hung everything from the ceiling with rope, and used paint-drip inspired metal brackets to join everything together.

When multiplied, this kit of parts created a stalactite /stalagmite creative space.

What other projects have you especially enjoyed working on?

One of the more influential would be the design of The Lion and Lamb pub and music venue in Hoxton, London. It now has a large following, and DJs come from all around the world to play there. The ceiling has a wave-like art installation of 7000 audio cables that perform as a sound diffuser, which is now central to the venue’s brand.

right: Detail from The Lion and Lamb Club; below: The HeatSensitive Pavilion

It seems that many of your designs draw on scientific knowledge and skills that transcend mere architecture...

Well, we try to do at least one progressive thing with each project, and incorporate new materials and technology not always commonplace in architecture. It’s nice when an artwork or building doesn’t look or behave in the way you expect.

“The aim was to make the furniture the expressive party piece”

We can see some intriguingly innovative projects on your website – The HeatSensitive Pavilion, for example, and The Wearable Observatory...

Both were actually non-profit research projects that explored how buildings can transform themselves. The Heat Sensitive Pavilion used wax pistons which are found on large greenhouses to open windows.

These open and close without electricity as the wax melts inside at different temperatures. We attached those to the façade so that the pavilion unfurled its mesh awnings without any power input as the day got warmer – similar to the movement of some plants.

The Wearable Observatory was a playful bit of research into extreme environments. The suit converted into a tent from which to view the night sky.

I tested the suit while camping in an Icelandic lava field in sub-zero conditions.

We know that you have a big interest in designing hospitality and commercial spaces that are enticing and fun...

Yes! Designing commercial and public spaces is a key interest of mine, as they can be more conceptual and give greater impact. You don’t need to live in them day in and day out, so having an art installation hanging above you is not as much of a cleaning hindrance as perhaps having it in the home! Commercial projects need to intrigue and draw people in, and to do so you have to create something different and playful. We enjoy that.

Bring us up to speed on what you’ve been doing in Bristol In the six months we have been in Bristol, we have worked with Higgihaus on their new apartment hotel in Cardiff and Clare Street in Bristol, which we look forward to completing this summer. We also have some quirky residential refurbishments running, and hopefully a newbuild or two outside Bristol. But with most of our contacts still based in London and Copenhagen, we would love to expand our local client base in the commercial side, as Bristol is now our home.

Are you open to both commercial and domestic commissions?

Yes, very much so, from high-impact retail and hospitality to refined and minimal residential projects. Both offer different things and client personalities. This is the fun of doing both. We also offer interactive and static art installations at any scale.

What are your favourite buildings in Bristol?

So far I have been most impressed by the Bristol street scene and the character of different historic and industrial areas of Bristol. Bristolians are also very houseproud, and the same goes for their business premises.

So let’s say, rather than large commercial or public architecture, the quirkiness of private residences and independent businesses has been the biggest takeaway so far.

What is your own home like, style-wise?

I hope you will find out. We are currently renovating our flat in Clifton in the ‘Scandinavian eccentric’ style I mentioned earlier; this will be the first application of the concept in Bristol, and I hope to share it with Bristol Life and its readers. n For more cloverstudio.co.uk

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

SPONSORED CONTENT

FLIGHT CLUB The awesome VIRGIN BALLOON FLIGHTS team are poised to take you up, up and away in Bristol and Bath

W

ith thousands of hours flying balloons between them, pilots Nobby, Allie and Colin and their ace crew are ready to make your flying dreams come true.

PILOT MARK ‘NOBBY’ SIMMONS Nobby has been flying hot-air balloons commercially for more than 30 years and has been at the helm of the iconic, big, red Virgin balloon in Bristol and Bath since the mid-90s.

He’s flown in more than 30 countries worldwide. One of his favourite flights was in Switzerland back in 1995, when he reached 18,000ft. “I could see pretty much the whole of the Swiss Alps, and all the way to the French, Italian, German and Austrian Alps. Seeing the Eiger, Materhorn and Mont Blanc all at the same time was the most amazing experience.

“But there really is something special about flying in Bristol or Bath, as they are the spiritual home of hot-air ballooning in the UK. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t beat it.”

Nobby is one of Virgin Balloon Flights’ longest serving pilots and has piloted our balloon at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta so many times, he’s lost count.

PILOT ALLIE DUNNINGTON Allie has flown all kinds of hot-air balloons for decades and joined the Virgin Balloon Flights team a few years ago. She’s a true trailblazer for women in ballooning and is an active member of the British Women Pilots Association. A qualified flight instructor, and the first ever UK female balloon pilot examiner since commercial ballooning was established 50 years ago, in 2010 she also founded and still runs the annual Women’s Balloon Event.

“My passengers love having a female pilot. I’d always say ‘go for it’ to any woman who wants to be a balloon pilot,” she said.

Did we also mention that its officially Dr Allie Dunnington? She has a PHD in both Asian studies and anthropology, speaks multiple languages including Chinese, Japanese, German and French and is a trained nurse!

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

PILOT COLIN HODGES Colin is also officially Dr Colin Hodges, with a PhD in chemistry as well as a 30-year career flying hot air balloons.

After leaving university, he shared an office with a chap who had his own private balloon.

After a couple of calls, Colin found himself flying from Thornbury Castle to Tintern Abbey, and gained a lifelong love for hot-air ballooning in the process.

Even after flying over temples in Bagan, he still says Bristol is his favourite place to fly.

“I just love seeing the city, and with every flight you see something new. It’s an amazing feeling to make people’s balloon flight dreams come true,” he said.

And 1,500 flights on since that first ballooning experience more than 30 years ago, Colin loves it as much now as he ever did.

“Every flight is different, steering the balloon only by changing height to wherever wind levels take you. You never stop learning.”

CREW CHIEF JOE DOLMAN The fourth generation of a local farming family, Joe’s very first balloon flight with pilot Nobby was more than 15 years ago, when he was just eight years old. From that moment, he was hooked. He joined the Virgin balloon crew when he left agricultural college and says it really is his perfect job.

“I can work on the farm, helping my dad with his dairy cows, and when the weather is flyable, I get to go chasing balloons around Bristol and Bath,” he said. “Ashton Court is one of the most famous balloon sites in the world, and the views flying from the estate and over Bristol, with the suspension bridge and harbour, are just amazing.”

Sometimes when flying from Bath, the balloon has even landed back at his dad’s farm.

“I love it when that happens, as I take everyone to meet our cows and calves, plus the geese and horses that live with us. They get to experience the bit of the countryside I’m very fortunate to live in.”

CREW CHIEF CAROLINE FOX Caroline heads up the all-female balloon crew in Bristol and Bath for pilot Allie, and has worked in aviation for more than 25 years.

Just like Allie, she’s a passionate advocate for women in ballooning and over the years has gained her well-deserved reputation as one of the best crew in the region.

“At the beginning, when I started crewing, I felt the impression among some was ‘well, let’s see how long this one lasts’, but I quickly won them over,” she said.

Caroline absolutely loves every aspect of her job, especially meeting passengers and doing everything she can to ensure they have the best ballooning experience possible.

“I will happily take on situations reversing our big balloon rigs that a lot of pilots wouldn’t even attempt . . .”

CREW MOIRA STEPHENS Moira crews for both Allie and Colin, in between her other highly rewarding job at a special needs school in Bristol.

Another vocal advocate for women in the ballooning industry, Moira more than holds her own in what is traditionally a male-dominated career.

“I do everything a man would do, and do it with no worries,” she said. “And I’m stronger than some of them, anyway!”

If that wasn’t enough, Moira is currently doing a masters in educational assistive technology, volunteers at an inclusive ballet school and is a keen boxer. n

Take life higher with Virgin Balloon Flights this summer at virginballoonflights.co.uk

SPONSORED CONTENT

NO FAULT DIVORCE IS IT A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN?

By Rebecca Aston-Jones, senior associate in the family team at INCE (Bristol)

T

his April has seen the biggest shake-up in divorce law for 50 years. The new ‘no fault’ law finally ends the blame game, removing the ability to make allegations about the conduct of a spouse.

Rebecca Aston-Jones, family solicitor at Ince, explains what this means for couples wishing to part ways.

either spouse can still start the process on their own if they wish.

It is now no longer possible for one of the parties to defend a divorce, except on limited grounds, such as challenging the validity of the marriage or jurisdiction. This avoids couples building up excessive costs arguing in court and allows them to focus on finalising matters as amicably as possible.

ONE GROUND FOR DIVORCE

THE PROCESS

It remains to be the case that there is one ground for divorce but now couples simply have to state that their marriage/partnership has broken down irretrievably. Parties are no longer required to provide any evidence of adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion of either party or separation. They will simply be taken at their word, rather than have their relationship breakdown subject to a court assessment. It however remains the case that all couples wishing to divorce are required to have been married for a year before divorce proceedings can start.

The process is significantly simplified, which should reduce costs. There will be an overall period of 26 weeks: an initial 20 weeks, which provides for a period of reflection; followed by a further 6 weeks between the conditional order and the final order.

The 20-week reflective period gives couples the opportunity to ensure that parting ways is the right step for them. It also enables them to work together with their solicitors over practical arrangements for the children and financial matters.

WORKING TOGETHER

If you and your spouse are looking to manage the divorce process yourselves, it is still advisable to take independent legal advice to ensure you are being guided properly in respect of the children and financial matters.

The new process allows parties to divorce on a joint basis if they wish; so they are starting the process working with each other, rather than against each other. Under the new regime,

SPECIALIST LEGAL ADVICE

Many parties do not realise that they still need to put a financial order in place in order to end all financial claims with their spouse and obtaining a Final Order in divorce proceedings does not do this alone. ■

For more information and advice, please get in touch with a member of our team today: T 01174 530 977 E infobristol@incegd.com

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

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2022 SPECIAL PREVIEW

Get ready to celebrate the best of the city at the Bristol Life Awards on 18 May at Ashton Gate. In this special preview you can meet the judges, look back at the 2021 Awards, and find out what to expect on the night www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 79

FINALIST

© BEN ROBINS

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS

INSET: Last year’s Platinum winners, Breaking Bread

WINNER, DINNER Get ready to meet this year’s winners at the glamorous Bristol Life Awards ceremony this May

T

he Bristol Life Awards is the highlight of the business year.

With every fresh crop of nominations, we are blown away by the talent, innovation, creativity and tenacity of this city’s businesses.

The judging is a painstaking process – each nomination is pored over, discussed and debated until we’re left with only the best of the best.

It’s never an easy decision; heated debates take place every year, but that’s part of the fun. You can learn more about this year’s decision-makers on page 85.

The list of finalists – meet them on page 86 – represent a snapshot of the most exciting projects the city has to offer. On the night itself, that excitement is palpable, with everyone dressed in their finery and gathered at Ashton Court ready to celebrate. The community vibe is strong – and it’s not just down to the prosecco.

The finalists have come along hoping to win, of course – but in the end whether they go home with a trophy or not, they leave with a sense of something gained.

This might be the potential for a new business partnership or simply a reminder of the vital role we all play in the evolution of the city we love.

It’s time – dig out your glammiest outfit, get your dancing shoes on, and prepare to party.

For more: bristollifeawards.co.uk

The Bristol Life team are SO ready to welcome you . . .

Categories: 23 award categories (including the new Sustainability Award) Sponsors: Headline sponsor, Marsh Commercial; category sponsors, Bristol City Centre BID, Bristol Life, Bristol Property Awards, Burston Cook, Close Brothers Asset Management, Crumbs, Entreconf, JAS Building Services, Lexus Bristol, Redcliffe & Temple BID, SLX, Thatchers and VWV; feature sponsors, Bristol Sport, SAS Creative and Triangle Networks.

KEY DATES 18 May: Bristol Life Awards at Ashton Gate 10 June: Official Winners’ Guide in Bristol Life

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

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS

THE JUDGES WILL DECIDE… Every year we elect a fresh panel of impeccably impartial and independent judges for the Bristol Life Awards. It’s a diverse and knowledgeable group, from a wide variety of sectors and sizes of business. They and they alone will decide our winners…

CHRIS THURLING, chairman, Armadillo

ANGIE BUAL, founder, Trigger

Angie is the founder of Trigger and creative director of The Hatchling – the world’s first flying puppet in the form of a dragon, which premièred in 2021 and is set to lead the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Chris was among the early internet pioneers in the UK, founding a successful boutique web design agency, 3Sixty, in the mid1990s. Chris took over as chairman of Armadillo in 2017, combining his role with chairing Bristol Creative Industries.

NICK HOUNSFIELD, founder, The Wave

Nick founded The Wave in 2010 and opened in Bristol in autumn 2019, with a vision of bringing surfing and ‘blue health’ to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. He is the chair of Surfing England.

MICHELE BARBOUR, associate pro vicechancellor, University of Bristol

JEN REID, activist and author

Jen is best known as the subject of Marc Quinn’s statue Surge of Power, a defining global symbol for the BLM movement. She is also a TV presenter, speaker, author and a patron of CARGO Movement.

Professor Michele Barbour is associate pro vice-chancellor: enterprise and innovation at the University of Bristol, and is committing to building and strengthening links with companies, from spin-outs and start-ups to multinationals.

PHILLIP BATE, team leader, Triodos Bank

NIKI FACEY, client executive, Marsh Commercial

Niki works with a wide variety of businesses from an insurance and risk perspective, aligning this with Marsh Commercial’s operational objectives. Niki is also the chair of the West of England Committee of the British Insurance Broker’s Association.

Phillip heads up the lending team for the South West and Midlands at Triodos Bank. A passionate social lender, he enjoys working with organisations who contribute to positive social and environmental change.

RANDA ABDULLAH HUCKER, co-founder, Hullabaloos Lemonade

Randa set up Hullabaloos back in 2014 with her husband Leigh, both on a mission to create a natural soft drink which uses only natural ingredients. She previously worked in the financial sector and catering, having managed call centres.

CO N G R AT U L AT I O NS T O O UR F I NAL I STS: ARTS

Sponsored by Lexus Bristol Big Jeff’s ‘Welcome To My World’ Bristol Ensemble St George’s Bristol Vanguard The Wardrobe Theatre

BAR

Alma Tavern & Theatre Aluna Bristol The Greenbank Kask Wine Bar Loose Cannon Cocktail Bar

BUSINESS SERVICES Blackstar Solutions Bristol Labels Datasharp Integrated Communications Firehaus Ghyston MeasureMinds Group Natwest Entrepreneur Accelerator Precision Resource Group PureComms Workwell ZiaBia Events Consultancy

CAFÉ

Sponsored by Crumbs Black Sheep Kitchen Burra Bristol Can't Dance Coffee The Colombian Company

CHARITY

Sponsored by VWV Alive Activities Billy Chip® Bristol Autism Support Bristol City Robins Foundation Caring in Bristol Children’s Hospice South West Creative Youth Network FareShare South West Great Western Air Ambulance Charity The Sky Project South Bristol Youth St Peter's Hospice

CIVIC

Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol Books Bristol City Centre BID Bristol Nights - Bristol City Council Hargreaves Lansdown National Friendly HEADLINE SPONSOR

Richmond Event Management Where’s It To? - Bristol City Council

CREATIVE

Sponsored by SLX Admire PR Arobase Creative Conscious Solutions Firehaus HdE Agency Innovate Product Design Istoria Group Mobile Pie Moose Studios The Property Photographer Purplefish Studio Giggle

EDUCATION

Bristol Ensemble Kodurand Violin School Little Adventures Nurseries Professional Apprenticeships Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital Razzamataz Theatre Schools Tockington Manor School and Nursery

EVENT

Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol International Balloon Fiesta Bristol Tech Festival Great Weston Ride St Paul’s Carnival Sustainable Fashion Week UK Valley Fest

FINANCIAL

Sponsored by Bristol City Centre BID & Redcliffe & Temple BID Anderson Financial Management The Aspire Partnership FD Works FinTech West Hargreaves Lansdown Hartsfield Financial Services Key Solution Mortgages Moneyhub Parmenion Reassured

FOOD & DRINK PRODUCER

Caleño Drinks Conscious Food Co Dunleavy Essential Trading Co-operative Red & White

HAIR & BEAUTY

Bodysquadbristol Bragg Hair Studio Ciao Bella Aesthetics Daniel Francis Dudes n’ Dolls Beauty Nuala Morey

HEALTH & WELLBEING Bristol Sport Foundation Feel Fit First Aid Bristol Hill Clinics Imaginatal Little Dreams Consulting LovewellUK Soccer Shooters Your Care (South West)

HOMES & INTERIORS Bespoke Frameless Glass Hannah Redden Interiors HUSK JAS Building Services Organised Interiors

LEGAL

Sponsored by Burston Cook Barcan+Kirby Bevan Brittan Brigstow Family Law Bristol Law Centre GL Law Stephenson Law VWV

LEISURE & TOURISM The Bristol Harbour Hotel & Spa Little Giggles Soft Play Ocean Adventurers Quarter Visit West

NEW BUSINESS

Sponsored by JAS Building Services Balloon Letting Co Bank Brigstow Family Law Conscious Food Co Food Shop IN Bristol Little Adventures Nurseries Loki Poké MeasureMinds Group Organised Interiors

PEOPLE SERVICES ARV Solutions Baltimore Consulting The Chef Tree

Flagship Consulting G2 Recruitment H2R Selection Heat Recruitment Kingston Barnes Navado Talent

PROPERTY

Sponsored by Bristol Property Awards Berkeley Place Brabazon by YTL Developments Burston Cook CJ Hole Land & New Homes ETP Fraser Allen Estate Management JAS Building Services Mode Consult Redrow South West

RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Thatchers Cider Aqua Restaurants Bank Koocha Mezze Bar Poco Tapas Bar The Star & Dove Westbury Park Pub

RETAILER

Benedict Raven Car Connect Bristol Grace & Mabel NE Appliances Stonecott Fine Writing Supplies Titcombe Bespoke

SUSTAINABILITY

Atomic Smash Bevan Brittan Brabazon by YTL Developments Essential Trading Co-operative Sustainable Fashion Week UK

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Sponsored by Close Brothers Asset Management Assured Digital Technologies Atomic Smash Chorus Data Cubed Exacta Technologies Ghyston Huboo Technologies Morrow One Big Circle Payaca Signable Stripe OLT

SPONSORS Commercial Property Consultants

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS FI N A L IS T S A N D SP O NSO R S R EC E P T I O N Elly Rowley

Dylan Pepler

Jonathan Burnett, Sean McCarthy and Alice Ockwell

IT’S THE FINALISTS COUNTDOWN

Niki Facey and Sabrina Bowman

The finalists and sponsors for the 2022 Bristol Life Awards gathered for an exclusive evening at The Mount Without, to toast another year of successful, thriving Bristol businesses – and to wish each other all the best for the big night.

Photos by Jon Craig @JonCraig_Photos Xxx

Deri Robins, Michele Jetzer and Angela Appiah Shippey

Bob Irwin, Steve Irwin-Porter, Jen Reid and Andy Jackson

Welcome to Daniel Francis, an award winning 5* hair and beauty salon, placed in the heart of Backwell. Our expertly educated team are here to deliver superior services with excellent customer service and a personal touch.

8-10 Dark Lane, Backwell, Bristol, BS48 3NS 01275 408 737 | contact@daniel-francis.co.uk www.daniel-francis.co.uk

DELI FERMENTS COFFEE WINE BEER LOCAL & INDIE www.foodxshopx.com | 63 North Road BS6 5AD, Bristol

Anna-Louise Mean, Bessie Hanson and Helen Applin

Louise Spencer, Hannah Doyle and Ben Giles

James Roach and Deborah Roach

Amanda Gallagher, Melissa Toney, Jo Campbell and Gareth Edwards

Marlina Medina Silva and Phil Pearce

Harriette Dixon and Lisa Knights Sahra-Marie Tulloch, Cassie Reid, Grace Cupper and Maddie Platt

James Wilson and Guy Fisher

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

SPECIALIST FAMILY LAW SOLICITORS BASED IN BRISTOL

We can help you with: · Divorce & Separation · Financial Separation and Settlements · Child Arrangements · Marital Agreements · Cohabitation · Domestic Abuse · Collaborative Process

WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING YOU

Our Commitments to you: · Expert Legal Knowledge and Guidance · Clear and Honest Advice · Listening and Clear Communication · Caring and Empathetic

www.brigstowfamilylaw.co.uk | Tel: 0117 4502622 Email: info@brigstowfamilylaw.co.uk Twitter: @BFL_FamilyLaw | Facebook: @BrigstowFamilyLaw

SPONSORED CONTENT

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OUR TIME IS NOW

From a start-up of six working out of a garden log cabin, to a business nearing a team of 100, Bristol-born agency HEAT RECRUITMENT know a thing or two about building from the ground up

F

rom humble beginnings, Heat have evolved over time into an agency that is different by design.

What has remained crucial as the business has scaled is the retention of the core values of the company: as a Bristol business, Heat put a lot of emphasis on staying true to their roots – whether this is through their partnership with Bristol Sports Foundation, and their work to fundraise through community-led sporting events, bridging the digital divide through computer donations; or their recent pledge to carbon neutrality, which has led them to make significant improvements to their office spaces, Heat are intent on making a positive difference within the locality and championing those within the Bristol community that share their values.

During 16 years in business, Heat has evolved hugely; but it is fair to say that the challenges posed by recent years have played a significant role in altering Heat’s mission and processes for the better. In the wake of the pandemic, Heat came into its own: with significant investment into business-wide learning and development, a renewed commitment to innovation and

cutting-edge technology, and an emphasis on creating pathways for growth for their employees, Heat have established themselves as recognised specialists who raise the bar in everything they do.

But Heat is far from done; in fact, now more than ever, it feels that Heat is on the precipice of something exciting. In an ambitious new move for the business, they recently opened a second office in the heart of Manchester, branching out from their Bristol-born roots to increase their presence in the north of the UK. Along with this, they have also opened the first of several new divisions as they begin work to establish their HR recruitment offering.

“As we grow, we are building our level of knowledge in the sectors we operate in, and pivoting from being solely staff suppliers to trusted consultants in our specialisms,” said managing director Steve Preston.

“We are drilling down on these specialisms so that we can offer the best specialist recruitment that we can. This is just the first of a number of projects that we have in the pipeline for the near future as we continue to expand Heat’s offering.”

Right now, Heat is at a pivotal and exciting point in the business’s history: with ambitious projects in motion, they are hitting new heights of success, expanding exponentially and are in one of the best places they have ever been to put these impressive plans into motion.

The time to join Heat’s exciting and ambitious journey is now, as they expand into new verticals, new regions, and new realms of recruitment. Heat shows no sign of slowing down, so if you are ready to join their story, get in touch with them today. ■

For more information: 0117 922 1771 Email: hello@heatuk.com www.heatrecruitment.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 97

Welcome to Koocha, a friendly, cosy escape that brings a taste of Persia to Bristol.

Experience plant powered food as you never have before.

Vegan or not, you’ll love our fresh, colourful and creative dishes. Step inside for a taste of mouth-watering Persian mezze and a signature gin cocktail.

Serving lunch and dinner and everything in between, come visit us for good times and great food!

Bringing you the very best of Colombia!

203B Cheltenham Rd, Cotham, Bristol BS6 5QX. koochamezzebar.com | 0117 9241301

121 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol, BS8 2PL 01174522072 Info@thecolombiancompany.com www.thecolombiancompany.com

AWARDS 2021

Here’s how it all went down...

Eve Russell and Daryn Carter

PHOTOS BY TIM WOOLF

Fiona Lester and Steve Eccles Josh Eggleton

Dylan Shelton and Alice Hier

Dom Borel

HIT REWIND

Lisa Tucker, Melissa Toney, Rachel Cozens and Ellie Webb

The Bristol Life Awards 2021 was a joyous affair, and last year’s event was an epic celebration of success against all the odds. It was a night for those businesses who had thrived despite the pandemic and organisations who had held the city up throughout it. It was a moment for the community to reunite after so much enforced separation around a singular love for our city.

We can’t wait to do it all again on 18 May.

Lucy Eastment and Hannah Walkiewicz

100 XX II BRISTOL BRISTOLLIFE LIFE II www.mediaclash.co.uk www.mediaclash.co.uk

Ben Curd, Tipu Miah, Levi Toth, Rashintha Rodrigo and Anna Garrod

Talk Club The typically restrained Coconut Tree crew

Tom McFadyen, Sophie Torry-Cook, Louise Baldus, Ellie Yates, Liam Dunlop Christelle Pellecuer and Melissa Toney

Mia Collins, Matilda Harding and Orla Edwards

Martin Buckland and Richard Hill Rhiannon Jones and Stefan Boakye

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 101 MEDIACLASH.CO.UK 39

BRISTOL’S LEADING INDEPENDENT BATHROOM AND TILE SPECIALIST Within our large showroom we showcase the industry’s leading brands and more importantly we have an experienced, warm and friendly team to help you choose your dream bathroom.

With over 30 Five Star Google and Facebook reviews come see what the fuss is about!

6 Eldonwall Trading Estate, Bristol BS4 3QQ

Email: sales@ttabw.co.uk Telephone: 01179 770011 b

PROPERTY

AN ECO-RETREAT The charms of this 19th-century cottage are immediately evident – but there’s more to its careful renovation than meets the eye

By Ursula Cole

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 107

PROPERTY

I

n our previous issue, we ran a brief profile of Birch Cottage – a charming 200-year-old, threebedroomed home near Chepstow, set in an acre of gardens overlooking the Wye Valley, with a woodland sauna cabin and barn. Google Bristol Life issue 315, if you want the blow-by-blow house tour.

However, this house has a story to tell, and we wanted to revisit it in this issue in a slightly more detailed way.

Here’s the background . . .

After a winter spent travelling in Eastern Europe, volunteering on organic farms, the current owner was inspired by the homesteading lifestyle. He noted how, through conscientious farming practices, the families he volunteered with were able to live in a deeper relationship to the natural world. Their days were not ruled by the calendar or clock, but by the sun, weather and seasons.

Returning from his travels, he was inspired to create a home that connected just as meaningfully to the natural environment. He acquired Birch Cottage in a dilapidated condition in 2014, and spent the next five years living in a Mongolian yurt in the garden, growing vegetables on the land as the cottage was stripped back to its bare stone walls and lovingly restored.

He undertook the restoration alongside local builders and travelling volunteers who stayed to learn more about the natural building process. By the time the house

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

was completed, he’d fallen in love with the yurt life and continued to live there, letting out the cottage as an eco-retreat.

The guiding principle behind Birch Cottage is that the basic functions of everyday living, meeting our needs for food and shelter, can provide meaningful fulfilment when connected to the natural world. While homes need to insulate us from the world, they shouldn’t isolate us from it. For example, heating a house by burning wood can connect us to the whole process of the growth of trees, cutting them and seasoning them. By the time the log is burning in the stove, it is the culmination of a long process of a relationship to the world, bringing satisfaction, fulfilment and meaning to everyday life.

THE RENOVATION Birch Cottage was restored and modernised with an ecological eye, using natural, locally sourced and recycled materials. Floors are made from cob, using traditional and modern earthen flooring techniques and clay dug from the garden, to create a hard-wearing and beautiful floor, which is underheated in the kitchen, downstairs bedrooms and bathroom.

The stonework has been carefully restored with traditional lime pointing, and the roof with local Welsh slate. The kitchen is made from locally sourced ash slab worktops and recycled pallet wood, combining rustic

charm with modern appliances. The heating system runs off renewable sources, and is powered by two large solar thermal panels on the roof and a woodburning stove.

A secondary electric heating system can be controlled remotely by WiFi. Outside areas include a wonderful woodland sauna cabin, a decked area and a seating area with a rustic pergola. Next to the cottage sits the shell of an old barn; recently reroofed with reclaimed Welsh slate, and structurally made sound, it’s currently an empty shell full of potential, with planning secured for either a residential annexe or holiday let.

This is a very special home, and the current owner hopes that his successors will find the same potential and beauty that he originally found in the cottage – perhaps through renovating and letting the stone barn that sits next door.

HOUSE NUMBERS Where Brockweir, nr Chepstow Guide price Originally built

£700k Circa 1850

Bedrooms

3

Bath/shower rooms

2

Receptions 27ft kitchen diner; 16ft living room Grounds

Just over an acre

What else?

Woodland sauna and cabin Fine & Country, 01291 629799; fineandcountry.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

FACTORY NO.1 CITY & COUNTRY has launched Regent House at Factory No.1 in Bedminster, within the former Imperial Tobacco Company HQ

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ward-winning heritage developer City & Country has released a new range of conversion apartments at Factory No.1 in Bedminster.

The latest phase, Regent House, is a distinctive Grade-II redbrick building facing East Street and Lombard Street, that has been painstakingly restored and converted into 70 new one- and two-bedroom homes.

Originally designed by Sir Frank Wills, who also designed Bristol Grammar School, the Edwardian-Baroque building is one of the most distinctive in the city. It famously served as the headquarters of tobacco manufacturers WD & HO Wills, who together founded The Imperial Tobacco Company, one of the world’s largest tobacco businesses.

The Wills brothers launched many popular cigarette brands, including Woodbine and Capstan. Towards the end of the 19th century, and in response to challenges from the American Tobacco Company, they joined forces with 12 other family-run tobacco manufacturers to create The Imperial Tobacco Company. Regent House became the company headquarters, and tobacco continued to be manufactured at the site until the 1970s.

Now this important part of Bristol’s history has been transformed into high-quality new homes.

Unique original spaces, including the former boardroom and associated meeting rooms, have been converted into apartments, while original features including an oak-panelled corridor, cornicing and fireplaces have been restored.

Floors within each apartment have been dropped back to their original level, increasing ceiling heights and maximising light from large period windows.

The building’s most iconic architectural feature – its green domed turret – has also been converted into one of Bristol’s most remarkable new homes, complete with a circular living area.

Externally, Regent House’s striking red brickwork has been enhanced. The bricks, along with the striking terracotta pediment, were made at the Cattybrook Brickworks, a prominent 19thcentury manufacturer in the South West, noted for its association with the ‘Bristol Byzantine’ and for supplying the bricks for the Severn Tunnel, Portishead Power Station and Fry’s factory at Keynsham.

Internally, the new homes feature contemporary yet original interior designs.

Kitchens contrast tonal finishes, including textured bronzed sleek handles, wood and matt finishes, and quartz marble worktops. There are two distinctive specification styles for the bathrooms; a gold and charcoal-black theme, creating a softened industrial feel, and a sleek, elegant white and grey marble theme, with chrome taps and shower fittings.

In homage to the building’s unique tobacco heritage, City & Country has commissioned local street artist SP:Zero to create a series of communal artworks in the style of the original cigarette cards that the Wills brothers once manufactured.

Residents benefit from exclusive access to Factory No.1’s private courtyard gardens, while

entry to the building is via secure gated entry systems, and underground car parking is also provided. A concierge handles day-to-day needs for residents.

Factory No.1 lies at the gateway to Bedminster, one of Bristol’s most vibrant areas. It’s home to an eclectic range of shops, restaurants and bars, just minutes from North Street and with the heart of the city centre just moments away.

“Factory No.1’s fascinating tobacco history is not just of local significance, but of national importance,” said Simon Vernon-Harcourt, design and planning director at City & Country.

“Throughout Bristol there are many Wills landmarks, but Regent House ranks highly.

Now people can live in this amazing building, surrounded by its history and heritage, but enjoying all the benefits of a contemporary new home.

“Residents are moments from Bedminster’s buzzing independent shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, while they can also escape to their own oasis in the city thanks to Factory No.1’s private internal courtyard gardens.” n

Prices start from £245,000* For more formation, visit cityandcountry.co.uk. www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 111

BRISTOL LIVES

“You have to source the support that suits you best”

ZEENA MOOLLA

From manageable meditation to resisting toxic positivity, Zeena’s latest book is all about building mental resilience and boosting self-esteem

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n her debut book, Zeena offered humorous advice from the coalface of motherhood. Now she’s back with her second work of non-fiction – and it’s full of tips and techniques to help us to develop a tougher mindset.

I’m an author and journalist,

writing for publications including Marie Claire, Grazia, The Telegraph, The Mirror and Red magazine. I’m also a part-time editor at Puzzler, which I thoroughly enjoy, as I love a crossword.

My debut book, Everything I’ve

Learned About Motherhood, was published by Thread Books in February last year. It’s a humorous parenting non-fiction about my experiences of early motherhood, against a backdrop of my own upbringing with my single-parent dad. Poet and author Laura Dockrill described

it as “refreshing, laugh-out-loud real talk” and also, “a lifeline”.

My dad said it was “alright”.

My second non-fiction, out on 12 May, is called How To Find Your Mental Strength. My dad is slightly more eff usive about this book because it doesn’t have any swearing in. It’s about maximising and maintaining mental strength, for which we all have capacity, with the help of quick tips and techniques. On the back of the past two years, I think we could all probably do with some help with this.

I guess it’s different from all

the other self-help books out there because the book communicates in jargon-free, grounded terms.

It takes everyday examples and unpacks the points at which mental strength is often depleted, when, with just some reframing, the situation could instead be

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

viewed more positively. So, for example, if you have an interview for a job but don’t get it, while it’s perfectly reasonable to be disappointed, you need to make sure your response doesn’t spiral into unhelpful negative self-talk such as “I’ve failed”, or “I should have said this…”

Instead, it’s far more productive to mindfully harness positive thoughts, such as the fact you were shortlisted for the interview, or to consider whether another position you might be suitable for could arise.

Essentially, the book is about working at a healthy perspective to face everyday adversity without a fear of failure or self-doubt.

I researched widelydocumented theory and advice and then approached

compiling the book with a view to how that might be applied to typical life. Taking another example, I explored a Finnish practice called Sisu, which is about nurturing psychological grit by facing extreme adversity such as cold-water swimming, or going for a run in the lashing rain, to prove to yourself you have an untapped reserve of resilience.

However, you don’t need to be that boot-campy. Take the stairs not the lift, for example, or perhaps rise at dawn every day. Basically, persevering with going out of your comfort zone, whatever the scale, will teach you you’re stronger than you know.

A lot of people aren’t keen to face their own issues around

mental health. Most of us will make a concerted effort with our physical wellbeing, but for some reason, we don’t see the same value in our mental health.

Depression has been something I’ve had to deal with a couple of times in my

life, and I’m a big believer in

counselling. It can be a real game-changer. To be honest, I think you have to source the support that suits you best, and that might vary with different challenges. I have found books to be really helpful, too, and often help me to be more proactive.

My favourite inspirational quote is “I learned that courage

was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it” – Nelson Mandela.

In the book I reference the toxic positivity of social media: ‘the good vibes only’

and #gratitude platitudes that litter the internet. I think it can create a dangerous culture of denial. Social media is defi nitely something many of us need regular breaks from to help a happy head.

I live in Long Ashton, and I love

that there’s a lot of countryside to enjoy. It can be really pretty, especially this time of year. We have a local café called The Old Library, which does amazing pizzas and delicious wine. I mean, what’s not to love?

I used to live in Totterdown,

and it was one of the happiest times of my life. For me, it has so much Bristolian character and kindness about it, that it will always have a chunk of my heart.

Immediately after answering these questions I’m going to

have a nice cup of tea and do today’s Wordle. Middle age is a very underestimated thing.

How To Find Your Mental Health is

published by Vie Books, an imprint of Summersdale, at £10.99; summersdale.com