Bristol Life – Issue 347

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ALL THINGS BRIDE AND BEAUTIFUL

ISSUE 347 / FEBRUARY 2024 / SALTBURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

IN THE CHIC MIDWINTER

BETTER NOT KILL THE GROOVE

ELEVATE YOUR COLD-WEATHER WARDROBE

RED OR DEAD IF YOU’RE BALD AND GINGER, RAY BRADSHAW WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU

BIRD FOOD COMES TO CLIFTON

I YORK PLACE – HOLD OUR COATS, WE’RE GOING IN…

DERANGED IS ALL THE RAGE: HOW TO GET THE SALTBURN LOOK

EDITOR’S LETTER

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All things bride and beautiful

e used to go an absolute bundle on all things Valentine in this magazine. I’m not entirely sure why we haven’t this year, to be honest. I’m certainly not averse to receiving the odd romantic tribute myself; indeed, I may throw a smallish strop if the opportunity for spoiling is overlooked. If you want to book me in for a candlelit meal à deux at Bianchis or organise a gurt big bouquet from Forest and the Flower, be my guest. I’ll happily drink something fizzy with you at ask, and eat my own weight in chocolates from Zara’s.

So why no pink and red fripperies in the shopping section this year? Let’s just say it’s out of consideration for all those who don’t happen to be coupled-up at present, who may find the festi al an irrelevance at best, mildly annoying at middling, and salt-in-the-wound painful at worst, and swiftly move on.

Besides, love comes in many shapes and forms (cue incredibly contrived links). Love comedy?

(You were warned). We have an interview with Ray Bradshaw, who’s currently on a hunt for bald ginger men, for reasons which will become apparent on page 30.

Love the local food scene? Hey, who doesn’t?

You may or may not have already checked out the biggest new opening in recent months; if not, head over to 42, and all will be revealed.

Loved Saltburn? Take a look at our interiors special inspired by the film on page 2 And ust to prove that we’re not whatever the Valentine’s Day e ui alent of the rinch is, we e en ha e the first of this year’s wedding features on page 19.

We suspect you won’t miss the pink and red fripperies one little bit.

DERI ROBINS Bristol Life editor

@BristolLifeMag

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Issue 347 / February 2024 ON THE COVER Besotted with Saltburn? Loved the house’s dangerously unhinged interiors? Us too, so we set out to discover how to steal the look on page 52

WEDDINGS

12 PUT A RING ON IT Just a few suggestions to help you

through the wedding daze

ARTS

21 22

21 ART PAGE he return of the magnificent se en Well, si 22 WHAT’S ON ages packed with enticing offerings 30 COMEDY ay radshaw’s seeking baldy gingers

Or ginger baldies; he’s easy 32 BRISTOL HEROES Life on the streets 41 BOOKS Let’s get this literary new year started

FOOD & DRINK

42 RESTAURANT Bird food comes to Clifton 44 FOOD AND DRINK News, openings, awards and so on 47 CAFÉ SOCIETY It’s about time

LIFESTYLE

50 ED’S CHOICE Stay cosy, look cool 52 INTERIORS Saltburning down the house

EDUCATION

60 CLASS OF ‘24 Schoolkids these days don’t know how lucky

they are

BUSINESS

75 NETWORK Behind the scenes at The Bottle Yard Studios

PROPERTY

52

84 SHOWCASE School’s out

REGULARS

9 SPOTLIGHT 11 BRIZZOGRAM 90 BRISTOL LIVES Lucy Jarjoura

Editor Deri Robins deri.robins@mediaclash.co.uk Senior art editor Andrew Richmond 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 Sophie Speakman sophie.speakman@mediaclash.co.uk Production/distribution manager 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 and Bristol. 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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LOOS, ZOOS AND OTHER NEWS

Let the games begin

SQUIDS IN

Loved Squid Game? Ever dreamed of being a player, but without the risk of, you know, incurring actual death? Know then that a new virtual reality game experience based on the show is coming to Cabot Circus.

The ‘full-body VR with frenemies’ game allows teams of up to six players wearing headsets to play Squid Game and Star Trek “for real (almost). Inspired by Star Trek’s Holodeck, our exclusive worlds let you feel like you’re living inside a game or movie,” promises the website. “Thanks to Hollywood motion-capture cameras, 3D precision body trackers, custom hardware and haptic suits, you get a feeling of transformation you can’t get anywhere else.

You might forget you left reality . . .”

For more: www.sandboxvr.com

Community

Bristol Zoo

RESTORATION DRAMA

WILD THINGS The creation of a new zoo for Bristol continues apace, with permission just granted for Grant Associates and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ plans for a Central African Forest. Four times the size of Gorilla Island at the old Clifton site, the enclosure is designed to evoke the dense forests of Equatorial Guinea, and will be home to Western lowland gorillas and cherry-crowned mangabey the first time these monkeys and apes have ever co-habited in a UK zoo.

Further plans include a Central African Savannah habitat, where black

Err... toilets

FAME OF THRONES Never visited the toilets in the top foyer of Watershed? Oh, you’ve missed a treat. The sparkling, gender-neutral loos have just won the National Award for England in the Individual Business Category in the 2023 Loo of the Year Awards, as well as the Diamond EcoFriendly Toilet Award for the most environmentally friendly.

Along with pri ate oor-to-ceiling self-contained cubicles, some with basins and mirrors, there are baby changing facilities and a family room.

They’re pretty swish, to be fair.

For more: www.watershed.co.uk

rhinos and ostriches will roam among giraffes and zebras Also, according to the press release we received, ‘cheetahs’, which sounded a little inadvisable; however, we’ve Googled it up and we’re pretty sure they meant to put ‘eland’.

Building work begins this spring on the new immersive, landscape-led conservation zoo, in which at least 80 percent of species will be connected to conservation work. In the meantime, the formerly named Wild Place, now Bristol Zoo Project, remains open.

For more: www.bristolzoo.org.uk

Originally opened in 1889 as a public baths for the Hotwells working class set, Jacobs Wells Baths gained a Grade- II listing in 1977 but then promptly closed. There was a flurry of activity between 1984-2016, when the Bristol Community Dance Centre made use of it, but it’s been mostly empty ever since.

Now, led by Trinity Centre, a campaign to restore and repurpose the derelict building as a community arts hub has received a £1 million boost from the Department for Levelling Up’s Community Ownership Fund; a further £400,000 has been raised from a number of other funders.

The team needs a further £3 million to complete the project, but they are undeterred, and building work is already underway on the north wing. Trinity will continue to apply to grant schemes with the aim of opening in March 2025. Fancy doing your bit? Head to the crowdfunder: www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/jacobs-wells-baths

Music

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD The news has delighted some (ie, Bristol’s music lovers), and annoyed others (ie, most of the neighbours), but permission has been given for three concerts for up to 15,000 fans to be held in Queen Square. The gigs are scheduled for 9-11 August, doubtless triggering a mass exodus of the Square’s residents to their lovely second homes in Provence. The grass will undoubtedly have grown back in time for their return, as it did after Arcadia played here in 2015 [excuse for pic, right]. The concert series is organised by these guys: www.fkpscorpio.co.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

MONOGRAMS Follow us and tag us with your pics! instagram @bristollifemag

In honour of Slapstick Festival this month, we decided to honour the classic, timeless charm of black-and-white photography.

A tenuous link? Are we bothered?

@faygate

@timbeddoe

@threestopdrive

@tammytrashbags

@timbeddoe

@tammytrashbags

@mineshpatelphotography

@romansucho

@andy.hartup

@colinmoodyphotography

@threestopdrive

@tammytrashbags

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Georgia and Matt’s colourpop of a wedding, captured by photographer Ben Robins

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WEDDINGS

PUT A RING ON IT Yes, but what kind of a ring?

And how about all the other hundred and one decisions? It’s a nuptial minefield out there

I

t’s not surprising that so many brides go off the rails during the run-up to their weddings. And it’s not just brides, either; we’ve come across the odd groomzilla in our time, though admittedly they’re a far rarer breed. There’s just so much to organise, and so much choice in enues, outfits, catering, entertainment, even the style of photography. hings were so much simpler fifty years ago Everyone followed the same formula back then.

Big white frock for the bride; mitchy-matchy pastel polyester for the bridesmaids. A shiny black limo with a white bow for the trip to church. Mendelssohn playing as the newly betrothed march back down the aisle, then e eryone outside to pose for the photos A bun fight of a buffet in the church hall, or a sit-down dinner at a local hotel if you were posh.

Speech, speech lates piled high with sausage rolls and coronation chicken; a three-tiered cake with a little plastic bride and groom on top; page boys skidding across the dance oor he first dance he brideand-father-of-the-bride dance. The toss of the bouquet; cans rattling on the back of the Austin Allegro as the happy couple drive away. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do Byeeee!!” Job done.

Then people came up with the brilliant notion that you didn’t have to have a wedding exactly like everyone else’s. Now couples were made to feel inadequate if they didn’t ring the changes. Brides were worn to a frazzle trying to think up an original spin to put on the day. oho festi al wedding in a field A meteorological gamble, but relatively cheap. Three-day destination bash in the Caribbean? Lovely, as long as your guests are minted. How about the dress, the catering, the decor ou can fall down interest rabbit holes chasing wedding favours alone (does any grown-up really need a party bag?) . God may be in the detail, but then so are nervous breakdowns.

While the idea that your wedding should be tailored to your own personal style is theoretically exciting and empowering, unless you

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WEDDINGS Rob discovers that the worldly goods upon which he bestowed Christina included his favourite hipflask: photos on these pages by Ben Robins

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have a very clear idea of what that style actually is, the tidal wave of possibilities can be daunting We’d lo e to offer all the answers here, and provide you with all the nuptial options in the larger Bristol area, but as we don’t have space for that, we chatted with a few local businesses whose ob is to make sure that, in their own field at least, getting hitched goes off without a hitch

THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

lame Antony Armstrong- ones, later ord Snowdon the first photographer ever to turn up at a society wedding with a 35mm Leica and shoot candid, unposed shots. After that, the choice of wedding photography became wide open. So how do you choose the right photographer for you?

BEN ROBINS

Tell us about a standout moment

Every wedding has its own style – I’ve seen pyrotechnics and wrestling matches and a few gun salutes, and enough people dancing in rainstorms to reassure me that the weather genuinely doesn’t make any difference to the day ne great memory was at att and eorgia’s festival-style wedding last summer, where the speeches were so wonderfully heartfelt and hilarious that I struggled to see through the lens for tears of laughter.

“Even if I was there as a guest I’d be trying to sneak photos”

“I always feel like a guest with a backstage pass,” says Ben, a professional photographer who began by shooting friends’ weddings and grew his client list through enthusiastic word-of-mouth recommendations.

“You can’t not get caught up in the joy of people at weddings, and it’s a great feeling to be a part of that. To document a couple’s expression of love, while capturing the happiness of their favourite people radiating out to them; it’s a pleasure and an honour. Even if I was there as a guest I’d probably be trying to sneak photos; I love what I do, so I may as well make myself useful while I’m there.

What’s the best bit of feedback you’ve had from a couple?

One of my objectives for the day is to be as unobtrusive and noninterfering as I can, so I love hearing a couple’s surprise that a key (and sometimes funny or touching) moment was captured without them realising. My favourite feedback is just hearing that they’ve recommended me to people they know – it means the world to know they loved their photos enough to put me forward.

What’s the best way for a couple to choose a photographer for their wedding?

There are so many great choices out there; if you have a vibe in mind I promise the right photographer is out there to perfectly match you and your Pinterest board! Besides picking a photographer whose style aesthetic you like, you want to make sure you’re happy with this strange person turning up at your wedding and talking to your family. I always arrange a proper meet-up before the day, to establish that everyone is happy, to establish a connection, and decide the best way to capture the vision the couple has in mind.

How can you help the day go as smoothly as possible?

After our meetup I tend to have a plan in mind for the day. I like to let the couple know I’m there, then fade into the background to give them space to actually enjoy their day; this means they can throw themselves fully into the wedding, safe in the knowledge I am there to capture everything. I also bring along an extra bonus, in the shape of my partner Charlie, whose passion is candid shot; between us we can cover scheduled groups, family, couple shots, as well as the snortingwith-laughter, crying-with-joy candids that really capture the essence of the day. www.benrobinsphoto.com

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WEDDINGS OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY

It’s hard to think of a more quintessentially Bristol venue than this welcoming bar and restaurant in Old Market.

“It’s a stunning venue, and we’ve got it all!” they say. “A fully stocked bar, a late licence, menus designed to suit your tastes, and an impressive stage for entertainment of your choosing. Scale it back, or go full-on disco. It’s up to you, and your budget!

How would you sum up the style of your offering?

Classic, chic or disco: our three packages .

Are there any new wedding trends you’ve come across?

Activities! Dance lessons, game shows… people are thinking about entertainment in clever ways.

Any other fun things you’d like to tell us?

We’ve got a beautiful staircase and mezzanine level, making grand entrances easy. www.oldmarketassembly.co.uk

THE HIDEAWAY

“People are thinking about entertainment in new, clever ways”

The Hideaway on Shirehampton oad specialises in the non-wedding wedding’, offering couples the option of celebrating with family and friends without having to stick to traditions, “in a chic, modern décor with primary focus on customer intimacy. And with no hire cost!”

ABOVE: Candid shots are always the best! Photos this page by Kerry James

KERRY JAMES

Kerry says that what she loves most about the job is that she can be totally herself creatively, “meeting people, travelling to new places, constantly learning and evolving, and experiencing the joy my photos bring to others. Being my own boss; plus it’s never ever boring!”

What’s the nicest bit of feedback you’ve had from a couple?

hat made e erything look effortless, their family and friends lo ed me, I was a right laugh, the photos were absolutely perfect, I was great company and my sense of humour made them feel at ease.

How would you sum up the style of your offering?

An entirely e ible, bespoke celebration e erything from a sit-down fi e-course dinner to a more rela ed buffet We encourage guests to have fun decking out the restaurant and infusing their personality into the room through the décor.

Have you seen any new trends?

Weddings continue to be less structured, with informal ceremonies, more casual family-style food, y-on-the-wall photography, wedding entertainers and out-of-the-box parties, as well as many celebrating over a full wedding weekend.

Tell us about a standout moment.

ea ing the church after a ceremony to find that the bride’s dad had brought her childhood pony, and it was waiting for her outside with a cart to take them to the marquee. So many tears…

What’s the best way for a couple to choose a photographer for their wedding?

To ask for recommendations and then thoroughly check them out for themselves. Obviously, they need to love the photography but also get along with the person they’re going to be spending all day with. Make sure the person you book is actually the person who will be shooting your wedding.

How can you help the day go as well as possible?

I’m a wealth of knowledge as far as the actual day goes. I have a preplanning guide which I send out to every couple to help them with the planning process to make things run as smoothly as possible on the day. www.atalllongleggedbird.com

THE RECEPTION VENUES

hoosing a enue for your reception is probably the first decision you’ll make. The good news – or the bad news, for the terminally indecisive – is that the choice is sky-high, from elegant hotels to funky little indie restaurants. Here are three very contrasting options:

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Guest Chef Events at Whatley Manor Executive Chef, Ricki Weston has launched a series of Guest Chef events with Michelin starred Maestros.

6th March 2024 - Charles Coulombeau Charles is a renowned chef and the owner of ‘La Maison dans le Parc’ restaurant in Nancy, France.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience an interactive four-hands dinner where Charles & Ricki will introduce each course and meet with guests. £145pp including a Nyetimber English Sparkling wine reception, an exquisite six-course menu concluding with coffee.

To find out more; www.whatleymanor.com, call 01666 822 888 or email events@whatleymanor.com

Scan the code to book

Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa Easton Grey Malmesbury SN16 0RB whatleymanor.com

WEDDINGS

Making the most of the sweeping staircase at Old Market Assembly; BELOW: The latest trends in wedding jewellery, at Diana Porter

Any other fun things you’d like to tell us?

he ideaway is licenced for on- and off-site alcohol and li e music performances, including s and the sought-after sa ophonist hink sa y sa ings, sustainability using less plastic and d cor rentals, champagne towers, food stations, a rela ed kids’ area, meaningful nonformal menus and the all-inclusivity, ensuring all guests feel welcomed and represented. www.thehideawaybs9.com

WHATLEY MANOR

Whatley Manor is dog-friendly and it’s not been unheard of for the owners to assign their dogs as the ring bearers. www.whatleymanor.com

THE JEWELLER

A simple gold wedding band is still the main go-to. But it needn’t be...

“Oversized halo DIANA PORTER rings are really having a moment – the bigger the better”

This exquisitely lovely, historic manor hotel in Malmesbury is ideal for traditional weddings which show respect for the planet.

At a time when so many of us are thinking about the choices we make, and the impact they have on the environment, many couples choose Whatley based on our sustainability credentials – and we love this. You don’t have to commit to an all-encompassing green wedding; we can help you create your perfect wedding day and make informed sustainable choices which will reduce your carbon footprint for the celebrations.

How would you sum up your style?

Personal, signature, luxury Cotswolds, reassuring, sustainable.

Are there any new trends you’ve come across?

Any other fun things you’d like to tell us?

Couples are becoming increasingly mindful of their environmental footprint, and this extends to their wedding plans, from using biodegradable d cor to choosing locally-sourced food ur ichelinstarred e ecuti e chef, icki Weston has been recognised with a Green Michelin star.

“Helping couples select wedding jewellery is our favourite part of the job,” says Ashleigh McPherson. “The energy and excitement for the start of their journey is a pleasure to witness.

“We begin by encouraging customers to browse the shop, see if anything catches their eye and to try different styles iana’s own collections feature a range of different styles, shapes and finishes, and we stock o er 0 different independent jewellery designers, so there’s plenty of inspiration.”

How would you sum up your jewellery?

ontemporary with a classic twist iana’s collections ha e an organic feel with undulating shapes and unique textures. We specialise in handetching words on our jewellery, from names to dates and small phrases.

Our rings are always crafted from Fairtrade Gold or other recycled precious metals; ethical sourcing is at the forefront of our practice.

Are there any new trends you’ve come across?

Oversized halo rings are really ‘having a moment’ and the bigger the better! Examples lately have included a double halo of sapphires in a lush green and orange palette and a mixture of diamond shapes set around a bulbous rose-cut diamond.

Any other fun things you’d like to tell us?

n a recent commission we were asked us to create a ring where a complementary mi of diamond cuts were chosen to re ect the character of the bride’s beloved dogs’ teeth. This was a really fun pro ect to work on emorial ewellery is a lo ely way to ensure those who are no longer with us can still be a part of your big day. www.dianaporter.co.uk n

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Become a Member of...

The Clifton Club

Starting at just £260 annually, membership at the Club entitles you to a range of exclusive Club benefits. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should become a member of The Clifton Club.

1. Premium Facilities

Enjoy exclusive access to top-notch facilities.

2. Gourmet Dining

Indulge your palate with culinary delights curated by Head Chef Christian Wragg and his talented team.

3. Heritage and Elegance

Immerse yourself in the charm of this historic venue with rich heritage dating back to 1817.

4. Exclusive Events

Elevate your social list and be at the heart of the action with the Club’s calendar packed events and dinners.

5. Networking Opportunities

The Clifton Club provides a unique platform for networking and building meaningful connections, both personally and professionally.

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Email: membership@thecliftonclub.co.uk

Scan the QR code to enquire about membership or visit our website.

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THE ARTS

© BBC / AMA ZON STUDIOS / BIG TALK / FOUR EYES

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

T

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E

he first season of Stephen erchant’s comedyheist drama The Outlaws brought us myriad delights one of the funniest new shows we’d seen in an age, a rash of uintessential ristol locations that mostly managed to swer e the ob ious, and the fabulously surreal e perience of seeing hristopher Walken in the conte t of the city hough still plenty of fun, the second season was arguably a little less cracking, and we didn’t uite buy into ani’s decision to embrace a life of crime, but we’re as e cited as the ne t magazine to learn that Season is now underway with plans to broadcast later this year or the third season, we learn, the gang are mo ing on from their life of crime, until one of them returns with a deadly secret that hurls them back into mortal danger We’re going to take a punt and put the blame on ani

S

E

Why the longish wait for season he break ga e us breathing space to really work out where we wanted to take the characters ne t plus we could write specifically for the actors and tailor the storylines to their talents, says Stephen n the first two series, the actors were figuring out their characters ow they know them inside out, so they slipped straight back into their roles like comfy py amas As well as creating the show, Stephen plays hapless lawyer reg Stephen the actor hates Stephen the showrunner because he gi es him pages of di cult argon to learn And bad suits to wear, he told the Radio Times. ne slight disappointment, though hristopher Walken will not be returning for season , so the core band of accidental crims will be reduced to si The Outlaws is expected to screen later this year on BBC

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Idles looking fabulous. They’re launching their new album TANGK at Marble Factory; it’s all about love, says Joe . . .

W Ae r ary’S ar

EXHIBITIONS Until 18 February

ELIAS SIME: EREGATA he first ma or solo European museum e hibition for Elias, one of Ethiopia’s leading contemporary artists, at Arnolfini arnol n org

Until 31 March

Until 12 May

THESE MAD HYBRIDS: JOHN HOYLAND AND CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE eramic sculptures by abstract painter ohn oyland A in dialogue with a spectacular international assembly of contemporary sculpture by other artists at WA, rwa org

ONE YEAR! PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MINERS’ STRIKE 1984/85 o coincide with the 40th anni ersary of the strike, taking a look at the ital role photography played during the year-long struggle against pit closures and ory rule At artin arr oundation mart n arrfo n at on org

Until 2 June

Until 21 April

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR he ery best nature photography in the world this year at ristol useum r stolm se ms org

SCREENPRINT 2024 Showcasing the art and craft of screenprinting, featuring work by o er 0 outstanding artists from around the and beyond, at entrespace s reen r nt om

Until 5 May

10-18 February

OLU OGUNNAIKE: FIX YOUR FACE A site-specific commission by lu, centred on a monumental, cur ed wall, combining handmade board, charcoal screenprints and silt from the A on with charred ob ects reco ered from the fire at nderfall ard ypically intriguing Spike sland fare, then s e slan org

IPE 165 r the nternat onal otogra y t on , to gi e it its full name the world’s longest-running photography show, with a di erse range of contemporary global images at S, r s org

9-21 February

TITANIC t’s o er years after the unsinkable’ liner sank, but the fascination remains as strong as e er ead to aintworks to see footage of the wreckage and artefacts reco ered from the seabed, along with props from the eo and ate mo ie heir hearts will go on, etc a ntwor s r stol o

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MIRACLE ON THE SEVERN he story of how, 0 years ago, a pilot of a r stol r tann a was forced to attempt an emergency landing on the Se ern Estuary his bra ery and skill sa ed the li es of e eryone on board ou can also find out more about the r tann a, known as the Whispering iant, and the role it played in the 0s golden era of ight At Aerospace ristol aeros a e r stol org

SHOWS

Until 10 February

MACBETH n a struggling and di ided nation, the acbeths see their chance at the crown why shouldn’t they take it Spoiler alert things don’t go according to plan English ouring heatre’s isceral and contemporary new production don’t e pect kilts At ristol ld ic, r stolol org NANNY ea and Amy are below-a erage nannies with bigger-than-a erage ambitions for their real careers as a comedy double act A new comedy play with songs, at ristol ld ic, r stolol org BIG BOYS DON’T CRY ik and Adam set out to make a show about being men When they dig beneath the surface,

they realise things can get a bit messy as they dig deeper, into their relationships with their fathers and sons, things get ery messy indeed ow they’re at Wardrobe to tell us all about it through the medium of dance, clowning and puppetry t ewar ro et eatre om

Until 25 February

WICKED t’s not easy being green the Wicked Witch of the West’s origin story e plained once again, with tunes, at ippodrome atgt ets om

12-17 February

BLACK IS THE COLOUR OF MY VOICE Apphia ampbell’s acclaimed play inspired by the life of ina Simone and featuring many of her songs at r stolol org

14-15 February

LUKE WRIGHT’S SILVER JUBILEE Edinburgh ringe fa e uke tries to celebrate 2 years in the li e poetry biz, but ends up taking a deep di e into himself and the England that raised him, with new poems on class, lo e and adoption at Wardrobe t ewar ro et eatre om

14-16 February

RAISING KANE n 4 a precocious young upstart

WHAT’S ON he catches a midnight screening of Frankenstein ristol ld ic, bristololdvic.org.uk

improvised comedy soap continues to bubble away amusingly at Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

23-24 February

Until 10 February

10 NIGHTS ne man’s spiritual ourney is about to begin after he’s posted one last ik ok he mo ing and funny story of his ourney of self-disco ery, and facing the conse uences of your actions performed in English with some rdu and Arabic reference, at tobaccofactorytheatres.com

24-25 February

PROFESSIONAL BREAK-UP ARTISTS oin elszki on a ourney through the highs, lows and se ual misad entures of a ueer woman, as they recount their mission to seek, find, and ine itably lose, the person of their hottest fantasy, with music, relatable yet cringeworthy ideo stories, sprinkled with a rather unusual use of props Alma a ern, almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

27-29 February

DIVERSITY he dance group bring their Supernova show to ippodrome it’s big, it’s relentlessly energetic and makes big statements about human connectivity. atgtickets.com

in ew ork’s theatre scene decided to try his hand at making a mo ie, and created what for many, many decades was rated as the greatest motion picture of all time is name was rson Welles and this is his story Sort of Alma a ern, almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

20-21 February

CRACKING A completely made up true comic story about loving in the face of hatred, at the tobaccofactorytheatres.com THE ONLY DRUMMER IN TOWN t’s the final of the ittle Abingdon and ompetition With three bands through, tensions are high both on and back stage particularly as they all share the same drummer Alma a ern, almatavernandtheatre.co.uk

21-25 February

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF VAPE: REDEFINING THEATRE EXPERIENCE ombining satire, arresting imagery and e cessi e aping, two members of he Wardrobe Ensemble take a sledgehammer to the theatre industry, e amining the human cost of making art in a profit-dri en world At Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

22 Feb-9 March

DEAR YOUNG MONSTER Struggling at the beginning of his medical transition, a young trans man has dropped out of uni ersity and returned to his uiet home town is friends are away, the locals are hostile, his body is transforming before his ery eyes into someone he doesn’t uite recognise yet, and it’s all becoming too much, until

10 February

THE SHADE PULLERS & LASH STACKERS SOCIAL CLUB ANNIVERSARY A cultural mingling of oomers and oomers at the enticing orthern an’s lub drag ueen mash-up, at the tobaccofactorytheatres.com

11 February

THE LOST CABARET A global collecti e of alternati e comedy makers, curious to e pand the reaches of absurd and physical comedy We take risks, embrace the ridiculous, connect to our audience and follow the pleasure, they say ome to he Wardrobe to get lost with them and then found, and then lost again); thewardrobetheatre.com

11-14 February

BEAUTIFUL EVIL THINGS ot a show about mean girls, it’s far better than that a highenergy one-woman show from Ad nfinitum that brings us the origin story of the orgon and turns the reek myth on its head At , tobaccofactorytheatres.com

COMEDY & REGGAE VALENTINE’S SPECIAL Should we list it under comedy or music Either way, a night of stand-up from the likes of ichard lackwood and a live band playing reggae covers sounds highly preferable to the standard hearts- and- owers stuff, and you don’t even need to be loved up to en oy it edgra e redgravetheatre.com

29 Feb-30 March

13 February

27 Feb-2 March

FROM TOP: Black is the colour of her voice at BOV; You still da man, RB

TOM ALLEN: COMPLETELY om’s finally mo ed out of his parents’ house good news for him, and presumably for his mum and dad great news for department stores, and e en better news for his latest stand-up tour, which arri es at ristol eacon bristolbeacon.org

STARTER FOR TEN Adapted from a id icholls no el about the ristol ni student who dreams of competing on show University Challenge, and the 200 mo ie of the same name, comes a new musical filled with tunes inspired by the student scene of the 0s el iedroyc stars in the presumably much-e panded role of rian’s mum at ristol ld ic, bristololdvic.org.uk

COMEDY Ongoing

CLOSER EACH DAY he drama of Succession he grit of EastEnders he rumpy-pumpy of Sex Education ot remotely like Game of Thrones the world’s longest-running

ANU VAIDYANATHAN: BLIMP A stand-up show about a female filmmaker’s iew of the world as she attempts to sur i e between the words action’ and cut’ at Wardrobe, thewardrobetheatre.com

14 February

ROSS NOBLE: JIBBER JABBER JAMJOREE oss marks the 2 st anni ersary of his first stand-up show with more of the inspired nonsense that’s cemented his place as the supreme master of stream-of-consciousness, freewheeling stand up. At ristol eacon bristolbeacon.org

14-16 February

SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL he th outing for ristol’s belo ed

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 23

WHAT’S ON

celebrates the UK’s greatest heroes nurses ary ineker 24-hour offlicence proprietors), takes a verbal blowtorch to its villains (the Tories/ cyclists), kicks in the establishment’s back doors and ri es through its kitchen cupboards while he’s at it.

At Bristol Beacon; bristolbeacon.org

25 February

BABATUNDE ALESHE: BABAHOOD The Celebrity Gogglebox star talks family and fatherhood in his debut tour. TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

27 February festival of classic comedy, with talks, celebrations, reapraisals, and that nice Hugh Bonneville hosting the Gala; slapstick.org.uk

16 February

OUT OF THE WARDROBE A new LGBTQ+ night with a handpicked selection of the best queer comedians on the UK circuit; it’s headlined by Jayde Adams.

Where is it? Clue’s in the title. thewardrobetheatre.com

16-17 February

TIM KEY: CHAPTERS Tim’s embarking on a very mild book tour to celebrate the publication of his new poetry anthology. The print run is quite small, so the tour will be, too. It’s at TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

17 February

JARLATH REGAN: YER MAN Everyone’s favourite Irishman Abroad brings his latest schtick and irresistible* soft-spoken Kildare brogue to Wardrobe. (*As long as you’re not an Irish woman. Jar’s done a sketch on that phenomenon). thewardrobetheatre.com

18 February

JOHN KEARNS: THE VARNISHING DAYS So far removed from the standard comic that you really need to watch him on YouTube, complete with horrible fake teeth and monk’s tonsure wig (no, no idea) to see if he’s for you any find his tragic-comic offbeat spiel weirdly compelling anyway, he’s at 1532. 1532bristol.co.uk

20-21 February FROM TOP: The owl service: ©Carmel Bechler, Wildlife Photographer of

the Year; baby-face poet Luke Wright contemplates 25 years in the biz; presumably he started at the age of five; Alison’s back, and at O2

JONATHAN PIE: HEROES AND VILLAINS The UK’s favourite political satirist

DOM JOLY’S CONSPIRACY TOURIST TOUR s the Earth at oes inland e ist Are s piloted by lizards ue to the controversial views aired in the show, audiences are warned that angry demonstrations are very likely – or is that just another conspiracy?

Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

29 February

RAY BRADSHAW: DOPPELGINGER At the Hen & Chicken; see feature page 30. henandchicken.com

MUSIC Ongoing

BRISTOL BEACON With daily gigs, encompassing classical, folk, world, indie, jazz and less classifiable genres see bristolbeacon.org ST GEORGE’S BRISTOL Classical, world, folk, talks and more, at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

9 February

THE BIG CHRIS BARBER BAND hris kicked off the whole azz scene, and he’s been playing it ever since; St George’s, stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

11 February

RÓISÍN MURPHY Róisín continues her ever evolving, shape-shifting 0 year career find out where she’s at these days at the Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

15 February

SEA POWER They were previously known as British Sea Power, and before that, British Air Power, and while they’ve been settling on an element they’ve been honing their brand of alt-rock; Trinity; trinitybristol.org.uk

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

WHAT’S ON by charismatic frontman Jake Shillingford play The Louisiana; thelouisiana.net FEVER RAY Experimental synthpopper Karin Dreijer reveals her new album Radical Romantics, and it’s all rather devastating, tender and peaceful.

At the Beacon, bristolbeacon.org ALISON GOLDFRAPP he synth-pop goddess is back to share her first solo album, The Love Invention, at O2; academymusicgroup.com

OTHER Ongoing TOP: Back when Leo was

still age-appropriately dating: Romeo & Juliet MIDDLE: Maggie v the miners at Martin Parr BOTTOM: Space oddity: Ascendance at Bristol Light Festival

17 February

IDLES It’s the launch of the lads’ new TANGK album, and it’s all going down at Marble Factory; themarblefactory-bristol.com

20 February

THE DEEP BLUE Any group billed as Manchester’s hottest new band as to be worth a listen, right? Think pop tropes imbued with the spirit of punk; at Wardrobe, presented by Bristol Beacon. thewardrobetheatre.com

21 February

SETH LAKEMAN he mean fiddler plays his ercurynominated album Kitty Jay along with other fave tunes, at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL he year-round fest with the something-for-e eryone remit springs into its 2024 season; r stol lmfest al om

Until 11 February

BRISTOL LIGHT FESTIVAL An absolute beacon of joy in the Bristol winter calendar; bristollightfestival.org

10 February

YEAR OF THE DRAGON Wai Yee Hong’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations raises money for The Grand Appeal, so head over to Eastgate Oriental City for some amazing Asian food, martial arts and (obv) the Lion Dance; waiyeehong.com

15 February

23 February

FAIRPORT CONVENTION The band that launched British folk rock, still going strong after half a century; at Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

AN EVENING WITH GEOFF HURST After his 2018/2019 visits to Bristol we thought it was all over; it is now, as the legendary footie player – the last living member of the 1966 England World Cup team – brings his farewell tour to Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

24 February

17-18 February

SIMPLE THINGS he return of the all-day, all-night multi- enue celebration of forwardfacing music; simplethingsfestival.co.uk

28 February

RICK WAKEMAN: RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADER An e ening of classic prog-rock as Rick reveals new arrangements of classic Yes material, along with his epic Journey to the Centre of the Earth, at the Beacon, bristolbeacon.org

29 February

MY LIFE STORY The epic pop pioneers headed

YEAR OF THE DRAGON Bristol Museum & Art Gallery celebrates the advent of a new animal with a feast of spectacular performances, stalls and activities; bristolmuseums.org.uk

20 February

THE NEUROSCIENCE OF HAPPINESS Happiness: it’s all any of us want, isn’t it? Dr Jonathan Ilif looks inside the brain and explains the science; at The Hen & Chicken, so there are bound to be a few random punters waiting in a puzzled way for the jokes to start. henandchicken.com n

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

COMEDY

RED ALERT Stand-up comedian Ray Bradshaw is fed up with everyone telling him he looks just like their mate. In his new show Doppelginger, he’s going to use the latest in genetic research (the internet) to try and put an end to this once and for all

R

By Ursula Cole

ay Bradshaw has quite a few USPs stashed in his stand-up armoury.

Firstly, he’s from Glasgow, which automatically makes him funnier than a comedian from, say, Surrey.

Secondly, as the son of deaf parents, he became the first comedian to perform a show in English and sign language simultaneously.

Or at least as fast as his hands and mouth can keep up.

Thirdly, he’s a bald ginger man who, apparently, looks like everyone’s mate. Which brings us to his new show, Doppelginger: a silly search for a man with an orange beard who’s follicly challenged.

So if you have a bald, ginger bearded friend aged thirty-something, bring them along. You never know – they could be The One. But best not warn them in advance…

say, ‘no I actually look like this person here’ and be able to show them a picture of me, and someone who looks identical to me called Mark who is an accountant from Ipswich.

(Mark doesn’t actually exist but if you are a bald ginger accountant from Ipswich, please submit your photo to www.doppelginger.net)

So Ray, what can you tell us about Doppelginger?

bald ginger people in the audience who don’t even know what the show is about, who have just been brought there by an evil partner. The whole show will just turn into an episode of Surprise Surprise for them in which I play Cilla Black. (with a wig obviously)

Doppelginger is about a bald ginger man (me) trying to find other bald ginger men who look really like him. Purely for comedy purposes, it’s not some weird tinder fetish game gone horribly wrong. Although to be fair there are probably some people that would be into that, and if that’s you then please buy a ticket for the show, because any ticket sale counts as far as I’m concerned.

What inspired you to find other people who look like you?

’m on the hunt to find as many bald ginger people who look like me as I can. I’m constantly being told I look like ‘insert bald ginger person here’, but I want to be able to

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

How does this search feed into the live show which you’ll be bringing to Bristol?

he whole show is going to be about finding people who look like me and the weird things that arise from it. Hopefully there will be some

“I love having deaf audiences in my show and have them heckle me in sign language”

Are there any surprises audiences can expect on this tour? Will there still be elements of sign language in this show?

The whole show will be sign-languageinterpreted at every venue. My mum and dad are deaf and I grew up learning sign language so that’s a big part of every show I do, as I want as big a deaf audience as possible.

I love having deaf audiences in my show and have them heckle me in sign language only for me to tell the audience what they signed to me

and then have the deaf person deny it so I look like I’m picking on them. You’d be surprised how often that happens.

Did you always want to be a comedian?

ot really, wanted to find my doppelginger from an early age but started a long career in comedy as a way of working up to it.

What are you most looking forward to about touring?

I have a four-year-old son, so the best thing about being on tour is the long lie-ins. Getting up at 8:15am in Bristol feels like I’m on a tropical island holiday compared to 7am on a dark Glaswegian morning like usual.

What’s been your career highlight so far?

There have been a few moment when I look back and think, did that really happen? I got to support John Bishop at Wembley arena and at the O2 and bring all my friends and family.

They were a lot of fun but the hangovers the next day were not.

And proudest moment?

I’m proud of all the deaf audiences of my last two tours who ha e come to their first- e er comedy show, maybe their first time isiting a theatre. That’s a huge high point for me. Or at least it was until I found out they’d all bought concession tickets and I’d lost a lot of money.

Choose three comedians, alive or dead, to join you on a comedy show . . .

I’d go for me, Billy Connolly, Bernie Mac and Victoria Wood. It’d be an amazing show, and I’m the least rich of them all so I wouldn’t have to put my hand in my pocket at the post-show drinks. Win win. n Ray Bradshaw is at the Hen & Chicken on 29 February; www.henandchicken.com

© JIKSAW

BRISTOL: LIFE ON THE STREETS

1

This city is a street photographer’s dream…

Words and pics by Colin Moody

BRISTOL HEROES

O

n-the-street heroes.

You know who you are.

This issue’s Heroes is for you.

1

The ones who know it’s raining again, but rather than let it rain inside your very soul it’s on with the second-hand Berghaus, which doesn’t really stop the water, and like The Hulk you are smashing it. Messy weather, messy town, messy layers of graff tag raindrop playground, it’s a street photographer’s dream.

One pic from this series ended up on the cover of my History Press Stokes Croft book; shoutout to nkie and all the artists who fill up our hoardings and shutters before the rust sets in.

“Messy weather, messy town, messy layers of graff tag, raindrop playground” www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 33

BRISTOL HEROES

3

2

2

Goodbye, hello.

There is a book on psychogeography which states that if you want to learn the energy of the street and feel where people and place overlap, all you need to do is buy a map of an area and find the nearest coffee shop. Then walk that route, no excuses. Before you know it, the world will reveal itself to you.

I’ve seen a lot of street photographers over the recent years; they tend to clump round Turbo Island like a clumpy informal press pack. But do let random back in you don’t ha e to find your style on ay , keep e ploring And then like ohn here you may find yourself like a rench aneur, and disco ering more than the algorithm can fathom

3

All the world is on that street. Every telephone box is a photo studio.

E ery bus doorway is a portrait booth End of the line, e erybody off If you got ’em, light ’em.

The art of this city is rooted to and from the end of the bus routes. Not just in converted warehouses.

4

And you may find yourself wearing a shower cap on your trainers at a craft brewery, seeing how all the beer is made. Arrow says go that way, but for my money head left; what’s around that windy route?

5

When people ask me what you need to be a good street photographer, they’re expecting top tips about camera kit or those fancy-pants ash guns But I always tell them it’s one thing. Good pair of boots.

Period.

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

4

5

BRISTOL HEROES

7

6

“As long as there are more skateboards than overnight airbeeb trunks wheeling down the pavement, I will stay exploring that area” 6

ere’s eff night oday is gonna be a good day he sun is gonna shine And all the people will feel the lo e omorrow, tomorrow can look after itself All we are and all we e er will be is right here, right now his moment is all we e er ha e eel it

7

ntil they build that underground, or make sure the buses can get up the hill to ockleaze on a rainy winter’s night, you gonna ha e to make your own arrangements on how you get round this city As long as there are more skateboards than o ernight air-beeb trunk cases wheeling down the pa ement, will stay e ploring that area

8

And at the end of the day, after you walked the street all day looking for heroes, hope one day to come home in style, like this graduate’s homecoming see how the family laid on the red carpet ristol, oh ristol ou ne er fail to amaze me

8

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

Colin Moody: content creation, online images Twitter @moodycolin; Instagram @colinmoodyphotography colinmoodyphotography.wordpress.com

EMILY & DAN ROSS STORYSMITH BOOKS

loveable coming-of-age tale with contemporary bite. It’s already been a massive hit on the continent, which is no surprise – it’s so rare to find a book that is genuinely hilarious but still able to spin emotion from unexpected loose threads. As you career with the narrator, Sofie, through the tumult of an exploratory and unconventional young adulthood, it becomes clear that there’s far more going on here than a simple confessional – this is an assured and decadently funny new voice.

Our dynamic literary duo are back to invigorate your reading year . . .

W

e’re not going to resist the overwhelming urge to populate our first column of 2024 with fresh and invigorating new books for you to read because, frankly, that’s exactly what we do for the rest of the year anyway. And although late winter might feel like the time of year to embrace the cutting-edge of literary output, for booksellers it’s the same as any month – the treadmill of delightful and challenging material doesn’t slow up or accelerate, it only continues to deliver mind-melting

goodness to us and, therefore, to you, on a year-round basis. I think what we’re saying is, don’t worry too much about all that ‘new year new you’ stuff, and definitely don’t worry about anyone’s ‘reading goals’ on Goodreads. All you need to do is keep reading.

The History of My Sexuality

by Tobi Lakmaker (trans. Kristen Gehrman) Please believe us when we say this is the debut novel with which you should all kick off your 2024 – pulsating with abandon, riddled with one-liners, addictive from all aspects, an endlessly

Where We Come From

by Aniefiok Ekpoudom Where We Come From is one of the most important music books of the decade (please take it from us, we have read our share of over-egged hyperbolic rock bios), one that not only understands the societal strictures that create a musical ecosystem, but immerses itself with the people at the centre of it.

We could call it a refined gonzojournalist approach, if you like?

All the action, but none of the self-centredness.

Anyway, the inherent drama and virtuosity of the UK rap scene plays out in all its stormy glory and Aniefiok Ekpoudom’s galloping prose is the perfect method of delivery – no matter your level of acquaintance with the subject matter, this is an intoxicating social history of this country, through a decidedly unexpected lens.

My Heavenly Favourite

by Lucas Rijneveld (trans. Michele Hutchison) So we know there are going to be a lot of conversations about this book in the shop, because it is the most daring tightrope-walk of a novel that we’ve read in years.

Many will be immediately (understandably) discouraged from reading it as soon as they hear it’s about a deeply problematic and predatory romantic relationship between an older man and a girl, but Lucas Rijneveld achieves the seemingly impossible: to make this incomparably heinous episode compulsively, compellingly readable. At no point are we made to feel any sense of tarnished or shoehorned sympathy, instead the reader is plunged into the maelstrom of a truly poisoned mind, in a way forced to marvel at its contortions and, chillingly, to live with its failings. An utterly unique reading experience which we heartily recommend on the acceptance of many, many caveats, but a recommendation nonetheless.

If you are still clinging to notions of annual renewal, then we hope that channels itself, not into radical reinventions of things better left alone, but into getting your reading year off to the right start. And once you’ve successfully done that, well, the treadmill continues…

“Don’t worry about anyone’s ‘reading goals’ on Goodreads; just keep reading”

Visit Storysmith at 36 North Street www.storysmithbooks.com www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 41

1 YORK PLACE Bird food comes to Clifton Words by Deri Robins

RESTAURANT

Y

ou can’t help wondering if some restaurant locations are tables t’s all a little bit ordic, a little bit 0s health-food-restaurantintrinsically luckier than others. Take 50 Whiteladies retro, and if it hadn’t been for the antelope gazing balefully down at us Road, for example. Granted, Flour & Ash are making an from its mount on the wall, we’d have started to fear that Freddy might exceptional go of it now, but until they moved in we’d lost have gone over to the plant-based side. This, of course, would have been count of the (very good) places which opened and closed hilariously wide of the mark. As at littlefrench, while you’ll leave 1 York with the speed of a revolving door. All very puzzling. lace feeling insanely well-fed, you may be short of your fi e-a-day Number I York Place, on the other hand, seems to lend itself to Anyone dining exclusively chez Bird might eventually succumb to scurvy. longevity. For many years it harboured the York Café, Bristol’s favourite We begin with a clatter of bar snacks. Well, they say ‘bar snacks’, we say greasy spoon, followed by Italian restaurant Rosemarino, which clocked ‘substantial starters’. Bouncy slabs of sourdough arrive with a remarkably up a very respectable 15 years before closing last year. Sharp interest was big dollop of creamy stracciatella drizzled with chestnut honey, and a pi ued among ristol’s foodies when chef reddy ird was spied sni ng bosky scattering of tru e sha ings e ually generous is a dish of whipped around the premises, followed by unbridled rejoicing among the BS8 set cod’s roe with crunchy, aniseedy strips of fennel for the dipping. A dinkierwhen he announced that he and his wife Nessa would be opening their sized plate of green Sicilian winter tomatoes comes with strips of smoked third venue here in December; a lovely early Christmas gift for Clifton. pork belly, which look rather wan but taste extraordinarily good.

A word on the Bird might be useful at this juncture. Freddy’s a Bristol hough brie y seduced by a hearty mains of o cheek in , and the boy, but like most chefs he’s moved about a bit, cooking at the likes of pillowy promise of ricotta gnudi, our eyes alight on the hot roast shellfish Michelin-starred Moro and The Square. After and not e en the 00 price tag can put us off E en returning to Bristol he made his name through Your Man, not generally one to wax lyrical over food, DINING DETAILS head che ng at the ido, with a menu based on becomes mistily nostalgic at the sight of it. editerranean dishes cooked o er fire n 20 “It’s always nice when a meal transports you to 1 York Place, BS8 1AH; 0117 244 7775; www.1yorkplace.co.uk Freddy and Nessa chose their own ’hood, Westbury another place,” he muses, spearing a plump scallop. ark, for their first restaurant, littlefrench all lower His second; I was keeping a tally through narrowed Opening hours Mon-Sat midday-2.45pm, case af and grocery ittleshop capital , so much 5.30-9.30pm; Sunday midday-4pm eyes. “You really could be in Andalucia”. Well, he used for brand consistency) opened two years later. to live there, so I suppose he should know, though I Prices Starters/bar snacks £4.5-£14; mains £21-28, sharing plates £42-£100; puds £8.5 n some ways culinary , the new gaff is a bit of can’t quite recall ever eating seafood quite this good in departure; in others (vibe) it’s very similar. As you Spain hey probably gi e the frozen stuff to turistas Wine Extensive list, mostly European might expect from its name, at littlefrench the cooking Veggie? Some; not the kitchen’s USP Jostling for space on the platter along with the is heavily Gallic, whereas at 1 York Place (caps where scallops are fat mussels and juicy clams, but lording Service A highly professional delight you’d e pect it’s broadly European, with in uences it over all is a heroically enormous, sweet and meaty from Spain, Italy and Portugal. In aim and ambience, lobster. So hellbent am I on extracting the very last however, it emulates littlefrench’s relaxed bistro feel. morsel from its claw that my hand shoots across the table and knocks over The new opening is obviously a bonus for the already spoiled Clifton set, a glass. There’s no time to cry over my spilled Quinta de Boa rosé (fresh, who can now get their fill of ird food without needing a designated dri er delicate, I believe the oenophilic term is ‘yum’); a server appears at my to haul them up to the suburbs. Rosemarino will forever be missed, but as elbow with a fresh glass and extra napkins, expressing compassion for my consolation prizes go, 1 York Place is a humdinger. wet leggings though doubtless privately wondering what Chef is going to We’d half-expected the prices to be higher, given the comparative cost say when he sees the wine streaks on his newly painted wall. of homes in BS8 and BS6, but in fact they’re much the same; not exactly The January diet having been checked in along with our coats, we dive a steal, then, but very much par for the current course for a restaurant of with gay abandon into the puds a silky, citrussy Amalfi lemon posset and this calibre, with mains around the 24- 2 mark Affordable for many, a densely indulgent chocolate and dulce de leche tart. As with the rest of clearly, given that when we tried to score a midweek table in January the the meal, it’s classic Bird food: top ingredients, classically cooked with an only a ailable sittings were pm or pm t would ob iously ha e been far unstinting eye on portion size, and unshowily presented, because when the cooler and more Mediterranean of us to opt for the latter, but sadly we are first two bo es are ticked, where’s the need for culinary fireworks neither of those things; besides, we’re always very hungry by six. There’s Any negati es We did find our table a little on the small side, hence also less risk of popular dishes being knocked off the menu if you come the wine spillage (that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it). We’d have liked early; thinking about it, it’s sheer insanity to risk dining any later. the overhead lighting turned down a bit, and the heating turned up.

Big changes have been wrought inside the building. Every new therwise, we’d struggle to fault-find he kitchen knows e actly what restaurant likes to make its mark, of course, but often this involves mere it’s about, and the waitstaff are warm and attenti e he locals can tweaks. The Birds, however, have introduced a wholly original new look, probably afford the 00 sharing platter all in all, we’d be astonished if replacing Rosemarino’s minimalism with a lot of blond wood planking, the Birds’ new venture does anything to threaten 1 York Place’s longand pale dried owers, both in e uberant murals and little bunches on the standing lucky streak.

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

FOOD & DRINK A TA S T E O F B R I S T O L’ S F O O D S C E N E

LAST ORDERS

J & J: your hosts beyond compère

isten up it’s your final chance to get in ol ed with the supremely e citing, e tremely worthwhile and definitely unmissable Anti- an uet being held at Ashton Gate on 29 February.

If you’ve missed our numerous previous stories on the subject, here’s the deal: the Anti-Banquet sets out to rewrite the rules of a grand feast, turning the concept of a charity dinner on its head in order to benefit those who need it the most ristol businesses are in ited to come together for an evening of food and entertainment designed to raise £100,000 for the Bristol Local Food Fund, which aids the city’s most vital community food projects. Businesses are invited to buy a table for team members who wouldn’t usually attend events such as this, or for a local charity or other deserving group, while the bosses help out in the kitchen or front of house.

The sartorial code for guests is black and gold.

Dressed rather more practically on the night will be an extraordinary line-up of the city’s top chefs, including Josh Eggleton of The Pony Chew Valley (etc); Peter Sanchez Iglesias of Casa and Poco Tapas; Simon Rimmer of Greens and Earle; Jude Kereama of Kota, Kota Ka and The Great British Menu; Ben Harvey of the Bianchis Group, and Hannah Catley of Lockdown Loaves and Catleys. The frontof-house crew is no less stellar, headed up by Dom Borel of the Bianchis group, Shona Graham of Emmeline and Holly Eggleton of The Pony.

Did we mention the entertainment? Compères Jayde Adams and Joe Sims will bring the LOLs, Bristol reggae singer Eva Lazarus [inset] the tunes, and the inimitable Invisible Circus [that’ll be the other inset] the circussy feats. It’s the charity event of the year.

Buy tickets at: www.antibanquet.co.uk

¡ARRIBA, ARRIBA! And indeed, ¡ándale, ándale!, as one of the most anticipated openings of 2024 – Condesa, the new mezcal bar and restaurant from the Season + Taste group – announces it will open on Whiteladies Road this March.

Owned by Kieran and Imogen Waite [left], Season + Taste’s portfolio includes some of Bristol’s best-loved restaurants, from tapas bars Bravas and ambas to e ican- a oured argo antina Condesa is inspired by, and takes its name from, the mezcal bars of La Condesa, which Kieran and Imogen visited on their honeymoon. Heading up the kitchen is Cargo Cantina’s Sean Martin; the menu, we’re told, will be a combination of traditional Mexican cuisine with a contemporary twist.

The interior, still a building site at time of going to press, will feature exposed stone walls, banquettes, an open kitchen, wine-cellar style tunnels, and what is excitingly referred to as “the infamous tortilla machine,” on its way from e ico after Sean’s isit last ecember he fit-out is about a month away from completion, with everything from seating, kitchen equipment, crockery and a few hundred candles on their way,” we were told at the end of January.

Condesa is right next door to the Bianchi group’s new restaurant Pazzo, while Bravas is just around the corner on Cotham Hill. Whiteladies Road is becoming a tastier proposition by the month. www.condesabristol.co.uk

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HOT PLATES AMUSES BOUCHES

Ciao! then, Pizza Bianchi!

Konnichiwa, Eatchu! It’s allchange at the Triangle once again, as one legend shuts up shop and another opens.

Guy and Vic Siddall’s food already has a devoted fan base at St Nick’s and the Lawrence Hill Wiper & True taproom; if the latter is anything to go by, expect their homemade gyoza to share menu space with Japanese-style fried chicken and rice bowls. www.eatchu.co.uk And say ‘yassou!’ to Bake-A-Licious, which admittedly doesn’t sound especially Hellenic, but this is indeed the name of a new Greek pastry bakery just opened on the corner of Royal York Crescent and Regent Street in Clifton Village. It’s from the same family who run Sotiris on Park Row, where everything is freshly baked in the café, “making you feel like you’re in Sotiris’ own grandma’s shop on the side of a cobbled road in Greece”. In our book, any fresh source of bougatsas in Bristol has to be a cause for exuberant, buntinghanging celebration. Just look at them. . . www.bake-alicious.co.uk Yet more foodie openings for Baldwin Street. Firstly we have Tonkotsu, the fourth branch in the ramen group, serving home-made noodles, broths, katsu curries and gyoza: “If you don’t make your own noodles, you’re just a soup shop,” they say; www. tonkotsu.co.uk.

Also opening soon, just a few doors down, on the corner of Marsh Street, is Rosa’s Thai – a much larger chain, though one which stresses its family feel: owner Saiphin creates dishes based on her family’s recipes and the cuisine she grew up with. www.rosasthai.com Meanwhile, south of the river, it’s all about dim sum, as new restaurant Uncle Wah Dim Sum Parlour prepares to bring its traditional steamed dumplings to North Street. It promises authentic baskets filled with love and tradition.”

The photos we’ve seen so far look *chef ’s kiss*. www.beacons.ai/unclewah You really can’t go wrong with Scandi-style anything, so give a warm welcome to tiny new Gloucester Road café Mød, which combines a ery serious attitude to speciality coffee with baked goods.

Find them, and their very long dash, on Instagram at @mod______________

Former Bristol Life cover star Jack Briggs-Horgan holds up an awardwinning morsel

SQUARE DEALS Five Bristol restaurants have been listed in the UK’s Top 100 by SquareMeal, which sets out to showcase the best emerging and established culinary heroes and celebrate those going above and beyond, prioritising produce over plating and giving diners a top-class experience. The ratings are based on a combination of critics’ opinions and diners’ votes.

In at number 20 is Wilsons, with “plates that appear deceptively simple but are underpinned by exacting technique… true allegiance to showcasing sustainability

through seasonality in fresh new ways.”

“Refreshingly relaxed Spanish tapas restaurant” Paco Tapas is number 25, with sister restaurant Casa next door at 44.

At Bank Bristol (number 82), “excellent produce cooked o er fire is e actly what to expect from this neighbourhood joint. Head chef Jack Briggs-Horan brings produce to life with indulgent dishes that are designed to share And finally, at 2, it’s the unstoppable Cor, for its warm, welcoming vibe and seasonal spin on the menu. www.squaremeal.co.uk

CLOSING TIME Oof, this is a hard one to bid farewell to.

Run by Tom Hunt, Jen Best and Ben Pryor, Poco Tapas in Stokes Croft has been winning hearts and awards since 2011; the staff and the owners are a delight, while the seasonal menu always makes sustainability taste like fun.

Its imminent closure has come as a shock; but this time, at least, it’s not purely down to economic necessity.

“After 12 very special years spent sharing our hospitality with Bristol, we’ll be closing Poco later this spring,” says the team. ”With both operational directors having young families, and Jen moving to Devon, the time feels right to turn the page on a new chapter in our lives.

“The heart of Poco has been our community and we want to thank you all for the support you’ve given us over the past 12 years. We’ll be here cooking up a storm while we search for the right buyer, and we hope that lots of you can come and raise a glass.“ At least nobody will be able to confuse Poco Tapas with Paco Tapas any more.

More on instagram @pocotapasbar.

Jen, Ben and Tom : you will be missed

STOP PRESS: Big congratulations to BS8 gastropub The Clifton, which has just been awarded a Bib Gourmand – the Michelin Guide’s accolade for restaurants offering great quality and great value cooking. www.thecliftonbristol.com

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CAFÉ SOCIETY STAN CULLIMORE

Passing time The story of a watch, a former distillery, and some damn fine coffee

T

his issue’s café of choice is the small but shapely Interludes offee p at the top of St Michael’s ill, easy to find o past the White Bear pub, keep on going, and there it is, on the same side. Sitting pretty. I know this because that is exactly what I did. Took the dog into town to pick up a watch which had been in for repair, then dropped by for a coffee on the way home Actually, it wasn’t so much me that dropped by, as Rufus the dog. He jumped on a bench, put his nose round the door, and made it obvious he felt it was the place to be. Wagged his tail and

“It felt very nice to be there, marinading in a world of shiny, smiley marvellousness”

everything. Reckon he liked what he saw and smelled.

He wasn’t wrong. It’s a lovely little café. They did me an excellent Americano and a most satisfying cinnamon swirl-type pastry. Rufus and I then went to sit quietly on the sidelines, soaking up the very pleasant, post-industrial-meets-olde-worlde ambience. They still have the old A Jenkins grocer’s sign in lovely curvy gold script above the door, while inside it’s all crisp and fresh and a bit Scandi. he staff were a friendly bunch, too. Full of smiles and happiness, which is always nice.

They greeted everyone who came in as if they were old friends, which they may well have been.

Either way, it felt very pleasant to be there, marinading in a world of shiny, smiley marvellousness.

Or maybe that was just the caffeine reacting with the cinnamon and sugar.

At this point, I took a moment to stare very fondly at my recently repaired watch. Not just any old timepiece, by the way. This baby is gold-plated gorgeousness, made several decades ago, in the self-same year I was born; it has the thinnest movement that was commercially available at the time, and weighs about as much as a feather. This may explain why it was called the Seiko Goldfeather.

And before you start wondering whether you’ve mistakenly picked up Watch World rather than Bristol Life, I mention all this for a reason. You see, like the watch, this café and I go back a while. We have form.

Last time I was there, the space was filled by the sychopomp distillery hey ogged a fine line of artisanal, made-in-house gins here. Very tasty too. These days, the walls are still lined with row after row of intriguing spirits in classy bottles, with a bit of everything, from absinthe (making the heart grow fonder), through to gin (ruining mothers since The Rake’s Progress), all the way up to whisky (in the jar – o).

Must admit, couldn’t resist buying a bottle of gin for a friend. For old time’s sake.

As I sat there staring happily at my bottle and newly repaired old watch, it made me realise why I liked the café so much.

Both of them have interesting back stories, buckets of charm, understated elegance and, most importantly of all, the very fact they exist makes the world a slightly better place. Don’t know about you, but I’m a fan. n Former Housemartins guitarist Stan is now a journalist and travel writer @stancullimore on instagram Google up Stan’s daily substack blog: Diary of an Urban Grandad

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MAZI COAT X MAISIE WILLIAMS £697 (FROM £995).

Shoreditch Ski Club x Maisie’s collab combines an exquisite, cocooning silhouette with a specially developed ballgown satin shell, a shearling lining and all-round superstar attitude All profits go to he azi ro ect – and it’s currently in the sale…

From Shoreditch Ski Club www.shoreditchskiclub.com 1796 CREW JUMPER, £88 (FROM £110) Peregrine is our absolute go-to for heritage chic. The Alpine Range is inspired by vintage ski wear, but this jumper won’t mind at all if you just wear it for city-slicker strolling. In 100% merino wool, because Peregrine From Peregrine Clothing www.peregrineclothing.co.uk GREY KNITTED HANDWARMERS, £32 ome o ce icy, but still need to type? We like the chunkiness of these grey knitted fingerless handwarmers and have no objection wearing something with a patch reading ‘iconic’. f the glo e fits, etc From Mint Velvet, 44 Regent Street www.mintvelvet.com

IN THE CHIC MIDWINTER

Baby, it’s cold outside*, but that’s no excuse for lowering your sartorial standards. Especially when almost everything is currently in the sale…

PAUL SMITH FAUX FUR TRAPPER'S HAT, £55 (FROM £110) Made from a soft faux-fur with a quilted lining. Not everyone can carry this off, but you definitely could From Grace & Mabel, 32 The Mall www.graceandmabel.co.uk

Correct at time of going to press. For all we know, by early February we'll be in the grip of a heatwave *

WAX FLAT CAP £16 (FROM £40) When you fancy working the at cap look but don’t want to look as if you’re cosplaying Peaky Blinders Blinders. In water-resistant waxed cotton, in case the unthinkable happens and it rains in Bristol From Peregrine Clothing www.peregrineclothing.co.uk

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JAKKE MIRA FAUX FUR MITTENS, £48 (FROM £80) There’s a green bucket hat in the same range too, if you fancy going full-on Kermit. We dare you From Harvey Nichols 27 Philadelphia Street; www.harveynichols.com

ED’S CHOICE UGG MAXI CHEETAH PRINT SLIDE, £33 (FROM £110) With a cosy sheepskin insole, an unapologetically pink-and-black print and a maximalist 2.5” sole. We’ll even allow you to wear them over socks if the weather’s especially Baltic From Grace & Mabel 32 The Mall www.graceandmabel.co.uk

UNIVERSAL WORKS ECO WOOL WATCH CAP, £45 A classic rollable beanie – originally designed, don’t you know, to keep the heads of sailors warm when on watch, so it should have no trouble at all keeping you cosy during a brisk walk around the harbour. Made from ethically sourced fibres From Maze Clothing, 26-28 The Mall www.mazeclothing.co.uk

PIECES 'JOANNA' HAT, £20 In teddy fabric, so wonderfully warm and uffy We’re sure we once saw Audrey Hepburn wearing something similar rom o eat er, lo ester Road; www.foxandfeather.co.uk

TAUPE COLOUR BLOCK JUMPER, £109 n uffy alpaca he pattern makes us think of a cow – an Ayrshire, Guesrnsey or a Holstein, perhaps – but in a good way From Mint Velvet, 44 Regent Street www.mintvelvet.com

MAX MARA PONCHO, £879 (FROM £1,215) Ponchos have had a bit of a comeback in recent years, and this cuddly one strikes us as an eminently sensible addition to any winter wardrobe Garment Quarter, 47b Merchant treet www annels om

OBJECT JANA JACKET, £95 We're getting cowgirl chic vibes. Just us?

From Fox + Feather lo ester oa www.foxandfeather.co.uk

ROTOTO SOCKS, £28 With their double-face cotton and merino wool mix, these high-pile socks are incredibly soft, breathable and resilient. Rototo uses a rare, old-fashioned knitting machine which helps to create the raw and honest look of the socks From Maze Clothing, 26-28 The Mall www.mazeclothing.co.uk

INTERIORS

BETTER NOT KILL THE GROOVE Gonna Saltburn this house right down

Romo Fabrics combines the classic and contemporary to magnificent effect; OPPOSITE: Mind the Gap’s riotous Woodstock designs make even Saltburn (INSET) look shy and retiring

Saltburn brought us English-eccentric maximalist style on steroids: a mix of the classical and quirky that was only marginally less unhinged than its residents. Don’t have a sprawling 18th-century stately pile to play with? It’s just as easy to introduce a touch of rule-breaking, over-the-top opulence to your own home Words by Deri Robins

S

INTERIORS altburn. Nothing in that twisted, Gothic rom-com-horror of a movie could be accused of exercising restraint, and while arguments continue to rage over whether it was Barry Keoghan or Jacob Elordi who offered the most edible eye candy, the stately home at the heart of the action has been on everyone’s lips; although thinking about it, given that bath scene, maybe that’s an unfortunate choice of phrase.

Saltburn – in real life, Drayton House in Northamptonshire – was originally built in 1300 with a more recent’ makeo er in the 00s uring filming, its accommodating owners greenlighted a major interiors makeover; hopefully the fat fee from Amazon MGM will help to keep the lights on for a few more years.

While the architecture and furnishings are classical, that’s where normality stops. We’re not talking Downton Abbey heritage style here; we can imagine the Dowager Countess of Grantham having a few salty words to say about the over-the-top decor. Even in the otherwise restrained dining room, sheer red curtains create a nightmarish ambience during one key scene which mirrors the characters’ spiralling mental health.

An ornate TV room has silk panels, plush velvet chairs and bright accessories; bedrooms have richly painted walls and furniture, such as Felix’s blue four-poster bed; tapestries of dragons line the walls. Oliver’s room has a Sixties-style wallpaper in a maze design, while the bathroom is papered in a sinewy, marble-like print designed to re ect his muscly torso he blood-red gloss paintwork in the suite looks as if it’s barely dried.

Echoing the bacchanalian excess of the story, the d cor is amboyant, ma imalist, edgy, hedonistic, and ever so slightly deranged – a mash-up of historic a uence and modern tackiness that’s somehow weirdly covetable. And while Saltburn has a bit of a head start over the average semi, with its towering ceilings, 127 rooms and folio-lined library, it’s easy to introduce a hint of its English-eccentric decadence into a home of any era. How you conduct yourself once you’re in it, of course, is entirely up to you…

MORE IS MORE

Saltburn achieves its maximalist design look by combining the eclectic and the quirky, mixing vintage and modern, wittily mixing colours, textures and patterns to vibrant, e pressi e, playful effect A shortcut to getting the look is to shop at interiors brand Mind the Gap. “Maximalist interiors are about indulging in ‘more’; more colour, more pattern and more texture, combining prints, wea es, patterns, orals, ikats, stripes, geometrics and botanical motifs, which work wonderfully well together to create rich, layered and truly inviting interiors,” says founder Stefan Ormenisan.

“Look for a standout pattern which speaks to you personally, and build a scheme around that design.

Your starting point could be a vase, cushion, rug or a wallpaper; by building around an item you love, you’ll find your own personal ma imalist aesthetic Wallpaper, of course, will deliver the greatest impact in any interior. “Layer in more pattern and colour, as well as pairing with other oral or botanical prints in fabrics and accessories. For a genuinely maximalist feel, avoid a feature wall, which will look half-hearted, and embrace pattern over all four walls.”

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“Avoid a feature wall, which will look halfhearted; embrace pattern over all four walls”

Safari Soirée paper by Divine Savages; a cinch for hosting your bacchanalian fancy-dress parties

But it’s not just a question of throwing random designs into a room and expecting them to magically cohere. e bra e, and play with different te tures and scales of pattern, but keep the colours working harmoniously,” advises Emily Mould, director at British brand Romo. ou could pair a large-scale oral with accents of a smaller geometric design, or use a textural semi-plain along with a dramatic damask. Or, keep the design the same, and contrast the colours of the fabric or wallpaper, using paint and accessories to tie the scheme together.

“Creating a maximalist statement has evolved to become much more considered, moving away from the pattern clash of the past. Choose a hero pattern, and introduce colour, print and texture around it, allowing the design to take centre stage while layers of print and colour add depth and textural touches to make a harmonious interior.”

“Mixing global patterns and prints is no longer taboo,” says Romo’s Justin Marr. “Easier than you may think, it is all about colour: simply pick a dominant one, and decorate around it, allowing multi-cultural designs to complement each other by their subtle shades. Include a couple semi-plains, and you have a harmonious space.”

And here’s Chelsea Clark at Lust Home – a brand name which could have been coined just for Saltburn.

“Grand yet inviting, the Saltburn manor epitomises the classic country estate, with towering ceilings, endless bedrooms, antique furniture, and opulent décor,” she says. “Opt for wallpapers with classic patterns such as damask, toile or orals, and choose colours which e oke a sense of elegance and sophistication.

“Elect a rich colour palette which includes deep tones such as burgundy, navy and forest green, and pair with antique- inspired accessories and furnishings.”

And let’s go out with advice from Jamie Watkins,

Finally, let’s hear from Jamie Watkins, co-director at our latest interiors crush, Divine Savages (yet another perfect brand name for our theme).

“At Divine Savages we are eccentric to the core, and believe wallpaper is the easiest way to bring instant character and warmth to a room,” says Jamie. “You can tell a story with the pattern you choose while also showing off your own personality and creating interiors which are both luxurious and utterly charming.

“Wall panelling is a classic design feature of period homes which can instantly turn any room from plain and simple to interesting and quirky,” says Jamie. “By papering inside panelling with a bold design you can create a really striking focal point, while telling a playful, pictorial story, proving that we needn’t stop being playful, even in the most elegant of spaces.”

And while your budget may not run to Felix Cattonesque dragon tapestries, Divine Savages’ Portobello Parade print finds lions, leopards and lemurs strolling casually through Regency-inspired streets and parklands as they cross paths with other bewildered and eccentric pets.

“For a more richly coloured English manor-house look, match the paint colour as closely as you can to the shade of the wallpaper; the closer the colours are, the stronger the impact.”

Majestic Faunication – even the names of Divine Savages’ designs evoke Saltburn! inset: An antique bed painted bright blue in Felix Catton’s bedroom sums up the film’s interiors intention

INTERIORS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A bestiary of animal prints and motifs from Romo; Can’t quite run to antique dragon tapestries?

Try this print from Lust Home; We had to include a bathroom somewhere: walls by Romo; Take the Mind the Gap look outside for long, lazy, decadent Harry Potterreading summer days

“Mix reupholstered antique furniture with a pictorial print for effortless ma imalism We were inspired by the opulence and grandeur of historic British houses and the aristocracy when we designed our Safari Soirée wallpaper page 4 with its playful twist at first glance all appears fine and dandy, but on close inspection you’ll find cocktail-sipping tropical birds and a champagnelo ing safari fantasy, ust like the parties held at Saltburn t certainly adds to the e uberant and playful charm e istent in earlier periods of history which these beautiful old houses ha e li ed through Elegant, carefully sourced anti ue furniture can add an e tra touch of historic glamour, helping to create the feel of a room that has always been there n

YOU HAVE BEEN READING

Mind the Gap, www.mindtheg.uk; available in Bristol from Jane Clayton Divine Savages, 5 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath www.divinesavages.com Romo, www.romo.com; available in Bristol at Bracey Interiors Lust Home; www.lusthome.com

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EDUCATION

CLASS OF 24 The face of education has changed enormously since Boomer and Gen X parents were at school – and who wouldn’t prefer to be a child in today’s caring, eco-aware, technology-enriched culture?

W

Words by Ursula Cole hat are your lingering memories of your own school days?

It probably depends on your age.

Those over 70 may recall being casually walloped by teachers, long hours of handwriting practice, and invariably being addressed (often in withering tones) by their surnames. Those from later, more enlightened eras may never have had to endure the cane, but may still shudder at the memory of unimaginative lessons and useless ‘careers advice’ sessions in which a series of multiplechoice boxes revealed whether you’d end up as a secretary (girls) or a captain of industry (boys). Luckily for the class of ’24, education styles have changed a lot ...

1

Scant consideration was given to the mental health of Boomer and even Gen X students. How does your school or college promote mental health?

“The most important way we look after one another is by looking out for one another,” says Badminton head teacher Jessica Miles.

“There are clear formal welfare structures: form tutors see every girl individually, and

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pastoral heads offer guidance and ad ice We have an on-site health centre which includes the opportunity to chat to professional counsellors, and we also run an active peermentoring programme.”

Haberdashers Monmouth School, says head of wellbeing Sarah Fowler, promotes the fi e ways to wellbeing in e erything they do We ha e two health and wellbeing centres, staffed by nurses, which promote mental health and wellbeing on a daily basis, and are the hub of our counselling provision for staff and students As part of our wellbeing strategy, we devised our own bibliotherapy initiative called ‘shelf help’, where students can access resources in the library and online, for support and guidance on issues relating to their own mental health.”

“The mental health and wellbeing of our pupils is an essential consideration at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital (QEH),” says head teacher Rupert Heathcote. “Every aspect of school life is viewed through the prism of the key values of kindness, respect, resilience and re ection Each pupil has dedicated members of staff for their daily support, in addition to regular opportunities to have their voice heard through channels such as school council or clubs.

“The weekly enrichment programme provides sessions to boost mental and physical wellbeing while yoga, mindfulness and

Time out at Clifton College

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learning about nature in the local woods help pupils to build resilience and learn strategies to support their wellbeing.”

“Clifton College is committed to the wellbeing of its pupils, with a strong focus on exceptional pastoral care,” says mental health and wellbeing lead Paloma Adorisio.

“The wellbeing team has a wealth of experience, and to create a space for students to take a break from school life, the college has established new spaces around the college; one example is The Wave, which is used for hosting workshops and student sessions, offering aluable opportunities for students to relax and engage in meaningful discussions.

“Looking ahead, the college is also planning to implement Pulse, a tool that will measure the week-to-week wellbeing of students.”

2

One change has involved huge leaps in technology. How does your school keep abreast of developments?

“We are proud to consider ourselves a leader when it comes to computing, with some of what we are doing being used as an example in other schools,” says Stephen Symonds, head of Tockington Manor.

“From Reception through to Year 8, every pupil has the opportunity to engage with technology to enhance and develop their

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learning experience. The Chromebooks at Lower School’s disposal means children can get used to using a mouse, and even have a go at coding from as young as fi e ears to all have access to their own Chromebooks, and we have a state-of-the-art computing suite with Windows PCs, VR headsets and a green screen.

“In our music suite, students use iMacs for mixing and recording music during their lessons or extracurricular activities and this prepares them well for a seamless transition to Senior School. We strive to keep up with the latest innovations in technology and this is embodied in our Artificial ntelligence block of work where pupils get to discuss AI’s ethical considerations and gain a wider understanding of how it could shape their future.”

Technology is also a big part of everyday life at Redmaids’ High – “and will continue to be, as students’ progress through school and beyond,” says head Paul Dwyer.

E ery student and staff member has a school-issued iPad. Teachers can augment their lessons through the seamless integration of technology, and all our classrooms feature a state-of-the-art digital screen, allowing wireless connection and presentation from staff and student iPads.

“Making technology a big part of our learning provision from an early age allows us

EDUCATION

“We’ve devised our own bibliotherapy initiative called ‘shelf help’, where students can access resources in the library and online, for support and guidance on issues relating to their own mental health”

CLOCKWISE: Technology lessons start early at Tockington; Incendio! Science class at Badminton; QEH kids go wild (though obviously in a carefully monitored way) in the country

to help students develop these skills and use technological devices in a safe and productive way, offering learning opportunities they can relate to, in a way that suits each student best.”

“Our obsession with risk around new technology means that some schools are averse to introducing it, which is counter-productive in creating and democratising opportunity,” says Mark Curtis of boomsatsuma. “We waste a lot of time putting limits and firewalls in place, that become a barrier, or a target, rather than encouraging creative use of technology for development. Train students to use it ethically otherwise they find a way to access it in an unsupervised, potentially damaging context”.

“At Badminton, we embrace the use of technology to ensure that our students receive the best possible support in their education,” says Jessica Miles. “However, as a school we strike a balance between digital learning and a more conventional approach. We place great importance on handwriting, given the metacognitive processes we go through when we write, and of course exams are still written.”

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EDUCATION

3

Our own memories of career advice involved ticking little boxes in multiple choice forms. What methods do your school or college employ?

At adminton, higher education and professional guidance are introduced to pupils as Year 7 and 8, when they look at character strengths and start to learn about themsel es, says Jessica Miles. uilding on different programmes as they ad ance through the school, as the students enter ower Si th, they begin our roadening orizons programme, with guest speakers Professional guidance is introduced to pupils as early as Year 9 when they take part in the NatWest Entrepreneurial Challenge. They also take part in an ‘Outduction’ programme, bridge inter iew skills sessions, digital safety lessons as well as talks on personal safety and life at uni ersity aberdashers’ onmouth School benefits from a uni ue offering As part of the aberdashers’ family’ of schools, we are part of a network of professionals which spans the world and is a ailable to our students throughout their li es, says ish uir, director of external relations.

As well as ha ing a full-time careers staff, our uni ue Aspire programme offers one-toone mentoring for Sixth Form students from a professional in their chosen career path.”

From Reception, children at Tockingon are e posed to different ocations from isits in the classroom by dentists, paramedics and police o cers to a display by the A on ire department, children are encouraged to learn

“‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ isn’t our main focus”

TOP: Planting the seeds of learning at Haberdashers Monmouth; BELOW: Redmaids by name, Redmaids by uniform

about jobs in their community.

“In Year 7 and 8,’ says Stephen Symonds, “children are introduced to our Pathway rogramme, which offers specialist ad ice and unique experiences for pupils with talents in academics, sport, music or drama. Part of the programme e poses them to different careers a isit to the ristol ippodrome to hear about what a stage manager does; a trip to the ouses of arliament to understand the duties of politicians, etc.” “‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ isn’t necessarily the main focus within careers guidance, but perhaps ‘what ideas do you ha e after your studies ’, says Amy Penney, head of careers at Clifton College.

“There is so much choice to consider after education, and a multiple-choice computer programme may only supplement what it is they are actually interested in.” he ocabulary of careers needs to start in primary school,” says Mark Curtis of boomsatsuma, ristol’s specialised education college for the creati e industries he education system and subject categories were designed by ismarck and ha en’t changed since At boomsatsuma we embed progressionfocused experiences and content from day one. Our curriculum is less abstract than most, more rele ant and informed through close partnership with commercial industry practitioners. If students are focused on their own progression they are far more engaged. If we were designing the system from scratch, we would want to train them to make a meaningful contribution to the economies of the 21st century ow can we e pect that to be the case if educators don’t face those industry needs?”

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EDUCATION

4

Environmental issues were less of a concern back then – unfortunately for the world today! How do you promote eco-awareness?

With sustainability a key pillar of the new school from September 2024, we are working on a number of emerging pro ects that will start to bring awareness to a range of issues within the school and wider community, says erry Stentiford, assistant head of e tra-curricular acti ities and ad enture at aberdashers onmouth We are oining forces with Action limate Emergency a community partnership which works on a range of local pro ects addressing a wide range of sustainability issues, to host a sustainability conference this summer Sustainability is a new and e citing part of life at lifton, says assistant head sustainability , en ates he college introduced the SEEd oung hange akers rogramme this year a transformati e one-year programme which allows students to design and manage small initiati es creating positi e change for our community, from writing and producing a podcast series to introducing a house cup competition to dri e down food waste Students ha e also formed a new sustainability committee which de elops ideas and new initiati es he college is also working with ristol-based consultancy uture eap, to complete its first en ironmental audit, from which we can be clearer about how we can best make impro ements

5

We remember language lessons at school as being rather tedious. How do you make them fresh and appealing?

anguages are important at ockington and apart from rench, atin and Spanish we also offer andarin as an e tracurricular club, says Stephen Symonds We recently welcomed a new rench teacher who has introduced a fully immersi e way of learning, meaning that children speak only rench in their lessons pper School children ha e

SEATS OF LEARNING

Badminton School www.badmintonschool.co.uk boomsatsuma www.boomsatsuma.com Clifton College www.cliftoncollege.com Haberdashers’ Monmouth School www.habsmonmouth.org QEH (Queen Elizabeth Hospital) www.qehbristol.co.uk Redmaids High School www.redmaidshigh.co.uk Tockington Manor School www.tockingtonmanorschool.com

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

Tockington children pay a visit to Bristol Hippodrome to learn what a stage manager does. Working backstage certainly didn’t do Cary Grant any harm . . .

ad usted swiftly to the new style of learning and it has seen their confidence and capability grow in leaps and bounds At edmaids’ igh School we teach four modern foreign languages, rench, erman, ussian and Spanish, says head aul wyer At Si th orm talian can also be taken All students start with two languages in ear , including atin ne is chosen by the student and the other is allocated by the school We ha e a ery interacti e style of teaching and learning, including lots of games in the first three years and with a ery high focus on speaking in the language Students use i ads to enhance their language learning from day one here are also a huge range of enrichment acti ities, including national competitions, and annual biennial trips for e ery language to countries such as alaga, ice and erlin

6

Back in the day, a ‘school trip’ mostly meant a visit to the Zoo. Can you tell us about a few trips you run today?

ark urtis of boomsatsuma says the college’s trips are always built with purpose, to incorporate rele ant e periences while also broadening horizons n our ne t planned trip, our students will build content for ristol’s twin city of ordeau not merely going to see it hey

“Sustainability is a new and exciting part of life at Clifton College” are going to create content through film and photography to a brief written by Visit ristol ollege students also go to orto to de elop their sports media skills ne of our photography degree students’ recent trips was local to Ashton ate, where he was pitchside to capture ristol ity’s winning goal against West am in the A up We ha en’t been to the oo for a long time ost of our pupils e perience learning away from school on trips throughout the South West, says upert eathcote of E ear pupils ha e a day at the oman aths in ath, which brings their history topic work i idly to life ear begins the bespoke E Award, a programme to challenge and build resilience in our pupils as they ad enture outdoors, working in teams, shelter-building in elmont Wood, orienteering in Ashton ourt hey also support local charities, learning the practical application of our school motto While we ha e time, let us do good’ n

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aberdashers’ Monmouth School is one of 18 schools within the Haberdashers’ family. For 400 years the school has been integral to the pretty town of Monmouth, which sits on the confluence of the Rivers Wye and Monnow with stunning hills on every side. It is not surprising that Monmouth was recently voted in the top three happiest places in the UK. From September 2024, we will be a fully co-ed, through-school and, by ‘through’ we do not just educate children from age three to 18 but we also look beyond their school days into the future.

We call this the Haberdashers’ Advantage.

It is about how we offer the extra help that provides tangible benefit, beyond the norm, in the area of academic study, talent development, the igniting of a passion, the securing of a career with the best in class. The Haberdashers’ Advantage is, in short, a journey

“IT IS ABOUT HOW WE OFFER THE EXTRA HELP THAT PROVIDES TANGIBLE BENEFIT, BEYOND THE NORM”

companion for a life fully lived. So, how does this work in practice? A basic requirement for all schools like ours is academic excellence and exemplary pastoral care. We never take academic performance for granted.

But what else? Our four ‘pillars’ will define who we are and what differentiates us from other schools: Fashion and design – For some years we have had success with our students entering fashion- and design-related careers.

Haberdashers’ Monmouth School is becoming a hub of specialised training and exposure to the realities of the fashion and design world for those wishing to enter it as a career.

Performing arts – Drama, music and dance are already a major strength but with the patronage of world-renowned conductor and alumna of the school, Dame Jane Glover, we will be able to aim even higher, be more adventurous and be, quite simply, country-leading.

Sport and outdoor education – Haberdashers’ Monmouth School is already renowned for its sport. The Eddie Butler Sports Centre will be one of the finest facilities of its kind in the UK, providing specialist programmes for our aspiring sportsmen and women. Competitive

cycling for girls and boys is being introduced and nobody is left on the metaphorical bench.

Sustainability – The magnificent River Wye is the symbol of our sustainability ambition, which include a comprehensive drive towards a net-zero estate: reusable milk containers, net-zero dining hall and electric minibuses are just the start of our journey.

The Haberdashers’ Livery Company comprises a network of the talented, the committed, the successful and those who quite simply care about the future and will guide each student along the way to their own individual future, through our Aspire mentor programme.

This provides mentoring and coaching for our students in their chosen career paths.

At Speech Day last summer, the Head Boy summed up his time at school as, simply, “The best thing that has ever happened to me”. n

www.habsmonmouth.org Or call: 01600 710433 www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 69

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Kat (left) and Laura in conversation with Greg Ingham at the Bristol Life Network lunch at Harbour Hotel

Late last autumn, the Bristol Life Network Lunch welcomed two key members of The Bottle Yard Studios: head of film LAURA AVILES, and business operations manager KAT NASH

he Bottle Yard Studios is the biggest filming comple in the West of England a magnet for high-end productions ranging from The Outlaws to Poldark and Sanditon ristol is getting uite used to spotting celebs around the city during their down-time security must ha e been e tra tight at the Studios when a id ennant, Aidan urner, and anny yer all pitched up to film the new adaptation of illy ooper’s Riders recently ristol has long been renowned as a creati e centre for animation and nature filmmaking it’s the home of multi- scar-winning Aardman Animations and the atural istory nit he ottle ard has greatly enhanced the city’s reputation as a ma or player in the field urthermore, it creates local obs and encourages young talent, offering a place where society’s more marginalised indi iduals can come forward and immerse themsel es in the film industry

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

he Whitchurch ane site on which the facility stands formerly housed a winery and bottle plant, including, at one time, a production line responsible for producing three million litres of ar ey’s ristol ream per year n 2022, he ottle ard 2 2 e pansion added three e tra stages to the studio comple ead of film aura A iles ga e us an outline of the facility’s origins and its relationship with ristol he ottle ard was formed about 2 years ago in con unction with the council, she says at ash was there from the ery

“FILM PRODUCTION IS A CROSS BETWEEN A MILITARY OPERATION AND A TRAVELLING CIRCUS ” LAURA AVILES

beginning, and oined about two years ago at is ery much the boots on the ground ’m more about the strategy around how to grow the film and production in the city ur main site has eight stages t started with one, and then it was ust gradual in estment it was literally stage by stage as other money came in Ele en stages are currently a ailable eight at the main site and three at the neighbouring 2 facility, said at n her role as business operation manager, at was able to esh out the administrati e structure of the company basically, the ottle ard Studios is a ristol ity ouncil initiati e backed by the West of England ombined Authority in estment ristol ity ouncil opened he ottle ard Studios in 20 0, and it has been run by a team of e perienced film and business professionals e er since, forming partnerships with arious related bodies o er the years

aura A iles is one those professionals ’ e been in the industry for 40 years t’s not an ideal profession if you want to start a family, because film production in ol es a lot of tra el tend to describe it as a cross between a military operation and a tra elling circus t really is ust such a huge operation, a full-on ob aura mo ed into factual documentary-making, particularly focusing on natural history programmes hen serendipity emerged in the shape of the A ob position came up head of production at Earth roductions where you ha e huge budgets, the ast ma ority spent o erseas foreign tra el on hotels, fi ers and so on his is in stark contrast to filmmaking in ristol, according to aura roductions which come to ristol drama series and so on well, their crew may be 0-strong, maybe e en more And that, you may be sure, is a lot of money being spent in the city

NETWORK CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: At the Bottle Yard Studios with Laura (in the middle), Jayde Adams and the cast of The Outlaws; the Studios’ ‘Aidan’s Maidens’ must have rejoiced whenever a new season of Poldark was announced; in 2022, TBY2 facility added three extra stages to the studio complex; if you’re looking for a sign that you’re in the right place, this is it

That The Bottle Yard would benefit ristol was an important factor in aura’s decision to take the ob think realised ery uickly this was the ob for me After all, it included the two things ’m most passionate about, which are film production and ristol aura’s e pectations were fulfilled from early on ristol is a fantastically film-friendly city, so it’s been uite an easy win here are, as you might imagine, pluses and minuses about being owned by a council, as at e plained es, we’re owned by ristol ity ouncil and actually a lot of people do say, hat must cause you significant problems’, and certainly there can be issues with the process of getting through red tape ut actually there’s a ipside to that too profit is not our dri er t’s actually our brief to do what’s best for the city what’s best for the people in the city he building of the three new stages is an e ample of how the studios and the council work hand in hand We ob iously had to do a lot of feasibility studies ould we build those stages ould we sustain them ould we get enough production, then pro e they were workable All that work had to be put into a business case and gi en to the local authority We were then gi en a grant of ust under 2 million to build those three stages And again, the due diligence that was done was really critical to that process And there is another upside to being connected to a local council such as ristol’s he beauty of being a local council facility is that we can attract under-represented groups people from socio-economically challenged backgrounds as well as minorities, to work in the pro ect And of course young filmmakers we are ery keen to boost new de eloping talent We build that into our programme o work on a film set, you don’t need a degree, you don’t actually e en need a SE, as long as you’ e got the passion, the selfdiscipline and the dri e, you can get up at four in the morning and you can tra el So we’re doing training, teaching social skills, too For more: www.thebottleyard.com

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

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THE HOT LIST What constitutes an ideal workplace? Better ask hot-desking firm DeskLodge, who last year opened a second Bristol office in Beacon Tower, joining its original Redcliffe hub.

In www.work.co’s recent Happiest Workplaces list, DeskLodge won five awards, including ‘best for wellbeing’, ‘most inclusive’ and ‘happiest workplace’. And it’s just the latest recognition for the hub, which has also been named in The Times’ Best Places to Work; were winners in the England Business Awards 2023; and – most importantly of all, though we would say that – won the Best Co-working Space award at the Bristol Property Awards.

DeskLodge spaces are characterised by their unusual and quirky interiors, which include themed areas such as Egyptian Gods, Merlin’s Cave, even a TARDIS. “We’re not a cookie-cutter, out-of-the-box workspace,” founder Tom Bell told Bristol Life. “Bristol is renowned for being one of Europe’s creative hubs, and we think we offer some of the region’s most exciting start-ups and entrepreneurs an environment in which they can grow and thrive.”

And the Bristol Property Awards judges?

Well, they were wowed by the “terrific occupancy rates and two new lodges for this personable business with its quirky design and brand values, and clear sense of community.”

For more: www.desklodge.com

LAW ABIDING UK Top 100 law firm RWK Goodman is opening a new office in Bristol this March at 1 Castle Park, Tower Hill. The latest branch builds on existing offices in Bath, London, and Oxford.

“We are delighted to be opening our new office in Bristol, and extending our reach across the South West,” said managing partner Graham Street.

“Bristol is a vibrant city with a thriving economy, and we are excited about the opportunities this expansion creates for our people and clients in the South West and beyond.”

The Bristol launch not merely underscores the firm’s commitment to the South West, but also aligns with RWK Goodman’s growth plans, welcoming

FIGHT CLUB We’ve long nurtured a soft spot for Easton boxing club Empire Fighting Chance, which first became a charity in 2013 and won the award in that category at our very first Bristol Life Awards. Over the past few years its gone on to attract considerable national recognition for the positive impact it has on the lives of young people in inner-city Bristol, and for its ongoing fight against inequality.

Now the club has announced plans for a major £1.8m expansion which will allow them to build a two-storey extension to their current HQ , The Mill, on Lower Ashley Road, housing a therapy gym and community space, a new multi-purpose sports hall, two more dedicated spaces to deliver boxing programmes, office space, and flexible spaces for delivery, training and meetings. There

new hires and teams, reflecting the firm’s success and continued growth in its core practice areas, advising individuals and businesses in the region.

The expansion will facilitate further growth in key sectors including technology and media, banking and financial services, health and social care, retail, hospitality and leisure, and energy and infrastructure.

The decision to increase its presence in Bristol goes hand-in-hand with the firm’s commitment to lowenergy usage and sustainable business practices.

RWK Goodman employs over 570 people, and is a founding member of the international network of independent law firms, Interleges.

For more: www.rwkgoodman.com

Team EFC display their shiny Bristol Life Award

will also be a block of flats on site to provide additional funding.

The charity said that if the plans are approved, it hopes to increase the number of young people it works with from 3,500 to 5,000 within two years of the development, and increase the number of young people it reaches through its partners from 6,000 to 15,000. The team has already secured £1.1m for the redevelopment plans and is in the process of finding a further £700,000.

For more: www.empirefightingchance.org

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Emma and Steve Hayles of Upfest receive the 2023 Arts & Creative award

BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS 2024

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It’s nearly time to reveal the finalists . . .

o; did you hit the deadline? Nominations for the 2024 Bristol Life Awards closed on 31 January, and yet again there were a record number of entries, each attesting to the brilliance, resolve, creativity and sheer acumen of Bristol businesses.

So, who made the cut? Who are this years fabulous finalists? Well, even we don’t know at the time of going to press. The shortlist will be announced on Grand Reveal Day on February; finalists will receive an email, the list will be published on the Awards website, via our social media channels X, LinkedIn and Instagram, and in the next issue of Bristol Life.

After that, it’s over to our judges to select the outright winner in each category, along with the prestigious Platinum Award for the crème de la crème, the best in show.

WHAT DO I DO NEXT? Rush to secure your tickets – these invariably sell out, with a long waiting list; the Bristol Life Awards, after all, is the biggest, most glamorous business event in Bristol, casting a wide and eclectic net which includes companies from every imaginable sector, from the smallest independent to the largest of the corporates. Tickets can be purchased on the website, either singly on in groups.

SPONSOR THE AWARDS Independent chef-led contract caterer Cleverchefs is the Bristol Life Awards headline sponsor for 2024, and other sponsorship opportunities are going fast. To find out more, please contact neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk.

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LESSONS IN DESIGN Rural homes needn’t be country-cottage twee: just take a look at the fresh, contemporary interior of this former school house, just 18 miles from Bristol Words by Ursula Cole

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ountry homes come in many shapes and sizes. At the top end of the scale, invariably priced out of the range of most mortals, are the grand historic piles with their clatter of outbuildings and sprawling, park-like grounds. At the other end, though still pricey, because these days everything is, are tiny little terraced workers’ cottages.

Then you have your converted barns and cowsheds, whose transformation into 21st-century multi-million des-reses would have astonished the 19th-century Gabriel Oaks who used them to house animals. There are converted chapels, churches and factories. And then there are the old schoolhouses.

19th-century schoolhouses were never originally designed for domestic use. While often handsome and elegant, with spacious rooms and tall windows, they tended to have a more businesslike air than your standard roses-round-the-door country cottage. Today, this makes them very versatile; whether you want a traditional farmhouse look, or prefer to treat the house as quasi-industrial, it’s easy to lean either way.

A beautiful example of the breed is currently up for sale in Lower North Wraxhall, just 18 miles from Bristol yet surrounded by the Cotswold Area of Natural Beauty. It’s Grade-II listed, all honey-coloured stone without, and equally lovely within, with a characterful, restrained interior which both complements the 1832 building while feeling fresh and contemporary.

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

PROPERTY This particular Old School House occupies a happy situation in the middle of the pretty village, where lovely rural views come as standard. It’s a good-sized home, with two living spaces, kitchen and an enviably large utility room downstairs, and three bedrooms and a bathroom above.

Today, with its clouds of chalk dust long dispersed, the former schoolroom makes a wonderfully airy living room with a soaring ceiling and wooden beams. One of the e posed stone walls is filled with bookshel es any spectral former schoolmasters oating about the premises must be nodding their heads in approval.

Naturally, a few tweaks to the original layout were required to turn the school house into a home. The front door facing the street, which once would have opened into the schoolhouse, is now the entrance to the dining room, an elegant space with panelling, deep-set shuttered windows and, as in the living room, with the cosy bonus of a woodburning stove.

The kitchen has been created within a later extension which blends in seamlessly with the rest of the house.

It’s a restful space, decorated in cool neutrals with white cabinetry, wooden worktops, a Belfast sink and tra ertine oor tiles While its highly likely that the current owners will be taking the lovely old church pew employed as a dining bench when they leave, anyone wishing to emulate the style of the room, which steers the ideal course between old and new, could easily source a similar one.

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

“An imposing stone archway, rather charmingly, no longer seems to lead anwhere in particular”

All three bedrooms have pretty views over the village, gardens and countryside. The original wooden boards still grace their oors, and two of the bedrooms still ha e their original stone fireplace surrounds A family bathroom has a charming free-standing slipper bath as well as a walk-in shower.

Outside, a pretty suntrap of a garden set over two le els includes an outdoor dining terrace offering suitably romantic views. There’s parking, and a passageway leading behind the house to an outbuilding that’s currently used as a workshop.

While all these words and pics attest to a practical home, immaculately decorated, it will probably be the romance of The Old School House which wins your heart. It’ll be those charming, multipaned windows set within their hooded mullions. The row of old hooks in the hallway, where children used to hang their coats. he old bell turret on the northern gable the hea y studded side door, under a stone plaque detailing the school’s origins (see history lesson, right). That imposing s uare archway with its acorn finial, which, rather charmingly, no longer appears to lead HOUSE NUMBERS anywhere in particular.

Guide price £785,000 It’s a total delight of a Receptions 2 home and one that can Bedrooms 3 be yours for less than the Outhouse 1 price of many a two-bed at in lifton For more: www.inigo.com

PAY ATTENTION, CLASS It’s time for your history lesson.

Back in1832, permission was granted for a school and house to be built on waste ground within the village. The snappily-named National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church coughed up £35, but the main cost fell to the local area’s clergyman.

Before that, the provision for the education of the village’s children was limited to a Sunday school. Attendance was far from being full-time; this being

an agricultural parish, children were employed as soon as they could walk.

The original school would probably have catered for around 30 children, with desks placed along the wall, where students were taught reading and sewing by the schoolmistress, and writing by the parish organist.

In 1869, the schoolroom was raised and a wooden floor installed, with an additional schoolroom built at the same time. In 1879 a third extension was added – but that’s another storey . . .

www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 87

BRISTOL LIVES

“There is so much ridiculousness and fun and colour and vibrancy” way for anybody, regardless of ability, age, beliefs etc, to connect with art and storytelling t’s also given a huge network of artists, makers and creators an opportunity to come together and share their skills in a safe, innovative space.

Tell us about some of the highlights of the new OUTERverse

LUCY JARJOURA

Wake the Tiger has just opened its new extension, the OUTERverse. We tracked down marketing director Lucy in one of its labyrinthine corridors . . .

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eet the Tiger. If you’ e ne er been, you’re missing out on one of ristol’s great e periences a twisty-turny, fallen-down-therabbit-hole amazement park in which every corner reveals a new fascination. ust one isit isn’t enough to take it all in you’re uite likely to miss out entire rooms (we did , and now, offering e en more bang for your buck, comes its new e tension called he E erse t’s oh, let’s sales and marketing director ucy ar oura tell you all about it

So Lucy, what did you do before joining Wake the Tiger?

y career has spanned multiple industries, from agriculture to builders’ merchants to technology all within large, corporate, SE 00 companies… until now.

Why and when did you move to Bristol?

mo ed here in 20 when started working for Dyson. Prior to that had ne er been to the city, and knew nobody, so it was pretty daunting starting a whole new life. [NB: Having met Lucy, we n t ar to el e e s e as e er een a nte y anyt ng How did you get involved with Wake the Tiger?

After settling in, and loving, Bristol, I knew I wanted to find a role which ga e me the opportunity to become part of the city’s culture stumbled across the ob at Wake he iger on inked n one meeting and uick call later and was part of the team, just ahead of opening back in uly 2022 What has WTT brought Bristol that it didn’t have before?

or starters, the world’s first Amazement Park® A different

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

t is di cult to know how to describe how, uite literally, outof-this-world the e pansion to the current e perience is Whether it’s the segment of a real plane, a 15ft head with light projections or a mega, twisty slide, the 15 new spaces are going to take you to a dimension beyond imagination.

Are there still more expansions or changes likely to happen?

For starters, we want visitors to e perience E erse and let us know what they think, share feedback and help us impro e the e perience but in this place, anything is possible Tell us about your own favourite bits of the experience

The Transition Station is an epic space, and pivotal to the transition from the alternate world of eridia before transcending to the E erse ut really there is so much that is pure ridiculousness and fun and colour and ibrancy We know you live in Totterdown. What do you love most about your ‘hood?

The community here is incredible, from the local shops, restaurants and pubs my wife and ha e a newborn and the neighbours are ust the best er the years we’ e held street parties, BBQs and other celebrations together

Share a few local favourites

We spend a lot of time at Florence, a small, friendly Italian restaurant, and just opposite is the Banana Boat where we get our fruit and veg. Slightly further afield is ona’s rill on loucester oad y wife is ebanese and their food is so authentic and tasty. Can you tell we like to eat… a lot?

Do you have any secret skills?

run off ery little sleep e en less now ha e a newborn, but it doesn’t seem to affect my ability to bring the energy and ibes And what is your most regrettable habit?

’m not sure if it’s classed as a habit, but get called loud a lot ha e e en been in a bar in which a reality show was being filmed, and told to uieten down as my oice was being picked up on the mics.

How would your nearest and dearest describe you?

I just asked my team – they said energetic, fun – and of course, loud . . .

Who would play you in a film of your life?

I get told I look like Tilda Swinton but if it was down to me ’d be eatri he ride’ in Kill Bill a powerful, independent woman (though perhaps with less killing).

Confess a guilty pleasure…

’ 0s dance music but is that even a guilty pleasure?!

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

Jumping into a full team meeting ahead of launching E erse e citing times For more: www.wakethetiger.com