SUIT YOURSELF MAGAZINE #36 WINTER 09/10 by SUIT YOURSELF MAGAZINE

Bristol 2010 Evening all! What with the longer nights and shorter days, surely it’s about time for Suit Yourself Magazine’s next issue to make the winter fly by and to help welcome in the new decade? This is our second quarterly edition and so expect more articles, more in-depth features, more cartoons, more illustrations and more full page photos, all in the creation of an altogether far less disposable magazine and one which you can dip and in and out of during the three month period. Suit Yourself Magazine is an independent publication, a voice for all those young at heart, those interested in music, fashion, adventure, the arts, their environment and everything in between. A magazine which investigates, uncovers and promotes everything that makes Bristol such a fun, vibrant and altogether amazing place to live!

Those of you who still want your monthly fix of SY though, log on to the website and read our monthly, online, sister publication ‘SY - On The Sly’ which is chock-a-block with previews and reviews of all sorts of events happening across Bristol. The fabulous sections waiting to enlighten you are: Involve Yourself – think green, act keen Treat Yourself – think time for the credit card Hurt Yourself – think getting active Spoil Yourself – think indulgence Enjoy Yourself – think about getting out there Prepare Yourself – think about shakin’ that ass www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 0117 973 5937

Contents/

3/ Bristol 2010 7/ Goodbye 2000s, Welcome 2010s 10/ Stomping The Streets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Southville 19/ What is the Tallest Building in Bristol? 24/ Cartoon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Can you help Timmy escape the Shop of Doom?! 28/ RANT! Put the bloody camera away. 30/ The Banksy vs. Bristol Knock-on Effects 37/ Alternative Views of Bristol 44/ SY Creation Station Separate listings can be found under all the separate section header pages.

51/ Involve Yourself 67/ Treat Yourself 79/ Hurt Yourself 99/ Spoil Yourself 119/ Enjoy Yourself 147/ Prepare Yourself For those of you pretending to work, you can also read the magazine online at www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

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Illustration by Chris Bianchi www.chrisbianchi.co.uk

Bye Bye Noughties... Hello 2010s! Doesn’t have quite the same ring does it? As we prepare to enter a new decade in 2010, Suit Yourself looks back and asks - What will be remembered about the decade that was the Noughties? Where to start, where to start…well, right back at the beginning seems as good a place as any; one minute past midnight to be exact, on the first day of our new millennium when the greatly feared Millennium Bug spectacularly failed to rear its ugly head. Never has such a hyped and anticipated issue been such a non-event. The Millennium Bug: memorable simply for its non-existence; an excellent way to kick off the decade! Fast forward one year, nine months and eleven days and as a stark opposite to the limping start to the year, we had one of the most significant events of the past century, let alone decade, that seemingly came out of nowhere. The September 11th terrorist attacks resonated around the world with unprecedented impact. It became one of the most defining moments of the Noughties for all the wrong

reasons, leading the way for an even worse turn of events, The War Against Terror, or TWAT for short. The Saddam Hussein/Middle-East oil mess evolved shortly afterwards into bloody wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Speaking of disasters, Mother Nature clearly was none too happy with the new millennium as she set out to do her worst with the Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004, Hurricane Katrina which nearly wiped New Orleans off the map in August 2005, and countless other natural disasters including floods, forest fires and droughts, not to mention diseases like Swine Flu and ‘Foot and Mouth’ which nearly brought the Western world to a standstill. With the rise of celebrity culture in the 1990s, the turn of the century well and truly catapulted us head-first into the madness that is Reality TV, led by Big Brother. An entertainment genre, which began as an enthralling social experiment, unifying a nation in its hatred of Nasty Nick, has now, morphed into a glorified freak show and spawned hundreds of hideous offspring that dominate our cultural outlets night and day.

The impact of this bizarre phenomenon has had repercussions across the very fabric of our society (Governor Schwarzenegger and Boris ‘Have I Got News For You’ Johnson anyone?). If I have to endure one more glorified sob story that’s manipulated purely to propel a talentless nobody into the limelight for his or her 15 minutes of fame, or watch one more has-been making a tit of themselves on national television, then I’m eloping. The 20th century will no doubt be remembered for its rapid pace of technical advancement and the 21st century shows no signs of abating. Launched in 2001, the iPod became one of the most iconic symbols of the Noughties, remarkable not only for its innovative technical ability but also its revolutionary click-wheel and hugely influential, smooth, sleek and simple design. Along with the iPod came iTunes, enabling us to download music in a matter of seconds which underlines just how much the internet dominated the Noughties. Of course the internet was alive and kicking in the 1990s but the 2000s really saw it revolutionise every aspect of our everyday lives, professionally and socially - not least because of the explosion of social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

Now, being a girl I’m not much of an authority on all things sport, but I do know this; England managed 3 pretty spectacular sporting feats this past decade: Namely winning the Rugby World Cup in 2003, (God Bless Jonny Wilkinson’s left foot – and beautiful blonde hair!) winning the Ashes, not once, but twice! And who can forget the lovely Jenson Button, the boy from the South West (Frome) did good in the Grand Prix this year! Let’s see what Fabio Capello’s boys can do in South Africa in 2010 to make us remember the next decade for football. If the least decade has taught us anything though, it’s to expect the unexpected and rather than remembering it for one significant genre of music, one fashion trend, one technical achievement or one political breakthrough, it should be remembered for its diversity. So farewell Noughties, we’ll remember you fondly even though we’re still not entire sure how to pronounce you! And with that, attentions must turn towards the next 10 years - What could the 2010s be remembered for?

Maybe the 2012 London Olympics and that “legacy” we’re hearing so much about already? We might even get the 2018 World Cup! Perhaps the real bashing our politicians took recently for the expenses scandal, causing a recession, and the general undermining of professional integrity paraded by George Bush could lead to a decade of more transparent and honest politics, led by Barack Obama? Or, with the king of slime David Cameron inevitably on his way into Downing Street, maybe not. The 2000s saw the climate change debate really come to the forefront of all political and public debate but it might well be the 2010s that will see the real progress made? Maybe the Mayan prediction for 2012 does not mean the end of the world, more a shift in global consciousness, care and environmental involvement.

The Noughties saw the first ever ‘Space Tourists’ and could this reinvigorate the world’s appetite for space travel and exploration? Could we see the first man on Mars and settlements on the Moon? Or maybe some long awaited technological advancements could be achieved? Time travel? Teleportation? Flying cars? Talking animals? And will Michael Jackson be making a comeback? World Peace? Nuclear Armageddon? Maybe none of them? Maybe be all of them? The point is no-one knows! It’s the future. We’re not sure what’s round the corner and that’s what makes it so exciting. I’ll just leave you with the words of Doc. Emmett Brown: “Your future hasn’t been written yet. No-one’s has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one.” Steph Burns Illustrations by Katy Hudson

Stomping The Streets - Southville I love Southville: I live here, work here and manage to spend a rather ludicrous amount of time loafing about here. When I first moved to Bristol, penniless and Cornish, I took a room in a beautiful, ramshackle house just off North Street and I’ve stayed round here ever since, there is no other area of Bristol I could possibly imagine moving to, obviously I admit to being completely bias but in sharing a few facts, tales and highlights of The ‘Ville, I hope to go someway in drawing you into my love affair. For the uninitiated, Southville is a suburb of Bristol in the south-west corner of the city, just over the river from Spike Island. The precise borders of the area, however, are debateable. Ask a range of people for directions down here and they could refer to Southville, Bedminster or Ashton all in one street. Just be content that The ‘Ville is generally focused around the bustling highstreet of North Street and if you can see the Tobacco Factory, you’re in. Until a decade ago, Southville was a forlorn and dilapidated

area, really struggling with many businesses boarded up and not a lot of interest to bring you here at all. That all changed however when a prosperous architect and local legend, Mr. George Ferguson (Southville’s own red-legged celebrity), saved the old Wills tobacco factory from demolition and transformed the building into a multi-purpose cultural centre. They said it would never work but Mr. Ferguson had faith in the regenerative properties of the arts. The Tobacco Factory opened its doors in 2001 and is now at the heart of a regeneration process for the whole area. This slow, arts-based redevelopment has given Southville a great sense of community and it has reborn North Street as an amenities centre. North Street is now somewhere you can go to a proper fruit

‘n’ veg shop, where they’ll weigh your apples, wrap your flowers and there’s a lady in fingerless gloves working the till – what more could you want? Recent meetings and marches against plans for a new supermarket superstore nearby show a united community wanting to protect their independent businesses and the character they bring. Street parties are also an increasing phenomenon, with most roads in Southville hosting a get together at some point in the year. If being trapped in with the next-door neighbours eating home-made cake is a bit suffocating for you (it can be), it’s very easy to escape into the open air, Greville Smyth Park is two minutes away from the action and gets you out on the grass, enjoying the trees, with a load of shouting children and personal trainers going about their day. There is also a terrific adults’ playground too, especially good fun after a night out (I can take no responsibility for what might happen

if you do this, just know I don’t have all my teeth intact). Ashton Court Estate is also an easy walk away which means more open space than you know what to do with and a great view of hot air balloons as they take flight – mornings in Southville are truly beautiful during the Bristol Balloon Fiesta as the dawn launch releases a troupe of balloons overhead in a graceful cloud of colour. As I’ve already mentioned, the arts played a large part in making Southville what it is today and it is this creativity that gives the ‘Ville’ such a great personality. The Tobacco Factory is a big, red bricked beauty of a building; upstairs in its theatre you can watch an inspiring programme of shows including stand-up, Shakespeare, puppetry, magic, music, poetry, opera, kid’s shows and people putting bits of meat on their faces to portray royalty (though that doesn’t happen often). Downstairs you can eat, drink dodge a million and one laughing children whilst looking at the regularly changed local artwork, listen to live music or DJ’s, take part in the excellent weekly quiz or browse the Sunday market. Once a year there’s the annual Southbank Arts Trail where artists invite you into their homes to see their work; the houses being as revealing as the works themselves. This is typical of Southville’s fondness for culture in unexpected places

be it Mark Thomas talking politics in the fabulous Comedy Box above the Hen & Chicken pub, Spanish classes in the tiny tapas bar, El Rincon, or the Tobacco Factory’s latest venture, The Brewery - a theatre, dance studio, bakery and cheese-makers all housed in an old graffitied MOT garage. There is a great accessibility and inclusiveness to Southville’s establishments and a wealth of cafés, pubs and bars to have a pleasant drink and a bite to eat whilst chatting away. This may all be sounding a bit middleclass and cosy for you but don’t write Southville off as too safe just yet. For example, the area undergoes a transformation on match days. We are lucky enough to have Ashton Gate stadium on our doorstep and just when you think the cashmere pramface princesses own the place, all your favourite drinking holes are full of Bristol City football fans. The streets bristle with the crackle of nylon shirts and the echoing clop of hooves as the riot police keep things in order and once the game’s underway, the cinematic roars of the crowd can be heard from Fairfield Road to The Chessels - which is a long way and quite astounding. On these days it is easier to spot the places which have not been gentrified, artfully distressed and declared lactose intolerant they are some of my favourites. Lunch is a good time to reveal some Southville/Bedminster 13

charm - go to Denny’s for huge doorstep sandwiches, containing any combination you can think of, made to order by a Bristolian matriarch who will disapprove of your skinny jeans and lack of upward inflection. For something hot, Dim Sum Take Away has more room for prams than most of the local establishments but something about the gaudy Formica puts off the Ga-Ga-Gucci crowd. The pictures inside will give little Melody nightmares but the food is cheap, delicious and you can pop in Budget Boozer whilst it’s cooking. Aldi supermarket is small enough not to suffocate any of the North Street independents and it’s great place to hear lively debates, like the prejudice between a customer and a security guard (the lady in question had a police leg tag and a crack shuffle and wanted to know why this marked her out for suspicion!). The bench outside of Natwest is also a great place to eavesdrop imagine a Speakers’ Corner fuelled by Natch cider. Lion Stores is a cramped cave of a hardware shop with everything you could ever think to need, manned by people who’ve been in the area through the ups and downs and it also supplies an interesting line in homo-erotic garden statues that bizarrely only get in the window for Valentine’s Say. Some feel that The ‘Ville’ has lost its edge - a friend said that everywhere was getting too cleaned up and Easton was the only place that still had some grime to it. This may be true. In Southville, regeneration through the arts has led to an increasingly 14

wealthy, middleclass population which is, of course, going to be reflected in the businesses and general mood of the area. This is starting to happen in other areas such as Stokes Croft with the recent success of Hamilton House/The Canteen and may see the residents soon having to head elsewhere for a more “alternative experience”. For me though, Southville is a great place to live with arts, oddities, mums with money, football fans and Bower Ashton textile types all rubbing along together nicely. I feel safe walking down the street and I can walk to Bristol city centre in 20 minutes along the waterside. Maybe I don’t have interesting enough hair to need to live in any other postcode but a Bristol Uni student would still be perplexed by living South of the river, and that’s cool enough for me. Morgan Matthews Photos by Ian Bradley www.ianbradleyphotography.com

SY On The Sly is our sister publication, sharing exactly the same ideals as Suit Yourself Magazine but it’s a monthly, online mag, chock-a-block with previews and reviews of all the amazing events constantly going on in Bristol. There’s no better place to catch up on every thing you missed of Bristol’s best gigs, art, clubs, stage and cinema from a month gone by and at the same time get excited about everything that’s coming up, along with a smattering of Suit Yourself Magazine’s much loved articles and long time favourites like Auntie Harper and Mystic Ginger’s horoscopes. Log on to www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk now to read this month’s SY On The Sly.

Cabot Tower Height: 105ft Number of Floors: 3 Built: 1897

One Radcliffe Street Height: 197ft Number of Floors: 15 Built: 1964

What is the Tallest Building in Bristol? 19

Former Bristol and West Building Height: 200ft Number of Floors: 17 Built: 1967

Colston Tower Height: 207ft Number of Floors: 18 Built: 1973

Photos by Alex Nicholson

Castlemead Height: 262ft Number of Floors: 19 Built: 1981

Wills Memorial Building Height: 217ft Number of Floors: 5 Built: 1925

St Mary Redcliffe Height: 292ft Number of Floors: 1 Built: 1100s

RANT! Photo-Mania 28

I know it’s not very original to be saying this now but as much as others seem to rant, moan and complain about it, I am still no closer to understanding people’s obsessions with photographing literally everything and anything they see and do. An obsession that was once reserved for the Japanese tourist, it seems photo-mania has gone international and now you can’t move at a festival, gig, art exhibit or public event for people with their cameras out, instinctively and blinding punching buttons on their tiny camera-phones or huge digital SLRs; a mindless clicking that encourages them not to think, not to imagine, not to feel. What’s wrong with looking at and simply remembering something? What is their compulsive urge to snap everything that moves? It’s like an addiction. There is something intrinsically, psychologically backward about a person standing in front of a beautiful view or piece of art and without actually looking at, engaging with or appreciating what they can see, they simply point and click. Then no sooner than they’ve arrived, they turn on their heels and walk away. As if somehow because they know they’ve got a photograph of the thing preserved, of their own, they don’t have to actually look at it. Part of my very cynical head wants me to give into the idea that these people rarely get out much and by photographing everything in sight it somehow validates their existence and gives them a life but that can’t be true. Some claim they are documenting it all for their own personal use and enjoyment

at a later date but I still don’t understand why. Perhaps they feel embarrassed about actually taking the time to look and appreciate something in front of them and would rather do it in their own time without people looking at them looking at it? Maybe it’s something to do with our screen dominated lifestyles; if it hasn’t got a frame around it and isn’t been illuminated on an electric, digital screen, then it isn’t real enough. Do they think that going back and looking at the photos another time is going to be nearly as impressive? If that was true, people wouldn’t go on holiday; they’d be content at just looking at images of the beach on the internet. I really do find it hard to believe that they are going to sit down a few days later and look through the library worth of images they’ve been snapping – they’ll be far too busy taking photos of other things! Maybe it’s a knock-on effect of our million miles an hour lifestyles (“not enough time to look, I’ll just take a photo”) or our shallow facebloke culture; to somehow celebrate our existence by carving out our own corner of individuality on the internet for all to see. I don’t buy that either though, surely not ever individual is a facebloke addict? Maybe it’s all of these things, together – and maybe it’s none of them? Whatever the reason, people, get a life and leave the friggin’ camera at home. Matt Whittle

Back Home So that was all a bit bonkers wasn’t it? The Banksy bandwagon rolled into town, and everyone goes crazy for it. The media look for Banksy related stories left, right and centre, whilst people from literally all over the world queue for hours and hours to get into the Bristol city museum, a place that’s sadly often more noted for its rain sheltering abilities than its content. Not only that, but only a few months beforehand, similar scenes were seen for the graffiti/street art extravaganza at the Royal West of England Academy just up the road from the museum, where 50 graf-urban-street artists were let loose on the walls of that august institution. So, graffiti officially seems to have moved out of the shadows and into the mainstream in our city, but what’s next? Beyond the millions the show is said to have brought to the city’s economy, what effect has Banksy hysteria had on the graffiti/street art scene in the city, and what might it do for it in the future? Moreover, what has it told us about the man himself?

Well, to state the obvious first, the show has renewed graffiti interest Banksy or otherwise. Artists now regularly tell of people asking if they’re Banksy when they’re out painting, it almost gets in the way of the work itself. The debate opened by the show has culminated in the council stating they’ll let the public vote on what graffiti to keep and what to wash off in the future. Probably an unworkable policy in reality and one in fact that seems to run against what graffiti was originally about. Graffiti writers generally write for themselves and for their friends, I am not sure the same can really be claimed by Banksy these days, which is not intended as a criticism, but if authority doesn’t like it, they don’t care, but by the same token, if authority does like it, they’re not especially bothered either. As 3Dom wrote on the wall of the RWA show; ‘We’d do this anyway’.

Moreover, graffiti isn’t meant to be a permanent thing and if the council starts preserving people’s work on walls, then it risks stagnating the scene and doing more harm than good. More legal walls or ‘public art galleries’ are what this city needs. It’s great that more people are interested in this scene now, but if people started to get more interested in fine art galleries all of a sudden, the galleries wouldn’t start organising votes on what work to hang and what to paint over. One thing that’s also come along with this increased public awareness of graffiti and street art though, is a massively increased commercialisation of the scene, it exists in main stream culture. ‘Live painting’ has gone from something only seen by late night taxi drivers in dark side streets to a virtual licensing requirement for any large urban event. Interestingly, it’s not so much the original graffiti artists themselves that have benefited from this as much as people who were just fans. Simply buying photoshop, a scalpel and some thick card seems to mean you can immediately call yourself an ‘urban artist’ these days, and some real crap has started being churned out. But the increased interest in and demand for ‘street art’ has seen an audience for this sort of thing spring up pretty rapidly, so some events have become like odd, sanitised theme 32

parks for the culture that inspired it all, this is not the case of course, for some of the better and more established events like those promoted by Weapon of Choice. Perhaps that’s no bad thing though. The ridiculous bubble that grew in the art market over the last few years as people looked for ‘the next Banksy’ risked turning people’s head towards the cash, rather than concentrating on the quality of their work. So if new people can come in and provide space for new artists to paint whilst being photographed by people with Flickr accounts, perhaps it shelters the actual graffiti writers from some of the attention, allowing them to keep doing genuinely new and interesting work. So what of the ‘Banksy backlash’ then, with people accusing him of selling out by moving from the streets into a museum, and some of his street pieces getting vandalised during the show? Well, that mostly seemed to fade away pretty quickly. Those who accused him of selling out missed the obvious joke behind the whole thing. Here’s a man who for years was chased, arrested and criticised in the local press for his ‘vandalism’, suddenly

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being given the run of the council’s biggest museum, taking the mickey out of its exhibits in the process. It’s one of the biggest gags the man’s pulled off. The only selling out Banksy’s done is with sales of his prints, which have been earning hundreds of thousands for a few years now anyway. It’s not like he ever intended to stay on the wrong side of the law for that long either, a lot of his bigger early pieces in Bristol were done with the owner’s permission. For all its impact though, did people in Bristol really care that much about the show? I’ve spoken to loads of people who you would have expected to have gone to it, who said that they never got round to it, or weren’t really that bothered. Similarly, taking a summer break from the blog, we queued up a load of content on old Banksys in Bristol, partly because it was easy, partly because they’d always meant to be blogged, but mainly because we thought people might have been interested, given the show was on. We got more complaints about doing that than pretty much anything else we’ve blogged. People weren’t that interested in Banksy, and wanted to stick with things that were new and interesting going on around the city.

Bristol’s not a place to get that worked up about anything really, but there was a definite element of ‘well done Rob, now what else is going on?’ from people across the city. One thing the show has done though, is shone a bit of a light on the man himself. Always self deprecating, yet totally clear on what he wanted to do, Banksy has become more of a brand than a person these days. Remember all the talk of how only a tiny handful of people knew about the show until it opened? It was all just part of the PR drive, loads of people knew about it, for one thing it’s not like he put the whole show up himself now is it? For all the talk of ‘who is he?’, he did an interview for The Times, gave exclusive access to the Evening Post and personally invited hundreds of people to the opening night. So did Banksy the person come back home, or was it Banksy the business?

Ronnie Jotun writes for the Bristol Graffiti Blog at http://bristolgraffiti.wordpress.com

Alternative Views Of Bristol

Photo by Ian Bradley 37

Photo by Ian Bradley 38

Photo by Elena Goodrum 39

Photo by Mr Bennett 40

Photo by Elena Goodrum 41

Photo by Jade French 42

Photo by Ian Bradley 43

Suit Yourself Magazine Creation Station We all know how much you lovely people of Bristol like to draw, doodle and design, sketch, scribble and squiggle and so here’s your chance! The page opposite is your official, designated creation station for you to illustrate and imagine to your heart’s content.

your design as a magazine front cover or put it on a T-shirt! You lucky people might even receive the odd prize back to say thanks! It’s an unrestricted, organic competition and we’re completely open to anything and everything you’ve got. Let’s see what you’re made of Bristol!

It’s literally a blank canvas; perhaps create a T-shirt design? Or design a front cover for the magazine? Maybe sketch the faces and places of Bristol? Anything goes.

Post any designs along with your name and contact details to:

If you’re proud of your creation then send it over to us at SY Towers and the best doodles every month will get showcased on our website for the world to see! If we really like it we could even use

Creation Station, Suit Yourself Magazine, 70 Falmouth Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8PX

SY Blog Suit Yourself Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constantly updated blog, the only place to find every single article from Suit Yourself Magazine, SY On The Sly plus amazing competitions, extra extended editorial, great images, photos and much, much more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; literally everything you would ever need to know about Bristol! Log on now and get browsing! www.suityourselfmagazine .co.uk/blog

Information and musings on the important things in life. The environment, local issues, social responsibility,organic farming, charities and other community issues To advertise in this section at a reduced rate please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 48/ How Long Can We Party Like Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1999? 54/ Is Mass Medicating our Tap Water Justifiable? 56/ The Great Bristol Airport Expansion Debate

How Long Can We Party Like Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1999? As we enter a new decade it is a time to look forward, but if we continue to consume carbon-based fuels at our currently rate, how much of a future can we really look forward to? Regardless of the untold damage these fuel sources are doing to the environment and planet in general, what the hell are we going to do when they run out! Coal: There is currently a world reserve of approximately 850 billion tonnes of coal which, if we continue to consume it at our current level, would last, give or take, another 150 years. Unfortunately, our consumption of coal has risen by 5% year on year for almost a decade â&#x20AC;&#x201C; giving us just over 40 years left. Gas: Most current estimates put natural gas reserves at roughly 6,000 trillion cubic feet which sounds like a lot but will actually only last us, at our current rate of consumption, for another 65 years. As with coal however, the emerging economies of India and China may reduce that figure

dramatically. The up side is that we may not yet have discovered all the planet’s natural gas fields, although transporting the stuff is very difficult, so who knows at what price we’ll be able to enjoy these new finds. Oil: It is estimated that there are about 44 years of oil reserves left at current usage levels but again, emerging nations are likely to reduce that. The good news is that there is still a lot of oil around but the cost of extracting it from tar pits and the like may at some point make it the most expensive commodity on Earth. It’s not just the fossil fuels that we’re using up too fast for our own good; other significant problems include the world’s fish stocks. According to the World Fish Centre, many popular fish like tuna and cod will be scarcer and therefore much more expensive within the next 2 decades and if current levels of over-fishing remain, they warn that there will be no edible fish left in the oceans within 50 years! 49

These are very worrying statistics and now that we’re in this new decade, the 2050s and 2060s when all these are due to run out suddenly don’t seem so far away… So what is being done about it? Well, the world’s political leaders have organised and attended lots and lots of conferences to discuss the problems. They’ve pushed through several agendas, protocols and commitment bills like the Kyoto Accord but these solutions all fall far short of really tackling the issues. The commitments countries sign are full of vague terminology about “reducing their reliance on carbon-based fuels” and although targets are agreed, they are either set far too far off in the future or are never achieved because missing them goes unpunished. It also doesn’t help when major nations like the USA refuse to sign. This is not unlike agreeing how many lifeboats should be built whilst the Titanic is already sinking!

Are we really going to have to wait until the lights go out before some significant changes are made? Just make sure you shout your corner and make your opinions heard; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only way to get our politicians to listen. The global economy and our cultural lifestyle are disproportionately reliant on oil, gas and coal and although the issue of climate change in now fully in the public consciousness, actual change is still only happening very slowly. With the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fossil fuel reserves due to run out in the 2050s, surely at the end of this new decade, 2020 some real progress will have to have been made? Entering the 2010s could be the impetus we need to reinvigorate and give new impetus to the struggle to get the human race sustainable.

Perhaps this decade can be remembered as the years when we turned it all around? When we have reduced our reliance on carbon based fuels and created a culture of sustainable and ethical business and living, then and only then we can party until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2099! Peter Wognum & Matt Whittle Illustrations by Gemma Randall

Is Mass Medicating our Tap Water Justifiable?

Bristolians Against Fluoridation (BAF) is a new group formed to oppose the imposed mass medication of Bristol and the surrounding areas in that would result from NHS South West instructing the water company to fluoridate our tap water. Their view is that fluoridation is not ethical, does not work, is not safe and therefore not wanted. The Government are keen on fluoridation but we must not allow it to be imposed upon us here. The decision to fluoridate water in Hampshire was recently taken despite 72% of the public being opposed! If all our drinking water was fluoridated, people would be consuming something designed to create bodily changes (ie. a medication) without their consent. Fluoride is supposed to reduce tooth decay but there is no highquality research that shows that putting it in drinking water safely and effectively achieves this. Most of Europe has seen falling rates of tooth decay for several decades without a policy of widespread water fluoridation. Fluorosilicic acid, the substance that is most likely to be used to fluoridate Bristol’s water, is a contaminated waste product from phosphate fertiliser manufacturing, registered as a Class 2 poison under the Poisons Act 1972. No license has ever been obtained for such a substance either as a food or a medicine. Furthermore, overfeeding of fluoridation substances into drinking water can cause

serious health problems: In the 1990s in Hooper Bay, Alaska, equipment and human failure resulted in 1 death and 295 cases of fluoride poisoning. Bristolians will know little or nothing about this, but the decision process to fluoridate water throughout the Avon area has already begun with NHS Bristol, NHS Bath, East Somerset and half the Primary Care Trusts in the Avon area asking NHS South West to conduct a feasibility study. A “consultation process” will follow acceptance of the feasibility report. Once that process has been gone through, NHS South West can use their new powers to instruct Bristol Water to fluoridate our drinking water. In the first instance, BAF will be lobbying NHS North Somerset and NHS South Gloucestershire to reject fluoridation as these two parts of the NHS in the Avon area have yet to request a feasibility study. If successful, this would hopefully make it difficult for the NHS South West and the Strategic Health Authority to claim to be acting on behalf of us all. If unsuccessful, BAF will campaign for a fair, open and balanced public consultation process ending with a public vote on the issue, the result of which should be binding on the NHS. Glenn Vowles – www.vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com www.bristoliansagainstfluoridation.blogspot.com 55

I first experienced Bristol International Airport (BIA) when I was trying to travel to Egypt last year. Forced to sleep on its grey, ludicrously hard floor for nine hours on a snowy February night, I tried to create some form of dark shield with the contents of my backpack from the unfeasibly bright lighting and the passengers arriving and departing around me. This, together with the seats boasting unmoveable armrests, became the sole focus of my preholiday excitement diminishing hatred. My stinging eyes witnessed many more people leaving before me than was kind and it was certainly more than I had expected at a city airport. With 76,000 flights in 2008, BIA is of course, an extremely popular airport...but it has plans.

In a year permeated by the big ‘Green Debate’ for Bristol as regards, housing, supermarket chains and stadiums, the city has posed a large number of environmental, economical and political questions for its decision makers and October 23rd 2008 was no exception. On this date, the Evening Post revealed BIA’s controversial plans; “If the scheme goes ahead the terminal building will almost double in size,” it said. Although the proposal is yet to be accepted, BIA plans to increase their passenger numbers from 6.2million to 10million and a total of 100,000 flights annually by 2016. “We are committed to developing and enhancing

the airport’s role as a regional gateway for international travel,” said Alan Davies, BIA’s Director of Environment and Planning. Conflictingly however, the G8 target is to collectively cut our CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 to try and slow climate change, but how can this be achievable when BIA alone is planning to increase its carbon emissions to 948,680 tonnes per year; an increase of 125%? To try and answer this, Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said; “If you did 80% cuts across the board, as some people have called for in aviation, you would go back to 1974 levels of flying. I don’t want a situation where only rich people can afford to fly.” He believes that the cuts needed to reach the 80% target should come from other areas. BIA is only trying to cater for the demands that business and we as holiday makers are putting on the airport; we all have to admit that we love the ability to fly all over Europe in a couple of hours. But alas, what of our drummed in eco-conscience? Incarnate eco-fighter, Dale Vince, founder of renewable energy supplier Ecotricity said; “We need to be flying less not more. Bigger airports are just plain wrong.” Recently also, Tim Nicholson won his landmark case over his unfair dismissal because of his 58

environmental ethics; Dinah Rose QC for Nicholson said; “The philosophical belief in this case is that mankind is headed towards catastrophic climate change, and that, as a result we are under a duty to do all that we can to live our lives so as to mitigate or to avoid that catastrophe for future generations. It addresses the question, what are the duties that we own to the environment and why?” So, this is a tricky situation, and one that has the public divided - as demonstrated when Bristolian Alexa Blackmore, 28, was asked the simple question, should BIA enlarge? “Ethically I don’t think it should expand, for environmental reasons, but for financial growth at in an increasingly competitive market it should. A split answer! I’m an eco-warrior at heart though!” It’s a mixed response echoed by many. There’s no easy answer to the expansion of Bristol Airport and other airports around the country, but whichever way the argument falls, we need to be prepared for the consequences – financial, social or environmental. www.bia.co.uk Helen Martin Illustration by Simon Mills

Green People The Mexican Hammock Company

Ecology Building Society

Riverside Garden Centre

Restore

0117 9425353 Hammocks brought from ethical cooperatives on a fair-trade basis. Mail Order only.

0800 0375796 email info@riversidegardens.com Co-operative garden centre. Organic peat and free composts.

CafĂŠ Kino

0845 674 5566 Mutual building society ethical savings accounts, energy efficient housing. Support renovation.

0117 9231970 Quality Restored Furniture 6 Filwood Broadway, Bristol, BS4 1JN

Trees for Cities

0117 9249200 3 Ninetree Hill, just off Stokes Croft. Gourmet coffee menu and organic products.

The planting event on Wednesday 13th February 2008. If you would like to volunteer to help on the day, then please contact Emma at emma.burley@ treesforcities.org or 020 7820 4427

Bio Power

Carbon Calculators

01286 830312 info@bio-power.co.uk Bio power fuel made from renewal materials used instead of fossil fuels.

01823 430852 Check your carbon output and take action to offset it. www.co2balance.com

To submit information for this section please email to: involve@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

Information and musings on the beautiful, sexy and scrumptious things in life. Fashion, beauty, health and style. To advertise in this section at a reduced rate please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 62/ Bristol Street Fashion 64/ Autumn/Winter Fashion of a model agency owner life the in day 66/ A 69/ Treat Yourself Competition 70/ Gothic Glamour

This issue we are absolutely elated to introduce two fabulous new writers to the fashion section of Suit Yourself Magazine: Annette Sloly - Famed writer of ‘The Bristol Fashion Observer’ blog, A beautiful, creative and delightful young woman, with her finger very firmly on the sartorial pulse of Bristol’s fashion heart. Charlie Brunskill - A critically acclaimed make up artist. A gorgeous, artistic and charming young woman with the incredible power to make the very best out of every woman’s features, the ability to make us all look and feel fabulous!

Bristol Street Fashion Urban Chic

Name Mark Yeandel Age 32 Describe your style Classic tailoring and t-shirts Favourite shop truffleshuffle.com

Name Goldie Teo Age 25 Describe your style Casual with killer heels Favourite shop Abercrombie & Fitch

Name Georgina Sage Age 24 Describe your style 80s Poptart Favourite shop Urban Outfitters

Name Sophie Walwin Age 25 Describe your style Smart individualist Favourite shop French Connection

Name Sophie Mangham Age 28 Describe your style Retro 50s with nautical overtones Favourite shop Faith

Name Steve Lloyd Age 21 Describe your style Posh geek chic Favourite shop River Island

By Heidi Gough 63

Winter Fashion 2009-10 The key trends list for this Autumn/Winter looks not that dissimilar to my crazy old Bohemian Slavic Aunt, Ada Doom’s, wardrobe. Sequined jackets, structured shoulders, knitted coats, Indigo frills, oversized necklaces, book bags, Tweed, Tartan, Velvet and ankle boots all thrown in with a bit of fetish and prom-like cocktail dresses for nights out. Or, as in Aunt Ada’s case, days in. What is so glorious about this season’s trends is the wonderful opportunity to make a statement. Experiment with colours, eras, structure and layers. Take your colour inspiration from the rich purple and deep blue/grey and pinks of Scottish heather, as well as the blue shades of the African sea. Fire in

some reds and and contrast those vibrating colours with black to make them stand out. Take your style and layering inspiration from Grace Jones, Erdem, or Galliano’s Russian courtesans that graced the A/W 09-10 catwalks. Coats and dresses are layered with scarves - not one, but try two. Embellish with oversized jewelled necklaces and patterned tights or leggings – swirls, tartan, checks or stripes and finish with long boots – a heady folk dance of colours and textures. My recommendation is to throw it all together in a glorious mix of layers, and strut your stuff down Park Street with your Anna Karenina in one hand, and your glitterball dangling in the other.

A Day in the Life of a Model Agency Owner

10am - The Open morning has begun. The open casting

Clare @ Gingersnap

If Gingersnap can’t help the potentials, we send them to

for potential models lasts 2 hours. We have forms to fill in and the digital camera at the ready. All potential models get around 10 minutes each of free advice on modelling. other agencies that could take them on. I am as honest as

8.30am - I get into work and fire up all the computers

possible. I have to be strong because

in the office for the staff, then make a cup of coffee to

for some guys this is their dream, and if I know they can’t

wake up!

make a professional career of modelling, I have to tell them. I have had people shouting, crying and laughing, there is

9am - The office meeting. The 3 bookers catch up about

no rhyme or reason what the reaction will be. Every now

the jobs they are dealing with so that everyone knows

and again we might get a great new potential model for

what’s going on around the desk. A booker needs to be

Gingersnap. These models need to be photographically

aware of all the modelling jobs happening in the agency.

tested. This is to see what they

Clients have emailed perhaps from the night before

are like in front of the camera. Sometimes it works out,

wanting lists of models to be put forward for up and

sometimes it doesn’t.

coming jobs. The jobs have to be prioritised along with emails that have to be dealt with. The phone starts to ring

12noon - The open casting is over and we have seen

about now; it could be models wanting directions to jobs,

roughly 8-15 people. The phone messages have built

clients needing models yesterday or potential models

up and the pending modelling jobs have to be filled and

needing information about joining the agency.

sorted. The phone keeps ringing and more jobs are called

in. The new jobs are logged into a schedule of up and

of the day the booker has not had a confirmation from a

coming jobs so all the bookers know what is going on.

model, the details of the jobs and the model have to be

The log is consulted at all times so that models and jobs

taken home because, believe me, you won’t sleep until

aren’t double booked.

that model has confirmed all is well for the next day!

1pm - Lunch! A friend or colleague might be met over the

5pm - A model has been booked for a trip and their flight

lunch hour.

has to be booked. The best flight deals must be searched for and confirmed today. The model’s

2pm - A client is having a casting in the agency. The job

passport has to be in order and at hand.

is for a show, and so the building is filled with models coming to see the clients. Each model needs

5.05pm - A major magazine calls, they are shooting in

attention; she might need her portfolio sorting out, or some

Bath tomorrow and need a confirmed make-up artist

test shots to be chosen. He might need some advice on a

before end of play. The booker must get on the phone and

potential haircut, or some feedback given about a casting

get someone confirmed asap. The client has to OK the

they went for.

artist, and the confirmation forms signed and faxed over. Then the details have to be given to the make-up artist

4pm - Models need their details for the next day’s work.

and all is logged ready for invoicing.

There could be 8 models all needing their details. Details need to be emailed and then followed up with a call to

5.30pm - The office closes for another day. Everyone

make sure they know what they are doing. If by the end

is happy for now...until the rollercoaster starts again tomorrow!

The Bristol Fashion Observer This blog observes Bristol fashion and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people. Revealing, honest and sometimes amusing. Go on, see what Bristol is wearing. http://annettesloly.blogspot.com/

Treat Yourself Competition !Win Planet Skincare Goodies! – lots of sets to give away! Planet Skincare has launched its Instant Firming Serum, which smoothes skin lines and wrinkles. The company that brought you The famed Botox alternative containing Syn-ake® has launched a new anti-aging product including the skin tightening ingredient Pepha-Tight®.

To be in with a chance of winning, just log onto the Suit Yourself Magazine website and follow the competition links. Every entry gets a free sample. www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk www.planetskincare.co.uk

The serum is mainly composed of Pepha-Tight, an algaebased skin tightener. Aside from tightening the skin, PephaTight extends the serum’s effect by building collagen-1, which smoothens skin lines and wrinkles to allow for more radiant skin. Not only that, Pepha-Tight also gives the skin added protection against oxidative stress. The latest addition to Planet Skincare’s range compliments its Anti-Ageing Moisturiser The clinical trials have bought back amazing results. The smoothening effects of the products were apparent in 80 percent of the volunteers, while the anti-wrinkle effect was seen in 73 percent of the volunteers. These results were measured in a 28-day trial period.

Gothic Glamour Stepping out of your nightmares and creating things of dreams, beauty is exploring the dark side this season inspired by the fatal allure that is The Vampire proving that gothic glamour is back with a futuristic twist. As seen at Zac Posen, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about a flawless almost translucent base but it must be undetectable. Vamp it up as seen at Rodarte and Chloe with contouring giving an instant edge to your look. Take a soft angled brush and flutter a sculpting powder from your temples right along the dent of your cheekbone, followed by a soft highlighter swept along the top to accentuate this sculpturesque look. Smokey eyes have been up all night in true twilight style this season taking the timeless look and giving it a vampish twist. Mochino cheap and chic went for a wet take on the classic by glossing up the lids with blood blushed lips, while we saw D-squared and Vivienne Westwood nail the morning after the 70

night before trend by turning Smokey into a more of a smudgy grunge look. For a more sophisticated take on this killer trend gareth pugh and marc Jacobs went with liquid liner for the glamorous Goth look while prada opted for pretty in pink teamed with pale complexions and messed up hair for that just bitten edge. Blood Bitten is the thought when it comes to autumnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s berry and wine stained shades, going from blood red at D&G to midnight plums at Bottega Veneta. If your afraid of making such a statement then rub the lipstick into your lips with your finger for a more innocent take on the trend. If you do decide to be brave with the colour there is nothing more alluring than bearing all with strong lips wearing nothing more than a slick of mascara on the top lashes and brushed up brows. Charley Brunskill Photo by Yanni Tokyo

Beautiful People Bishopston Trading Company

0117 9245598 Clothes designed in Bristol. Supporting K V Kuppam village in S India.

Born

Naff Clothing

0117 9737458 13 Cotham Road info@naffclothing.co.uk Fabulous retro shop with added fancy dress

0117 9420818 Gloucester Rd. Natural, organic and fair trade products in family owned shop.

Billie Jean Clothing

Fushia Hairdressers

Bambabeads

Beauty Queen Cosmetics

Beast

0117 9426586 Cotham Rd south, Kingsdown. 25% discount for students and nurses. Great prices, wonderful service. 0117 9523322 229 - 231 Stapleton Road Whole and retail specialising in afro and euro cosmetics. Open every day.

0117 9445353 208 Cheltenham Road Colourful range of retro clothes. High quality clothes. 0117 9249959 A massive collection of beads from around the world. We run classes also, just give us a call. www.bambabeads.com 0117 9428200 224 Cheltenham Rd Bristolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous Gert famous T-Shirts.

Repsyco: Vintage and Retro

85 Gloucester Road. Clothes, Accessories, Furniture and Kitsch. To submit information for this section please email to: treat@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

Information and musings on the cool things in life, skating, surfing, baggy pants and die hard sports bods To advertise in this section at a reduced rate please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 74/ The Bristol Travel Challenge 82/ Hurt Yourself Competition 83/ No Business Like Snow Business 87/ Bristol to Host the World Cup? 73

The Bristol Travel Challenge Transport is the burning issue on many Bristolians’ lips at the moment. What with the recent controversy of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path bus route, vicious rumours of a congestion charge to tackle the city centre’s crippling traffic and with public transport providers pushing up fares every other week, the city’s only ray of hope seems to be cycling. To get to grips with all of Bristol’s transport options though, SY Magazine has staged its very own, hugely unscientific, Bristol Travel Challenge! Which is fastest? Which is cheapest? Which is nicest? Which is safest? Five eager travellers set out from The Arches on Gloucester Road at the same time in the afternoon, all aiming to get to the Tobacco Factory on North Street, Southville. One walked, one drove, one cycled, one went by bus and one took the train and then the ferry. Here are the results:

Walk Total Time Taken: 48mins 11secs Money Paid: ÂŁ0 Enjoyment Level: 6/10 Safety Rating: 8/10 Route Taken: As the crow flys, taking in some very quite and some very busy roads. Other notes: Very enjoyable for a nice day but quite an effort, wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to do it every day or in bad weather.

Car Total Time Taken: 29mins 44sec Money Paid: ÂŁ2 for fuel + vehicle costs Enjoyment Level: 2/10 Safety Rating: 9/10 Route Taken: Down Stokes Croft, through Redcliffe, across the river and down Coronation Road. Other notes: Frustratingly slow and busy at points and generally a very ugly journey. Plus parking was difficult.

Cycle Total Time Taken: 15mins 53secs Money Paid: ÂŁ0 Enjoyment Level: 8/10 Safety Rating: 5/10 Route Taken: Through Stokes Croft and along the Harbour Other notes: Very pleasant and if you chose your route carefully you can do most of the route through parks, nowhere near the nasty roads.

Bus Total Time Taken: 53mins 06secs Money Paid: ÂŁ4.30 (First Day Ticket) Enjoyment Level: 3/10 Safety Rating: 7/10 Route Taken: Took the #76 from the Arches to the Centre, then changed to get the #24 to North Street. Other notes: Sat in a lot of traffic feeling very miserable and had to wait in a couple of grim bus stops with some equally grim people.

Train & Ferry Total Time Taken: 1hr 41mins 26secs (with very favourable timings) Money Paid: £3.40 (Train was £1.50 and Ferry was £1.90) Enjoyment Level: Train 6/10, Ferry 10/10 Safety Rating: 8/10 Route Taken: Took the train from Montpelier to Temple Meads, then got a ferry to the Fountains, then swapped for another ferry to The Cottage Inn, then walked 10mins to North Street. Other notes: Quite a bit of waiting around at various train and ferry stations but the ferry is the absolutely perfect way to travel, completely worth the wait, but by no means practical for an every day thing! So there’s the conclusive (very inconclusive) proof! Cycling is the quickest way to travel across Bristol, walking the cheapest (well done, Sherlock) and the ferry was the most enjoyable! 80

WIN A FANTASTIC LIMITED EDITION ORIGINAL PEICE OF ARTWORK OR A FANTASTIC HOODIE BY THE TALENTED UCHI CLOTHING SIMPLY LOG ONTO

WWW.SUITYOURSELFMAGAZINE.CO.UK

TO WIN 82

No Business Like Snow Business There’s nothing quite like that excitement you get after waking up on a cold morning and on pulling open the curtains realise you’ve been transported into a fantastic winter wonderland! Snow!! Everywhere!!! Last winter we were lucky enough to get two weeks worth of deep snow in Bristol (granted our first proper snow in 10 years) that we could frolic about in to our heart’s content. If the weatherman smiles on us again this year and we pray, here’s our guide to the best ways to spend your time: One of the highlights of last year’s snowy antics was to be found on Brandon Hill: Brave souls constructed themselves a ramp out of snow and after hurtling down towards it from the higher slopes, they launched themselves off in an Eddy The Eagle style flight. I’m not saying give it a go because that’s just suicide; instead just head up there for a guaranteed afternoon of wincing good fun.

A student favourite and a great way to pass the time is to build giant phallic snow sculptures on the Downs Subtlety and common decency are chucked out of the window in a literal battle of who’s got the biggest dick. When it’s your turn to brave the Arctic conditions and go out for hot chocolate and mulled wine supplies, revel in turning to your friends and, in your best Lawrence Oates impression, croaking; “I am just going outside and may be some time…” Go on a midnight snow run! Sure, playing in the snow is fun during the day but you’ve got to share it with everyone else and before you’ve had your fill, everything has turned into a brown slosh. On a snowy night at 3am it feels like time is standing still. The white layer is pure and untainted, the roads and pavements are gleaming white and it’s just you, the foxes and the drunks stumbling home.

Do you dare brave the slopes of Gloucester Road or Park Street in your everyday shoes? It’s slippery good fun but you’re guaranteed to have groups of drunks in the cosy beer porches watching and eagerly waiting for anyone to go head-over-heels, they’ll helpfully roar “WWWWAaaaaaaayyyyyyyhhhh!!! You waaaaaaankaaaaa!” if you stack it, just in case the whole neighbourhood didn’t see. Last year a certain lecturer from Bristol University fulfilled his dream and actually skied down St. Michael’s Hill! Realise your snowy dream and make it happen: Toboggan down Park Street? Snowboard through Ashton Court? Ice-skate over the floating harbour? Snow angels in Queen’s Square? Just make sure you stick it on YouTube so we can all have a gander. Feeling lonely, why not just built yourself a new girlfriend out of snow? She might be a little uncommunicative and have a cold, icy heart but she won’t run of with the next door neighbour (granted his dog might eat her nose). Be warned: your tongue can easily get cemented to very cold surfaces. Throw snowballs from the top of Cabot Tower – they’ll never catch you! Spend your time re-enacting famous snowy scenes from the bigscreen: Why not trot around with pockets full of Turkish Delight pretending to be Mr. Tumnus, or become Luke Skywalker as you battle AT-AT Imperial Walkers on the ice planet of Hoth?

See if you can outdo the survivors of the Andres plane crash in the film Alive and last outside in the snow for 72 days without resorting to cannibalism, or become Gandalf as you lead the Fellowship of the Ring over the Misty Mountains? Most fun of all though is just to waddle about like you’re a main character in The March Of The Penguins – “Sqwaaaark!” Have a Swedish style sauna (or failing that a really, really hot bath) and after getting way too uncomfortably hot, burst outside naked and roll around in the snow – ultimate refreshment. Watching others having to run about and work in the cold and snow is very satisfying. Go watch Bristol City/Rovers do their best against the weather or stay indoors and peer out at milkmen and posties struggling against the elements. Snow cones – the low fat ice-cream alternative. Pretend you’re an Eskimo by rolling up a massive ball of snow, hollowing it out and then sitting inside with some candles and incense. You’ll be surprised how warm it is. Go sledging in the park - don’t use a sledge though, that’s far too conventional. Points for the more creative your sliding item; I’m thinking frying pans, bin liners, tea-trays and taxidermy. Matt Whittle Illustrations by Martin Jones 86

Show Your Support For Bristol to Host World Cup Football in 2018 England is bidding to host the 2018 Football World Cup and Bristol is in the running to be one of the handful of cities that will actually put on some of the games! Over the next few months England’s World Cup Bid Team will be assessing Bristol’s facilities and looking at the level of public support in the city. Suit Yourself Magazine has already voiced its concerns at the new Bristol City stadium in Ashton Vale, but if the environmental and socio-economic issues that the currents plans have raised are dealt with – then bring on the fooooooty! To choose Bristol as your host city, you can either vote online or text ‘Bristol’ to 62018. Every vote counts to make the bid stronger so get them in! www.bristol2018.net

Exciting People

Pembury Cycles

0117 9428282 10 – 12 Gloucester Road Sites across Bristol www.pemburycycles.co.uk

Bsb snowboarding

68 West street, Old Market, Bristol. BS20BL 0117 9550779 snowboards and everything to do with snowboarding since 1986

Bool’s Bicycles

3 Staple Hill Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 5AA 0117 939 2746 www.boolsbicycles.co.uk Repairs,Sell secondhand reconditioned bikes.

Ballooning Network Ltd

0117 9471050 Vauxhall House Coronation Rd, Southville Flights from £99. Champagne flights available.

First Flight

0117 9731073 Small local company offering a great service with 17 years experience.

Holey Skin

0117 3770613 285 Gloucester Road Highly creative designs for tattoos and piercing 100% clean and excellent aftercare.

The RaceWay

0800 3766111 Avonmouth All groups catered for, large indoor facility. Organisers go free.

Hamburger Hill PaintBall

0800 9803980. Any size group. 7 days, up to 200 people.

To submit information for this section please email to: hurt@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

Information and musings on the decadent, glorious, special and splendid things in life To advertise in this section at a reduced rate please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 90/ Style File: Elsie Riley 95/ The Pie In The Sky’s The Limit 100/ Colston Hall – Going For Gold 106/ Chef’s Choice at The Square 89

Style File: Elsie Riley

Elsie Riley

A true hidden gem, Elsie Riley is a veritable treasure trove of delectable design and vintage-inspired collections for the fashionista seeking style off the beaten track.

Who?

Elsie Riley belongs to fashion buyer and lingerie designer extraordinaire, Katie Riley.

What?

Elise Riley’s is one of those hidden gems that you feel lucky to have discovered, not only for its oldfashioned boutique feel but because this is one small, independent fashion store full to bursting with glorious, sartorial offerings; a place where Hepburn-inspired dresses mingle effortlessly with boho chic satins and vintage lace.

Why?

Katie opened the boutique three years ago having already established a successful career in fashion buying and lingerie design which most recently saw her create a range called Wild Hearts for the Australian designer, Collette Dinnigan, which sold in M&S and her boutiques around the world. “I have always wanted to run my own boutique so when my last job relocated to Hong Kong, I decided to take redundancy and start Elsie Riley,” explains Katie. “My grandma was a talented seamstress so I wanted to name the shop after her; I don’t think she’d have minded!”

Where?

Located at 59 Broad Street, Bristol; just a hop, skip and a jump from St Nicholas’ Market.

Describe your style:

“Elsie Riley’s has often been described as a sweetie shop for girls,” says Katie. “We stock new vintageinspired womenswear as well as jewellery gifts and accessories galore. From delicate silk dresses and luxurious lacy lingerie to bold designer tailored jackets, shoes and exquisite accessories with a vintage twist. It’s the perfect shop for treating yourself, or finding a unique gift for your friends,” she enthuses. What’s more Katie is dedicated to supporting Bristol’s design community and stocks locally crafted jewellery and artwork. “If you are looking for something individual, Elsie Riley’s is perfect as we only stock a small amount of any one item,” she adds.

What’s next?

“Our website is being developed so we can sell all our products online. It’s very exciting as we can now offer the new Elsie Riley Lifestyle section, stocking kitchenware, furniture and baby goods so we can offer what’s in store and more.” Elsie Riley also offers a free gift-wrap and next day delivery service. So if you are after something special, forget Cabot Circus, come and immerse yourself in the sartorial gorgeousness that Katie has created at Elsie Riley. www.elsieriley.com Verity Gough Photos by Elena Goodrum

Pieminister - The Pie In The Sky’s The Limit It was barely a few months after moving to Bristol that I sampled my first ever Pieminister and, like many other pie virgins, I left seduced. Not only was I impressed with the brilliant, albeit cringeworthy pun, but also the delicious and very much affordable food. Pieminister was started back in 2003 by friends Tristan Hogg and John Simon and over the last few years the business has gone from strength to strength. From commanding the biggest queues at festivals to opening new stores across the country, it seems this pie really has gone sky high. From the rustic, cosy beginnings at the original PMHQ down on Stokes Croft, through to the organic, locally sourced ingredients, with all the alluring in-house designed artwork in between, everything about this business feels right. And it’s not just Bristol that agrees; their pies have won awards across the board and graced many a fine and famous plate, from Kate Moss to her

majesty The Queen Elizabeth II! In fact a visit to the Stokes Croft shop could find you sharing tables with Bristol faces such as Justin Lee Collins or Daddy G from Massive Attack, a testament to their popularity. But what is it that has made Pieminister so successful? In the words of co-founder Jon Simon; “Timing. We were the first people to really market a gourmet pie but, to be honest, it hasn’t always been easy. At first me and Tristan didn’t really know what we were getting in to; Tristan knew how to make a good pie but not how to mass produce them, and I was only really experienced in running a bar in London.” Pie, mash and gravy done well are a combination that was never really going to fail. Good, honest comfort food made with fresh seasonal ingredients, all hand-crafted by a growing army of ‘Pie Experts’, have all really helped establish 95

Pieminister in the fabric of Bristol’s food culture – you’d be hard pushed to find a better pie anywhere. Let’s not forget the pies themselves though; with a core range of 10 – 12 pies, carnivores can tuck into such delights as the Minty Lamb or, personal favourite, the Thai Chook (Thai green curry, chicken, sweet potato) while veggies have a wide choice including the sublime Heidi (Sweet potato, red onion, goats cheese, roasted garlic). There’s plenty on offer even for the most fussy of eaters. Pieminister now have two prime locations in Bristol (Stokes Croft and St Nick’s Market), as well as recently opened stores in Stoke, Derby and Islington. Then there are all the nationwide pubs, delis and foodhalls serving Pieminister pies to eager eaters in the far flung corners of England, of which there are far too many to name; all making this an instantly recognisable brand to anyone who really likes their food; not bad for a 6 year old company, eh?

In fact the whole pie thing has become a near religion for many and it wasn’t too long after receiving many requests that they began to branch into merchandising too. Not only can you order a box of your favourite pies from the website, but those clever souls at PMHQ have now begun to sell t-shirts and hoodies too, proving that it is possible to wear your food tastefully! But what’s next? With their pie empire growing so quickly so soon, it’s going always going to be hard to know when to stop, or more importantly, to know when a pie isn’t really receiving the love and attention it used to. This is something Jon Simon is aware of though. When asked where he’d like to see the company in 5 years time he replied; “As a good, solid international brand, still sticking to its ethics of commitment to high quality food regardless of cost.” Although they are looking into locations in Bath and London to open another outlet, it seems wholesale is where the future lies for Pieminister. With the pies now available in supermarkets such as Waitrose and fine food dispensaries across the country,

it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long before these pies are a formidable force across the board as they corner the pie market. So, if you haven’t already, isn’t it about time you saw what all the fuss was about for yourself? If they’re good enough for the Queen… Dave Writer Illustrations by Tina Golubeva 97

christmas at colston hall seasonally sparkling shows this festive season featuring: friday 4 december the bootleg beatles thursday 17 december only men aloud! monday 21 december christmas with the rat pack thursday 31 december bournemouth symphony orchestra new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eve viennese concert have your party with us - h bar bistro christmas menu now available

boxoffice +44 (0)117 922 3686 www.colstonhall.org

Colston Hall Going For Gold “When he sang his immortal ‘Buddy, Can You Spare A Dime’, I couldn’t contain myself! Being right behind the mike, I fished a penny (dime) from my purse and threw it at his feet. He picked it up, looked me straight in the face with those beautiful eyes and said ‘Thankyou’.” Mrs P Symons of Highridge recalls a steamy, highly charged live performance at Colston Hall during World War Two. 1930s superstar, Al Bowlly, had come to the red seated arena and filled it with heady lust; those legendary acoustics helping to relieve the tension of War for one special night. Indeed, Colston Hall holds special memories for thousands of Bristol residents and visitors, past and present, whether they’ve seen Rachmaninov, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Portishead or Will Young; the impressive list is overwhelmingly endless. However, it’s been the Hall’s architecture that’s been hitting the consciousness of the masses recently. That’s right, its £20million refurbishment and transformation into a gold, glassy, tower with a windmill on top – aka. Phase 1 of the new Colston Hall. The fifth renovation since 1867 when stylish chaps, Foster and Wood, first grabbed Edward Colston’s Boy’s School and transformed it for the purpose we

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see it today; a place for people to be astounded, awed, struck helplessly in love and sandwiched together in a united form of affection. Today after its new foyer was finished in the summer, Colston Hall looks thoroughly modern, attention grabbing and undeniably impressive and I was lucky enough to put a few questions to the Hall’s Bristol-born architect, Axel Burrough regarding the thought process behind the striking, new design: What does it mean to have designed the new Colston Hall when you are from Bristol yourself? ‘It certainly increased the interest for me and I hope my prior knowledge of Bristol helped. I visited the Colston Hall and The Little Theatre as a child with my parents and school and subsequently with friends as a teenager and young adult. I saw Otis Redding there on the famous Stax/Volt tour just before his death and will never forget it’. Why did you choose the daring design for the Hall? ‘Our client shared our desire it shouldn’t be a shrinking violet. Many people felt that one of the Hall’s major problems was its slightly peripheral location. We felt the building therefore needed to be striking from a distance and that influenced the bold form and the choice of the golden cladding. It is designed to look like a new, independent building, rather than an extension, so as to allow the existing, beautiful Victorian facade to breathe.’

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saturday 23 january the imagined village After their triumphant gig in 2007, the project re-inventing folk in modern England is back. Featuring Martin and Eliza Carthy, Chris Wood, Simon Emmerson and more. “It’s mischievous and tender, wry and wise, sad and surreal, but a folk that could only have been made in the 21st century” - Observer Music Magazine. Tickets: £21, £19

monday 22 february african soul rebels Featuring some of Africa’s most spectacular performers including Oumou Sangare (Mali), Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo de Cotonou (Benin) and The Kalahari Surfers (South Africa). Tickets: £17.50

boxoffice+44 (0)117 922 3686 www.colstonhall.org

Is it eco-friendly? ‘Central to the strategy is passive energy conservation – an exposed concrete structure of high thermal mass, high levels of insulation, passive solar design to minimise overheating, a wind turbine, a solar hot water system, natural ventilation, environmentally considered building materials and the use of daylight is maximised with a sophisticated combination of artificial lighting. Also, 95% of the demolition material was recycled within the site and the copper cladding, which is 80% recoverable, is made up of at least 70% recycled material.’ How do you feel about the rest of Bristol’s architecture? ‘Part of the quality of Bristol’s architectural heritage lies in its variety. Possibly the latter half of the 20th century is badly represented for its quality and we hope the Colston Hall foyer is a positive contribution. Certainly it is a contribution to the never-ending variety of Bristol’s buildings!’ Axel Burrough, with his own Bristolian heritage, has created a new Colston Hall with considered knowledge and heart. It is ambitious, eco-friendly and complementary to the surrounding areas but best of all, offers Bristol one more truly eye-catching landmark; however, what will the public make of its striking design? We hit the streets to find out: ‘I think it looks stylish and the opening ceremony provided a great night. The capoeira performance was amazing!’ Ana Parker, 24, Marketing Executive, Totterdown

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‘It looks like a massive empty area with little character. The gold plating looks cool and modern but not very necessary.’ Will Whittington, 24, Wind Analyst, Redland ‘I think it looks nice and fresh.’ Katie Kenworthy, 24, Student, Redland ‘The sheet metal finish is a nice touch and adds a sense of occasion that the building deserves. Inside is also quite dramatic, with the floating staircases and terrace bar, which makes a stark juxtaposition upon entering the period hall.’ Charles Pearce, 23, Renewable Engineer, Hotwells ‘It’s an improvement for Bristol, makes the city look more modern; however, the gold is a little bit extreme, especially in the sun!’ Roxy Chittem, 21, Dance Teacher, Clifton ‘I do like it, but I’m hoping the gold will weather, it is quite bright. Also, I am not convinced with the use of space inside the foyer. It feels a little bit like an airport.’ Karen Reynell, 40, Librarian, Clifton ‘The building really breathes now. I really like the live music space as you enter the building.’ Tom Miller, 26, Admin, City Centre ‘Quite overdesigned and pretentious.’ David Clicksdale, 24, Stokes Croft, Graphic Designer

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‘It’s very different from before. I do actually think it is quite a beautiful change, it really screams out at you.’ Heidi Morris, 68, Downend, Retired ‘I think it brings the street alive, it was so dull before and now it looks thoroughly modern.’ Julie Frances, 35, Teacher, Southville ‘I think it’s fantastic, a real jewel in Bristol’s crown, yes it’s very dominant on the landscape, but surely that’s the point of architecture, to make a mark, to inspire!’ Faye, 31, SUIT YOURSELF MAGAZINE What do you think? info@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Long may Colston Hall continue to be one of the premier entertainment hubs of the South West and the building’s ambitions show no sign of slowing down with Director Graham Howell stating how their greater and wider bill will aim to attract more assortments of people in the future. New ghosts are to be laid. www.colstonhall.org Helen Martin Photography by Ian Bradley www.ianbradleyphotography.co.uk To read the full interview with Axel Burrough visit: www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

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Restaurant Review - Chef’s Choice at The Square Fine dining should be an experience to savour; an experience which heightens the enjoyment of company and leaves your pallet rich from the flavours of laughter and indulgence. Dining at The Square, Berkeley Square, all of these high expectations seemed well within reach. On arrival, we were seated in the elegant yet refined dining room decorated with local artwork and after exchanging pecks on the cheeks with our guests, we were ready to experience The Square’s Chef’s Choice Menu; a mighty six courses of culinary wonder, each course accompanied by its own carefully selected wine (£37.50 per person or £50 with wine). First to arrive was a delicious course of fresh sage leaves stuffed with finely chopped olives and garlic, tempura battered to give a mouthwatering crunch, and served on a sauce of creamed flat leaf parsley, with a charming Spanish Macabeo to drink. To follow came a started course that appeared like a Christmas present waiting to be unwrapped. We collective tore into our thin crepes and

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were delighted with the soft, homemade goats cheese mixed with toasted walnuts, honey and fresh chives inside – a light, earthy taste with some rich underlying flavors. The fish course was up next and it offered me some new experiences: We enjoyed a (slightly overly large) portion of Risotto Nero topped with a scallop, pan-fried to perfection, and some monkfish liver, an interesting rarity that I think I will have to give one more try before I pass judgement. The heavy flavours of this dish alongside the sharpness of a classic, crisp French Sancerre were superb. Next was the meat course which was, by far, my personal highlight of the evening; an incredible soft and spicy treat that left my wanting just one more bite! We devoured a beautifully presented shoulder of lamb, stuffed with award-winning haggis from MacSween’s of Edinburgh, accompanied by broad beans, butternut puree, a red pepper sabayon and a heavy Australian Greenstone Shiraz to drink.

Next, working our way down the food mountain, things began to get really interesting. The cheese course, though hard to eat, was a celebration of flavour and texture; layered, spice pear relish, Cashel Blue mousse, a toasted hazelnut wafer and a sweet pear puree, and then came dessert; could it be? Was the adventure nearly over? We enjoyed every last mouthful of a light, dark chocolate mousse served with vanilla sugar roasted peaches, flambĂŠed with absinthe and a devilish blackberry icecream. Fantastic! Good food cannot guarantee an enjoyable evening but friendly service, an enjoyable atmosphere and a fantastic selection of drinks definitely go a long way; we certainly had an evening to remember. If, like me, you have to treat yourself every now and again to a memorable gastronomic experience, then this is one not to be passed up. Go on you only live once! www.thesquareclub.com Dave Penfold

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0117 9743882 17 Regent St, Clifton. Beautifully crafted clothing, perfect for glamorous occasions.

To submit information for this section please email to: spoil@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

Information and musings on the fun, musical, visual and entertaining things in life To advertise in this section please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 110/ Big-Screen Bristol 115/ Band Profile: Emily Breeze 119/ SY Meets…Dub FX 122/ What’s Brewing at the Tobacco Factory? 127/ Bristol’s Funny People 131/ Metropolis: What’s all this?

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Big-Screen Bristol You’d be surprised at the scale of Bristol’s fame. Over the last couple of decades, many of its streets, parks and monuments have been immortalised in popular TV programmes and films, from a wealth of old classics to modern hits like Skins. The locations within Bristol have all been central to the shows and their storylines and while they’re not going to change anyone’s lives, it does make living here a tiny bit more exciting! Now, of course, we all know Bristol is the home for all things wildlife and every nature documentary worth its salt has changed hands in the offices along Whiteladies Road at some point, Bristol is also the home of popular TV incarnations like Wallace and Gromit, Animal Magic and Noel’s evil boxes in Deal or No Deal, but its doesn’t stop there… The city’s has been the setting for a fair number of sitcoms including Skins, Afterlife, Being Human, Mistresses, Holby City, Shoestring, House of Eliott and Teachers, not to

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mention the longest running medical drama in the history of the world, Casualty, and a handful of films including The Truth About Love and Starter For 10 - but also, you might not know that The Young Ones, Only Fools And Horses and the film, These Foolish Things, which although set in the mean streets of London, had the majority of their external shots filmed here! You’ve enjoyed the shows from the comfort of your sofa but now it is time to un-stick yourself from those bumshaped creases and re-live the magic in real time! Here is our guide then, to the top ten scenes from the screen to re-create in the streets of Bristol:

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1 - The very first scene of the third series of tearaway teen-drama, Skins, featured a devilishly hansom young man skateboarding at breakneck speed down our very own Park Street, dodging buses, community policemen, dog turds and Harry Enfield along the way. What could be more fun (or suicidal) to re-enact?

4 - In wheeler-dealer classic, Only Fools And Horses, do you find the Trotters’ residence of Nelson Mandela House oddly familiar? That’s because it was filmed outside Whitemead House in Southville. Get yourself a yellow Robin Reliant, try and flog dodgy goods out the back and Bob’s your uncle! Mange tout Rodney! Mange tout!

2 - Cult, alternative, 1980s BBC comedy, The Young Ones, followed the surreal adventures of anarchic students Rick, Vyvyan, Neil and Mike as they avoided going to the fictional Scumbag College. Every episode would focus around their student house and it still looks exactly the same as it did on the corner of Codrington Road and Broadway Road in Redland. Why not try and re-create one of the scenes there by crucifying a hippy, driving past in a tank, dropping a bomb on it or submerging the entire building underwater?

5 - Starter For 10, the 2006 movie, saw James McAvoy at his floppy haired best as he floundered about with girls at Bristol University. Who needs to rent it though when you can just stick on a wig, don a Scottish accent and run up and down Royal York Crescent, Clifton, with your limbs flailing about?

3 - Early Noughties comedy-drama, Teachers, followed the staff room goings on of the fictional Summerdown School (filmed at schools in Knowle West and Lockleaze) and every episode would end with the teachers bantering in the local pub. What could be more fun than piling into the boozers in which these scenes were filmed, The Brunel in Bedminster and The Bristol County Sports Club on Colston Street, and pretending to be Kurt and Brian playing ‘Would You Rather…’? 112

6 - Casualty has been about for so long and filmed in so many locations in Bristol that simply stubbing your toe on a corner of pavement or walking into a lamppost would accurate re-create one of the medical drama’s infinite scenes. In fact, you’ve probably unknowingly already been an extra just from being outside, at all. Everyone else has been it seems. 7 - Another feature of Teachers was how every episode would start by following each of the staff’s commute to school. Most fun to watch (and therefore re-enact) was Simon’s as he raced his way all over Bristol taking in such

sights as the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Colston Street and Queen’s Square. But be warned – his routes weren’t always the most economical and if you do intend to reenact them, it’s about a 20 mile round trip. 8 - Again re-live the madness of The Young Ones by popping into their local boozer, The Kebab And Calculator, for a pint where Vyvyan’s mum worked, alternatively known as Westbury Park Tavern, Northumbria Drive, Redland/Henleaze. 9 - Thanks to popular BBC horror-drama Being Human, it’s Halloween all year round in Totterdown. Inside a rundown, pink, terraced house on the corner of Winsor Terrace and Henry Street live a strange trilogy of housemates; a ghost, a werewolf and a vampire. Go trick or treating at your peril… 10 - The very best Bristol scene to recreate though has to be the iconic one from the ‘Heroes and Villains’ episode of Only Fools And Horses when Rodney and Del Boy were late for a party and, dressed up as Batman and Robin, ran down Penn Street in Broadmead and through Stokes Croft unwittingly fighting crime! Jamie Skey

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Emily Breeze: ‘Beauty, Truth and Filth’ Emily Breeze’s anachronistic yet visceral rock ‘n’ roll is the freshest, toughest, most vital sound anywhere in Bristol today. Hitching a ride on rock ‘n’ roll’s great Mystery Train – passing Elvis, through Iggy and on to The Cramps – Breeze is a throwback, in sound and feeling; a wormhole to an era when the ephemeral notion of possibility in, or rather through, rock ‘n’ roll still hung in the air. High-fives soon becoming a noose as rock ‘n’ roll mutated into punk and as its driving impulses, fate and desire, were replaced by revenge and guilt. Which means in 2009 the very idea of Emily Breeze is equally as seductive as her music – an unfortunate rarity. So is Emily Breeze the real deal, or just bending to the ghost of an era long gone, a story already told? If rock ‘n’ roll has become anything over the last quarter century, it’s a history of re-presentation. New generations assimilating old forms then re-presenting them with new ideas, new voices contained within the established framework; ideas and voices which then work their way into a new context. The new context in this instance being Bristol, a city conspicuously

lacking its own rock ‘n’ roll lineage (which helps Breeze seem rootless and eccentric) and, sadly, post the recent twohundred year anniversary of abolition, still lacking a sense of collective guilt for those trades which established the city – slave trading, wine importing, tobacco. This a context which a visceral, caustic voice like Emily Breeze’s, driven by Punk’s twin impulses, can work its way inside of. Thus to the question is she ‘real’; who cares? As the Mystery Train reaches the platform, carrying Emily Breeze and her group of razorbacks, everything begins to shake. From there it’s what happens next that’s of importance. Under lights is where any rock ‘n’ roll group really proves its pulse and, as per usual, live at The Cooler recently there was little room to breathe between Breeze’s voice, growling like a motorcycle changing gears, and the electricity surging through the group, twisting into a perfect mix of distortion, thunder and feedback; or as Lydia Lunch might put it;

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‘Beauty, truth, and filth’. “Taste The Whip” emblazoned across her chest, wearing high heels and a crow’s nest of black hair, Breeze stalked the stage challenging the audience:

turning them into a kind of seething, clandestine communion – calling all ‘weirdos’ and ‘flakeouts’, your ride is here. And that displays the skill of a poet.

If your nights are cold and lonely If you’ve lost your one and only Come see me…

A wormhole to an old era, certainly. But a story already told, certainly not. Hell, you can’t move an inch in music these days without stepping on somebody’s toes. Besides, the true test of an artist isn’t what they bring to their audience, but where they take them. So if you’ve liked rock ‘n’ roll at any point over the last fifty years, have a weakness for women in eyeliner and high heels, or indeed if you have a pulse – step through this wormhole before it closes!

If you are ugly and forgotten If you are dirty and rotten Come see me. Lyrics (even good ones) can often seem asinine, naked and fragile; here though, Emily Breeze takes the role of poet. Taken simply by themselves these words are emboldening enough for all those they address, but it’s important to remember the fundamental difference between a poet’s and lyricist’s chosen ‘language’. A poet’s ‘language’ is poetics (by which we mean the theory(ies) of poetic structure etc…), and he/she uses this language to take the words and phrases used within a poem to places they wouldn’t normally go in everyday speech. Emily Breeze’s ‘language’ is music, which, combined with her twisted, rasping vocal, take the words and phrases in her songs to places they wouldn’t normally go. In this instance

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Emily Breeze’s debut album, The Penny Arcade, is to be releases in 2010. www.myspace.com/emilybreeze James Davey Photo by Jon Rowley

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SY Meets Dub Fx Over the summer in Bristol a tremendous new force entered our subconscious, an act somewhere between a beat boxer and a lyrical mc. A new artist, a brand new sound and someone who whilst of Italian/Australian heritage, has decided to travel the world with his craft, taking to the streets to engage with the public in a very immediate and real way, a brave and unashamedly honest vocal has captured the hearts of thousands making him the top rated YOU TUBE artist in the world.

For the novice who has never heard of this legend, here’s a cheeky snapshot of all things ‘Dub FX’

Until very recently he settled in Bristol to write his album, now complete, he’s off again around Europe and back home for the summer, we are tremendously proud of his achievements, a little gutted he has left us for the winter (who can blame him) and desperate for his triumphant return.

Just before he packed up the house, gave away his belongings and jumped in the bus with his flower fairy, we were granted a few hours in his company to grill him on his sound, his plans and the fabulous city of Bristol.

Dub Fx is a street-loop-beatboxer who grew up in St Kilda / Melbourne / Australia performing in various bands before hitting the world-wide road. Dub Fx uses Roland BOSS effect & loop pedals to create sounds which when layered creates a tune. Predominantly Dub Fx can be found busking through Europe with his Girlfriend the ‘Flower Fairy’.

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Faye: So how come you have ended up in the UK? Dub Fx: It was a girl... Faye: It’s always a girl eh? Dub Fx: Yes for sure... well I left Australia to head to Italy to get a record deal, but they kind of had plans for me, you know crazy plans, they wanted me to be a kind of Micheal Buble/Peter Andre type...

Dub Fx: No not at all, I start with the song, the lyric, the feeling, beat boxing just gives me a drum beat that’s all really. Faye: So you’re not a beat boxer, it’s a pretty common misconception Dub Fx: Yeah I know, I mean it’s pretty cool but... Faye: You would never put yourself in that pigeon hole?

Faye: Really, how bizarre, Peter Andre. Dub Fx: Yeah but in Italian, so I thought that maybe it wasn’t the best direction... I would be better to do my own thing. So I got on the plane and landed in Manchester. It was amazing, I had never heard of grime or dubstep or anything like that. I just kind of soaked it up. Faye: So that’s the starting point of your sound? Dub Fx: Yeah and early rock music, all of it really, but grime was when it really started, it blew me away. Faye: So how do you come up with the ideas and inspiration, do you start with the beatbox? 120

Dub Fx: Not really, I don’t really think beatboxing is that incredible, I mean it’s ok but every beatboxer I see just copies the next guy. They all do the same sounds and the same beats. It’s a different thing. Faye: How much do you think YOU TUBE has helped launch your career? Dub Fx: God, no question, it has changed my life, I never recorded myself but YouTube-videos spread like wildfire and I have requests from promoters all over the world. They offer me acts in countries i have never been before and I had no booking-agent or a manager, only YouTube.

Faye: How different is it performing on a stage than on the street? Dub Fx: It’s worlds apart, I love em both but it is a little strange being on a raised platform in front of people, the most amazing is in Eastern Europe, they seem to really get it, I have played in front of thousands and thousands of people, it’s pretty scary, real intimidating stuff.

Faye: Where to now? Dub Fx: Eastern Europe.... 101 gigs and then back home I want to work on Shos’s album (flower fairy) and get that finished, spend loads of time in the sunshine and see family Faye: Then come home, back to Bristol Dub Fx: Yes for sure, we will be back!

Faye: And what about the album, how different is that? Dub Fx: It’s totally the same vibe, a little more polished than the street stuff but it’s the best of everything I do.

Don’t make it too long! www.dubfx.net

Faye: And how important has Bristol been to this sound, why do you like it here so much? Dub Fx: Its really laid back, people don’t care, not that they don’t care and but they are not affected, people here seem to like things if they are cool, support each other and just get on with it. I have never really experienced that anywhere before. The turn out to the album launch was cool. 121

What’s Brewing at the Tobacco Factory? The Brewery Theatre Opens Suit Yourself Magazine arrives at the Tobacco Factory Theatre on a mild evening at the end of the summer in search of the launch night of a curious new theatre called “The Brewery”. We are politely re-directed down North Street and told to lookout for the old garage on the left covered in graffiti. They say you can’t miss it and sure enough you can’t, The Brewery coyly sitting across the road from the budget supermarket, looking like a burnt-out warehouse, scrawled in all sorts of colourful faces and patterns – the remnants of this year’s Urban Paint Festival. We enter this curious building from the back yard and are astounded by

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what we see within. Behind The Brewery’s cold brick walls and derelict exterior lies a stunningly professional dance studio/rehearsal room (complete with banks of polished mirrors and a sprung floor), a full stocked one-man bakery, a cosy front of house foyer, and, most importantly, a superb, intimate, 90-seated theatre venue with the feel of a truly wonderful art-house cinema. Tonight is the opening party, a celebration of the months of hard work that have gone into providing the Tobacco Factory with a second, sister venue. The place is truly a wonder to behold and it’s hard to believe it’s the same building which only months before was striped bare and

full to the brim with painters and graffiti artists doing what they do best at UpFest 09. However, as I find out when talking to Tobacco Factory Theatre Manager, David Dewhurst, the project hasn’t all been clear sailing… “It all happened quite quickly actually and ended in a very busy summer of building work. The Tobacco Factory Theatre has been growing steadily over the past few years and when George Ferguson took on a lease of an old tyre and exhaust garage just 150 meters over the road, we jumped at the chance to create a second auditorium. The building had been empty for about a year and was an exciting derelict space; seeing it for the first time brought back a few memories of the early TF days.

“The whole licensing process took a while and we had a very nervous wait in case we had any last minute objections to our plans. From there it was really working out the layout of the rooms, seating, lighting and sound installation – not to mention the new walls, doors and windows, the plumbing and the heating. We recycled an old bar prop for use in the foyer and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School kindly donated a seating bank (even though the wrong one was collected and assembled!). The final push was to get it opened on time which was no easy task - even now there’s some last minute painting going on.

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“There were always going to be a few hiccups along the way but the funniest was tonight when our theatre director Ali Robertson’s wife went into labour about 4 hours ago! Ali was due to launch the new theatre himself but he’s running his very own, very different welcoming party right now instead.” What were your motivations behind the new venue and what does the space offer that the current Tobacco Factory Theatre and other venues in Bristol don’t?

“The space is a great companion to the main TF Theatre. It’s an opportunity to run smaller shows for longer runs - the kind of shows that we can only give one or two night to in the larger auditorium - allowing companies

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to develop new work and for word-of-mouth and press reviews to impact on ticket sales. We’re also toying with the idea of screening films in here. The rehearsal room too is another fantastic space and is proving very popular with companies from Bristol and beyond; the National Youth Theatre will be holding their auditions in The Brewery early next year! “There are some exciting future plans afoot for the rest of the building. We already have a working bakery next to the theatre, hopefully a cheese-maker will open an office next door and the front of house area backs onto the award winning Bristol Beer Factory brewery. We’re going to have brewing equipment and samples on display and tours of the Beer Factory will be up and running soon.

“It’s been a pretty exciting summer really. We’re still the same Tobacco Factory but we now have twice as much going on as we used to! The two new spaces are a great way for us to help develop new work whilst continuing our high-quality, diverse program. Air conditioning has just been installed in the main auditorium too and we have a new brochure out in November.” It all sounds wonderful and although half of these ideas are still in motion, seeing what these guys have managed to do with this building in merely a few months, I have faith that in no time I will be able to enjoy an evening’s theatre here with a beer that was brewed 20 metres away, eating cheese and a pastry made next door, watching a show that was conceived and developed in the theatre over the road and rehearsed in the room opposite.

The Brewery opened its doors to the public for its first show on the 29th August and has already played host to nearly 50 shows in 2 months. Talking to some of the staff at the venue, they told me how there was a real buzz around the new space and every single night they were having groups of people popping their heads in on the way past to find out what was happening inside. It’s a fascinating venue with a great story and with the ideas and drive behind it as they are, it’s something you should definitely go and check out yourselves soon. www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com Matt Whittle Photos by Farrows Creative, Graham Burke and Kathryn Gatt

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Bristol is Funny The last couple of years have seen a surge in Westcountry, and particularly Bristolian, comedians slowly taking over our screens, radios and stages. Has something happened to warm the public at large to the Bristol twang or is it all a massive, hilarious coincidence? Who knows, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find out a bit more about some of Bristolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny sonsâ&#x20AC;Ś

Justin Lee Collins

Born in Bristol in 1974, JLC is fiercely Bristolian. He used to be a double-glazing demonstrator until he won several high profile comedy awards in the late 90s and now is an almost permanent fixture on late night television.

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Bill Bailey

Born in Bath in 1964, Bailey grew up in Keynsham and the stand-up/actor/musician is today all over our media outlets, all the time. His strong Westcountry drawl could be one of the major reasons why the region has seduced the country. www.billbailey.co.uk

Russell Howard

Born in Bath in 1980, Howard found success as a chirpy stand-up in the mid-Noughties and now can be found propping up the teams in every TV panel show in existence. www.russell-howard.co.uk

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Stephen Merchant

Born in Bristol in 1974, Merchant is a writer, director, radio presenter stand-up and actor but is best known as the lanky half of the duo behind popular sitcoms The Office and Extras. Ricky who? www.stephenmerchant.com

Lee Evans

Born in Avonmouth in 1964, Evans found much success as a stand-up in the 90s with his erratic style and is currently trying to seduce Hollywood, already appearing in Mouse Hunt, There’s Something About Mary and The Fifth Element. www.offthekerb.co.uk/lee-evans

Mark Watson

Born in Bristol in 1980, “Maaaar” is a successful author and stand-up and, along with JLC, an avid Bristol City FC fan. www.markwatsonthecomedian.com Illustrations by Ian McDonald

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SY Meets... Metropolis Who or what is Metropolis? Where has it come from? Do other cities have Metropolises or is this a new, independent venture? Metropolis is a new ‘umbrella’ brand for our three core businesses: Jesters Comedy Club, Cool Struttin’ Music and Hoochie Coochie Kabaret (yes, spelt with a ‘K’). David Trew had been running Jesters for 15 years, mostly in its smaller venue on the other side of Cheltenham Road. When he took over this amazing grade II listed former silent cinema in 2007, he saw the potential for live music but couldn’t find anyone he wanted to work with. A chance meeting at a party led to a visit to the club and as soon as I saw the venue I knew it was exactly what I was looking for - perfect size, great viewing and the right look for the kind of venue I hoped to create. This is the first one but it’s nice to think that maybe if we can make this one a success it may lead to the opening of a few more.

Now that Jesters has become the Metropolis, what differences can we expect? Jesters Comedy Club still exists and since the closure of Jongleurs in October is busier than ever. In fact we are so busy we will be running comedy nights on both weekend nights in 2010. The main difference is the addition of a comprehensive program of live music. The Metropolis brand is really showing our commitment to a wider range of genres of entertainment. The Jesters brand is fantastic and stronger than ever, but to be taken seriously in other areas, especially live music, we needed a brand that demonstrated this. Metropolis is that brand.

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Who is Metropolis for? Anyone who feels the funk! When you are programming music at one venue it’s very easy to fall into the trap of booking music for yourself. Anyone who knows me would agree that our line up for 2009 was a line up of my favourite bands. But you have to start somewhere, so Metropolis has been influenced by the acts that I have seen over the years at the Jazz Cafe in London - a venue that I have always believed would be just perfect in Bristol. The music policy is very biased towards jazz, funk and soul but we will include hip hop, reggae, ska and world music. We keen to include a handful of important acts from other genres, such as The Fall. The comedy here caters for parties, stag nights and anyone up for a laugh. Our third brand, Hoochie Coochie, has been one of the city’s biggest sensations, ever since its promoter Keda Breeze ran the very first one at Jesters in February 2008. Every one since has sold out, and they are a sight to behold – literally! You couldn’t imagine a more perfect fit for an event and a venue. Hoochie Coochie is a form of

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burlesque cum circus cum pure cabaret, straight from 30s Berlin, and set in our Edwardian Baroque/Art Deco styled building. The majority of the audience dresses up in the style of the theme that Keda chooses for each Hoochie Coochie; it’s almost as much fun to people-watch as it is to watch the performers. How will Metropolis fit in with the music scene in Bristol? What does it offer that sets it apart? I’d like to think that all the major jazz/funk/soul artists will come here and we will carve out our place as Bristol’s answer to clubs such as the Jazz Café or Ronnie Scott’s. Stokes Croft is enjoying a massive renaissance at the moment, in my humble opinion, because of the work of the licensed venues and the PRSC. As such, it’s fast becoming one of Bristol’s newest destinations. When you consider the fantastic venues in this part of our world, it’s little wonder: The Croft, that David set up with Ed Gibson (now the owner of The Apple cider boat in Welsh Back), Hamilton House, The Pipe and Slippers, La Voglia, Rice and Things, The Junction, Leftbank and Zazu’s kitchen.

It’s now an area that you can just go to and take your pick from several great nights out. I’d like us to become a venue with an intimate setting but has the line up and facilities you would expect from a 2,000 capacity venue.

You’ve been open for a couple of months now, is everything going to plan? Getting a good response? Opening any venue in Bristol is difficult but in late October and November it seemed like we were winning the battle and we had some incredible gigs from the likes of Marva Whitney, Mayer Hawthorne, The Haggis Horns, Brand New Heavies, Breakestra and The Herbaliser. It’s very encouraging that all the best gigs were my favourites from the line up. We still have some minor issues to resolve with the sound but at the moment both the comedy and the music are going very well.

Where do you want Metropolis to be by the time you’re celebrating its 1st birthday? In New York City! Seriously, I would love to believe that we’re considered to be the city’s very best medium-sized live performance venue, but that’s never for us to judge of course. All we can do is just keep doing our best, booking bands that Bristol wants to see, improving the venue in any way we can, and letting our passion for what we do shine through. I’ve always believed that you can’t run any business successfully unless it’s your passion, and this is certainly mine, so perhaps that’s a good place to be right now, let alone for our first birthday. As far as acts that we hope to get back for our first birthday, Mayer Hawthorne on the Friday and Omid Djalili on the Saturday would be my perfect weekend but as long as we are attracting big name acts to the venue then I’ll be happy.

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Armed and dangerous, ready for action, we bring you the safety of knowing whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in this cool city To advertise in this section please contact advertise@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk 137/ Auntie Harper fields your questions 138/ Mystic Gingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Horoscopes

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Next Issue we will be introducing a fabulous new section looking at Gay and Lesbian life in Bristol. Put together with some of the best writers, best clubs and all together fantastic people the city has to offer

Auntie Harper

SY’s Agony Aunt answers your questions…

What are your New Year’s resolutions Harper? I need some inspiration! I’ve considered giving up being an agony aunt for 2010. I’m getting tired of girls throwing themselves at me in the streets, getting free money, clothes and food and VIP entry into clubs and pubs. Life is hard sometimes, don’t you think? The editor begged me to stay, and to be honest, the urge to stay and help losers like you was too strong. It’s the power invested in me to provide you with a kick up the arse worth of motivational advice. The unfortunate people of Bristol need my harsh words in their lives too badly and because of this, I’ve decided to continue gracing the rear pages of SY for another year. Sorry Alan Titchmarsh, your gardening column will have to wait little longer.

I don’t seem to be having any luck with the ladies at the moment. What’s the best way to meet girls? I picked up my last victim in Asda, Bedminster. We caught each others gaze when filling up with Pick ‘n’ Mix one morning on the way to work. I think she was on day-release at the time. Nowadays I keep her locked in the cupboard as she has begun to smell a little bit and refuses to clean her dentures. My boyfriend wants me to spend Christmas with his family but they’re all nuts! What should I do? Invite your boyfriend round to yours and tell his parents to shove Christmas up their arse. Simple! To put your queries to Auntie Harper’s sympathetic ear just email: info@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk

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Scorpio: You’re on fire at work! And then obviously, you are off work for some time. On the plus side, that nurse who changes your bandages is definitely giving you the eye. Something to think about after the last blister pops. Sagittarius: You’re on fire at work too! Oh, no. I mean you will be fired. It’s because of the “Unspeakable Incident”. Seriously, a lobster? You’re gross. Capricorn: Things have been slow for you recently, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. If you can reach it, your parents can stop arguing about whether to turn off your life support.

Taurus: This is an excellent time to get to know someone close to you. It will have to be Stabby Hands Bob since as of next week, you will be together twenty-three hours a day. Gemini: Working with others is important for you right now. They will definitely catch you soon unless you take a chance and trust someone. Your lucky border: Mexico. Cancer: Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. The dog has definitely eaten something you have been looking for.

Aquarius: Be cautious in the home. All the doorknobs need to be touched eight times before you go to bed or everyone you love will die. Don’t forget.

Leo: Your generous impulses may backfire. Oh well, we all have to go sometime, and at least you will look like a hero. A bit stupid, but heroic. Shame about the skidmarks.

Pisces: Oh Pisces, you’re up to your elbows in it! In what? You’ll see. The worst part is where your skin comes off in sheets. Don’t touch your eyes, either.

Virgo: An adventure beckons! …in your head. Other than that it is all the same for you. Work, sleep, eat, loneliness. Your lucky colour: grey…grey, grey, grey.

Aries: With argumentative Jupiter rising in your charts, resist any urge to fight. If you close your eyes and think of other things it’ll be over faster. Don’t you know that by now?

Libra: You’re on fire in the bedroom but by the time you realise it, she will be long gone. Just get the ointment and stop scratching it.

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Suit Yourself Magazine Issue 36 Editor: Matt Whittle / matt@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Executive Editor: Faye Penfold / faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Design: James Penfold / penfold@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Front Cover and Section Header Illustrations: Martin Jones

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of Suit Yourself Magazine. Suit Yourself Magazine is an independent publication distributed throughout Bristol. Advertising Enquiries: faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Contributors for Issue 36: Mr Bennett, Ian Bradley, Kyle Von Brown, Graham Burke, Steph Burns, CG Brunskill, James Davey, Farrows Creative, Anna Freeman, Jade French, Kathryn Gatt, Tina Golubeva, Elena Goodrum, Heidi Gough, Verity Gough, James Harper, Katy Hudson, Martin Jones, Ronnie Juton, Helen Martin, Morgan Matthews, Ian McDonald, Simon Mills, Alex Nicholson, Dave Penfold, Gemma Randall, Jon Rowley, Jamie Skey, Annette Sloly, Yanny Tokyo, Glenn Vowles, Faye Westrop, Matt Whittle, Peter Wognum, Dave Writer 140

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